Module: gallery_album
Item: 2015_Zook_Snowbird
Displays the photo gallery for a selected Gallery Album.“It’s all about making big surf turns this year,” said Mica Brownlie, longtime Little Cottonwood Canyon resident and captain of the Alta Snowboard Team. We were riding the Peruvian lift at Snowbird on a mid-April day and hunting for the reported 10 inches of fresh. Riding Mineral via the tunnel that transects the mountain, he pointed to a mellow rollover perfect for weighting the toe edge and floating through a loosely arced turn. Then came a wall that resembled a right-breaking wave, asking for regularfoots like Mica and myself to gouge a frontside turn and blast clouds of cold smoke skyward.

“Surf turns all day, sounds like a plan,” I replied, eager to dive into my first powder day at Snowbird in two years.

I was visiting Snowbird after living in Alta for five seasons and then moving away in 2013 and full of nostalgic stoke.

On North Baldy, the hike-accessed run that has been the venue of major freeride comps for years, the snow was deeper, silkier and more supportable than in south-facing Mineral. Our edges plunged in happily though they still scraped the ice crust lurking just below.

In the two seasons that have passed since I covered Mica’s exploits with the tongue-in-cheek Alta Snowboard Team (see frequency TSJ #11.1) he reports a bit more method to his madness, though plenty of the latter remains.

In the past couple years he has gotten Alta Radio up and running, becoming the sole media outlet in the small community of Alta. He hosts shows, plays hand-selected tunes (funk, jazz, and reggae mainly) and interviews some of the colorful locals. He will also be hosting the third annual Grizzly Gulch Getdown later in April, the informal backcountry gathering built on the idea to throw a few tricks, grill, and hang with friends. He’s also still growing the AST and spreading his positive gospel, as well as pulling a fourth place finish at this year’s Subaru Freeride Series stop at the ‘Bird.

We then met up with John Schefler, another Alta-based rider. John has a penchant for surfing the earth in a strong and compact style with plenty of pop, sending quick front flips off any cat track. His current trick, to make sure he’s not getting too serious, is the Air Guitar. This straight air mimics a trademark Pete Townsend windmill while boning out the front leg. “It’s just so tough, your body is pulling in two different directions,” he said. “But I’ll get it.”

The sun ripped into full force at around 1 p.m., shooting the mercury to the 40’s, reminding us that it was spring. But this weather change just opened up the array of classic spring jib hits as the fresh blower transitioned to mashed potatoes.

The following day, patrol opened up the large bowl below Pipeline Chute, which is accessed via a ten-minute bootpack. If you haven’t been, Pipeline is the rarely-opened, but aesthetically-stunning chute coming off the west Twin Peak, visible immediately upon exiting the tram—a definite springtime luxury.

To make our way back to Alta, Mica and I hiked the summit of Baldy, also a rarely opened zone. The only way down was Main Chute, part of neighboring Alta Ski Area. The ever-tired friction between the sects was rubbed a little when skiers questioned our presence on “their mountain.” Mica the eternal diplomat took it all in stride and shook it off, having dealt with those attitudes for almost 15 years.

Dropping into the chute it was chunky, skied out, and fun as hell. Easily 25 feet wide, it was playful, but still steep enough to warrant some attention to detail on the turns. Then on the main groomer in Alta, we cruised through forbidden terrain. Mica saw familiar and friendly skiers and waved, shaking off disapproving looks from those less enlightened.

I remembered a line from Mica a few years ago: “I just don’t care about any debates, I just love Alta, the Bird, and the backcountry options—look at all the freakin’ terrain here.”

Amen, brother.