Went out with James and Jack today to Cardiff Fork from Alta. This was an out and back through the pole line trail to Cardiff Pass. From the pass we skied down eastern Cradiff Fork down to the Cardiff mine. This still being November, and on the heels of a couple of spring-like weather days, the expectations on the skiing were low. Well, I am happy to report that we were quite wrong! The snowpack, although not epic powder day material, was consistent, fast, and fun! In most places we had about two feet of compacted good snow on top of a couple of inches or so of very loose sugar. However we did not experience any instabilities nor did we observe any "fresh" avalanche activity. After a lunch break at the mine, we skinned up the Cradiff Fork buttress and a few feet before the ridgeline skied down the east facing slopes before skinning back up to the pass. There again the snow was great fun. The only spot where our low snow quality expectations were fully met was on the south facing back down to Alta. The lower part was a bit of a bumpy, distorted, leaning ice rink - so clearly only moderate fun.
Here are the pictures (click to enlarge):
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| James and Jack fixin to earn their turns |
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| View of Cardiac Bowl and Cardiac Ridge from the Cardiff Fork buttress. |
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| Jack on lunch break... |
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| ...and James too. |
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| Cardiac Bowl is holding a fair amount of snow. |
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| Partial view of Ivory Flakes. |
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| Cardiac Ridge also holding a fair amount of snow for November. |
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