OFFICIAL TAHOE 18/19 STOKE, CONDITIONS, WEATHER THREAD

[LightRanger]

That Placerville CHP post is pretty pathetic. The whole "law enforcement social media meme" thing is cute and all, but when you're posting about serious stuff, have some fucking professionalism.

Also:
Get your shit together and put up some road blocks. It's not like Waze and Google Maps appeared last week.

Stay safe y'all.

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[Ottime]

Super stoked to be driving up late morning tomorrow. What’s opening today?

Chair 6 open at 9:45. Props to KW patrol and mtn ops.

[TahoeBC]

They can put up signs to try to deter folks that say local traffic only, but they cant legally close them if its a public road, has been talked about plenty locally in Tahoe.

Another big rig was stuck blocking both lanes on North upper truckee yesterday when I left town, they keep trying to go though residential hoods to bypass chain control and the fruit check station. Shook my head at the CHP on site when I rolled up, he just threw his hands up in disgust, think its a pretty big fine/ticket for these guys also.

[TahoeJ]

I’m confused- they close off roads to local traffic only all the time.

[TahoeBC]

I'm n not an expert, just going by what I read, They can do it for a safety hazard reasons which I would say yesterday qualified for but there is also a staffing issue involved with doing it.

http://southtahoenow.com/story/02/02...-been-affected

California Highway Patrol Lt. Commander Terry Lowther explained that areas across the country are experiencing the same type of traffic, it isn't unique to Tahoe.

"Technology is working against us," he said. And it only affects the side roads and not the highways as rerouting through traffic only takes drivers to the side roads.

Lowther told the audience that they cannot close streets unless there is an emergency, health or safety hazard, and they cannot be closed to prevent traffic. He said infrastructure is the CHP's biggest problem and don't have the staffing to keep people assigned to just traffic.

[LightRanger]

The semi-regular occurrence in Meyers seems a bit different than the relatively rare (but predictable, given the storm and holiday) issue in Placerville/Pollock Pines yesterday.

More akin to what's been happening from Colfax-Baxter a bunch lately. Close the highway at multiple points, and clear traffic away from the highest closure every so often and tell them to go back down. They've been doing that for years. Hell, I ran into a CalTrans local traffic checkpoint on Old 40 at Rainbow Road a few weeks back. No different than what they should've done on Pony Express yesterday.

When there are so many cars that emergency vehicles can't get through, you have a safety issue. It's 100% on CalTrans, CHP, and EDCSO and Public Works for not anticipating it and having contingency plans. It's not like Waze and Google Maps are new. That kind of a mess on one of the biggest travel weekends of the year seems like it's worth putting out a mutual aid request if you're worried about having enough staff.

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[4matic]

Chair 6 open at 9:45. Props to KW patrol and mtn ops.

No one there. That’s a surprise



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[old goat]

A cheap solution to the manpower issue is to use volunteers to direct traffic, which is what Truckee does. I'm sure there would be plenty of people happy to put on a uniform and tell out of town traffic where they can go.

[spnce]

Lowther told the audience that they cannot close streets unless there is an emergency, health or safety hazard, and they cannot be closed to prevent traffic. He said infrastructure is the CHP's biggest problem and don't have the staffing to keep people assigned to just traffic.

Seems like a copout. Who writes the policies?

A cheap solution to the manpower issue is to use volunteers to direct traffic, which is what Truckee does. I'm sure there would be plenty of people happy to put on a uniform and tell out of town traffic where they can go.

Do I get a gun?

[TahoeJ]

It's 100% on CalTrans, CHP, and EDCSO and Public Works for not anticipating it and having contingency plans.

This. So they're talking down to bay area people for trying to come up because obviously it would be a shit show, and yet at the same time they didn't adequately prepare for the obvious shit show? Weak sauce. FWIW, you don't ever see that type of nonsense coming from CHP Truckee / Donner Pass (at least not on social media)... they've got their shit together and run a pretty tight ship given limited resources on certain weekends.

[emcee]

do you think if I had my kirkwood address on my driver's license I could get thru carson pass during closures?
My buddy's mom was headed from truckee back home to grass valley midweek when 80 & 20 were closed and they let her on the highway: 1 woman, 1 car and 1' foot of snow on an empty freeway.

Danburg trees continue to deliver. There's some twilight zone stuff going on when 100mph wind gusts translate to straight-down snow at the top of the ridge in this magic storm day zone

[Ottime]

EDIT: likely no on going over Carson Pass with an ID. Only would make a difference while they caravan. Definitely not while there is hangfire or they are actively working. I did pass over a few times only because I had lodging on the other side. But they never ID, as someone might have a hotel room, or lease.

I80 is a different beast. Not an active avy path. More of a snow on road issue.


Stoked to see someone enjoying that zone again. That place is magical in what you can mini golf during and just after the storm.

