dude, where's my snow?

The storm that moved into the Wasatch Saturday afternoon - getting all our hopes up - left about two inches up at Alta ... about the same amount that it left in our yard down in the valley.  What's more, it ushered in some much colder air, so much so that it was a brisk 7 F when we got up Sunday morning.  It took me approximately three minutes to do this math: very little new snow + cold + no new terrain + loading every other chair = not skiing today.  It seems that I have become very picky about my ski conditions this season.

Certainly gorgeous up there

H decided to go, however, which was fine by me.  So while I vacuumed, baked a batch of gingerbread biscotti, called my folks, did laundry and decorated the Christmas tree, he skied the few open groomers over and over again and got chilled standing in line to load the chairlift.

That's a cool cloud

Although the skiing was nothing to write home about, it was simply beautiful up at Alta.  While it remained cloudy in the valley until nearly 1 p.m., it was bluebird skies all day there, except for when this bizarre cloud wound its way up the canyon, covering the valley floor.  That photo just above is of the Collins lift so when they were in line to load the chair, it was completely socked in, and they rode the chair out of the clouds just before the angle station.