more epic spring conditions

Incredibly, Sunday was just like Saturday except warmer and with just a few more clouds.  The crowd at Alta was about the same too, only with lots more costumes:  Alta is for weirdos and on sunny spring Sundays, they all come out to play.  We saw Scooby-doo, a ruffly red ball gown, fright wigs and fake dreads, far too many Daisy Dukes (on skiers of both genders), girls in bikini tops skiing with hula hoops and guys shirtless under vintage sport coats.  Very impressive.  The Watson Shelter lodge had an outside grill going and live music - everyone was celebrating spring.

On the backside, High Greeley-ish

The snow was about the same too, sticky and slow on the flats, better on the steeps but still difficult to turn in.  At one point I decided that I wanted to cruise down through the wide open Race Course Saddle.  We started on the High Traverse from Collins ... and ended up on top of the ridge, looking down over the backside instead.  The snow was heavy and deep and no one had been in there, so we said what the hell and went for it, making huge sweeping turns down High Greeley and through Greeley Bowl.  It was so cool with no other skiers in sight.  The next time we tried it again, slightly lower but still too high, ending up on the bottom half of High Rustler which was as soft and pleasant as it had been the day before.  We figured it out on the next run, coming down Sunspot to a much lower traverse, and then down through Race Course Saddle.  The snow was wonderful on these runs, so very soft and heavy, almost creamy.

Just another bluebird day at Alta

By 2:30 p.m. my legs were beat from trying to turn in that heavy stuff and we did one more pass along the traverse to some wide chutes, Stone Crusher or maybe Lone Pine.  "Ski it like it might be your last run of the season" was the battle cry - and if it was the last run of the season*, it was a good one with nice, soft bumps at the bottom.  A PBR in the parking lot while we took off our ski stuff and then home, slightly sunburned and extremely happy with another day of Utah spring skiing.

*  Alta is open for one more weekend before they really do close for the season but the sunny weather we've been having is going to change on Friday.  It was so nice this last weekend that we'd rather end on a high note than ski in the clouds and rain.  We'll just have to see what we get for weather.