christmas day

We learned last year that Christmas morning is not a particularly busy ski time (yay!), so we didn't hurry too much to get up to Alta for the first chair, lingering just a bit over the ham and egg and cheese sandwiches that H made.  We were still up there 9:30ish (which is scarcely late: Collins lift doesn't open until 9:15 a.m.), luxuriating in the bright sunshine and warm breeze.

Near the top of the Supreme chair

Since I planned to baby my back all weekend, we skied Saturday much like we did Sunday: me sticking to the groomers off of the Supreme and Sugarloaf chairs; H jumping in and out of the trees and on and off the trails. It still hadn't snowed any more and the ungroomed stuff was starting to set up a little, but there's still great coverage and no ice. A very merry Christmas ski day indeed!

Good grief - blinked again!  Nice sky, tho'.

Wildlife report: we were just getting ready to load onto the Sugarloaf chair when this ermine raced past the lift house, under the lift and across the ski trail, finally diving to safety under a stand of small trees.  I don't know if anyone else but us saw him - tiny little pure white varmint charging across the snow. 

After we'd had enough for the day, we stopped by the Alta Lodge because we'd read that they've got a great ski bar, the Sitzmark, and thought it would be a good idea to stop in there for a beer. Alas, the Sitzmark - which is actually just a tiny attic room in an old, slopeside inn - did not open until 4:00 p.m., and we were there before then.  S'okay: the PBRs are cheaper at our house.