I am pretty excited this afternoon because moisture is dropping from a dark sky. When I began writing this report the temperature was above freezing and sleet was falling from the sky along the Truckee River, but now wet snow is falling. Maybe we will get a nice new layer of snow overnight.
This morning winds were blowing strongly enough to put the Base to Base Gondola on wind hold. In addition, it caused the bravest of us to lower the bar on Treeline Cirque in an effort to keep from being flipped off the chair. You know the feeling when the bar is up and a gust of wind hits your skis forcing them down and giving you the feeling that you are going to be flipped out of the chair.
Before the sky filled with dark gray clouds we enjoyed a windy, but sunny morning. The surface on Treeline Cirque, the only real lift operating for anyone that was above a beginner, was quite nice. It was well groomed with a soft topping allowing for good edge control. Making quick turns, or wide sweeping turns, made the morning most enjoyable. Now we sit and hope for a powder topping and hope for more of the mountain to open.
While we wait for the perfect powder morning, holiday decor is being installed in the breezeway. Holiday spirit is upon us. The two smiling gentlemen posing for my picture were completing installation of overhead heaters. We would not want to be cold in a ski area breezeway.
Enjoy your day,
Andy
P.S.: Just in case you, or someone you know, is still seeking a winter ski lease, a friend of mine has a smaller home in Alpine Meadows available for the winter.
Andy, do you know if the alpine and “the other mountain” cameras work for anyone? The page doesn’t load at all for me: https://www.palisadestahoe.com/mountain-information/webcams#tab=alpine
It’s probably time to clear your cache and check your browser settings. The webcam images have been working fine with the exception of the Live Shot cam from Summit, which is MIA.
Thanks Mark! Using a different browser without a lot of privacy enhancing settings worked.
I checked the remote data site for the winds earlier today. Around lift opening times, gusts at the Summit were clocked at 111mph. At mid mountain they were 35-50mph. I had the bar down today more than all other days at Alpine this year. Not just the B2B on wind hold, also the Funitel and Gold Coast.
That said the skiing was great today for those that braved the wind.
Love the photos. Thanks Andy