One Big Holiday Done

The first COVID Thanksgiving ski holiday has now come and gone. Things actually went pretty well at Alpine Meadows, given the potential for large numbers of skiers and fairly limited terrain. While there were a few moments where I felt not so comfortable at Alpine, it was a far better place to be rather than in an airport, a shopping mall or even downtown Truckee.

Today was another world at Alpine Meadows, being the first midweek day that was not opening day or a holiday. There was plenty of room to spread out and nothing felt crowded.

The snow that is out there on the mountain is beginning to get a bit tired. Terrain off of Turbo Weasel has seen a lot of grooming and a lot of traffic over 7 days of public use and a couple of days of race training. The morning corduroy is excellent, but it doesn’t take long to turn into thick sugar on top of firm pack.

In ungroomed areas, the moguls are growing larger and getting firmer. They also include some hidden rocks to keep you awake. The lower sections of Dance Floor, Yellow Trail and Werner’s Schuss have handled a lot of traffic since the last snowfall or grooming. That said, there are some other trails that have much smaller bumps and winterish snow.

If you know where to look there is still some very fun off piste skiing, some of which you can still ski relatively carefree. I’m skiing on the same skis that became rock skis while picking out the last few great lines at Sherwood last March. I’m not scared of a rock or two or the possibility of another core shot.

I’m sorry that I’m not sharing specifics here. If I tell you too much, those places will quickly wear out as well! But the skiing is fun if you hunt around and get creative.

Let’s Not Talk About The Weather

A couple of days ago, we reported that it looked like there was a possibility of a change in the dry pattern. That change evaporated. Once again there is nothing in the forecast. At least its not absurdly warm, and it is staying cold enough most nights for some snow making activity.

Of course, at virtually the same time I published this post, the Sacramento NOAA forecast discussion noted “Stay tuned as models are hinting at a pattern change some time mid-month with some possible moisture returning to our area.” Indeed the last 2 runs of the GFS show that storm again around the 15th. Technically the Hope-O-Meter above is not actually on empty!

Let’s Talk About Masks

Some people are doing a great job with staying masked up so we can all ski and ride a whole season. Some people are not doing so great. I’d like to give a big shout out to Lemon and her Lift Ops crew for those times when one of them has been staged at the Roundhouse and TLC corrals reminding guests to mask up or “put your nose away”. I even enjoyed the use of the little green megaphones to draw attention to the subject.

Unfortunately, when that enforcement has not been there, people immediately get lax. That’s true the entire time at Yellow chair, or in the breezeway or where people cluster after exiting lifts. It’s fortunate that there are guests that are also willing to give gentle, and not so gentle reminders. More of us need to do that.

One general issue I see is that many guests have tried to make a typical ski buff work as their mask, as that seems to be most fitting. The truth is, it’s not. Most of those buffs are only a single layer, and many were sold as a “neck gaiter” or not intended to stretch to accommodate your nose. A buff that is comfortable in the morning when it’s 25° becomes stifling in the afternoon when it’s 48°, then down it goes.

I’ve experimented with several different masks over the last 7 days and have determined that the disposable surgical types of masks seem to work best for me, and many other people. I don’t have a problem wearing it in line, on the lift, and skiing down the hill. It never seems too warm or too cold. I’m never much of a fan of disposable products, but these do serve the purpose. One friend reports success in washing and reusing these masks.

It’s not that difficult. Let’s just mask up correctly and be a part of the solution – and then remind others in your party to do it too.