Thread: 11/12 Tahoe Weather, Conditions, Stoke, and What's Up Thread... IT'S BAAAAAAAACK!!!

Looks like my plan to drive up last night was a good one. Wet and snowy day at Alpine, Summit and Scott were still spinning when I left around 2:45 (sick of being soaked). Anything untracked was super fun and smooth in the morning. Everything tracked up was pretty heavy and tough on the legs. Not really crowded either, though it did seem like a bunch of folks took the Squaw shuttle over. All and all a good day, time to watch some basketball. Go Blue!

Oh, and it is dumping right now in Tahoe Donner. Tomorrow is gonna be good.

Ottime, bear in mind this is amateur hour armchair quarterbacking at its worst, but...

Operationally, when we were up on Wed., the winds were seemingly low key, but they still called off opening the backside they said, because of high winds.

I'm not complaining (really not; it was a great day), but it did seem much more likely it was due to only 25 people being on the hill.

And, completely to the good, they opened 6 fifteen minutes early on a pow day, and let us roll on right after Coop's camera crew.

So make of that what you will.

Again, it was all fine by me, and I think Sat will be its own beast anyway..

^ Shawn, the top of Thimble can get some fierce winds when 6 isn't getting nearly as much just due to the local terrain/aspect/elevation. But I bet you that had more to due with windloading and avalanche risk on Thimble and the Saddle with rain and warm wet snow than with winds potentially blowing you off the chair itself. They can't open 4 until they've got the top of Thimble, the Saddle and Eagle totally under control, and that's just hard to do during a storm.

Ottime I see your predicament, tough call based on snowfall amounts and avalanche risk. Supposed to keep windloading all night too. Could be some interesting inbounds naturals and AC work releases from this one.

Ott - same dilemma with KW, but I'm shooting for Sunday. Worst case scenario: everything does open on Saturday and gets tracked, but it's still supposed to snow Saturday night and Sunday AM. Seems like every storm this year I've gone a day earlier than I should have, so trying to have a little more patience this time. Wish I could go both days, of course.

3pm noaa report pushed the snow fall back up some (6-10 sat, 3-7 sat night). Light winds still for Saturday. Starting to lean toward Sunday, as there is a carpool option as well. And the last hour here in SC went from breaking clouds, to grey, to wind and the rain just moved back in.

Here is to hoping full on winter storm through noonish tomorrow. Funny thing is, our good friends are up there right now, and I am secretly hoping they get skunked if I don't go up tomorrow.

And 88 Spur is scheduled to close at 5:30. Gonna watch that and see if they reopen tonight. That would suggest the road being open for the AM. OTOH, if it is not open by 3AM, I doubt it will open before 9. And if a lot of loading happens, maybe the Pass would close to. That would be good.

Arriving Sunday... skiing Monday-Thursday... Alpine and/or Squaw. Anyone interesting in hooking-up for some resort turns- Monday? Beer's on me. Here for a "dentist's" conference at Glanlibakken.

I promise not to:

1. ask if your fat skis are water skis
2. ask where the moguls get stored in the summer
3. be wearing more than 2-3 go-pros
4. hit your head with the safety bar... more than once

and

5. be upset if you bail because I'm slowing you down



In a yellow/orange Arcteryx jacket, tan Flylow pants and on Lhasa's.


-Stymie

As of right now, 6:21 pm, down by the river (Truckee river, that is) it's what I would deem a heavy drizzle. Conversely, It's been raining on/off all week like this at this low elevation giving me great cause and concern at all the super storm hoopla that's been bandied about on these here forums (I'm gonna say that unless you're at 7800+ or higher it's just gonna end up being a wet and woolly storm, laying down yet another great base, but not really giving us the snowpack that we all so desire. The temps on this side of the lake really, really, really need to drop (to wit, the wonderful 3 ft + accumulation on our deck is now gone, although during the rapid melt I discovered a sixer that obviously had been put out on the deck at the beginning of the season and got buried, so while it's a bummer that the snow melted, at least I can get drunk).

At the Star today is was borderline Victor Hugo (that would be "Les Miserables" for the literarily challenged), having been quite heavy on the super soakage front. The snow up high was creamy and silky, but anything mid-mountain and lower was gloppy-a-go-go.

