Worst traverse at Alta

Big Balls · 09-17-2008, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by YetiMan

this thread + complete shitshow of a liftline situation + lots of deep, sharp, hard teleturn-created bumps everywhere is why I stopped going to Alta. Alta is a bummer, but all the moreso because it could be so good with about 2000 fewer skiers on a daily basis.

What about weekday? Is Alta still crowded on weekdays?

**alto** · 09-17-2008, 04:04 PM

I once completed the following traverse:
Top of Collin's Lift (then Germ) over towards Cecret Saddle. That gate was closed to I entered a Glory Hole gate, stayed high and left and paralleled the Backside's Ski School traverse, through Susie's, barely making the Rope-a-Dope through the Eagle's Nest, out and through Low Boy, onto the runs, under the lift, and into the 'Ho, continuing west, barely making it above the apts and houses and into Snowbird, down along Bypass Rd, past the Tram, past Wilbur, and then working my way past Gad Zoom towards Baby Thunder, down to the White Pine Trailhead parking lot. Unnn. Yeahhh. You like that don't you.

**alto** · 09-17-2008, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Johnny Deep

The beater traverse that crosses the Devils Castle....WTF???

I mean, is working it all the fucking way to THE WALL OR NOT AT ALL really worth it? I take the beater traverse half way, then hit a cliff into Stadium Kicker into Cecret Chutes. Its one of my favorite runs at Alta. If you did get up above the Beater T out there, the upper (maybe) 200' you gain is often wind-affected and/or pock marked with rocks thrown up from the gun or the routes.

**Jer** · 09-17-2008, 05:01 PM

I'm fine with the DC beater traverse as long as the beaters stick to it. I love the guys who go past the beater traverse and then when they find out that sidestepping is hard after about 100 yards they cut thier own higher beater traverse. Those guys need a hard kick in the taint. Shoulder is the same way - the beaters are all like "wow-this traversing stuff ain't that hard" then they get to the sidestepping part and lose it.

Alto - that traverse your described in your first post is tha gnar. Was that 100% gravity?

**LFantTitties** · 09-17-2008, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by Big Balls

What about weekday? Is Alta still crowded on weekdays?

Alta is always crowded, the lifts suck, traverses full of beaters, cliffs all flat landings AND it doesn't even snow there that much. I heard someone even got stabbed with a ski pole there last year...It's way more hyped than fact, don't go!

13 · 09-17-2008, 10:28 PM

am i the only one that took a shot to the shoulder from the snag on the way out to catherine's? i still have a rip in my jacket from it. fuck, that hurt.

Originally Posted by alto

I once completed the following traverse:
Top of Collin's Lift (then Germ) over towards Cecret Saddle. That gate was closed to I entered a Glory Hole gate, stayed high and left and paralleled the Backside's Ski School traverse, through Susie's, barely making the Rope-a-Dope through the Eagle's Nest, out and through Low Boy, onto the runs, under the lift, and into the 'Ho, continuing west, barely making it above the apts and houses and into Snowbird, down along Bypass Rd, past the Tram, past Wilbur, and then working my way past Gad Zoom towards Baby Thunder, down to the White Pine Trailhead parking lot. Unnn. Yeahhh. You like that don't you.

man... i need a beer just reading that.

**smuggs** · 09-18-2008, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by powski3

Traverses keep away gaper tourists and snowboarders. It's like hiking-if it's harder to get too, it lasts longer. So who cares

in theory this is correct. but the beaters because of ski school can always take the beater traverse. and ruin the bottom half of your run anyways. you cant win, unless you are absolutely the first one down the run.

**Lone Star** · 09-18-2008, 08:16 PM

alto pretty much just owned this thread.

amazing how many times people are bitching about "castle is all tracked out" when every single apron below every single five footer is untracked for a few hundred vert. don't know if I believe that traverse to the White Pine TH but I hope it involved a lot of safety meetings if it's true.

Smokey McPole · 10-06-2008, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by 13

am i the only one that took a shot to the shoulder from the snag on the way out to catherine's?

That snag's a cruel mistress, gaper!

