Could be Worse - You Could be at Squaw Valley This Week

[Zermatt]

Lots of snow at Squaw? Yep. Any skiing....nope.

Just think if this was your vacation week at Squaw Valley...hasn't been open all week. I think they were open Saturday and have been closed since then. Now its power outages, before, rain then extreme snow.

At this point in the storm cycle I have doubts they will get much of anything open this weekend. Once they get the power back on they have to get people onto the mountain to start making it safe for avalanches. Usually, skier traffic does most of the avalanche control work, but they have had none of that. Patrol drops bombs in the morning, but it really is daily traffic that packs out everything. Once the avalanche problem is blown away they have to dig out chairlifts. An easy task if you keep up with it everyday, but my guess is they haven't been anywhere on the mountain since Sunday. Then, all the other staff needs to get to the mountain to run chairs, open lodges, etc.

Enjoy all that snow in California.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I saw of picture of Kirkwood on Facebook and they were digging the lift chairs out. Insane.

 

[ss20]

Seems like a good problem to have... based on the current Northeast weather pattern there's quite a few AZer's who will be nearing the edge of the cliff within the next couple weeks!

 

[MEtoVTSkier]

based on the current Northeast weather pattern there's quite a few AZer's who will be nearing the edge of the cliff within the next couple weeks!

Yep, never fails, as soon as I get caught up, and hope to be free to ski mid January to mid February... this is what happens.

 

[snoseek]

Its going to be spooky out there for the coming days.
Squaw is NOT the place to be during storms like this...anyone local knows this. I would be riding Grandview at Sierra at Tahoe tomorrow personally. Tahoe really is a tough place to book anything in advance for soooo many reasons.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I would say March 5-10 can't come soon enough... but I can wait for them to dig out first!

 

[snoseek]

I would say March 5-10 can't come soon enough... but I can wait for them to dig out first!

Good news is your base is set. March is about a sure bet as your going to have in Tahoe. Don't assume it will be powder....anything can and will happen in the sierra. They get freeze thaws often. At least you'll be able to get on the steep stuff with ample snow. If you need advice on where to get the goods on the south shore mssg me before you go and I can point you towards the goods and help you avoid the stuff everyone seems to get stuck on with the masses

 

[kingslug]

If I was there...well..its not all that far to CO or UT...or WY....here on the other hand..its a bit further to get near any real snow...

 

[goldsbar]

Mammoth is a least partially open from what I've been reading, though it's ~3 hours south. Very hard to ski through even a normal big storm there as winds can be ferocious and usually close the lifts. Come April, no better place as that wind keeps the snow dry even with 60* temps.

 

[SIKSKIER]

I saw of picture of Kirkwood on Facebook and they were digging the lift chairs out. Insane.

Thats buried.

 

[dlague]

While they are getting super pounded 7+ feet, we (Colorado) have been just getting pounded 5+ feet also, result we have also experience closures due to avalanche danger and pass closures, however, the dust is settling and it looks like there will be fun to be had starting tomorrow.

Sent from my SM-G930P using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Highway Star]

Lots of snow at Squaw? Yep. Any skiing....nope.

Just think if this was your vacation week at Squaw Valley...hasn't been open all week. I think they were open Saturday and have been closed since then. Now its power outages, before, rain then extreme snow.

At this point in the storm cycle I have doubts they will get much of anything open this weekend. Once they get the power back on they have to get people onto the mountain to start making it safe for avalanches. Usually, skier traffic does most of the avalanche control work, but they have had none of that. Patrol drops bombs in the morning, but it really is daily traffic that packs out everything. Once the avalanche problem is blown away they have to dig out chairlifts. An easy task if you keep up with it everyday, but my guess is they haven't been anywhere on the mountain since Sunday. Then, all the other staff needs to get to the mountain to run chairs, open lodges, etc.

Enjoy all that snow in California.

Why would you even bring this up?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

original post smacks of jealousy

 

[x10003q]

Kirkwood is 100% open today and the 2 lifts on the cornice cam are loading skiers
last 24 hours 18"
last 48 hours 66"
last 7 days 126"
season so far 277"

 

[SIKSKIER]

Kirkwood is 100% open today and the 2 lifts on the cornice cam are loading skiers
last 24 hours 18"
last 48 hours 66"
last 7 days 126"
season so far 277"

Strange they show zero lifts on the website.If you go to terrain status they still show zero lifts but the Solitude and sunrise lifts are checked open.I'm trying to figure out how you would get to the Sunrise lift.I guess with skins.

 

[snoseek]

Chair 6 is open....that get you up onto the cornice but how far they let you traverse is the question. I have friends texting pics and it looks good! Backside wont open till Saturday at the earliest is my guess. Maybe chair 10 tomorrow?

 

[Whitney]

Fingers crossed for 4th of July skiing in Tahoe this year!

 

[LONGBOARDR]

Sounds like fun out west
Suffering here at Jay Peak with only ~4 ft in the last week
Did Big Jay today and I left my snorkel at home, really needed it

 

[56fish]

Fingers crossed for 4th of July skiing in Tahoe this year!

Been there, done that....no t-shirt tho'...

Was a bit scary. Actually snowed a little from the pass on in. Almost dropped my bike on way back to town.