The Official 19/20 Tahoe Ski Snowboard Thread. Plus bonus Bootfitting Recs!

[meter-man]

Well Damn! I knew that was going to happen sooner or later. Meter-Man, it was a good run.

Oh damn! Hope you weren't in a bad spot...but I'm sure you were. Sorry bud!!

[Jack Burton]

I'm not sure what this poor (un-named) soul was thinking, but I'd bet it was: "All that work, no powder, no corn, who's idea was this trip anyway?"

Thanks for the tour Mr Hankey! That soul was thinking man we are lucky SOB's and mmmm I can almost taste the first sweet drop of BEER that I'm going to pour into me!

[AKbruin]

Nice job, Mr. Hankey! I was considering something similar the weekend before last but opted for a less logistically challenging Deso tour (Maggies to Tallac/Cathedral Bowl via Dicks and Jacks).

ETA: Mad Turtle and I did the same Deso tour a decade ago and got about 3k of breakable crust on Tallac.

[G]

Anyone know if Cosmo is still in business?

[ElToroPequeño]

Nice job, Mr. Hankey! I was considering something similar the weekend before last but opted for a less logistically challenging Deso tour (Maggies to Tallac/Cathedral Bowl via Dicks and Jacks).

ETA: Mad Turtle and I did the same Deso tour a decade ago and got about 3k of breakable crust on Tallac.

AKbruin how big of a day was that? I went out there on Saturday Maggies and then up Janines to Dicks. But curious what connecting dicks, jacks and tallac was like?

Pics from this weekend:

[AKbruin]

Nice.^^^

Here's my Strava, in answer to your question. It looks like a bigger day than it was. The upside of these otherwise bleak conditions is that they make travel relatively fast and efficient. We moved at a moderate pace and took lots of breaks.










We considered taking the summer trail, but opted for Spring Creek because my car was there. It was probably the right call because we were able to ski downhill more or less on snow all the way down the the bridge on Spring Creek.

[wolfy]

G-
Cosmo is still up on the Oregon coast last I heard, took his tools with him. I wish he was still around.

[gimpy]

Pulling up in 20 seconds


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[meter-man]

Pulling up in 20 seconds


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I hope this means Gimpy is pulling up his photos from 2020, which have been in short supply, especially compared to his MVP season atop the 2019 Tahoe thread. Cmon Gimpy!

[Wobby]

Oh damn! Hope you weren't in a bad spot...but I'm sure you were. Sorry bud!!

No sweat, we were just on some bullshit sage mountain that I was going to have to hike across sage to exit anyways (Osgood Mountains). It was actually a blessing, because it pulled out skinning rather than on the gnarly couloir we were scouting out for the next day. Had a nice back slap off a cliff just before that, which I think finished them off. All the screws pulled out clean and it looked like sawdust inside that thing.

You gave me the lowdown when you sold me those sticks, and I’m pretty happy that they held on for that long honestly! Still appreciate the hook up.

[TahoeBC]

Big day AK, makes my feet hurt looking at that track, admired that zone yesterday



Here’s one of Gimpy from yesterday also


Poked around the pass today



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[ElToroPequeño]

Nice.^^^

Here's my Strava, in answer to your question. It looks like a bigger day than it was. The upside of these otherwise bleak conditions is that they make travel relatively fast and efficient. We moved at a moderate pace and took lots of breaks.

Awesome! Thanks looks like a good day.

[meter-man]

No sweat, we were just on some bullshit sage mountain that I was going to have to hike across sage to exit anyways (Osgood Mountains). It was actually a blessing, because it pulled out skinning rather than on the gnarly couloir we were scouting out for the next day. Had a nice back slap off a cliff just before that, which I think finished them off. All the screws pulled out clean and it looked like sawdust inside that thing.

You gave me the lowdown when you sold me those sticks, and I’m pretty happy that they held on for that long honestly! Still appreciate the hook up.

Damn man...let's agree to never use boards in that condition again. Even if they were exchanged for a handy in an airport parking lot.

Here's my Strava, in answer to your question. It looks like a bigger day than it was. The upside of these otherwise bleak conditions is that they make travel relatively fast and efficient. We moved at a moderate pace and took lots of breaks.

