If your opening day for the 2016/17 ski season has to be postponed due to warm weather and a lack of snow, what, oh what is a ski resort to do? Well, instead of wallowing in sorrow, Alta threw a party. The 1st (and hopefully only) “All About That Base” pray for snow party happened on November 19th at Alta’s Wildcat base, and everyone there sure hoped it would be enough to convince the snow gods to unload their… well, load upon us.
Alta’s most hardcore skiers gathered together to drink beers, listen to music, and grouse about the slow start to ski season. Despite the bad reason for us all to be there, it was really fun to see Alta friends once again, even if we weren’t skiing. I had to remind myself to stop looking up, because the sight of High Boy as bare as I’ve ever seen it this time of year was almost too much to handle. Still, people were skiing on what little man-made snow there was. Props to them.
A fire kept everyone warm, even though temperatures were already a balmy 50-something degrees – too warm to make snow. Still, a cold wind whipped up from time to time, reminding us that, yes, winter is at our doorstep… we just have to be patient. To help speed things along in the snowfall department, a pair of “skis” was sacrificed to Ullr or whatever deity upstairs cared to listen to our pleas.
I hope it works.
As of now, Alta’s opening day is TBA. So keep doing those snow dances.