Season in Review: November

In case you missed the first part of my review of the 2017 season, here is a link: https://www.patrickpfister.net/2017/05/26/season-in-review-septemberoctober/ November began with continued warm and dry weather. The forecast was not offering any hope of a pattern change either. We were definitely starting to get antsy sitting around in Salt Lake waiting for the first legit snow of the season. We got word that Mammoth Mountain was opening for the season on the 10th and figured we might as well head west across the desert in search of snow. The situation looked bleak upon arriving in Mammoth Lakes. It looked like there might be enough snow in the high terrain to make turns on, but we were not really sure. After gathering some beta from a local shop, we found a spot to camp for the night and made plans for the next morning. Lucky for us, Tioga Pass was still open. We found great early season touring near Saddlebag Lake. The highlight of our Eastern Sierras adventure was riding a steep, icy couloir above the lake. We were stoked and satisfied for the time being as we made the long, straight drive back to SLC. Dry and tranquil weather continued in Utah for two more weeks. Our fortunes finally started to change on Thanksgiving, where a storm finally brought enough snow for some low angle turns in the Wasatch. The long term computer models were also hinting at active weather for the remainder of the month. It looked like winter was finally starting. Snow was in the forecast, the resort was open, we started to get really stoked. Naturally it all came crashing down. Just as November was coming to a close and a huge storm cycle was moving in, my friend Tony Aadland broke his back. It's funny how you can go from being totally stoked to totally bummed in a split second. All of the plans we had for the season went out the window. Nothing else mattered anymore. As far as back injuries go, he was really lucky. No paralysis and he was able to avoid surgery. Those initial hours and days after his injury were the most scared and helpless I've ever felt in my life, though. The final two days of November brought some of the best early season pow days in recent memory. The weather pattern looked like it was going to remain active into December. I just wasn't sure if I'd have anyone to ride with...