Sue and I started the day in the smog of Salt Lake City, which was sitting under a high pressure system with pollution trapped by a temperature inversion. Driving up Little Cottonwood Canyon, we came out of the smog into bright sunshine and fresh air. We parked as close as we could to the main Plaza and walked up the path to the Resort Center.
I took The Tram; Sue who was not skiing stayed at the bottom and we agreed to meet later. First run was a gentle cruise back to the bottom of the tram; the narrow Primrose Path and relatively steep Chips Face providing the only challenge.
Smog layer down in the valley |
The ridge away from Hidden Peak |
Next run, I crossed into Mineral Basin. Snow conditions on Powder Paradise were pretty good, ungroomed but comfortable.
Mineral Basin |
Mineral Basin lift |
The bottom of Baldy Express left |
The steep bowl below Path to Paradise |
Baldy Express leads up to the boundary with Alta. The runs back to the bottom of Mineral Basin are mostly easy. Next run from Mineral Basin I cut across into more difficult territory on High Stakes. This was a horrible run. The further down the trail I went, the steeper it got and the more frozen the snow. The bottom 100m took me longer that the whole of the rest of run.
Snow and rocks from Baldy Express |
Looking across the ridge that separates Snowbird from Alta |
Looking up to the tram station on Hidden Peak |
Looking down towards the bottom of Mineral Basin |
After an unpleasant run, I took two runs down Powder Paradise, which was causing some people problems, but not me - good for my confidence.
Eventually it was time to return to the base to meet Sue, who came with me on The Tram to enjoy the view from Hidden Peak (and then return via the tram). Once I left Sue, I headed down towards Gad Valley and a few more runs, before returning to Mineral Basin via Little Cloud for a final run before returning to the base for lunch (and the end of the day).
Sue at the top of Hidden Peak |
Mineral Basin lift |
The warming hut at the top of the Tram |
The bowl below Road to Provo |
The base area |
The Cliff Lodge |
Little Cloud lift and Regulator Johnson |
Little Cloud lift |
The top of Bananas |
Choice of runs at the top of Gad 2 |
The top of Gad 2 |
Another view of the valley smog |
Mid way unloading on Mid Gad lift |
|
After lunch, we drove down the snow-lined road down Little Cottonwood Canyon, back to the murk over Salt Lake City.
The Tram |
The Tram |
Drivind down Little Cottonwood Canyon |
Approaching the smog level |
Approaching the smog level |
Approaching the smog level |
Approaching the smog level |
Nearing the bottom of the Canyon |
Nearing the bottom of the Canyon |
|
| Lift | Vertical | Easy Runs | Intermediate Runs | Top Intermediate Runs | Advanced Runs |
| Start of Day | |||||
| Tram | 2900 | Chips Run | Primrose Path, Chips Face | ||
| Tram | 2900 | Path to Paradise | Powder Paradise | ||
| Baldy Express | 1019 | Lucky Box, Lupine Loop | |||
| Mineral Basin | 1429 | Lupine Loop | Chips Access | High Stakes | |
| Mineral Basin | 1429 | Path to Paradise | Powder Paradise | ||
| Mineral Basin | 1429 | Path to Paradise | Powder Paradise | ||
| Mineral Basin | 1429 | Chips Access, Chips Run | Primrose Path | ||
| Tram | 2900 | Lowest Bassackwards, Lower Bassackwards, Bassackwards | Carbonade, Regulator Johnson | ||
| Gadzoom | 1827 | Lunch Run | Carbonade | ||
| Gad 2 | 1239 | West 2nd South | Madam Annie's, Lower Bassackwards, Bananas | Gadzooks | |
| Gadzoom | 1827 | ||||
| Little Cloud | 1304 | Path to Paradise | Powder Paradise | ||
| Mineral Basin | 1429 | Bass Highway | Chips Run, Rothman Way | Primrose Path, Silver Fox, Harpers Ferry East | |
| Lunch/End of Day | |||||
| Total vertical | 23061 |
Last updated: 7th February 2007