Wind And More Wind

The forecast was for wind, a lot of wind. Trees were bending back and forth when I looked out my window early this morning, and the sky was gray. My expectations were on the low side, but I figured there was no reason to stay home. Snow had not started to drop from the clouds, and the temperature was relatively warm. I might have stayed home if I had a rocking chair and the ability to knit, but I have neither a rocking chair nor the skill to knit.

There were very few cars in the parking lot when I arrived. In fact, I got one of the closest slots to the lodge that I have snagged all year. I figured it was because of my birthday, but I was wrong. There just were not many people anxious to ski given the weather predictions for the day.

My friends shared birthday wishes with me in the locker room. Thank all of you for the good wishes and fun morning sitting around waiting for the right time to exit our calm, warm surroundings. We sat around longer than usual. No one seemed in a hurry to test the slopes this morning, but we did eventually rise to the occasion.

There really was not much to choose from this morning. Summit was running at nine o’clock, but low-hanging clouds obscured the upper mountain, so we decided to ride the only other lift operating.

After a number of runs on TLC, I decided it was time to ride Summit Chair. My friends reluctantly joined me for one ride to the top of the mountain. It was not really snowing, and the air temperature was still pretty warm, but the wind was howling. If we had not held our ski tips up as we faced strong winds near the top, we might have been flipped right off the chair (a good reason to have the bar down until the very end of the ride). We skied Alpine Bowl. The snow was soft under ski, and the visibility was not terrible. A light coating of new snow had fallen during the morning hours, putting a thin layer on the surface. My one run down Alpine Bowl was the best of the day.

The surface accessed by TLC was a stop-and-go ride. The hard, overnight-groomed trail was spotted with patches of new snow. This created a fast turn followed by a ski-sticking slow turn.

We took five or six runs on TLC before heading for the Chalet to munch on a goodie and sip on a beverage. Shortly after arriving at the Chalet, we learned winds had closed Summit Chair. I thought we were done for the day until I noticed skiers riding TLC to the top. When TLC is closed to the top, Sherwood is normally not open. In this case, Sherwood had opened, so I persuaded my mates to take a run on Sherwood. The look in their eyes told me they were only agreeing to take one run on Sherwood because it was my birthday.

Sherwood was not as firm as I expected. The snow had softened some and was pleasant enough, given the overall conditions on the mountain.

We took two runs on Sherwood and then headed back to the locker room. It seemed as if snow was beginning to fall as we headed into the lodge, but it was more like graupel. When hard snow pellets are hitting my face as I ski down a hill, it is time to head inside.

As usual, I had a good time on the mountain. Terrain was limited, and conditions were not ideal, but I found enough adequate snow to put a smile on my face.

It is now 2:30pm, and the snowstorm has not started at the elevation of the Truckee River. TLC and Sherwood appear to be the only major lifts operating this afternoon. Winds at the summit are blowing at 56 mph with gusts to 75 mph. The temperature is 26 degrees, and the sky is mostly cloudy. We wait for the frightening dump that is promised for tonight.

Enjoy your day,

Andy