Alta opened the Baldy Chutes during the week of Mar. 18th, and I skied my first run down Main Chute on Friday, Mar. 22. The Main Chute is the rightmost (skier’s leftmost) slot in the left picture of Mt. Baldy below. The second photo shows the Main Chute looking up from the bottom of Ballroom at Alta. The entrance is on the skier’s left just below the cornice at the top.

Maylee Noah, 3/28/2002
Maylee Noah, 3/28/2002

I hiked up from the Snowbird side, which is a noticeably easier hike and takes about 30 minutes. The hike from the Alta side is steeper and longer; it takes about 45 minutes. The left photo below was taken from the top of the chute; note the tracks in the entrance coming in from the left just below the cornice. I’m told the overall average slope in the chute is 42 degrees, but it didn’t seem that steep, except at the top.

The second photo is from about 1/3 the way down the chute, looking up. I’m the skier at the top. Notice the cliffs on the downhill sides of the moguls. The third photo looks up from the bottom of the chute at the exit to the top of Ballroom.

Jay Scappini, 3/22/2002
Jay Scappini, 3/22/2002
Maylee Noah, 3/28/2002