Best Ski Run Of The Year!

[Photo-John]

On Sunday I had my best ski run of the year. Hands-down. No competition. That the track on the right are mine and the track on the left was made by one of our other members, zerodog. And the other photo is what my face looked at the bottom of the run. No, I did not fall. That's just snow stuck to my beard cause it was so deep

[Photo-John]

It's not all about the descent, though. It's also about getting there. The storm total for last week in the mountains above Salt Lake was about 40 inches so we had high hopes for a great day. But we had no intentions of riding the lifts and fighting a thousands of other skiers and boarders for powder. Instead, we earned our turns, hiking out of Alta into the Wasatch backcountry.

The better quality photos were taken near the bottom, when we were still relatively fresh. They were also taken with a better camera - the Sony Alpha A55 I've been testing. Rob (zerodog) is the smiley fellow in the green shirt.

[Photo-John]

Here are some photos as we neared the top of the (first) climb. It was a bit foggy and snowing so the image quality is rough. The Olympus Tough TG-610 waterproof point-and-shoot I was using also doesn't have the best image quality. But I don't have to worry about getting it wet or cold so it's easy to keep handy for quick photos on the trail. Quick is key for this kind of photography and I was reminded how valuable the waterproof point-and-shoots are, even if you do compromise image quality. The skin track that Pat put in was brutally steep and just keeping moving was tough. Stopping to take out the Sony would have really slowed us down.

[Photo-John]

Mike and Rob getting their splitboards ready for our awesome descent!

[Photo-John]

Looking back at the bowl we skied from near the top of the climb out. There were only about 9 tracks in that bowl when we left it. If we were in a resort that would be all completely skied out. That's what we earned for our suffering. And suffer we did - we climbed a total of 2500 feet in only 3.5 miles and topped out at over 10,000 feet. But it was totally worth it. You never get that kind of snow or that kind of isolated feeling in a ski resort. Never.

Thanks for a great day, Rob!

[maplestreet]

Amazing set John. I think the image quality is perfect for the situation. The look of these photos makes me feel like I'm there.

I cant believe how hard you guys worked to get that run, that's true dedication!

[armando_m]

What a fantastic experience , thanks for sharing the photos

[zerodog]

Great shots John! It was an awesome day for sure. More snow is on the way.

[Photo-John]

Great shots John! It was an awesome day for sure. More snow is on the way.

Unfortunately, not for me. I'll be on the road Thursday, headed for Monterey

[zerodog]

There will be more when you get back! Have fun out there man. It isn't all bad. CA will be really nice weather.

[Photo-John]

There will be more when you get back! Have fun out there man. It isn't all bad. CA will be really nice weather.

I will have fun. And I will get my fill of good mexican food. The weather is supposed to be great so that will be nice. Good thing I'm not shooting racing - nasty weather and mud make way better mountain bike photos

[NoKnees]

Great trip report and photos to go with it. Nothing like earning your turns, especially when they are that good! And yes, despite the weather, you managed to capture the moment well with both cameras...

Must have been something in the air this last weekend.. I spent it doing the same thing, just down in California on the east side... Post to follow shortly...

- G

[SteelieD]

THAT is definitely earning it. Nice work!