digger jr Posted February 13, 2014 Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 Have you heard how Gary is doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) From what I hear, Garry is quite uncomfortable with chronic back pain that has been exacerbated by not being able to move around. The leg actually hurts less than his back, but the leg break is very complex and won't be a simple matter for it to mend together. Thursday, 2/13: I got dressed and walked 10 feet outside to find it raining. Turned around and came back in. It is probably snowing on top, but I'm not going to stand around in the rain to get there. At 11:30 I went back out and up the hill. It sure seems like there was far more than the reported 3". A run down Sitka has too much new in big piles to carve it without heavy boot drag. Prospector face is moguled up. I just make a bunch of runs cruising the greens. It's like a sauna up here; The Bonanza thermometer reads over 40F at noon. Wind at the summit must be a sustained 25 with gusts well over 40. Out at 1PM, stripping down to a T-shirt. Pics from yesterday on Sitka: Me; a random softbooter who looks good but did not get up from this turn; one-legged ski guy. There are more adaptive skiers and riders here than anywhere. One regularly sees sit skis, blind skiers with guides, even people wearing blue "Deaf Skier" jackets. Edited February 13, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 Friday, 2/14: Warm and cloudy, a little windy. A couple of inches of new over 1st shift groom. The hill is soft, slow, and sloppy. By 9:30 some thick clouds rolled in and started raining slush. I bailed out early, trying the Gotcha Cut-Off again just because it was groomed this morning and had new snow on it. Sure enough, it wasn't terrible. At the base it is definitely raining. Out at 10:30. I'm taking Sat/Sun off, maybe Monday too. Gonna be crowded. Yesterday on Sitka, too thick with piles of new. Claim Jumper was groomed on the 2nd shift and felt better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOODTYPEZX10R Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 ETF: I have been watching your updates over some time. I am planning a trip to PC the tail end of next week 21-23 FEB14 for some riding. I used to live in PC and am a PCHS alum. I never got to board at Park City Ski area (as it was known back then). I moved to North Idaho the season the started allowing snowboards. I hope that somehow we could hook-up and ride. Don't worry about my skills, it is endurance that seems to be more of the problem as I get older. PM me if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 (edited) I should be riding on Friday the 21st unless the weather is really weird. PC schools are on vacation all week, so even the weekdays might be pretty busy. Saturdays are out for me, but Fred should be back by then and he will probably go up. Fast Tracks tickets can really help speed you through lift lines on weekends. Most of the time I'm on the first chairs, getting to the top of Bonanza by 9:15. Some of us carving types look for each other hanging out by the Demo Center where one can watch both the Bonanza and Silverlode unloads for other hardbooters. We'll be looking forward to meeting you! On a random unrelated note, the Silver Star Cafe is going to be in "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." Update: It is almost 9PM and the temps around the base altitude are approaching 50F. Pic from Friday, slashing about in the muck while it rained slush. Edited February 16, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Monday, 2/17: Meh. Shouldda stayed in bed. A little cooler today, 28F at Bonanza but it will warm well into the 40s. Yesterday afternoon a thunderstorm cell blew through which forced the closure of many lifts as a lightning precaution. This allowed more new snow to pile up before the 1st shift groom than otherwise would be the case. This morning's conditions are quite variable. Bonanza and Silverlode areas are soft with groomed chalky new. Decent sluffy cruising, but it won't hold an edge. Over at King Con, Sitka was terrible, as if a giant cookie was smashed on it, covered with a thin layer of new, then groomed. At 10:15 the Silverlode maze was full. On the way out I check out Silver Queen which had an okay snow feel but the grooming wasn't flat. Lower altitude runs were strangely hard and icy in places. At the top of Heckler I greeted racer Heather who summed it all up with "I'm going home." The parking lot is outta control with people and cars. There's a COW thread in the main forum for anyone who wants to visit Targhee. 3/15-ish has been floated as a date. Edited February 17, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn Poop Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Near bluebird skies and near hero snow up at the Powdah. Lift lines were silly... I had to wait almost an entire minute to get a chair at one point. