Tahoe TR 4/22

Can you say wind buff buttery smooth goodness?

Was on the fence Wed afternoon as to rallying or not for Thur @ Alpine. Forecast called for 4-6, and Summit was closed most of the day Wed due to high winds.....hmmmm, I thought, its gonna be one of 2 scenairos Thur: either its gonna be wind buff creamy fast sily smooth goodness, OR, its gonna be dust on crust, hard pack nastiness off piste. Either way, I know I am gonna most likely lose: if I don't go, inevitably, it will be good. I will get VM's from buds saying "dude, you missed the last good day of the year. It was killer...yadda yadda" But if I go, I know it will suck and I should have stayed and worked and ridden my bike. Oh well, I thought, come Aug. when I am jonesing for some turns, I will regret for not going.......Fack it - I am going.

Thur morning dawned cold and windy, but clear. Lie Line @ Alpine said 6 inches overnight, 18 degrees @ the summit.....sounds good. Rolled into the lot @ 8AM, no one there. Grab a coffee and make my way to Summit chair - wind hold. Patrol says gusts of up to 80 mph @ the summit! Fack! All this way for Roundhouse lower mtn shots? Oh well......Roundhouse spins and I grab one of the first chairs, the mountain is a blank canvas, wind out of the East blowing up the hill and creating those beautiful contrails off the cornices.....this looks promising......

Drop straight fall line off Roundhouse over the knoll and make a few timid turns to test the snow pak - afraid of punching through and catching the nastiness underneath.....No need, it is buttery smooth and fast, chalky wind buff....whoo hoo! I let 'em rip and air the little cliff band below the run out...whoomp....stick it fast and clean......feels good to be back on the skis again after almost a month off......

Rest of the day is soooo sweet. It was one of those days where you essentially ski variations of the same line, as every time you come back, the wind has erased your tracks and you have a fresh canvas to paint again....

I hiked/traveresed out to lower Beaver and it was magical...so smooth and fast, just making big mach schnell GS turns down the face, with the contrails blowing behind the twin tips, and catching airs off the natural rollers and wind lips, hitting the run out and looking back up at your line as the wind starts to fill it in again...man, felt good, felt alive again, all the BS day to day crap just melted away......skiing is good for the soul my friends....

Big smile on my face, wind chapped for sure, but feeling good to be back out and getting the goods in the mountains......

Yes! I was there too. Yesterday ruled. I liked how even though the east wind killed any hope for summit chair the patrol basically didn't mind hiking. Did the upward traverse to Our Father/Sherwood Cliffs several times. I saw people putt on skins at the top of roundhouse and just crank straight up the mountain to ski palisades. Also saw some people getting towed by sleds and even hopping a ride on a groomer up the mountain. I think they were a film crew or some other privledged individuals.

yeah, towards end of the day I hiked up to palisades and pete's and made 2 sweet runs......I wounder if today is gonna be good now the summit is running? but with wrmer temps today, i don't think it will be as sweet as yesterday (well, that's what i tell myself to feel good while sittign in front of my PC ;-)

Glad you got sum yesterday!