"Moderate" AKB pace is basically running.

Sick pics duder, esp the one of homeboy in Tallac with the lenticulars stacked up over Carson valley. Been wanting to do that tour for a bit - well done.

Skiing winter corn is fun and I do appreciate a good, warm, Cali-ski day, but a wintry storm would be okay. I'm washing my car for the first time in months tomorrow. You're welcome.

Rode bikes on Saturday down in Carson. T-shirt and shorts....

[mcski]

it is supposed to melt the layer within 1" or so off the road either keeping it from icing up if that's what you get OR to make plowing easier if you get more snow. Not sure what they're getting here but there is a standard of noncorrosiveness used in the PNW and I can't imagine Ca not using it. In Colorado, the state requires the solution to be 70% less corrosive than rock salt.
The trees along the highway suffer from a combo of the drought years, and the long term effects of MgCl which inhibits the roots' ability to absorb water exacerbating the droughts effects. Also damage from the augurs which are throwing a high speed mixture of ice, rocks , snow and MgCl at them.

Has this always been used in the Tahoe basin? I have vague recollections from the 80s that Mammoth “salted” but Tahoe didn’t (at least when it came to the Mtn runs in spring). I thought there used to be some kind of ban on anything like that that might run off into the lake

[TahoeJ]

^^ Yes, it's closely scrutinized by TRPA for lake clarity purposes.

[meter-man]

TRPA says: https://www.trpa.org/heavy-rain-and-...or-lake-tahoe/

Scientists have found that road traction abrasives, or road sands, are responsible for the vast majority of fine sediment ending up in Lake Tahoe. Road managers apply abrasives in the winter for public safety to provide traction for vehicles traveling on snowy roads. These traction materials are crushed by our car tires and ground into clarity-degrading fine sediment.

Staff from state and local public works departments balance public safety and the environment by monitoring and analyzing storms, applying road salts at precise times, and spreading road sands in precise locations before temperatures drop. They also sweep up road sands after storms. The improvements they’ve made over the past decade have been challenging.

One major change has been to switch, over the past five years, from a material known as “volcanic cinders” to “Washoe sand.” The cinders are a brittle volcanic rock that cars easily crush into an ash-like dust, while the sturdy grains of Washoe sands can withstand more abuse. Washed into a body of water, more of the finely crushed cinders remain suspended, while the larger and heavier grains of Washoe sand sink harmlessly to the bottom.

Research conducted by El Dorado County and Caltrans showed that switching to Washoe sand could reduce ultra-fine particles, those most responsible for clarity loss, by as much as 90 percent.

Agencies have also taken steps to improve efficiency in applying these road abrasives.

“Our drivers now focus on spot sanding at key intersections, steep areas, and critical public safety areas,” said Jason Burke with the City of South Lake Tahoe. Caltrans now relies more heavily on weather forecasts, and has installed vehicle sensors to measure road temperature. Both Caltrans and El Dorado County have also begun treating roads with a brine solution, which lowers the freezing point of the road, as a potent ice-prevention step before storms arrive.

“The brine technology allows the county to prevent ice buildup, use less salt, and be strategic in placement of road sand,” said Russ Wigart, stormwater coordinator for El Dorado County.

South Lake Tahoe also engages in what Burke calls a “combined effort of refined sand application and enhanced street sweeping after storm events to recover traction materials as soon as feasible.” The city recently purchased new spreaders to enable the use of brine on city streets for the first time this winter.

“Brine use reduces the bounce and scatter typical when dropping dry sand onto the roadway,” said Burke, allowing the city to reduce the amount of sand it needs to apply by 30 percent.

Nevada public works officials are also using the best available technology, from road temperature sensors to high efficiency street sweepers, to combat the fine sediment runoff problem.

The results of some of these changes have been encouraging. Caltrans’ Sean Cross reports that “water quality monitoring and testing have shown reductions to fine sediment particles,” while Wigart said “the concentrations of fine sediments in urban runoff appear much cleaner.” The real impact though, may not be known for several years, as it takes time for sediment to reach the center of the lake where TERC takes its clarity readings.