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Tuesday, 2/18: Sunny and warm. Everything is packed down now. Lower mountain runs have a nice powdery layer on top but are frozen hard underneath. Bonanza and Silverlode runs are decent, although the grooming varies. Assessment is the best run of the morning. I didn't go to the King Con runs because they were so bad yesterday. They won't get better until new snow falls, hopefully on Wednesday and Thursday. Still crowded with families, kids, ski school, etc, but not stupid crowded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) Wednesday, 2/19: 38F at the base at open. Cloudy and dark. No new overnight, but it starts snowing just as the first chairs get to the top. The snow starts to really dump, turning into Instant Mashed Potatoes. Vis is bad and wind is howling. Under these conditions, Assessment is the best run since it has dense trees on both sides and isn't so wide that you lose your bearings on it. I did 6 loops down Assessment until the piling up new snow was starting to screw up its carveability. I drove out just before 11. Not busy today. Strangely, I never rode the Bonanza chair today. Gay Ski Week begins Tomorrow, bringing 750 gay skiers to Park City. This is good timing since I was thinking about switching sides anyhow. The hetero thing just hasn't been working out. This was my exit run, heading down to the base via Jonsey's. Too much new for Mr. Flaccid. Edited February 20, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 Thursday, 2/20: Finally a good, old-fashioned cold day. 18F at the base, 9 at Bonanza load, colder still on top. Cloudy with some flurries and occasional sun. PCMR calls a "Powder Day" alert, reporting 10" in the last 24h, 4" overnight. Most of the blues in the Bonanza/Silverlode area are too soft with new to be carveable, but Sitka and Shamus were pretty good. Tomorrow should be nicely groomy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 20, 2014 Report Share Posted February 20, 2014 [ATTACH]37922[/ATTACH] Below surface carving! Impressive! Glad to hear the conditions are stiffing up in Park City. (LOL!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 (edited) It seems cool, but by the last frame I look like a crappy piece of roadkill. The photographer yelled up at me: "Are you OK?" He was afraid that I might have drowned or something. From Yesterday: Fred on Sitka, Blind guy with Guide. Why does the blind guy need goggles? Edited February 21, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2014 Friday, 2/21: A great sunny day, 28F at the base but chilly on top. Everything is groomed in, grippy and carvy, but a bit on the soft side. Fred and I hit the usual stuff, making multiple runs down Prospector and Assessment before heading to Sitka. Around 10:30 the Silverlode and King Con lift mazes got clogged up, but leveled off as lunchtime approached. Sitka was firmer, and we made a couple of screaming fast passes at the photographer. We saw a guy carving on a swallowtail: Who was that? Riding the Coda yesterday. This board generates more lift-line comments than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellowjonny Posted February 23, 2014 Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Is that garbage man, Florida Fred in the yellow pants? Love the submerged series of shots. I think my BOL avatar was shot on Sitka. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2014 Hi Jeff, That is indeed Da Fred who rode on Saturday and reported good conditions for the first 90 minutes until the hill got overrun with people. Sunday, 2/23: Of all the wondrous and odd occurrences, on this morning I run into Monodude at the base. He is stopping by for a morning here on his way to Monopalooza. We go up and hit the groom, wandering around to try some unusual runs like Comstock and the Blue Slip Bowl. It is too sunny and too warm. A bit crowded, but not terrible. Don did a couple of runs on the Nastar course. The lower mountain had some skitchy spots from being heavily scraped off on Saturday. Fred was out riding, and I'm pretty sure I saw Carl and maybe Judie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2014 Monday, 2/24: Cloudy with a few sun breaks, temps still too warm. Yet another day of the Fathead and Fred show hits the snow. East-facing Bonanza and Pioneer runs are hard and skitchy at open, but Assessment and Prospector are near hero. We did a few runs with Aussie Mark who was softbooting on a Prior Pow Stick. No trips to King Con today as we assumed that it would be too scrapy. Another exhausting day of riding from open to Noon, but it was filled with nice turns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) Tuesday, 2/25: 38F and sunny at open. This day is full-on Springtime thaw-freeze. Lower runs near the base and Bonanza trails are frozen hard. Assessment is firm but pretty good. Brandon and Fred are out, as are a couple of racers. By the time I left at 11, Muckers had gone from icy to slightly slushy. Mr. Flaccid is getting an injection of epoxy at the shop today, so I'm riding the Thias Easy Jungle. From Sunday: I'm in my Sopwith Camel being gunned down by Monodude (on Virus skis with Vist