Images like this have become commonplace over the last few days (photo by James Conley)
Day after day of new snow has pounded Northern California resulting in the highest pre Thanksgiving snow totals in over a decade. Choking deep, bottomless powder has been reported at local ski areas and in the backcountry. Ski touring is virtually impossible with no bottom whatsoever to register on. Once the snowpack has a few days to settle we should experience mid season base depths and ski season should be in full swing.
Thousands of snow enthusiasts turned out for the SnowBomb Ski and Board Festival held at Fort Mason in San Francisco last weekend. The event had something for everyone including equipment manufacturers, ski resort and hotel operators, and product and trip giveaways. Saturday featured a wine tasting and Sunday a beer tasting. Both days included skateboard and BMX vert ramp demos that were especially exciting because of low support beams that had to be carefully navigated during large airs.
Tahoe based companies had a strong presence at the show. Pacific Crest Heli-Guides founder Dave Rintala brings Tahoe it’s first ever heli ski operation starting this season. They will fly out of the Truckee airport and serve terrain from just west of Desolation Wilderness to the Sierra Buttes. Pacific Crest Cat Skiing serves as a reliable backup for down days with nearly 2,000 acres of terrain in Cold Stream Canyon near Truckee. Doug Stoup of Ice Axe Expeditions spoke to potential clients about his Antarctic ski and trekking expeditions. He leaves for his next adventure this Friday. Heli ski guide Jason Mack represented Points North Heli Adventures founded by Truckee resident Kevin Quinn. Jonny Moseley posed for photos, chatted up guests and played WII skiing in the Squaw Valley booth. Squaw Valley is currently revamping the Olympic House and other base facilities in time for this coming season. Across the aisle from Squaw Valley Ski Corp were Squaw lodging properties including The PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn, The Resort at Squaw Creek and The Squaw Valley Lodge.
Karyn Stanley, Jason Mack and Doug Stoup
SnowBomb at Fort Mason was a great place for riders to get pumped for the upcoming season. Taking a break from the show was a pleasure as stepping outside provided fantastic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. The SnowBomb energy continues November 13 and 14 at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
Jamie Schectman and his wife Shanie Mathews have a vision about the future of ski area development. Ski industry writer Michel Beaudry weighs in. Check out the story here:
I had packed away my ski gear in late April and recently passed up opportunities to ski Shasta and Lassen in favor of warmer weather pursuits. And though I am not the most patriotic or symbolic person, something about the chance to ski the 4th of July chutes on the 4th of July was irresistible. I knew if I used the hang over or awful night of sleep as an excuse to stay home, I’d regret it. The skies were warm and cloudless when I woke up. We even had a babysitter. So we loaded up on caffeine and greasy breakfast sandwiches and drove from Truckee through Tahoe City, along the West Shore and into Blackwood Canyon.
At the top of the windy road, we met up with Robb, Scott and Noah Gaffney and some of their friends. We strapped our skis to our packs and began walking along a ridge on the Pacific Crest Trail. No beacon or shovel, no skins or crampons, no jackets or gloves… it felt like freedom to me. Climbing up a short, steep patch of snow, we reached the ridge and spied the chutes ahead. The snow turned to wild flowers once we wrapped around the side of the ridge, with Desolation Wilderness as the sweeping backdrop.
I watched in amazement as Robb Gaffney dropped into an extremely steep, narrow, closeout chute, then stopped once his skis touched the cliff below, strapped on crampons and hiked back up. I was comforted to hear there were easier options. The kids breathed a sigh of relief too.
I dropped into a steepish chute at the far skiers right, which was smooth and corny. It opened up at the bottom providing some scary-fun sun-cup GS turns before the hike back up. Robb and Scott headed skiers left for some more rowdy lines and we all met up on the lunch rocks to bask. Showing off our ex-stream skiing, we wound back down to the road on snow that was just barely covering the creek below it.
A 10-minute walk up the road brought us back to the car. Even the traffic in Tahoe City was bearable after a morning like that. We made it back to Truckee in plenty of time for a leisurely float down the Truckee River, topping off my personal Independence Day.
The PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn hosted the first of their summer season pool parties last Sunday. Parties feature food and drink specials on the PlumpJack pool deck and electronic music courtesy of the Electric Ladyland Collective. Electric Ladyland is a Truckee based Burning Man theme camp featuring sound, fire and art. For more information on this dynamic group of artists check out www.electricladylandcollective.org. The next two pool parties will be held from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday, July 18 and Sunday, August 15 (the 3rd Sunday of every month).
Party guests chill in the hot tub on the PlumpJack Pool Deck
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