tseeb
Well-known member
I had my fastest drive of the season from San Jose to Squaw Monday morning at about 3.5 hours. Chains were not required as it was not very cold. I picked up my boots with new footbeds that still seemed tight, especially on my right foot. My friend from Truckee had gone up the Funitel ahead of me and we got together after I made a couple of warm-up runs on Shirley Lake. There was some untracked by going far skier’s right or by getting into the trees. The new snow was heavy, but skiable and you didn’t hit bottom even though it was only 6” to a most a foot deep. A line developed at Granite Chief at least an hour before it opened. We saw Solitude running and moved there and found snow at the very top was very messed up due to slides or chunks that had rolled, but it got better lower down and I found some untracked on the boundary line. Going up the chair we saw untracked on lift rider’s right and made two runs through it, but it was too short and low-angle. We moved to now not as crowded Granite Chief and took two runs there. I found some untracked near the top and in the middle, but in many places where the heavy snow had been skied it had set up, slid or been broken apart into many chunks that rolled down the hill. We quit at 1 pm and I left my boots at the shop to see if the could be improved while we went to lunch at the Cornice Cantina. Only 9.4K vertical. Since CA-89 around Emerald Bay was open, I took shorter West shore drive to So. Shore where it was raining and found a few feet of snow in driveway at cabin. I parked in plowed driveway at vacant neighbor’s cabin and worked on ice dams on edge of cabin roof as it had been warm enough for me to remove them.
On Tuesday morning, Squaw did not expect to open the top and it was raining at the bottom. I thought about going to Mt. Rose as they have two-for-one Tuesday and were above the rain, but a close look at their website said Chutes were open, but the Slide Mt. side was going to be closed which is part of the exit from the Chutes. They also expected high winds. Instead, I won a Diamond Peak ticket on RSN-TV and went there. People buying tickets were coming from Rose where they said only one lower lift was running due to wind. I skied a couple of runs on lower Lakeview chair before moving to high-speed Crystal Quad which goes to 8540 foot summit. It was windy up there and visibility was not great, but it stayed open all day. I skied the Flume once, but found better snow on Lightning and Luggi’s. The couple of inches of untracked off the groomers was very difficult, sticky, grabby and hard to make turns without a lot of speed.
My right boot was still giving me problems so I went to the car and removed footbed and tried using insole from a hiking shoe. The insole was a little too long which also caused problems so I went to the Snowflake lodge at top of Lakeview chair and removed it. Skiing without an insole was not much better, but I went to the top and did a couple of more runs. I went to the car and changed to my old boots and skis and after on quick run went into the Snowflake lodge where earlier the bartender said they gave away leftover hot dogs during happy hour which started at 2 pm. It turned out they kept cooking them to give away so for the price of a $5 beer, you also got a $5 hot dog. I took a couple of more runs to the top and ended the day with 14 runs and 16K vertical. I also got over 11K on my new boots, which was better than the 9K on two previous days.
Tues. night, I heard a lot of rain at the cabin in So. Tahoe, and found an inch or two of wet snow in the morning. I must have spent about 15 minute too long cleaning and shutting down the cabin as that is how long the gate high on a ridge almost to Emerald Bay had been closed due to avalanche when I got there, even though signs 5+ winding miles back still said open. So, an hour after leaving Stateline (and that was with making almost all of the lights on US-50 on green on the return), I was back within blocks of the cabin, getting a cup of coffee for the longer in miles, but not that much in time (an hour and about twenty minutes), trip around the east and north shores to Tahoe City, then to Squaw. I stopped at boot shop and got the original insoles for my boots to try using on the right side. I still had problems, but managed two runs on Far East and five runs on KT before quitting after two and a half hours (almost the same time as it took to get there) as I wanted to be back in San Jose for retirement party for somebody I worked with for 29.5 years and who emceed my retirement party.
