The closer we get to summer, the farther away it seems. June 6 on Mt. Rose was raging winds and snow. Several car wrecks on Mt. Rose Highway likely from people who removed their snow tires two months ago. Dense, creamy pow covered a slush puppy layer that skied just fine unless it got a bit too steep in which case wet slides were rampant. Gullies were lined with recent avalanche debris so we stayed on spines and ridges and avoided terrain traps.
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MRA is pleased to support the Manitoba Mountain Restoration Project in the Chugach Range of Alaska. The plan is to restore surface lifts to the ski area which last operated in 1960 and provide a sustainable, community based ski area with access to big mountain terrain. Check out the latest on the newly launched Manitoba Mountain website.
Just like yesterday, nothing special to report…just more powder skiing blah blah blah… Here’s a short clip from this morning.
PlumpJack foyer on June 1, 2011.
Different month, same story. Snow falling in Squaw Valley.
It’s beginning to seem like a broken record. Just when you think you must have made your last powder turns of the year, it’s dumping again and time to make a game plan for the following day. Heavy snow Saturday afternoon and evening led to another great day Sunday. A friend of mine reported over the thigh blower early Sunday morning. I had to work during the day but was able to get out in the late afternoon. The snow had warmed up but it still skied like creamy perfection. Wet slides were starting to occur just over 40 degrees but if you kept a few degrees under that it skied great with no slough management necessary.
Squaw Valley was packed! Huge lift lines on KT and Cable Car. Village shops and restaurants were bustling. It felt more like President’s Day Weekend than Memorial Day Weekend.
Many locals are depressed by the continuing trend of winter weather. Mountain biking, jeeping and other high elevation activities are still a long way off. I am ready for summer like everyone else. But at this point I hope we get another storm just to say we rode powder from November through June in what stands as one of the biggest winters in the last 50 years.
Here’s video of the new snow and subsequent riding on May 28th and 29th:
Another glorious morning (photo by Robb Gaffney)
Another early to rise morning made worthwhile with crisp weather and fresh snow yet again. Conditions were good, not great…but hey it’s May 26th and if it keeps snowing we’re going to keep skiing.
Ripe for the pickin' (photo by Robb Gaffney)
PlumpJack parking lot in Squaw Valley around 4:30 on May 25
What will dawn patrol on May 26 be like? Time will tell.
Old Man Winter doesn’t want to let go of this monster season. Higher elevations in Tahoe got pounded with more snow this week. Touring near the Pacific Crest Tuesday evening felt more like February than May. Early birds got the worm big time on Wednesday. Unfortunately Wednesday afternoon warmed up significantly and Thursday was not so good. Thick crust layer all the way to the top of Squaw. The flavor of the week has definitely been touring the hell out of closed ski areas. For those who prefer to hike it’s a treat to ride these zones that we would ski all the time if they were not ski areas.
Here’s storm skiing the week of May 16.
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