Exceeded Expectations

Today definitely exceeded expectations in several ways. What was expected to be a slower moving cold front moving through the area today instead turned into a fast moving cold front that pushed through overnight. The end results were all positive: more snow than expected, less wind than expected, no cloud cover today, and slightly warmer temperatures than expected. So while it was a windy brisk day for mid-March, it turned into a pleasant ski day.

I was completely unaware it had even snowed, being completely dry at my house, and the remote data sensor showed nothing. I was a bit surprised to find that Highway 89 turned into an ice rink just south of Truckee, making the drive to Alpine Meadows quite a bit slower. If I had to estimate the amount of new snow, my best guess would be 10 millimeters, which is about ten times what was forecast. The secret was to find where the wind was depositing that new snow.

Summit was closed due to high winds, which was no surprise. We started the day on Roundhouse, where the groomed trails were super grippy. That said, I wasn’t wanting to speed down the hill at “mach schnell”, further promoting frostbite. So I slowed my pace and started seeking out some off piste places that often collect snow. Chicken Leg was far from perfect, but 1 out of every 3 turns was good, and it got even better the lower you went, including the newly dubbed “Hot Wings”, just below Chicken Leg.

It also didn’t take too long to notice that Nick’s run was catching some wind deposited powder, and with the lift closed, there were zero tracks. We fixed that. I repeated it 7 times to make sure it was good enough. It was more of a “velvet run” than a powder run. While in that process we also ran across patrollers training on the closed Kangaroo lift. Patrollers were riding up with their dogs, then being evacuated from the lift with their dogs. There’s something I have never seen. Each and every pup was really excited to get back on the ground!

There were some other areas that also provided some decent fun. I noted several people lapping Waterfall to Kangaroo Gully. Randy sent this picture of his young friend from the east coast, Adrian, finding the snow that blew into High Yellow Gully. The fun was out there if you ratcheted back expectations just a bit and then hunted around. I only expected to ski an hour today and ended up staying for four and a half hours.

What To Expect Ahead?

The weather news continues to be more of the same. Some weak fronts will continue to pass to our north, but that is about it. Temperatures for the weekend have been moderated a bit. It looked like we would see temps into the 50’s over the weekend, but now it looks more like the 40’s. That should keep things from getting too sticky too early. Sunday looks slightly cooler with another front passing to the north.

That Tuesday system that all of my powder hound friends have been dreaming about is dying on the vine. We’re still five days out and the expectations keep dropping. Looking at the last model run…maybe two or three inches. Definitely not a game changer. I am not seeing any miracles developing yet. Ski resorts are beginning to throw in the towel, with the first in California being Mount Shasta Ski Park, which announced a closing date of March 13th due to low snow pack. Yikes!

Employee Housing…A Small Start

A plan has been announced to make a very small dent in the employee housing problem at Palisades and Alpine Meadows. A lease agreement in now in place with the US Forest service to use the Granite Flat campground to accommodate employees that live in self-contained vans or recreational vehicles. Granite Flat is the first campground on the left, coming from Truckee. It’s certainly easier to access being right on the road, and offers close access to town and limited cell service. Employees can apply to move in as early as next week. The pilot program runs through mid-April. Twenty three spaces are available. Car and tent camping will not be available. A camp host will be on site and snow removal will be provided. It’s a start.