TR: Road Trip, Powder Highway South (Silverton, Alta, Ruby Mountain Heli, Snowbasin)

[wcf3]

For those without more pressing engagements in the middle of February, the road beckons. My friend Joel and I planned to head north and west from our New Mexico base to see what was on offer in some other areas. Later in the trip we were joined by our significant others, Barbara and Diane.

Joel and I exhausted from considering all the possible options.



We decided to start the fun and games with a couple of days in Silverton. Arriving on a Thursday to blue skies, we found a foot of fresh that had been conveniently stored for us over the previous few days when the mountain wasn’t open.


Blue skies.


Sorting the sheep from the goats.



As usual, Silverton delivers.

Powder.



Unconventional descent lines.



Interesting terrain.



And more powder.



After two days of nuking our legs on long hikes and descents, we headed north to Salt Lake where we were scheduled to pick up our better halves. Joel’s wife Diane and my girlfriend Barbara, attorney and architect respectively (poor things) were on a bit tighter schedule and were only able to partake of the middle part of the trip.


Career girls!



The first day after their arrival, we headed up to Alta. Morning report only had 2”, but it kept snowing.

Looks like a bit more than 2”…


Joel and Diane at the head of the line.



The modest early report apparently kept to locals at home, so the falling snow kept ahead of the small crowd’s ability to track it out. Although there were still plenty of rocks to be found hidden beneath the new snow, quite a few fresh tracks were to be had.

Joel searches for buried treasure in a chute under the Supreme lift.


Then disappears in the “two inches” of fresh.


Barbara hides shyly from any lurking photographers in a cloud of snow.




Later that afternoon, we packed up and headed for our next destination, the Ruby mountains of Nevada.

The drive between Salt Lake and Lamoille offered a series of beautiful but desolate moonscapes mixed with occasional patches of heavy industry and mines.

Passing by the concentration plant of the world’s largest copper mine. For scale note that the smokestack is 1200 feet tall.


Have to go a ways before curves are on the menu.



The great Salt Lake.


Proof that it is indeed a ‘salt’ lake.



Roadside amenities.



We arrived that evening to Lamoille Nevada to the base of Ruby Mountain Heli Skiing. One of the oldest heli operations in the U.S., Ruby offers both heli and cat skiing (for inclement weather days). Terrain is for the most part fairly mellow, but the gorgeous scenery, superb lodging and food and an extremely buttoned down operation more or less guarantee a stress free good time.



Ruby lodge.







Although the snowpack in the Ruby’s was pretty thin this year (sound familiar?) new snow started arriving pretty much as we did. On to heli skiing…


Pilot Brian is apparently not interested in comments from the peanut gallery.



PZ


Obligatory group photo. Me, Diane, Barbara and Joel.


Flying around in a helicopter in mountains as pretty as the Ruby’s is almost worth the price of admission by itself (almost).








The first two days, in spite of some new snow, featured a thin cover that kept one’s guard up and speed down. (First world problem…).


Barbara plays tree slalom.


”What do you mean I have to stop?”


Getting to some runs required a bit of billy-goating.


Getting out also occasionally took a bit of navigation.



Our final night a larger storm came through, leaving everything with a fresh coat of paint.



Since it never cleared out we got a chance to sample some cat skiing.

Back to the future.


The weather got more murky all day, but the new snow made it all worthwhile.

Barbara navigating by Braile.


Joel navigates by bush.



TBC

[wcf3]

TR cont.

That evening we headed back to Salt Lake for a bit more resort skiing. The first day we spent at Alta again, but on the second, without new snow we thought we’d try something different and went up to Snowbasin where none of us had ever been before.

Approaching Snowbasin.


There are a number of surprising things one discovers about this area before one even gets on the hill.

-There are zero, I repeat zero, condos, hotels or houses at the base of the ski area.
-The closest parking spaces are fifty yards from the base lodge.
-Although there is no accommodations at the base, the lodges at the base and up the hill are very posh. (So nice that we actually felt a bit weird clumping around them in our ski boots).

Snowbasin base lodge. “Are we allowed in here?”


Nice place to pull on your boots.


The bathrooms looked like they should have an attendant. “Are you sure we’re allowed in here?”



If you actually ever want to leave the base lodge, a number of modern lifts built for the Olympics insure that you get up the hill in a hurry and serve a wide selection of terrain (both inbounds and sidecountry).






Barbara was so enthusiastic, she unpacked a new outfit.


Raised chasing gates in Michigan, Barbara feels right at home on some of the first firm snow of the trip.



Finish the day with some Polygamy Porter.



After sending the ladies back to work the next day, Joel and I hung around based on a forecast for a big storm that was supposed to hit the next day, with predictions of overnight snow of between ten and twenty inches. Got up to discover what had been an apparent rounding error in the forecast, since only two inches had arrived by morning to Alta and Snowbird. Snowbasin had received four whole inches, so we returned there, in hopes that more might accumulate during the day. Although only two more inches arrived, it was probably still better than dealing with a president’s day weekend crowd in little cottonwood canyon.

Although hardly bottomless, the new snow certainly improved things.

Joel enjoys rather thick dust on crust.


Not being from the east, this is my preference.


The best run of the day was in the side country looker’s right (skier’s left) of the ski area boundary. Not a totally trivial place to mess around in for the uninitiated due to the presence of many terrain traps, we still managed with judicious hunting and pecking to find a relatively safe route down through the rather complicated terrain. There we found on northern aspects excellent deeper snow.

Yes we are beeping.


Worth a hunt and peck.



Since no more snow showed up overnight, we decided to head for the barn, enjoying a drive that went through the country around Moab, nicely decorated with new snow.

Yup, arches…




On the way, I also managed to pick up what may be the world’s ugliest hat.



So, the next time you have to justify why you need to do a road trip, explain that it may otherwise be impossible to get a hat like that.


Some moving pictures from the trip are found in the following:

[Sol Skier]

Damn

Solid effort.

[raisingarizona13]

Very coo trip! I think I was at Silverton on the same two days. That place rocks.

[BackCountryNC]

Looked like a decent trip.

[philth]

Nice trip. Just curious, who were you guides at Ruby? Just first names.

[wcf3]

Nice trip. Just curious, who were you guides at Ruby? Just first names.

Tom was our guide most of the time, but we got to ski with Hans for a few runs. I believe Hans (although extremely experienced elsewhere) is new this year to working at Ruby, so you may not know him.

[philth]

Thank you sir. I was thinking of Fred C. who was guiding out there for a while I think.

[fantastic_damage]

Damn.....that is indeed one ugly hat.
Looked like a good trip!

[wcf3]

Thank you sir. I was thinking of Fred C. who was guiding out there for a while I think.

Fred C. is still working there. On the last day at Ruby, when we were in the cats due to weather, we shared the cat with his group and got to hang out some. Good guy for sure.

[Bob Loblaw]

Solid TR! glad you didn't get a crick in your necks from the bench nap!

[zion zig zag]

It's Han's second season out there.

[brutah]

sweet trip!

thanks for the ruby shots, just took a summer job stationed in elko! hope some of the snow sticks around till may

[wcf3]

It's Han's second season out there.

Didn't know that. A really good guy and the one who gave us the tip to try out Snowbasin, which we certainly enjoyed.

[wcf3]

sweet trip!

thanks for the ruby shots, just took a summer job stationed in elko! hope some of the snow sticks around till may

Don't know if there is going to be much snow left by May (unless they have a huge late season). Probably some really good hiking up there though.