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

Originally Posted by powdork

i'm pretty sure if there is it would only apply to resort within the tahoe basin. neither squaw or alpine are. and no, i wouldn't stfu. i live here, raise my kids here, and don't want it fucked up for your convenience.

its all lahontan and if you really care youre barking up the wrong tree. n*'s cozy relationship with lahontan allows them to get away with all kinds of crap theyd never allow squaw to do, like pushing dirt around for a permanent halfpipe. state of california did more damage to the squaw creek watershed than squaw will ever do (including the thousands of gallons of diesel that squaw put in the creek when someone left the pumps running).

Originally Posted by Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

telemike - any further updates on the passes? You seem to be really on top of tracking them. Thanks.

I called again today and got the same story

May 4 for Sonora Pass
and
unknown for Tioga Pass - I can't imagine it won't open May 4 as well, though

I can't get up to SP Friday, because I'll be making sawdust and Krystal Kartwright is having a steroid injection in her spine - weekend plans are a bit up in the air - I think we're having a party here at the house Saturday night - I'm hoping to ski Sat and Sun and Mon

plenty of room for Maggots in Twain Harte and all are invited

Originally Posted by skier666

Alpine used to salt all the time. In the summer of 95', they would...wait for it...actually 're-groom and salt' the main runs back to Summit chair. I have fond memories of that blast of cold air radiating off the freshly salted snow.

I was riding up Summit on Saturday with a few Alpine employees and they were talking about a bag of salt they got from Squaw.

Salt: Chemtrails of the ski industry

Here is what Timberline, OR has to say about salting:

The Use of Salt on the Palmer Snowfield

The practice of ensuring a fun and safe ski surface by applying salt to the snow is something that is done at ski areas throughout the world. The salt works by essentially melting the snow crystals at the very top of the ski surface, creating a slurry that quickly refreezes as a smoother, faster skiing surface. As operators of Timberline, we recognize that this practice of salting raises environmental questions and concerns, and we want to address those concerns here.

To determine if salt usage has any site specific detrimental environmental effects, Timberline implemented its first salt monitoring and analysis program as early as 1976. The current comprehensive program has been in place since 1988. The practice of applying salt to the hill is authorized under the terms of a permit issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality under section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The primary purpose of our comprehensive analysis is to study and evaluate any short and long term impacts from the use of salt in the ski area.

Salt is applied to the Palmer Snowfield on nearly a daily basis from late May through approximately Labor Day. An effective annual monitoring plan, as well as an understanding of salt’s effect on the environment needs to carefully consider the area’s site-specific conditions including topography, weather, volume of snow, drainage, soil composition and levels of naturally occurring (background) sodium chloride in the streams and rivers below. On that later point, it is important to keep in mind that salt (sodium chloride) is a mineral which exists naturally, particularly here on a volcano.

To help us with the scientific nature of this work, we hired one of the best…Golder and Associates, a geotechnical consulting firm based out of Redmond, Washington.
.

Golder and Associates coordinates the sampling program, all data collection and the compilation of an annual report that is submitted to the DEQ. The monitoring program consists of continuous flow and conductivity studies and water samples collected and logged from 8 locations in several streams within the Palmer drainage. While perhaps a bit counter-intuitive, we want to, and we do, find sodium chloride in the downstream waters . Monitoring stations show that summertime chloride levels increase during salting and return to normal background levels in the winter months. These findings have led our experts to conclude that the downstream concentration is consistent with the amount of salt being applied to the snowfield in the summer, explaining why we annually see salt levels return to normal background levels as soon as the salting season concludes and additionally there has been no upward trend in chloride levels throughout the life of the study. Test results show that chloride levels in the Palmer drainage remain well below aquatic water-quality standards. Chloride concentrations observed in all monitored streams, at all stations, regardless of elevation, are well below the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality drinking water standard of 250 mg/L and below the EPA water quality of 230 mg/L (chronic) and 860 mg/L (acute) for exposure to salt-sensitive species. It has been concluded that the practice of applying salt to Palmer Snowfield presents no threat to aquatic resources, aquatic biota, wildlife, or drinking water.

Timberline believes that the practice of salting, when done responsibly and in accordance with sight specificity, can be done in an environmentally sensitive way and on a sustainable basis. It plays an important role in our ability to continue to provide a safe quality summer ski experience.

Here is a link to the page on their site:
http://www.timberlinelodge.com/play/...ski-ride-2012/

Originally Posted by telemike

I called again today and got the same story

May 4 for Sonora Pass
and
unknown for Tioga Pass - I can't imagine it won't open May 4 as well, though

I can't get up to SP Friday, because I'll be making sawdust and Krystal Kartwright is having a steroid injection in her spine - weekend plans are a bit up in the air - I think we're having a party here at the house Saturday night - I'm hoping to ski Sat and Sun and Mon

plenty of room for Maggots in Twain Harte and all are invited

Geez, I was thinking I'd ride lifts this Saturday, but now it sounds like it could be fun to drive up 108. Got some thinking to do the next few days.

