tseeb
Well-known member
I'm really late writing this one up and it was the worst ski day of my road trip, but I don't want to leave a hole in my CA/UT/CA roadtrip so here it is: I quit skiing Park City on Tuesday 4/11 at 2 PM and went by El Chubasco for a take-out burrito. I ate half of it in the car, then drove to SLC where I made a quick trip though Level Nine and bought a couple of non-skiing items. I find their skiing items are easier to look at on-line. I was on the road again at 3:30 and got very tired driving across W UT and stopped at
Bonneville rest stop to wake up. In West Wendover, NV, I filled up with cheap gas ($2.26 with 3 cents discount) and McDonald's coffee (any size for $1) that got me more awake. From I-80, I had good views of the snow-covered Pequop and Ruby Mountains, then used McDonald's parking lot in Elko to finish burrito and for free Wi-Fi.
My friend from Truckee texted and offered me a bed/room in his house, but I was not sure if I could make it that far and thought it would be after midnight before I arrived. But after a junk food and beer stop at CVS and getting on the road again,
I realized with the hour I had gained from time change and slighty exeeding the speed limit, I could make it between 11 and 11:30. So I set the cruise at 80 and continued W. After another gas stop at Winnemuca for the last cheap gas ($2.32 with 3 cents discount) on I-80 in NV and getting though curvy part of I-80 approaching Reno that I usually miss coming from So. Tahoe as I cutoff between Carson City and Fernley, I made it to friend's house at 11:15 where his wife was still up watching TV.
Wed. morning, my friend made me another of his excellent 3-egg each with cheese, onion and bacon breakfast. He was out the door at not much after 8 to meet a tile guy at a neighboring house owned by family members. I beat him to Northstar where we loaded gondola before 9:15. It was snowing at the top and windy enough to put Zephyr chair on wind hold. The snow turned to rain and my friend quit after three runs. I went into tent at the top after 4 Backside runs to dry out a little.
The surface of snow on groomed Backside runs stayed good as they are steep enough to not get affected by a little moisture, but chair was running a little slow due to wind which gave the wet a chance to start soaking my outer layer. I made it out for two more runs before retreating again, then made one more before heading out West Ridge. I started down Sodergren's, which I saw earlier was listed as groomers pick of the day, but found SE-facing snow too wet so I bailed back to Lookout Bypass, Boondocks and skied Home Run to parking by my car. I quit about 12:30 with just over 15K.
Since I was done early, I went by Squaw to visit my bootfitter. On the way through Truckee, I stopped to say hello to friend that I would be staying with near So. Tahoe that night who was having lunch at Jax's Diner with his wife. One of my bootfitter's staff did a mild punch just below rivet holding 2nd buckle on boot that had been rubbing my foot. I drove down W side of Lake
and made a couple of stops in S Tahoe where wind was picking up, but storm had not yet hit. Heavenly was still running gondola after 5 pm when I went under it and from reviewing texts it seems like even thought they report 30-45 mph winds with gusts to 65 they ran all lifts with only Tamarack at top of gondola having a late opening.
My friend from Truckee texted and offered me a bed/room in his house, but I was not sure if I could make it that far and thought it would be after midnight before I arrived. But after a junk food and beer stop at CVS and getting on the road again,
Wed. morning, my friend made me another of his excellent 3-egg each with cheese, onion and bacon breakfast. He was out the door at not much after 8 to meet a tile guy at a neighboring house owned by family members. I beat him to Northstar where we loaded gondola before 9:15. It was snowing at the top and windy enough to put Zephyr chair on wind hold. The snow turned to rain and my friend quit after three runs. I went into tent at the top after 4 Backside runs to dry out a little.
Since I was done early, I went by Squaw to visit my bootfitter. On the way through Truckee, I stopped to say hello to friend that I would be staying with near So. Tahoe that night who was having lunch at Jax's Diner with his wife. One of my bootfitter's staff did a mild punch just below rivet holding 2nd buckle on boot that had been rubbing my foot. I drove down W side of Lake