It's starting :)
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Denis
March 17, 2012
Member since 07/12/2004 🔗
2,352 posts
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php...111.637&e=1

3 days ago I was on the verge of coming home based on the assumption that the season was over here too. Now I am eagerly awaiting tomorrow as the storm settles in. I am betting on the many times proven ability of the Wasatch canyons to trap and hold storms while they wring the moisture out of them.
Denis
March 18, 2012
Member since 07/12/2004 🔗
2,352 posts
The bet paid off,
http://www.alta.com/pages/report.php
And more is on the way. The snow started wet and heavy so it stuck to the old crust. Then temperature dropped steadily all day as the snow continued, now light and dry. It skied like a dream and I never hit bottom all day.

Details

The LCC road was closed until 9 AM, longer than they said.

The Collins lift was closed, all day I believe. Sugarloaf, Cecret and Supreme were also closed for significant parts of the day. This led to lines at Sunnyside like I have not seen since snowshoe in the mid 80s.

It is one of the peak spring break weeks and ski school groups learning to ski powder were tracking up and cratering up Vail Ridge like I have never seen before.

Disastrous day? NO. I was struck by magic. It has happened a few times before and it is mysterious and inexplicable. Three times, I was gifted with incredible esthetic lines totally untracked. I've skied that area, the prow of the ridge, many times and it never happened like that. I'd decide on the fly to turn here and suddenly a perfect hallway through the trees would open in front of me with rolls and drops formed by deep drifting. It was the best day of the season.
MephitBlue
March 18, 2012
Member since 11/8/2009 🔗
181 posts
Glad to hear someone on this forum is finding some good snow. I, and I'm sure most others here, wish were there with you. Enjoy the snow Denis
Voila
March 18, 2012
Member since 12/17/2011 🔗
352 posts
SNOW WHAT?
I don't believe you - in fact, next person that tells me he/she's got snow, well.... I'll just need to see it to BELIEVE IT.
smile
Denis
March 20, 2012
Member since 07/12/2004 🔗
2,352 posts
Storm total now up to 49". I'll be out there again, even with a bad cold. Yesterday was Solitude since the LCC road was again closed (or stopped). I had started for Alta but turned around. The depth made skiing a different experience than the day before. I really needed the big Megawatt skis. After one run in the open dodging crazed straight liners, I opted for slow stately descents through tight trees. My ski day consisted of 4 hours, ending in total exhaustion. http://www.alta.com/pages/report.php
JimK - DCSki Columnist
March 20, 2012
Member since 01/14/2004 🔗
3,013 posts
Denis, a lot of us will be skiing only vicariously through you from now on. Take care, pace yourself, keep it up. We want a long virtual spring ski season. wink And a picture now and then would feed our powder starved imaginations.
These pics from last year will serve as placeholders: Denis and company with Alta powder
JohnL - DCSki Supporter 
March 20, 2012
Member since 01/6/2000 🔗
3,565 posts
Denis,

Glad someone is getting freshies.

Unfortunately, sounds like the trend of recent years is continuing: Solitude is no longer Solitude on pow days.
Crush
March 20, 2012
Member since 03/21/2004 🔗
1,283 posts
Originally Posted By: Denis
...
The Collins lift was closed, all day I believe. Sugarloaf, Cecret and Supreme were also closed for significant parts of the day. This led to lines at Sunnyside like I have not seen since snowshoe in the mid 80s. ...


ha! We were there on Sunday too! The lifts were down b/c of electrical problems - I believe a lightning strike took out several breakers at the substation and Rocky Mountain Power was slammed. I saw they had Supreme running around 3:30 so I got *one* ride before closing. Man that was good. Yesterday was actually awesome at "The Can" the best day of the season so they say. My legs are totally busted after these last two days.

Ha - did you know that Sundance got 36" ?! Good for them ...
marzNC - DCSki Supporter 
March 20, 2012
Member since 12/10/2008 🔗
3,370 posts
Partial snow totals around SLC. These are 48-hour totals posted by Ski Utah around 5:30am March 20. Alta posted the storm total as 50 inches.

34 Alta
31 Snowbird
35 Brighton
31 Solitude
20 Canyons
16 DV
20 PCMR
11 PowMow
16 Snowbasin

This website has all sorts of displays of weather info for the Wasatch. http://www.wasatchsnowinfo.com/

Headed to Alta Lodge in two weeks! Hoping there isn't another major heat wave too soon.

Ski and Tell

Snowcat got your tongue?

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