Squaw Valley March 2008

kingslug · Mar 9, 2008, 9:38 AM

We spent a bluebird day at Squaw because we where getting bored at Heavenly. Heavenly is a nice place but due to conditions you
could barely get off the groomers, and they are a little flat. Squaw was the same...except it was anything but flat. I don't which is hairier, Squaw or JH. I pick Squaw for inbound runs. The snow out here sticks to everything like glue.
We started out riding a super packed tram, then headed up the Siberia lift. they groomed a huge path down it. A little tricky getting into it, about a 2 foot wide cut across the ice, then it's straight down. Mrs Slug just loved doing that first thing in the morning! Headed over to the Red dog chair and a trip down one of the face shots. Steep and very slick. Did a few runs in that area then headed over to the other side.
Granite Chief. This was the best area. The snow was a little softer and the runs through the rocks are great. Again only groomers but the are vastly different from anything you will find in the east. Mrs Slug got in trouble..again, she ended up on a small rocky area with no way to see over it. So she and the snowboarder she followed hiked out. Once she got a look at the other side..Oh, I could have done that..maybe.
Pretty much skied around that area, Shirley lake, which is just mellow runs cut through the trees was a nice respite from the plummits. Watched some daredevils try to go off the groomers, crazy steep and frozen. There are some very good skiers here but I think most of the locals stayed home. It was hard to stare at 4000 acres and not be able to ski most of it. The last time I was here it was rainy and foggy, could barely see a thing. At least this time there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
It never got warm enough to venture past the groomed runs, not that we didn't try. Our last run back to the base we found a little corned up mogul field, but it was short. It was an interesting day and at least we got to ski the whole area. Would love to come back, say in April or after a good dump.

Siberia Bowl and I believe the Pallisades.

groomer in the middle ..of somewhere.

Mrs Slugs rock. From the other side we had no idea what it looked like.

Well, if you really like moguls...

The red dog chair and the face run. Damn thing was one slick plummit, pictures do not do it justice. Some local just straight line it!!!

tjf67 · Mar 10, 2008, 1:01 PM

Good stuff. That red dog chair is way up in the air isn't it?

Wish you got the days like we got there. Sat night there was a kick off to the ski festival party and they had a light show going on bouncing things off the hills.

Great place to be

kingslug · Mar 10, 2008, 1:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjf67

Good stuff. That red dog chair is way up in the air isn't it?

Wish you got the days like we got there. Sat night there was a kick off to the ski festival party and they had a light show going on bouncing things off the hills.

Great place to be

I'm glad I at least got up there. Found Heavenl's groomers pretty boring, bump runs where fun though. Squaw.....a scary place!!

coreybyrnes · Mar 11, 2008, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjf67

That red dog chair is way up in the air isn't it?

so high! once you come over that first hill it's way too high to not have a safety bar... my buddy had his pack on and felt pretty exposed...

i found the one pack of powder on all of squaw on sunday 3/2 right underneath the KT chair... thank god for that cause all those groomers were boring the hell out of me... skiing groomers at squaw was my personal hell... to look out at all that terrain, all those cliffs, all those chutes, all those steeps and not be able to ski any of it cause it's as slick and hard as an ice skating rink... still depressed about it a week later...

tjf67 · Mar 11, 2008, 10:21 AM

whats with all the people out there not putting the bars down? I mean I could care one way or another till thewind picks up then that thing is down.

tekweezle · Mar 11, 2008, 1:43 PM

KS,

was it too cold to ski and the hardpack never warmed up......in march?

sucks to make it all the way out there with no new snow......

coreybyrnes · Mar 11, 2008, 4:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tekweezle

was it too cold to ski and the hardpack never warmed up......in march?

sucks to make it all the way out there with no new snow......

exactly... a week of warmth and a weekend of cold made for boring groomers... was definitely my worst ski weekend out west... actually, now that i think about it, it's up there with my worst ski weekend ever! such a bummer to fly all the way out there and basically not really ski (i've come to not count groomer days anymore - haha)

tekweezle · Mar 12, 2008, 9:12 AM

happened to me last year at Jackson hole but it was january. i guess you could rent some skinny east coast race skis! oh well, any skiing is better than none at all.....maybe you got more time to spend at the casino!

just a weird winter. the west was getting slammed in january and february.......

kingslug · Mar 14, 2008, 7:49 AM

And how about getting all you're stuff stolen as well. I at least was able to find decent rental boots and will (hopefully) be reimbursed for all of it. But man...staring at all that.................frozen crap, depressing, especialy since I wanted to go to utah that week...where it was puking. At least they didn't steal the wifes stuff.

