Skiing Stoke from Lake Tahoe
Drenching rains have doused the King Fire and brought much needed relief to the Lake Tahoe Region. The fire, which has been burning since September 13, is now 87% contained. Higher elevations around Tahoe also received their first snowfall of the year with 4 inches reported at Squaw Valley.
The first round of rain hit Squaw Valley on Thursday, September 25.
Fresh snow on Saturday morning.
SnowFest! is North Lake Tahoe’s annual spring snow celebration, and this year is shaping up to be as good as ever. Every spring since 1982, North Lake Tahoe throws this big party, packing 10 full days with parades, special events, races, parties, concerts, and more. If you’re a skier or rider, this is one not to miss.
The Sun Deck at Squaw Valley USA during Snowfest 2013
During SnowFest!, you can enjoy on-snow events at resorts like Squaw Valley USA, Alpine Meadows, Homewood, Diamond Peak, and Northstar-at-Tahoe. There’s plenty of off-snow excitement too, from Tainted Love rocking 80’s hits at the Crystal Bay Casino and the Unimog mobile party unit thumping Squaw’s sun deck, to the polar bear swim and King’s Beach parade. Festivities begin on Thursday, February 27th and go through Sunday, March 9th.
A military design driven 1969 Mercedes Unimog is the foundation for a mobile party unit stacked with high performance sound.
If you’re from out of town, you’ll want to find the best place to stay for SnowFest! There are lots of hotels in the Tahoe area, but if you’re looking for a more private experience, you can look to Zaranga, a marketplace for professionally managed vacation rentals. A friend of the blog works for the company and shared some of its unique advantages with us.
Zaranga works with property managers to offer exclusive discounts for last-minute travel, low season travel, and more. Bookings are confirmed instantly so you don’t have to deal with wait times that come with inquiries, phone calls, emails back and forth, etc. You can call their customer service team at any time with questions or to get help in finding a property.
Zaranga has lots of vacation rentals where the SnowFest! action is, including in Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Carnelian Bay, Tahoe Vista, and Incline Village. Below are some of the most notable houses:
See you at the party!
Ahhh…
Tahoe City
Carnelian Bay
Tahoe Vista
Alpine Meadows local, Jason Mack, recently returned from guiding the third Antarctic Ski Cruise. Read about his adventures with glacial skiing, huge ocean swells, penguins, seals and more in his complete trip log.
My first story for Epic Moms, Gearing Up: Kids’s Skis, Boots and Snowboards, was published yesterday. In it, I offer fitting advice for kids’ gear and info on Tahoe gear trade-in programs. There will be more mommy blogging to come throughout the season, so stay tuned.
Last Thursday, Good People put on a party at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. Featuring displays from companies like Praxis, Freewaters, Save the Waves and Sportgevity, it was a night of cocktails, dancing, art viewing and inspiring speeches by Dr. Robb Gaffney and Ryan Seelbach.
According to its founders, Outdoor SF is a “a collaboration between non-profits and local brands bringing the best of the oceans, mountains, and streets of San Francisco together.” Exhibitors and attendees shared the common goal of enjoying our natural playgrounds consciously and sustainably.
GoodPeople event held at the 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco.
Big wave surfer Ryan Seelbach speaks about his Save the Waves movement and it’s goal of protecting precious surf breaks.
Backcountry skier and psychiatrist Dr. Robb Gaffney speaks about his Sportgevity movement and it’s goal of sustainability in the sports we love.
Sportgevity booth hosted by Dr. Robb Gaffney.
GoodPeople founders award raffle prizes.
When we last left you, we were waiting out the weather in Cordova and awaiting a clear window so that the helis could fly us up to tour camp.
We got that window on Thursday afternoon. Though the sky looked no less gray than it had for the previous four days, the pilots saw a hole and we got the word to grab our bags and get ready to load up.
It had been snowing and blowing for the past five days so the tents were sitting in holes so that only their tops were poking out. The scenery was spectacular, but we knew that the snowpack was volatile due to all of the new stuff. That afternoon, we made some cautious, low-angle runs. The snow was perfect pow and we relished being high up in the Chugach and scoping out the heli lines across the valley.
That night, we feasted on copious amounts of meat cooked up by our superstar guides, Jeff Dostie and Brennan Legasse. Later that evening, wind ripped through the mountains and we felt fortunate to be sheltered from it by our burly tents and the high snow walls that surrounded them.
