Resetting Expectations

I reset my expectations today and that did the trick. Since the corn hasn’t been all that quick to ripen, I decided to stop worrying about it and enjoy the slush for what it is: fun spring skiing. With the right mindset and following the sun, slush skiing is definitely preferable to not skiing. That time where we won’t be skiing at Alpine Meadows is coming too quickly.

Idiots looks pretty filled in from this angle, now if we can get a decent freeze on that snow

All of the groomed runs off of Summit were excellent this morning, allowing for easy carving of deep trenches. Lower on the mountain, it took few runs before the surface softened. It sounds like most everyone in my crew preferred Wolverine today, especially because it spills out onto the carefully manicured Werners Schuss and Boomerang. While Sunspot and Terry’s Return offered great conditions, the return to Summit via Dance Floor and Red Ridge was not quite as buffy.

Off piste, the conditions were pretty rough. Afternoon skiers yesterday left some big ruts, making places like Tower 19, Pygmy Forest and the D’s quite a bit less attractive this morning. But, I reset my expectations and found that places that were not groomed overnight, but were previously groomed provided an interesting “quasi off piste” experience. Fun little bumps were developing on both Yellow and Bobby’s by midday today.

It felt slightly less sticky today, possibly because there was some advancement on the corn cycle, but more likely because I carefully waxed again this morning with the Spring Slush wax. Given the upcoming temperatures, it’s likely a wax everyday scenario now. I noted that the shop guys had the portable “belt waxer” out on the Sun Deck today, which is better than nothing.

The FIS Spring Series Returns To Alpine Meadows (And The Northern Annex)

Preparations are underway for the FIS Spring Series for SR, U21 and U18 at Alpine Meadows and the northern annex. We spotted fencing materials at the top of Roundhouse yesterday and by this morning, red fencing was sprouting along Werners and Boomerang. This is why the grooming was superb in this area. This same event has been here several years in a row, and although it does interrupt the flow down the mountain, it’s also fun to watch the racers while riding up the Roundhouse and Summit.

The slalom event will be held at Alpine Meadows and the giant slalom will be held at the place next door. It looks like the course will be about the same as last year. The start gate is at the top of Werners, then the course veers onto Boomerang then Charity before it finishes back on Werners, just above Sandy’s Corner. This does tighten things up for skiers and riders exiting Wolverine. It also creates a pinch point for those skiing and riding Charity. I noted that Banana Chute got groomed today creating an easier exit path.

The women’s divisions will ski the slalom on Thursday and Friday and the men will ski the slalom Saturday and Sunday. Racing reportedly will be complete by 1 pm each day.

Dual Sport Days

With nothing but warm weather in the forecast, it’s time for dual sport days. I took a bike ride across town to the UPS store this afternoon. The roads are clear as are most of the paved bike paths around Tahoe. That said, there is a lot of sand on the roads in some areas, so caution is advised. It felt good to kick start bike season with something more than a novelty ride.