Can't make 1st chair until 3:10 PM?
After driving 325 miles as part of my eight-hour workday today, it was almost 3:00 before I finally pulled into the Snowbird parking lot.
What to do?
Drop my seat back and take a nap since I'm so exhausted I can hardly see straight? Hurry and throw my gear on and try to make up for a long day by seeing how many runs I can get? Yeah, that's the ticket.
I plopped down on the amply padded seat of the Gadzoom chair at exactly 3:10 PM and plotted my route--the only route I could take really, since maximum vertage in a compressed timeframe was my aim.
Ahhh...good thing they're running the sucker at about 1200 today, I thought to myself (1200 feet per minute is only 90 fpm less than max speed--you can really tell the difference). Now I just hoped they wouldn't have to stop for anyone or slow down for any reason, cuz I was on a mission. I stood up and pushed away from the chair before it even reached the customary unload zone, making a straightline down to LC. I think I got my butt from chair to chair in less than 30 seconds!
I made it to the top of LC without a hitch and glided right on past the troller unwinding his rope to close Mineral Basin access, with about 4 minutes to spare. I knew that extra 4 minutes would come in handy because I still had to ski to the bottom of Mineral, catch the MB chair back to the top, ski from the 11,000 foot Hidden Peak summit down to the 8,000 foot tram plaza, take off my skis and walk around the building to catch the last tram, which was closing its doors in exactly 19 minutes.
The impromptu challenge I had just come up with, the sun on my face, the wind roaring in my ears, and the adrenaline rush as I mached down the cat track out to the MB high-T erased any lingering weariness from the long day.
I broke from the traverse just under Toad Hill Chute and powered through some turns in the rapidly setting chop. I was glad that I'd wisely chosen one of the widest skis of my quiver before leaving home a few days ago. I pretty much GS'd and straightlined the rest of the run, raced up to the chair and was on my way before the liftie could even make it down the shack steps.
Five minutes later my skis were in motion again, this time pointed straight down Upper Primrose at about 70 MPH. I raced to the bottom via "Whodunnit." The split-second decision to take that route almost foiled the whole plan as a patch of sandpaper snow alongside the bypass road just about ripped me right out of my boots in a half-twisting near fall. I wouldn't doubt that some of the tailgaters on the bypass might've been a few maggots who witnessed the near disaster. I think I let out a pretty good yell.
Strolling past the live band on the plaza, I had a moment to enjoy the end of one great Santana cover and the beginning of another; "Oye Como Va." And yes, to paraphrase the translation; it was going. And going well so far...
I caught the last tram of the day, along with about a hundred other happy souls. There was a good vibe on the tram, as there often seems to be the few days following fresh spring dumpage. Upon reaching the top, I realized the Zoom chair was closing in 2 1/2 minutes and it would take me at least twice that long to make it. I opted to do a Rasta run via 'Road to Provo' instead. As I cruised by the silent Little Cloud and Gad 2 chairs, I decided to see how many Wilberes I could get in before they closed at 4:30.
I somehow managed five Wilbere's on top of what I'd already done, for a grand total of 8 chairs, plus one tram. Again, mind you, with a first-chair time of 3:10!
Who says you can't get your money's worth with a late arrival?!
