There were definitely some naysayers out there that did not believe skiing and riding would be worthwhile this weekend. But such was not the case. Plenty of people turned out for the non-holiday weekend – just far more of them went to other resorts. Let’s break it down into two very different days:
Saturday
In a strange twist, you could choose your own season at Alpine Meadows Saturday. Normally that is possible by choosing north or south facing slopes. On Saturday, it was all about elevation. Slopes below about 7800′ never got below 36° Above that, it never got above 29°. So the top of the mountain stayed firm and icy, while the bottom was outstanding. So the smart money was to stay on Roundhouse or Sherwood. We spent our morning on Sherwood where there was perfect cream cheese. Groomers had things well under control on that side, even rolling the bumps and ruts out on Powerline. On the frontside, Yellow and Ladies Slalom skied similarly well. After lunch, temperatures cooled, snow stiffened and north facing chalk became the preferred surface.
Sunday
It’s a day that could have been terrible, with temps starting in the teens and twenties. Fortunately 2 inches of new snow was reported, and many areas filled in a bit deeper. In the morning, the groomers’ work on the Tidy Bowl completely paid off. Everything from Secret Spot to Pygmy Forest was open for big arced mini powder turns. The snow actually was a bit deeper mid mountain and the park offered some nice pow turns later in the morning. Later we headed to Sherwood, were everything with grooming underneath was great fun…and that Powerline grooming paid off well. We also chased some pow through The Bakery and Don’s Run, where underlying bumps and ruts were far less of a problem. We did about six laps through Gentian and Lower 40 in the afternoon, again looking for areas less travelled without underlying ruts. It must have been good as we kept going until 3:45.
The mountain had a bigger day than any time in recent weeks, with the main lot, Chalet Road and Deer Park being utilized for parking. There was even some line control established for about 30 minutes at Sherwood and Scott. Still, the longest line at Alpine continues to be at the water fountain in the lodge. It was really easy to avoid crowds today. In doing six laps of Gentian Gully, we saw two other people the entire time.
Thanks again to the groomers that have made it so pleasant lately…until that next big dump rolls in…
Remember, skiing Squaw makes you look cooler 😉