Neck Deep In Honeycomb

[iceman]

It was a deep week at Solitude as I'm sure it was everywhere in the Wasatch.

So last Monday it puked all day and night and Tuesday morning was Bluebird. I never heard exact totals but I'd say there was about 16" new. My kid and I got some laps in Honeycomb, it was easy knee deep and more in spots, which put it at about waistdeep or so on the kid.

Tuesday lunchtime it starts puking again and continues until late Wednesday, I guess there was about 24" or so, maybe a bit more, out of the storm. Honeycomb never opens Wednesday.

Thursday is Bluebird. Honeycomb is closed right at first, we take a lap on the front and when we get to the bottom the resort loses electricity. Two lifts are running on diesel backup, but there were huge lines and I have a kind of a policy about getting on lifts that are already running on backup, so me and the kid hang around on the deck in the sun for a while. Two patrolmen walk by and one says to the other, "I can't believe this happened when we were right about to drop the rope, Honeycomb is ready to go."

Getting to the top of Honeycomb is a two-lift affair, and I look over at the base of the Sunrise chair and there are only two lifties over there shooting the breeze. So we roll the dice and walk over there, put our skis down first in line and hang out and chat with the lifties. Ten minutes later the power comes back on. We are on the first chair. There's one couple behind us and then nobody for at least twenty chairs.

We bust down the cat track to the Summit chair and head up, we're the only people on the lift at first. We get to the top and there is one guy up there, I'm not sure where he came from, but he's cutting in the traverse. So we traverse out until we catch up to him and drop in, first tracks in the Canyon.

I don't know how deep it was, I do know the kid was neck-deep at one point and when he crashed and tried to get up he had his pole and his whole arm up to the shoulder under the snow, so that's maybe five feet deep in that spot. Deep enough.

Neckdeep first tracks in Honeycomb, not bad for a ten-year-old.




edit: spelun

[Vinman]

Nice burfday gift eh? happy brithday mang.

[iceman]

Thanks Vin and back atcha. Got back last night and found a shiny pair of Bros on the doorstep, my birthday did not suck.

[biggins]

Would you consider adopting a 30 year old snowboarder.

read: best dad ever

[Tippster]

Welcome home, mang, and happy belated Birthday!

Goddamn you hit it weatherwise... so jealous.

[iceman]

It's interesting skiing terrain you don't know well in really deep snow with a kid, you have to stay above him because it would be almost impossible to climb back up if he needed help. It's like, "Um, well, go down there and around that tree, cut left and if there's a cliff don't fall off it."

edit: yeah Tipp we hit it on the fucking head this time for real. Thanks for the welcome back.

[Arty50]

Neckdeep first tracks in Honeycomb, not bad for a ten-year-old.

I had a day like that at Mammoth when I about that age. I've never forgotten it. I'm sure your son won't either.

Priceless memories...probably the best birthday present ever.

Happy Birthday, icemang.

[Buzzworthy]

Would you consider adopting a 30 year old snowboarder.

read: best dad ever

Sorry, gots first dibs.


Happy Bday my friend !

Glad you got the goods.

[release]

Glad you hit the storm Ice. Are you gonna be back this year? I will be out on the closing weekend.

[EPSkis]

Sweet!

That's a helluva birfday, for sure!

(PICS, man - pics!)

Happy b-day & welcome back to the lovely weather!

[iceman]

Release - I'm gonna try to get there for closing day, if I do I'll get there that morning since I have a prior engagement Sat. Nite that I can't get out of.

Maybe the coolest thing about the week was that Honeycomb never opened Wednesday. Because on Wednesday LCC was closed (I heard Snowbird never even opened, is that true?) and there was a full-on invasion of Solitude by the Alta Bro-Brah crew. The High-End-Gear, Fat-Ski and Rad-Talk meters were all off the charts.

A bunch of those guys ripped shit up, no doubt. But when Thursday dawned Bluebird they were all gone and there wasn't a single track in the canyon...

[Buster Highmen]

Cool. Best blank canvas ever.

[Meconium]

Maybe the coolest thing about the week was that Honeycomb never opened Wednesday. Because on Wednesday LCC was closed (I heard Snowbird never even opened, is that true?) and there was a full-on invasion of Solitude by the Alta Bro-Brah crew. The High-End-Gear, Fat-Ski and Rad-Talk meters were all off the charts.

A bunch of those guys ripped shit up, no doubt. But when Thursday dawned Bluebird they were all gone and there wasn't a single track in the canyon...

Only a “maybe”? Mother Nature, bless those patrollers.

[splat]

Happy Birthday, Brutha from Anutha Mutha!

[Woodsy]

memories of taking your son out for an early season neck deep day make me smile even while it hurts to sit, stand, laugh, or cough.

photo Steve Lloyd
skier is Jason west i think.

[iceman]

Joey's looking forward to it too, you better get well 'cause he's gonna want to charge.

[jump]

Very nice, that kid is gonna rip in five years! (Since he already does!)

[frozenwater]

Joey's looking forward to it too, you better get well 'cause he's gonna want to charge.

Man,give me two weeks notice and I will do everthing it takes to get there with you. I will get my own lodging, but I would love to hang with you and your boy on slope for a few days. It's going to happen this year Ice.

[iceman]

nice, let's talk.