una_dogger
Well-known member
MichaelJ, myself and some of our ski buddies all spent a few days in Lake Tahoe, California -- getting the goods at Heavenly and Squaw Valley USA. The second night we were there, the Sierras in North Lake Tahoe took a direct hit of powder; with Squaw recieving up to 18 inches!! We spent the first day at Heavenly, then the remaining two days Squaw, doing some amazing skiing in deep untracked powder -it was a great experience for me, and I know many here don't like the idea of downhill skiing, but for me, its simply another way to connect with a mountain, and I love it!
I started downhill skiing last winter, and I guess I've progressed pretty well, seems like every time I strap on the skiis I learn something new...maybe I was born to ski!
Nice to learn something new at 40 -- and I feel like those kids you see bombing down the slopes -- no fear.
http://www.squaw.com/squaw-valley-usa-mountain-map
Our first day at Heavenly, I was pretty conservative. Never having skiied out West before, I wasn't sure what I'd be in for. I stuck to the blue rated groomers, and got bored REALLY quickly. Michael, Kat and Erik were hitting the glades -- but as I was alone, and the visibility terrible, I didn't stray far from the crowds. I pulled out my map and eyeballed a black diamond called "Pinnacles" and made my way over to it. I got to the top of it, and found it closed. Trying to get myself back to the lift where I was to meet up with the crew, I found I couldn't get back there, and ended up at another base, in NEVADA. Oops. After negotiating a few lifts and trails, I made my way back, chuckling to myself as I passed a wooden sign nailed to a tree that read "Welcome to California". Too funny.
The rest of the day, the crew took me under their wing and we hit glades and my first bowl. Woot! Straight down it was, fast and steep and narrow with rocky ledges to negotiate. It was pretty packed out, as Heavenly had gotten about 8 inches two nights before. Michael was behind me; and Kat and Erik approached from higher up through the trees. I heard a big "HOLY $Git, Sabrina!" -- Kat was coming down the easier side of the bowl and let out a huge Woot! of applause. Yeah, I could get into this!! A huge sense of accomplishment and confidence boost for me; and from that point onward I was with them for the rest of the trip, skiing the big snow laden bowls and black diamond trails with the big kids. Welcome to California, indeed.
Monday morning we awoke to deep snow, and while unburying the SUV we rented, we heard the avalanche crews blasting the hell out of Squaw. We spent the morning skiing off Snow King, 7550 ft -- and had a GREAT time getting used to deep powder. Kat and Erik being the expert skiers, would point out areas they thought I could handle. Garrett, also an expert but on skiis for the first time this year, quickly became the "devil on my shoulder", and once out of the watchful eyes of the "experts" -- he steered me down the steeper stuff. Michael was happy to follow along, making sure I didn't kill myself. Each time we'd ride the lift, we'd see an even narlier line, and go for it. It was great.
I can't get enough of this stuff....
After a couple hours, the freshies stripped from the snowfields, we headed to the upper mountain area's summit Squaw Peak; elev 8900 ft, and Michael, Garrett and I skiied in the Siberia Bowl (elev 8700). This was the steepest stuff I've ever skiied, but the deep powder made these "good conditions for risk taking" because you just don't get going that fast! What a funny sensation it was when I lost the gravitational pull of the Earth, and sommersaulted effortlessly, then landed on my back; head downhill, feet uphill, one ski buried somewhere, one pole lost, and my entire body covered in a flash and a woosh! with a layer of powdery snow!! Hee hee!
The nice guys at the lift maintenance shop made me a new "custom" ski pole by scavenging parts from old poles and cutting it down to size. Now that's customer service! I never had to go below 8000 ft to get new swag. Yeeha. We skiied several hours in Siberia Bowl, finding new lines in fresh powder each time. Everytime we'd get off the top of the lift, I'd glance the 200 or so feet up to the summit, and the peakbagger in me would think, "just run up and tag it!!!"....alas, I never did.
So close, and yet...so far...taken at the top of Siberia Bowl
After a long day of skiing, we made our way to High Camp, and enjoyed apres ski beverages at elevation 8200 ft with panaramic views, and rode down in the Tram after the sunset.
Tuesday morning brought a new ski report and the news that Granite Chief Peak would be open today! (This area was closed monday because the avalanche crews got stuck out there, they got alot of snow!) We made our way straight there and first skiied down into the Shirley Lake Area and then made our way up to a sweet bowl called High Voltage off Granite Chief Peak. Wowee! Even steeper than yesterday!! With trees and rocks! The skies were a brilliant blue and we found ourselves sheltered from the wind and away from the crowds in a snowy Shangri La.
