SNOWBIRD JUNE 22, 2008

Snowbird announced their last official day of the ski season. Today was that day. With a lazy start we arrived at 11:30AM and hopped on the tram. Finished up once again on the tramdeck where we met several other friends from the valley to toast the "EPIC" ski season goodbye and a new fresh one in a few months. Let the countdown begin!


Marcus

Megan

No Joke. We had to take our gear off and walk 100ft on dirt/rocks.

Instead of downloading, we figured on a last final run down Peruvian Gulch w/ a short walk back to the tramdeck.

Snowbird June 15th

There is not much better than great friends, corn snow, sun and beers on the deck on a June 15th ski day. Most are hiking or biking while us die hards go skiing to escape the 90 degrees in the valley.


Pablo on Hidden Peak

Pablo

SG killing it w "Gaper" steeze

Megan having fun after her Vegas binge and 2 hours of sleep

Konrad knows the dress code

One of my last turns of the season

Celebrating on the Tramdeck w temps in the 70s

FKNA

The "Bird" June 8th.

Eager to try my new BD Zealots with tele-bindings and also to get out of the valley to ski the corn, a few of us decided to go to "The Bird"
After Marcus picked me up in the valley we headed to Snowbird for spring skiing. Loaded the Tram at 9:30am. Unloaded and lapped Mineral Basin for 6 runs and then to Little Cloud chair for 2 more runs. Marcus had to work so he left and I skied to the tramdeck to meet up with Megan and Lauren. We hopped in the tram and headed back to Mineral Basin for a few laps. Back to Little Cloud and then down to the base after 2 runs. Celebrated with beers on the deck! June 8th. FKNA!

february-march bottomless pow!

Finished version of f...ing awesome Utah fluff!


Raw cut of video

Finally finished a video from FEBRUARY 5

I posted some of these clips a long time ago. Now the clips have been put together for a 5 min video of three of us touring USA Bowl in BCC. Shut the music off to the web page by scrolling all the way down to the bottom.

May 23-24 Spring-a-licious!

SPRING SKIING/SNOWBOARDING

Megan, Portercross and myself started at Collins parking lot and skinned up to Baldy Shoulder using the cat-track.

During our travels we met up with a lone snowboarder who tagged along. After a quick lap on the shoulder and a crash into a tree we then headed up to the summit of the Wildcat chairlift.

Megan waits for the rest of us and takes advantage of photo-opp at the summit of Wildcat.

Then down punch bowl and home runned out under the Wildcat lift to beer thirty. Spring conditions were typical with soft slush/crusty conditons depending on the aspect and sun. Celebrated with a PBR and Coyotes howling at the sun!

(Above)Always great to see splitboard, AT, and tele-touring setups enjoying the snow together.

On May 23, I hiked up Collins to the backside. On the backside, fast long turns were the way down greely hill.

7" fell overnight and still snowing all day. Another 5"-7" on the way. No work today (May 22) so I went skiing. How sad!

Albion Basin, Alta

Last Chance below gully

My gear at the top of Rocky Point

Little Cottonwood Canyon sign w/out snow

Looking up Little Cottonwood Canyon

mama goat and baby goat


BTW~~ My boots stink from hiking so much!

70 degrees

My friend Marcus and I started skinning from the Collin's parking lot at 9:15am. Headed up the cat-track past Watson's and up to Baldy Shoulder. We took a few turns there and then proceeded back up to the top of the Wildcat chair. From here we traversed across to Punch Bowl and then under the Wildcat chair to finish our morning session before it got to hot. Deep Slush! More snow forecasted for Wednesday so keep your fingers crossed!

"Alta"tude today Day #70

Snowshoe Hill/ Catherine's area (ALTA). Another 1.5 hour trek to the summit of Supreme chair. This time only 1,700 vert ft climb. It's gettin sticky out there w/ temps in the 60s!

Mt. Rainier

Snapped this photo flying into Seattle. It's hard to believe that this is an active "Volcano". It looks like it's Everest when flying into Seattle, it just towers above everything protruding through the clouds. It's only 14.4k, but makes quite an impression when everything else around is close to sealevel.

Where Else? BP Baby!