The next day, the winds had scoured the snow and we spent most of the day hanging around camp and hiking short laps just above. Toward the end of the day, we headed out to see if we might find some soft stuff. We had a nice “walk,” but eventually decided that the winds were too cold and the snow was too scoured to make it worth going further. We headed home to enjoy our last night, feasting and imbibing with the group in the high alpine.
Sunset over the Chugach. Photo: Taylor Simmers
Heading out for an afternoon of glorious pow. Photo: Rob McCormick
Guide Brennan Lagasse gets barreled. Photo: Taylor Simmers
Tour Campers head into the zone. Photo: Taylor Simmers
Guide Jeff Dostie pops a slab. Photo: Taylor Simmers
The Chugach Mountains above Cordova, Alaska. Photo: Rob McCormick
We flew into Cordova, Alaska yesterday afternoon, hoping to fly out to tour camp, or “hippie camp” as some of the Points North staff has dubbed it. Instead, we are hunkered down in the rain, watching the otters float by, waiting out the weather. We’ve been meeting new friends, playing foosball and ping pong, and watching movies in the NEFCO Lodge. The waiting game is part of the experience as nature hits the reset button and refills the good lines.
Flying Over Canada
The Waiting Game
Otter Livin
Ski Envy
Ping Pong
Foosball
Remembering Kip Garre
Mmmm… Fish Tacos
The Author
We haven’t seen much snow recently, so it has been a great time to do some “spring” skiing and try out some sunblock. Up at 8,000 feet, the UV intensity is about 40% greater than it is at sea-level. Add the reflection of the snow and a great sunblock becomes even more important. Coppertone and MDSolarSciences each sent us a spray-on product for body protection and a compact, stuff-it-in-your-jacket product for face protection. Both companies offer critical UVA/UVB protection and are designed to stay on while you sweat. Here’s the low-down:
Coppertone Clear Continuous Spray Sunscreen (spf 50)
– easy, spray-on application
– water resistant
– stays on while you sweat
– uva/uvb protection
– classic Coppertone scent (reminds you of the beach)
Coppertone Sunscreen Stick (spf 55)
– portable
– spot protection for ears, nose and face
– water resistant
– stays on while you sweat
– uva/uvb protection
MDSolarSciences Mineral Screen Tinted Gel (spf 30+)
– silky smooth, non-greasy
– designed for sensitive skin
– tinted
– water-resistant
– stays on while you sweat
– uva/uvb protection
– fragrance-free
– naturally mineral derived
MDSolarSciences Quick Dry Body Spray (spf 40)
– easy, spray-on application
– water-resistant
– stays on while you sweat
– uva/uvb protection
– fragrance-free
– naturally mineral derived
MDSolarSciences Natural Mineral Sunscreen Stick (spf 40)
– compact
– spot protection for ears, nose and face
– water resistant
– stays on while you sweat
– uva/uvb protection
– contains zinc
– naturally mineral derived
KT and Headwall were loading at 8:30 on the dot this morning and a handful early birds, myself included, had the mountain to ourselves for about and hour and a half. Temps were in the single digits, but the sun was bright and the views were spectacular. I rode KT to Headwall and eyed the Palisades from there. Completely pristine, they had not been open since before the recent storms. It’s a holiday week, so I didn’t expect them to open, but decided to ride up Siberia to get a better view. At the top of the lift, I saw the blue “Palisades Open” sign and no one hiking up. Barely believing my good fortune, I started the hike. Looking down from the top, I could see that no one had started up yet. Because of the cold weather, south-facing aspects are still holding powder, and I decided to ski the Kitchen Wall, the steep southeast face that goes down into Sun Bowl. I got two fresh laps in before Patrol closed the Palisades around 10am.
The Palisades, 8:45am
The Moon, I Mean the Top of the Palisades.
Later in the morning, I skied over to Granite to check out the peak. Also pristine, but with a huge slide having ripped out the middle, Granite Peak was not open. By 11 the crowds were thick and the lift lines long and I skied down the sunny side of the mountain run and called it a day.
Granite Peak
KT opened after 10am this morning, with much of its terrain — including East Bowl and Red Dog ridge — off limits. Bluebird skies and lots of fresh snow made for great conditions where skiing was allowed. Large, visible crowns underscored the danger hiding beneath the sparkling surface.
Fracture in G.S. Bowl
Close Up
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