2017 - Salt Lake City

Our 25th trip.  And still skiing just like we were in our 20s, mostly.  After a decade of not going to Salt Lake (partially due to high airfare, which has gotten much better), it was time to go back to where we sucked Fink into coming with us back in 1992.  Forecast for the week looked really promising - snow Tuesday night through Friday, and we were not disappointed to arrive at Solitude on Friday to 43" of new snow.  Well, someone was disappointed - that'd be Mark, sitting at the bottom of the canyon road, unable to drive up until noon (he had flown in that morning from Whistler, so sympathy was low).  Fink & Jon followed skier ruler #1 - No friends on a powder day - and headed up early.  Snow was great all day, and continued to snow on and off throughout the day.  Had some great runs in Honeycomb canyon.  Saturday, we found the Highway to Heaven, and did it 3 times - skied off the back side of Solitude through untracked powder down into a beautiful valley.  Then we had a 15 minute hike, and 15 minute bootpack back up.  Not easy on the 50+ year old lungs at 10,000', but well worth it.  Sunday, we got a sunny but cold day at Snowbird.  A first - $100+ lift tickets (actually $106). Great open terrain after Solitude, and snow was good - leftover powder on lower mountain, but heavy.

And then the surprise - the encore storm.  It wasn't predicted to snow, but it started Sunday night, and snowed throughout the day Monday.  17" total and beautiful Utah champagne powder.  Most of the bowls were closed, but we had some amazing runs off the Wildcat lift.  Even got some faceshots - might be cliche to say it (again), but another top 5 all time day.  Mark stayed an extra day for his bonus birthday day - and 5" more overnight snow. Also had a great stay at the Peruvian Lodge - while initially put off by the cost, we decided it was well worth it.  Great ski feel and good meals more than made up for the cramped quarters/price.  The condo at Solitude was nice, but we will remember the Peruvian.  Deal of the trip (especially considering Mark's $120 LONG shuttle ride) - $77 rental car, fortunately an SUV or we weren't making it up/down the canyon.  Second deal of the trip - renting powder skis.  For the first time, Jon was the fastest skier of the group - probably as Mark was slowed by a full on collision with someone (traversing his downhill line, and going way too fast).  Stats courtesy of Fink's new ski app - 80.7 miles of skiing, 88,100 vertical feet.  Couple of videos - Mark at Solitude, Fink on the powder day.