Today marks the end of a record setting warm streak for the Sierra Nevada. That’s a good thing because the rate of snowmelt this week is faster than I have ever seen at this time of year. If that kept up, ski season would be ending very soon!
After a quick test run on Sunspot, we quickly circled back to Summit and headed to High Traverse. Different that my previous trips this week, the side step up from the Barn was soft rather than icy. As we approached Upper Saddle, it was clear that the 2 foot rock crossing at the top has now turned into a 50 foot rock crossing. Ski Patrol has done an excellent job of managing the corn there, closing High Traverse each day before the ruts get too big. So Sun Bowl offered quality snow, just about half as wide as earlier in the week. After traversing through the trees, Big Bend Bowl was way more punchy than just two days ago. It’s those warm overnight temperatures that are problematic. That should be coming to an end, at least for awhile.
There was not a huge crowd today, but without Sherwood, Lakeview and Scott in the morning hours, things felt a bit more crowded. Early on, the app was showing 10+ minute lines at Roundhouse and Summit. After experiencing that a time or two, the smart kids went to ABC, where there was no line. Terry’s to Mid Yellow made for a fine spring lap now that Sherwood is closed.
Sometime around 11:30, High T and Sherwood closed, and Scott opened. We kept an eye on Scott while in for an early lunch and headed there right away. This is another place where you can literally see snow melting before your eyes. You can still sneak into Bobby’s, and Ridge is groomed but at about half width near the top. Summer Road is just about burnt. My favorite lap was Lower Standard, then cutting into the low end of Bobby’s. Great corn and almost no people there today. If I had to take a guess, tomorrow will be the last day of the season for Scott, pending winds. I hope I get one last run into Gentian Gully. My friend Randy did mention a new water feature appearing on Subway. Tomorrow is likely the last day for Subway.
I skied until 2pm today and caught the sound check for Coburn Station on the deck. It brought up the old school Alpine Meadows vibe. The deck was pretty busy, and people in street shoes were headed in from the parking lot just to catch the show. Sadly, as of now, there are no more music dates on the events calendar at Alpine Meadows…stepchild syndrome.
Weather Will Potentially Have Some Impacts Tomorrow and Monday
We should be able to avoid the rain part of the storm tomorrow. It’s not forecast to get wet until later in the evening. Unfortunately, winds may have a big impact on the day tomorrow. Here’s what the forecast discussion says:
Gusts of 30-40 mph may surface by late morning in the lower elevations, while Sierra ridge winds should increase to 60-90 mph late tonight or very early Sunday morning. This will impact recreation so make sure to check conditions before heading up into the mountains or out to a nearby lake. Winds could remain gusty well into Sunday night as the low moves into the Sierra.
That means it is very possible that Summit will be on windhold. We could see windhold on Scott as well. That has the potential to put a lot of people on just Roundhouse and TLC and a couple of other minor lifts. Bummer.
For Monday, the last couple of runs of the GFS are actually a little bit more bullish for snowfall. The point forecast still calls for 1-3 inches at mid-mountain. The last GFS run shows a possibility of 6 inches. While that may provide for momentary fun, it would put us back in the the mank cycle for a couple of days afterwords. Just stating for the record, a 6 inch storm will do absolutely nothing when it comes to making the snowpack last any longer.
The bigger worry for Monday is that the forecast also includes a good possibility for lightning. You can’t have that when you’re running a ski area.
The good news is that once we get past the next two days, temperatures should be more normal, with highs reaching into the 40’s and with overnight temperatures near or below freezing. That will help greatly in reducing the rate of snow melt.
Quick note on a previous post. Dot is a total ripper and has a passion for skiing that is off the chart. I have seen her in action on the way down, ridden the chair with her, she is a joy be around. Kudos to You!