[mr. hankey]

Nice pics as always Tahoe BC!
Cool tours and pics ElToroPequeño and AKBruin ! The colors on the one above the lake are puuurty
AK, did you have good corn on the ski descent of Jacks? And did you have any 'schwak factor on Spring Creek side (Sweat hill, etc?).

[Dark Energy]

Mr. Hankey - way to tag Pyramid. Approx. time from car to summit via Rocky Canyon start, and assume no scary slabs to negotiate in your ski boots? On your descent of Pyramid, how manageable were the complexities down to Pyramid Lk., if your group went that way? AK, sweet track! Nice you can find partners willing to go 10 hrs and 6.5K+ feet. Change for a nickel?

[mr. hankey]

Dark Energy - I think one of the others had a strava recording. I'd guess it took us 3hrs from HW 50 to the summit. The summer trail is a nice dirt path, with just a couple of sections of rock steps. It's doable in ski boots, not dangerous, just not comfy cause it's a steep dirt trail. Shoes would have been more comfortable (especially if you are descending that way- I'd bring shoe's for sure).
We didn't descend to Pyramid lake - the skiing just wasn't worth it since it wasn't softening. So we skied pyramid's SE face, then hooked hard north towards Lake Aloha. If it had softened, all of that would have been great skiing. Original plan was to ski South easterly and milk the corn run down to Gefo? (too lazy to look it up) lake, which is a bit more southerly than to ski to Pyramid lake.

[shakyknees]

[QUOTE=TahoeBC;5900589]TGIF



It took me awhile to figure where this is . . .

we're in a deep, possibly record-breaking drought and the Tahoe thread is going off. Gratitude to the posters, Mr. Hankey, ElToropequeno, AKBruin, and TahoeBC.

[powdork]

Knee is starting to feel better. The corn is summer sweet right now


But it would be nice to drop some cement on this


But in the meantime

[Eastern Sierra Skier]

Couple pics from Monday at Rose and Tuesday at Alpine.


Got up to Rose on Monday just after noon. Snow was just starting to soften. Groomers were good for speed laps as the place was empty.


Cool NE breeze kept the temps down and the snow was fast but fun all day. Coverage on the groomed is still good.


Kit Carson late in the day. Trying to keep it fun these days by skiing some skis with more sidecut than I normally would. Fun day overall to go out and arc some turns.

Went over to Alpine today. Not sure if it was the lower base elevation or it was just that much warmer, but the snow at Alpine was much softer than the day before at Rose, with slushy conditions over much of the hill by the end of the day.


View from the new Treeline Cirque chair at 12:30 pm. Groomed runs on this side of the Mtn have good coverage.


But over on the Sherwood side it's another story. It's been almost 4 weeks since I was here and I was surprised at how much has melted.
South Bowl looking cooked.


Sherwood Bowl with lots of bare spots/rocks starting to show.


Sherwood run is so thin in spots I'm not sure they can even groom it. If something doesn't change soon the Sherwood side may only have another two weeks or so left before it's done.


Last run of the day up Scott chair with a lone skier trying to pick his way into the chute. Fun day overall but the warm temps have taken a toll on Alpine's snow and with less terrain skiable than a few weeks ago. Bummer. Pray for snow!


Stopped at the overlook on MRH on my way back to Galena as the sun went down. Venus was visible just after sunset high in the sky directly above the moon. Made for a cool sunset.

[TahoeJ]

Holy shit. I can't believe how different Sherwood looks after just one month. Last day I was there was January 26th and all of those chutes in South Bowl were absolutely loaded and looked like natural half pipes.

Pretty happy with my decision to go for it as much as possible back in December and the first half of January. I'd be losing my shit right now otherwise.

[AKbruin]

AK, did you have good corn on the ski descent of Jacks? And did you have any 'schwak factor on Spring Creek side (Sweat hill, etc?).

The top 500 feet off of Jakes was firmish "pre-corn" (kernel skiing?). Everything else that day was pretty good corn. Shockingly, there was no schwack factor at all. The hardest part was skinning up the hiking trail above Bay View, which has been hiked by 1000+ people and is close to water ice. I'd really like to skin across Aloha at some point though.

[skier666]

Looking like a (cough) deep pow day Sunday morning?????????