Best Day Yet?

Hello Skiers,

Was today the best morning of the season? If not, it was darn close. New snow fell overnight associated with relatively cold temperatures. Reports indicated that we received 9″ of new snow overnight. At opening bell it was not overcrowded as most lifts began turning. Lines were not excessive, and in some cases they were relatively nonexistent.

A gray fog lifted as skiers and boarders began unloading and heading downhill. Soon after we began our morning of downhill sport sunshine blew away any remaining gray. Our world brightened unveiling trees laden with snow, and perfectly smooth untouched mountainsides. It was a picture perfect morning with new snow to match.

Well! almost untouched. I was looking back up the slope meaning my tracks showed up in the photo

We headed for Scott Chair after grinning our way down Yellow Trail leaving first tracks behind. One of the real joys of skiing is to arrive at the top of a run and have a little time to just take in the surroundings. A moment of Zen. I had that moment this morning as I stood looking at pillows of new snow filling the spaces between trees in Gentian Gully. I took a breath, smiled, and thought how lucky I was before turning my way through tree trunks and low lying branches. A dream come true.

We repeated this dream a few times in Gentian and Promised Land before leaving for other opportunities.

Powerline, a favorite low angle run, was bathed in sun and still offered a fresh palette. On my way to Summit to give the High Traverse a try, I skied Counter Weight Gully. This is noted as a double diamond run. It is often a double diamond trail, but today it was more of a blue trail, or single diamond. It was a little narrow and steep for the first or second turn after which it opened up into a nice wide hillside. It was filled with soft cold winter snow along with a few small moguls. This was also true of Our Father and Medium Yellow Face. Easy snow for turning with no trouble holding on to the surface. I cannot say I have ever skied on a better surface than we had today at Alpine Meadows.

Ann, Julie, and Rhonda shredding Promised Land

We took the easier way to access terrain available using the High Traverse. The backside, or west side, of Alpine Bowl is often icy, steep, and rocky. Today there were a few small icy patches, but no rocks although the snow is very thin is spots. We slid along the ridge of Big Bend Bowl and dipped through Big Bend Keyhole (not bad today) before dropping off a pretty sizeable cornice into SP Bowl. We were not the first, but I found freshies between the wide spread squiggles left by previous skiers. There were a number of slides that patrol triggered that left paths of rubble, but it was possible to traverse through them as I hunted for untracked space.

Cornice and Rubble in SP Bowl

Randy dropping into SP Bowl

It was another opportunity to stop take a breath and look at the view of deep blue Lake Tahoe spread out before me. Wow! Skiing powder with clear blue skies and Lake Tahoe for a view. It does not get better.

Enjoy your day,

Andy