Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA January 13-14, 2026

[tseeb]

Great day at Sierra today although we started early. Sunrise near Tracy before 730, about an hour from home.

Our plan was to ski Sierra today, then Diamond Peak on Wednesday on their first of six $60 days for their 60th anniversary, but Sierra was so good with so few people and is a shorter drive from So. Tahoe that we will likely return there on Wed. Plus 3 x $60 at Diamond Peak is more than the $125 our son's Friend and Family ticket costs at Sierra. My wife and son (Lucia and Sean) on Escape run with Pyramid Peak in background leaving West Bowl area before noon.

This is them skiing in West Bowl at 2 PM. It was such a beautiful day. I have more to add and more photos, but too tired after long day.

Sean took this photo of Lucia and me skiing in West Bowl area with Pyramid and Ralston Peaks in background.

My watch says I skied 1055-325, 17 runs and 18.5K vertical.

 

[tseeb]

Yesterday was 4 years from when toe on my wife's binding came loose and she fell resulting in what was diagnosed as a minor concussion that led to bleeding on the brain and hospitalization with holes drilled in her skull to relieve pressure more than 3 weeks later. She took the rest of that Winter and the next Winter off from skiing before returning two Winters ago. She did great on her first day of this season yesterday. Also, I could not have gone on this trip without her as today is our 36th anniversary. Our son joined us since it may be his only mid-week skiing for a while as he is hoping to start a new job soon that is work from home after turning down a similar job for a little more money and every other Friday off but would have included an hour+ commute +traffic. Selfie taken by Sean on low speed Short Stuff lift that returns you from Backside.

I was skiing a lap on Castle run that had packed powder, some small bumps and a little blown-in. But it ends at base of Grandview so I had a short uphill hike to let our dog out for a short walk and get our lunch from the car. After lunch we explored the other groomed runs on West Bowl. We skied groomed Bashful and Pyramid with Lucia, then Sean and I skied black Clipper. Partway down he cutover over to where Lucia was repeating Bashful and had a crash while avoiding a stump. Note in the above photo that Sean is in short sleeves while Lucia is wearing mittens.

With 15 runs Lucia went back to the car while Sean and I did a lap on Grandview skiing Snowshoe which had some terrain features, then groomed Hemlock and Main Street before he returned to the car (and did a two-mile run). I went up Grandview again and skied entrance to Castle, then took challenging with many obstacles to avoid, but good snow Preacher's Passion (on left)

before hitting W-facing Lower Dyamite which was excellent in afternoon sun.

Today I plan to and will try to get Sean to ski steep face under the top of Grandview after first seeing how he does on Castle.

Garmin map of my day. West Bowl on left. The run at bottom is their S-facing Backside that was not that great shortly after noon. It had some thin spots and some was still firm. I have not seen Backside lift running in last two years so you have to carry speed to get across flat to Short Stuff lift.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Yesterday was 4 years from when toe on my wife's binding came loose and she fell resulting in what was diagnosed as a minor concussion that led to bleeding on the brain and hospitalization with holes drilled in her skull to relieve pressure more that 3 weeks later.

I may be having a senior moment; however, I don't recall that story. Glad to see that she's recovered and is back on the horse. This pic can serve as a reference for legitimate packed powder:

 

[Tony Crocker]

Anyone who ever skied Sierra-at-Tahoe before the Caldor Fire must be amazed by how wide open the ski terrain is now in tseeb's pics.

 

[ChrisC]

Yesterday was 4 years from when toe on my wife's binding came loose and she fell resulting in what was diagnosed as a minor concussion that led to bleeding on the brain and hospitalization with holes drilled in her skull to relieve pressure more than 3 weeks later.

I knew you spoke of some health issues your wife was trying to overcome, but I did not know it was the result of a relatively routine fall, although from a loose binding. My condolences to both of you, and I hope she has been able to recover as well as possible since then.

I think of Liam Neeson's wife, Natasha Richardson, and her fall on a beginner slope at Tremblant. There was also an actress who suffered a similar fate in Aspen last year.

Curious, was your wife wearing a helmet as well?

Anyone who ever skied Sierra-at-Tahoe before the Caldor Fire must be amazed by how wide open the ski terrain is now in tseeb's pics.

I still find it a bit traumatizing to ski at Sierra-at-Tahoe now.

I have been up 1x since the fire, and it's odd seeing West Bowl as an actual treeless bowl, but it might ski a little better in new snow. The post-fire Grandview area is just shocking since it has such nice glades with big trees.

