tseeb
Well-known member
I left house at 4:30 am and picked up friend in NE San Jose and we were back on highway at 5 am. At rest stop near Gold Run, about 3,000 foot elevation, there were a few inches of slush. Trucks were pulling over and putting on chains before they were required. We were able to go 40-45 mph over the pass (speed limit on I-80 during chain control is 30). Over the top, clouds were breaking up, which we thought was only temporary as 4-6 more inches were predicted during the day. We got off the freeway just before 9 and were on the Northstar gondola at 9:30 after stopping at ticket office where my friend got the last of the four $60 buddy tickets that came with my pass. Northstar reported 4” new; other were higher with Alpine had the highest report around North Tahoe at 10”. I took one mostly untracked run off Vista chair while my friend was taking care of business and was a little behind him on Zephyr chair. He did not board last year due to knee problem and this was his first day this season. He was a little slow getting started, but was not far behind me at the bottom of Backside. We quickly met up with friends who have houses N of Truckee; one was on a snowboard and one on telemarks.
We skied Backside three times, first going under new and not running today Promised Land lift where I found untracked by traversing half way up the hill where it unloads. Along the edge of runs, you often would find the hard layer underneath, but there were places where it skied better. Next run we went to the furthest west run of Northstar. Some untracked was found by going to the left of the run, but coverage was thin enough that you had to be very cautious. Next run we again headed toward Promised Land lift. This time I got even closer to unloading station and had more untracked. Then the telemarking friend and I were able to cut right and had a lot of untracked on run that had been overlooked.
We then skied off the East Ridge and could not resist dropping into untracked in the trees close to the top. Snow was more like 6 inches deep here except under thick trees, where it got thinner. We skied off East Ridge a few more times, then moved to runs dropping off the West Ridge. We had a scare along the intermediate ridge where telemarking friend (and surgeon) went down and was barely able to call to me as I went by. He was lying on the snow not moving with his skis under him pointing in opposite direction. At first we thought he had hit a tree and was unconscious, but he probably only had wind knocked out of him and stretched his groin further than it should go. What I think happened was that he was skiing the edge of run and hit something with one ski, then quickly moved weight to other ski and hit something much harder which threw him to the ground. He was OK, but it showed us all what can happen from only hitting something under the snow with your skis on the edge of an easier run.
We found even deeper snow off the West Ridge; in places it seemed like close to a foot, but in places it also quickly got much thinner and firm under trees. We skied that side a couple of times, before finally going in at top for a break at 1 pm. After the break, the two snowboarders were done while the telemarker and I took one more run on Backside, then one off East Ridge. We took a last ride up Vista chair where runs to the skier’s right of the chair all seemed closed. After skiing through some of the terrain park in the top third of the run, then some partially tracked in the middle third, I followed a road to the right, where I made some turns on a untracked, moderate-angle run that may have been closed from the top. I quit before 3 pm with over 22.5K vertical. It did not snow much during the day. Sometimes when it was snowing, the sun as partially out.
On Valentine’s Day, Squaw was offering $14 advance purchase tickets. I bought mine through lifttickets.com where I was able to use $5 off card I had picked up at local ski show so one friend and I skied Squaw for $9. Since the two of us from San Jose had to be home for dinner with our (respective) wives, we got to Squaw early and joined a large crowd at the Funitel for 9 am opening. We went to Siberia, which had much better coverage at the top than a week ago. I made fast turns down nearly untracked corduroy before stopping where I found a little red bag that I thought somebody going fast with an open pocket must have lost at the edge of the run. On the bottom half of the run, I tried the ungroomed to skiers right of the chair, but found the powder had been mostly skied out. On the chair I opened the bag I had picked up and found it contained candy and a card for 10% off t a local jewelry store. My friends spotted three more bags in small trees during the liftride up, so while they were strapping in, I sped down and picked them up, and found one more, hoping for a season pass or at least a lift ticket. But all contained only candy, with some adding the discount cards. After sharing with friends, I put a couple of the red bags with candy back where hopefully someone else could find them. Next run I skied more to skiers left on the lower half and found some low-angle untracked. After a couple of runs down the packed powder in the middle of the bowl under the Palisades, I skied under the chair. By dropping in close to the highest chair tower, I was twice able to make some turns in packed powder above and next to cliffs near top of Siberia. I then cut across unused, but closed to the public, Racers and found more powder dropping once near the trees and once in the gully toward Gold Coast.
