tseeb
Well-known member
I followed Tony Crocker's advice and drove 35 miles to Kirkwood where wind that had prevented best chair at Tahoe currently running from spinning the previously day had died. There were about 15 people in roped-off ski school side of line, but I came up on path between condos and chair and got into the empty maze. I did not pass them, but since my path was open and theirs was roped off, I got first chair. The two guys I rode with and I all headed for Sentinel, hoping it had been protected from the wind, but it was not. The top of Sentinel (and almost everywhere) had been stripped by the wind to firm snow and rock. I went left off the main run hoping to find more protected snow in the first chute, but instead found that due to low snowpack, it was full of little trees. I went back towards the main rain, then cut back into the chute and trees partway down. There were stretches of decent untracked snow, usually good for only three or four turns with a lot of wind-affected in between. Second run I went a little further left towards Lightning, then third run I followed a guy skiers left of Olympic and found a little better snow both runs. On my fourth run, I went down E-facing Monte Wolf which alternately between wind-affected and untracked, but sun-affected untracked snow. I had a good line between rocks, but set off a couple of roller balls including one big one and luckily cut over to where there was only one set of tracks as line I was following got very rocky.
I skied Cornice chair four more times trying hard to find good snow and usually only succeeding for short stretches. The best was probably far skiers left towards ropeline (against the Palisades)in Lightning). There was also a ropeline protecting skiers right of Monte Wolf as there may not be enough snow to get from there to chutes in Wagon Wheel Bowl. Finally I tried too hard and skied past Olympic where I found good snow in Oops chute and also (re-)learned how it got it's name. At the choke there was a mandatory drop of 8-10 feet over a rock. It may have been possible to get past it by taking off skis and walking down partially snow-covered loose rocks on either side, but after taking off my skis and looking a little closer (but not too close), I did not try. Instead, I spent about 25 minutes climbing back up very steep chute. I tried to stay to the left to avoid post-holing where people skied, but it got too steep and I had to move more to the center. There were places I had to make a platform to get my knees back on top of the snow and then pull myself up to where I had buried my skis for an anchor. It was a lot of work, but not that much peril as there was 3-4 feet of soft snow to dig into to prevent me from sliding down. I did get to see one guy ski it and launch the rock, getting 25 feet of air.
After that I need a break and returned to the car not much after 11. I had thought about dropping a layer, but had gotten damp from sweating and snow while climbing back up the chute plus a high overcast was forming so I did not. I rode Cornice a couple of more times, including one run down Zachary's the usually first to open advanced groomer. They do not have enough snow to groom it which probably keeps the surface better and there are a lot of obstacles. I skied the Reut a couple of times before going into the business office and printing my MCP paperwork as I was considering driving the 150 miles to Mammoth after skiing even though the report I received from Tony Crocker did not sound that promising. Instead, I wore myself out with two more laps on the Reut where I found some good windbuff between rocks on Shutgun, then finished with two more laps on Cornice for a total of 12 lift rides on Cornice, 6 on Reut and almost 22K vertical and almost 43K for my first two days of the year.
I skied Cornice chair four more times trying hard to find good snow and usually only succeeding for short stretches. The best was probably far skiers left towards ropeline (against the Palisades)in Lightning). There was also a ropeline protecting skiers right of Monte Wolf as there may not be enough snow to get from there to chutes in Wagon Wheel Bowl. Finally I tried too hard and skied past Olympic where I found good snow in Oops chute and also (re-)learned how it got it's name. At the choke there was a mandatory drop of 8-10 feet over a rock. It may have been possible to get past it by taking off skis and walking down partially snow-covered loose rocks on either side, but after taking off my skis and looking a little closer (but not too close), I did not try. Instead, I spent about 25 minutes climbing back up very steep chute. I tried to stay to the left to avoid post-holing where people skied, but it got too steep and I had to move more to the center. There were places I had to make a platform to get my knees back on top of the snow and then pull myself up to where I had buried my skis for an anchor. It was a lot of work, but not that much peril as there was 3-4 feet of soft snow to dig into to prevent me from sliding down. I did get to see one guy ski it and launch the rock, getting 25 feet of air.
After that I need a break and returned to the car not much after 11. I had thought about dropping a layer, but had gotten damp from sweating and snow while climbing back up the chute plus a high overcast was forming so I did not. I rode Cornice a couple of more times, including one run down Zachary's the usually first to open advanced groomer. They do not have enough snow to groom it which probably keeps the surface better and there are a lot of obstacles. I skied the Reut a couple of times before going into the business office and printing my MCP paperwork as I was considering driving the 150 miles to Mammoth after skiing even though the report I received from Tony Crocker did not sound that promising. Instead, I wore myself out with two more laps on the Reut where I found some good windbuff between rocks on Shutgun, then finished with two more laps on Cornice for a total of 12 lift rides on Cornice, 6 on Reut and almost 22K vertical and almost 43K for my first two days of the year.
