The first real ski of the season was had today.  Hit Alta early in the day as the storm was letting loose its greatest precipitation.  Loads of people at the base.  Which, has given me many new rules:

1 - Never go backcountry skiing without a beacon.
2 - Never go backcountry skiing without a probe, shovel or a person who knows what they're doing.
3- If you are bootpacking, don't bootpack in the skin track.

So many people walking uphill..like strolling uphill carrying their boards.  Most were snowboarders.  One guy said he wished he had skins, but would sacrifice skins since it was "better going down on a board". Dumbass.  At least get a pack and poles to help going uphill...

Luckily for the droves of unprepared, the conditions were stable.  You really had to try to get something moving within bootpacking range of the parking lot.  That said, with skins...baldy did have a menacing look.

We moved up the lookers right shoulder to about half way up Baldy and skied the small trees on the face.  The snow was fantastic for November 3.  Admittedly, it was a bit uneven, with stout patches mixed into the powder, but all in, it was a good run, with no worries of rocks outside of what one would normally worry about on any day on the hill.  Down low was another story.  Lots of rock and stumps, so we kept to the track and took it easy, preferring a season of skiing to a season of rehab.

My turns were passable.  Not my best, but not my worst for day one of the season.  But the stoke level was high.

It's gonna be a good season.  I can feel it.