tseeb
Well-known member
12/3 was the Secret Squaw Powder day with rain and 1 inch reported at the bottom and 8-10 inches above 8,000 feet and nobody there. Monday also reported 2-3 inches new at the bottom and 11-13” new at 8,200 feet. The weekend, or at least Saturday, was not as good.
I left San Jose at 5 AM and met my friend at 8 AM where Hwy 20 from Nevada City joins I-80 and left my SUV at the sand station there. My friend and I got to Squaw before 9 and went up Far East, then Red Dog and skied a warm-up run on Squaw Creek. The groomed was OK, but a little firm as I think it rained, and then froze. The ungroomed was very crusty and hard to ski, unless really steep. We next ski down Red Dog and I fought my way down Red Dog Face, which was vey difficult crust. Then we went up the Funitel and did four Siberia runs. The snow was better, as I don't think they had rain, by nothing was groomed and it was tough snow, unless it has been skier packed. Near the very top, some of the powder was a little better. We went over to Shirley, where the groomed was very good, soft and fast. It was a little crowded, but we never waited move than about three minutes.
After skiing to the bottom and having lunch, we did KT where we skied the Saddle, which was only groomed at the top and in a narrow path down to the Mountain Run. We went back up the Funitel and found visibility had gotten a lot worse and it was starting to snow. It turned to rain while we skied the Mountain run. We did one more run on KT, skiing the West Face about a third of the way down, before cutting into Chute 75 where my cranked-down, packed-out boots were starting to affect my skiing. We quit about 2:30 and looked for some of my friend’s buddies who work at Sugar Bowl on the way home, but couldn't find them. We did not ski Sunday as it did not seem like it would be much better or different although some sun could have helped. Squaw reported nothing at the bottom and a trace at 8,200 feet. Instead, I came home and got Christmas stuff out of storage and brought home Christmas tree my sister got us at a friend of hers property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 16 run/17.7K vertical
Both pictures are from Shirley Lake lift and show recent fracture lines. The fracture above Shirley chair is not on a very steep slope. The one in The Funnel, which is steeper, accessible from yet-to-open Emigrant lift and still needs a lot of filling in.
I left San Jose at 5 AM and met my friend at 8 AM where Hwy 20 from Nevada City joins I-80 and left my SUV at the sand station there. My friend and I got to Squaw before 9 and went up Far East, then Red Dog and skied a warm-up run on Squaw Creek. The groomed was OK, but a little firm as I think it rained, and then froze. The ungroomed was very crusty and hard to ski, unless really steep. We next ski down Red Dog and I fought my way down Red Dog Face, which was vey difficult crust. Then we went up the Funitel and did four Siberia runs. The snow was better, as I don't think they had rain, by nothing was groomed and it was tough snow, unless it has been skier packed. Near the very top, some of the powder was a little better. We went over to Shirley, where the groomed was very good, soft and fast. It was a little crowded, but we never waited move than about three minutes.
After skiing to the bottom and having lunch, we did KT where we skied the Saddle, which was only groomed at the top and in a narrow path down to the Mountain Run. We went back up the Funitel and found visibility had gotten a lot worse and it was starting to snow. It turned to rain while we skied the Mountain run. We did one more run on KT, skiing the West Face about a third of the way down, before cutting into Chute 75 where my cranked-down, packed-out boots were starting to affect my skiing. We quit about 2:30 and looked for some of my friend’s buddies who work at Sugar Bowl on the way home, but couldn't find them. We did not ski Sunday as it did not seem like it would be much better or different although some sun could have helped. Squaw reported nothing at the bottom and a trace at 8,200 feet. Instead, I came home and got Christmas stuff out of storage and brought home Christmas tree my sister got us at a friend of hers property in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 16 run/17.7K vertical
Both pictures are from Shirley Lake lift and show recent fracture lines. The fracture above Shirley chair is not on a very steep slope. The one in The Funnel, which is steeper, accessible from yet-to-open Emigrant lift and still needs a lot of filling in.
