Lake Tahoe - 3/22 + 3/23

[gmcunni]

Thanks to everyone who helped me figure out where to ski in Tahoe. Here is what I ended up with.

Booked out of Sacramento around 3:00 on Thursday and checked in to the Inn at Truckee by 5:00. I ended up deciding to give Squaw a try for night skiing so I changed and took off for the mountain, arriving around 5:30. I got my $20 lift ticket and jumped on the cable car to High Camp and stepped off the lift just about 6:00 PM. The ride up was interesting; the “driver” gave us his spiel about the mountain and its history. I asked the “driver” about the trails which were open, even though the sun was still high in the sky the only “open” trails were the ones designated for night skiing. Not knowing the mountain I stuck with the main intermediate trail which was a 3 run from High Camp back to the cable car base. The snow conditions were poor... basically frozen shush. I took 3 runs and called it a night.

The next morning I headed to Alpine Meadows. The lifts opened at 9, I pulled in the parking lot just after 8. I think I was the 3rd customer to arrive; I parked 20 yards from the ticket window. I went inside, got settled +suited up and waited for the lifts to open. I was on the 3rd chair heading up the Summit Six lift. I followed the group ahead of me (hoping they knew where to go) and skied Alpine Bowl to the Red Trail back to the base. The snow was well packed + groomed corduroy, just a bit on the icy side. I took this basic path a few times and then switched over to the Wolverine Bowl and Blue Trail combo.

Just about 10:00 the sun started to work its magic on the snow. Within an hour the hard packed/crusty stuff became soft spring snow. I started traversing out further and further in the Wolverine bowl taking a slightly different path down each time. Each run better than the last. After lunch I switched over to Scott’s Chair and skied several trails on that side of the mountain. Unfortunately the back side of Alpine( Sherwood and Lakeview) was closed so I wasn’t able to venture too far.

I started working my way back to the right side, making a stop, and fall , on Waterfall and eventually found my way to Estelle Bowl. I took a bunch of runs there, each time a slightly different path.

A lot of people warned me that the snow would deteriorate after 2:00. While I did notice it getting a little slushy it never got bad, just even easier to carve in!! I took my last lift up @ 3:45 PM and then called it a day. WOW, what a day it was, probably my single best day of skiing ever. The mountain, snow, weather and the view were all incredible.

[dmc]

Cool!!! Glad you had a blast!!

nice jacket btw...

[billski]

I guess the NIMBY syndrome applies to Calif. too. I was at Alpine on 3/2, arrived at about 830am and parked waaaaay in back. What's amazing about the area is how easily it absorbs larger numbers of skiers/boarders. Great place. I had as much fun there as I did at Squaw. I'm also impressed at the number of high quality areas like Alpine us easties have never heard of. I'd go back in a flash. My friends always accuse me of arranging business meetings in February in Sacramento and Denver. Hmmmm.