We’d lost one snowboarder, who had gone in to tighten some screws in his binding and had moved to slow Emigrant Chair. We decided to meet at Emigrant, then go up it and ski Backside of Emigrant towards Granite Chief where we would do one run. We lost other snowboarder who continued to Shirley Lake, instead of going down to Emigrant. The top of the Backside was OK, but I was surprised by how many large rocks were showing on the steep run slightly to skier’s right. We had to keep closer to the main run which was mostly skied out . On Granite Chief, we found some good snow on High Voltage, but here were a lot of rocks that had to be avoided. We got into singles line at crowded Shirley Lake, but the lift had stopped so we moved back to Granite. We came down it the middle run where we found very good packed powder and a few powder turns, but many very disconcerting rocks. I started on the right, sunny side of a large stand of trees, but did not like snow there and moved to the left edge of the trees and found much better snow. Shirley Lake was still having problems and line had grown so we did one more Granite lap down the same line. I had ridden Granite with volunteer patroller who said that somebody had gone up Granite before deciding ankle was too injured to ski. Rather than take what would have been a very bumpy sled ride, they were able to download, but that caused some the lift stoppages. By noon, the line at Shirley had gone down so we went up and skied to Headwall which was open for the first time this season.
On the way to Headwall, I took trail to right of Mountain Run and uncovered a rock when I moved to the edge to pass a small family that was blocking most a connecting trail. The face above Mountain Run was thin, but had good snow. They were only loading three to a chair on Headwall which confused a couple who arrived at the top of small line at the same time as telemarker and I. I tried to tell them only they or us could go, but they ignored me and moved out so we held back. Then when they heard the lift operator say three to a chair they moved back so we moved in to load. Then the lady in the couple moved back out far enough to get knocked down by heavy six-pack with footrests chair.
We skied lightly tracked North Bowl, where the new snow was thinner and more wind affected near the top than we expected. After stopping on a barely covered rock-band to re-group, we found much deeper and very dry snow the rest of the way down. We skied all the way to the bottom of Squaw and went up KT and skied East Bowl. On previous day, one of the Squaw crazies left tracks on barely covered 60 degree rock face that used to be called Eagles Nest and is now McConkeys, We took entrance that looked good right under the chair to East Face where most of the new snow had been scraped off. We found some packed powder going further right and continued down toward base of rarely running Olympic Lady chair. My telemarking friend was going to quit, but joined me for a run on Saddle of KT. It was still thin, narrow and a little firm in places, but was much better than a week ago. I found one short, skiable chute near the bottom. On the last little hill before re-joining Mountain Run my friend went down hard on firm snow and decided not to join me for my last ride up still busy Headwall. I skied the groomed Ridge Run, went past top of never open Cornice II chair, before finding some untracked between Bullet Run and The Horse Trails. Way before getting cliffed out, I cut back to the packed powder Bullet, found a little more untracked further down, then skied to and down Mountain Run.
