about as springy as you can get for spring skiing

With just two weekends left in Alta's ski season, Saturday was about as spectacular as you can get for spring skiing.  By 7 a.m., the base temperatures were already in the 40s and it only warmed up from there under mostly clear skies.  This meant the snow was soft from the start; it also meant that things got heavy and sticky very quickly.  Because of this, we only skied until noon or so but because there was hardly anyone there, we got a decent number of runs in, not having to wait in lift lines at all.

Top of the Sugarloaf chair

A lot of Alta's terrain was closed, actually.  We assume that patrol was worried about slides with the extra-warm weather (but it also could be that they're running short-staffed since it's end of season, and limiting the open terrain means limiting the area that needs patrolling).  Baldy, the Backside, Devil's Castle, Cecret Shoulder, High Traverse, Gunsight, the Ballroom, Racecourse - all of this was closed in the morning.  They did end up opening a little bit more towards the afternoon.

Literally tail-gating

After we were done skiing, we pulled the truck around so we were facing the ski area and had a couple beers.  It was extremely pleasant - and, as you can see, not crowded even then.  If the Wildcat base parking lot had gotten up to half full by the end of the day, I would be surprised.  Things are clearly winding down and back down in the valley, we broke a record with temperatures in the high 80s.  What snow is left will not last long now.