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...'bout our favorite run at Alta!

Kewlness! Since "she" has only even seen snow for the last three years of her life, it's amazing that she can even keep up with me (almost) at my favorite-of-all-places, and pistes-of-all-pistes...the "Number 9 Express" at Alta Ski Resort in the High Wasatch of Utah! ("A skiers mountain, no snowboarders...sorry...").

I only just learned how "No. 9 Express" got it's name, and like another poster on a ski forum, wondered how the heck they ever managed to groom this 40+ degree slope? Well, the two questions are related, as we shall see...'cuz no snow cat can climb that unassisted. JG300-Hoppa should dig this, as I think he's our heavy equipment piggie (not counting me, since I have, ummm...some tracked vehicle experience myself, of a sort).

Here's the dealie:

"Originally Posted by Ghost
Thanks for that. I am really intrigued by the idea of a steep groomer, it sounds very appealing to me. Could you give me some more info please?"

"You may not be able to tell from this photo, but that boom arrangement that curls over the cab is the winch mechanism. The ski resort will have a big anchor of some sort at the top of a particularly steep pitch, and the snowcat is attached to the anchor by a cable incorporated with the winch.

This allows the cat to safely move up and downhill on quite steep pitches. The boom rotates, so that the cat can groom its way uphill (for example), then spin around at the top and move back downhill. The winch is paying the cable in or out while the cat moves toward or away from the anchor.

The steepest pitch I've *seen* a winch cat work is the starting pitch on Grizzly, the men's Olympic downhill course at Snowbasin. That pitch is 38 degrees. I think a winch cat can work a pitch into the very low 40's, but I don't know that for sure.

Some slopes that I know of that are winch-catted include several sections of Grizzly at Snowbasin, the upper portion of Laramie Bowl here at Jackson Hole, and I think a portion of whatever the main run would be at skier's right in Mineral Basin at Snowbird (before the Bookends traverse).

Winch cats are very cool."

"Number 9 Express...

Number 9 Express at Alta got it's name when, long ago, the cable on the #9 cat broke as it was winching up. The pitch there is steep enough, that the cat stated to silde backwards down the hill. The driver spun the thing aound, without flipping the cat over (no small feat), and proceded to ride the thing all the way to the bottom. He said that it was flying by the time it got to the bottom. The only damage to the cat was a broken tail light. Hince forth the name, Number 9 Express."

So...here ya' go...Ascout and esposa at said "No. 9 Express" this weekend....don't let the perspective fool ya', this mother is steep, and the bump about 2/3rd down will mask a skier below...you just disappear below it.

(You can copy-paste to browser window for bigger views)

Mrs. Ascout contemplates (she has been skiing THREE years!)


Down the hill:


Bye, Honey! (Brasilian Ski Bunny shows off, never seen snow before '05)


From the bottom:


Le' Ascout, from the bottom:



Dustin' it up a bit...




Here's a "PistenBully" Winchcat to get Hoppa excited....

- JG300-Ascout

("A skiers mountain, no snowboarders...sorry...").

That looks awesome Ascout, bet it was a blast. I haven't gone at all this winter, conditions here in So Cal stink, most of California for that matter.

Although we did get an inch of snow this morning and expect more Thursday.

I didn't forget about you, Fr8ycat...check out this Aircrane...from the 1973(!) edition of the Alta Powder News.



Almost forgot the "money shot"...

yeh,,,thats pretty sweet for sure,,,,,
only thing is I have learned from steep ground operating and a vital thing this contraption should have is an "autogyro coffee cup holder" for spill decreasage,, how many a great cup of timmy's I have spilt on the floor of machines because I was on such steep ground. what a waste!
yeah,,,seriosly though this is pretty cool, I have always wanted to run a groomer cause they look so cool but the pay just isn't there. As for the winch I always figured they didnt need that cause they could just groom going downhill,,,,dont need a winch to go down,,,,but hey. I plow snow not groom it so what do I know. looks like you had a blst Ascout,,,thanks fer thinkin' bout' me!

Hey you gonna eat that fry??

- JG300-Stoopy

Hey you gonna eat that fry??

LOL, Children starving in Africa and Ascout's stickin food up his nose.

