Alls quiet on the Wasatch Front?!
Wrote this up earlier today...then got busy at work and never hit the submit thread. So it sat around for a few hours and 2P put up some good stoke since! Here it is anyhow...
WTF? No epic dumpage and everyone goes to sleep or actually back to work for a full week?
Skinned James Peak twice on Friday for some schweet windblown that turned to mashed pototos and finally to some valuable stashes of light hidden fluff.
[key Billy Bob] "I like dem mashed pertaters" [end Billy Bob]
Weather was truly spring-like at the PowMow lodge, shed layers even before tagging behind the cat to the top of Lightning Ridge. Went further towards skin before starting up, and did the first shot up in a t-shirt...is this really mid-January? Skin-track had numerous boot craters from the boarders packing uphill, but other than that, easy trek to top. Most of the boot-pack crowd veered off before getting to where I was headed drawn off by the numerous 10-foot plus cornices that had devolped along the main spine of James. Looked like patrol had tried to blow them to no avail...apparently they are there for a huckfest till the end.
View was incredible to the north, as Willard, the Henrys (I think NW of Logan) and terrain further appeared out of Cache Valley crystal clear and closer than what they really are. Region to the southwest was glopped in as most of you in the valley have been living in the last few days.
First trip up, passed up a virgin Carpe Diem to get a better angle in the Y chutes. Not a bad call, but there were 2 other tracks down the first chute and the easterly drop-in was looking pretty bony and wind-scoured. Headed down the western chute, finding the top a little grabby, turning to boot-deep silk on top of a wind-scoured crust. Eventually it gave way to some April corn-like conditions...made for a fun trip down the first pitch, definately kept me on my toes.
Had hooked up with one of the PowMow hosts who generously led me east across a minefield of semi exposed rock, courtesy of last weeks 80mph gusts, and dropped into another bowl that had enjoyed protection from the maelstrom. Finding untracked knee deep, loose, cold, fluff that worked its way over the wind impacted ridge was a huge bonus, as I had expected gloppier conditions as I descended. Arced 15 sweet floating turns before the runout and traversed futher northeast to the last bowl above the Paradise cat track.
As we decended and the protection of the shade and ridges became more evident, the snow showed the effects of being coddled like a newborn. It was light, talc light and hadn't seen a plank or edge since pre-season, not something you expect to find days after a storm in-bounds. Dumping out at the cat road I looked back up at my tracks cut in the virgin pow and realized, for the 100th time this year how lucky I was to live in an area others have to plan weeks or months in advance to enjoy.
Hauled my fat ass up James one more time, giving my abused heart and cardio-system one more kick in the rear for the day. Spent the few hours after that playing in some gloppy bumps that could make anyone look a hero on planks. A little retro-80's king of the hill, old-guy time on the PR's...only thing missing was a Nevica one-piece and some Oakly Frogskins.
Polished off the afternoon with more than a few cold Cutthroats in the PowMow bar. Defiantely not the upscale crystal chandelier, marble and teak atmosphere like across the valley. More a down-home atmospher. Home-like, that is if you like cracked red-vinyl seats as you'd find in a dingy chinese joint. The place is near and dear to my heart as it smells of the high-mileage grease trap of the deep fryer, sweaty polypro, damp gloves, whatever homemade soup is in the warmer, and chili-cheese fries...just the way I like it.
Re: Alls quiet on the Wasatch Front?!
Quote:
Originally posted by Lumpy
[key Billy Bob] "I like dem mashed pertaters" [end Billy Bob]
It was light, talc light and hadn't seen a plank or edge since pre-season, not something you expect to find days after a storm in-bounds. Dumping out at the cat road I looked back up at my tracks cut in the virgin pow and realized, for the 100th time this year how lucky I was to live in an area others have to plan weeks or months in advance to enjoy.
Hauled my fat ass up James one more time, giving my abused heart and cardio-system one more kick in the rear for the day. Spent the few hours after that playing in some gloppy bumps that could make anyone look a hero on planks. A little retro-80's king of the hill, old-guy time on the PR's...only thing missing was a Nevica one-piece and some Oakly Frogskins.
Polished off the afternoon with more than a few cold Cutthroats in the PowMow bar. homemade soup is in the warmer, and chili-cheese fries...just the way I like it.
these are a few of my favorite parts. Nice work!
I'm riding this weekend lets hook up for some of those Pale Ales but full strenght...I'll bring them
