Tahoe Weather, Conditions, Stoke, and What's Up Thread...

[lepistoir]

BA is now talking 36" possibilities.

That tells me that we have serious avi possibilities. Be careful out there!


Let it Snow!

Amen.

I'm going to have a housewarming/backcountry refresher night at my place next Sunday or two weeks after (11/3 or 11/17). We'll watch "The Fine Line" by Rocky Mountain Sherpas, do some beacon practice and hopefully meet folks that like the same kinds of touring we do.
PM me if you want a heads up for it.

Just read Megan Michaelson's article about the Stevens Pass avy last year. Watch yer butt and yer buddy's too. Season on.

[lepistoir]

I'm possibly headed to Alpine mañana. Wondering if it's only enough to take the trash skis or better on my Lhasas.

[Flexon Phil]

Seeing the cars come off of Donner Summit was impressive, some had a good 12"+ on them.

[MapleLeafGillies]

Anybody ever heard of Mountain Adventure Seminars out of Bear Valley? I've got a family thing happening in early January in Arnold and was thinking about maybe doing my Avy I through them.

http://www.mtadventure.com/index.html

Bring the snow!

Ya, I did my AVY 1 with them and they were great. Guide was a dude named Aaron. We had a good small group, were able to get through all the scenerios with plenty of good discussion, put a good emphasis on terrain reading and other preventative measures. I'd def recommend.

[~mikey b]

hoping to be working with MAS teaching some courses this winter

a good outfit

[~mikey b]

http://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/advisory

Forecast Discussion:

The first storm cycle of the season is lined up for this week. New snowfall amounts of 1 to 3 feet are possible over the upper elevations. Expect accumulating snowfall Sunday night through Thursday. Mellow touring over snow covered forest roads will certainly be an option this week. More recreation opportunities might exist if upper end forecast snowfall amounts are reached.

With little (if any) exception, new snow this week will deposit onto bare ground. This will keep snowpack instability and avalanche concerns limited to within the storm snow and to wind slabs that form on wind loaded slopes. Areas directly below ridgelines as well as gully features that are subject to wind loading may exhibit slab formation despite a shallow snowpack. Wind loading can increase snow deposition rates by 2 to 10 times the rate that snow is falling from the sky. This rapid loading can create enough snowpack instability for an avalanche to occur, despite only a few inches of snow on the ground in wind protected areas. Make constant observations as you travel, looking for indications of current or recent snowpack instability. The best indicator is recent avalanche activity. Other signs of snowpack instability including wind loading, collapse, audible whumpfing sounds, shooting cracks, and/or test slope failure are excellent indications that the snowpack in the immediate area is unstable. All that is needed is a slope steeper than 30 degrees and a trigger.

If headed out to travel on or near avalanche terrain, each person should travel with avalanche rescue equipment including a transceiver, probe, and shovel with which they are well practiced. Allow only one person at a time to travel on slopes that are steeper than 30 degrees. Many hazards such as rocks, down trees, and stumps are often hidden just beneath the snow surface. Travel cautiously and slowly as it is a very long winter after getting hurt this time of year. Often the best way to satiate early season excitement is to put fresh batteries in avalanche transceivers and practice rescue skills while out touring on snow covered forest roads.

Check out the avalanche tutorials specifically designed for skiers and snowmobilers at the Forest Service National Avalanche Center web site.

Current remote weather station data from the NWS can be found by clicking here. A general weather forecast for the area can be found by clicking here.

Please note: If you are intending to travel within the boundaries of a ski area that is not yet open for the season, no avalanche mitigation measures exist at this time. Please treat any closed ski area as the backcountry terrain and snowpack that it currently is. Respect any closure signs that may be in place at the parking lot or base area. Carry proper backcountry equipment and avalanche rescue equipment. Expose only one person at a time to avalanche terrain (which is often widespread and complex within a ski area). Do not traverse above others. Things may look the same and seem very familiar to an operating ski area, but from a safety standpoint, right now the risk is significantly higher.

The bottom line:

Fall Avalanche Statement

Daily avalanche advisories are planned to resume in mid November or later as conditions dictate. Occasional intermittent early season updates to this page may occur earlier if conditions warrant and resources are available.

Brandon Schwartz - Avalanche Forecaster, Tahoe National Forest

[SkiCougar]

came by this report, thought i'd pass it along:

"Calif's first storm of season drops 2 feet of snow"

I know it'll never get to 2 feet except in some places that it piles up because of the terrain, but i'll take it. with any luck, summer is gone for the tahoe area.

http://www.1070knth.com/article.aspx...d56844&catid=6



"FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Fall looked a lot like winter across Northern California on Monday as the first major storm of the season spawned at least one tornado, brought out snow plows on Interstate 80 and showered the rest of the parched region with much-needed rain.

