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

[Steven S. Dallas]

This might be a stupid question, but if I don't ask, I'll never know. For three years as a kid we lived in Monterey. We skied the shit out of Heavenly...but I never seem to hear the Tahoe mags so much as mention the place. Why is that?

Couple reasons- one, I think it's always been on a separate pass from KW, Squaw, and/or Alpine; two, it's at lower elevation than KW, so conditions suffer correspondingly; and three, we all fear the wrath of lph

[TurxSki]

Damn Man!
You mentioned it! Did you forget we're not s'posed to?

[Ottime]

Three runs off the ridge at KW and I nothing. Even down low on the way in. Variable powder, chowder, porn, corn, chalk and a little crust down low. Good fun. Took plenty of pics, so I'll need to look through those. Watched a group of five hit All the Way. It looked good

[Jim S]

Today I took a few tepid laps at Squaw relatively prematurely post ACL surgery in April. So damn tempting to skin up and ski parts or Rose b/c or even Squaw because the upper mountain is beautifully plastered with snow!!! But I'll be smart and wait 1-2 more months.

[parkmeister]

Had a blast at Kirkwood yesterday.


Looks like winter!


Zach and Janek covered in snow.


Monte lookin' good!


Rose and Josh enjoying the day.


Hazel, happy to be on snow.

A few more pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/1881593...th/8124743424/


Get some!

[TahoeBC]

This might be a stupid question, but if I don't ask, I'll never know. For three years as a kid we lived in Monterey. We skied the shit out of Heavenly. Admittedly, I was like 8-10 years old at the time and it was 30+ years ago and I haven't been back since, but I loved the place: lots of options, big enought to spread out the crowds, great slopeside services. But I never seem to hear the Tahoe mags so much as mention the place. Why is that?

There a decent contingent of mags that ski there regularly and others who secretly enjoy the place when their home mountain is hard to get to. Since you have been there the back country has opened up and your not goanna find better lift served vert when the snow goes down to Lake level or the Nevada desert. And although things have changed in last few years with the advent of cheap pass’s and folks getting to know the mountain very well, there are still some semi secret stash’s around and it not a problem to ski fresh tracks all day long while the Locusts quickly devour the “Cool” resorts in short order.

[TahoeJ]

When I don't get frustrated by all of the traversing, sometimes I like Heavenly quite a bit, especially when Mott and Killebrew open up, and as others have mentioned you can find lots of stashes in the trees long after many other resorts have been tracked out. Having said that, it's more of a pain in the ass to get to for many, especially if you're coming from the south (the 80 is so much better than the 50, and if you're not going to be on the 80 then why not go to Kirkwood?). For people living around Truckee, why bother with the hassle of going to Heavenly when you have Squaw / Alpine / Sugar Bowl / Northstar / Homewood / Mt. Rose all much closer?

Also, there is far more gaper dodging at Heavenly than any other resort in Tahoe IMO, even more than Northstar. Combined with lots of traverses, it can be frustrating.

[Ottime]

OMG!! Traversing!!!! OMG!! Gapers!!!!! OMG!!!! Not steep enough for my radness!!!!!

I've loved every day I've had at the Heave despite its obvious lameness.

[~mikey b]

that's cuz yer a beater, son

how'd that pack work out for you?

[TahoeJ]

OMG!! Traversing!!!! OMG!! Gapers!!!!! OMG!!!! Not steep enough for my radness!!!!!

I've loved every day I've had at the Heave despite its obvious lameness.

Woah, take it easy. Did you miss the part where I said sometimes I like Heavenly quite a bit? No one said anything about it being flat, either. I've defended Heavenly (and Northstar) around here in the past, including in this same thread last year.

Having said that...

Surely you agree Heavenly has a shitty lift layout and if you have friends who snowboard the traversing seriously sucks. And gapers who block said traverses by stopping as a group in the middle of it so you lose all of your momentum and have to stop has been a common occurrence for me there. I didn't even get into the part where Sky chair goes on wind hold and you can't get back to NV or Stateline without getting on a bus.

[213]

Heavenly is great for bicycle riding! Kingsbury to Sidewinder is a top 3 lake ride in my book...didnt sack up this year and link that to Rose, next year!

Anyways, days of October pow hasn't sucked!

[Ottime]

that's cuz yer a beater, son

how'd that pack work out for you?

I thought I might be boot packing a bit. Funny how that was. Powdork mentioned they would be boot packing, and I thought I might join them, until he mentioned that he forgot his boots and would instead be hiking up Stagecoach. Anyway, having yet to really figure out the ski carry, I stuck with my old pack for the day. It was large enough for a spot where you can easily ski back to the car if you need any extra supplies. At least i have all my gear at home now, so I can fiddle with a full pack. Otherwise, it looked pretty rad in my back seat.

Woah, take it easy. Did you miss the part where I said sometimes I like Heavenly quite a bit? No one said anything about it being flat, either. I've defended Heavenly (and Northstar) around here in the past, including in this same thread last year.

Having said that...

Surely you agree Heavenly has a shitty lift layout and if you have friends who snowboard the traversing seriously sucks. And gapers who block said traverses by stopping as a group in the middle of it so you lose all of your momentum and have to stop has been a common occurrence for me there. I didn't even get into the part where Sky chair goes on wind hold and you can't get back to NV or Stateline without getting on a bus.