High Voltage
There was only one trail groomed in the whole area. Folks were skiing anywhere and everywhere. It was a blast. Just before lunch, the gate was opened to the closest thing to a backcountry experience I've ever had, The Hidden Bowl. I decided that MJ, Kat and Garrett would go ahead and scope it out for me. There were many ledges and glades - so I decided I'd hit the groomer while they hit the bowl. The groomer, called Main Backside, turned out to be straight down!! I skiied to the lip, and saw only the air in front of me. No one was around, because everyone was playing in the Pow. I kept inching forward, to see down it, and started to feel a bit of vertigo because I basically had to hang over the edge to see the slope!
I looked around at the beautiful mountains and brilliant blue sky, gazed across to Emigrant Peak, pearly white with a line of spindrift weaving off its summit; and thought to myself "this is a once in a lifetime trip" and with that, made my first turn and skiied down the absolutely steepest headwall I've ever come down. It was AWESOME!
Squaw Valley USA, Emigrant Peak from High Voltage on Granite Chief Peak
I hooked back up with the gang; and we hit Hidden Bowl. As we traversed the top from the lift to the lip; a rainbow appeared in the sky; apparently created by the crystals of snow finely dispersed in the air. It surely must be a sign, I thought.
The "Snow-bow"
Hidden Bowl itself was a long funnel of snow, that emptied out into a long stretch of alpine meadow, then dropped through a stand of big pines,and finally around some rocky ledges--it was like a hiking trail. We skiied it twice before we decided to head in for lunch. We were whipped!
MichaelJ crossing the Alpine Meadow after coming down Hidden Bowl
Afterlunch, we headed up the Emigrant Lift, and found it super windy on top. Kat and I skied down Emigrant and Shirley Bowls; while Garrett took the groomers. We met up for one more ride down through Hidden Bowl, then skiied a few groomers before the lifts started to close. Kat and MJ hit the bar at High Camp, and Garrett and I skied the 3.2 miles from High Camp back to the base and Squaw Village, it just seemed like the thing to do.
What a GREAT trip! I only hope I am fortunate enough to enjoy big mountain skiing every winter from now on. It was an amazing experience! For those reading who aren't skiiers, don't forget that Lake Tahoe is an amazing summer destination as well, for road biking, mountain biking and hiking!
All three albums can be found here, under Recent Adventures:
http://unadoggerspictures1.shutterfly.com/54
I started downhill skiing last winter, and I guess I've progressed pretty well, seems like every time I strap on the skiis I learn something new...maybe I was born to ski!
Nice to learn something new at 40 -- and I feel like those kids you see bombing down the slopes -- no fear. http://www.squaw.com/squaw-valley-usa-mountain-map
Our first day at Heavenly, I was pretty conservative. Never having skiied out West before, I wasn't sure what I'd be in for. I stuck to the blue rated groomers, and got bored REALLY quickly. Michael, Kat and Erik were hitting the glades -- but as I was alone, and the visibility terrible, I didn't stray far from the crowds. I pulled out my map and eyeballed a black diamond called "Pinnacles" and made my way over to it. I got to the top of it, and found it closed. Trying to get myself back to the lift where I was to meet up with the crew, I found I couldn't get back there, and ended up at another base, in NEVADA. Oops. After negotiating a few lifts and trails, I made my way back, chuckling to myself as I passed a wooden sign nailed to a tree that read "Welcome to California". Too funny.
The rest of the day, the crew took me under their wing and we hit glades and my first bowl. Woot! Straight down it was, fast and steep and narrow with rocky ledges to negotiate. It was pretty packed out, as Heavenly had gotten about 8 inches two nights before. Michael was behind me; and Kat and Erik approached from higher up through the trees. I heard a big "HOLY $Git, Sabrina!" -- Kat was coming down the easier side of the bowl and let out a huge Woot! of applause. Yeah, I could get into this!! A huge sense of accomplishment and confidence boost for me; and from that point onward I was with them for the rest of the trip, skiing the big snow laden bowls and black diamond trails with the big kids. Welcome to California, indeed.
Monday morning we awoke to deep snow, and while unburying the SUV we rented, we heard the avalanche crews blasting the hell out of Squaw. We spent the morning skiing off Snow King, 7550 ft -- and had a GREAT time getting used to deep powder. Kat and Erik being the expert skiers, would point out areas they thought I could handle. Garrett, also an expert but on skiis for the first time this year, quickly became the "devil on my shoulder", and once out of the watchful eyes of the "experts" -- he steered me down the steeper stuff.