bindings). Fred from last Friday. Edited February 25, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Me on Friday, Fred on Sunday, Random backwards crash guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 Great photos Art!!! Been years since I have seen Don on skis (we met on Mt Hood, both on skis some 20 years ago or more) Good fun!! I know he loves those Virus skis. Great carving shots too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 Hey Art. Mark and Dan and I got to meet and chat with Fred at the base on Sunday.He got to hear me gush about how great a carving mountain PC is and how I wish I had bought our family passes there.Next time we come up it would be great to meet up with you guys for some runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) Hi Steve, I was surprised that I didn't see you guys. After I met up with Monodude, we went tearing around the entire mountain. I didn't see you guys on SharpShooter pictures either, but sometimes they just aren't on the right run at the right time. I'll be here pretty consistently until the season ends, so please make some noise when you come up again. (I consider Saturdays to be too crowded. A carver should be prepared to ride only the first 90 minutes before the place is jammed.) Wednesday, 2/26: Another horribly Springy day. Overnight and morning temps so warm that the runs aren't really frozen hard at open. I went to Silver Queen with Judie just before her advanced ski class and found a huge tear at the top of the trail where the cat must have slid in deep slush. Muckers was ok for one or two runs, but was slushifying quickly. Assessment and Prospector were tolerably good but had some cookie action going on. Brandon is on an old Kessler 185, Fred is riding the Donek 177 (with the 185's 12-16 sidecut) that I had made custom a couple of years ago. Down in the parking lot I was parked next to a truck with a bunch of deaf racers. There is a USASA event going on, and snowboard gates could be seen on lower C.B.'s. Did I meet UtahDeafCarver from the board? When I took this around 11AM, the course was being switched from SL to GS. Edited February 26, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) Thursday, 2/27: Weather is moving in. 30F at Bonanza load, cloudy with flurries. Muckers has 3" of potato-y new over crunchy hard groom. Assessment and Prospector are still the best runs with less new and a good grippy feel. Sitka wasn't bad either, but felt a little lumpy with new. I came off the hill around noon with snow falling on most of the mountain, but raining at the base. Update: Rain turned to (wet) snow pretty quickly at the base. The Snotel says there has been 7" of new up top since morning. PCMR says 8". With a little more forecast for the overnight, Friday will be a morning of soft stuff. Edited February 28, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) Friday: 2/28; PCMR sends out the Powder Day alert, reporting 11" in 24h, 5" in 12h. Much of it is groomed in, but there is 2-4" of new over 1st shift groom. Most places are too soft or too lumpy to carve. Lift line congestion moves around in waves, but Silverlode was quite awful, while Bonanza wasn't bad. I guess there must have been some "real" skiers who were riding off-piste somewhere, but many hundreds of people showed up just to skid around on mushy cruisers and clog up the place. Sunny with warm temps, getting windy in the afternoon. A lame attempt to carve mucky new snow didn't work out well. Edited March 2, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 Sunday, 3/2: I stayed home on Saturday, but the resort reported 8" of new. A "powder alert" on a Saturday is all the more reason to stay away. On Sunday morning there is 2" of new with temps around 30F. The upper mountain grooming is nice, and nearly every run is like being in a huge tub of whipped butter. Some carving can be done, but the runs cut up quickly and get lumpy. Visiting carver Sebastian from France impresses us all. Brandon shows up on the Easy Jungle skwal and seems to take to it quickly. We went down to Payday in hopes of finding a firmer surface, but the grooming was lousy there. A short morning for me. I left before 11 with an overflowing parking lot. Super softbooter guy from several days ago: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabatha Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Hello Utah carvers. I am heading to Park City for work in March and am arriving from the ice-coast a few days early. I will be there Monday 17 - Wednesday 19, and maybe Sunday 16 (if you think the crowds will not be a nightmare). I would love to meet up with some carvers. Also; if anyone is a season pass holder and has some guest passes they would like to sell, I would be very interested. Finally, someone I know just came back from Solitude and said the conditions were carve friendly and it was, as the name suggests, deserted. Any thoughts if I were to hit that up on Sunday instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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