Skiing at the Canyons, Snowbird and Alta 2008

Just like Telluride in January, The base was amazing in Park City the first of March.  The temperature had moderated a bit so it was necessary to deal with the freeze/thaw cycle every day in areas that received direct sun however anywhere that stayed shady was great.

And then there was Snowbird and Alta.  I learned the secret.  Follow people that seem to know where they are going.  I was standing on a traverse in the middle of a run when three guys zipped by me headed around a tram tower on the  traverse and into trees.  I decided to follow.  What I found was Dalton's Draw and Mach Schnell.

I followed two ski patrollers at Alta and found the way to the top of "Lone Pine" and "Alf's High Rustler" and several other great runs.  Here are a few pictures.

Skiing at the Canyons had an entirely new dimension this year in Silverload Bowl off the Golden Eagle Lift.  Two moose had decided to claim a space on each side of the bowl.  The one on the right side "above" was no problem.  That area is  not skiable.  The other, however, bedded down in the middle a traverse.   The moose did not create a hazard if you were skiing down the trail because you could see it before you got too close.  I like to ski the trees in Silverload Bowl and you just drop out of the trees onto the traverse without much warning.  One run I came out about 25 or 30 feet below the moose.  I was carrying enough speed to ski up the trail a bit.  I surprised the moose about as much as she surprised me so I made an abrupt left off the trail into the trees and skied the first few turns considerable faster than I normally ski in tight trees!!

Snowbird Traverse - Road to Provo

Alta - Alf's High Rustler and Lone Pine Runs