Salt Lake City, March 30, 2010

Monday my wife, son, and I started our week of skiing here in Utah at Alta where temps were so warm, my son wore a cotton t-shirt!

Yesterday, Tuesday, while you folks were up to your ears in powder, the temps in the cottonwood canyons was in the 40's but the winds were gusting to 80 mph! and many of the lifts were closed so took the day off.

Overnight the temperatures plunged and the storm has started. They are looking for a total of 18-30 inches over the next 48 hours and temps in the teens and low 20's. 1-4 inches expected tonight in the valley!

Off to Snowbird today.

Picture of Christian in cotton t-shirt skiing off the east traverse of the Devils Castle

Been seeing the Sheriff's canyon alerts the last coupla days...

Get some, Hensons!

Sheer evening exhaustion has prevented any posting. Shower, dinner, pass out by 7:30.

Wednesday, March 31 we headed to the park and ride in a snowstorm and headed up in the bus to Snowbird and 8 inches of new and temps in the teens. The tram was closed due to "ice" as the ferocious 80 mph winds of Tuesday had scoured the upper part of the mountain. The goal became to find out where that snow was blown.

As the day progressed, the skiing went from really nice to fantastic. The graupel came down heavily for hours--completely covering your legs on the ride up the chair. The snow would be seen cascading off the rock faces like sand through an hourglass. Slabs and slides were common on the steeper slopes. No lift lines and blizzard conditions most of the time.

Thursday morning the valley was covered with snow and snowing hard. Rather than wait for the Little Cottonwood to open we decided to head to Solitude. (We heard the road opened at 8:30 but was a zoo at Snowbird.)

Solitude failed to live up to its name on this day as the crowds turned out for the powder. But no lift lines. About 11 inches of new. After the snow was tracked it was still very light. Though it snowed lightly most of the day, there was plenty of intermittent sunshine.

Heading to Alta this morning where they have 5 inches of new and it's snowing and temps in the teens. The TV just announced that Alta is "getting hammered" right now and the road is closed but predicting an 8:15 opening.

Leaving tomorrow. They're predicting another 7 inches for Saturday.

Utah. That's all!