Hello Skiers and Riders,
We almost had a sunny day in Tahoe with a mountain filled with new wind whipped snow. The sun seemed to disappear behind high clouds. It is now snowing again. Alpine was closed yesterday due to the high winds. This gave us a clean slate to track up early this morning.
We were not the only skiers on the hill. Lines formed early as lifts slowly opened. Roundhouse again offered the first tracks with Scott right behind. We found some fresh snow on Yellow Trail and in Deer Camp (photo attached) before heading to Scott. Gentian proved to have some relatively good powder in the trees. Expert Short Cut was lighter chop by the time we got to it. We never made it up Summit as the line was discouraging to my group. However we did find some good snow at Lakeview and later Sherwood (photo attached). The snow today was not light powder. It was condensed wind pack. We left six inch deep tracks behind us as we made our way around the mountain. North facing slopes were the best, but all of the skiing today took a little extra effort. Concentration was required to avoid a tip catching and heading the wrong direction. Sherwood Face and much of the south and east facing slopes had received a little sun this morning which left a light crust on the surface and heavier snow underneath. It took even more effort to leave a curvy trail on the unblemished surface. My thighs were burning at times.
Winds were increasing early in the afternoon causing Scott to shut down. According to the Squaw Alpine App, there are 248 inches of snow at the stake between Wolverine and Beaver Bowls. I noticed, as we skied in the trees at Sherwood, that the depth of the snow has created more obstacles for those of us who like to thread the needle in forested areas. Early in the season branches are higher up the trunk. Now we are skiing at branch level. Ducking the head is required in some areas to avoid slamming into a branch.
This weekend is the World Cup Race at Squaw Valley. Buses are available for those that would like to park in Tahoe City at the transportation center or at the Truckee Airport.
Enjoy your day,
Andy
The Unofficial Alpine Meadows Ski Report
Produced by Andy Wertheim
Tahoe Truckee Realtor
Email: andyinalpine@yahoo.com
Website: andyintahoe.com
Cell: 530-386-0734
You are right on the mark. Snow was heavier then we all were expecting. Low visibility by 1, way different then last Tuesday stoke meter.