Wasatch Mountains, UT Report: 9″ of Fresh Snow That Skied Like 0″

Miles Clark | | Post Tag for Conditions ReportConditions Report

Report from January 25, 2023

Yesterday morning I awoke wasted from a 10-hour drive from the California delta to Park City, UT.

The plan was to have a mellow morning and ski a few laps in the afternoon.

When I looked at my phone I saw 9″ of new snow and cold temps at Alta.

Damn!

Got up, threw gear in the car and zipped over to Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The forecast was ‘mostly sunny’ but a vicious fog loomed over Salt Lake Valley and slithered up canyon right into my grill.

Upping Emmas. image: snowbrains

The fog eventually created a low overcast that made the day most certainly ‘mostly cloudy.’

I sat in my car and debated what to do.

I decided to try the south facing terrain because it’s easy access and holds great terrain.

Before I set out a local told me he’d skied into Days and it was all pretty must dust on crust.

That was what I’d figured at home but I had to find out for sure.

I skinned up Flagstaff and dropped into Emmas.

Days. image: snowbrains

Deep dust on crust.

The sun had cooked all the snow and it was a breakable crust under 9″ of the fluffiest snow imaginable.

I struggled and grunted and stopped and went and traversed down the hill.

9″ of fresh snow that skied like 0″.

I’m confident that there was good skiing in the Wasatch this day.

Likely on north faces.

But I didn’t find it…

LCC. image: snowbrains

AVALANCHE FORECAST

image: utah avalanche center, 1/25/23

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