Michael was happy to follow along, making sure I didn't kill myself. Each time we'd ride the lift, we'd see an even narlier line, and go for it. It was great. I can't get enough of this stuff....
After a couple hours, the freshies stripped from the snowfields, we headed to the upper mountain area's summit Squaw Peak; elev 8900 ft, and Michael, Garrett and I skiied in the Siberia Bowl (elev 8700). This was the steepest stuff I've ever skiied, but the deep powder made these "good conditions for risk taking" because you just don't get going that fast! What a funny sensation it was when I lost the gravitational pull of the Earth, and sommersaulted effortlessly, then landed on my back; head downhill, feet uphill, one ski buried somewhere, one pole lost, and my entire body covered in a flash and a woosh! with a layer of powdery snow!! Hee hee!
The nice guys at the lift maintenance shop made me a new "custom" ski pole by scavenging parts from old poles and cutting it down to size. Now that's customer service! I never had to go below 8000 ft to get new swag. Yeeha. We skiied several hours in Siberia Bowl, finding new lines in fresh powder each time. Everytime we'd get off the top of the lift, I'd glance the 200 or so feet up to the summit, and the peakbagger in me would think, "just run up and tag it!!!"....alas, I never did.
So close, and yet...so far...taken at the top of Siberia Bowl
After a long day of skiing, we made our way to High Camp, and enjoyed apres ski beverages at elevation 8200 ft with panaramic views, and rode down in the Tram after the sunset.
Tuesday morning brought a new ski report and the news that Granite Chief Peak would be open today! (This area was closed monday because the avalanche crews got stuck out there, they got alot of snow!) We made our way straight there and first skiied down into the Shirley Lake Area and then made our way up to a sweet bowl called High Voltage off Granite Chief Peak. Wowee! Even steeper than yesterday!! With trees and rocks! The skies were a brilliant blue and we found ourselves sheltered from the wind and away from the crowds in a snowy Shangri La.
High Voltage
There was only one trail groomed in the whole area. Folks were skiing anywhere and everywhere. It was a blast. Just before lunch, the gate was opened to the closest thing to a backcountry experience I've ever had, The Hidden Bowl. I decided that MJ, Kat and Garrett would go ahead and scope it out for me. There were many ledges and glades - so I decided I'd hit the groomer while they hit the bowl. The groomer, called Main Backside, turned out to be straight down!! I skiied to the lip, and saw only the air in front of me. No one was around, because everyone was playing in the Pow. I kept inching forward, to see down it, and started to feel a bit of vertigo because I basically had to hang over the edge to see the slope!
I looked around at the beautiful mountains and brilliant blue sky, gazed across to Emigrant Peak, pearly white with a line of spindrift weaving off its summit; and thought to myself "this is a once in a lifetime trip" and with that, made my first turn and skiied down the absolutely steepest headwall I've ever come down. It was AWESOME!
Squaw Valley USA, Emigrant Peak from High Voltage on Granite Chief Peak
I hooked back up with the gang; and we hit Hidden Bowl. As we traversed the top from the lift to the lip; a rainbow appeared in the sky; apparently created by the crystals of snow finely dispersed in the air. It surely must be a sign, I thought.
The "Snow-bow"
Hidden Bowl itself was a long funnel of snow, that emptied out into a long stretch of alpine meadow, then dropped through a stand of big pines,and finally around some rocky ledges--it was like a hiking trail. We skiied it twice before we decided to head in for lunch. We were whipped!
MichaelJ crossing the Alpine Meadow after coming down Hidden Bowl
Afterlunch, we headed up the Emigrant Lift, and found it super windy on top. Kat and I skied down Emigrant and Shirley Bowls; while Garrett took the groomers. We met up for one more ride down through Hidden Bowl, then skiied a few groomers before the lifts started to close. Kat and MJ hit the bar at High Camp, and Garrett and I skied the 3.2 miles from High Camp back to the base and Squaw Village, it just seemed like the thing to do.
What a GREAT trip! I only hope I am fortunate enough to enjoy big mountain skiing every winter from now on. It was an amazing experience! For those reading who aren't skiiers, don't forget that Lake Tahoe is an amazing summer destination as well, for road biking, mountain biking and hiking!
All three albums can be found here, under Recent Adventures:
http://unadoggerspictures1.shutterfly.com/54
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