On to Wyoming - Some thoughts on the last couple of days

Today Ray and Anita finished their segment of the Adventure. We packed up and checked out of our lesser condo in Eden (west of Ogden), UT and dropped them off at the SLC airport for their return to Victoria, BC, then Dan and I headed for Grand Targhee, WY.

Ray and Anita were excellent adventurers, especially challenging because they had to fill in for the still-recovering Dan. R, A, and I skied five consecutive days, at Park City (sunny), Alta (snowy), Canyons (powder snowy), Snowbasin (powder snowy), and Powder Mtn (powder cloudy). Anita was great at navigating us around the large and new-to-us ski areas. It seems that Anita and I have a similar eye for the path we pick to ski down, because she and I often found ourselves either right ahead of, right behind, or right beside each other as we flew down the mountains. She was a little smarter, though, about not skiing thru bushes and the real close trees. Ray, on the other hand, was everywhere! Anita capped the week by buying the second pair of skies she rented for a great low price. She even got the store to fix for free the big holes we dug in the bottoms when we skied across that road at PM (it was a near total white-out on the top of the “Powder Country” and we really weren’t that far out of bounds). Dan managed a few runs at PC and SB and the full morning at PM. It’s been snowing all day here at GT and will snow all night. He hopes to be ready for the 9AM opening for the first powder runs.

Random Thoughts

Powder Mountain is an upside-down ski area. The base area is near the top and we ski down to the lifts. The best part of PM is called Powder Country. It starts at the second highest peak and drops thru about 2,000 ft of great powder to a road below the base area. Getting back to the top required three lifts. The first is a 1985 four-wheel drive School Bus Lift that picked us up from the roadside and brought us up 900 vertical feet to the base area. Then we skied down to a chair lift that took us to another peak, from which we skied down (great run) to another chairlift that took us to the top of the higher peak. Powder Country is the back side of that peak and is entered thru a gate. That day, the avalanche danger was considered only “moderate”. We skied it three times. The other cool part of PM is the Snowcat Lift. We met the snowcat at one of the high saddle ridges and, for $10, we grabbed onto one of two ropes stretched behind the cat and a guy towed (six of) us up to the highest peak for an amazing 2,000+ ft run down thru trees and untracked powder. The base lodge at PM is 1960s rustic. Note to Cade: Stop making so much fun of PM. Have you ever even been there? PM is the kind of mountain you would really like! Lots of powder, not too steep grade, very-not fancy accommodations, funky lifts, and best of all, cheap tickets.

Snowbasin has the best restrooms of any ski area, probably in the world. They’re wood-paneled and plush carpeted with granite vanities. The air has a slight scent of incense. The stalls are small rooms with wood paneled doors. The fixtures are top quality and the exposed plumbing appears to be gold plated. The hand towels are the best quality and plentiful. And for James: they make maximum use of infra-red technology (one can enter, use, and leave them without touching anything!). SB hosted part of the 2002 Olympics, so I guess they wanted to impress the foreigners with U.S. bathroom opulence.

The skiing was great, too. We started with a reported four inches, but where we go, it was more than that. Plus, it snowed all day. The visibility was really low, totally in clouds, but we didn’t mind - you can always see in the trees. We skied the eastern side of every canyon, thru the spruce trees, especially the farthest-away, eastern boundary of the area. We had the place to ourselves out there. We got to make our own trails there - there were few or no other tracks. The visibility on the cleared trails was bad - white air, white snow, unpredictable surface, other skiers. We only crossed them to find more trees.

The last week has been great for me. I got to hang out with and ski with Ray and Anita all week. I got to ski and hang out with Cade again at Alta and even better, Carol whom I haven’t seen for years. And the skiing - so good! In the powder I love to put my feet right together (instead of the downhill ski a little behind) and put the same weight on both skis (instead of mostly on the downhill ski), then lean back on the tails of my skies a little, head straight down, and steer thru the spruce and aspen trees by just twisting my hips. In the powder, our skis are totally silent. In the step parts, I love drop turns. We drop ten feet or more between whatever hazards and land, turning in the deep snow thru the fall line, then dropping again, then repeating as long as we can. It’s like controlled free fall.

And I love my helmet and goggles. They make me invincible. The silence of the powder is accentuated by the thwack sound of small branches as they’re deflected by my helmet and goggles. I love the snap sound of bigger branches being deflected by my ski poles held out in front when necessary. And I love the quiet brush sound of spruce bows brushing by my parka. My helmet has earphones in the ear muffs and a jack to connect to my iPod. At Snowbasin, I listened to a classical music playlist all day. Imagine powder runs accompanied by Beethoven’s Ninth and Handel’s trumpet concertos! Yesterday at Powder Mountain, I listened to a more typical playlist - that one a mix of 1990s and 2000s rock played by female artists - I call it Girl Rock.