And I have not been in Huckleberry Canyon in many years, but it does have some legitimate steeps.

 

[tseeb]

Curious, was your wife wearing a helmet as well?



I still find it a bit traumatizing to ski at Sierra-at-Tahoe now.

I have been up 1x since the fire, and it's odd seeing West Bowl as an actual treeless bowl, but it might ski a little better in new snow. The post-fire Grandview area is just shocking since it has such nice glades with big trees.

And I have not been in Huckleberry Canyon in many years, but it does have some legitimate steeps.

Yes, my wife was wearing a helmet when she had fall leading to injury 4 years. See https://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/threads/heavenly-ca-and-nv-1-11-1-13-22.14471/#post-85071 for longer thread that includes more info.

Anyone who ever skied Sierra-at-Tahoe before the Caldor Fire must be amazed by how wide open the ski terrain is now in tseeb's pics.

After not skiing Sierra since 2019 before the 2021 fire, once they added it to Ikon pass, I skied it on January 5 and February 16 (President's Day weekend Sunday) last Winter. ~180 degree panoramic I took yesterday from outside small lodge (with bar that I did not visit) at base of West Bowl.

 

[tseeb]

Sierra-at-Tahoe, CA January 14, 2026
Even though we stayed not much over 15 miles away, my Garmin says I only started skiing 40 mins earlier than previous day when we left from home ~200 miles away. Rest of stats: 1015-315, 20 lifts (12 were West Bowl with my wife and son) and 22.1K vertical.

Parking lot was windier than previous day when it was also not calm. We were not the only ones leaving our dog in the car while we skied (never for more than two hours at a time) as I walked her to meet two other dogs on other side of lot and there was a husky in vehicle next to ours.

Our first run was smoothly groomed, but firm W-facing Marmot that goes from top of high-speed beginner chair to West Bowl. N-facing West Bowl groomed runs (Bashful, Pyramid, Powderhorn and Beaver, which made for long run as it's reached after skiing more NE-facing Escape and Middle and some of Lower Sleighride, all skied great all day. Lucia on Pyramid at 1025.

My son and I also skied ungroomed black Clipper and blue, but not easier, Dogwood, both of which could have used more skiers to smooth them out. Sean took this selfie of us at 11:15.

We moved to Grandview before lunch. Lucia had hard time crossing flat against E/NE wind getting to lift as there is something affecting her right arm. There was 130 mph gust at top of Cornice at Kirkwood, which is visible from near top of Grandview and not very far away. I led them down Upper Snowshoe, Hemlock and Lower Main before splitting off to go up Grandview again and ski Castle. The N-facing steep top was good, but long bottom where it turns more W/NW-facing was not as good as previous day, still too firm at close to noon. After checking on and giving dog a short walk and picking up our lunch, we ate at same table outside plastic tent lodge that was closed previous day for a weather-related seminar.

We returned to skiing West Bowl. Lucia quit sometime after two after a few more excellent groomers while Sean and I skied another Pyramid together. He stayed there while I skied some of steep blue Upper Sleighride before doing another couple more Grandview laps. Some politics defacing the lift safety bar.

I skied liftline under top of Grandview. Was very steep with some obstacles to add to the challenge and had great smooth barely packed powder.

Then I skied chute I'd found last year under and past a couple of easy to spot burnt trees.

before cutting over on more good snow to Lower Dynamite that also was very good. I could have repeated that run but didn't want to push it after excellent challenging run so at top I instead went off the Backside and skied SW-facing Coyote which was in better shape than at noon on previous day, getting maybe a little too soft in places. Interestingly, the Backside and return to front Short Stuff lift and top of Nob Hill lift areas were not affected by fire. I stepped it up on my 2nd to last run by skiing steep chute between Nob Hill left and Avalanche Bowl area which had some challenging sastrugi to left of left at top before I got into steep, barely packed powder chute.

I exited from there, staying above flat to get to Corkscrew and Aspen runs, then rode slow Nob Hill chair and skied left side of Lower Main Street.

Lucia and I can have three more days at Sierra, which is a great place for uncrowded/mid-week days, on our base Ikons. Sean's lift ticket was $120 as they only charge you $5 for re-usable card once. For our anniversary dinner, we went to Sushi Pier and did our best to get our money's worth out of $45 all-you-can, made-to-order sushi dinner that also includes appetizers and desserts. I think we succeeded although we did not count or take photos. I'm going to get a couple of hours at Heavenly this morning before we return home later today.