From Far East, I found untracked by cutting across Dog Leg towards Poulsen’s Gully and brought down a small wet slide on one steep untracked section. It only buried my skis, which were hard to get out. The trees were difficult as snow was too heavy to make quick turns. Next run I skied Red Dog face and found a little untracked to skier’s right, but even little trees were hard to avoid as snow got heavy less than halfway down. I moved to KT, where at 11:30, the singles line was still 15 minutes, partly due to chair stoppages, which also happened to us just below the Fingers. It was worth it is as I got to see people skiing the Fingers and cliff-like McConkey’s and then found untracked on East Face and in the big trees to skier’s right of Schimmelpfennig Bowl. Next run a guy on skis with 128 waist (same a my tails) and I did an early turn into Olympic Lady and found more untracked, then I hit the same trees near Schimmelpfennig Bowl and was able to ski the lower, heavy powder, past where at least 15 people were I assume digging for a lost ski. They may have been part of a team from Jr. races at Squaw this week. Next run I skied wind-packed trees between Chute 75 and West Face before traversing into one of the alternate West Faces, where snow was mostly not very good. I found better snow on well-covered Rock Garden and ended the day with a run in deep and heavy powder off Red Dog Ridge. The top of the mountain did not open, even though wind was not very strong and visibility was good. Only 7 runs, 11K.
Squaw continues to have challenges opening terrain after storms, which makes the limited lifts that are open very crowded. Squaw also seems to be stretching the truth on their snowfall reports. On Monday 3/16, Squaw reported 1-2” at 6200 feet and 6-9” at 8200. If you go to their website http://www.squaw.com/snowfall-tracker-2010-11 they now report 6-8” at 6200 and 12-14” at 8200.
Maybe they report morning snowfall at 6 am and 24 hour snowfall at 5 pm, but they also appear to be stretching it today with morning report of 24” at 6200 feet and 40” at 8200 feet. I was there yesterday and in the morning Squaw reported 10” new at 6200 feet and 22” new at 8200 feet (where they were not open). I was there and it was not snowing enough to accumulate after 11 am. That is also verified at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/rev/remotedata/sqwhic.php
where the new snow on 3/16 showed
Time New Snow
4 am 14
5 am 16
6 am 17
7 am 18
8 am 19
stayed at 19 until noon, when it dropped to 18. Nobody else at North Tahoe claims more than 11” new this morning while Squaw claims 24. Maybe they count the snow they did not let anyone ski yesterday as new on both yesterday and today. Since I am tired of Squaw challenges this season during and after storms, I was thinking about getting a weekday Kirkwood pass for next year. Vail has announced a 7 day Heavenly/6 day Northstar with holiday blackout for $379 that is also tempting.
All these pictures are from iphone
On Tuesday morning, Squaw did not expect to open the top and it was raining at the bottom. I thought about going to Mt. Rose as they have two-for-one Tuesday and were above the rain, but a close look at their website said Chutes were open, but the Slide Mt. side was going to be closed which is part of the exit from the Chutes. They also expected high winds. Instead, I won a Diamond Peak ticket on RSN-TV and went there. People buying tickets were coming from Rose where they said only one lower lift was running due to wind. I skied a couple of runs on lower Lakeview chair before moving to high-speed Crystal Quad which goes to 8540 foot summit. It was windy up there and visibility was not great, but it stayed open all day. I skied the Flume once, but found better snow on Lightning and Luggi’s. The couple of inches of untracked off the groomers was very difficult, sticky, grabby and hard to make turns without a lot of speed.
My right boot was still giving me problems so I went to the car and removed footbed and tried using insole from a hiking shoe. The insole was a little too long which also caused problems so I went to the Snowflake lodge at top of Lakeview chair and removed it. Skiing without an insole was not much better, but I went to the top and did a couple of more runs. I went to the car and changed to my old boots and skis and after on quick run went into the Snowflake lodge where earlier the bartender said they gave away leftover hot dogs during happy hour which started at 2 pm. It turned out they kept cooking them to give away so for the price of a $5 beer, you also got a $5 hot dog. I took a couple of more runs to the top and ended the day with 14 runs and 16K vertical. I also got over 11K on my new boots, which was better than the 9K on two previous days.