Originally Posted by ilikecandy

its all lahontan and if you really care youre barking up the wrong tree. n*'s cozy relationship with lahontan allows them to get away with all kinds of crap theyd never allow squaw to do, like pushing dirt around for a permanent halfpipe. state of california did more damage to the squaw creek watershed than squaw will ever do (including the thousands of gallons of diesel that squaw put in the creek when someone left the pumps running).

i'm not barking up any tree. i truly don't think squaw is doing anything wrong. just saying that if they were doing something detrimental to the lake (which they can't because they are downstream) i wouldn't keep quiet about it. like squaw, northstar is also not in the tahoe basin so the trpa rules don't apply there as well. i do hope the rules are more stringent for the squaw creek watershed than for martis creek's, but only because of a personal bias.
i don't know, but i would doubt that squaw has restrictions on where they can salt since it all goes to the same place. more likely just a cap on how much they can use throughout the resort in a given year.

y'all could contact the USFS snow ranger that handles the ski area permits and find out ya know?

FOIA is yer friend

Originally Posted by The Dad

Thinking about getting my last lift-served at Alpine on Friday. Anyone?

Maybe. Shall I plan on bringing rock skis?

Originally Posted by gimpy

i am thinking gas-ex after dropping off da pups at school.

How's that line holding up? thinking about maybe hitting it up Friday Morn before rolling over to Kookweed.

120 opens may 7 at 12pm

http://yubanet.com/regional/Tioga-Ro...p#.T6FygrNYu5I

Hi all,

I've already posted this in the Eastern Sierra thread (http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-Winter/page12), but I wanted to repost here just in case someone didn't see the posts in that thread.

A good friend went to ski Dana Couloir/Coke chute somewhere around April 19/20, and unfortunately his car is still in the poole plant road parking area and no one has heard from him since he told another friend and I he was thinking of doing those routes.

The Mono sheriff SAR folks are about to search in the area, but if anyone here skied in the area the past two weeks and has any info please contact the sheriff's office (760-932-7549, extension 7 to get to dispatcher, deputy Pete Degeorge is in charge). Photos of our friend and additional info is in the Eastern Sierra thread on page 12.

John

good luck, John

Originally Posted by SnowHot

Maybe. Shall I plan on bringing rock skis?

Dunno. I haven't skied since -- gasp! -- Easter. Too much crap going on. Let me know if you come....

John, seriously -- good luck to your friend. That doesn't sound good.

Good to know Tioga opens on the 7th. Guess that means less than a week to go down n get after it before full on shit show ensues... Wouldnt want to be caught dead down there on the weekend once it opens from the west with all the bay area kooks and general kooks with their rvs heading into yosemite.

^ yeah, seriously, they're all going to be post-holing in the skintrack

Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

^ yeah, seriously, they're all going to be post-holing in the skintrack

I climbed a skinner at tioga this weekend that had been boot packed, downhill, by a skier... yes. the ski boots walked down the skinner.

Originally Posted by jbn

Hi all,

I've already posted this in the Eastern Sierra thread (http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-Winter/page12), but I wanted to repost here just in case someone didn't see the posts in that thread.

A good friend went to ski Dana Couloir/Coke chute somewhere around April 19/20, and unfortunately his car is still in the poole plant road parking area and no one has heard from him since he told another friend and I he was thinking of doing those routes.

The Mono sheriff SAR folks are about to search in the area, but if anyone here skied in the area the past two weeks and has any info please contact the sheriff's office (760-932-7549, extension 7 to get to dispatcher, deputy Pete Degeorge is in charge). Photos of our friend and additional info is in the Eastern Sierra thread on page 12.

John

good luck with your friend

Originally Posted by powfiend

Good to know Tioga opens on the 7th. Guess that means less than a week to go down n get after it before full on shit show ensues... Wouldnt want to be caught dead down there on the weekend once it opens from the west with all the bay area kooks and general kooks with their rvs heading into yosemite.

I'll take the kooks over a douchey trustafarians any day.

On that note, anyone up for heading to the pass to boot pack and side slip a little? Can't wait.

If any known maggot wants a ride and crash space from the Bay to Alpine tonight, returning tomorrow or at your leisure, shoot me a pm....

Not really sure how Alpine's gonna be tomorrow, looks like it could freeze pretty hard tonight, highs only in the low 40s tomorrow, and limited hours, 8-1. Throw in some wind & not exactly spring conditions.

It had sort of already run its course anyway, but has anyone noticed that the thread dedicated to a certain go-pro loving individual has completely vanished? Cease & Desist?

Yes TahoeJ, my inner spirit has been left with a gaping hole where it's animal instincts used to be. Believe!

You can say many things, but with that many POV camera, he appears to be quite self-aware.

Surprised he didn't mount one on a ski tip, filming his expressions.

kirkwood was awesome today. hiked up the cirque, freaked the dog out a bit, and skied down. at 1:00 (when alpine closes) conditions were prime.
partner in crime, ashley


nacho, not freaking out yet


ashley coaxing him up the crux




nearing the top, shes a trooper


they both climb doggie style




he's a bit scared again


after topping out, he relaxes with a slide


woohoo. ashley goes hyooodge


conditions were excellent

^
powdork,
Looks like a fun day had by all.