Powered by a foot of fresh, I skied Squaw for the first time on Sunday which coincided with my first day on the Spats that I bought in July. I've been working my tail off and have missed every big storm that has come through Tahoe this winter. Saturday night's storm was certainly no epic dump but was enough to provide my best day all season on Sunday.
Skiing with 3 friends, 1 of whom spent a season at Squaw a few years back, we started the day with 2 quick laps on Red Dog. Every Squaw local reading this thread will probably cringe in horror as I don't know the name of anything I skied, but I'll do my best to do it justice.
My first turns in the trees were life-changing. I skied as fast as I've ever been able to go in the pow, transitioning nearly every turn in mid-air. I've skied plenty of powder in my life but skiing the Spatchy's is a different sport. The trees opened up to a huge gully and I nuked huge GS turns all the way to the bottom. The only trouble was on the short cat track back to the chair when I tried to lay an edge down on the groomer and (because of the reverse shape...good thinking bonehead) my downhill ski took off in the other direction leaving me with a partially-torn gooch.
After 2 laps there we hopped over to the KT-22. The first trip down brought us right through the fingers. Skied the second spine from the left, stomped the landing and blasted to the bottom. The thing about these skis that I underestimated was their ability to stomp everything. Firstly, they're fuggin enormous and super-stable on landings. Secondly, I'm pretty sure that the reverse camber pitches you back to the middle of the ski whether you land in the front or back. And they're noodles.
After that we traversed out under the Olympic Lady chair and lapped the bowl 3 times. All 3 runs were amazing. Soft bumps and massive piles provided endless entertainment.
After a quick stop for gatorade and the free clif bars that were handed out in the parking lot we decided to go further up the mountain since we hadn't heard much blasting in the last 20 minutes. After 1 lap on the Shirley (I think that's the name) chair we arrived at the bottom right as they dropped the rope on Granite Chief. This is where we played for most of the afternoon. Came straight down the gut right under the chair on the first run, blowing huge turns and whooping like a madman. Mine were probably the 30th set of tracks down. Amazing. Took a few laps to skier's right, there are some gnarly lines in there and plenty of fun stuff to throw yourself off of. I think the best lines of the day were to skier's left though. Traverse too far and you lose too much vert, but there's defintiely a happy medium in there. Nicely-spaced trees that open up in parts. Tons of little natural terrain features and even some small chutes and cliffs.
The line was long for the first lap or two but then evened out and we lapped 7 times (I think). Huge smiles all around, tons of knucks and "holy sh*t, that was awesome!"s. We made it back for a few more runs on KT before they shut the lifts down on us.
I am a changed man. Squaw is the happiest place on earth and I'm not sure that I want to ski anywhere else ever again. That said, I heard that Kirkwood got a foot on Sunday night and was retarded on Monday..
Thanks are due to Squaw Valley for being there, Shane McConkey for designing my skis and Volant for going out of business producing them. Sorry for the verbal diharrea (does anyone know how to spell that?).
Results 1 to 13 of 13
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02-22-2005, 01:26 PM #1
Cube Jockey
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1st day @ Squaw + 1st day on Spatulas = Honc is forever changed for the better
You know, there's like a butt-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff.
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02-22-2005, 01:39 PM #2
Registered User
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couldnt say it better myself!!
Originally Posted by Honc
glad to hear you had a facking great day at Squaw.. they usually are.. you guys definately hit some of my favorite areas on a pow day. but what about cornice or broken arrow or headwall or solitude? were any of them open? was granite chief peak open?
fucking jealous i couldnt be skiing....Mom! The meatloaf! FUCK!.
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02-22-2005, 01:43 PM #3
HEY NOW
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Get back to your fucking cube, monkey!
"When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible."
Mohandas Gandhi
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02-22-2005, 01:43 PM #4
Sizzlechest
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Update that location!
You can cut me off from the civilized world. You can incarcerate me with two moronic cellmates. You can torture me with your thrice daily swill, but you cannot break the spirit of a Winchester. My voice shall be heard from this wilderness, and I shall be delivered from this fetid and festering sewer.
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02-22-2005, 01:47 PM #5
The Book of Love
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Yes, yes it was. Originally Posted by Honc
That said, I heard that Kirkwood got a foot on Sunday night and was retarded on Monday..
(No, I'm not trying to start anything here either.)
And yes, the spats kick serious ass."I knew in an instant that the three dollars I had spent on wine would not go to waste."
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02-22-2005, 01:53 PM #6
Troll
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yeah dawg!
wish i made it out, although prolly better i didn't. see you next month biotch!
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02-22-2005, 01:55 PM #7
Cube Jockey
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Granite Chief Peak was not open, Solitude was open (pretty sure it was solitude, definitely "S" something) and I got 1 great lap in there. I fired myself off of Cornice 2 once, which was hot. I think that I'd need a highly motivated guide to hit all of these places in 1 day. So much fuggin ridiculous terrain! Originally Posted by hucksquaw
KS, new job starts tomorrow. Last day of freedom. Small promotion means that I will have some help in doing the bidding of the man. Hopeful that this will provide more days like Sunday
You know, there's like a butt-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff.
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02-22-2005, 01:56 PM #8
Cube Jockey
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Brrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ing iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttt t! Originally Posted by gonzo
We'll anihilate it.You know, there's like a butt-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I'm pretty good with a bowstaff.
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02-22-2005, 02:03 PM #9
Sponsor Yourself
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did you ski yesterday at Squaw? the visilbility sucked by the powder was terrific. lots less people, too
one ski patrol guy told me it was one of the top 3 best powder days of the year
Granite Chief was sick, but you couldn't see 5 ft ahead of you
needed radar
p.s. Maria Shriver was there with two bodyguards but there was no Arhhhhhnold in sight
too bad, a picture with Arnold at Squaw would earn at least 5,000 girly man GNAR points
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02-22-2005, 02:32 PM #10
Registered User
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Thanks for the TR. The perfect stoke for me. I'm leaving tomorrow to ski Squaw for the first time as well. Can't wait.
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02-22-2005, 02:44 PM #11
We'll blast them at sea
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Originally Posted by Honc
hook up with lane next time. dude will take you to where you need to be. and you will be worked.
i fucking love squaw. its boner city.
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02-22-2005, 02:45 PM #12
Sponsor Yourself
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all of you Squaw newbies would be well served to buy this book, and if you can't get it before your next trip there, you can buy it at any of the ski shops
https://www.skimovie.com/wwwx/cart3/catalog.cfm?cid=20
the author did an amazing job chronicling some of the best extreme runs wth movie references to boot
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02-22-2005, 02:47 PM #13
the stroker ace
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The trees opened up to a huge gully and I nuked huge GS turns all the way to the bottom. The only trouble was on the short cat track back to the chair when I tried to lay an edge down on the groomer and (because of the reverse shape...good thinking bonehead) my downhill ski took off in the other direction leaving me with a partially-torn gooch.
P____'s Gully and I have had some wonderful days together
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