It’s still really, really good out there. Although the big snow totals stopped accumulating a few days ago, cold temperatures and a lot of wind have kept that snow in excellent condition. So when half of Northern California shows up to go skiing in Tahoe, it’s understandable. That meant the big crowds were still there today, but thanks to a couple of small changes, it seemed a bit more bearable today. Tomorrow, unless something strange happens, Sherwood should join the schedule, and maybe even Lakeview. Yeah, that should be great.
Yesterday, both Andy and I noted some areas where things could improve at Alpine Meadows. Call it whining or complaining if you want, but apparently someone was listening. Both Meadow and Yellow were added the schedule for today. That gave beginners some place to go and provided another alternative for intermediate and advanced skiers to avoid standing in line versus skiing. (According to comments below, it was PT President Dee Burns running Meadow this afternoon.) Many of us rely on the strategy of just always going to the lift with the shortest line. I can find fun just about anywhere. I rode the lift with Robin today, whom shared her strategies for skiing Meadow on some pow days. Today there were lifts with shorter lines. Amen.
I also noticed that a wide lane was left open between the ski racks leading to the steps to the breezeway today, which made access to the slopes and access to the breezeway so much better today. Again, thanks to the management team for paying attention.
One thing that several of us noted today was that with many people in the lift lines or spending time in the lodge some slopes were empty, especially before lunch time. Bobble and myself did two runs in a row down Dance Floor with zero other people. I had similar experiences in the D’s, Tower 19 and over on Standard Run; perfect snow and zero people. Some areas continued to be very busy, the worst being the Weasel Zone and the Trail of Tears. I also continue to be wary any time I ended up on Skateboard Alley after running Ridge Run or Bobby’s. Nobody is impressed that you can ski 50 mph past 5 year olds still doing a power wedge.
Summit did open late today due to a “mechanical hold”. I think it’s a safe bet that it was due to very heavy rime ice that formed at the crest by those strong winds that hit over 100 mph overnight. During the delay to get the lift going, we also heard patrol drop a bomb or two while they had some extra time. Huge thanks to the personnel that have to climb the tower and bang at that ice on the sheave assemblies to make safe operations possible again. That’s not a job I want!
Sherwood is looking fat, meaning there is excellent coverage over there. Even better, the cold temperatures and low clouds over the last few days should have preserved that snow in pretty good condition. Will the line get long there tomorrow? You betcha. I’ll likely grab a run or two there as soon as possible and then leave it to everyone else the rest of the morning. I’m pretty good about finding hidden stashes there later.
I also saw that track packing has also happened over at Lakeview, indicating that work has also likely been going on at the top unloading zone. That top zone is not the big flat area that you see mid-season. A lot of snow needs to be moved around to make that top area functional. The official Ops blog suggested it could be ready by Saturday, but Sunday works for me too.
The model runs keep trending next weeks system drier. The latest GFS model calls for maybe a foot of new snow at best. It will not be a game changer. It will be a minor refresher. That’s okay, as the mountain ops team deserves some rest from days of digging out.
Big thanks to all the management team that pitched in to augment the short staffed lift ops crew and get more lifts open. Pretty sure Dee herself was running Meadow today. Very appreciated, but is it sustainable? Pay lifties a livable wage and you’ll get more bodies. Happy new year!
Yep. Dee was running Meadow in the afternoon, and Olympian Bill Hudson was running Meadow in the morning. Many other execs pitching in today to get lifts spinning. Really cool to see folks going above and beyond…
Please please please ask the management to add singles lane at tree line!
It wasn’t rime that delayed Summit. There was a snowcat stuck in Alpine Bowl. My biggest gripe is the lack of singles lines on some lifts (esp TLC), and mismanagement of them on others. Summit needs a separate singles snake/corral outside of the gate, and there should be clear signage outside the gates.
Saw the cat there too. It’s weird that TLC does not have a singles line.