TAHOE: LAND OF THE SNOWFLAKES -- 17/18 STOKE

[lepistoir]

Random guy at gas station in Reno said Squaw already had a Palisades session?!?


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[MTT]

The view this morning from my window sill looks cloudy and socked in over Rose. A quick check of their web cam confirms that.
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Today is feeling like a good day to ride the couch and let the legs recover from very fun weekend of skiing.

Rose was reporting a storm total of up to 40" of new snow on Friday and the whole mountain slated to open on Saturday. With that in mind and Falcons team training starting at 9:00 a.m., my boy and I were out the door by 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Goal was to beat the traffic and avoid getting stuck behind an accident on MRH. Roads were clear and traffic was light and we sailed into the Main lodge side with no worries and parked right up front. Both Zephyr and Northwest were scheduled to open at 9:00 a.m. When I saw a group of boarders in line at 8:00 a.m. for Northwest I told my kid "See you at noon" and was out the door. Slid into line with five boarders and added one skier. FIRST CHAIR and I "only" had to wait an hour. Didn't know what to expect snow quality wise, rain crust, mank, breakable were all possible scenarios. By the time Northwest popped exactly on time a decent line had formed behind us. Got to the top of Northwest before Zephyr was unloading and skated hard for "Hollywood bowl". Both the snow quality and coverage exceeded my expectations. 6" to maybe 8" of light dry pow on top over a thick base layer that felt deeper than in was. Turned into one of the best opening days I've had in a long time. Took a few iphone pics.

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First chair on Northwest's first day! As Quinner would say, "Let's get fired up!"

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View up the chair line of Zephyr after my first run. Coverage was amazing for this time of year.

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Looking towards Gold run. Was untouched on my first run through there. Held back on my first couple turns, not knowing what coverage and how good the snow was. After three or four turns felt comfortable to open it up. I don't think I hit a single thing all day, and most of it was spent off piste. Just checked the bases on my skis. No damage, not even a scratch.

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Looking back down the chair line towards the slide parking lot. Note in all three pictures the lack of people. I thought it would be a total zoo, and the expected hordes never really materialized.

I got in probably seven quality pow runs before things started to get tracked out. Legs were feeling it by 11:00 so I took an early lunch. Met my kid at noon for his break and he wanted to keep skiing and ate most of his lunch on the chair. I skied the rest of the day and when my kid finished at three we stayed out til last chair. Due to low sun angle in the sky this time of year, the slide side get really cold from 2:30 on. I should have kept that extra layer on.

We went back out on Sunday. Light got flat in the afternoon and snow a bit firmer in spots but still fun. Overall it was a stellar weekend of skiing. Everything just fell into place as the snow quality, coverage and crowd conditions way better than I had planned on. Super stoked on that and hanging out with my now teenage son. See you guys out there and ski safe.

Also just an FYI, my Mammoth bro sent me a text Sunday evening and said the "Wind buff was going off" down there for the last two days.

Very Nice thanks for sharing

[climberevan]

Does anyone know about snow conditions near Graeagle / Downieville? I'm still motivated to pedal & twist the throttle, and have a few days free later this week...

[Ottime]

The speculation about Kirkwood ops is fun. I bet they keep it closed most of the time.

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That is what I fear. Take a super fun, easy climb, road side attraction back country zone, put it on your map, and just keep it closed, cause it is a pain in the ass to operate.

Several difference compared to AM, one being a big difference in vert. And AM wraps into itself, so all runs (kind of) run to the base. Also, these runs have a lot of ravines. It takes a shit ton of snow to make a return reasonably feasible.

666, I imagine they will have a cat track coming across the top of the bottom cliff band, and cutting back before the upper band. Like they once had when they had cats running over there. Still, there is a pretty deep stream bed to cross between the homes and chair 9 return. But that boundary line is further out than where the road will cut back.

A martins point lift would make this all make sense. Without it, seems well, like it will be closed a lot. But man, that is one of my favorite little zones to skin laps in.

[TahoeJ]

That KW hike is much further than the far edges of Alpine over by Estelle / Buttress. Or it sure seems that way, but maybe just because I’ve hiked the latter a bunch so it feels shorter.

[enlosandes]

If they are going to extend their ridgeline terrain, Kirkwood should open the Cirque to the public.

[bodywhomper]

That'd ^^ be nice, but it won't boost their argument for putting in the martins point lift.

I wonder how long a "lap" would take out there. I never skied that zone with the intent of doing "fast" laps like you can do in palisades bowl and the gully just OB of "doodle" area.

I can't wait to see the "low suck" traversers on a single plank trying to get out there.

[LightRanger]

ottime, shralph, 666, and BW have it right. That zone is way farther out than Alpine hikes, and it's a straighter ridgeline with much more traversing at the bottom, whereas Alpine hike terrain is more bowl-shaped and has fall lines back toward the lodge. Bet it's open more than Silvy (which has elevation issues, in addition to general shit priorities), but less than Bernies/Estelle, and screws folks who liked to skin it.

TL;DR:
Thumbs fucking down.

[4matic]

I can't wait to see the "low suck" traversers on a single plank trying to get out there.

I haven’t been much past Sentinel in years. Blows for a snowboarder.

[bodywhomper]

I haven’t been much past Sentinel in years. Blows for a snowboarder.

Hike up to the ridge as soon as the high traverse starts going uphill.

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[Eastern Sierra Skier]

Word. Had a shit eating grin on my face on the slide side for a few hours. Still getting freshies off of northwest after noon. Only skis I had mounted with alpine binders sat morning were 190 bibby's - turned out to be the ideal choice for a NOVEMBER opening day where everything was open, top to bottom, slide side to rose side

Yeah right. I had that same grin. Every chair I heard the same thing, "I can't believe how good it is!" Late in the day got as the wind picked up some fun pockets of wind blown started to turn up. Got me stoked for sure.

