getting some turns in

Even with having gone away for the Thanksgiving holiday, we managed to get some turns in up at Alta on Sunday, skiing from 9:15 a.m. (isn't it a little weird that Alta opens at 9:15?  why not just 9 a.m.?) until about 1 p.m.  Temperatures were about the same as the last weekend, minus the wind and snow.  They've opened the backside up now; we didn't go in there - we didn't see anyone go in there - but East Greeley was definitely all tracked out.

The conditions were much better than we thought they'd be, given that no new snow has fallen.  Native Utahns would have thought it was terrible but it wasn't: the ungroomed snow was packed and firm but it wasn't frozen solid and it certainly wasn't icy.  We ventured off the groomers a bit, even going into the Ballroom for the first time, and it was okay - especially since the snow has compacted enough that the rocks that were just below the surface are now visible.  I still took some dings out of my bases from little tiny pebbles floating around on the trails but I've certainly skied on worse.  That being said, we really would like some more snow, please.