I got out of my skis near the tram at 1:40 and made short walk to the car with almost 20K vertical. We left by 2 pm and drove to Dixon (W of Sacramento) where we both were very stiff getting out of the car at Safeway after two plus hours on the road. My friend bought four and I bought three $5 lobster tails, some asparagus and we each got a dozen roses for our wives. Using mostly reverse commute carpool lanes, we were in San Jose before 6. I even got home before my wife who has a new contract job without any paid vacation and was driving incomunicado with her cell on vibrate. When almost home, a friend called to see if I wanted to join him and another day-tripping to Kirkwood on Wed, but the ride to skiing time did not sound like a good tradeoff. When I checked this morning chain control was down to Pine Grove about 50 miles before Kirkwood who reported 8 more inches new. Other 8” reports were Boreal, Heavenly and Homewood. Alpine, Dodge and Sugar Bowl all said 7” while Northstar and Squaw reported 6. Three days totals are 14-26”.
We skied Backside three times, first going under new and not running today Promised Land lift where I found untracked by traversing half way up the hill where it unloads. Along the edge of runs, you often would find the hard layer underneath, but there were places where it skied better. Next run we went to the furthest west run of Northstar. Some untracked was found by going to the left of the run, but coverage was thin enough that you had to be very cautious. Next run we again headed toward Promised Land lift. This time I got even closer to unloading station and had more untracked. Then the telemarking friend and I were able to cut right and had a lot of untracked on run that had been overlooked.
We then skied off the East Ridge and could not resist dropping into untracked in the trees close to the top. Snow was more like 6 inches deep here except under thick trees, where it got thinner. We skied off East Ridge a few more times, then moved to runs dropping off the West Ridge. We had a scare along the intermediate ridge where telemarking friend (and surgeon) went down and was barely able to call to me as I went by. He was lying on the snow not moving with his skis under him pointing in opposite direction. At first we thought he had hit a tree and was unconscious, but he probably only had wind knocked out of him and stretched his groin further than it should go. What I think happened was that he was skiing the edge of run and hit something with one ski, then quickly moved weight to other ski and hit something much harder which threw him to the ground. He was OK, but it showed us all what can happen from only hitting something under the snow with your skis on the edge of an easier run.
We found even deeper snow off the West Ridge; in places it seemed like close to a foot, but in places it also quickly got much thinner and firm under trees. We skied that side a couple of times, before finally going in at top for a break at 1 pm. After the break, the two snowboarders were done while the telemarker and I took one more run on Backside, then one off East Ridge. We took a last ride up Vista chair where runs to the skier’s right of the chair all seemed closed. After skiing through some of the terrain park in the top third of the run, then some partially tracked in the middle third, I followed a road to the right, where I made some turns on a untracked, moderate-angle run that may have been closed from the top. I quit before 3 pm with over 22.5K vertical. It did not snow much during the day. Sometimes when it was snowing, the sun as partially out.
On Valentine’s Day, Squaw was offering $14 advance purchase tickets. I bought mine through lifttickets.com where I was able to use $5 off card I had picked up at local ski show so one friend and I skied Squaw for $9. Since the two of us from San Jose had to be home for dinner with our (respective) wives, we got to Squaw early and joined a large crowd at the Funitel for 9 am opening. We went to Siberia, which had much better coverage at the top than a week ago. I made fast turns down nearly untracked corduroy before stopping where I found a little red bag that I thought somebody going fast with an open pocket must have lost at the edge of the run. On the bottom half of the run, I tried the ungroomed to skiers right of the chair, but found the powder had been mostly skied out. On the chair I opened the bag I had picked up and found it contained candy and a card for 10% off t a local jewelry store. My friends spotted three more bags in small trees during the liftride up, so while they were strapping in, I sped down and picked them up, and found one more, hoping for a season pass or at least a lift ticket. But all contained only candy, with some adding the discount cards. After sharing with friends, I put a couple of the red bags with candy back where hopefully someone else could find them. Next run I skied more to skiers left on the lower half and found some low-angle untracked. After a couple of runs down the packed powder in the middle of the bowl under the Palisades, I skied under the chair. By dropping in close to the highest chair tower, I was twice able to make some turns in packed powder above and next to cliffs near top of Siberia. I then cut across unused, but closed to the public, Racers and found more powder dropping once near the trees and once in the gully toward Gold Coast.