The tornado touched down 40 miles north of Sacramento. Only minor damage was reported when it hit at 3:15 p.m. near Yuba City.

There were several other reports of funnel clouds north of Sacramento, but no others touched down, said National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Kurth.

Forecasters were calling for up to 2 feet of snow at the highest elevations in the northern Sierra Nevada, a good sign for a state dependent on winter snow accumulation for its water supply."

[Max Archer]

Woah, looking at Sugar Bowl's night vision cam and the snow's level with their benches. I'm too jong to have the skills or the gear to go hit the BC but I'm starting to think about hitting Boreal on the 26th... I was about to type "hit the WRODl" but at this rate it's not gonna be one.

Anybody have a tip for chains around Sac by the way, other than NAPA or whatever? Need new ones for the new car.

[snapt]

Max les schwab usually has a good selection plus a buy in the fall return in the spring if you end up not using them.

[LightRanger]

Anybody ever heard of Mountain Adventure Seminars out of Bear Valley? I've got a family thing happening in early January in Arnold and was thinking about maybe doing my Avy I through them.

http://www.mtadventure.com/index.html

Bring the snow!

I did my Avy I with them in 2006. Brandon Schwartz of SAC was the instructor. Good experience.

Edit: Also,

[gimpy]

zito vs verlander game 1. eeeek. winner of game 1 will win the series. giants have won the last 12 zito starts and havent seen the line yet but i'm guessing zito at +140. sign me up.

no that this pg is up top, whose got some usefull snow totals??? i don't think waiting till thurs or weds is gonna be neccessary to find some good turns given that the 1st wave should have settled during the break yesterday to provide a base for this last foot or 2. ima goin to ebak or kwood ina bit. i be rolling powdork style w/ one pole

[NakedShorts]

It Snowed ! It is Blower ! on dirt....

[gimpy]

blower???? last i checked its tough to make snowballs w/ blower. but what do i know.

and zito is +160 in game 1. i am not a giants fan but i have a hunch the big V loses game 1. remember who is responsible for the national league having homefield in the ws???

[NakedShorts]

Yes, I declare anything is Blower Pow if you can pick a handfull up, blow on it, and if you can see the individual snowflakes disperse you have Blower Pow. I didn't do any fancy snow to water ratio measurements. Or is it water to snow ratios.

[TahoeBC]

z ima goin to ebak or kwood ina bit. i be rolling powdork style w/ one pole

Are you hurt, or you just gonna be spanking your other pole while out there cause your so happy to be on snow again?

[TahoeJ]

The Giants facing Verlander in game 1 reminds me of them facing Cliff Lee in game 1 back in 2010 and some of the analysts were saying they had no chance. We know how that turned out...

[pappag]

Moment boys getting after it this morning (not sure of the location ... maybe Rose?):

[AKbruin]

Moment boys getting after it this morning (not sure of the location ... maybe Rose?):

Yeah, that's Hourglass. Saw the truck parked there on my way to work this morning and wondered whose it was.

Anybody else skied there? Conditions?

[pappag]

Top of Rose:

[TahoeJ]

Vailwood!!!

So... does anyone know the story with Alpine Meadows? Is KSL going to allow uphill travel?

[huck4bucks]

Mt. Rose TR - 10/22/12
Took two runs. Second one was down Miller Time. 4-12" depending on wind/aspect.
Rocky.
Windy.

[unpossible]

Vailwood!!!

So... does anyone know the story with Alpine Meadows? Is KSL going to allow uphill travel?

They didn't last year, until they opened.

Instagram from Travis says yes: http://instagram.com/p/RIluXhh3M9/

[MashedPotatoes]

and zito is +160 in game 1. i am not a giants fan but i have a hunch the big V loses game 1. remember who is responsible for the national league having homefield in the ws???

you mean Melky?

great to see some pics of the snow!

GO GIANTS!

[skier666]

Well, considering in the past Coop would tell uphill hikers to be prepared and ski safe....see below.

Surface Conditions

Early Season snow conditions. No Uphill hiking. Kirkwood Mountain Resort opens November 21st!

[Dhelihiker]

Well, considering in the past Coop would tell uphill hikers to be prepared and ski safe....see below.

I thought K-wood was on USFS land?


yay for snow!!!!