Tahoe April (Spring Sking)?

[MTT]

I rolled into the Alpineparking lot at 8:20 AM today. Parked right in front and was on first chair. Same as usual it was snowing, visability was ?? so so. The snow was boot deep and nice. First turns on anything were fast and fun!

I was looking for freash about 9:30 ISH and stoped to record the conditions.

Yep some slabs let go in a few places but is kinda soft so no big deal.


And it was snowing pretty good.



I got mine and split at 10:40

[skier666]

Where was that slab located? Just curious.

[MTT]

Where was that slab located? Just curious.

That was Skiers RIGHTof the Summit chair bout half way down. 200 Yards North west of the top of Round house Chair?. There is stuff like that all over Alpine, probably why they have allot of stuff closed down. Up on the ridges you usualy ski over the top of it but if you cut in hard you can break slabs like that loose fairly easy.

Slope is East Facing about a 45 Deg pitch

[Cirquerider]

I see the new work schedule suits you well. Thanks for posting and making us all see what we are missing from our desk prisons.

[MTT]

I'm getting so jaded! First chair is (like So what)! Make eight or ten fast runs then home to lie on the couch. Day after day after day!!

AM HAPPY!!
I let ya'll know how it turns out tomorrow also.

[The Dad]

Hope to run into you tomorrow, MTT -- we're going to try to get to the mountain early, because I've got to pick up my daughter at the airport in the early afternoon. I'll be on Bros, my wife will be on Phat Luvs, and my boys will be on orange Volkls.

[MTT]

Hope to run into you tomorrow, MTT -- we're going to try to get to the mountain early, because I've got to pick up my daughter at the airport in the early afternoon. I'll be on Bros, my wife will be on Phat Luvs, and my boys will be on orange Volkls.

I never know from one day to the next when I will be around. But there is a good chance I will be in the line-up tommorow. I will look for you. Also I am on Bro's or 194 LP's both skis are hard to miss. Me, never wear a hemet.

[CRACKER]

Looks like Thursday is going to be very very niiiiiiiice!

[avacadotoast]

If it's at all going to be decent on Thursday I'm taking the day off and I'll see you at Alpine...

...Alpine Dad, are you still going to be around?

[Jim S]

Get some for me!

[serge944]

Spring at Alpine Meadows - awesome.

[ShawnB]

That was Skiers RIGHTof the Summit chair bout half way down. 200 Yards North west of the top of Round house Chair?. There is stuff like that all over Alpine, probably why they have allot of stuff closed down. Up on the ridges you usualy ski over the top of it but if you cut in hard you can break slabs like that loose fairly easy.

Slope is East Facing about a 45 Deg pitch

Peter's Peril/Peril Ridge, in other words. Skier's right of the run proper.

Ho-lee-cow. I never would've believed it unless you posted that pretty pitcher, MTT. Crazy.

How much of the mountain was shut down? I mean, it's very, very good that they're keeping us safe from (the clear) avy danger, but what have they, in general, been able to open up midweek in the midst of this last round of storms? I went midweek last week and they couldn't get anything but Summit & Roundhouse open, and even closed off Sisters and upper Wolverine--I'm sure due to patrol staffing req's vs. gross receipts. Makes me not so keen on heading up midweek even w/ new snow.

Love Alpine, but I'd like to be able to actually ski it when I make the drive up... grumble grumble.

[onehotchili]

i might try and make it up on Thurs. Mrs. OHC and the kids were up there today and had some fun on the lower mtn. i need to get some time on my Sumos....

[MTT]

Peter's Peril/Peril Ridge, in other words. Skier's right of the run proper.

Ho-lee-cow. I never would've believed it unless you posted that pretty pitcher, MTT. Crazy.

How much of the mountain was shut down? I mean, it's very, very good that they're keeping us safe from (the clear) avy danger, but what have they, in general, been able to open up midweek in the midst of this last round of storms? I went midweek last week and they couldn't get anything but Summit & Roundhouse open, and even closed off Sisters and upper Wolverine--I'm sure due to patrol staffing req's vs. gross receipts. Makes me not so keen on heading up midweek even w/ new snow.

Love Alpine, but I'd like to be able to actually ski it when I make the drive up... grumble grumble.

When you get off the summit chair in the morning, the wind is howling and your in the clouds. The snow is ok but there is never a big dump. It’s just ALAWAYS SNOWING!! Bombs are always going off everywhere all morning. It’s dangerous. I always push the limits of what is open. I am always cutting slabs on low level stuff somewhere near the Summit chair. Fun (In a sick way) but not fun.

It sure is fun when you can see the stuff.

[kona12]

Peter's Peril/Peril Ridge, in other words. Skier's right of the run proper.

