tseeb
Well-known member
30 minute firm snow hold on low intermediate lift! Then had another one for grooming on chair 2. WTF?
I got in moderate line for Timber Creek chair after parking along Kirkwood entrance road (free Blue reservation required), about a 5 min walk from lift at 9:15. They did not load until 9:30, which caused a line there most of the day, as they were concerned their holiday customers could get hurt falling on firm snow. It must have rained at some point and froze, but isn’t that why skis have metal edges? I moved to Reut chair and decided to take chair 2 to get to Backside before crowds. Big mistake. There was a lift closed sign on fence, but it was not blocking entrance road to liftline so I assumed it would open soon. I was on 2nd chair when it loaded just before 10:30 after they sent three groomers down then back up one of the runs and liftees re-worked last 10’ of loading ramp. In retrospect, I should have taken some laps on Reut, where my first turn on day-old grooming on Shotgun was more exciting than expected as it was firm and tested the edges I’d sharpened on instead of going to coast with my wife and dog for a walk on beach that we often have done on NYD.
Backside was very good and liftline never grew. I never went lookers left at top to only groomed (narrowly) trail, instead skiing SE and some S-facing smooth snow that corned quickly in the sun on lookers right. I rode Backside 7x, never connecting with Dave from England who has been skiing Kirkwood nearly daily since mid-December. Cell and data service seemed more limited than previously with my phone only connecting when above last 2-3 chair towers. When I got text that he’d returned to base, I exited through N-facing Thunder Saddle where I fell on ice behind snowfence at top of run and had hard time getting up from slippery, nearly flat place. Main Thunder Saddle run was firm, but skiable and nearly flat exit across Meadow and uphill/flat past base of chair 2 was easier to get past than usual.
After eating lunch I was carrying in lodge, Dave and I skied Shotgun, then next time up skied to chair 2 to return to Backside where we did two laps. Snow was still good even though sun was no longer hitting since it was after 2 and there was a thin cloud layer. We returned to frontside after short but very slow line for chair 3. Dave was done, having problem with boots, so I took 3 laps skiing W-facing chair 2 groomers where most was still in the sun. I exited chair 2 via Low Whiskey and went up Reut and did a lap on still firm, open to public after racers were done, course. I moved to Cornice where top was still in the sun and did two laps, first skiing Olympic where I did see some clear ice, then was going to end my day with Sentinel after loading just before 4, but it was roped off. Instead I skied main E/NE-facing groomer Zachary’s, but it was too scraped off so I cut through to Janek that was better. Two patrollers were on stopped Cornice chair above me so I asked if they closed Sentinel early to make sweep easier. They replied it was closed all day due to ice. I told them that was BS. I saw The Wall loading at 10 AM (no takers). It was shutdown in afternoon.
Ski Tracks and Garmin watch my son gave me for Christmas both counted 21 runs. SkiTracks counted almost 19.5K while Garmin was 750’ lower.
I’d thought I’d turned on Avocet watch that was in pants pocket, but if I did, I’d also stopped and reset it as it had 0 at end of day. Drive to So. Tahoe was almost an hour as I was stuck too many cars back behind people going 45-50 on CA-88 until I could pass them on long uphill straightaways going up Luther Pass on CA-89. Using local knowledge, I was able to avoid backup at roundabout with US-50 and where Pioneer Trail stopped at least a mile before Ski Run (crossing traffic exiting Heavenly) then barely found way through back roads to avoid delay getting to cabin. I turned on heat at cabin and unloaded car before making it to South Lake Brewing for a Happy Hour beer and two 4-packs to go. Both are $2 off through Friday, but still were $17 and $19.
Back to Kirkwood Friday where 5-9” is predicted with a lot of wind, then have parking reservations for Alpine on the weekend. Not sure if I’m skiing through Mon, Tues or Wed. Most of a cross the street neighbors Christmas lights.
I got in moderate line for Timber Creek chair after parking along Kirkwood entrance road (free Blue reservation required), about a 5 min walk from lift at 9:15. They did not load until 9:30, which caused a line there most of the day, as they were concerned their holiday customers could get hurt falling on firm snow. It must have rained at some point and froze, but isn’t that why skis have metal edges? I moved to Reut chair and decided to take chair 2 to get to Backside before crowds. Big mistake. There was a lift closed sign on fence, but it was not blocking entrance road to liftline so I assumed it would open soon. I was on 2nd chair when it loaded just before 10:30 after they sent three groomers down then back up one of the runs and liftees re-worked last 10’ of loading ramp. In retrospect, I should have taken some laps on Reut, where my first turn on day-old grooming on Shotgun was more exciting than expected as it was firm and tested the edges I’d sharpened on instead of going to coast with my wife and dog for a walk on beach that we often have done on NYD.
Backside was very good and liftline never grew. I never went lookers left at top to only groomed (narrowly) trail, instead skiing SE and some S-facing smooth snow that corned quickly in the sun on lookers right. I rode Backside 7x, never connecting with Dave from England who has been skiing Kirkwood nearly daily since mid-December. Cell and data service seemed more limited than previously with my phone only connecting when above last 2-3 chair towers. When I got text that he’d returned to base, I exited through N-facing Thunder Saddle where I fell on ice behind snowfence at top of run and had hard time getting up from slippery, nearly flat place. Main Thunder Saddle run was firm, but skiable and nearly flat exit across Meadow and uphill/flat past base of chair 2 was easier to get past than usual.
After eating lunch I was carrying in lodge, Dave and I skied Shotgun, then next time up skied to chair 2 to return to Backside where we did two laps. Snow was still good even though sun was no longer hitting since it was after 2 and there was a thin cloud layer. We returned to frontside after short but very slow line for chair 3. Dave was done, having problem with boots, so I took 3 laps skiing W-facing chair 2 groomers where most was still in the sun. I exited chair 2 via Low Whiskey and went up Reut and did a lap on still firm, open to public after racers were done, course. I moved to Cornice where top was still in the sun and did two laps, first skiing Olympic where I did see some clear ice, then was going to end my day with Sentinel after loading just before 4, but it was roped off. Instead I skied main E/NE-facing groomer Zachary’s, but it was too scraped off so I cut through to Janek that was better. Two patrollers were on stopped Cornice chair above me so I asked if they closed Sentinel early to make sweep easier. They replied it was closed all day due to ice. I told them that was BS. I saw The Wall loading at 10 AM (no takers). It was shutdown in afternoon.
Ski Tracks and Garmin watch my son gave me for Christmas both counted 21 runs. SkiTracks counted almost 19.5K while Garmin was 750’ lower.
I’d thought I’d turned on Avocet watch that was in pants pocket, but if I did, I’d also stopped and reset it as it had 0 at end of day. Drive to So. Tahoe was almost an hour as I was stuck too many cars back behind people going 45-50 on CA-88 until I could pass them on long uphill straightaways going up Luther Pass on CA-89. Using local knowledge, I was able to avoid backup at roundabout with US-50 and where Pioneer Trail stopped at least a mile before Ski Run (crossing traffic exiting Heavenly) then barely found way through back roads to avoid delay getting to cabin. I turned on heat at cabin and unloaded car before making it to South Lake Brewing for a Happy Hour beer and two 4-packs to go. Both are $2 off through Friday, but still were $17 and $19.
If Kirkwood had rain and refreeze, I hate to think about what the rest of Tahoe is like.