I missed the powder day on Sunday when skiing was rumored to be excellent. We ran out of town for a couple of days just to get off the mountain and do something else for a change. I returned to find drizzle falling on the mountain during the day on Monday. Although some people enjoyed the smooth spring style snow that is created when rain soaks the surface, I decided to stay indoors.
Monday night it cleared and temperatures dropped into the teens. A little snow, perhaps two to three inches fell before the sky cleared, making the picture in the morning clean, bright, and inviting. If you have lived in the Tahoe Area for a long time, as I have, then you know rain, followed by freezing temperatures, and a little new snow can create an ugly surface in the early morning. It looks beautiful, but it hides smooth icy patches, rock hard balls of ice, and firm moguls.
I have described these conditions as lovely soft frosting on a cake filled with nuts that remain in their shells. Tower 19 might have fit this description this morning. Icy patches where the wind had blown off the thin layer of new snow glistened in the bright sunshine. In between the shiny icy patches I found lovely soft snow similar to delicious frosting atop a layer cake. Scattered over the slope were rock hard balls or piles of icy. Hit one of these protruding baby glaciers at the wrong angle and you might find you self whipped to the ground in an instant.
The lower the slope angle the better the skiing in many cases as less ice was found and the many turns could be made in with a more consistent softness under foot. I also found that skiing in the trees in some cases brought softness under foot, but there are wind drifts within the forest that will trick you up as you make tight turns between closely spaces tree trunks.
I skied over the High Traverse for the first time this season. Just looking out over Ward Valley brings a smile to my face (hard to see under the mask). There were variable conditions, as noted above, but pleasant enough. We skied Sun Bowl from the Upper Saddle, ending in the gully at the base of the slope. I found plenty of soft snow for making turns while dodging patches of ice. Once in the gully, where snow was deeper, less ice was found and many fun turns were created. I skied until 11:30. My guess is that the snow softened after lunch a bit on south facing slopes.
If you have read this far, and just in case you would like to spend a night or three in San Francisco next week, contact me for a screaming deal on a very nice studio unit with kitchen on Nob Hill. Available for the nights of 22nd, 23rd, 24th.
Enjoy your day,
Andy
Pingback: Blog Report #2: Downhill Skiers as an Information Community – My MLIS Blog