Ho-lee-cow. I never would've believed it unless you posted that pretty pitcher, Crazy.

How much of the mountain was shut down? I mean, it's very, very good that they're keeping us safe from (the clear) avy danger, but what have they, in general, been able to open up midweek in the midst of this last round of storms? I went midweek last week and they couldn't get anything but Summit & Roundhouse open, and even closed off Sisters and upper Wolverine--I'm sure due to patrol staffing req's vs. gross receipts. Makes me not so keen on heading up midweek even w/ new snow.

Love Alpine, but I'd like to be able to actually ski it when I make the drive up... grumble grumble.

It was similar on Monday. A moderate amount of new snow and most of what you mentioned was closed. I had many conversations on the lifts (with no one qualified) and the consensus was staffing and the time of year. The regular upper wolverine traverse was closed but by hugging the closed line you could get to three sisters which was roped but with no closed signs. I skied many deeper and stormier days there this year with more open so I probably would agree with the staffing theory. Regardless, there was plenty of fresh and plenty of challenge still to be found.

Also, it is freaking amazing the difference in the amount of snow at Lake level/truckee and the base of alpine. I'd say probably a foot or foot and a half at 6000 feet and at the base of alpine (6,800 feet) it is roof high on my truck! What a difference 800 feet makes.

[The Dad]

If it's at all going to be decent on Thursday I'm taking the day off and I'll see you at Alpine...

...Alpine Dad, are you still going to be around?

We're thinking about hitting Squaw on Thursday for old times' sake. Trying to decide whether it's worth going to Alpine this morning, or whether it's going to be raining.

[basom]

its snowing in truckee, and was snowing at squaw as of 3 pm yesterday when i left. squaw has been fully empty the last two days. i skied headwall chair with no more than 20 people for an hour and a half on monday. i've had more untracked squaw laps the last two days than is really fair. i feel bad for everyone else. i mean on what other powder day can you roll up to adrenaline chute after 2pm and still be the first one in? or maybe go hit the triple, or any air for that matter in the center rock pile in c2, at 2:30, and have waist deep turns with no tracks for 30 yards on either side of the pile? i guess on april 10th ot 11th you can. april is pretty cool, i guess.

[avacadotoast]

nws is reporting 1" @ alpine base and 8" @ high camp....makes me think there is some mixed precip down low today....

....I'll keep my eye on it but Rose or Kirkwood may end up being the better call tomorrow....

[CRACKER]

Lookin like a bluebird powday tomorrow. Anyone know the last time the high t's were open?

[The Dad]

nws is reporting 1" @ alpine base and 8" @ high camp....makes me think there is some mixed precip down low today....

That there was. Very wet snow in the morning, sun came out around 10:30 or 10:45. We had to leave at 11:30 to pick up my daughter in Reno. This afternoon, NWS reported about 1/8" of rain at the base; it looks like the high temp on Summit during that time was 34, which means it should've been snowing up there, but not much lower. And it got warmer later, although no more precip.

It was a pretty good day, all told. But I'm not sure how good tomorrow will be.

[MTT]

I am heading to Mt. Rose this morning. (Bringing Sun Screen)

[Sierra Cement]

Looks like Thursday is going to be very very niiiiiiiice!

Damn right it's niiiiiice today, Cracker. First real Spring feeling day in a long time here in Tahoe (no complaints about that though). This morning on Red Lake was bluebird, no wind, and still good boot deep pow down to Crater Lake - w/ no snow-mo tracks! That whole bowl is totally filled in with just a few little cliffy things here and there. Otherwise it's nothing but fat and filled in steep rollovers inducing Yips and Woo-Hoos a plenty. More than enough room for the 4 of us (and buddy) to each pick our own gullies. Lower mountain is really consolidated and deep, allowing for the easiest and fastest out I've ever had there. Corn will be on the menu there shortly. There are a lot of crowns and debris piles visible on Round Top, Sisters, etc to the South, and they were bombing away at the Spur for some reason (using up the extra gas?).
I've loved our March and April nukeage, but it felt good to stand in the morning sun without a cloud or breath of wind this AM. As long as it doesn't heat up too fast this is going to be a long and amazing Spring.

[The Dad]

Ended up at Alpine today after all.

Dense, wet snow. Dense, wet, kid-trapping snow. Got a few nice runs in, though -- mainly on Sherwood during the morning.

[VC]

Awesome day at alpine, took some runs, fired up the bbq in the parking lot, took some more runs. Good day, finally nice to have spring

[The Dad]

Awesome day at alpine, took some runs, fired up the bbq in the parking lot, took some more runs. Good day, finally nice to have spring

Was that your black Weber kettle behind the white pickup right before the turn to drop-off? I was so immediately jealous.