Over the Fence to the Other Side

With skis and boots in my car, I headed to the North Annex to meet friends.

Our weather was so warm and beautiful when Alpine Meadows closed that I lost interest in skiing. It was time to put on shorts and my bike or pop the kayak into the lake. I was ready for a warm spring and early summer. Snow had completely disappeared from my property. As it turns out, the heavens were teasing us. 3 feet of snow fell just as I was getting ready to start hiking on lower-elevation trails. It looked like mid-winter once again. It was painful to look out my window and see the upper portion of Alpine Meadows with snow begging me to blemish its untouched surface. I did have brief thoughts of heading over to the North Annex to take advantage of the new snow, but the thought of fighting large crowds of skiers on minimal terrain did not sit right with me. It was not long before temperatures rose and rain washed away feet of the newly fallen snow. Not long ago, it snowed again. A couple of feet of snow fell again, but it melted relatively quickly. Dark skies and high winds kept me away from the new snow conditions.

It warmed up once again, and spring appeared to be making a comeback. Eventually, I decided to give it a try. If you like groomed slopes, it would have been enjoyable. If you like skiing with good friends, it was fun, but the conditions were rather firm on two of the mornings I skied at the upper portion of Palisades Tahoe.

The snow may have softened after I left, but it was rock hard during the morning hours. No people were skiing off piste. Today it was slightly different. The temperature was warmer, and the sun was shining. The groomed snow surface softened, offering some good spring snow. We were expecting clouds and cooler temperatures, but they held off, giving pleasant ski conditions.

I would have preferred to be at Alpine Meadows, given the conditions, because the skiing would have been more interesting. When all you have are a few groomed runs, Summit would have been better, but Siberia offered a limited amount of steepness, as did Shirley Lake. Why did we ride the Gold Coast so many times? In theory, we were waiting for conditions in Siberia and Shirley to soften. I attempted skiing moguls that were vacant of other participants. It does not take all that long for me to crave something other than a smooth surface. I did succeed in maneuvering the semi-frozen bumps, but it was not all that pleasant. It was one of those runs that makes a person feel good because they did it. The run was vacant of other skiers, which is something I appreciate.

We were lucky that the line for the Funitel was minimal, giving us plenty of room to stretch out on the ride both up and down.

There were no lift lines this morning, which was a plus. We did enjoy several lift rides during the time we skied. More weather is on the way for tomorrow, with a foot of snow forecast. If nothing else, it will make the snow last just a little longer. Coverage on the upper mountain is quite good. We did not encounter many unmarked obstacles.

There was a good crowd enjoying the music on the patio in front of the KT Bass Bar on Saturday afternoon. Warm sunshine, a beer, good music, and a little dancing help me forget the short winter.

Enjoy your day.

Andy