Conditions Report
Report from March 28-29, 2024
Snowbird, Utah, changes a rider’s perspective on steepness: not sliding over snow, falling through it. Spending two days in fresh powder at the ‘Bird made hearts race for most of 40,000 vertical feet.
At Snowbird, the “black diamond” label covers quite a range of terrain. On the one hand, consider a run called Fluffy Bunny. Fluffy Bunny is a relatively innocuous crossover one might take if they are cutting from the Gad Valley (west side of the resort) to Peruvian Gulch (east side of the resort). On the other hand, Mozzarella Bowl (accessed off Gad 2 Express) combines chutes and technical trees at a 45-50-degree slope. It’s amazing that the classifications can be the same.
But when Snowbird marks something “double black,” the path downward may be perilous. Or it may be the deep turns and ripping speed saved for those willing to navigate along cliff lines. Some resorts post warning signs for the faint of heart; Snowbird posts signs for your safety. Ducking a “closed” sign or ignoring a “cliff” sign could be fatal. Ignoring an “enter through gates only” sign could be lethal to others. Seeing so much respect and consideration from the many highly skilled athletes playing together in a single landscape was wonderful.
Snowbird’s snowpack is healthy and continues to receive fresh snow. By the end of Friday (3/29), the sun-kissed fresh snow had become mashed potatoes. That said, the north faces and shaded areas still felt light. By day’s end, clouds were moving into the Cottonwoods. The rest of March at Snowbird may remain stormy.
It was sad not to be able to see Alta on this trip, but we were in town to visit a snowboarder. During our stay in Utah, several people mentioned how disconcerting it was that Utah resorts Alta and Deer Valley (and Mad River Glen, Vermont) don’t allow snowboarders. Alta and Deer Valley have never allowed snowboarders, and Mad River Glen banned them from its slopes in 1985. It’s a bit wild that these resorts still hold that line.
Tomorrow, we head to Park City to see how the Vail giant compares to the rest of the region.
Weather Forecast
