OMG, Today might be the day… I might hike Baldy and take my virgin run down Main Chute today!!! Main Chute is the aptly named primary chute on the side of the imposing Mount Baldy. To reach the chute, one needs to hike up from near the top of where the resort boundaries end. The edge of the resort is marked by bright reddish-orange ropes but after a new snow (yesterday we got close to a foot) on the first couple of clear days with little wind, the resort will open gates within these roped-off sections that allow skiers to pass through. The gate to the top of Baldy is open only a few days each season, therefore the average skier who only skis the mountain for one or two weeks a year, rarely gets the chance to ski Main Chute, even if they ARE good skiers. Earlier in the season, one of our guests came into the bar with a gigantic grin on his face. He had first skied Alta in the ‘70s and looked toward Main Chute with awe. He made it a goal to do Main Chute back then and it took 30-some years before he was physically and mentally prepared AND had the timing right to actually be able to do so.
As a winter resident of Alta, I’ve been around for plenty of days when Main Chute opened up, but I haven’t felt confident about my ski skills until now. Ever since I skied Eagle’s Nest and High Boy, I’ve been sizing it up, practicing my turns in bumpy terrain, and mentally preparing for the run. It helps that the friends I’ve been skiing with are stroking my ego and telling me that I’m ready. The run is apparently wider and less steep than it looks, but here’s a few pix for inspiration. Main Chute is the chute on the looker’s right (and yes those little things are people skiing the traverse across the middle of the photo. Hopefully that helps with perspective).
And this picture looks up the mouth of the chute from the traverse:
Ok, I need to get geared up. Hopefully they open it… but if not, I guess I’ll practice turning around more bumps and mentally preparing for my scariest run yet.
Adventures of a Curious Chameleon 