Heavenly, CA and NV 1/19/24

tseeb

Well-known member
Since my ZipFit liners are difficult to get into boots in parking lot (and leaving/putting them in boots before putting boot on can damage them), I booted up at cabin and drove a mile to Heavenly’s CA base in ski boots. At 8:45, I got one of the last close-in spaces between tram, Keller Rd and where I would end my skiing. There were enough people lined up for Tram that I was concerned I might not make first one so I skated to even bigger line at Gunbarrel which I loaded at 903. My only previous skiing at Heavenly this season was on 12/4 when I moved there after riding only lift open at Kirkwood 15x and Heavenly was limited to icy Ridge Run, beginner Maggies and SW-facing Steins Way, which had best snow in early Dec and was also good this day. Photo taken after 130 on 1/19.
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I skied Sky and Canyon with two friends who made first Tram before moving to NV. Does Batman logo on skisuit make fashion patrol?
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After skiing excellent natural snow in Milky Way Bowl, (Photos main MWB that I skied first, then N-facing side I skied twice later from Dipper chair).
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I then skied Mott Canyon which had just opened for the first time this season via gate 2 skiing Bills which is much steeper than it looks in photo.
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Many rocks were showing and lurking barely hidden. In many places it was easy to push pole into 3-4' of unpacked, somewhat hollow snow. I hit one rock lightly near top on skis that had been tuned two nights before and skied very carefully and cautiously the rest of the way down. Near the bottom I had my first hard crash of the season when I missed a turn, straightline between trees into creekbank.
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From Mott chair looking up The Y which barely looked skiable and would be hard to get to. Bill's that I skied is on right.
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Galaxy chair also opened Friday for first time this season and while it tried to suck me in and I had a sandwich in my pocket for long too slow and flattish lift, I didn't have the beer I'd also need to ride it. I skied to North Bowl chair twice, once from Nevada Trail below Galaxy and once from the top of Olympic, both times enjoying the most, steep shaded face above base of chair. I also skied Olympic to Stagecoach base once.

After I short break at Tamarack Lodge for my sandwich where I took both of these photos, I returned to CA.
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Panoramic of most of Lake Tahoe from California Trail which is main return to CA from NV.
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Some highlights from the rest of day in CA were very carefully skiing thin Liz's, entering from Ellie's Swing, Ridge Bowl and decently covered on natural snow Waterfall.
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I finished with all of Roundabout including long flat past Groove chair (not enough coverage or allowed to cut any corners) then some excellent corduroy on the left side of World Cup. I had 22 lifts for third day in a row and skied over 24K. After removing boots and driving back through Tahoe Tyrol, I was at cabin at 2. After finishing cleaning, packing and closing cabin, I was on the road at 3:15 and home at 7:20. I avoided Sacramento traffic by taking CA-49 through Plymouth and got to San Jose after Friday commute traffic cleared.
 
Short version great hold and feel, but expensive and getting into warm shell with liner on is difficult and I wonder if I could do it in parking lot on a 0 degree morning. Works best for E-coast skiers who bootup in lodge, not parking lot.

I've been using custom liners since Spring of 2011 when bootfitter tried to downsize me and after about 5 days of only being only able to ski 3 hrs. even with their Heel-loc footbed and boot customization due to lack of circulation, he went back to original size I'd been using and sold me on Intuition liners, maybe to make up for loss on unsuccessful downsize. The Intuition after being baked and custom fitted worked great and were very warm, but packed down a little and wore out after about 150 days. They next recommended Palau which are made in the Pyrenees and are similar to Intuition, but with more structure. I probably got about 200 days out of them, even moving them from one pair of Langes to another when I didn't like feel/fit of stock liners after less than 50 days.

I am not an easy fit. I usually get 9 1/2 E shoes and have a high arch and instep. I've also suffered from Achilles tendonitis on one ankle, then plantar fasciitis on the other foot in the last 19 months. Both seem to have gotten better starting last Fall, but my fitness was down last season due to lack of long walks and bike riding.

When skiing before Christmas this year, I started getting pain at bottom of left tib/fib. When I stopped at So. Tahoe branch of my bootfitter that opened five? years ago within a mile of my family's cabin, they said my liners were worn out and I needed ZipFits which sell for $495 plus tax including fitting. That is more than my Lange LX120 high volume cost when local chain where long-time friend is a manager had everything 40% during a drought season. My wife always has trouble finding a gift for me that I need or use for Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary so she bought them for me for Christmas and Anniversary (less than a week ago) after I told her I'd think of her every time when booting up.

I should have bought them before Christmas because pain got worse with each additional day of skiing and the amount of vertical and challenging terrain I could ski dropped. Then because I was getting pain, I couldn't push one shin forward for turns and overused my knee causing some swelling. I skied one day with some powder at Kirkwood in early January, then got fitted for liners. It took almost 2 hrs. as they baked them and put them on my feet then had me stand and press them forward for 15-20 minutes at least three times. I have Gara HV which are thicker/less compressible than old liners. The next day after getting them fitted I was able to press forward and ski some bump lines smoothly even though I had some pain remaining in lower shin, calf and knee from previous abuse on one side. I've stretched my back nearly every day for 50 years and was unable to pull my left knee close to my chest as usual until recently.

Two weeks later I am mostly pain free after skiing some tough snow and terrain from 9-3 at Kirkwood two days and 9-145 with 24K on third day at Heavenly. I now have 4 days on the ZipFit and find myself not cranking boots down as the fit and feel is so good that I have a lot of control even during warmup lap or two with top two buckles undone. I will return to bootfitter at some point as they told me what to do with long laces and closure for them and I want to make sure I have it right. I heard about recent sale on Ebay in my size, but don't think savings make up for lack of custom fitting.
 
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I understand there is no ‘normal’ as far as Tahoe snow fall goes due to volatility but these areas of Heavenly that have just opened are opened when on average? Before New Year?
 
Heavenly is well leeward of the Sierra Crest and thus gets much less snow than the areas on it like Palisades, Alpine Meadows, Sierra at Tahoe, KIrkwood and Mammoth. So in lean years like this (California overall was 51% of normal Jan. 16) Heavenly can really be hurting. This week was probably the firs tone this season I'd even consider a day at Heavenly, and still coverage was likely way better at Kirkwood. I'm surprised Mott opened as even in average seasons it would not be by New Year's, and from tseeb's description it was marginal.
 
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