So with another 10" yesterday, where else would one even want to go? Logged in only 1500' vert today. One lap up the west side to the weather station, down The Roll, traversed along the aqueduct and down The 90's and into the The 80's down to Current Creek trailhead.

Skinned back up the west side to the weather station, then came down Triple Rock Area (Which is still double rock due to the amount of snow! I'd say it won't be "Triple Rock" again until mid-June... Awesome).


Close up of my "Double Rock" line below:


Is anyone coming out to make some turns? Fresh Resch (Stacheman) has sold out this season. He only made it to BP two days (maybe 1), and has yet to return... I'm closing in on that 100 mark, with at least 30days of touring, and many more to come!

Ohh yea, BP is expecting another 3-5" tonight and the same Thursday night. The storm started rolling in when I was packing it up.

SnowBoy Out.

Devil's Castle ( ALTA )

Reached my summit after skinning for 1.5 hrs and approx 2000' vert ft. Mt. Timpanogos in the background.
My well earned turns after sketchy uptrack that is shown in picture. There was about 4 inches of fresh cream cheese.
Some more turns down extrovert. My tracks are skier's right.

My own solitude at Solitude!

Well after nearly a full month of closing day at Solitude there is still plenty of snow. I geared up at Moonbeam base. 1) I skinned up Home Run. 2) Then booted the summer road which is now blacktop! 3) Then I bootpacked Diamond Lane where I thought my heart was going to blow through my chest. 4) Hiked up past the patrol shed and over into Here be dragons. 5) Then after dropping the knee a bunch of times I headed over into Crystal Point and made a few more turns there. 6) Then Honeycomb Return back to the parking lot to call it a day!
60 degrees and Sun. I believe that I was the only person to ski Solitude today! Nothing like having a full mountain to myself.
Oh yeah the chairlifts will be changed for next season with a new chairlift called APEX EXPRESS! Shhhhhhh!
Video of Honeycomb Canyon is taken from my cell phone .

14" New Snow!!!

They were calling for only 1-3" overnight. As usual, their forecast was completely wrong. I picked up two freeheelers on the way up the pass who informed me there was a foot up at the main parking area... And that's only at 9,000!! At close to 12,000 there was at least 14". Is it March or May??? Unfortunately because of low light and heavy snow, no pictures of my steezy tracks came out. However, you can imagine, overhead shots every turn on the steep stuff... Uber Steezed after today!!!


Two old dudes and their dog. It's starting to puke now.


I did encounter a minor slide...

I started skiing on a 35-40 deg pitch which eventually rolled over to 50-55. Three turns in and I saw the snow sliding to my left so I instinctively cut a big right turn towards a ridge I noted before venturing down slope. I stopped up on the high ground and watched a 30' wide section of snow rush downhill and continue over the rock face below. Decision time, skier's right is a narrow chute that cliff's out at 15' (which I've skied before) and straight down the gut is non skiable... Chances are this will let loose again, so I opted to not ski the chute (nasty terrain trap). I traversed skier's left and continued until I could ski down safely (i.e. no cliffs to be pushed over if it does slide again). As I was about to pole plant and take the first turn down the fall-line, I saw a crack shoot through the snow, just below me, clear across the slope (80' or so). Normally I'd stop and re-route, however, I didn't. Why? For a few reasons.

One: I was with two guys I met, whom were both above me, equipped with the necessities (Beacons, probes, shovels).
Two: No terrain traps below
Three: If it slides, it'll be the foot of soft new snow that fell in the last 12hrs
Four: Short slope, maybe 300 ft, with a runout that opens up nicely (Hourglass) and gradually decreases from 55 - 25 degs

So I make that first turn and that's when it happens. The snow lets loose all around me and rushes downhill at an amazing speed. I hold my breath. My heart skips a beat. It all happens so fast. The snow is still sliding. Now it's sliding faster. I get on my tails and point 'em. What a rush. I'm flowing through the snow, I'm on a giant slip 'n slide. I can't turn. I'm going faster. Now I can turn. One. Two. Three. Four. Five... A big right turn. I stop. The snow stopped.

Hard to see, but the crown up above the rock face, about a foot or so.


And as we skinned out from the last run, it started snowing even harder...


Hey! Goat. Put up your dukes.


"Baaaaa, we ain't got no stinkin' dukes. Later."

May 1

Snowbird received 17" in the past 24hrs.