Yesterday, clear water was dropping from the sky, followed by freezing temperatures overnight. There was a thin layer of new snow that must have accumulated overnight, but the underlayment was solid. These conditions created very firm skiing conditions on most trails during the morning hours, but warmer temperatures and sunshine softened much of the pack as noon approached.
Today was complicated by the fact that the snowpack is thin and even thinner after yesterday’s warm temperatures and rain. I found more rocks and dirt patches today than I have seen over the past few days.
I did find some decent snow, perhaps 2 inches thick, in areas off TLC in the morning, where I was the first skier to pass through, but chunks of ice underneath required a skier’s full attention.
The thin coverage evidently required closure of the Scott, Lakeview, and Sherwood chairs today. In addition, Roundhouse was on mechanical hold all day. The lack of availability for use of these lifts did not create short lift lines. The lines were not terrible, but they were longer than necessary because of the low uphill capacity.
The top of TLC opened late, but when it did open, we enjoyed a few pleasant turns in new snow that fell over groomed trails. We rode Yellow Chair and took a chance skiing Chicken Leg, only to be rather disappointed with the frozen chunks that jarred our bodies to the point of pain. Later, Ladies Slalom and Yellow Trails softened, offering spring skiing in softer snow.
We hit Summit Chair later in the morning and felt good skiing Sunspot. Dance Floor and Charity also offered pleasant skiing in the afternoon. I think there were several trails on the upper mountain that offered good skiing, but I did not have time to try them all.
A little more history for those of you who have not skied Alpine Meadows for as long as I have been slipping down its hill.
The following trails off the Roundhouse Chair were renamed in 2008. The ski area had a competition to rename the trails. The original names were Red Trail, now called Dance Floor; Yellow Trail (still named Yellow Trail); Blue Trail, now known as Werner’s Schuss; and Green Trail, now called Boomerang and Charity, as they both merge. The original names were derived from the colors of the surveyor’s tape used to mark the location of planned trails. These names were given to the trails in the early 1960s.
Enjoy your day.
Andy
Today I found that my time spent waiting in line was more than double my actual time skiing, so I would say lines were long today without Scott and Roundhouse available.
You know what would have been great? It was a perfect day to open ABC, as the coverage is reasonable on that part of the mountain. This would have taken some pressure off of Summit. I hate standing in line when I could be skiing…
Yep. Riding up summit looking over I was thinking the same thing.
The question is why not given they knew other lifts would not open for patrol hold ?
ABC is the most underutilized chair on the mountain which is shameful. It provides easy access to some great terrain without the lower mountain traffic of Summit laps. Added bonus is its slow speed to rest the legs and plot your next line. It’s my favorite chair.
During most of my 45 years of skiing AM (that would make me a flatlander compared to Andy), Charity was always known as Red-Green.
When they do open Alpine Bowl Chair, it brings me joy. Criminal that they underutilize that gem, especially when it is needed due to other lifts being down. It’s the least they could do.
Yes to VCSki! Red Green has always been a favorite trail of mine. Less so now with so many less trees. Also who remembers the small chute known as Ultraviolet? Thanks for the info Andy, I was talking with someone about this a few days ago.
Great post today Andy, and I wish I was there!
Re: the Red Trail section names…..I believe the area from the Roundhouse unloading merging into the Alpine Bowl run-out is “Upper Red (Trail)”. Then the flat terrain is actually “The Dance Floor”. At the break-over at the Ladies’ junction, it becomes “Red Trail” to the Summit and Round House run-outs. ‘Just my 2 cents from “old” ski school days!!!
I could’ve sworn there was a run called Dance Floor when I was a kid/youth skiing AM in the 1970s. Maybe that was an unofficial nickname used at the time?