**gramps** · 10-06-2008, 06:43 PM

Traverses I like:

High T - At least it's fast, and screaming "get the fuck out of my way!" Is good stress relief

Thirds - Sidestepping, but you get a lot more skiing.

The Shoulder - A short pay-off for the boot, but it's relaxing, and normally has an untracked shot left if you go up there early.

Backside - Worth it.

Catherine's - It takes all of 30 seconds, so doesn't really count.

Traverses I don't like:

Devil's Castle - The worst beater jams, lot's of sidestepping for not much payoff depending on how far you go.

East Castle - Damn, that's a lot of sidestepping, normally not open in good conditions anyway. I think it would be kind of cheesy to bring skins just for that, if you want to skin, go on a tour.

Glory hole - meh, kind of short, hard to even make turns and still carry enough speed at the bottom if it's deep.

The Ho - I always go too far, hoping the next shot will be untouched, then I end up with a short run and a lot of traversing to get back.

Ballroom to the shoulder - bad beater jams, suffers the most from low traversers, short run. Good if you're in the first group I guess.

Wow, I'm bored at work.

**smuggs** · 10-06-2008, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by gramps

East Castle - Damn, that's a lot of sidestepping, normally not open in good conditions anyway. I think it would be kind of cheesy to bring skins just for that, if you want to skin, go on a tour.

Wow, I'm bored at work.

how is skinning and saving like 30 minutes on a side step and saving your legs cheesy? and not open in good conditions?? east castle opens and the shit is SICK, unless it slid out when patrol controlled it.

13 · 10-07-2008, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Kroda Marblebog

That snag's a cruel mistress, gaper!

clearly! i forgot it was there navigating my way through in thick fog. the run was still worth it.

**westoxified** · 08-14-2009, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by smuggs

east castle is a mandatory skin. im suprised you didnt see the sign. you skin and you pass everyone sidestepping no matter how far up they are.

skin!? seriously? I just sidestep the whole thing, pass you as you wrestle yous skins off, then sidestep down Castle Couli, back up to S'loaf and then up Baldy and straight to the 'bird where there is real skiing.

another vote for EBT. a traverse requires momentum, pretty sure the only thing a sidestep requires are god's hipflexors.

oh, and y'all suck at traversing.

late summer flaming

**SkiED** · 08-14-2009, 12:39 PM

the high t isnt bad at all... 90% of the stuff on it doesnt even involve a sidestep

**SkiED** · 08-14-2009, 12:44 PM

also I love skinning east castle too... I sidestepped it once, what a fucking waste. You literally sidestep for every turn youre going to make. Most of my skis have dukes on them anyway so if i plan on skiing the castle ill definitley bring skins. Ten minute mellow skin or 35 minutes of killing your hip flexors. your choice.

**Jer** · 08-14-2009, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by SkiED

also I love skinning east castle too... I sidestepped it once, what a fucking waste. You literally sidestep for every turn youre going to make.

You must turn a lot more than anybody else on the planet.

**jeremiahyawnson** · 08-14-2009, 02:51 PM

This has nothing to do with alta but the worst traverse I have ever been on is getting out of granite creek and back to the resort from the backside of the headwall at jackson in sticky spring snow.

**Lone Star** · 08-14-2009, 04:27 PM

this has nothing to do with alta or jackson but the worse traverse i have ever been on is getting to the alberta chair from the bottom of the waterfall area at wolf creek after a 100" storm

**SkiED** · 08-14-2009, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Jer

You must turn a lot more than anybody else on the planet.

way to take it out of context...

Whats your address? Id love to send you some "nobody cares you ski at alta" stickers to put all over the alta stickers already on your skis..... Seriously all those alta stickers on the tips of your skis make you look super cool, Im sure all your buddies in the midwest are impressed that you ski at ALTA!!! Can you do the black diamonds too!? Are you really an altaholic anonymous?

**ski_adk** · 08-14-2009, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by SkiED

way to take it out of context...

Whats your address? Id love to send you some "nobody cares you ski at alta" stickers to put all over the alta stickers already on your skis..... Seriously all those alta stickers on the tips of your skis make you look super cool, Im sure all your buddies in the midwest are impressed that you ski at ALTA!!! Can you do the black diamonds too!? Are you really an altaholic anonymous?

