tseeb
Well-known member
First tram at Heavenly and Last Tracks at Diamond Peak.
My wife got her 1st day skiing in February this year, instead of in April as in the previous two years. She did not think we were going to fit on Heavenly's 1st tram of the day, but I knew that if they let you past the gate, you were on, even if it takes a little pushing to fit inside the door. At the top of the tram, we stepped out into brilliant sunshine at 8200 feet. We took a couple of warm-up runs on Canyon chair, first going down Ridge Run into Ridge Bowl with near perfect corduroy. Then we took what used to be Betty's, but side hill fall line was not quite as good. We took Sky chair and one run down slightly firmer and narrower groomed Ellie's before moving to NV. My wife continued to Dipper run while I took higher entrance in Milky Way Bowl which was excellent.
We skied Dipper chair a couple of times, my wife taking the run, while I took the Bowl, then cut into Jacks which was firmer than I expected. Next run I went with her on Dipper run and showed her the alternate exit to Upper Perimeter rather than more crowded Orion. We moved to Comet and took one run there before moving to Olympic and going up the chair and skiing the entire Olympic Downhill run to Stagecoach base. My wife wanted to do it again, but we had to cut our day short so we skied Upper Northbowl to Olympic chair and skied to Tamarack chair. We went down CA trail and had our longest wait of the morning at four minutes for Canyon chair. The line at Sky looked two to three times as long.
We skied Ridge to Mombo to Roundabout, where snow was already in bad shape in places, even though it was only 11:30.
World Cup run skied well and got us to within 100 feet of the car, but they were not running the chair. We got back to the cabin with 15 lifts and 16K vertical. We picked up our son, who was a late addition to our trip, and dropped him with poles borrowed from neighbor across the street at the gondola a little after noon and headed for Diamond Peak. We had signed up for Last Tracks, an event we always wanted to try that includes lift ticket valid from 2-4, a wine tasting with appetizers at lodge with view of the Lake followed by a ski down a freshly groomed run before sunset. See http://www.diamondpeak.com/tickets-spec ... er-tasting
They also was hosting release party of Sam Adams Rebel IPA with free samples, discounts and giveaways. We waited to get close parking as I did not think shuttles would be running after 5 pm. We eventually found someone leaving and walked in street shoes to the Sam Adams release party. Diamond Peak was very busy, especially the lodges and beginner chairs, but there were only very short lines on Lakeview and Crystal Quads (their only hi-speed lift).
You received a very red Sam Adams Rebel IPA hat or t-shirt with purchase of a beer. We each had a beer sitting outside in very hot sun, then picked up our tickets at 2 pm. By the time we booted up, rode Lakeview chair and skied Freeway run to Crystal Quad, it was 2:30 and Crystal Ridge had been baked in the sun. The view of lake was spectacular as always, but snow was getting too soft in many places. We next skied the long intermediate run on the other side of the chair, The Great Flume, and found snow a little better as it was more shaded, but there were a lot of people struggling on it as it was at the edge of their ability. On the next chair up, my wife decided she was done skiing and would wait for me where event was going to be held. We skied more North-facing and black-diamond Diamondback run and found better snow although there were a few thin spots as I think it was all natural snow.
I left my wife at Lakeview Lodge and returned to Crystal Quad were I skied more challenging Thunder which still had some sun and skied well. At the bottom, the chair was stopped and there was a little line. Since I only less than 30 min. left to ski, I moved to Lakeview and skied Slalom Grade into Corkscrew, then Showoff. Both of these lower elevation North-facing runs had mostly very good snow, with a couple of firmer spots at the top.
Since they warned us that you had to be on Lakeview chair before 4 pm or miss the event, I was done riding lifts. They started serving at 4:10 and were very generous with their pours of two Robert Talbot chardonnays and three pinot noirs. The appetizers were better and more than expected including stuffed mushrooms, smoked salmon with capers, onions and chopped eggs, salad with goat cheese, figs and strawberries and finally skewed chunks of filet with demi-glace. It was enough for us to call it dinner.
I highly recommended event, but pre-purchase is required as they do sell out. You would not want to do the skiing on a much warmer day. They required all 50 attendees to leave at same time and ski down was uneventful, even though I took a couple of small jumps and one tabletop in terrain park that was on edge of run. 9K vertical.
My wife got her 1st day skiing in February this year, instead of in April as in the previous two years. She did not think we were going to fit on Heavenly's 1st tram of the day, but I knew that if they let you past the gate, you were on, even if it takes a little pushing to fit inside the door. At the top of the tram, we stepped out into brilliant sunshine at 8200 feet. We took a couple of warm-up runs on Canyon chair, first going down Ridge Run into Ridge Bowl with near perfect corduroy. Then we took what used to be Betty's, but side hill fall line was not quite as good. We took Sky chair and one run down slightly firmer and narrower groomed Ellie's before moving to NV. My wife continued to Dipper run while I took higher entrance in Milky Way Bowl which was excellent.
We skied Dipper chair a couple of times, my wife taking the run, while I took the Bowl, then cut into Jacks which was firmer than I expected. Next run I went with her on Dipper run and showed her the alternate exit to Upper Perimeter rather than more crowded Orion. We moved to Comet and took one run there before moving to Olympic and going up the chair and skiing the entire Olympic Downhill run to Stagecoach base. My wife wanted to do it again, but we had to cut our day short so we skied Upper Northbowl to Olympic chair and skied to Tamarack chair. We went down CA trail and had our longest wait of the morning at four minutes for Canyon chair. The line at Sky looked two to three times as long.
We skied Ridge to Mombo to Roundabout, where snow was already in bad shape in places, even though it was only 11:30.
They also was hosting release party of Sam Adams Rebel IPA with free samples, discounts and giveaways. We waited to get close parking as I did not think shuttles would be running after 5 pm. We eventually found someone leaving and walked in street shoes to the Sam Adams release party. Diamond Peak was very busy, especially the lodges and beginner chairs, but there were only very short lines on Lakeview and Crystal Quads (their only hi-speed lift).
I left my wife at Lakeview Lodge and returned to Crystal Quad were I skied more challenging Thunder which still had some sun and skied well. At the bottom, the chair was stopped and there was a little line. Since I only less than 30 min. left to ski, I moved to Lakeview and skied Slalom Grade into Corkscrew, then Showoff. Both of these lower elevation North-facing runs had mostly very good snow, with a couple of firmer spots at the top.
Since they warned us that you had to be on Lakeview chair before 4 pm or miss the event, I was done riding lifts. They started serving at 4:10 and were very generous with their pours of two Robert Talbot chardonnays and three pinot noirs. The appetizers were better and more than expected including stuffed mushrooms, smoked salmon with capers, onions and chopped eggs, salad with goat cheese, figs and strawberries and finally skewed chunks of filet with demi-glace. It was enough for us to call it dinner.
