Tower 12: Alta Goes Chamonix Style

This is the coolest thing ever....Yesterday Alta allowed skiing of unpatroled areas within the ski area boundary and simply warned skiers that backcountry conditions may exist in those areas. With this approach they were able to allow lift access to huge areas of terrain without the high cost of running routes and bombing.

It was a little dicy for those who were'nt used to it. If you were from Chamonix it was business as usual. The "backcountry" gate was right at the top of collins lift where you would normaly drop on to the bunny slope called Devils Way. it was a small opening in the rope with all the signage of a backcoutry gate except it didn't say "ski area boundary" It said "backcountry conditions may exist". But because it was in such familiar place, there were whole families dropping in without reading the signs and successfully skiing down the bunny hill on a long uncrowded run to the rope tow. wheee. But you could also fairly easily ski out under the castle on runs like Cecret Saddle which would normally never be open without them first thoroughly controlling The Castle. And you had a ton of people doing just that. no beacons no shovel...I think they thought they were still in the controled part of the ski area.

So in my mind the obvious prize was The Castle...210 inch base...14 new... lift served ...untracked. I was wearing my beacon and had avi gear in my pack. I wasn't even really sure why that gear was coming along when I left the house or the car. alas...Jill did not, and this may have been a blessing. Do you really want to ski the Castle in these conditions with not a single bomb hole and nary a ski cut? ...Not me...it was maybe little to hot for me to be positive.

It's similar to the Knucklehead Travers at the bird. I think that in years past they would keep it open even after Gad II closed and the boundary always gets little fuzzy out past Gad II. But this year you would just get part way over there and see little sigh with the backcountry avalanche conditions. I'm not sure at this point how that fits in with their backcounty check out with patrol policy.

Here is a picture of the billy Goat line that I have always wanted to ski. I have never seen it skied. Maybe theres still a chance. Because your almost never gonna get it with the ski area open.