[skysos]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a couple of years ago (before the new GM) the rope line just before Jeff's Line was a permanent closure. I thought they were preserving it for the cat skiing operation. Last year I noticed the permanent closure was lifted and that zone was already open. I know that I skied it several times, but once there was a ski patrol standing there guarding it all day when the avalanche danger was high to stop people from ducking the rope, which many people would have done for sure.

So this year will probably be more of what we saw last year with that policy. Probably open a day after a storm, but delayed avalanche control for sure. I'm thinking they just updated the map and nothing more.

[bodywhomper]

Is the "Jeff" in the name, Jeff A, former patroller? (I got his last name wrong...)

[meter-man]

Skied Squaw this morning. Rode Siberia, but they opened Shirley this afternoon. Sades were closed but open last weekend (!?)

Off piste was surprisingly good. Really good coverage above 8000, and basically nothing below 7000. Snow was great and felt like a spring day - supportable base with a milkshake topping. Not too much rain damage. I bet the BC is skiing well today! Very stoked for mid-November...

ETA: Reverse traverse was open and skiing super smooth and creamy

[Banh Mi]

Squaw was super fun today. I thought the rain was going to do more damage, thankfully it didnt! Just made it creamy and spring-like, it didnt ruin coverage at all.

Spent the entire day on Siberia, traversing/sidestepping to North Bowl and that area. I don’t really know my way around, so can’t name the other runs I did up there.

Once it gets colder though (next week?) all that slush is going to freeze into some serious coral reefage!


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[old goat]

Is that the girl that went missing and found in a tree well or something to that effect or is this another case. The one I'm thinking of went missing during some bad weather and i kind of recall ducking a closed sign being part of the accident.

I don't think so. she was deliberately traversing out to Beaver, which would have been closed in bad weather. She was carrying her board--the Traverse to beaver involves a fair bit of climbing, to estelle some more--and dropped it down the backside, which is often very windblown and icy/firm. She tried to walk down to it, slipped, and crashed and died. Her father did strike a deal with AM after his suit was tossed--they put up a sign at the start of the traverse with lots of warnings that no one reads. I do see a fair number of snowboarders walking on sketchy traverses at AM--the backside to High T can get pretty nasty too, and sometimes skiers who take their skis off when they shouldn't. Backside of Beaver isn't steep at all. Doesn't need to be when it's ice and rocks.

[TahoeJ]

Sugar Bowl and Northstar not opening this week. Can't blame 'em.

Where's the average snow line around Truckee right now? I may bring my bike after turkey day the way things are looking. Anyone been out on the trails? Lower yogis loop in play?

[The Dad]

I don't think so. she was deliberately traversing out to Beaver, which would have been closed in bad weather.

District Court opinion granting summary judgment that the ski area was not liable: https://www.casemine.com/judgement/u...d7b04934759353

Earliest coverage I can find of the father's other efforts: http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/new...-skiing-safer/

[powdrhound]

District Court opinion granting summary judgment that the ski area was not liable: https://www.casemine.com/judgement/u...d7b04934759353

I knew we signed our life away with the Waiver, this confirmed that.

First time I've read a complete judgement. Tough reading, backing up every statement with multiple references. Makes me that much happier Not being a lawyer.

[meter-man]

Sugar Bowl and Northstar not opening this week. Can't blame 'em.

Where's the average snow line around Truckee right now? I may bring my bike after turkey day the way things are looking. Anyone been out on the trails? Lower yogis loop in play?

Everything's pretty dry [read: tacky and awesome] below 7000. Jackass is good I'm sure but the upper stuff is not. Prosser etc is good.

[TahoeJ]

Everything's pretty dry [read: tacky and awesome] below 7000. Jackass is good I'm sure but the upper stuff is not. Prosser etc is good.

I was going to say let’s go ski but let’s go ride instead. Animal Crackers with tacky dirt beats groomers off Gold Coast for sure.

[Nevada29er]

Yeah right. I had that same grin. Every chair I heard the same thing, "I can't believe how good it is!" Late in the day got as the wind picked up some fun pockets of wind blown started to turn up. Got me stoked for sure.

Rose had the wind machine in effect both Sat and Sun. Central and NW/Waterfall were money all day long!

[Eastern Sierra Skier]

All the winter snow that skied so well over the weekend at Rose is a distant memory after today. It got warm and the snow got really sticky. Almost paste like. This was the story top to bottom, and pretty much all aspects. When I left the slide parking lot just after
4:00 p.m. the temperature was 59 degrees. Last check of the temps at Rose just a few minutes ago (12:30 a.m.) was 38 degrees, so it may not even freeze tonight. No corn cycle for you tomorrow. I thought the snow might be better off piste in the tree's where it wa.s shaded. Wrong! Full on death mank. Lucky to make it out of there with all ligaments intact. Forecast is not looking promising in the short to medium time frames. Oh well, fun while it lasted. With that in mind, me and my kid headed down to Mammoth tonight for a quick hit, one day ski and back to Reno tomorrow. See if the higher elevation does any good.

[powdork]

^^It's possible but we just skied out of va lakes up to 11,400' yesterday and things were either bulletproof or mank. seemed like it got rained on.

[Banh Mi]

I was going to say let’s go ski but let’s go ride instead. Animal Crackers with tacky dirt beats groomers off Gold Coast for sure.

Siberia is open, and you can hike.. lots of non-groomers open.


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