TR Alta in April 2015

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Even though snow totals were low for Utah this season, the skiing at Alta in April turned out to be quite fun. While some days were pretty warm, there were also cold days in the 20s and snowstorms. I got to ski with old friends and new, which makes spring skiing even more enjoyable.

Warm temps in late March meant thin cover at the base. The Alta Lodge tow slope had to be kept in shape by moving snow from elsewhere every so often. There was dirt showing outside the locker room door.


Never got much over 50 at the base the first couple days so never got too sticky. Stayed warm enough overnight so didn't have to wait too long for the snow to soften in the mornings. Good skiing over in the Supreme area pretty much all day long.

New snow on April 2 outside Alf's. Temps in the teens at the top of Collins in the morning.


Plenty of coverage below the Saddle Traverse. Did have to be careful in one thin spot that could be seen from the Collins lift. At one point, ski patrol put up arrows was a warning when there was a thin covering of new snow on top of dirt. It was a good idea to remember the location of bare spots after a snowstorm.


NewEnglandSkier enjoyed the new snow and cooler temps. Her trip report for April 3-5 includes pics of Goldminer's Daughter Lodge.


When snow conditions and visibility were good, we would head out to Catherine's, which requires a 5-10 hike. First time I was in good enough shape to do the hike more than once in the same morning. Also helped that I'm more comfortable skiing ungroomed snow and trees.

Friends looking over at Brighton in the distance. Bill and I took them out beyond the meadow at the end of the Catherine's traverse. My daughter's friend had done the hike a couple times with ski school since this was the first trip she was Level 8. This was the first time for her father and brother. The weather cooperated so they could do it on their last ski day, which was Easter Sunday, April 5.

 

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The Rustler is open for lunch. The only lodge with a chair lift from the transfer tow. Was taking some work to keep enough snow between the chair and the door.


Alta Ski Lifts was experimenting with having a trail map on the chair lifts. There were two chairs on Sugarloaf and two on Collins. The locals I mentioned it too had no idea . . . they never pull down the safety bar (new in 2011).


Took a day off from skiing when it was going to be a groomer day. Had a good time with litterbug in SLC. We went to the Patagonia outlet. Had lunch at a good Vietnamese restaurant.

I took the ski bus back to Alta. The fare is $4.50, which can be paid with $1 bills or coins. There are tokens for sale at the local grocery stores, but they are only worth $2.50 and sold in packs of 10. That's the fare for the city buses. There were some teenagers who came down from Brighton and were picked up in the parking lot. A few were wearing ski boots or snowboard boots.

Separate waiting areas for UP the canyon or DOWN. Building in the back of the parking lot for Big Cottonwood Canyon (Brighton, Solitude) has restrooms.


Inside ski bus, not many seats. Better to board at a stop farther away from the base of the canyons on a powder day.

 

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April 8 was a banner day. Several inches of new snow made it worth renting fatter skis. Over the next 2 days, ski patrol opened Ballroom and Devil's Castle. Although it never got really crowded, there were locals who drove up to get in powder tracks.

Naomi's birthday breakfast, 93!


Best birthday present . . . fresh snow. She was through the gate in a flash when ski patrol waved her through about 9:00, 15 min before the lifts open.


Powder tracks. Learned that K2 Remedy 117 can do well on hard pack groomers as well as off-piste. First time skiing anything wider than 100mm underfoot.


Waiting for Collins to open on April 9 after more snow overnight


Bob, the creator of the Facesaver, came up to Alta on April 10 because Devil's Castle was scheduled to open. He rode up Collins with me after spotting the SkiDiva sticker on my skis. He appreciates the orders he gets from Divas.


Looking down from just outside the Castle Apron gate, access from Rock'N'Roll off the Supreme lift. First few turns were in cold powder. Lower down was getting a bit heavy.


Unusual to have a groomed section on Saddle. Perhaps because coverage was relatively thin.

 

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Sat, April 11 was Alta Demo Day. Not really a good day to try out powder skis. More a day to see how well wide skis hold on hard groomers. Relatively few tents, only about 20. With fewer people it was pretty easy to switch out to another pair of skis.



April 12 was the last day for Cecret and Supreme, as noted by the whiteboard sign. Always closes a week before the last day of 7-day/week operations. My classmate was enjoying his ON3P skis that he bought after trying them on the 2014 demo day. Was more fun than expected because there was a few inches of new snow. Power turns to be had in low angle areas like Cabin Hill. Not enough to cover frozen bumps on steeper terrain. Stayed cool enough there was soft, fresh snow in a few shady spots on the Collins side in the afternoon. Only a turn or two but fun to do a little treasure hunting for future reference.


Explored a few of the steeper trails off Wildcat for the first time. The sign beyond Bill (center) points to the trail that is one access to Snowbird. Also possible to ski down to Peruvian. The snow was soft and fun for the most part. We learned that a gully that looked good was actually too soft because it gets sun through a gap in the trees.


Unusual view of the top of Sunnyside from the top of the Albion lift on April 14. Albion is an old double that rarely runs. There was a problem with Sunnyside in the morning, so it was shut down for repairs and Albion was fired up. Bill and I went over for a ride up because we'd never been on it before. The clouds were rolling in.