Dude, reread my post. I am agreeing with you. The traversing for snow boarders really only sucks for sucky snowboarders. Like my friend, who, after I advise him to straighline the last pitch and hit the traverse with speed, instead milks two more powder turns before getting stuck in the flats. So, in my estimate, it is not the Heave that sucks, but my buddy who does not listen. And I apologize about the flatness comment. I got things mixed up with N*.

But in all honestly, I have no problem with the lift layout. Don't know the mountain all that well, but don't really see how I would do it differently, other than adding a lift that goes from Sky Base and up, over to Gondola Top - unless of course the wind would fuck that up too.

[TahoeJ]

^^ I guess I mistook your sarcasm for being literal, or maybe the other way around. Now I'm just confused. ;-)

[TahoeBC]

I've learned to love windholds at the Heav, just have a pair of skins handy and you have the whole upper mountain to yourself and a few other like minded folks.

[snapt]

After a frantic weds night of trying to find all of my missing bc gear and trying to get coverage at work, I got a phone call at 5am the next am that some loaner stuff would be waiting at a buddies house with the front door unlocked if I needed it. Shot off an email to my boss saying fuck it I'm coming in late. Got one good lap of wind buff with some deeper spots at sugar bowl. Lot's of folks out, gorgeous day. Can't wait for more.

[mcski]

[/QUOTE]

fap fap fap fap

[213]

Here's a couple from Josh Hejl's perspective:

Spirit Cave Man and Emma:



213 on two really NARROW ass snowboards:



Wheeeeee!!!

[TahoeJ]

I've learned to love windholds at the Heav, just have a pair of skins handy and you have the whole upper mountain to yourself and a few other like minded folks.

That's a great point. I wasn't equipped previously but this year I'll keep that in mind. Just trimmed some skins for my new boards today actually - that G3 trimming tool is as good as advertised.

[TheOriginalGraniteChief]

I thought I might be boot packing a bit. Funny how that was. Powdork mentioned they would be boot packing, and I thought I might join them, until he mentioned that he forgot his boots and would instead be hiking up Stagecoach. Anyway, having yet to really figure out the ski carry, I stuck with my old pack for the day. It was large enough for a spot where you can easily ski back to the car if you need any extra supplies. At least i have all my gear at home now, so I can fiddle with a full pack. Otherwise, it looked pretty rad in my back seat.



Dude, reread my post. I am agreeing with you. The traversing for snow boarders really only sucks for sucky snowboarders. Like my friend, who, after I advise him to straighline the last pitch and hit the traverse with speed, instead milks two more powder turns before getting stuck in the flats. So, in my estimate, it is not the Heave that sucks, but my buddy who does not listen. And I apologize about the flatness comment. I got things mixed up with N*.

But in all honestly, I have no problem with the lift layout. Don't know the mountain all that well, but don't really see how I would do it differently, other than adding a lift that goes from Sky Base and up, over to Gondola Top - unless of course the wind would fuck that up too.

I grew up on the heav as you call it. It is flat and it does suck and all snowboarders are stupid asses that don't listen. If they were listening they would be skiers.

[powdork]

I've learned to love windholds at the Heav, just have a pair of skins handy and you have the whole upper mountain to yourself and a few other like minded folks.

or the days when you get into mott and then dipper and sky go on hold.

[RaccoonFace]

OMG!! Traversing!!!! OMG!! Gapers!!!!! OMG!!!! Not steep enough for my radness!!!!!

I've loved every day I've had at the Heave despite its obvious lameness.

This^^^

I don't go there because I am entirely too awesome.

I hope my siggy says okbye...

[LongShortLong]

Little resort bringing the stoke - Donner Ski Ranch is opening a WROD this weekend.

[Max Archer]

Little resort bringing the stoke - Donner Ski Ranch is opening a WROD this weekend.

I might just give that a shot if I manage to pick some skis that fit my boots up at the North Tahoe sale tomorrow. I'd been thinking of Boreal but Donner will probably be a little less mobbed, not to mention last weeks snow hasn't already been skied on for two days.

[Ottime]

I grew up on the heav as you call it. It is flat and it does suck and all snowboarders are stupid asses that don't listen. If they were listening they would be skiers.

yeah, but you spelled it wrong.

or the days when you get into mott and then dipper and sky go on hold.

ding, ding, ding. Never been so lucky, but I can remember a storm day that Sky closed. I was too ignorant to understand the danger I was putting myself into, but I spent the day traversing for fresh tracks, then boot packing up toward Sky top, then hiking from the top of Gun Barrel up past the tow lift top and scoring crazy good steep trees. Man it sucked. I just wished it did not suck so much. Probably way better now that it is owned by Vail.

[Ottime]

Finally went through some pics from Thursday. What a great day, even though both groups that I made tentative plans with had to bail, leaving me on a mostly solo mission. I even made a feeble attempt to track down KFactor, but alas, I was busy skinning.

The drive up kind of sucked, lacking beauty or anything worth looking at.


Turns out the coverage sucked too.


And the trees kept blocking my view


Not to mention it was cloudy for the hike up


I made a few turns. I guess at least the sun came out...


But really, there was nothing much worth skiing


I mean, Cham is not even ready.


More pics and words here if ya want. It was nice to be out on the snow. Even if everyone went to go ski that flat traverse park full of gapers just 'cause they need their boots.