We’d lost one snowboarder, who had gone in to tighten some screws in his binding and had moved to slow Emigrant Chair. We decided to meet at Emigrant, then go up it and ski Backside of Emigrant towards Granite Chief where we would do one run. We lost other snowboarder who continued to Shirley Lake, instead of going down to Emigrant. The top of the Backside was OK, but I was surprised by how many large rocks were showing on the steep run slightly to skier’s right. We had to keep closer to the main run which was mostly skied out . On Granite Chief, we found some good snow on High Voltage, but here were a lot of rocks that had to be avoided. We got into singles line at crowded Shirley Lake, but the lift had stopped so we moved back to Granite. We came down it the middle run where we found very good packed powder and a few powder turns, but many very disconcerting rocks. I started on the right, sunny side of a large stand of trees, but did not like snow there and moved to the left edge of the trees and found much better snow. Shirley Lake was still having problems and line had grown so we did one more Granite lap down the same line. I had ridden Granite with volunteer patroller who said that somebody had gone up Granite before deciding ankle was too injured to ski. Rather than take what would have been a very bumpy sled ride, they were able to download, but that caused some the lift stoppages. By noon, the line at Shirley had gone down so we went up and skied to Headwall which was open for the first time this season.
On the way to Headwall, I took trail to right of Mountain Run and uncovered a rock when I moved to the edge to pass a small family that was blocking most a connecting trail. The face above Mountain Run was thin, but had good snow. They were only loading three to a chair on Headwall which confused a couple who arrived at the top of small line at the same time as telemarker and I. I tried to tell them only they or us could go, but they ignored me and moved out so we held back. Then when they heard the lift operator say three to a chair they moved back so we moved in to load. Then the lady in the couple moved back out far enough to get knocked down by heavy six-pack with footrests chair.
We skied lightly tracked North Bowl, where the new snow was thinner and more wind affected near the top than we expected. After stopping on a barely covered rock-band to re-group, we found much deeper and very dry snow the rest of the way down. We skied all the way to the bottom of Squaw and went up KT and skied East Bowl. On previous day, one of the Squaw crazies left tracks on barely covered 60 degree rock face that used to be called Eagles Nest and is now McConkeys, We took entrance that looked good right under the chair to East Face where most of the new snow had been scraped off. We found some packed powder going further right and continued down toward base of rarely running Olympic Lady chair. My telemarking friend was going to quit, but joined me for a run on Saddle of KT. It was still thin, narrow and a little firm in places, but was much better than a week ago. I found one short, skiable chute near the bottom. On the last little hill before re-joining Mountain Run my friend went down hard on firm snow and decided not to join me for my last ride up still busy Headwall. I skied the groomed Ridge Run, went past top of never open Cornice II chair, before finding some untracked between Bullet Run and The Horse Trails. Way before getting cliffed out, I cut back to the packed powder Bullet, found a little more untracked further down, then skied to and down Mountain Run.
I got out of my skis near the tram at 1:40 and made short walk to the car with almost 20K vertical. We left by 2 pm and drove to Dixon (W of Sacramento) where we both were very stiff getting out of the car at Safeway after two plus hours on the road. My friend bought four and I bought three $5 lobster tails, some asparagus and we each got a dozen roses for our wives. Using mostly reverse commute carpool lanes, we were in San Jose before 6. I even got home before my wife who has a new contract job without any paid vacation and was driving incomunicado with her cell on vibrate. When almost home, a friend called to see if I wanted to join him and another day-tripping to Kirkwood on Wed, but the ride to skiing time did not sound like a good tradeoff. When I checked this morning chain control was down to Pine Grove about 50 miles before Kirkwood who reported 8 more inches new. Other 8” reports were Boreal, Heavenly and Homewood. Alpine, Dodge and Sugar Bowl all said 7” while Northstar and Squaw reported 6. Three days totals are 14-26”.
