tseeb
Well-known member
My only semi-dud day in my first week of 2023 skiing Vail Tahoe resorts was Wed. at Northstar. I went there as I expected both Heavenly (where I only had a couple of hours in Nov. so far this season) and Kirkwood, where I had a very good Tues would have lot of lifts closed due to wind from approaching storm. My drives to/from Northstar from near stateline, South Lake Tahoe were 1:20/1:15. Both could have been faster, but once on 28 on the E shore you are stuck going whatever LCD thinks is safe. Chains or 4WD were required going up Spooner on US-50 in AM and 28 was slick enough that I left a lot of space when going downhill.
I got to Northstar early enough to park one spot away from Home Run and made some calls and read paper on my iPad before getting ready. I was in the middle of about 50 person line for gondola near there (that Truckee friend said never to name online). Employees were loading and it seemed like they could have sent customers up to have a coffee or snack while waiting for lifts to open, but they did not. Then about 5 minutes before 8:30 opening they said that previous announcement that this was not the every other Wednesday AM when it's down for maintenance was wrong and we had to go to Village gondola. There was short line outside gondola where they scanned pass, but like Disneyland once you got inside, there was a full building. It did not matter as 8:30 opening is only for transport lifts not ski lifts so I had a wait at Vista chair which stopped at least 4 times including one 3-4 minute stop on my first time up. Most of Northstar lifts stopped a lot and when Comstock 6-pack did a couple of abrupt stops people in chairs near the top went up about 20 feet very quickly. Weather-related lift issues were Zepyhr closed at 12:20 (when I was going to ride it) and Backside, Promised Land and Gondola I'm not supposed to name were all announced as running at reduced speeds due to wind in afternoon.
Early runs on Backside groomers were good, there was never a line and I quickly met up with friends from Truckee. Besides Backside we also skied and liked one ungroomed run off West Ridge and Tonini's off East Ridge. I sampled some of the off-piste off Tonini's edge and found it OK where steeper at top, but like being on RR tracks where flatter. There was some new snow around 10 AM that was fun to ski on edges of runs. After a run on Vista, my friends quit about noon while I skied to the base and rode Village Express twice. I don't think I've ever ridden it since it was upgraded from a slow triple. One run from top of Vista to base was Logger's Loop/The Woods. I wanted to go to Zepyhr lodge but since Zephyr lift closed I had to take Vista and Comstock to get there. Lodge closed early and staff moved my skis a couple of times as they removed racks while I was sitting by window where I could see them.
After break, I skied Drifter, then rode Backside and checked to see if they were having 2 PM Tost and rang bell there. I skied The Chute and got a little too cocky showing off for ski school on run by ripping deep untracked off edge. I thought I could make gap between trees into more steep untracked, but pre-released and landed ~20' below my ski which luckily was visible. It was tough getting back p to it and getting them both back on (I used ski I had to drag myself back up the hill). I was able to get back onto packed and make sure bindings were locked in properly. My ski above me. Steeper than it looks.
I then rode slow Rendezvous once since it was running and skied Tonini's before going back to top on Comstock. On my way back to car I rode Lookout twice skiing groomed but getting firm Martis, then bumped out Prosser which was trying at end of long day. I stopped at 3:30 with 29K. Note new snowline in trees near top of Lookout chair.
Looking up and down Prosser, more than halfway down. Bumps don't really show well, but was feeling them then and that evening when I took a hot bath. I was waiting for sunny break for photos, but it was too late in day to light up run.
I think Northstar was a good call as Kirkwood closed chair 6 at 1:15, then closed all lifts at 1:40 due to wind. Besides having to close Sky at 1030 due to wind and not AFAIK opening gondola, Heavenly found multiple days of power problems at NV lodges led to frozen pipes which limited ability to serve food and operate rest rooms. Hopefully no plumbing was broken.
I got to Northstar early enough to park one spot away from Home Run and made some calls and read paper on my iPad before getting ready. I was in the middle of about 50 person line for gondola near there (that Truckee friend said never to name online). Employees were loading and it seemed like they could have sent customers up to have a coffee or snack while waiting for lifts to open, but they did not. Then about 5 minutes before 8:30 opening they said that previous announcement that this was not the every other Wednesday AM when it's down for maintenance was wrong and we had to go to Village gondola. There was short line outside gondola where they scanned pass, but like Disneyland once you got inside, there was a full building. It did not matter as 8:30 opening is only for transport lifts not ski lifts so I had a wait at Vista chair which stopped at least 4 times including one 3-4 minute stop on my first time up. Most of Northstar lifts stopped a lot and when Comstock 6-pack did a couple of abrupt stops people in chairs near the top went up about 20 feet very quickly. Weather-related lift issues were Zepyhr closed at 12:20 (when I was going to ride it) and Backside, Promised Land and Gondola I'm not supposed to name were all announced as running at reduced speeds due to wind in afternoon.
Early runs on Backside groomers were good, there was never a line and I quickly met up with friends from Truckee. Besides Backside we also skied and liked one ungroomed run off West Ridge and Tonini's off East Ridge. I sampled some of the off-piste off Tonini's edge and found it OK where steeper at top, but like being on RR tracks where flatter. There was some new snow around 10 AM that was fun to ski on edges of runs. After a run on Vista, my friends quit about noon while I skied to the base and rode Village Express twice. I don't think I've ever ridden it since it was upgraded from a slow triple. One run from top of Vista to base was Logger's Loop/The Woods. I wanted to go to Zepyhr lodge but since Zephyr lift closed I had to take Vista and Comstock to get there. Lodge closed early and staff moved my skis a couple of times as they removed racks while I was sitting by window where I could see them.
After break, I skied Drifter, then rode Backside and checked to see if they were having 2 PM Tost and rang bell there. I skied The Chute and got a little too cocky showing off for ski school on run by ripping deep untracked off edge. I thought I could make gap between trees into more steep untracked, but pre-released and landed ~20' below my ski which luckily was visible. It was tough getting back p to it and getting them both back on (I used ski I had to drag myself back up the hill). I was able to get back onto packed and make sure bindings were locked in properly. My ski above me. Steeper than it looks.
I then rode slow Rendezvous once since it was running and skied Tonini's before going back to top on Comstock. On my way back to car I rode Lookout twice skiing groomed but getting firm Martis, then bumped out Prosser which was trying at end of long day. I stopped at 3:30 with 29K. Note new snowline in trees near top of Lookout chair.
Looking up and down Prosser, more than halfway down. Bumps don't really show well, but was feeling them then and that evening when I took a hot bath. I was waiting for sunny break for photos, but it was too late in day to light up run.
I think Northstar was a good call as Kirkwood closed chair 6 at 1:15, then closed all lifts at 1:40 due to wind. Besides having to close Sky at 1030 due to wind and not AFAIK opening gondola, Heavenly found multiple days of power problems at NV lodges led to frozen pipes which limited ability to serve food and operate rest rooms. Hopefully no plumbing was broken.