Tonight at Grand Targhee, we’re in an on-slope, 1-1/2 bedroom efficiency, only 50yards from the lifts. We have good internet service, but no cell phone signals. It snowed all day and may snow all night and into tomorrow (Monday, I think). That should add over a foot of new snow. It may be sunny Tuesday for our second day here. Then we move to the other side of the Grand Tetons to Jackson Hole. Our Adventure is now fifteen days in and I’ve skied twelve days at ten different ski areas.

Becky & Sara,

Remember the Spud?

Rustic and quirky Powder Mountain, Utah day 5 (Feb 22)

This morning started out a little different from all the rest. Dan, Ray and Ken were frantically trying to catch up on the blogging and fretting over the lack of promised inches of snow. We fueled ourselves with eggs, french bread and microwavable bacon for the the original adventurers (Dan and Ken) ... this is Anita.

Off we went, driving up the small two lane highway to Powder Mountain. The visibility was terrible so we couldn't see what we were driving into. We stopped off at the small ski school and ricketty chair lift at the bottom of the mountain at around 8,000 ft., thinking that was the main ski lodge. We were redirected further up the mountain to the lodge, which wasn't much larger. Turns out the layout and rustic quirkiness of Powder Mountain would continue to baffle us for much of the day. After a couple of quick 'warm up runs' (this is the normal daily routine) through gently sloping and nicely dusted trees (spruce), we decided we were most interested in doing runs in the 'Powder Country'. Dan was feeling pretty good. Ray remarked on seeing his smile peak out of all of the ski gear. The trees runs were so lovely but also unusually bumpy and I went for a little flight and landed skiless. After that, I was really warmed up and ready to go!

We entered Powder Country off the backside of Hidden Lake Express. The first minute of our powder experience was comprised of elation and shock. In our haste to get off of the trail (as per usual), we ended up in some luscious and light foot-deep powder. Unfortunately it led to an only partially snow covered paved road with huge chunks of ice and pebbles that pointed upwards and into our skis. After our elation from floating on cloudlike creamy powder, the scratches that Ray and I found in our skis were a rude awakening! Staying on the trail isn't always a bad thing.

When we were finally where we wanted to be, the skiing was as blissful as could be. We were laying down fresh tracks in a cloudy haze. The snow was so light that it peeled away from you as you sliced through. The trees were old, large and beautifully spaced for leisurely turns. The skiing was so effortless that it was hard for me to keep my heart rate up and keep warm (not like any other day this week when the pitches were generally more steep, the snow a little heavier, the trees a little closer and the traverses a little more uphill!). I took a a tumble that Dan couldn't get his camera out fast enough to capture, unfortunately, but it was spectacular. My skis were up in the branches of an old spruce and my bum sunken into the depths of its comfortably padded tree well.

Down at the bottom of the cruise, we traversed along the highway to a bus stop where the Powder Mountain ski shuttle picked us up. Three twenty year-old school buses looped down to the shuttle every "twenty minutes". Despite the estimated looping time, we never waited for the bus for more than 5 minutes. The driver of the blue bus always asked us if we were "miserable yet?" as we got on, and everyone chuckled. As we got off he would always wish us a good run and assured us he would see us at the bottom. He did this every time we rode on his bus, like a repetitous twilight zone episode!

We got off of our bus at the wrong stop the first time. This forced us to take the Sundown lift up and we tried out the Powder Country on the opposite side of the road. The powder here was much more shallow and covered a thick layer of ice. We all grumbled and Ray's skis were not digging in enough for him to make his usual sharp and enthusiastic turns. Needless to say, we never did this again. Through this experience though, we learned that the Cat skiing was open and decided to sneak our sack lunches down our gullets in the authentic 60's style lodge before going up for a more powdery adventure.

For $10 a head we got to hold on to a rope behind a Cat that groomed a trail and pulled us up to the top of Cobabe Peak (9,105 ft). My little biceps were struggling to hold on despite the Cat-driver's assurance that it was an easy ride up. It sure was worth it though. We thought the powder in Powder Country was sweet but this surpassed any expectations I had. We were cautious to move forwards because there was no trace of humanity anywhere and we knew of cliffs in the area. After swooshing into the powdery wonderland we eased into a rhythm, hooting and hollering to keep track of where we all were, and staying close. Ken got a photo of the substrate underneath the powder at a stopping point...check out the "rock well". The avalanche risk was moderate today in that area, and based on the depth of the powder, and the absence of trees in some clearings and chutes, I can imagine that their power must be awesome. It was the most impressive run of my trip.

