Soliciting Western May Advice/Votes

That looks sweet! It almost makes me want to go skiing. Almost.

Recent TGR reports and photos from Snowbird (including to closed Alta via Baldy) and LCC look really good.  Starting to list even further in that direction.  Time to start looking at logistics and lodging......

jjp....tried to email you, but CAPTCHA was being wonky.  Don’t know if it didn’t go through....or maybe you got ten!

I can send jj's email to JT or visa versa, with permission from either.

Fine by me, thanks.

Done about an hour ago.

Thanks.

jjp actually had gotten my email thru the forum.  He gave me some great beta on what would be a really good objective.....so I thought I was set to focus on Utah, hit up Snowbird a day, then tour out to Red Baldy another day.

But.....

Now I’m wondering if too much winter is going to get in my way!

The LCC forecast for that weekend is 3-6 inches of snow, accompanied by lows in the teens and highs in the mid-30’s, with the freezing level around 9,000 ft.  That’s a spring skiing disaster, no?  Shit’s gonna freeze up tighter than MC’s sphincter after a fucked up meme, then not soften much at all, with not enough new snow to make the hard surface enjoyable.

Fuck me.  The Front Range forecast isn’t any better.  

Squaw Valley is looking at lows in the upper 20s and highs in the 40s.  Maybe that’ll be the way to go?

I’ll wait on the forecast a little longer to book, but if the forecast doesn’t change my stoke level just went way down......

It’s still been winter ski conditions up at A-Basin jtg. Today looked killer with fresh, stable powder and an open east wall.

Yeah, a little silly to worry about it.  If harvesting corn isn’t in the cards, I’ll deal with winter in May, even if it’s a little firm.  Other than lifts it’ll pretty much be a free trip, so I’ll stop being a whiny bitch....

If my memory is correct all of your western trips have been home runs..sometime ya just ground out to second..

Maybe my post wasn’t very clear, Colorado is going off! The conditions are hitting.

Go to A-Basin now. Get a tour up on the pass. Ski a big Couloir and party on the beach.

Have at it - my gear is all waxed & stored for next year. Been biking between the showers. Off to the oil patch to make some money this week.

Oh yeah, I’m done too. It’s build season, skis are in the closet.

So, after much deliberation, I’m headed back to Little Cottonwood Canyon.  This time I’ll ski Snowbird on Saturday, then I’ll either kick around a closed Alta or hit up the White Pine Fork and Red Baldy for some touring fun on Sunday.

Of the A Basin/Squaw/Snowbird options.....A Basin is the least convenient, with the least favorable weather (coldest temps, no new snow) for this weekend.  Squaw may offer up the most new snow from Thurs to Sunday, but they are already talking about winds along the crest typical of Tahoe storms, and potential upper mountain closures on Sunday  I’m not chasing another storm to Squaw to risk being skunked, again.

So, Snowbird offered the best combo of convenience, new snow/weather (hopefully timed for some decent untracked pow on  Saturday am), and good lodging packages with free lift tickets.  Doesn’t hurt that all the flights (to SLC, OAK, and back to NY) are on Delta, pump up the FF miles some for next year.

JTG4eva! wrote

So, after much deliberation, I’m headed back to Little Cottonwood Canyon.  This time I’ll ski Snowbird on Saturday, then I’ll either kick around a closed Alta or hit up the White Pine Fork and Red Baldy for some touring fun on Sunday.


So, Snowbird offered the best combo of convenience, new snow/weather (hopefully timed for some decent untracked pow on  Saturday am), and good lodging packages with free lift tickets.  Doesn’t hurt that all the flights (to SLC, OAK, and back to NY) are on Delta, pump up the FF miles some for next year.

Looking forward to a trip report! :-)

Good luck! I think you will have it!

Somewhat oxymoronic-ly....I have both warm weather wax AND micro-spikes being delivered Thursday.  Gotta love Amazon!

Saturday afternoon temps could push into the 40’s.  I’ll bring the crampons/ice ax and ski crampons, but I’m hoping any refreeze Saturday night isn’t hard enough to require their use.  

For $70 I may buy a Snowbird lift ticket on Sunday to save a couple hours of skinning from the White Pine trailhead up to Red Baldy, and just use the Gad 2 gate.  If I do, hopefully the booter to Temptation Ridge doesn’t even require the micro-spikes.  But, as the Boy Scouts always say (after ‘get that thing the fuck away from me’)......

Squaw got hammered through the day yesterday and last night.  Mid-May powder turns, on what was open.  They also had some upper mountain wind holds yesterday.  Squaw is drying out today, until Saturday night, and they’ll get another shot Saturday night and Sunday.  I’m sure Squaw would have been fun.

For my purposes, the storm arrived in LCC last night.  5 inches overnight at the stake, with another 6 to 12 expected thru tomorrow am, a good chunk of that falling after the lifts stop spinning today.

So, I guess you still treat it as a powder day (line up at 7 for an 8am opening) on May 18?

Even though I might have been satisfied with a deep sac fly, looks like I might just keep my average alive...

JTG4eva! wrote

For my purposes, the storm arrived in LCC last night.  5 inches overnight at the stake, with another 6 to 12 expected thru tomorrow am, a good chunk of that falling after the lifts stop spinning today.

So, I guess you still treat it as a powder day (line up at 7 for an 8am opening) on May 18?

Even though I might have been satisfied with a deep sac fly, looks like I might just keep my average alive...

Different reason to be ready for first chair during late, late season.  As of 5am MT, the Snowbird temps are 32/22/19 for Base/Mid/Peak.  While lifts are open 8:00am-2:30pm, the really fun cold snow may be gone by noon in a lot of areas.  Might not be as much of an issue for Friday, but looks like warmer temps for Sat-Sun.  But if it warms up and then freezes up overnight . . . not too much reason to push for first chair.

Have you ever read Guru Dave's Snowbird blog?

No, not sure I have, I’ll check it out.

Yeah, I figured this time of year you need to get out early.....I just figured for a typical mid to late May day there might not be a big enough crowd to require lining up an hour early.  Now, if there’s 12+ inches of powder up high......

I’ll get out early tomorrow, make the most of the pow before it turns, hopefully things stay decent up high.  While there will be a re-freeze Saturday night, there should also be a bit of a refresh with new snow heading into Sunday morning.  Depending on how much I’ll slow play Sunday a little more.

I skied at Tuck’s this late, but this is kind of uncharted territory for me!