Report from June 4, 2024
On Tuesday, I drove to Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah with a plan to ski Foremost Chute at Alta.
I used to be drained after 188 days of snowboarding this season.
As I drove previous Mt. Superior, I noticed that there was snow from Suicide Chute proper all the way down to the highway.
I hit the brakes and swerved laborious into the dusty pullout on the base of Superior.
There have been a couple of different vehicles there and I may see 2 guys booting up the chute.
I ran right into a cool cat I do know named Sam who mentioned the Wasatch had been snowboarding “planar.”
I took that as an excellent signal.
I ditched my skins (truly I forgot them in my pack) and began booting up the apron.
After 33-minutes, I used to be on the base of the chute the place I threw on my crampons and began up the chute correct.
The previous bootpack was true and the strolling was steep however straightforward.
I moved slowly, weighed down by exhaustion and an absence of focus.
I couldn’t cease dreaming of the surf journey I used to be about to go on.
I couldn’t cease fearing the following day the place I used to be gonna go for Pipeline at Snowbird…
I hit the highest after 1 hour and 18 minutes.
I took my time on high hoping the stationary cloud sitting proper over Superior may dissipate.
I bumped into Sam and his buddies as they climbed the South Ridge to the summit of Superior.
I ate, drank, performed with my drone and hoped that rattling cloud would abate.
It didn’t.
However I did discover a stable break within the clouds and went for it.
Suicide Chute is mainly a wiggle proper now and sufficient individuals are snowboarding it that the snow was fairly good.
I skied it quicker than I assumed I might and loved the complete chute proper all the way down to the apron.
The apron had a wiggle on it too earlier than decomposing right into a rash of dust, rock, sticks, and discarded desires.
I struggled via the muck and proper all the way down to the automotive.
This was the seventh time I’d skied Suicide Chute this season.
I felt grateful.
I felt the ominousness of Pipeline within the coming day…
Thanks, Utah!
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