Quiet and Wet Saturday

There is really not much to report today except that the weather was rather wet. It was not raining, but the light snow that was falling when I was on the hill was wet. We heard that there were lines on the front side that extended up to 10 minutes on Gold Coast and 2 plus minutes on Red Dog and the Resort Chair. However, there were no lines at Alpine this morning. The parking lot was pretty empty when I left at noon.

Perhaps the fact that the Base to Base Gondola was on wind-hold kept people away from our lifts. We never complain when lines are short at Alpine.

Of course, there is still not much open. We made the circuit this morning to keep from being too bored. Big Carpet, Meadow, Subway and Treeline Cirque completed our four lift day. Skiing on Treeline Cirque was acceptable. The surface remains nicely groomed in the morning and then somewhat slicker in the afternoon as the softer top surface is skied off.

Achieve Tahoe was running clinics for this year’s volunteers. This is a great organization offering year around outdoor recreation to people with disabilities. Support it, if you can.

Today was the first day that parking reservations were required (paid or free) at both resorts. There were a couple of bits of information that I learned this morning upon my arrival to the main Alpine Meadows parking lot. The upper most parking area closest to the lodge is reserved for people arriving with three or more occupants in the car. I assume it is for people car pooling. Most, if not all, other parking areas are for anyone other than specific areas for employees. There is apparently no particular parking area for those who choose to pay for parking. Parking enforcement is done by a separate company and not Alpine Meadows parking attendants. The enforcement crew scans the license plates of cars in the lot individually to determine if the occupants have a reservation. Don’t forget to get a reservation before you head to Alpine on a weekend or holiday period.

Enjoy your day,

Andy