Solitude, UT 01/09/16

Between family- and job-related duties combined with crap weather back east, this is the latest I've started a season since I began downhill skiing 15 years ago, but I finally got Day 1 under my belt as part of a long weekend in Salt Lake City.



I'm staying with my friend Bryan who relocated from NJ and is now living full-time at his Solitude condo:



We got to the Apex lift a few minutes after it opened -- 176 inches so far:



We warmed up on a few groomers, which were nice and soft after nine inches that had fallen over the last few days.


Diamond Lane


... then clucked around the off-piste. While it was tough to find much untracked snow, there were acres of bone-dry chop all over.







This past summer, they replaced the summit lift with a HSQ and built a patrol shack at the top:



I don't remember this trail map at the entrance to Honeycomb Canyon. Nice job with the trees:



It clouded up in the early afternoon and the light got really flat, so I called it a day at 2:45, which works out well as I wanted to save my legs for tomorrow, when I'll be at my favorite of the SLC-region ski areas.


A fun first day: better late than never.

Looks pretty sweet! Great 1st day!!

Really like that place. Lots of great stashes and place to hike to.

Beautiful. Thanks for the pics. Looks like you hit it nicely.

Jamesdeluxe wrote

The streak continues!   Big smile.

Smartest man on the forum!!!

I love Diamond Lane . what a peddle to the medal run...

I know what your favorite place is...I will leave a clue for the others....Enjoy the the men's room

Most Excellent

The terrain looks familiar, we explored it  a couple years ago with "The Best Skier on the Mountain", our surrogate son
as our guide and coach; Oops!

The Kid knew everyone on the mountain, or so we thought.

Then we did the afternoon lunch-run escorted by the Patrol who introduced themselves to us.  Thanking us for sharing their Beloved Mountain .

Ski You On The ill.

Wow. Maybe going to have to save up some nickels and head out to UT!
 
A nice collection of shots here and the snow looks incredible.

Harvey wrote

The streak continues!

I have a streak?

Jamesdeluxe wrote

Harvey wrote

The streak continues!

I have a streak?

Maybe he's talking about you undies but why he'd be looking there I'll never know (or care to).

You have good luck when you travel out west!