Thunder Mountain

I planned to meet up with a group from the Wasatch Mountain Club for a ski tour today. The intel I received said to meet at the BCC park and ride at 9:00. I got there a couple of minutes early and waited till 20 after 9. Didn't see anyone that looked like a forming group of ski tourer. I must have got my details wrong. I then drove to LCC and parked at the White Pine parking lot and started hiking. After I got in about 3 miles I followed a skin track off to the right. I could see some turns on the apron to the west below Thunder Mountain. The turns were on a north easterly facing aspect. As I got closer I saw 4 skiers coming down and a couple of other skiers going up. Since I was solo I thought it best to stay around people. I was hiking about as fast as the group in front of me though they did put a little distance between us as we skinned up the last, steepest part. 2 of the skiers that had just come down transitioned and started back up and man they were fast ascenders. They passed me before I got to the top and by the time I skied down they were on their ascending again - their 3rd lap. The ski down was a nice powder stash about 800' of vertical. You could at times feel the rain crust below on some turns. I transitioned and started back up just as the fast boys were coming back down. It was a beautiful bluebird day. When I got to the top again the sky was so clear and nice. It was so quiet other than the occasional sound of other hikers/skiers a couple of miles away. I didn't feel as in control on the descent the second time. I was pretty tired from the climbing. But it was still a very fun and satisfying ski run. I got a little too low on the initial part of the ski out and had to climb a little in ski mode - never fun. After I could ski again I couldn't believe how fast I got out to the car. I got home at about 2:45.

Green's Basin with Amy

After a week in Florida and a few trips to the resorts I was finally able to strap my skins on the skis and go for a hike. I was missing the solitude and the aerobic workout. Amy came from down from Idaho and wanted to try the back country stuff.





We parked at the Spruces campground parking and hiked up the Days Fork trail then off toward Green's Basin. At Green's Basin I left Amy and skinned on up to the ridge about 500 or 600 feet higher then skied down through mostly untracked powder back to Amy. We got snowed on quit a bit during our outing and it was still snowing as we started out. Amy was challenged by the deep powder but did really well controlling her skis and picking her line down. We had packed a lunch but ended up eating our sandwiches on the drive out of the canyon. As we got about half way down the canyon it stopped snowing. We got home about at 3.



While I was visiting the resorts these past few weeks I have demoed some new back country skis. I first tried the Dynafit Stoke three weeks ago and then last Thursday I picked up the Black Diamond Drift. I skied the Drift last Thursday night at Brighton then again on Friday at Alta. I still had the BD skis for the hike today. Amy used my Dynafit skis. Just from a ski report standpoint, I think I liked the Stoke better than the Drift. Not that I am a real aggressive skier but the Dynafit Stoke seemed easier to ski and more stable when I was pushing my limits and in the harder to ski terrain. The Drift was very smooth on the groomers at the resort and would be smooth in even powder. The problem is that the powder and snow conditions are not always perfect. Well, enough for the ski report.