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Author Archives: Susan
The Lost Weekend
There’s nothing better than a weekend surrounded by friends, except maybe a weekend surrounded by friends in a backcountry palace with a gourmet kitchen, Jacuzzi tubs, sweeping mountain scenery and instant backcountry ski access.
In late April, 25 of us set out into Cold Stream canyon and trekked four miles to spend a weekend at the Lost Trail Lodge. In the winter, the lodge is inaccessible by car and visitors use skis or snowshoes to access it. In the summer, guests can drive most of the way. Visiting near the end of a dry winter, during a 70-degree spell, presented us with an interesting challenge – too wet to drive, and too dry to ski the whole way. We started out towing a sled with skis on our feet and snowshoes our backs. Throughout the trip, we had to remove our skis and walk, dragging the sled over dirt and mud.
Front entrance of Lost Trail Lodge
Lodge owner David Robertson built the majestic lodge from materials that he gathered by hand. On his website, he says that getting there is half the fun. Our crew tends to subscribe to the same notion, but with rapidly-melting snow creating a mixture of snow, dirt and mud, and nine kids in tow, ranging from three months to eight years, getting there and back was maybe 25% of the total fun. The other 75% happened when we kicked off our boots, detached from our sleds and eased into the comfort of our temporary home.
Terrain accessible from Lost Trail Lodge.
Hallways at Lost Trail are filled with stories and nick nacks.
Geoff Forcier skiing above Lost Trail Lodge on April 21.
Not often that you stay at a remote cabin with a cooler kitchen than your own.
After experiencing a magical blend of seclusion, luxury and camaraderie, it was hard to pack up and head home. With much of the snow on the trail having melted during our stay, the return trip took about six hours. Once I recovered from the exhaustion of dragging my pack, skis, snowshoes, cooler and 3-year-old over dirt for three miles, I started planning our next trip – likely during the summer.
The west facing front deck at Lost Trail Lodge is the perfect place to hang out in the afternoon sun.
Posted in Reviews, Trips
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Goggle Giveaway: Send Us Your Best Storm Photo for a Chance to Win!
Like free stuff? SunglassesShop.com has offered to give away a free pair of Bloc Venom goggles to our lucky winner. Just send in your best photos or video footage from this storm and we’ll enter you to win. Please send to pow@skiing-blog.com.
Happy shooting!
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The Pain McShlonky Classic Weekend is Coming Up March 23-25! It’s Going to Be So Much Better Than Any Other Weekend.
The Pain McSchlonkey Classic weekend - coming up on March 24th!
Posted in News
Tagged Pain McShlonkey Classic, shane mcconkey, Shane McConkey Legacy Gala
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Attention Bay Area Shredders
A Weekend with the Bay Area Ski Bus
By Rachel Friedman
In my short time living in the Bay Area, I have met my fair share of skiers and snowboarders. Having recently moved from Vail, Colorado, I welcome any conversation that has to do with snow. Transportation to Lake Tahoe comes up often. Living five minutes away from the mountain, transportation was never a problem. But it is a true dilemma for a lot of Bay Area residents. And THIS is where the Bay Area Ski Bus comes into play. For all you skiers and snowboarders who don’t own a car or have a ride for the weekend, the BASB has got your back. With three different trip options, there is something for everyone: the One Day Trip ($109), the 2-Day Hotel Trip ($269), and the 2-Day Ski House Trip ($389). My boyfriend, Mike, and I were lucky enough to spend a recent weekend in North Lake Tahoe, courtesy of the BASB and their hospitable crew. We sampled part of the One Day Trip and part of the 2-Day Ski House Trip.
Since we had to catch the bus at 5am, we dragged ourselves out of sweet slumber to the bus pick up. Riding the BASB let us catch up on the rest of our much-needed sleep. There’s a lot to be said about curling up in a ball to catch some zzzz, knowing that when you awake, the mountain will be waiting for you. An hour out from Squaw, our hosts, Kelly and Loretta, woke us with bagels, Danishes, yogurt, and juice to fuel our adventure for the day. YUM!
The bus parked close to the base area and the hosts swiftly passed out our ski tickets and gave us instructions for the day. Mike and I got in a full day of riding, though the conditions weren’t exactly what we had hoped. Dreams of pow turns will have to wait for another trip. At 3:30pm, the BASB hosts set up an après ski spread with wine, beer, hot chocolate, and snacks. If we had driven ourselves up to Tahoe, having a couple of cocktails after riding all day wouldn’t be ideal, but with the BASB, all we would have to do is get on the bus and watch movies until we got home.
Instead of getting on the bus back to San Francisco, we hopped on the van to the Ski House in Tahoe Donner with our host, Nick. We stopped at the grocery store so we and the other guests could pick up some dinner supplies. The house was cozy, and everyone in our group of eight had a room. It was a great atmosphere for meeting potential new ski buddies. We soaked in the hot tub, played pool, ate dinner, and just hung out. Brad, the caretaker, and our hosts, Nick and Kelly, added a great dynamic to the group. In the morning, they cooked breakfast before we headed out to Sugar Bowl. Because our group was small, our timing was flexible, and we didn’t feel rushed. The van dropped us off right at the base of Sugar Bowl and we spent the day exploring this hidden gem of a mountain.
If you want to go shred the mountains of Tahoe, the Bay Area Ski Bus offers an efficient, organized, and laid-back experience. You’ll feel relaxed and you can get all the days you need on the hill. Check out the Bay Area Ski Bus for dates and prices. Follow me on Twitter @RachShredGnar.
Posted in Articles, News
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Smith, Scott Partner with Recon, Deliver Heads Up to the Masses
Get ready for the next level of ski geekery to hit the slopes next season. Recon’s Micro Optics Display (MOD) Live is dashboard that projects live data from your ski experience out in front of you so that you can monitor your stats without taking your eye off the snow. With it, you can track your speed, altitude, airtime, distance and location. You can also track your friends, find your position on a map, view your texts, see your camera shot through a viewfinder and more. A glove-friendly bluetooth remote lets you control what you see on the go. Now, Smith and Scott will offer this technology in their lines. With this new partnership, getting this technology in your googles will be easier and more stylish than ever before. They’ll be on display at SIA this month and on the hill next season.
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Review: Manzella Adventure 100 Glove
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.
Gear Review: Redemption Song Earphones
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.
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