Cutler Ridge, Friday, December 29, 2017

Cutler Ridge, on the east side of Mount Ben Lomand, is the 'snowiest place in Utah' as per Wasatch Weather Weenies, but not this year. The skiing still sucks because, like  Wednesday (12/27/17), we  were on maybe even less snow than Bountiful Ridge (15inches or so) and constantly hooking ski tips. In fact, I got tossed into cartwheel face-plant falls - TWICE - upon hooking a ski tip on the descent. We went up to the 'Dead Tree' just above the Cutler snotel, then called it a day due to the lack of snow. The immense landscape of exposed rock and brush was just completely demoralizing, at least ski wise. The upside is that any day on a snowy, sunlit mountain feels like heaven!! Much better than sitting at home and binge watching "The Crown" on Netflicks. Yes, I've kind of morphed into a 'Royal' aficionado, if only to lust after their totally self-absorbed, indulgent "do whatever-the-hell-I-want-whenever-the-hell-I-want" lifestyles. Hell, they go ski the Swiss Alps and whine about the Vodka Service. I'd be pickled to ski anywhere east of of Evanston and drink tap-water. We can only dream . . . 

Is this someone's idea of Utah-entrepreneurialship? Buying ice when it's like 10-degrees F? I'm guessing it'll be a multi-level marketing set-up...  

A year ago we skied the lower left-side bowl which, as you can see, is currently all brush. 

Jonah, and the dead tree.

Brett (l) dead tree and Jonah (r). No snow but that sun felt glorious on my face.

Brett and Jonah overlooking Cutler Bowl with the mighty Mount Ben Lomand overhead. 

and Willard Peak, the cliffy face seen just above Brett and Jonah.

Despite no snow, I did manage to link four turns without hooking a tip.

Then the madness started (hooking tips) as we started down the approach trail. I fell hard -  twice -  but Brett and Jonah are better skiers than I and never went down.