Alta, March 11-13

[teppaz]

Just back from three days of heavenly skiing in Alta. Other than about an hour with zero visibility on Saturday, we had a great time -- especially since that zero-visibility thing also meant fresh snow. Oh I know, a few inches are nothing to Utahns but for us visiting East Coasters, it was bliss.

Highlights? Easy: SO's first blues ever + her first entire day without falling (woo-hoo!) and my off-piste expeditions with our local friend. He first skied Alta in 1959 so he knows the mountain very well, and he took me down gulleys where we found untouched powder stashes.

High point definitely was going down tree chutes off the White Squaw area. I hadn't really done this type of terrain before, or at least not in that combo of steep and bumpy, so I was awed by what was in front of me (or rather below me). But slow and steady got me down fairly easily, and wow, it was completely exhilarating!

And then of course I fell on a flat bit.

It was well worth going straight to work after coming back to NYC on the red eye.

 

[alta_gal83]

Did I ride the lift (Sugarloaf) with you on Saturday? Were you on Volkl Aura rentals?

 

[teppaz]

I was on Sugarloaf a few times on Saturday but I had K2s, not Volkls. Also I have a French accent

 

[teppaz]

And now with pictures

Going down off the White Squaw area:

I claim the wider, unsteady tracks on the right!

 

[marzNC]

Looks lovely! Thanks for sharing. Hoping for decent conditions when I go back in a few weeks.

 

[alta_gal83]

I was on Sugarloaf a few times on Saturday but I had K2s, not Volkls. Also I have a French accent

Ah, must not have been you. But I rode up with a gal from Brooklyn on Saturday! No accent though.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to my favorite place on earth!

 

[teppaz]

Hoping for decent conditions when I go back in a few weeks.

Should be totally fine. My local friend told me he routinely skis until Alta closes in mid-April, then he goes to Snowbird and skis there until May at least.

 

[Serafina]

Holy cow! That looks incredibly steep!

 

[teppaz]

I'd gone down steeper trails but not ones that were as narrow. It was definitely a test of my abilities!

 

[Kim Kircher]

Looks like you had beautiful conditions! I love Alta.

 

[teppaz]

Yeah it was great. I've been to quite a few resorts but I've completely fallen in love with Alta. We're already putting money away to go back in 2012, hopefully a couple of times!

 

[Kimmyt]

Wow, that steep tree run looks super fun!