It is amazing how well the snow is holding up given the warm temperatures that we are experiencing in Tahoe (41 degrees on the crest and 48 at the base of Alpine this afternoon). This is the shortest day of the year which means much of the mountain is in shadows for much of our daylight hours. Cool overnight temperatures tend to keep the snow on the north facing slopes in chalky condition which is what I enjoyed this morning. Under Alpine Bowl Chair, Terry’s Return, the lower portion of Our Father and High Yellow Face were excellent. Groomed runs get scraped off by late morning making the surface rather slick. South facing slopes soften into a light spring condition just before noon. D7 and D8 as well as Peril Ridge face north and are in the shade all day which has kept the snow in good winter condition, although they are filled with pretty good sized moguls.
I know Mark has mentioned this in his previous posts but I thought I would give the Alpine’s employees a shout out for doing a very good job of line control, pointing out people who do not have their masks on properly, and generally creating conditions that allow us to socially distance as best as possible under the conditions. I am very happy they are doing such a good job as I want to keep skiing. None of us want to see the ski areas closed so keep the mask on and social distance at all times.
Tonight is the Great Conjunction when Jupiter and Saturn align. As Saturn and Jupiter have begun to appear close together in the sky throughout the year, on Monday Dec. 21 the two planets will appear so close that some may find it difficult not to see them as one object in the sky. This exact alignment has not occurred for 400 years. You should be able to view the two planets in the sky, depending on weather, with your own eyes. Be ready to go outside and look up right at dusk because the planets will set right after sunset.
Today was also the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. If you want to have some fun in the future if you are not in the skiing mood, head to the equator and stand with one foot on north side of the equator and other on the southern side. You will have on foot in winter season and one foot in the summer season. Perhaps a Christmas gift for the future for someone who has everything already.
Looking for snow in the next few days with hopefulness.
Enjoy Your Day
Andy
Ii have a piece of ski equipment in perfect condition. It is ” The Skiers Edge 111″
I would be happy to give this to anyone who can use it. I “googled” it and it is still made and looks exactly the same.