Bill went in after this run since it was tea time. I stayed out with a father and his two tween kids who were staying at Alta Lodge too. The family was from Australia. The kids were beginners and the father was an intermediate. The first run I took with them was fun. Temp was about 50, snow was soft and forgiving, no one else was around. The kids wanted to do one more. By the time we got up to the top of Albion again, it was about 4:00. The wind had shifted. The temp was down 10 degrees to 40. It was starting to snow and the wind was cold. Cold enough that both kids wanted help zipping up their jackets all the way. The snow set up fast. Was pretty frozen by the time we made it to the transfer tow. By 5:00 the temp was 30. Have never seen the weather change so fast!

 

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April 15 . . . Tax Day . . . was THE powder day of the season. At least 25 inches of fluffy powder by breakfast time. The official storm total ended up 29 inches after it snowed all day. My classmate is 6'2" and he found chest deep snow off Wildcat. I rented Rossi Savory 7, 106 underfoot to start with. Changed to Armada VJJ, 115 underfoot, for the afternoon after my first deep powder runs in the morning. Bill and I mostly skied on the Sugarloaf side in the afternoon. Everything off Baldy was closed, including Main Street and Ballroom, as well as Backside so there were a lot of powder hounds on the Collins side. Never skied in knee to thigh deep snow before. What a blast once you figure it out!

Was very glad to I did a couple of lessons with Bill during the April stay. We worked with Kristen. The second lesson we focused on the inside ski. That proved very helpful when skiing IN deep powder. Plus she helped me figure out what I was doing so differently between right and left sides. Turned out to be a hip issue that makes a huge difference on steeper terrain with any sort of variable snow.

Alta Lodge deck, April 15, 7:30am. Storm came with high winds so lots of drifting.


New snow just outside Vail Ridge as of 4pm, the black area off the Sunnyside lift near the Albion base. Certainly looked like about 2 feet.


New snow on a Sunnyside groomer. Meaning it was groomed when the lift opened. 4-6 inches. Beginners were having problems.


Alta Lodge deck at 5:30pm

 

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It was windy and warmer after the powder dump. End result was that the snow was crusty in many places even in the morning. There was cut up powder all over the place, but a little difficult when the new snow is so deep. The trails where more people had skied were better. The sun came out by lunch time. In short, although the storm dumped a lot of snow, skiing in late season means the powder doesn't last long. Ballroom was still not open.

Gave the Blizzard Samba a try. Like them. No more problem with having enough snow for the Alta Lodge tow slope.


My last ski day, Friday, was a good spring skiing day. Skied solo most of the afternoon. Finished with soft bumps on Lower Rustler. Black Pearls continue to be great all-mountain skis for me as I ski more off-piste in all sorts of conditions.

I missed out on Ballroom, which didn't open until Saturday morning. Bill and some of my other friends had a good time in the untracked powder, with a soft fall or two because it was so deep. I flew out in the afternoon and like to be all packed so I can relax in the morning.

My BPs are just to the left of my helmet, stuck in snow up to the binding heel piece.


Alta in April . . . I plan to back next year!

 

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One advantage of going back to the same big mountain destination for a late season trip while actively working on technique improvement is that you get to explore new terrain every time. Also forces the issue of learning about the variables involved for snow condition differences (sun, air temperature, wind, aspect). I know a lot more about where and when to find fun snow at Alta after 7 spring trips since 2008. For me, trip reports are a good way to highlight what was special about a particular trip.

Looking back at my previous TRs for Alta in April, the one that was most fun was from 2010, five years ago. Based on Alta Ski School levels, I was barely Level 7 (of 9) at that point. Back then I would ski off-piste with Bill or other advanced/expert friends perhaps 2-3 runs a day at most. Only interested if conditions were good. Learned quickly which ungroomed slopes faced north or stayed in the shadows longer. Makes a big difference when the air temp is over 40.

A comment I wrote then is worth repeating. Recently it dawned on me that people who don’t know anything about skiing in Utah may not know that Alta is for skiers only. Those of us who are active in online ski forums are well aware that Alta and Deer Valley in Utah, and Mad River Glen in Vermont are the only three places in North America were snowboarders are not allowed on the lifts. But that’s not common knowledge for many skiers just starting to think about traveling beyond a few hours drive for a ski vacation.

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/alta-april-8-11-spring-skiing.9791/
TR from April 8-11, 2010
"The pics are to spark the interest of intermediates who aspire to feel like advanced skiers soon. Alta is not just for advanced/expert powder hounds. Not having to watch out for beginner/intermediate snowboarders is a bonus.”

 

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Since there are low snow conditions at Alta/Snowbird right now, I remembered that in April 2015 things started out pretty thin but then I got to ski in the deepest powder storm I have ever been lucky enough to catch.

Also noticed that during a lesson the instructor identified a hip movement that was causing the differential between my right and left turns. Still working on that, but getting much closer to getting rid of the issue on groomers at least. Had an instructor (Examiner) at my home hill work on the proper movement during a few runs on a green trail enough for me to really feel the difference. Three seasons ago there were too many other things I was having to concentrate on at the same time.