1/2 Price Coupons

Everything was going well until the Sherwood Chair went on mechanical hold for thirty-seven minutes. Yes! We were on the chair. After a significant amount of time had elapsed, we began to consider jumping to safety. However, we decided we were just too high off the ground. Eventually, the chair did start back up, giving us a ride to the top, where we unloaded, and a friendly patrolman handed us lift ticket coupons for 50% off a lift ticket. I would have preferred a free hot chocolate with whipped cream, but full-season pass holders can’t be choosy.

The day started with temperatures slightly cooler than those we experienced yesterday, but the bright sun rose and warmed us up once again. It was 42 degrees at Ward Peak at 2 pm versus 47 at the same time yesterday. The morning routine repeated itself this morning. We skied as many untouched corduroy trails as we could before skiers scraped off the nicely groomed topping, creating a slick, smooth surface. Wondering slightly off-piste, I found Fall Line, Yellow Trail, Chicken Leg, God’s Knob, and Roll and Knolls all filled with smaller moguls that held an edge. Traveling to Sherwood, we found spring snow that is really thin on the main run. Soft spring moguls covering Sherwood Face and other aspects toward South Face looked good to me, but I did not take advantage of the opportunity after sitting on Sherwood for half an hour. Instead, we enjoyed a trip down Bobby’s and Ridge Run before stopping for a quick bite to eat.

After lunch, I decided it was time to slip over to Low Beaver Bowl. It had been too long since my last visit. I am kicking myself for not taking advantage of the north-facing shaded snow in Lower Beaver Bowl. I found it well-skied with a beautiful winter surface. Exiting the bowl, I found soft spring snow above Kangaroo. The closer you ski toward the top of Kangaroo, the more obstacles you will find. I ran out of gas after my Beaver Bowl and tour and decided not to hike the High Traverse and ski Sun Bowl, but I bet it sported a smooth corn surface.

There were fewer people on the slope today, but the main runs were still overcrowded at times. I do not think there is an answer to this problem, especially when the available terrain for many skiers is limited.

I had a couple of ideas today that I would like to see come to fruition. What do you think? Perhaps it would be fun to have one or two days a year that were designated for skiers only. A non-snowboard day. I do not have anything against those who ride snowboards, but a retro day at Alpine Meadows would be fun. Perhaps no snowboards at Alpine Meadows, but they would still be allowed on the Palisades side of the mountain. I think it would be fun to have family races on Kangaroo. These would be easy slalom races for parents and their children. These would be for fun, and they would give the area a family feeling that many of us remember from the old days. In the 1960s, many families participated in the Art Linkletter family slalom races. Ski parties for evening pass holders were also a thing of the past that would be fun to resurrect.

Enjoy your day,

Andy

Editor’s Note: Ooof! I should have done a better job of proofing Andy’s words on this post. In this age of inclusivity, it was entirely inappropriate to single out snowboarders for exclusion from Alpine Meadows, even though that had happened in the past. While many people may have had a negative experience with someone on a snowboard, they are not the only problem people on the mountain. I worry more about middle aged men on skis reliving their Olympic dreams. Yesterday I was nearly taken out by a 10 year old on skis flying down Wolverine. A general message about safety would have been more appropriate.  If you are a snowboarder that opted out of your subscription to Unofficial Alpine, please come back. We will try to do better.   -Mark