Not when I'm on these gorgeous rockered fatties (Voile Drifters) that I just got from N. It also means I can keep up with him when he's on his Moment Comikazis. He's been looking for a similar pair of skis for me for a few years now, but ski manufacturers simply weren't making the fat rockered variety for women (don't get me started on that, or how the new NTN telemark binding system isn't really in women's sizes either). Thankfully Voile has come out with shorter sizes in this ski, which means that women (and short men) looking for a rockered ski aren't left out in the cold. These are perfect skis for those 2-5 foot storms that we get in the Sierra, and I'll be diligently testing those conditions in the name of research.
In the meantime, I'm praying hard for some BIG Sierra storms in January.
It takes a special kind of skill to sniff out powder snow days after a storm. Knowing aspect and elevation certainly help, as does having one of those water-finder forks that you sometimes see in the desert. Not having one of those forks, I've had to resort to the former, and it usually works well enough during the winter months, when days are shorter and there's less of that glorious California sunshine to affect the snow quality.
This morning's first dawn-ish patrol (closer to mid-morning, really), which was a number of days after the last snowfall, did pay off at the upper elevations. You could call it spring powder, that slightly compacted fresh snow that's makes for fun turns, especially when it's untracked.
Things got a little more spicy below about 8000 feet, when low snow coverage and springlike conditions required faster reflexes. But that was a small price to pay for about 1700 feet of backcountry fun before heading into the office.
Because we measure storms in feet, not inches. This latest storm dumped another 5 feet in the mountains, and it's now GAME ON for the ski resorts. This latest storm came in a bit wetter than the last one, building a base and covering a lot of the rocks and other obstacles. Note that there are still a few lurking about, as we found on Heavenly's Face run yesterday, so you still need to be aware of things under the surface.
It's been a few years since we've seen this much snow this early in the season, and my legs are definitely not yet in shape. After 3 consecutive days of skiing powder, I'm walking a bit stiffly.
But it is SO worth it!
Whether it's truly El Nino or just snow dances paying off in spades, Lake Tahoe got hit hard by a snowstorm yesterday and today. It's a much needed boost, both in terms of the snow pack and general attitude, for it's a lot easier to get excited about winter and ski season when things are actually covered in snow.
Despite all the giddiness about powder snow, I didn't ski at the resorts today. Yes, there is 3 feet of new snow at the higher elevations, but there was a lot of bare dirt (and rocks) at the ski resorts before this storm, so I'd rather wait until there's a better payoff. And lower risk of hitting a rock and hurting my already decrepit self.
Instead, the dog and I explored our meadow, which just a few days ago was bare dirt in many places. I spent an hour breaking trail in light and pristine shin deep snow, then enjoyed the fruits of my labors and skied back on said track.
Heck, I was so blissed out by the new snow that I didn't even say anything rude to the lazy-ass chick who was walking in my ski track. Talk about her lucky day.
We're dog sitting for friends this week. Their lab, Otis, is about Soleil's age, but has pretty much submitted to her since they first met. When at our place, this translates into us regularly shooing Soleil off his enormous bed, as Otis won't get on it if she's on it (and it's so much more attractive to her than her relatively small bed). In many respects the two behave like a dysfunctional married couple, alternating who gets to play the role of curmudgeon.
Early winter at Lake Tahoe tends to result in recreational limbo. There’s not enough snow to ski beyond the few resort groomers, and there’s too much snow on the trails to mountain bike or hike.
So low-expectation explorations are required if one doesn't want to head to lower elevations for snow-free trails. On Sunday we headed out to Carson Pass, near Kirkwood, for some low-angle touring with the dog. We knew it would be rocky, but were a bit surprised by just how many were still visible. After negotiating the approach to Winnemucca Lake (usually much easier in deeper snow pack), we decided to attempt skinning up towards the saddle next to Round Top. Conditions were bare enough for us to quickly recognize the folly of that goal. So after a few hundred feet of up, we headed down. It was a nasty, brutish descent, with wind affected snow that didn’t do much to hide the rocks lurking underneath, and some ugly survival skill like turns on my part.
But it was a glorious day to be out, and it was nice to feel the rhythm of skinning again, even if it was mostly cross-country.
Because my life isn't full enough with work, teaching, playing and my feeble attempt at finding balance, I've started writing about telemark and backcountry skiing in the Lake Tahoe region for Examiner.com.
Check it out - and don't worry, I'll still be ranting about stupidity and posting photos of my latest culinary disaster here.
Ski season has finally started at Lake Tahoe, with the openings of Mt. Rose, Heavenly, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley this week. N and I actually had plans to head to Mammoth (which has been open since October), but his asymptomatic manflu reared up again, leaving him with no desire to move, much less drive 2+ hours to ski - especially after a snowstorm left the roads a bit messy, and the mountains with upwards of 6 inches of new snow.
Our older house had gifted us with a few surprises over the years, but nothing dramatic like rodent infestations or exploding pipes. [knock wood]
The weeks before ski season always leave me in an uncomfortable state of limbo. The days are too short - and cold - for any long mountain bike rides, and hiking requires more layers and planning. Add to that a stupid injury (mine), the start of a bad cold (N) and unusual arctic temps, and we realized our options were limited this weekend. In the end we headed to Fallen Leaf Lake, an area neither of us had been to recently.