Bet my favorite huck over a bush is in right now. Might have to tour around there this coming week and hit some old favorites.

Seems like a copout. Who writes the policies?


Do I get a gun?

No. And no real authority. But you do get a bad ass copper SUV to drive around.

We have those guys on the coast here patrolling route 1. Volunteers can’t issue a ticket, but can pull you over and give a warming. Or wait for a CHP to show up to issue a ticket if they get you with a gun. They volunteer I Met was a retiree and loved riding the coast and pulling people over.

[Best Mexican Skier from Da South]

Super stoked to be driving up late morning tomorrow. What’s opening today?

Chair 6 open at 9:45. Props to KW patrol and mtn ops.

Cornice Chair riding virgin, 192 cm, 4 Flex, UL Core-hybrid Protests was unspeakably good. The great fluff/no wind effect snow has been exceptional as well even after it’s been cut up. Still, pillow exist for hopping to and out of turn. Best pow day of the season and tomorrow may be even better.

[aguo5520]

80 EB closed to spin outs

50 EB and WB held for avy control

[SchralphMacchio]

Volunteers can’t issue a ticket, but can pull you over and give a warming.

I see. They must be divorced MILFs from Asilomar, Carmel and Big Sur?

[BGnight]

Given what happened over MLK holiday they're very correct in keeping non locals out of Tahoe during a large storm event. I'm very libertarian minded, but this isn't a "you can't shut down public roads" moral issue. It's a huge burden on emergency workers and it makes life miserable for locals. 5 hour drives from Squaw to Truckee are unacceptable and a MAJOR safety issue.

[sruffian]

Cornice Chair riding virgin, 192 cm, 4 Flex, UL Core-hybrid Protests was unspeakably good. The great fluff/no wind effect snow has been exceptional as well even after it’s been cut up. Still, pillow exist for hopping to and out of turn. Best pow day of the season and tomorrow may be even better.

Skied rose on protests today. PRoseTests?

Even the chop had face shots. The troughs were soft.

Oh and after 10 a.m. there were rarely more than 4 ppl on a chair. It was empty. Very good day

[TahoeBC]

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[jorion]

From a waze comment:

“According to CHP, it’s officially at least an hour faster to get to Disneyland from Placerville than to South Lake Tahoe”

[mcski]

Apparently 80 wanted some of the mayhem and has closed w clusterfucks branching into colfax and Alta

[Ottime]

Given what happened over MLK holiday they're very correct in keeping non locals out of Tahoe during a large storm event. I'm very libertarian minded, but this isn't a "you can't shut down public roads" moral issue. It's a huge burden on emergency workers and it makes life miserable for locals. 5 hour drives from Squaw to Truckee are unacceptable and a MAJOR safety issue.

That is kind of the problem with libertarian ideals. If you just allow people to have their freedoms, shit gets fucked up. Regulations are there to reduce public burden because most people don't give a fuck or have a clue. Can't really have freedom and liberty.

As much as it sucks, excluding non locals is not the solution. It would be nice if we had more regulations, such as setting up R3 in these conditions. Require AWD, and chains. And hold people to the speed limit. Go over 25mph, get a ticket and get turned down hill. Kind of hard to go too fast, or slide out, with that combo.

It would be even better if there was a "dumb ass" test. If you pass, you don't get to drive in the snow.

A few friends left SF this morning. One got held up at Caples Lake due to a collision between a car and a snow blower. Vibes, but slow the fuck down and don't collide with the slow blowers. Those things will fucking kill you.

We have the same problem down here at the coast. People die pretty regularly on highway 17. During the winter, there is. major wreck every week, and at least once collision per day. People just don't know how to slow the fuck down. Everyone is in a rush, some where else to be. I watch people roll through stop signs daily. Can't seem to even get people to stop, or slow down, while I'm in a crosswalk with blinking lights.

Until you regulate stupid and selfish, there is going to be a shit show in Tahoe.

See ya'll tomorrow. Please clear the roads for me. I have no patience for this bullshit.

***looks killer out there today...

[TheK12]

Is it just me getting older and grumpier but does it seem like mayhem is now the norm anytime it snows. I remember driving up from SF to Truckee in the middle of the night, on a friday, storming, with chain controls in place and still being able to punch through to Truckee, albeit slow and steady. Seems now they open the freeway for even a minute and 20 cars spinout.

is the mayhem more people same roads? or is it more clueless people same roads? (i realize that the latter is really a function of the former)

[4matic]

AWD is ubiquitous now. 20 years ago it was a lot more chaining up and it kept people away.

Plus, fat skis.


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[Paul Blart]

Excluding non locals is a great solution. It keeps thousands of people away and out of the way so that those who need to clean up can do so. Are locals part of the problem? You bet. But the endless hoards that try to drive up during these storms are a real issue as of late.

[mcski]

Chemtrailz = Freedom