Squaw/Alpine (N. Tahoe) Conditions and News- 2011/2012 Season thread - Page 16

Let's hope the storm on Tuesday night / Wed morning (in addition to the 6" last night) gives Silverado what it needs.  I'm thinking Wednesday is the day although I'm concerned about rain towards the bottom.

Vet

 Has your calf healed enough for another 2 weeks of punishment!

I skied Kirkwood 3/22 in spitting snow & a bit of rain. Now back in Md flatlands.

Today (Monday), 5" of snow is enough to cover up most but the biggest bumps! :D

 

That said, the steeper terrain, where previously had been bumped up, was a bit sketchy. One hits the frozen bumps hidden under the snow once in a while and get thrown about every which way! On the shallower slopes, which I can just float without needing to turn felt great though. :)

 

Slopes have wind loaded snow are in better condition. The steeper terrains could use another couple more inches. ;-) With more snow coming on late tomorrow and Wednesday, it should be shaping up to be pretty good.

 

I skied at Homewood today ('cause I got a free voucher). Saving Squaw/Alpine for later part of the week when there's potential for a bit extra snow.

Anyone going to be at Kirkwood or Northstar tomorrow?

Edited by JayT - 3/27/12 at 9:04pm

Not sure yet, probably Northstar.  Watching to see if Rose is on Wind hold first.  

Check back in the morning. 

 

Maybe we should start a new thread for '12-'13, but pass prices for next season have been posted:

 

http://www.skialpine.com/ski-tickets/season-passes

http://www.squaw.com/the-mountain/lift-tickets-and-passes/season-passes

 

No more family pass option for Alpine folks.

Still the blackout dates on college passes that I find hard to comprehend (don't most college kids get Xmas off?)

 

Type Renew Gold by May 7* Gold Renew Silver by May 7* Silver Renew Bronze by May 7* Bronze Adult 23-64 $699 $729 $469 $499 $399 $429 Young Adult 13-22 $529 $559 $349 $379 $299 $319 Child 5-12 $239 $259 $199 $219     Senior 65-75 $529 $559 $349  $379 $299  $319 Super Senior 76+ $239 $259 $199 $219     College**     $349 $379     Blackout Dates   None   10 Blackout Dates Dec. 26-31, 2012 Jan. 19-20, 2013 Feb. 16-17, 2013   Valid Saturdays Opening Day - Dec. 22 & March 2 - Closing Day 19 Blackout Dates: Dec. 26-31, 2012 Jan. 19-20, 2013 Feb. 16-17, 2013 Saturdays Dec. 29- Feb. 23

 

Ended up at Northstar today.  About a foot up top and the place was deserted.  One of my best days of the season - barely touched other people's tracks before noon other than the run-outs back to the lifts.  Good quality powder too.

We'll be up there early tomorrow.  You up for it again? 

Check out the pic from Northstar Village today

 

Anyone ski heavenly today? How were conditions? Thinking about heading there tomorrow with the family

I wish - but I'm down south already tonight so not going to happen.  Probably the last storm I'll chase this season as I've already used up too much vacation time as it is (what's up with the lack of weekend powder days this year?).

 

 

There's a storm coming Saturday, rumor has it...

My kids are racing at Squaw all weekend.  I'll be in my traditional khaki shell, black pants, white Fischer Vacuum boots, and either a black or neon highlighter green helmet.  Say hi....

This is why I bailed on work yesterday and went for the sure-thing cold storm.  The way temps are rising the next few days could definitely be ugly.
 

 

So my primary purpose of buying a POV cam was to capture footage of my daughter, but decided to throw it on my helmet the other day for a few runs.  Here's one of them on the front-side at Northstar on Wednesday.  Nothing crazy (obviously) - just nice and mellow.  Now that the trees on Lookout and the backside are properly filled in, it's kind of sad it'll be closing in 2 weeks.  How's the mounting point?  Should I go a little lower?

 

Edited by JayT - 3/30/12 at 2:14pm

I've been tracking lifts open at all the Tahoe resorts each day this March (2012).  My premise is where do I ski next year based on who offers the most for the money, and 2012 real world operations for running lifts in wind i.e. holds and shutdowns?  Last year all the Tahoe resorts were fairly equal for lifts open with the great snow levels, but this has been a tough year, with a lot of wind and not many snow days.  People who ski Squaw daily, tell me what you think about how Mtn. Ops handles the wind and lifts.  It seems back in the eightees and nintees, when i was a regular passholder at Squaw, on days when the wind would shut down Headwall, the mountain would run Cornice or open Olympic Lady as a compromise, but I haven't seen those lifts listed as active any day this year. Is Squaw planning on any improvements over what has been announced for near future (for converting High camp and Granite Chief to 6-Pack high speed lifts)?  On days when Headwall is closed, can you still hike the Chichen Bowl from Siberia and ski Headwall and Cornice areas legally?

 

Have you the daily passholders, been going to Alpine enough on wind days to make up for the voids that Squaw appears to have in terrain this year? Is that a usable option?

 

Thanks all!

The problem is when it's windy enough for them to close the upper mountain at Squaw, there's a really good chance that both Scott and Summit will be closed at Alpine too.

 

Of course, this isn't going to stop me from getting the Tahoe Super Pass next year, but it does make me want to also renew my Epic pass for those windy days.  Decisions.

Edited by JayT - 3/30/12 at 4:06pm

Having options on lower lifts is better than a complete "Closed due to high winds" option.

JayT I don't post much, but that video is worth a huge thumbs up. What we all dream of, first tracks like that. How much fresh was that, about a foot?

Not true, I'm afraid.

As I found out the hard way, wasting time going between Squaw and Alpine.

The source of such mis-information appears to be from Alpine:

I called them to ask whether the voucher I had can work in Squaw and whether I need to get the ticket at Alpine first. They told I could just exchange my voucher for tickets at Squaw.

The voucher was not valid at Squaw. Though when I finally got them exchanged into ticket at Alpine, they gave me one that's valid at both mountain. But having wasted nearly an hour driving between the two and waiting inline, on a day that's rapidly warming, it would not be wise to waste even more time to go back to Squaw again. So I skied at Alpine. It was a good day of skiing, though I really missed that earlier hour, before everything turned into mashed patato!

To add insult to injury, the next day when I exchanged another voucher, I was given a Alpine only ticket! Had I been told some vouchers are Alpine only, I would have used that one on the first day, when I was staying at Alpine anyway rather than wasting the one valid at both!

When I got these vouchers, I had every intention to ski Alpine. And had I been told theySre for Alpine only, I would have been perfectly happy to ski at Alpine. But the mis-information coming out of Alpine making it to be something it isn't! With the end result is I wasted time going between the two!
Edited by at_nyc - 3/30/12 at 6:36pm

Shirley Lake Chinese downhill. I remember that Thursday.  It rarely happens like that at Squaw but it did. I am less interested in the multi-feet day at Squaw. I look forward to those days with 1 foot or less, like yesterday. You can get fresh much longer.

 

Thanks.  Yeah, about a foot at the summit, probably a bit less lower down.  The lack of crowds while it was so good and still only March does not bode well for them extending the season.
 

 

Nice video.  One of the better POV's I've seen. 

As for the filling in of the really good skiing just before its time to close, .......kinda sucks, eh?

 

 

Anyone skiing at N* this week-end?

Hoping to hit Quail Face at Homewood tomorrow.  Quail face is open today and with the dump I bet tomorrow will be fabulous.

 

Anyone skied Quai Face before?  I've got a few questions about the traverse in/out and whether I can take my girlfriend there with me.

 

Thanks.