Very nice Ascout ,it's hard not to be a lot envious as it has been eons since I have slid down a REAL mountain. Hoppa it's good to hear that ALTA must finally have a decent amount of Tim Hortons franchises about.

yeah,,,as for the timmy's....red deer is a town of about 90-100K people,,,we have like 6 timmy's and sometimes the lineups are about a half hour long.....I think they drug their coffee,,,
by the way,,,,for you mericans,,,,,,when you finally try a double double timmy's you will know what all the fuss is about,,,hehe

ROFLMAO Ascout....

Great story BTW...

looks more dangerous than a furball!

Went skiing once at Anthony Lakes Oregon and got hurt (dislocated shoulder . . . who would have guessed you are NOT supposed to put your arm down!) and I never (ever ever) had a desire to try again LOL...

I envy you!

- JG300-Dan736

Very nice Ascout ,it's hard not to be a lot envious as it has been eons since I have slid down a REAL mountain. Hoppa it's good to hear that ALTA must finally have a decent amount of Tim Hortons franchises about.

No Timmies in Utah, Bud...but No. 9 Express is at the top of Supreme Lift, 3rd up from Albion base...or 10,450' feet up.

- JG300-Hoppa

by the way,,,,for you mericans,,,,,,when you finally try a double double timmy's you will know what all the fuss is about,,,hehe

Hmmm....."double double" you say? Would this be a burger of some kind? If so, it somewhat-suspiciously shares the namesake of the famous In-N-Out beefy bundle of joy down in So Cal.....but maybe with a distinctly Canadian twist, i.e., maybe it comes with Maple Syrup on it instead of "special sauce"???

I have to admit I'm pretty envious of the above as well...beautiful, gorgoues shots. And you taught her to ski like that????

When I was 12 we lived in Bishop CA, near Mammoth, and we went skiing, for my first time. Guess I was the slow learner, after a while the family soon left me behind on the bunny slope to fend for myself while they went on a nice beginner-type trail. I ended up siding down into this depression that had stupid little a tree in the middle of it, I remember being tangled around that tree and trying to get out for like, an hour, and kept sliding back down into the tree. Something with one of the shoe-dealybobs, I couldn't get one of those dang skis off and musta looked pathetic.

Looks like a helluva fun time!!!!!

- JG300-Stoopy

....maybe it comes with Maple Syrup on it instead of "special sauce"???

I have to admit I'm pretty envious of the above as well...beautiful, gorgoues shots. And you taught her to ski like that????

Looks like a helluva fun time!!!!!

Beware any offer of food from Stoopy that includes his "special sauce"!

Well, the first year, I took her on rope tows for a day and half (which was FREE!)...then on to the lift chairs to the green runs...then the third day we did light intermediate groomed runs.

Last year, we did intermediates the first day for warmups...I had her take a private half day lesson from an excellent older Polish ski instructor (in part because the new carving skis are new to me...I'm an old slalom guy and the technique is different) and the third day I took her on to advanced intermediate and even to a couple of groomed black diamond runs....including "Number 9 Express" (which most people getting off of "Supreme Lift" discretely pass up....). She could ski it, with wide traverses.

This year, she's a solid intermediate/advanced intermediate skier. Only my ability keeps me somewhat ahead of her considerably advanced conditioning (well, she runs marathons and has a 25 year advantage on me....). In 2-3 years, I'm gonna' be toast...she'll ski away from me if she wants to.

Looks like you had a great time there Ascout!

Thank you for sharing it with us !!


fled

Hi Ascout,when I said no Tim Horton's in Alta. I was referring to the short form for Alberta and not remembering the name of the ski area you had just been to,silly me.I grew up in Hamilton,the birthplace of Tim Horton's coffee and doughnuts,There are probably 50 franchises in Hamilton alone.If you go to a hockey arena on a Saturday morning without a Timmies you are doing something that is very strange.Tim was a famous hockey player with the Toronto Make me laughs er that should be the Maple Leafs back in the 60's who died in a car crash -police chase comming home from Buffalo after a Sabre's game,had two cup today and some day up to 4 or 5,course I take my Timmies regular.