Interested to hear the snow reports from elsewhere around the lake (Unpossible's AM update sounded pretty similar to the Star today).

Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

^ Shawn, the top of Thimble can get some fierce winds when 6 isn't getting nearly as much just due to the local terrain/aspect/elevation..

Yes, but we were riding the Wall when I made these observations, thanks.

Not rippingly windy. Not crazy stormy. Not at all wet above mid-mountain, either, during the morning time period when they called off the backside. Snow safety appeared to go very easy for them that day, and as I already said, they opened up 6 to us early because of it. Nothing was sliding.

I was there. You were not. We saw more evidence for it being a sensible administrative decision, based on incredibly low number of asses in the seats, than on snow safety. Nobody showed up. Why risk your guys and a ton of money on killing yourself to open up three times as much terrain for all of twenty people?

I would support that decision, if that's how it went. I doubt it was much more complicated than that.

The storm so far:

Above 8000' = plenty of wind-buffed cream cheese
Below 8000' = heavy chunder. Painful and nearly unskiable unless you're the first one through it

It snained all afternoon and evening at lake level in South Lake. Current conditions: moderate to heavy snain.

I can't think of the last time Summit Chair ran but not KT on a storm day.

Originally Posted by enlosandes

I can't think of the last time Summit Chair ran but not KT on a storm day.

I said that exact same thing today. Guess that slide on KT spooked 'em pretty bad.

I'll be @ Kirkwood in the am. anyone else around?

The ground is finally white around the house, just looked at the Carson snowtel, 17 inch's since this morning and cooling down...

regarding sat vs sunday at the wood. i think sunday is a no brainer. saturday will likely be very good but sunday should be even better. if everything inbounds is hammered then head out. temps are supposed to stay cold til at least tuesday so no worries there.

Will be there wife in tow. She's bummed, she's missing an art and wine show...that's not happenin. POW at KW is though. Even had her wax her own sticks tonight, and now fat on corned beef 😳

Originally Posted by powdork

regarding sat vs sunday at the wood. i think sunday is a no brainer. saturday will likely be very good but sunday should be even better. if everything inbounds is hammered then head out. temps are supposed to stay cold til at least tuesday so no worries there.

Looks like Sunday for me, but I do hope the whole places does not get hammered. I prefer to spend a little time riding lifts on a day trip, mostly because I am weak and out of shape. But there has been talk of an early start to begin with a Danberg, and alate leave to finish with some more Danberg. I like the idea of a KW sandwich in between a few slices of Danberg. Here is hoping that this storm slows down and shuts things down a bit tomorrow. Apologies in advance to anyone who's plans this would ruin.

If you break away from the family, let us know.

And wondering how all this cake batter has set up in TB.

Left Redwood City at 1:45, picked up a friend in Davis at 4, made it to Start Haus to pick up one of my kids' boots at around 6:45, and got to Alpine around 7:30. Chain controls were from Kingvale to DLI, but 80 was backed up almost to 20, so we hopped on 40 from Cisco to Soda Springs, by which point it was moving well enough. Too many idiots who didn't understand the importance of leaving more stopping distance in slippery conditions, and who seemed to think that riding the ass of the car in front of them would somehow shorten their trip.

Looks like we're getting a couple inches an hour at 6500' in Alpine. NOAA is calling for two feet overnight. Scraped the Bibby Pros.

Rock and roll.

bout fucking time. anticipation building. coming down hard for last couple hours at 6.5k in meyers

Sound of rain on the roof (about 6400 in IV) quit about an hour ago, just took the dog out and it's dumping! Windy too!

Originally Posted by gimpy

bout fucking time. anticipation building. coming down hard for last couple hours at 6.5k in meyers

Thats what i like to hear. I've skied so little this season I feel like this is my first storm day/pow day of the year. Giddy.

I'll be at the wood sat & sun.

Just posting this here so we can compare in the morning:

^^^ I wish other resorts would do the night cam like Sugar Bowl.

10" since 7:30pm & still snowing hard here in Meyers.

FKNA! 80 is open, knock on wood.

Will be going kookoo for kirkwood in just a bit here. Say howdy stranger