tseeb
Well-known member
I had scheduled Monday 2/9 off, in case conditions required skiing three days and I committed to going even if it was solo. But I’m also more than half done with a big remodel of the house we plan to live in for many years and could easily spend that day getting materials and meeting with sub-contractors. My wife considered going for the weekend, but decided it was too much work to bring dogs and herself to Tahoe for only two days. At one time she said she would go if our son went, but she decided against going Thursday night, then my son decided to go Friday night. I got up before 4 am, but could not get out of the house until 5 am after buying my son a $48 teen ticket on-line for Sunday at Kirkwood. I had three Heavenly tickets from the Johnny Mosley ski jump in SF in the fall.
We made the drive in 4 hours even though it was snowing heavily with chain control over Echo Summit. We went by the cabin to change and turn on some heat. It was snowing light to medium at Stateline and there was 2-4 inches new at lake level. We got one of the last parking spaces near the tram and were going up by 9:30. Even though winds were fairly strong from the East, Heavenly was running all the lifts over the top. We took three different routes down Canyon Chair, waiting for the wind to die down before going up Sky, and found deep snow on skier’s right of some runs where the wind had piled it up. We also found some deeper powder in middle of lower High Roller, where we also found a rock or two in the steep trees to the right of the bottom. Sky Canyon also had a good 6 inches new. We took one run down Sky, Liz’s to Ellie’s swing and then in the trees to skier’s left of the chair. The new snow was good, but base was marginal, so I was finding a rock or two on each run.
I lost my son during our run on Sky, where by 10:30 or 11 crowds were building, mostly because lift was stopping a lot. We had made contact by cell, but I thought he was ahead of me in singles line when he was behind me. I headed for Nevada and took a high route into Milky Way Bowl. Visibility was not very good and, until you got closer to the trees, the snow was affected by the east wind. I headed into Mott’s Canyon and didn’t find that good of snow my first run where I came down between Widowmaker and Snake Eyes. There was a large crowd at the bottom, due to chair not running and/or not running fast due to maintenance. Next run I headed further right to the Y where I found almost a foot of lightly skied dry powder. The runout to the chair in the trees was especially good and line at the bottom was gone. I connected with my son, who was boarding Mott’s and we ended up going down once more. After a short break at East Peak Lodge, where the expansion was no match for the crowds trying to get out of the storm, we went up Dipper Chair and took Dipper Woods to the ridge between Motts and Killibrew. Killebrew was roped off. I was impressed that my 17 year-old on a board could handle the very exposed ridgeline to the Y where snow was still good. I took him into some very steep and deep under Rocky Point. We did Motts once more, for a total of 5 runs there before exiting to Dipper Chair and California Trail. I thought I lost him again, but after waiting a minute or two, he came along and I led him down Maggie’s Canyon which held good powder and avoids any flats getting back to Sky Chair,
We thought about going up Powder Bowl, but crowds pushed us to Groove where he did the terrain park a few times while I went down advanced Roundabout. I found some good powder and another rock or two cutting the corners. On lower Gunbarrel, there was an inch or two new on top of a groomed surface. I went up Gunbarrel chair, then stayed skier’s left where I found some untracked by getting close to the trees. I cut over to the Face where the left side also had good snow, but I hit one rock hard. 16 runs, 17,5K vertical No pictures, except for cell phone, as camera was left at the cabin.
Sunday is Kirkwood, then home. It only snowed lightly overnight with Kirkwood reporting 1-2” overnight and 9-12” from the last two day so I’ll let my son sleep a little before feeding him and closing up the cabin. Heavenly reports 7-10” from last two days.
We made the drive in 4 hours even though it was snowing heavily with chain control over Echo Summit. We went by the cabin to change and turn on some heat. It was snowing light to medium at Stateline and there was 2-4 inches new at lake level. We got one of the last parking spaces near the tram and were going up by 9:30. Even though winds were fairly strong from the East, Heavenly was running all the lifts over the top. We took three different routes down Canyon Chair, waiting for the wind to die down before going up Sky, and found deep snow on skier’s right of some runs where the wind had piled it up. We also found some deeper powder in middle of lower High Roller, where we also found a rock or two in the steep trees to the right of the bottom. Sky Canyon also had a good 6 inches new. We took one run down Sky, Liz’s to Ellie’s swing and then in the trees to skier’s left of the chair. The new snow was good, but base was marginal, so I was finding a rock or two on each run.
I lost my son during our run on Sky, where by 10:30 or 11 crowds were building, mostly because lift was stopping a lot. We had made contact by cell, but I thought he was ahead of me in singles line when he was behind me. I headed for Nevada and took a high route into Milky Way Bowl. Visibility was not very good and, until you got closer to the trees, the snow was affected by the east wind. I headed into Mott’s Canyon and didn’t find that good of snow my first run where I came down between Widowmaker and Snake Eyes. There was a large crowd at the bottom, due to chair not running and/or not running fast due to maintenance. Next run I headed further right to the Y where I found almost a foot of lightly skied dry powder. The runout to the chair in the trees was especially good and line at the bottom was gone. I connected with my son, who was boarding Mott’s and we ended up going down once more. After a short break at East Peak Lodge, where the expansion was no match for the crowds trying to get out of the storm, we went up Dipper Chair and took Dipper Woods to the ridge between Motts and Killibrew. Killebrew was roped off. I was impressed that my 17 year-old on a board could handle the very exposed ridgeline to the Y where snow was still good. I took him into some very steep and deep under Rocky Point. We did Motts once more, for a total of 5 runs there before exiting to Dipper Chair and California Trail. I thought I lost him again, but after waiting a minute or two, he came along and I led him down Maggie’s Canyon which held good powder and avoids any flats getting back to Sky Chair,
We thought about going up Powder Bowl, but crowds pushed us to Groove where he did the terrain park a few times while I went down advanced Roundabout. I found some good powder and another rock or two cutting the corners. On lower Gunbarrel, there was an inch or two new on top of a groomed surface. I went up Gunbarrel chair, then stayed skier’s left where I found some untracked by getting close to the trees. I cut over to the Face where the left side also had good snow, but I hit one rock hard. 16 runs, 17,5K vertical No pictures, except for cell phone, as camera was left at the cabin.
Sunday is Kirkwood, then home. It only snowed lightly overnight with Kirkwood reporting 1-2” overnight and 9-12” from the last two day so I’ll let my son sleep a little before feeding him and closing up the cabin. Heavenly reports 7-10” from last two days.
/