Dawn Patrol

Last night before heading to bed, my two sons and youngest daughter hatched a plan to wake up early and go skiing. My youngest son, daughter, and I all have unlimited seasons passes to Alta but my oldest son does not. We also all had to go to work and couldn't justify having one person pay for a pass only to ski for an hour or so. Instead we headed to the mountains before the resorts even opened and planned to hike to the top under our own power and then ski down at about the same time the lifts started depositing paying customers to the top. Some resorts don't allow hikers and those that do have specific instructions that must be followed. You are also required to have specific safety equipment that include avalanche beacons, avalanche probes, and a good shovel.

Hiking before the lifts even start running is commonly known as "Dawn Patrol" and is a great way to start any day. We followed the usual safety protocol and made sure to check all the appropriate websites before leaving the house. Then we drove to the "Summer Road" area of Alta and headed up to an area known as "Patsy Marley."

It has been about a week since the last snow and so the skiing didn't include glorious powder that most people associate with Utah skiing. Instead the high-point of the morning included spectacular scenery on our hike through the forest and up the mountain. We hiked for about 90 minutes and then skied down in about 5.

Interestingly I found it much easier to sit in front of a computer and get work done. I had the ability to concentrate for a lot longer and got a lot done. If you find yourself staring at the prospect of a long day in front of a computer, I highly recommend "Dawn Patrol."