February 16-17,2007 Snowbird,UT powder & $1.99 gas

I never thought I’d see gas for under $2/gal again but a few Maverick gas stations in SLC were selling unleaded for $1.99. We arrived again the evening before another powder storm.  This event brought about 9” which was desperately needed according to a couple of locals on the chairs.

We purchased discount lift tickets at REI for $49 which is the chair only price. Friday was a blustery and windy day in the morning. Saturday was windless, sunny and in the teens early and warmed into the 20’s. A great day for cruising the powder and packed powder slopes. Here are a few fun facts according to a Snowbird Mountain Host: the snow pack at Snowbird this year is 38% of normal and the mountain has used their yearly allocation of water during January for snowmaking which is 26 million gallons. FWIW.

Although the coverage does seem “light”, it certainly is sufficient. Many of the lower glades and chutes are not adequately covered and there are rocks showing. I had forgotten how varied the terrain is at the “bird”. This year they installed a new high speed quad replacing the old Peruvian lift. This new quad goes higher and stops just below the ridge to Mineral Basin and is protected from the winds. It also provides access to a new tunnel which transports skiers with a “magic carpet” through the mountain and deposits you between the Mineral Basin and Baldy high speed quads. The conveyor belt only travels one way from Peruvian to Mineral Basin. The Cirque Traverse was open and some of the lines were a bit thin but others were OK.

Talked to some locals about the touring and it is limited. The typical, “if you know where to go its OK” reply. The trailhead below Snowbird looked very “bony”. I stopped in a ski shop at Snowbird to have a boot mod and the repair guys said base repair work was booming. We also learned that the recent snow in Little and Big Cottonwood dropped RAIN over at Park City, hmmmm. We are heading for CO and heard there was a storm event heading for Vail and Beaver Creek We just happen to have some free lift tickets with our Heavenly pass.

Zap & Jill
Ski Tour 2007