Day 18 : Snowbird

Just your usual skiing day, set off this morning to catch the bus up Little Cottonwood Canyon again (as we cant drive because we don't have snow tires or chains), We headed to Snowbird today, and boy was it snowing when we arrived! We had to duck inside until the lifts started or we would have been buried in snow. There had been lots of snow overnight, so the runs whilst groomed underneath, had lots of fresh snow. This made for a fun day, but very tired legs at the end of the day as we had to work hard to ski through all the pow! We headed up to the top of the mountain on the Aerial Tram after morning tea ... I was a bit concerned when the sign at the front of the queue (mind you we had been on the queue for 15 mins by then) said for Advanced and Expert skiers only. Decided whilst I could never claim to be an expert, I could maybe claim to be advanced. What the sign should have said was for "Antarctic Explorers only', as they would be the only people who may just have enjoyed the conditions. The wind was so strong I was actually blown backwards, and of course visibility was limited. After throwing a threw choice words in John's direction (Im not actually sure why it was his fault) we made it down to a level that was more to my liking. I did have to employ the 'Margo' sideslip at one stage to extricate myself from the top of the mountain. It is a long way from top to bottom, so when we finally reached the bottom it was lunch time. After lunch we went our own ways, as John was keen to explore some areas higher up and after the morning's experience, I decided he was quite welcome to do that but I was not joining him. I did a few gentler runs and then went in to wait for John.
When he did arrive he tells me he was very lucky to survive! Apparently 'Regulator Johnson' was nowhere near as much fun as it was when he and Casey skied it repeatedly two years ago. He also needed to deploy the 'Margo/ sideslip to get safely down the mountain.
We move on again tomorrow and are driving to Aspen/Snowmass, another 6-7 hour drive. The weather conditions look great for driving and this will be more new country for us to investigate.

Reg u bloody lator johnson!!!!!! I had fond memories from a couple of years ago so was keen to ski it again - went up Gad2 lift and skied Gadzooks run and it was great - fresh powder and bumps and forgiving - went back up and found the traverse to Little Cloud lift was closed due to avalanche issues so had to ski all the way to the bottom - Gadzooks again :-)) and then back up Gadzoom lift and over to and up Little Cloud lift - should have pulled out when the lifty at the bottom was telling someone it was not nice up there and advising how to traverse around to get somewhere nicer - the total lack of any other skiers should have been a hint also! But this was Regulator Johnson my fave snowbird run!! Up I went - it got cloudier and cloudier - at the top a GALE. Lucky I knew the traverse as there was no way I could see it - skied across in gale force wind by braille and the traverse had a wind blown cornice on the downhill side that made it more like a bobsled run - so I can't see and I know there is a cliff on my left and I can't do anything but get faster in the bobsled traverse so I just hang on.....
It spits me out and I can see a fence - recognise that this is the traverse down from the aerial tram so I am at the top of the run - would not have know it but for the fence (did I mention the total lack of anyone else....)
Still can't see anything and the only salvation is that I have skied it before and loved it so I am not launching off an unknown cliff or anything ... I hope!! (geez I wish Casey and her inbuilt GPS was here)
Off I go - and the gale winds have blown all the snow off and it is solid ICE - I immediately deploy the Margo sideslip manoeuvre (lucky I didn't hear the choice words Margo threw my way earlier on the tram traverse as it was too windy - but I am sure I let a few choicer ones go!)
So I do long traverses with braille turns at the ends, no need to worry about getting off piste as the gale has scoured all the snow away - can't stop as when I do I don't know which way is up and fall over in slow motion. SUDDENLY there is another person in the fog!!!! BEWDY - I just have to wait for him to ski off and follow him down and it will let me know how the slope runs - mexican standoff - no idea how long he has been there but he seems to be waiting for me to ski off so he can follow - bugger. Grit my teeth and head off - a few more turns and I see more people struggling, I pass them and can see a bit more and see the fence where the run goes left and head down - snow turns good and I can see and I can ski again - get to the clearing for a rest and feel happy that the other three lost souls have followed me and won't die on the slopes tonite waiting for someone to follow! Head off to the Mid Gad lodge and Greet Margo with a kiss and a hug and "I am alive!" Next time Margo says "you go and ski some black runs" I will make sure it is clear and sunny!!!!

PS ... Some might say it was Karma!