We spent the rest of the day hitting Powder Country, riding the bus, and trying to get as many runs in the powder in as possible. Dan dropped off in the early afternoon as the flu started to rear it's head again. In the late afternoon the blue skies popped out and Ray, Ken and I basked in the sun and enjoyed the view over our last runs in Utah.

This trip's been an adventure every day. Never a boring moment, and each adventure was unique. Plus, the nice guys at the ski shop here sold me some rockin' skis and are working tonight to fix up the mm-thick scratches. Thanks guys. Now for some dinner burritos and news.

Snow Basin, Utah Day 4 (Friday 22-Feb)

After 3 lost days, I thought I'd try to get out today. I wasn't feeling great but had enough energy to put the boots on and lug the skis over to the lifts. There was an inch or 2 of new snow and it was snowing. Perhaps my usual enthusiasm for skiing would bring me out of this influenza funk.

It was not to be. I took 3 runs, called it a day, went back to car, put the seat back and slept for 1 1/2 hours. I was exhausted.

However the rest of the crew kept up their usual frantic pace and skied till they closed the lifts on them. And they continued their determined search for powder claiming they found many places with up to 6 inches of fresh snow.

With this flu, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting too old for this sport. But back in the lodge there were 2 different gentlemen that helped convince me otherwise. The first had to be at least 70. I saw him get down on the floor and put his head down and then lift his feet up and he stood on his head for at least a minute. While up there he did a routine of stretching his legs in many different poses. The balance alone was amazing forgetting the strength required. When he got up, I commented - "Feel better?" He said no but that he was convinced that he had to show "us younger folk" a certain vitality to convince us that getting old wasn't so bad.

Then this really old guy sat down next to me. Making small talk, I said "Visibility was pretty bad out there today wasn't it?". He proceeded to tell me a long story about how he'd had a lot of brain damage in the war and that he had no visibility on one side at all and that the only way he skied was with his son directing him down the mountain. He was 87. So they gave me encouragement that I have a lot of years left and I can really blame my current funk on this damn flu.

The Canyons, Utah Day 3 (Thursday 21 Feb)

Dan was still not up to skiing today so the Team was short-handed again today. We packed up our stuff and checked out of our plush Park City condo in the AM and Dan dropped the three of us off at the Canyons (barely a mile away).

The Canyons reported four inches overnight and it snowed steadily all day. This place is big as these ski areas go. It's a jumble of about eight big canyons inteconnected by ski lifts and trails.

The Team has gotten very good at figuring out these big, new-to-us ski areas. This is especially important when there isn't a foot of new powder covering everything. We look for the high-elevation, north-facing, steeper faces, preferably protected by stands of evergreen trees. That's where the snow accumulates and most other skiers don't go. The spruce trees shield the snow from the sun, so that powder that fell days or a week ago is still dry and fluffy and often untracked. Add a six inches of new powder and the Team has found what it's looking for - the best runs on the mountain. South-facing, Aspen-covered (deciduous trees) faces get warmed by the sun then freeze up every night, so they need ten inches or more of new snow to be great. These conditions are usually found at the highest peaks and bowls and at the extreme boundaries of the ski areas - along the ropes. At Canyons today we found these conditions at at least four different parts of the mountain(s).

Some of the runs we did today were equal to the best runs ever, plumeting down thru the pines in shin-deep dry powder, almost as good as our day at Keystone last week. For four runs in a row, I thought I had just made the most fabulous run of the day, each time even better than the one before. Then we made a run down a crappy south face Aspen glade that had a crunchy, icy crust under the surface powder - that broke the string.

Dan toured the town of Park City while we skied and got Becky a nice gift (I'm not saying what it is, Beck). I better find something for Cyn or I'm in trouble. I've skied ten days of the last twelve and haven't been in a shop yet. Ray, Anita, and I were still high up in the back country when 4:00 closing came, and it took us until about 5:00 to get back down to the base. The canyons are confusing - you can get from one to another in only a few places. At one point, we couldn't figure out how to get across one canyon to get home until we found a ski lift that actually took skiers down from one canyon to another.

We had dinner in a brew pub in the PCity village before heading north to Eden (near Ogden). Anita wanted to see downtown SLC and the Mormon Temple so we so we stopped and walked around Temple Square for a while (no worries, no one converted). We got to our new, much lessor condo in Eden late and pretty much fell asleep. Adventures are hard work!

