Brighton
Saturday 10 February 2001

Saturday morning, we set out just after 7am, but still took almost an hour in the ski rental shop. We made it to Brighton, our chosen resort, about 15 minutes after the lifts opened, and just as the sun was coming up over the ridge served by Majestic lift.

Walter Stahlecker and James de Raeve were ready head straight down the mountain. The rest of the group, Allen Brown, Steve Nunn, Gary Bullock and Graham Bird were a little more cautious.

Everyone looked pretty comfortable skiing down Shoulder and Mary, so we headed for the longer Crest Express lift and slightly steeper terrain. At the top, we separated, with Walter, James and I looking for a bit of a challenge and the others content to build confidence on the blue cruises.

For the first run, we were rather conservative, taking Pioneer and Bogy, with just a short section of moguls.

Next time we looked carefully at Doyle's Dive under the lift. There were rocks showing in several places and steep bumps. We decided to go for it and apart from the top which was a little bit crisp, there was good fresh powder all the way down.

There was a trail sign for Hard Coin, but no real evidence of a trail. Walter convinced us that there was a way down through the trees and anyway it was only a black. There was indeed a way down through the trees, but some of the turns were pretty tight. When we checked the trail map later, we found that one of the black diamonds had fallen off the sign at the top! The run out took in ungroomed slopes and moguls and more tracks through the trees.

We were pretty pleased to get down the run, so immediately did it again. This time on the run out, Walter led us to a point with a six foot drop around a rock. He turned stylishly. James and I side-slipped around and found an alternative route.

We had arranged to meet the other group for coffee. The run down from the top of Snake Creek, was a high speed cruise down largely ungroomed terrain which was pretty exhilerating and probably the best run of the day.

We headed for the Great Western Express lift. The view from the top across the Wasatch range towards some of the other resorts was magnificent.

For the second run, we took the groomed but steep Aspen Glo. Allen negotiated the steep black section immaculately the fell twice in short order on the rather simpler run out.

For what turned out to be the last run of the morning, I led James and Gary into what I thought was an ungroomed field of shallow fresh powder. I went too far and we ended up in a rather horrible frozen field of crud.

Overall a good morning's skiing, and great preparation for a relaxed meeting in the afternoon.