Hello Skiers,
Today was close to an epic day at Alpine Meadows. Blue sky overhead, temperatures in the teens, and a nice layer of new snow. It was near perfect. Lines looked longer than they were even though both the upper and lower parking lots were full. Today was a good test to see how the new Treeline Lift would be used on a powder morning. As most of us expected there was a line building before opening filled with skiers and boarders heading to Sherwood to remove any sign of pristine powder slopes. It did not take long before we had to hunt for a clean line. The days of finding a secret stash of powder are gone. Of course this use of Treeline may still change when Lakeview and Scott Chair come on line. Snowmaking was in full force on Ridge Run to assure coverage for there planned opening sometime this week.
I guess I was part of the problem this morning as I was also in line at the new lift heading to Sherwood. Lucky for me I was able to get a few turns on untracked slopes. South Face offered some good snow, but you had to travel west pretty far to find it. Slick patches remained between pillows of powder on the steeper South Face Slopes. I found that the North and West facing slopes offered more consistent powder treats. Lower angle slopes also seemed to hold the snow better.
Later in the morning we hiked over the Upper Saddle and picked our way through previously skied slopes to find plenty of nice patches of powder in the Big Bend and S.P. Bowl areas.
It was a great day on the slopes. I did hear people standing in line claiming it to be an epic day.
Enjoy your day,
Andy
Seeking the Leftovers
Well Covered Sherwood
Vicky and Scott in Line