I'm wearing an Altaholic Anonymous shirt right now, so I'm really getting a kick out of this reply. No seriously...I actually am and I love it, despite the irony that wearing it keeps me from being anonymous.

Besides, the more people that I send to Alta, the fewer that will be where I'll be...

**Jer** · 08-14-2009, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by SkiED

way to take it out of context...

Whats your address? Id love to send you some "nobody cares you ski at alta" stickers to put all over the alta stickers already on your skis..... Seriously all those alta stickers on the tips of your skis make you look super cool, Im sure all your buddies in the midwest are impressed that you ski at ALTA!!! Can you do the black diamonds too!? Are you really an altaholic anonymous?

Are you my new stalker now?

...and how did I "take it out of context"? You have to side-step a bazillion times just to get halfway out.

**SkiED** · 08-14-2009, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Jer

Are you my new stalker now?

...and how did I "take it out of context"? You have to side-step a bazillion times just to get halfway out.

Because every turn you make you have to sidestep for the entire turn, whether that turn is 2 feet long or a 90 foot radius turn, you have to sidestep for the entire turn. I never said one sidestep equals one turn.

So basically youre sidestepping the entire distance of each and every turn you take. Whereas usually with lift served terrain you gain 1,000 feet from the lift and maybe sidestep an additional 100 feet. East castle you sidestep for each vertical foot you want to go down. Get it now?

Also you didn't answer my question. Are you really an Altaholic Anonymous? Cause if so thats pretty cool. Let me know if you have anymore room on your skis for more alta stickers... Im guessing you have a cute blue alta sticker on the back of your car too? Just to let everyone know you skied alta. Get me your address and Ill get you that "nobody cares you ski alta sticker" I think it could be put to good use in your case! Never seen anyone that has to have TWO alta stickers on their ski tips. You must be a black diamond skier!

**Jer** · 08-14-2009, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by SkiED

Because every turn you make you have to sidestep for the entire turn, whether that turn is 2 feet long or a 90 foot radius turn, you have to sidestep for the entire turn. I never said one sidestep equals one turn.

So basically youre sidestepping the entire distance of each and every turn you take. Whereas usually with lift served terrain you gain 1,000 feet from the lift and maybe sidestep an additional 100 feet. East castle you sidestep for each vertical foot you want to go down. Get it now?

Also you didn't answer my question. Are you really an Altaholic Anonymous? Cause if so thats pretty cool. Let me know if you have anymore room on your skis for more alta stickers... Im guessing you have a cute blue alta sticker on the back of your car too? Just to let everyone know you skied alta. Get me your address and Ill get you that "nobody cares you ski alta sticker" I think it could be put to good use in your case! Never seen anyone that has to have TWO alta stickers on their ski tips. You must be a black diamond skier!

So what you're saying is you once side-slipped down the entire length of Hangin Chute? You should try actually skiing it next time. Could you post a photo of my skis with all the stickers on them?

**SkiED** · 08-14-2009, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by Jer

So what you're saying is you once side-slipped down the entire length of Hangin Chute? You should try actually skiing it next time. Could you post a photo of my skis with all the stickers on them?

Nope I didn't say that at all... Your reading comprehension doesn't seem to high.

I believe the picture is in a TR you posted about bohemia.... It was linked on the thread you started about PM Gear Lhasas. Let me guess those are a "friends" skis. Do you want me to send you some more alta stickers or not? It looked like you could possibly squeeze one or two more on your skis... you would be that much cooler letting everyone know youre an Alta skier, err im sorry "altaholic anonymous"!

**kbuzz** · 08-14-2009, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Nathan Explosion

edit- am I the only one that thinks that Catherine's isn't that bad? The shots I've had there two days after a storm make up for the 50-odd feet of sidestepping.

nah...this EC one week a year agrees with you. Ive had some pretty good turns there even with my limited 6-8 LCC days a year

Im a jong....but i dont fuck around on any traverse: most of the time because im sucking gaper wind and suffering thigh burn so i need to get thee as direct as possible.