12 hours and 2 planes to get to tahoe $800.00
Hotel room with no heat $385.00
Airlines lose all you're stuff, then finds it, drop it off in middle of the night in hotel driveway, all stolen $1000.00
Ski on icy groomers for 3 days $320.00
The look on my face when I came home to .....rain.....priceless (hopeless?)

tekweezle · Mar 17, 2008, 8:51 AM

which airlines was it that lost your stuff? i want to know so i can avoid them.

my condolences for your messed up vacation.

Mar 9, 2008, 9:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
kingslug Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: looooooong island ny Posts: 1,466	Squaw Valley March 2008 We spent a bluebird day at Squaw because we where getting bored at Heavenly. Heavenly is a nice place but due to conditions you could barely get off the groomers, and they are a little flat. Squaw was the same...except it was anything but flat. I don't which is hairier, Squaw or JH. I pick Squaw for inbound runs. The snow out here sticks to everything like glue. We started out riding a super packed tram, then headed up the Siberia lift. they groomed a huge path down it. A little tricky getting into it, about a 2 foot wide cut across the ice, then it's straight down. Mrs Slug just loved doing that first thing in the morning! Headed over to the Red dog chair and a trip down one of the face shots. Steep and very slick. Did a few runs in that area then headed over to the other side. Granite Chief. This was the best area. The snow was a little softer and the runs through the rocks are great. Again only groomers but the are vastly different from anything you will find in the east. Mrs Slug got in trouble..again, she ended up on a small rocky area with no way to see over it. So she and the snowboarder she followed hiked out. Once she got a look at the other side..Oh, I could have done that..maybe. Pretty much skied around that area, Shirley lake, which is just mellow runs cut through the trees was a nice respite from the plummits. Watched some daredevils try to go off the groomers, crazy steep and frozen. There are some very good skiers here but I think most of the locals stayed home. It was hard to stare at 4000 acres and not be able to ski most of it. The last time I was here it was rainy and foggy, could barely see a thing. At least this time there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It never got warm enough to venture past the groomed runs, not that we didn't try. Our last run back to the base we found a little corned up mogul field, but it was short. It was an interesting day and at least we got to ski the whole area. Would love to come back, say in April or after a good dump. Siberia Bowl and I believe the Pallisades. groomer in the middle ..of somewhere. Mrs Slugs rock. From the other side we had no idea what it looked like. Well, if you really like moguls... The red dog chair and the face run. Damn thing was one slick plummit, pictures do not do it justice. Some local just straight line it!!! __________________ Lets go! I'll drive. Last edited by kingslug; Mar 9, 2008 at 9:47 AM.

Mar 12, 2008, 9:12 AM	#8 (permalink)
tekweezle Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 377	happened to me last year at Jackson hole but it was january. i guess you could rent some skinny east coast race skis! oh well, any skiing is better than none at all.....maybe you got more time to spend at the casino! just a weird winter. the west was getting slammed in january and february....... Last edited by tekweezle; Mar 12, 2008 at 9:21 AM.

Mar 14, 2008, 7:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
kingslug Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: looooooong island ny Posts: 1,466	And how about getting all you're stuff stolen as well. I at least was able to find decent rental boots and will (hopefully) be reimbursed for all of it. But man...staring at all that.................frozen crap, depressing, especialy since I wanted to go to utah that week...where it was puking. At least they didn't steal the wifes stuff. 12 hours and 2 planes to get to tahoe $800.00 Hotel room with no heat $385.00 Airlines lose all you're stuff, then finds it, drop it off in middle of the night in hotel driveway, all stolen $1000.00 Ski on icy groomers for 3 days $320.00 The look on my face when I came home to .....rain.....priceless (hopeless?) __________________ Lets go! I'll drive. Last edited by kingslug; Mar 14, 2008 at 2:02 PM.

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Mar 10, 2008, 1:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
tjf67 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: L.P. Posts: 651	Good stuff. That red dog chair is way up in the air isn't it? Wish you got the days like we got there. Sat night there was a kick off to the ski festival party and they had a light show going on bouncing things off the hills. Great place to be

Mar 11, 2008, 10:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
tjf67 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: L.P. Posts: 651	whats with all the people out there not putting the bars down? I mean I could care one way or another till thewind picks up then that thing is down.

Mar 11, 2008, 1:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
tekweezle Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 377	KS, was it too cold to ski and the hardpack never warmed up......in march? sucks to make it all the way out there with no new snow......

Mar 17, 2008, 8:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
tekweezle Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 377	which airlines was it that lost your stuff? i want to know so i can avoid them. my condolences for your messed up vacation.

Mar 9, 2008, 9:38 AM
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