New Year's Day and what better place to start than 8am in the Big Springs parking lot in Utah County.
The original plan was to climb Tanners and ski a combination of Dromedary and Upper Broads. However, Andrew thought that the splitting system would have put more snow down South, hence an ascent to Cascade Ridge.
It was a LONG way to the ridge. The ascent via Big Springs Canyon from the parking lot at 5,800' ft to the ridge at 10,000+ was about 5 miles. Down low, the snow did look quite good.
It didn't take us long to get off the track - probably a faulty guidebook.
After an age in the canyon, we finally got out into the sun.
Looking back down Big Springs Canyon.
Cascade Peak (left), Timpanogos (middle), and Roberts Horn (right).
Up in the mountains, the weather was great. Down in the valley the inversion was setting in.
As we approached the ridge, the winds started nuking.
Thoughts of a good powder day were being overtaken with thoughts of Sastrugi and breakable crusts.
For the few nanoseconds that the winds stopped, skinning up the ridge in the sun was quite nice.
Our path had taken us to the eastern most point of the ridge, Shingle Mill Canyon, headed by the suitably named Lightning and Thunder Mountains. Dropping in, it looked like wind-slab the whole way down.
3 turns down, and the slab had broken down into recrystallized powder...
...and Goode powder it was!
Lars cranking a turn with the South summit of Timpanogos (climbed last year) in the background.
The skiing in upper Shingle Mill Canyon was very good...
....the backpacks (with the crampons inside) were left at the bottom and we banged out the laps.
Skiing down in the sun with the Uintas in the distance.
Traveling light!
Pretty rock formations on the other side of the canyon.
End of the second lap on the sunny side.
The laps continued in the sunny side of the Bowl.