Lake Tahoe 2015/16 - Year of Godzilla Baby Jesus

[TahoeJ]

I like that Alpine at least announced a time window and has a legit reason to enforce a closure, unlike Vailwood.

[shakyknees]

Luckily, the backcountry is still holding good coverage up high. Good solid freeze last night. Everything buffed smooth, looks like it rained.

good coverage on north aspects:

[Nevada29er]

From the Squaw web site: Alpine Meadows closed to uphill traffic May 9-23 for forestry work. (I assume that means cutting trees). Which I figure means it's open after that? (But why anyone would want to skin at a closed resort rather than the backcountry is beyond me.)

Consolidated resort snowpack skis better than BC snow, if it isn't hard freezing at night like right now. Also, after a while the bumps go away and you get a nice smooth base. Also can't beat the hiking to skiing ratio.

[TahoeBC]

Kirkwood today from Red lake peak

[TahoeBC]

Some shots with Shakyknees today, still snow on the north side of the pass which we skied, but the south side is still loaded

[TahoeJ]

Pretty sticky out there today, earlier than expected.

[Mr. Toad]

CP has been the hands-down winner for spring skiing.

Is there a name for this east facing, round couloir? Sure was fun.

[powdork]

not that I know of. Always wanted to get that early season when it still has a couloir shape. although it does late season too i guess

[gimpy]

Hourglass

Another gem that doesn't always fill in but is this year is the face lookers right of hourglass in your pic

[TurxSki]

We managed to find some fun in steep sloppy bumps at Squaw today
Ghost town
Expecting to see a bunch of Maggots-who-bailed-on-Mammoth here tomorrow
Wondering about garbage chute...

[TurxSki]

Rumors that Granite Chief lift will close after tomorrow

[old goat]

Rumors that Granite Chief lift will close after tomorrow

did it ever open today--it was closed when I left at 1130. Someone said patrol hold, whatever that means.

[powdrhound]

By the time it was running the snow had turned. It would have been really nice earlier. By far the best snow of the last few days....
Patrol said it was a mechanical hold.

[Ottime]

My son and I got a run on Granite Chief. He killed it.

It would be a bummer to see it close tomorrow.

We had a good day. Lots of work shuffling him through the flats. For a hill known for its steeps, there are sure a lot of flat spots on a sunny day in May. Was thankful for the wind. Imagine it would have been even thicker on a calm day

Back in Santa Cruz and I'm tired, but my boy is stoked on his first day ever at Squaw. We even took a mid day trip down the Funitel and up the Tram. 5 year olds like devices.

[Huck Pitueee]

Why hit a closed resort?

[Huck Pitueee]

Haha! ^^ Old guy with computer. 50 yards of dirt to skinning at Sugar Bowl.

[MTT]

Why hit a closed resort?

Nice

[Huck Pitueee]

Normally we find cool artifacts like telephones and Ipods. Best find was a Deschutes Fresh Squeezed.

[TurxSki]

Raining at base of squaw now
Good day on Granite Chief
Closed things down a bit early for Lightning
Going to early closing (2.30) from tomorrow

[old goat]

Haha! ^^ Old guy with computer. 50 yards of dirt to skinning at Sugar Bowl.

If I'm going to spend the effort to earn my turns I'd just as soon not look at lifts, buildings, trash, etc. I get it during the season because of the grooming and avy control, but a ski resort in the off season is any ugly place IMO. But to each his own.

[Huck Pitueee]

90% of my season is back country so the closed resort is just some memories of good times on a few pow days. What truly bothers me is the frikkin underware ad to the right side of this page. That's a goddam camel toe in a pair of mens shorts. That is fud up! I can look at chair lifts, old maps, used chap sticks, beer cans , used hand warmers but get comfortable in a camel toe pair of shorts is just wrong.

[TahoeBC]

Is there a name for this east facing, round couloir? Sure was fun.

Carson pass delivered again yesterday, that was one of 4 shots we hit yesterday, skiing was great up there, topped off by a Bald eagle swooping down right in front of the windshield doing our shuttle back up to the pass

Looking into the top of Crescent


Waiting for hourglass to soften (Photo's by First Track Productions)




Hourglass




Couple other short runs and we scooted out of there







BTW took this shot from the Ebbetts area two days ago, still some snow back behind the Top

[Ottime]

Raining at base of squaw now
Good day on Granite Chief
Closed things down a bit early for Lightning
Going to early closing (2.30) from tomorrow

Do you know if the early close means free hot tub time like in years past?

[SchralphMacchio]

Why hit a closed resort?

So that you be can threatened to have your car towed and be arrested for trespassing on public lands?

I've been too busy to ski the last month plus, so looking for an easy 4.5K of vert I headed to KW on Saturday and banged out a couple of top to bottom Wall laps and a Lost Cabin lap as well. Came back to find Kirkwood Rentacops waiting for me at my car telling me I couldn't do that. I agreed that I should not park on their property and that I would find a different way to access public lands.

Note: there was no evidence of operations underway, or operations that were paused for any reason. I stayed at least 200' from any snowmoving equipment and did not go near anything that was obviously work underway (there was no work underway on the frontside)

Pretty much verbatim from the rentacops: "We rent this land, and you cannot ski on this mountain. If you come again to ski it we will have the Sherrif come and arrest you. We have your license plate and name." (Security guy proceeds to take iPhone photo of me in front of my car giving him a literal thumbs up of approval).

Security could not say whether the district ranger would or would not agree that I cannot access public lands when there are no operations underway. I'll write the district ranger later this week.

I was so pissed that I want to park at Lake Margaret Trailhead and skin into the resort and leave tracks all over the frontside and then walk back to my car via the road. Does anyone know if the road into the valley is a County road or a Private road? I think apart from parking in a homeowner's driveway (with permission) there is no legal way to park in the valley without express permission from Vail corp, right? Then again I want to ski Mt. Lassen next weekend instead of wasting my time proving a point to Vail corp and their asinine policies.

I know this issue has been discussed ad nauseum in this thread but Vail corp is raising the stakes with their interpretation of their use agreement ... They are basically saying "the only way to ski on this public land is when we are in operation, and only if you pay us money to do so. Otherwise you have no permission because we hold the lease." Fuck them.

I really think that if there is no equipment being moved or operated, members of public should be allowed to access terrain as long as staying away from any fall line that would impact active operations.



Edit: at least the snow was fun

[~mikey b]

Go Alex Go!