Kirkwood, CA 4/13-4/16/2026

[tseeb]

Monday, April 13, 2026 Kirkwood reported 14" in the last 24 hrs, 17" the day before and 10"/1" on two previous days. When I checked at 430 AM the Carson Spur just before Kirkwood on my shortest route was closed for avalanche control. Alternate routes are much longer with three passes so I was glad to see it open an hour later.

I left San Jose at 450 AM and stopped at Safeway near Jackson for some items my host needed. Then I had 30 miles of chain control (most vehicles had AWD with M+S but there were a few with chains going 25 mph, chain control speed limit, to be passed). Turning into Kirkwood at 845 there was some traffic from both directions.

I parked in lot across road from Timber Creek lift which was scheduled to close on Sunday, April 12, but was needed as all parking filled. After riding Timber Creek and Cornice, I skied my favorite chute next to Olympic Run, then moved to Wall chair, From the Wall chair before 10. Earlier would have been better.

My first Wall lap was Headwaters finding lightly tracked then a little untracked going to skiers right above Reut chair then skiing some of Shotgun and some untracked low-angle powder in gullies lower. I rode Reut twice trying to synch up with friend Greg I'm staying with. We got together on top of the Wall. This is him in Notch Chute before 11.

We once traversed far into Wagon Wheel bowl and skied False Peak chute and also skied the ridge then the steep face between All The Way/Dick's Drop and Waterfall. We also repeated my favorite chute between Olympic and Lookout Janek a couple of times. I'd asked patrol the name and they said shot 11. Greg found this sign way up in a tree.

He skied away before I could take photo of him in front of it. But maybe you can see from photo above way up in the tree it says The Reut after Dick Reuter, Kirkwood's original mountain manager.

Garmin stats and map of my day. We quit before 3 PM. I took off one run as it counted long uphill walk from parking to first lift as a run.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Great pic:

 

[ChrisC]

I am surprised Vail has never upgraded Kirkwood:

• The Wall and The Reut lifts could be a single detachable quad with mid-station like Sun Valley's new Challenger Lift or even Alta's Collin (?) lift. Just reduce chairs per ft and create an appropriate capacity - not to overload the Wall.
• Backside/Sunrise. Likely the best intermediate alpine terrain at Kirkwood.

At least Telluride does not own Kirkwood anymore.... Years ago they did. But Telski could not do any worse than Vail's paralysis.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Liftlines? That’s somewhat low vertical for Tseeb on a day like this. But as ChrisC noted, Kirkwood is not a very efficient ski area.

Our last time at Kirkwood late March 2014 was similarly a powder day during an overall wretched season and it was a zoo. But that day was a Sunday.

 

[tseeb]

I don't think I'd want to see "The Wall and The Reut lifts could be a single detachable quad with mid-station". While it would reduce ride-time, especially when not busy, you could lose capacity as high-speed quads carry 2,400/hr while fixed-grip triples can carry 1,400/hr. You would also lose some flexibility on days when they can't run to the top and mixing in less skilled skiers could lead to more stops. The Reut or Solitude could be upgraded to high-speed but unloading and road entering main Wall run often get backed up as it is. Solitude and high-speed low-intermediate Timber Creek often have longer lines than Cornice or The Wall, except at beginning of day with fresh snow.

Backside should be high-speed. 12 min ride (without stops which happen often or lines that can reach 20 min due to the stops) for run that can be done in 3 minutes mean it's often 1 or 2 and done via Thunder Saddle for me. Only 2-3 runs (Elevator Shaft, Happiness Is/Devils'Draw, above and next/below The Wave) on Backside/Sunrise are marked Intermediate. There are a lot of easier, especially compared to the Wall, black runs.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 was sunny and busy for a weekday. Only Palisades and Kirkwood are running during the week as Mt Rose is closed until this Friday when they re-open for their final weekend. Due to a miscommunication friend I'm staying with came down to car in his ski boots and said shuttle would be there in 1-5 minutes. I'd been putting rub-on wax on my skis and did not have my ski boots on, so I drove to parking where I had long walk to a lift. But it was a nice place to tailgate later.

We were joined by my nephew who has spent a few years in So. Tahoe and caught the second of two daily free buses Heavenly has been running since they closed 4/5. We skied groomed, but a little chunky in places, Zachary's and Sentinel a few times along with ungroomed The Reut run all enjoying the steep Winter snow there. Later in day Greg had to launch over rock there that he'd forgotten was there.

After a lunch break where we sat at table in shade outside Monte Wolfe's that got cold, we did one lap on Reut chair and four laps on the Wall. We started with ungroomed Shotgun from the Reut, but I found packed powder too soft and move to Conestoga that I thought was better. On the Wall we skied Headwaters once and the main Wall run once, finding still soft snow on downhill side of bumps. We moved to the chutes skiing Notch Chute once, followed by All The Way where my nephew thought about doing entrance from the top of the Wall. Nephew in All The Way.

Greg in All The Way with steep entrance off The Wall my nephew has thought about doing at top right.

We moved back to Cornice for some quick laps skiing Zachary that my nephew had not done, The Reut where Greg had to a launch a rock on steep face but I didn't have camera out and Rabbit Run where my nephew and friend both went to Timber Creek while I went to Cornice that I loaded after 4 PM by my watch. I met up with Greg at the edge of snow for longish walk to the car in emptying parking lot. 430 view there

Higher vertical after late start and finish and run map from my Garmin watch.

