Lake Tahoe Skiing Blog

Skiing Stoke from Lake Tahoe

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Backcountry Ice Skating Continued

January 14, 2012 / / 1 Comment

Backcountry Ice Skating Video

I recently hooked up with a few friends for a magnificent backcountry ice skate tour in Desolation Wilderness. Hiking and skating conditions were superb. You could not have ordered up better weather. Hanging out under the low January sun in the middle of a frozen lake with granite slabs in every direction and no one else around for miles was nothing short of magical. If this winter is handing us lemons, I think we concocted the sweetest possible lemonade.

Friday the 13th isn't that scary.

 

Four top and a poodle in Desolation Wilderness.

 

Looking at the ice is almost as cool as skating on it.

 

Hang time.

 

The tour from one lake to the next is as pleasant as the skating.

 

The lunch rocks on Azure Lake.



Lazy days of summer…I mean winter

January 11, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Ridin' to ski at Squaw on January 11

Afros, fishnet stockings, cut off shorts, BBQ’s, PBR’s, disco beats and soapy cars being hosed down in the warm afternoon sun. Another summer day in Tahopia? Nope. The PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn hosted a pray for snow car wash today and it rocked! The event raised over $500 for Disabled Sports USA Far West.

PlumpJack Pray for Snow Car Wash on January 11

PlumpJack employee Rob Birney getting his scrub on.

PlumpJack Managers Steve Lamb and Kristina Jetton

Ride out the Drought with SNL Digital Shorts

January 10, 2012 / / 0 Comments

This winter has not been great for skiing. It’s actually been about as bad as one could imagine. Some people have seen the lighter side of a dry winter by taking up hiking, mountain biking, golf, surfing, paddleboarding, ice skating, and day drinking. Many skiers, however, lost their sense of humor a while ago. That said, perhaps a sense of humor is just what we need to break on through to the other side. As weather models begin to indicate a storm train arriving next week, SBDC has dug up some SNL digital shorts to help get us down the stretch. What do they have to do with skiing? Absolutely nothing. But Andy Samberg and the gang are frickin funny so here you go and pray for snow!

Review: Manzella Adventure 100 Glove

January 5, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Appalachian Ski & Outdoors recently sent me a pair of Manzella Adventure 100 gloves to review. Like my feet, my hands are chronically cold. I usually wear mittens to try to retain the most warmth, but they are cumbersome and I have to take them off a lot to do routine tasks. So, I was excited to try these gloves because they are specifically designed to fit women’s hands and because they are in the “warmest” category of Manzella’s three categories of gloves.

The gloves are insulated with Primaloft for warmth and lined with Microfleece for comfort. The exterior is made from Gore Windstopper Softshell for water and wind protection and the palms are lined with synthetic leather for grip. Overall, they feel very nice, inside and out. Though they are lined, they are low-profile and not bulky so they are easy to put on and keep on. They flex and grip nicely and work as well around town as they do on the mountain. I have to say that they don’t work magic; my hands still got cold while ice skating on a cold evening. Despite that, they are probably the warmest and most comfortable gloves that I have used.

Happy New Year

January 2, 2012 / / 0 Comments

New Years Day in Truckee looking more like November 1 than January 1.

The Janky Films crew recently sacrificed a nice pair of skis to the snow gods. Let's hope the Janky boys, who relocated from Alta to Tahoe this season, see some Sierra caliber dumpage in 2012.

Happy Birthday Shane

December 30, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Shane McConkey would have turned 42 years old today. Friends climbed to the top of KT22 to sit beside the eagle and celebrate his life. Nearly three years since his passing his spirit seems stronger than ever. We’ll never forget you buddy.

Friends remember Shane beside the eagle shrine at the summit of KT22.

SBDC author Rob McCormick with Shane McConkey circa 1993

Gear Review: Redemption Song Earphones

December 27, 2011 / / 0 Comments

After gremlins snuck off with the last pair of earphones in the house, Rob and I were treated to two new pairs from House of Marley. Rob has been using the Redemption Song Earphones and I have been using the Conqueror Earphones.

Both come with a pouch full of silicon tips of varying shapes and sizes so we were able to choose the ones that fit our ears best and provide optimal sound. Being able to customize the fit is especially important so that the earphones don’t slip or fall out when running or otherwise moving around. Its also nice to have some backups in case you loose a tip.

The long fabric cord is another really cool feature. I am the queen of cord tangle; if its possible for something to tangle, I’ll make it happen. The fabric cord on these earphone is significantly less likely to tangle, and much easier than rubber to untangle.

Attention to detail and emphasis on social good is another great reason to choose House of Marley. The packaging and the aluminum ring are made from recycled material and a portion of proceeds go to 1Love.org, an organization that supports charities for sustainable and responsible living.

To use these earphones as a handsfree device, you can upgrade any model to a 3-button remote with microphone for $20. You also get a choice of tip color on many models.

Backcountry Ice Skating

December 24, 2011 / / 0 Comments

If there is a silver lining to our lack of snow it is that ice skating on local lakes is all time right now. Cold temperatures and no snow has turned many lakes into perfect slates of clean black ice. We’re talking better ice than an NHL Zamboni could produce. The combination of awesome ice and clear, dry hiking trails has brought into play an elusive sport known as backcountry ice skating. Small high alpine lakes are in perfect skating condition and easily accessible. If you want to turn your lack of snow frown upside down perhaps you should pack a lunch, pair of skates, and a nip of Scotch and head to the hills for some backcountry ice skating. It won’t be this good again until we have this bad of a start to winter again. And let’s hope that’s a long time.

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Here’s another great ice sport:

Return of the Extreme Bench

December 21, 2011 / / 1 Comment

Back where it belongs. The Extreme Bench at Squaw.


Remember the Extreme Bench at Squaw Valley? You know, the one in front of Dave’s Deli? The bench where Squaw Valley’s raddest rad dogs would saddle up with a mediocre beer of the week and tell everyone how rad they got that day? Under the Cushing Regime, the Extreme Bench was removed to prevent riff raff from hanging out at the base of the mountain. Paradoxically, many of the apres dwellers they were trying to eliminate are now legends of skiing and guess what? The Extreme Bench is back! Although most of it’s former occupants have migrated to the sanctuary of the Chammy, it’s nice to know this artifact of ski culture is back where it belongs. Next time you’ve slayed every line on KT in a far radder fashion then everyone else at Squaw, maybe you should grab a tall boy from Dave’s, saddle up and let the spraying begin on the good old Extreme Bench.

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