Maybe I’m just used to a lack of snow after years of below-average snowfall in Utah, because opening weekend at Alta was spectacular. Sure, there was only a 25-inch base and only a few intermediate runs were open, but I didn’t care. I had the time of my life just cruising groomers under the Collins Lift, eating up scraps of powder off Wildcat, and making several trips “Around the World.” But I didn’t always used to be so stoked for early-season skiing.
In the past, I was too much of a snob to bother myself with rock hard snow on limited groomers. Skiing opening weekend wasn’t worth my time unless a freak November storm dumped three feet of powder in Little Cottonwood Canyon. But I’ve seriously changed my tune. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and therefore less picky. I think it’s more likely that being a new father, with limited time to ski, is to blame. Every opportunity to get into the mountains must be taken, even if that means I’m skiing on rocks. Luckily, the in-laws (and the wife) enable my addiction to snow, so I got to spend two days in my favorite place on Earth – Alta.
Saturday could not have seen better weather for skiing. The temperature was warm, the snow was soft, the skies were bluebird, and the stoke level was high. I felt like I was coming home as I pulled into the parking lot at the Wildcat base where parking attendants were giving out smiles, high fives, and even hugs. On the mountain, everybody I talked to while riding the lift was thrilled to be back on skis. Mountains always look better covered in snow, and Mount Superior was looking sexy in her winter whites (though I wouldn’t do her just yet.)
The skiing was much better than expected for opening weekend. The sun softened the groomers to a fine, carveable surface that was fast and fun. On the edges of the runs, powder shots could still be found in north-facing trees. Then in the afternoon, patrol opened the Shoulder Traverse, where fresh lines of wind-loaded powder topped off the day.
Sunday was even warmer, but instead of riding lifts, my friend, Dave Thieme, suggested we tour the backcountry. I knew terrain options were limited with such a low snowpack, and I wasn’t in a hurry to destroy my skis on barely-hidden rocks. So we settled on a skin up Grizzly Gulch in Alta’s backcountry. The hike up was mellow and I couldn’t have been happier to be moving through mountains once again. At Twin Lakes Pass, we drank coffee, traded stories about when we skied cutes in Wolverine Cirque in years past, and quietly shook our heads at people heading up to Patsey Marley. I’ve skied up there in the fall before and never will again. The slopes below Patsey Marley are extremely rocky, even in the trees where the terrain looks mellow. So I said a little prayer for their ski bases as each ski tourer passed us by.
Satisfied with our hike, we skied back down the way we skinned up, diving into powder pockets and bombing down the old mining road back to the car at the Albion gate.
The snow was crappy, but I sure was happy to be sliding on it after a long, 6-month absence. Hopefully that doesn’t mean I’m getting old.