 

[ChrisC]

I don't think I'd want to see "The Wall and The Reut lifts could be a single detachable quad with mid-station". While it would reduce ride-time, especially when not busy, you could lose capacity as high-speed quads carry 2,400/hr while fixed-grip triples can carry 1,400/hr. You would also lose some flexibility on days when they can't run to the top and mixing in less skilled skiers could lead to more stops. The Reut or Solitude could be upgraded to high-speed but unloading and road entering main Wall run often get backed up as it is. Solitude and high-speed low-intermediate Timber Creek often have longer lines than Cornice or The Wall, except at beginning of day with fresh snow.

I have seen a lot of HS 6-packs or 8-packs installed primarily due to their heavier weight of chairs significantly reducing wind holds. Capacities are often kept the same, reduced or mildly increased from whatever fixed grip arrangement existed. With additional spacing between chairs, loading is more efficient so theoretical design capacities are more often met.

$0.02

I unfortunately do not know Kirkwood too well.

 

[tseeb]

I don't see Vail spending to put HS 6-pack or 8-pack on the front-side of Kirkwood where extra width would mean extra work, or on Backside/Sunrise where they could use it some days and extra weight would allow it to run more windy days.

After Backside/Sunrise, I think Solitude would be best candidate for an upgrade. As it is now the ride takes longer than HS-4 Cornice which gives almost twice the vertical and Solitude often has longer lines. I don't think I've ridden it this year. I have ridden it too many times on days when it was the only chair running in early season or due to storm.

Wednesday, April 15 was a mostly cloudy day and second day in a row I started my day at 1020. Greg and I rode quick to arrive after requested shuttle from his place to Cornice lift. Crowds, which mostly was parking and were finally way down from Monday and Tuesday. We started with many laps on E-facing Zachary's and were joined by Bill. Besides Zachary's we skied Sentinel and The Reut (aka my favorite steep chute next to Olympic) with him. Our host Greg there past rock that he had to launch on previous day.

We did two laps on The Wall including a last run about 3 pm down Notch Chute which along with most of Kirkwood had softened up. Skier doing a high traverse. We thought he was going to ski below Wall but he continued through gap above lower rock.

Bill and Greg past the choke in Notch chute.

Greg was wearing a Hawaiian shirt as he often does in the Spring over base layer.

My Garmin skipped my first Cornice lap as I usually start recording between car and first lift and didn't after riding shuttle. Adding in missing lift gave me 20.45K for the day. Only posting map of our runs.

 

[tseeb]

Kirkwood, CA Thursday, April 16. My 4th day in a row, 6th April day and 11th (corrected via edit as I thought I had 12) and last day this season at Kirkwood, by far the most days for me (so far?) anywhere.

I started at 920 an hour before previous two days and a little early for Spring conditions as I had PM plans that required early exit. I scored great parking near Cornice Pizza (and lift) and skied laps on Zachary's solo before being joined by Bill for more. Snow started out as firm groomer, then due to a lot of traffic got loosened up, then developed some piles of loose snow, especially in middle. We tried Sentinel once and found it firm and groomed but not that smooth/flat. Our return had a couple of places with very slow sticky snow in sun getting to lower Olympic - the only place we found that. We also skied the main groomer, Buckboard, on Reut chair a couple times, finding side getting more sun much better than center.

We had a complication as our host's texts for shuttle did not get a response and led him to find that his not that old Subaru had dead battery and may be suffering from its Starlink telematics system draining it. I was willing to give up my parking space to go get him, but he wanted to keep trying to start it with jump start device that needed more charge. It never worked so he walked down to a turn on his road then skied towards Timber Creek and joined us for a couple of Cornice laps.

We also skied ungroomed E-facing Monte Wolfe. I'd done lower part of upper Monte Wolfe earlier. Greg

Greg and Bill on Monte Wolfe

Bill

We went to 7800 and ate our lunches outside with $4 drafts and entertainment from guys throwing snowballs off deck for their golden retriever. It's great to see 7800 open every day with events scheduled through day after Kirkwood's closing. Greg's photo. He will be there through Wed.

Men's bathroom. Greg says there is a sticker with a picture of his mid-30s son aged to look much older on it.

After lunch we skied two Reut black groomers finding they had softened, then did our only lap on The Wall where bumps on top half were much firmer than early in week. Instead of another Wall lap and trying Notch chute we went to The Reut run on Cornice where I thought snow was still good although it got soft towards bottom. Greg on The Reut run.

I repeated Cornice then gave Greg a ride to his car at his cabin where his device with a few hours of charge and mine which is bigger but probably not fully charged would barely turn his car over. I had stop near Stockton to make before 530 to pickup wine I'd ordered and tried to pickup before Easter, so I left. Bill, who had taken a couple more laps on Reut chair, was able to get Greg's Subaru going with his jump start device. Even with a stop at Lathrop Food Truck Plaza for a couple of excellent $4 shrimp tacos at La Piedad, I got home in less than 4 hours.

In other Epic news Heavenly re-opened for April 18 and 19 after closing on April 5 then getting 25" of new snow. It's only upper California Trail with a mostly too flat return to Tamarack chair and requires gondola ride from/to Stateline but shows re-opening can be done, even by Vail.