Tues. night, I heard a lot of rain at the cabin in So. Tahoe, and found an inch or two of wet snow in the morning. I must have spent about 15 minute too long cleaning and shutting down the cabin as that is how long the gate high on a ridge almost to Emerald Bay had been closed due to avalanche when I got there, even though signs 5+ winding miles back still said open. So, an hour after leaving Stateline (and that was with making almost all of the lights on US-50 on green on the return), I was back within blocks of the cabin, getting a cup of coffee for the longer in miles, but not that much in time (an hour and about twenty minutes), trip around the east and north shores to Tahoe City, then to Squaw. I stopped at boot shop and got the original insoles for my boots to try using on the right side. I still had problems, but managed two runs on Far East and five runs on KT before quitting after two and a half hours (almost the same time as it took to get there) as I wanted to be back in San Jose for retirement party for somebody I worked with for 29.5 years and who emceed my retirement party.
From Far East, I found untracked by cutting across Dog Leg towards Poulsen’s Gully and brought down a small wet slide on one steep untracked section. It only buried my skis, which were hard to get out. The trees were difficult as snow was too heavy to make quick turns. Next run I skied Red Dog face and found a little untracked to skier’s right, but even little trees were hard to avoid as snow got heavy less than halfway down. I moved to KT, where at 11:30, the singles line was still 15 minutes, partly due to chair stoppages, which also happened to us just below the Fingers. It was worth it is as I got to see people skiing the Fingers and cliff-like McConkey’s and then found untracked on East Face and in the big trees to skier’s right of Schimmelpfennig Bowl. Next run a guy on skis with 128 waist (same a my tails) and I did an early turn into Olympic Lady and found more untracked, then I hit the same trees near Schimmelpfennig Bowl and was able to ski the lower, heavy powder, past where at least 15 people were I assume digging for a lost ski. They may have been part of a team from Jr. races at Squaw this week. Next run I skied wind-packed trees between Chute 75 and West Face before traversing into one of the alternate West Faces, where snow was mostly not very good. I found better snow on well-covered Rock Garden and ended the day with a run in deep and heavy powder off Red Dog Ridge. The top of the mountain did not open, even though wind was not very strong and visibility was good. Only 7 runs, 11K.
Squaw continues to have challenges opening terrain after storms, which makes the limited lifts that are open very crowded. Squaw also seems to be stretching the truth on their snowfall reports. On Monday 3/16, Squaw reported 1-2” at 6200 feet and 6-9” at 8200. If you go to their website http://www.squaw.com/snowfall-tracker-2010-11 they now report 6-8” at 6200 and 12-14” at 8200.
Maybe they report morning snowfall at 6 am and 24 hour snowfall at 5 pm, but they also appear to be stretching it today with morning report of 24” at 6200 feet and 40” at 8200 feet. I was there yesterday and in the morning Squaw reported 10” new at 6200 feet and 22” new at 8200 feet (where they were not open). I was there and it was not snowing enough to accumulate after 11 am. That is also verified at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/rev/remotedata/sqwhic.php
where the new snow on 3/16 showed
Time New Snow
4 am 14
5 am 16
6 am 17
7 am 18
8 am 19
stayed at 19 until noon, when it dropped to 18. Nobody else at North Tahoe claims more than 11” new this morning while Squaw claims 24. Maybe they count the snow they did not let anyone ski yesterday as new on both yesterday and today. Since I am tired of Squaw challenges this season during and after storms, I was thinking about getting a weekday Kirkwood pass for next year. Vail has announced a 7 day Heavenly/6 day Northstar with holiday blackout for $379 that is also tempting.
All these pictures are from iphone
