tseeb
Well-known member
Tuesday 4/4/23
I left cabin at 8 and my drive to Kirkwood took an hour. Pioneer Trail was slick enough that I got a little crossed up once when avoiding one of the numerous potholes. There was chain control over Carson Pass, even though road was mostly clear going towards Kirkwood.
CHP lit up my radar coming out of Pinball Alley, the shady downhill S-turns between Caples Lake and Kirkwood Inn that I have learned to respect. I passed him at 25 mph chain control limit.
Kirkwood reported 2 degrees early with 4" new on top of 5" new reported on Monday. Crowds were light enough that new snow was slow getting tracked. I took gravity two laps into Palisades before friends who drove up from San Jose arrived. Even though the E-facing was getting full morning sun, it skied very well. I was on my powder skis for first time this trip.
Then I rode The Wall, where I had a pre-release on bigger than usual entry with short slide, then skied Eagle Bowl
to get to Caples Crest chair to get to Backside. I rode long slow Sunrise 4x without connecting with friends. Twice I skied very lightly tracked Cold Shoulder then cut across high to left to get a lot more mostly untracked S-facing turns in Sunnyside.
I took one lap off the Wave when I made tracks between some of the blocks that had falling off the cornice and had a lot more very lightly
tracked low angle almost to bottom. I was going to go into Thunder Saddle to exit Backside, but pushed further along ridge to Moon Bowl where I made tracks between edge where I took picture and first set of trees.
Looking back up. There was a lot more steep mostly untracked below me.
Before meeting up with friends, I rode Wall and down-climbed (much steeper than it looks) into Notch Chute and skied Corner Chute.
I wasn’t going to stop for more track pictures, but it was so good I did just in time to see two youngsters ski through them.
More of the Corner/False Peak/Cabin Chutes
I met friends at 7800 and had a $3 Modelo. They both had two which is too much for lunch for me. We did longish hike to Reut as long beginner chair 1 was not running (my friends would have ridden it - not me). I dropped off Wagon Trail skiing some untracked I’d spotted earlier into Snowsnake Gully which is now a 100’+ half-pipe and a lot of fun. My friends loaded Cornice before me so after waiting a couple of minutes, I loaded and then spotted them on chair while I was almost to the bottom skiing close to it. We skied Zachary’s then Sentinel together. I led them into Ditch or Doom where one crashed and joined us at the lift covered in snow. We rode Timber Creek a few times before they were ready for one more Cornice/Sentinel. I led them past the Doobie Cave where the top of the 8’ opening is barely visible.
One friend and I skied the Ditch again and didn’t see other friend come out. Of course, he’s the one who skis with his phone turned off.
After waiting a few minutes, other friend continued waiting while I rode Timber Creek and went to where we’d last seen him.
One friend on our last Sentinel run at almost 3 (camera not yet reset for time change). Note lightly tracked behind him.
I skied down ridge looking down both sides and calling his name. I got to where I could see the other friend and called him and other was still missing. I skied down to him and saw somebody dressed similarly going down ramp to road and skied down. It was not him but looking up road I could see rear cover on a truck that looked like his was open which is where he was with phone still off (and dead). SkiTracks counted 23 lifts and 22K when I quit at 325. Friends were staying near Heavenly’s Tram and while changing for hot tub, I took this picture of East Bowl where people where still skiing and also downloading Gunbarrel chair.
Car that was mostly buried when I was at Heavenly almost a month ago and is now mostly unburied and ticketed. Must be a rental although I did not see any identifying stickers. Lake visible down road. Our cabin is less than a mile down this hill. Chains NOT required.
I left cabin at 8 and my drive to Kirkwood took an hour. Pioneer Trail was slick enough that I got a little crossed up once when avoiding one of the numerous potholes. There was chain control over Carson Pass, even though road was mostly clear going towards Kirkwood.
CHP lit up my radar coming out of Pinball Alley, the shady downhill S-turns between Caples Lake and Kirkwood Inn that I have learned to respect. I passed him at 25 mph chain control limit.
Kirkwood reported 2 degrees early with 4" new on top of 5" new reported on Monday. Crowds were light enough that new snow was slow getting tracked. I took gravity two laps into Palisades before friends who drove up from San Jose arrived. Even though the E-facing was getting full morning sun, it skied very well. I was on my powder skis for first time this trip.
Then I rode The Wall, where I had a pre-release on bigger than usual entry with short slide, then skied Eagle Bowl
Looking back up. There was a lot more steep mostly untracked below me.
Before meeting up with friends, I rode Wall and down-climbed (much steeper than it looks) into Notch Chute and skied Corner Chute.
More of the Corner/False Peak/Cabin Chutes
I met friends at 7800 and had a $3 Modelo. They both had two which is too much for lunch for me. We did longish hike to Reut as long beginner chair 1 was not running (my friends would have ridden it - not me). I dropped off Wagon Trail skiing some untracked I’d spotted earlier into Snowsnake Gully which is now a 100’+ half-pipe and a lot of fun. My friends loaded Cornice before me so after waiting a couple of minutes, I loaded and then spotted them on chair while I was almost to the bottom skiing close to it. We skied Zachary’s then Sentinel together. I led them into Ditch or Doom where one crashed and joined us at the lift covered in snow. We rode Timber Creek a few times before they were ready for one more Cornice/Sentinel. I led them past the Doobie Cave where the top of the 8’ opening is barely visible.
One friend and I skied the Ditch again and didn’t see other friend come out. Of course, he’s the one who skis with his phone turned off.
One friend on our last Sentinel run at almost 3 (camera not yet reset for time change). Note lightly tracked behind him.
Car that was mostly buried when I was at Heavenly almost a month ago and is now mostly unburied and ticketed. Must be a rental although I did not see any identifying stickers. Lake visible down road. Our cabin is less than a mile down this hill. Chains NOT required.
