Winter catch-up post

After the last two posts we started to get into the real ski season for 2011-2012. With the early season snow, cold temps and then a long period of no snow the snow pack was positioned for bad avalanche conditions for a long time to come. There were a few early season fatalities and the avalanche forecast report would just say "go ski at the resort". I did a few short sidecountry tours near Alta and skied the resorts. My poor skis were getting beat to shreds. I bought some cheap used "rock" skis. On 12/22 shortly after a pretty good storm Tom and I hiked into the Tri-Chutes. We had some pretty nice turns but it was still too shallow of a snow pack to be able to ski anywhere without the worry of hitting rocks, logs and stumps. I took one of my clients (and here daughter) on a hike to Greens Basin. She is an entergetic 77 year widow who just got some snow shoes as a gift. They used snow shoes and I used my skis. We had a nice picnic lunch at the basin. Tom and I hiked 10,420 near Brighton on 1/31. We only got a few soft turns in some trees on the ski out. I hike Flagstaff a couple of times in February. On Valentine's day I dawn patroled and got some great soft turns before work. Alta changed their afternoon pass so you can ski the last 2 hours for $25. Me and some of my co-workers did that a few Friday afternoons in February. Total vertical for this ski season is a pathetic 17,850. I hope the spring ski season allows for more tours and vertial. It will be great if there are some big spring storms like last year.