I arrived back in SLC at about 2:30 AM and slept a bit late this morning. I was at Alta at 11 AM and it just may have been the best day yet. It was 44 deg. in SLC and 24 and snowing lightly at the Alta base. It has snowed about 100" in the last week or so, 60 before I went to Mammoth and 40 while I was gone. Today was just amazing. How would you like your powder, Sir? We have powder for the appetizer, powder for the salad, for the main course, and for dessert. We have powder that will billow up your nostrils and choke you when you hit a big pillow at speed. We have only rare and medium rare. If you want crust, crud, windslab, or (gasp) boilerplate ice, you will have to go to another establishment. I skied until 3:30 skipping lunch. They had closed the grill when I came down too tired to do another run but there was one piece of pizza left. I grabbed it. They refused to charge me for it; "That piece of pizza has been sitting under a lamp since 1:00 and we only charge for food we are proud of." He didn't charge me for the giant cookie either, just $4.65 for a Cutthroat pale ale. I told him I was powder drunk, a hopeless addict who would rather indulge in that white powder than eat. I can eat all summer. He said he understood.

Another 12-24" forecasted for tonight and tomorrow. The road is expected to be closed for avalanche control in the morning until 10 or so.

Damn Denis, I wish you were having a good time, too bad all that powder covered those nice groomed trails. I bet you're wishing you were back in West Virginia to ski slush with us this weekend. I hope things improve for you.

Denis,

You're bringing back memories of a week in Utah I had in late March 2005(?). It snowed over eight feet in five days on top of a near record snow pack for the year. Best ski days I've ever had, some at Alta, some at Solitude.

When Utah gets stuck in a storm cycle like you're experiencing, words or video can't describe it.

Best part of those extended storm cycles, even the local powder hounds get a bit jaded (or tired), and it is a lot easier to get fresh tracks. Even the next day. Compare that to the Tuesday(?) we skied at Solitude; every Pow How in the basin was on the slopes that day.

I am real tempted to head out there next week for a bonus round. Real tempted...

Quote me a price....

Heh, about $1k per person, kind of steep with short-term airfare bookings. Unless somebody has an airplane....

drive at 35mpg I can do it out and back for 300 bucks.

in fact on the 25th of april thats what I am doing.

stay at a maggot house

get comp snowbird tickets

week in utah for 600 bucks!!!

dont you guys wish you were young and stupid?

well his isnt set in stone but like 90 percent sure.

Well, David is young and I am stupid -- between the two of us that has to count for something....

Yea, I priced a flight, car, cabin rental and lift ticket to Wolf Creek for the weekend. $600, $475 if some one splits the cabin and car with me. Now if weren't for those silly thing like work and family.

Hey!! Wait a second. I'm pretty stupid myself!!

Just checked, flights out of Pittsburgh to SLC are ~500. Ouch!

Josh, sounds like an awesome trip. I don't have the connections though to make it happen. Also, my car's in the shop right now with a busted transmission. I wouldn't trust it farther than I could throw it..

That's about what I am seeing from Richmond too. It ends up canceling out the April lodging discounts, so it's kind of a wash. I am still percolating.... Next week's weather prediction (still in progress) might be the final kick in the pants one way or another.

The time to be there would have been last week and this week, but I would have been pushing my luck at work to take more time off so soon after my last trip. Heck, I haven't even fully unpacked yet.

Yeah, my bag has been packed since the beginning of December. I've thought about unpacking it over the past week or so, but I'm hoping I will need it some more (maybe I'm just in denial).

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php...111.637&e=1

Not looking too bad for the next few days...

David - $247/rt from PIT to DEN on USAIR for next week. I'll let you know if I'm going to CO or VT. Waiting on the my accountant to see if I owe the Govt, an arm & an leg or just an arm. Maybe vacationing in NOVA.

Where's my tax cut I'm supposed to be getting.

It's too early to call it quits on the season. (Do I sound like someone in denial?) Gonna have to take the skis for a walk tomorrow at Tline.

Problem with trying to get a flight to Salt Lake is the huge influx of Mormons, and others heading for family and church for Easter, week after Easter the prices are more reasonable...and the snow remains great.
The Colonel

Another day in Paradise today. Was it the best or merely another in the list? I have no idea! All I know is that it was damn good. Skied thru lunch once again. The sun peeked faintly through the clouds at about 2. It still snowed lightly but in the space of a mere half hr. the snow became weird and sticky. I've never seen snow morph so fast. Why doesn't this happen on those boiler plate spring mornings when it never seems to soften up? No matter. I quit satisfied and had a late lunch. Tomorrow is my last day of skiing. I'll probably go to Solitude since I have a 10 ride ticket with about 6 rides left. Then I head for Chicago to visit my son on the way home.

Oh yeah, 3 more storms are lined up to follow the same track as the last 3. I think the weather channel calls that "training."

Yes, the stormy pattern ought to continue through next week before a high pressure ridge builds into mid-April. There is another shot of snow coming today into tomorrow. Next week, there will be snow in the Tue-Wed timeframe, and then the Thu-Fri timeframe. With the existing 160" base, next week will be off the hook.

I am looking at heading out there Monday and coming back home Saturday, but still working out details at work, so it's not sure bet yet. And thanks SCWVA for reminding me about taxes -- I haven't bit the bullet yet.

BTW, I'd spend the extra bucks and head to SLC over DEN next week, no question about it.

go to the bird and ski the steeps the snow doesnt get baked when the sun cant hit it.

FYI new snow has to freeze before it can actually not be sticky. Honestly though what happend to you at alta happens becuase the exsposure is all fed up over there. besides high boy there is nothing north facing and steep.

Monday huh?

See, http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0904A&L=SKIVT-L&D=1&T=0&O=D&P=15992 (Jim is an amazing skier and he has taken all the avy courses)

FWIW When I go out the Hi T to the end I usually pass Hi Boy and ski Eagle's Nest which is a more interesting and esthetic run. Lots of trees, I like trees. The snow there never sees the sun.

He's right, I saw it in the avy report too. Exposure is not a factor at all.

Yep. Just have to watch out for the cliffs in that neck of the woods.