2004 DTR - Snowbird, Utah

Hot off our conquest of Colorado, the tour presses on. Next stop: Snowbird, Utah, home of the world's lightest snow. Snowbird is a resort like no other - it sits in Little Cottonwood Canyon just outside Salt Lake City, and for some reason it attracts snow like a magnet. This means when neighboring resorts get 6 inches, The Bird might get 2 feet. As you would expect, the snow gods left 30 in. of fresh for us the previous day, so indeed we did get it good. I don't know what to say other than riding pow is much better than riding hardpack, and riding pow here is much better than most places. The mountain itself is another story - this place is a freerider's dream. It is so steep, with so much natural terrain, if you get this gem like we did you will have to lower your expectations for anywhere else you choose to ride.

Today, after we had our fun the kids had theirs, 6 busloads of them to be exact. A sea of groms infested the SNOWBOARDER promo event with crippling effect. I am wondering what they fed those runts for lunch but I have good reason to believe they were mainlining Pop-Rocks just prior to visiting us. "Gimme, gimme, gimme. Gimme some more." Unfortunately for me, my wits were none too keen this day, as a result I was fully taken advantage of. This is largely in part to the tapeworm I may have contracted the previous evening. A quick word of advice: DO NOT! REPEAT, DO NOT eat jalapeno poppers from Arby's at mightnight on a raw gut. This is a hazardous move at best and should not be attempted by anyone unless of course you are a turkey vulture. Anyway, I was saying that I was a bit distracted during the festivities. My child control techniques were of no use, I was outnumbered and outsmarted. The effects were swift and devastating. I did notice that they were all very well behaved if properly intimidated. They also did understand their duty to spread the good word of SNOWBOARDER Mag. However, for me it was too late, I gave out the last sticker and assumed the position, the fetal position. What followed was a long night of deep reflection on the do's and don'ts of roadside dining with my new friend.

SNOWBOARDER Magazine's Best of Snowbird:
Instant winner: Best kids
Best rally stunts in the parking lot
Currently in the lead for best snow