I remember the first time I made the long slog along the high traverse at ALTA to ski Alf's High Rustler. Wind swept, rocky, lots of side step climbing...it was really the first time I ever really 'earned a turn.' And when I stared down that Narrow, Steep Chute, wind blaring, I will admit, I was dead scared. I hopped, twisted, slid, and fought my way through it (it was fairly early in my ski journey
).---And I remember wondering who first skied that sort of terrain....then someone explained to me who 'Alf' actually was (and that someone was an old guy named Junior Burroughs......true story!)
It's hard to believe powder skiing is something that could be 'invented.'--but, if the concept has any validity at all-Alf Engen and his brothers are the geniuses behind the modern powder skiing movement and Alta was the research laboratory.
Check out this great video below:
It takes a bit to get going and it has powder skiing footage going back to the late 1930's...but the bulk 0f it comes from the late 50's early 60's (all Engen) and you can really see how wonderful the pioneers of the deep really were. It shows some of the evolution of the style and the later stuff in the video would look good in any era. We've all seen that 'Killy in the Trees' video and probably liked it as an example of 'graceful straight ski freeskiing'....this is way better. I ca't imagine getting the uninterrupted inbounds powder runs like this at Alta anymore....wish I had a time machine.
Think about it, a guy and his brothers 'created Alta, and then created the way to ski this very snowy series of ridges, and had it down pat by the mid 1940's.....and the man's signature run, was long, steep, hard to access chute that still ranks as one of the great 'rite of passage' runs today.
enjoy.