Alta, Utah Day 2 (Wednesday 20 Feb)

Salutations, dudes and dudettes of the blogosphere. Ray here taking over the dankenski excellent powder adventure tour blog for our day spent at Alta, which was Wednesday, I believe. You'll find the attendant photos above. The day's highlight was the Dan and Ken Excellent Powder Adventure Team run beneath the Supreme lift. The Team encountered some of the finest snow of the day between the rocks and precipices of the Supreme lift.

Alta consists largely of large alpine bowls with subalpine fir and spruce trees at lower elevations. It made excellent fodder for the Adventure team's formidable alpine prowess, and righteous material for photos of rock formations.

Cade (Dad's roommate from Clarkson in '73) rejoined the Adventure for the day when we picked him up from his condo at Snowbird, right next to Alta. We spent the morning surveying the slopes from top to bottom under his guidance. Cade is a long time Alta veteran and he seemed slightly disappointed that the light snow falling on about two inches of fresh stuff was not falling on two feet of new powder. Being from back east, the rest of us were plenty happy with any fresh snow. Before lunch, Anita, Cade, Dad and I ventured down the bowls off of the ballroom traverse and cut some tracks down the wildcat slopes during the morning in fine style under light falling snow.

At midday the ranks of the Dan and Ken Excellent Powder Adventure Team swelled with the addition of Carol (Cade's wife), Ruth (Carol's sister), Amy (Carol's cousin), and Michael (Amy's rocket scientist) joined Cade, Anita, Dad (Ken), and myself. Due to his illness, Dan played a crucial moral support role from our condo in Park City. The team was a well oiled alpine strike force throughout the afternoon.

The hightlight Adventure was the run down under the Supreme chairlift from just under the cliffs - steep, narrow, some trees, great snow. See the photo of the Team ready to go thru the gate, then some more of the decent. The last photo is the cliff itself. I am pleased to report that no adventure team lives were lost during Anita's intrepid discovery of the proper route.

We wound down the day with cocktails at Carol and Cades's nearby condo, followed by a luxuriant meal atop the building. There, we met John, an affable Englishman who, along with his wife Ruth, generously took the bill for everyone's dinner. John had been layed out by a serious knee injury. He was bequeathed an honorary Dan and Ken Excellent Powder Adventure Team Membership. It was lively gathering. We discussed the love lives of elderly parents, rotten things kids do to teachers, military secrets and other high brow topics. Then rushed back to Park City to find Dan's condition unchanged from it's good natured, but heavily influenza-afflicted state.

Park City, Utah (Tuesday 19 Feb)

Last night, my son Ray and his girlfriend, Anita, joined the Adventure in UT at Park City. Unlike Dan's and my motel room at Steamboat, we're staying in posh digs - a great condo with lots of space and TVs for each of us. Free busses pick us up and take us to any of the three ski resorts or downtown. We skied at Park City today - a new notch on my belt. Unfortunately, Dan has been coming down with something the last day or so and, after the first run today, decided to bag it and went back to the condo to rest. That left Ray, Anita, and I to find the best skiing at Park City without Dan's guidance.

As you can see from the slideshow, It was a blue sky and sun (sun glasses and sunscreen) day. The snow was pretty good everywhere but we had to find the north-facing slopes with trees to find the dry powder - and we did. Two of the areas were high and steep - the highest spots in the area - off Jupiter Peak, all XX. We explored them all morning and thru the early afternoon. Then we found some great Aspen Glades called Motherlode. You can see from the slideshow that we know how to have fun.

Ray and Anita made us an excellent vegetarian pasta dinner tonight, served with a really good Pino Noir. Tomorrow we'll get up early and drive to Alta to ski again with Cade, and his wife, Carol. At Park City, we're only eight miles from Alta, as a raven would fly over several peaks and two canyons, but to drive, we have to go through Immigrant Pass into Salt Lake City, drive down to Sandy (home of HBO's Big Love), then into Big Cottonwood Canyon, to the end - 40 miles.

On to Utah

After 7 days of skiing Colorado, we're on to Utah. Ken and I drove ~ 300 miles west on Rt 40 to Park City, Utah. It was a beautiful day with a pretty bleak white landscape the whole way. I found it much prettier in shades of white than it is in it's usual browns but Ken's comment was that it was a perfect place for our nation's Nuclear Waste. At one point where we saw more than a dozen carcasses in less than 5 miles, I thought maybe the Nuclear dumping had already started. Actually we assume that all the dead deer/elk were hit by cars. We were glad that none jumped in our way. You can see one of the pictures Ken took of the dozens of live ones we saw.

Tonight Ken is picking up his son, Ray, and Ray's girlfriend Anita who now join the adventure for the next 5 ski days. We start at Park City tomorrow and plan on travelling to Alta the next day (Wed I think) to spend another day with Cade and his wife Carol and some friends of theirs.