Powder, Powder, And More Powder

There was nothing to joke about this morning as the lifts at Alpine Meadows opened for skiers and boarders. The air felt cold, relatively light snow was piled up all around us, and winds were howling. It was a real winter day. Most lifts were on anticipated weather hold; however, Roundhouse, TLC, and Sherwood were operating. At the opening bell, lines were not excessive. We jumped on TLC because it opened first and headed to Sherwood. I never returned from Sherwood to ride Roundhouse. Other than Meadow, Subway, and the Carpet, no other lifts turned for patrons for the rest of the day.

This is not a joke. I did not hear one complaint about the snow or the lack of lifts operating from anyone. It was a happy, smiling, yelling-for-joy crowd on the hill this morning. We found powder deep enough to enjoy a Face Shot or two on the Sherwood side of the mountain. Lighting was on the flat side in the open areas, but threading through Sherwood Forest in soft powder did not pose a problem for us. The Palisades app indicated 8 inches of snow fell overnight and 15 inches of snow piled up over the last 24 hours. Skiing on the Sherwood slopes felt like we were skiing in at least a foot of new snow.

It did not take long for Sherwood Face to be laced with tracks, and South Face followed shortly after. I heard good reports from skiers who were lapping Our Father, High Yellow, and Counter Weight Gully. Expert Short Cut and Art’s Knob were just a joyride, as were many other slopes accessed by TLC and the Sherwood Chair.

The Face, accessed from Roundhouse, was reported to be insane. Ski and board tracks filled in as fast as they could be etched into the snow.

I am sure any trail with a little steepness excited those who passed over them.

The only fools raising their hands today were the fools who were not on the slopes taking advantage of a fantastic powder morning.

I heard a couple of interesting rumors today that bear repeating. One of them seemed like a good idea to me. It involves a new combination season lift pass for a number of Lake Tahoe ski resorts. My understanding is that the resorts included would be Alpine Meadows, Sugar Bowl, Soda Springs, Tahoe Donner, Mt. Rose, and Sierra Ski Ranch. Northstar, Heavenly Valley, and the Palisades side of Palisades at Tahoe would not be included in the offering. I think it is a good idea and will cross my fingers that it comes to fruition.

The other rumor that is floating around really got me excited when I heard it. Evidently the owners of Sugar Bowl have been talking about purchasing Alpine Meadows. The idea is to expand the Sugar Bowl character that locals love to one or two other Tahoe ski resorts. Hopefully, the character of Alpine Meadows of old could be returned to those who love the local feeling we had before the large corporations stepped into the ski world. Palisades Tahoe would no longer be associated with Alpine. There was even talk of dismantling the B2B to keep skiers and boarders at Alpine to a minimum number.

New snow and deep powder make skiers and snowboarders smile. There were a lot of smiles on the hill today.

Enjoy your day.

Andy