10:30 people

Over these first few weeks of the ski season we have noticed a consistent phenomenon:  from Alta's opening at 9:15 a.m., the ski slopes are pretty much empty, until 10:30 a.m. when the late risers arrive.  It's uncanny - almost exactly at 10:30 a.m., every weekend day.  We prefer to get up there and ski from first chair because the snow is better and you don't have to wait in line (Note: this will all change once we get to Christmas ... or once we get some decent snow), but an awful lot of people are down for a 10:30 a.m. start.  This Saturday, we too were 10:30 people.

We had good reason.  Every year around this time our neighborhood organizes a food drive for the Utah Food Bank.  Instead of baking cookies for the neighbors, we donate non-perishables or money and get together for a little while at breakfast for the collection.  (You may remember our garage party of two years ago when we were the "hosts.")  This year the collection/get-together was Saturday morning and we visited with the neighbors for a bit before heading up the canyon.  We hardly ever see our neighbors since we try to get out on the weekends year-round; it's good to spend a little time with them - once or twice a year.

Action shot! Cruising past the angle station

(that's not the angle station in the photo, btw)

It's not like we were missing a whole lot up at the mountain.  There had been maybe four or five new inches from a tiny Thursday night storm, so everything was as it has been: hard and fast and rocky.  It was mostly cloudy, light winds, with temperatures ranging from 12-20 F.  My toes got cold (of course) but luckily Alf's is now fully open and we were able to munch on french fries while I warmed back up.  It seemed busier than it has been too - it sure would be nice to get some snow.  Opening up more terrain will help spread the people out.