snow day drama

The big storm everyone has been waiting for - all season, it seems - finally hit northern Utah Saturday night.  By 6 a.m. on Sunday, Alta was claiming 15" and there was a good five on the ground at our house.  H valiantly shoveled before heading for the bus (I opted out because I struggle to ski in anything deeper than 10").  Here are his texts to me during his almost five hour journey up to Alta:

On bus (7:42 a.m.)

Stopped (7:48 a.m.)

The driver just shut down the bus.  This is going to take a while. (7:55 a.m.)

Canyon is open (8:24 a.m.)

Two people just gave up and got off the bus. (8:41 a.m.)

[No movement really.] Alta reporting 23" so far (9:30 a.m.)

Just shut down the bus again (9:46 a.m.)

Someone else just got off (10:10 a.m.)

Another one got off (10:51 a.m.)

Making slow progress (10:52 a.m.)

Just crossed Wasatch [Boulevard] (10:58 a.m.)

Entering park and ride [at base of Little Cottonwood Canyon] (11:23 a.m.)

Leaving park and ride (11:33 a.m.)

Goldminer's Daughter (12:30 p.m.)

Taking a quick snack break as all I have eaten today are the granola bars I grabbed on my way out.  Phenomenal conditions - best of the year.  Canyon closed until 4:00 p.m. so I am expecting a [circus] getting home (2:29 p.m.)

Done. Going to try like hell to be on the 4:49 (4:45 p.m.)

On bus.  Hope to be home by 10:00 (5:03 p.m.)

He actually made it home at 6:38 p.m., having spent more time travelling than skiing.  Everyone he talked to said that the traffic today was the worst they'd ever seen.  This is likely because (a) people are still moving to SLC in droves to be able to take advantage of the access to the outdoors, plus (b) skiers have been snow-starved this season and this storm was a banquet.  H said that the skiing was fantastic - and would likely be amazing on Monday since so much had been closed on Sunday for avalanche control.  Still, he had some great runs in Fred's Trees, Sunspot and Extrovert, and even got into Supreme Bowl for the first time all season.

There was no snow on Alf's roof the day before

When H got home, I asked him if it had been worth it, the crazy amount of travel time.  He said for him, yes, because it was the best day of the season, and he would have driven himself (and me) nuts if he'd stayed home.  For those who love to ski it deep (25" and counting), today was worth the drama.