Salt Lake City, Thanksgiving day, 2001… rain, all day long, then snow… all night long. Park City, Thanksgiving day, 2001… snow, all day and night! Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons, Thanksgiving day, 2001… SNOW… PUKING SNOW, all day long and into the night… continuing into the next day!
After all was said and done, the Wasatch Mountains in Utah got pummeled! Enough to go from 0-inch base to 50-inch base in 3 days!
Little Cottonwood Canyon, home to Alta and Snowbird ended the storm with 50-inches of new… and it’s still coming down!
All-in-all, Utah has been hurting for snow, with this being one of the latest opening days of skiing in recent past.
The Canyons Resort in Park City was our destination of choice for opening day 2001. Couch-surfing at the Card Hotel near the base of The Canyons Resort, I was able to sleep in and still be one of the first on the hill. A quick stop in the season pass office and I’m set for a season of skiing.
After a couple of warmup laps on the groomers, with pow-seeking sessions here and there, I dip into The Pines where leftovers reigned supreme. I’m not talking about the turkey and mashed potatoes in your fridge… this was over a foot of freshies, just barely tracked out. After a couple of runs in The Pines, I meet up with my trusted cohort, Kendall Card.
Skiing with the K-man means one thing… pow stashes beware! We bombed a few untracked lines, then called it quits. Opening day jitters are over.
Now I have two core-shots, a blackened big toe and these pics to show for it. Oh yeah, not to mention the HUGE smile on my face!
Winter has arrived in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Come, enjoy the bounty!
