More Snow in the Wasatch (!)

By:  Ben
May 18, 2011 1:47 am | Category: Quick Update, Skiing

Another week, another snowstorm.

After a beautiful sunny weekend featuring 60 degree temps and an oddly high concentration of skiers in Jorts at Snowbird, it was really starting to seem like spring was here to stay. We convinced Lionel to enter into some high level talks with Ullr though, and all of a sudden we’re in the midst of another snow storm!

By this evening the Collins plot data was showing almost a foot of new snow, so my co-worker John, Kate, and I decided to head up to investigate. We started seeing fresh snow in the trees around 6500′ and by the time we got to the Alta parking lot, there was a foot of fresh snow coating the landscape and the sky even showed signs of clearing up. We were pretty stoked as we started heading up the deserted mountain, with dreams of sunset light on west-facing powder dancing in our heads.

Ullr had other plans however. Halfway up the skin, the weather started to close in, and by the top we were in a full blizzard. It’s hard to complain much in mid May though!

John is loving the new snow

We hurriedly switched over in the pelting snow and wind at the top, then started skiing down. The snow was surprisingly good, a foot of heavyish powder on top of a good supportive surface. There was a bit of a density inversion with lighter snow below a couple heavier inches at the top, and although we didn’t see any major signs of instability, we stuck to the trees for the most part.

Kate enjoying a coveted mid-May faceshot

I think she's having fun!

Overall, the skiing was even better than we thought it would be, with full-on faceshots and blizzard conditions that made it feel downright wintery. Spring is a pretty special time of year when you can drive between seasons and be mountain biking on bone dry dirt one day, then skiing fresh powder the next.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Related Stuff:

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  3. First Fresh Snow in the PNW
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  5. Wandering in Wildflowers to Wolverine: Wasatch Summertime Schuss
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4 Comments

  1. Greg
    wrote on May 18th, 2011 at 9:37 am  
  2. Harvey44
    wrote on May 18th, 2011 at 12:14 pm  
  3. icelanticskier
    wrote on May 18th, 2011 at 12:25 pm  
    3

    hope it keeps snowin for you guys, or, goes the other way fast!

    the in between is tough. this report don’t look too tough tho :)

    rog

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
  4. Greg
    wrote on November 30th, 2011 at 9:30 am  
    4

    did i ever mention that i really appreciated the (!) u snuck into the title of this (among other things)?

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
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