Saturday, February 20, 2010

Alta Welcomes Geezer Gerry

With the late arrival of daughter-in-law and grandkids last night we had a late start to the day. It was an opportunity to get a little more rest before heading for the slopes. Alta was the ski area of choice for the day so we trundled up the Canyon Road about 10:30 AM. The five of us were soon off to the slopes up the Collins Lift. It was my first view of Alta and a most enjoyable surprise. A great mountain for all levels of skiers and especially friendly to the geezer skier of my ilk. No break on the ticket price until 80 plus so maybe the appropriate tough old geezer skier age needs to be raised.

There are wide groomers of intermediate level and with significant variety. Didn't have a chance to explore all of the possibilities but it was a most enjoyable experience. Lots of snow coming down in the later afternoon and surface conditions kept getting better even though the visibility was poor. Met a couple of Ottawa folks that had skied Mad River Glen and had a nice chat comparing experiences at different slopes. We all appreciated the ambiance of a skiers only area.

For the expert skiers there are plenty of challenging terrain. I was surprised to note the elevation at the peak is 10,500 feet. Just 500 feet less than the peak elevation at Snowbird. Even though I am somewhat adapted to the altitude, I was still burning out in the middle of the afternoon.

Return to Salt Lake was slow due to high traffic leaving both Snowbird and Alta. Out to dinner and now ready for a good rest. It was good to check in with wife Nancy and catch up on her day back in Central New York. Skiing is a great activity but it is always special to have the joy of an anchor at home.

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