You have got to respect the management at Boreal. Those folks know how to manage snow. Boreal has always been known for being the first resort open, with the earliest date being October 9th in 2009. It always brings a smile to locals when they see Boreal start up snow guns in the fall.
For the last three years, Boreal has also claimed the title of being the last resort to run a chair for skiing and riding in California. That has become more meaningful as Woodward Tahoe started running late spring & early summer “on the snow” camps at Boreal. For the first few years, only minimal snow farming was required to maintain a continuous run on the Castle Peak chair.
This year was certainly a different story. With Tahoe experiencing its driest season since 1976, there wasn’t much of a snowpack left when Boreal closed the mountain for the regular season. When the skiers and boarders were gone, snowcats got to work, moving snow from every corner of the mountain to a thick patch in the shade near the Accelerator chair. There was an especially impressive stockpile of snow stored in the halfpipe.
Things looked a bit dicey last weekend when temperatures reached to over 90° at Boreal last Saturday – but the heat wave quickly turned into a cool spell and there is plenty of snow for the 4th Annual Summer Shred. The Castle Peak chair will be open to the public from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm Saturday. 2013-14 Boreal passes will be honored (which makes a guy wonder if this counts for late closing or early opening?). Day tickets will be available for $25.
If you have never been to the Summer Shred, expect a run that includes jibs and jumps, and a lot of traffic to dodge. There is never much of an open slope for those seeking slalom turns, nor any beginner terrain. It’s not a “lessons and rentals” kind of day…pretty sure they are not offered. There’s always a fun crowd. With a high temperature of 64°, expect to see a lot of bathing suits, sunburns, with some unofficial pond skimming and sticky conditions near the end of the day.
Woodward Tahoe will also be conducting an open house Saturday. You can check out the Bunker for a 2 hour session for $25 from 12 – 4 pm on Saturday and get an introduction to the Woodward coaching staff for the summer sessions. More info is available at the Boreal/Woodward site.
I’ll be missing this year’s Summer Shred due to a work obligation. I’m hoping to make it out to Carson Pass for a Father’s Day ski session. We would love to post your pictures from the Summer Shred.
