HAPPY 4/20: A late spring dump drops 18 inches on Snowbird!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO shot by SLC local Justin Yarmark!

As most skiers across the nation dust off mountain bikes and head for beaches, skiers in Utah continue to reap the benefits of the winter that refuses to end.

After a week of warm, spring weather, a storm rolled in to the Holyland Wednesday and unloaded 18 inches of the driest powder seen all year. The parking lots at Snowbird Ski Resort—the only area still open in Little and Big Cottonwood—resembled a mid-winter weekend powder day.

As one local so aptly stated, “Every ski bum in the Wasatch is here today!” Still, there were no lines on the chairs and trams moved quickly. The morning started out strong with Gad Chute runs delivering long vertical in waist-to-chest-deep drifts. Around 12:30 p.m. patrol decided it was time to open the crown jewel of the Bird—High Baldy. My friend Justin Yarmark and I happened to be standing next to the patrol on the tram when they made the decision. “It’ll be worth the wait,” a grinning patroller whispered.

Just minutes later we marched with 20 other powder soldiers up to the Baldy gate. With a little aggressive behavior and some luck, Justin and I dove into Baldy without a single track in our view. The top-to-bottom descent was a constant face shot— one of the best Baldy runs of the year.

With this latest dump, Snowbird’s 2004-05 snowfall hit an astounding 584 inches. The ski area plans to remain open daily until May 8th and then open weekends until Memorial Day.

For late-season discounts and more info, check out www.snowbird.com.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO shot by SLC local Justin Yarmark!