California/Nevada 2017-18 Tahoe Ski Resorts/Conditions/Meetups Thread....

[Joshuawjc]

Diamond Peak snow report. !
Spent 1 hour there yesterday midmorning with afternoon back to Squaw (both with firm surfaces.)

Diamond Peak gets award for trying the best with what they have. It's sad.
2 runs open off top via HSQ lift. The ridge with about 1/2 inch of loose granular on something
very hard. a run to lookers left also open with a bit better conditions -1 inch of packed powder.

Lakeview chair has 3 or 4 runs open inckuding 2 black runs.. Lower all beginner terrain is actually all very good
(on snowmaking) Off trail -forget it ! I'm thinking they may be better than Homewood where you have to ride the lift down.

Real reason to visit was to grab my Super Senior Season Pass. Starts at a bit lower age at a price less
than a one-day Squaw ticket (great early rate last summer) Pass includes 4 free days at Homewood and 4 at Boreal
(insurance item for use during SquawPine's common wind closures).

Squaw was disappointing. There are signs of the 4 inches they got earlier in the week. well packed out by now.
A lot of carved out moguls- with ice. Groomed run in Sibo bowl was scary- a sheet of ice and Headwall Face/Bowl
runs are also super firm. Funnel run is closed till a decent storm occurs. Almost no one riding Granite Chief or
KT-22 chairs. Get someone who is an expert to groom icy moguls to fix main run on Granite Chief chair.
Groomers on Gold coast and Mountain run are good. Weather was sunny, fine and a bit warmer.

Have they groomed the main run on Granite even once this season? I appreciate that with KT limping along, experts like the challenge of the pitch and the bumps, but it seems like at a certain point no one much enjoys skiing around Honda-sized ice chunks.

Meanwhile, at Rose today, they groomed Gregg's after letting bumps build up for a week or two (or so I was told by someone knowledgable on the chiar), and the result was a delightful 2-inch powder layer from all the threshing -- maybe the best run of the day. Not sure why they couldn't do the same on Granite.

 

[Mendieta]

I went to Sugar Bowl today with Mendieta Jr. Got there early, had a massive breakfast burrito, and headed to the lift. A very sweet liftie explained that our slightly restricted passes were blacked out (which I totally forgot). We asked at the ticket windows, it was only like a 20 buck discount on the tickets being season pass-holders.

So we went up to Rose and had a very fun day. We stayed out of trouble, and saw a few people tobogganed out. See? It is hard ice underneath, so you might be making a nice turn on softer snow and then hit an ice patch. So, basically, we didn't do anything crazy, had fun, and left at 2 when it was getting crowded even on the Slide side, where we saw a guy pretty much out of control at the top of Silver Dollar ski between mom and daughter, luckily hitting no-one, but he was deep back seat and surviving on stiff legs. We thought it was a sign, had an epic run on lower Silver Dollar (which was creamy but not worth the risk in other crowded areas) and headed home.

We spent time on both side. It was all fun, with the caveat of the hard/icy patches. The guy parked besides us had a dislocated shoulder, from exactly those conditions. He said he was coming out, slid on ice and found himself crashing hard and extending one arm back.

No pictures, sorry, Mendieta Jr is no big fun of photography while skiing. I love that kid.

 

[Eleeski]

Have they groomed the main run on Granite even once this season? I appreciate that with KT limping along, experts like the challenge of the pitch and the bumps, but it seems like at a certain point no one much enjoys skiing around Honda-sized ice chunks.

Meanwhile, at Rose today, they groomed Gregg's after letting bumps build up for a week or two (or so I was told by someone knowledgable on the chiar), and the result was a delightful 2-inch powder layer from all the threshing -- maybe the best run of the day. Not sure why they couldn't do the same on Granite.

The natural bumps on Granite are nicely formed and playful. Challenging for sure but skiable. Once Granite is groomed, the bumps reform quickly. But the new bumps suck. Still big but so widely spaced as to make it weird. And the troughs are very icy.

OK, commit to grooming every day and it would be fine. But is there enough snow for that? Is there enough grooming capacity? Granite rarely gets frequent grooming in normal years.

I'd be OK with just grooming the one run but typically they groom all three of the standard runs. Maybe that's why the bump lovers complain so much about seeing Granite groomed.

With small storms the sweet bump lines get nicely refreshed. There hasn't been a big enough storm to build new good moguls. Hopefully some time this winter...

Eric

 

[Joshuawjc]

The natural bumps on Granite are nicely formed and playful. Challenging for sure but skiable. Once Granite is groomed, the bumps reform quickly. But the new bumps suck. Still big but so widely spaced as to make it weird. And the troughs are very icy.

OK, commit to grooming every day and it would be fine. But is there enough snow for that? Is there enough grooming capacity? Granite rarely gets frequent grooming in normal years.

I'd be OK with just grooming the one run but typically they groom all three of the standard runs. Maybe that's why the bump lovers complain so much about seeing Granite groomed.

With small storms the sweet bump lines get nicely refreshed. There hasn't been a big enough storm to build new good moguls. Hopefully some time this winter...

Eric

Appreciate the explanation!

 

[Alexzn]

There is not enough snow on Granite’s Main Backside run to groom it, a lot of the bumps you see are boulders underneath the snow, yup acnat groom them out. So no grooming on Granite at least until the next big dump.

 

[Eleeski]

So no grooming on Granite at least until the next big dump.

When you put it that way, now I'm hoping for a groomed Granite!

Hopefully West Face will be good by then. Is a storm coming?

Eric

 

[John Webb]

The natural bumps on Granite are nicely formed and playful. Challenging for sure but skiable. Once Granite is groomed, the bumps reform quickly. But the new bumps suck. Still big but so widely spaced as to make it weird. And the troughs are very icy.

I'd be OK with just grooming the one run but typically they groom all three of the standard runs. Maybe that's why the bump lovers complain so much about seeing Granite groomed..

Eric

Disagree here. I'd think others think the same as Granite Chief lift was the most empty I'd ever seen it on Friday (yesterday). 5 on the entire lift including me.
maybe 4 others seen on ground skiing. I did one run and would not call chewed up iced over moguls fun. Pure torture and I could not wait to get out after
one run. Normally I can do moguls fine - just don't like most.

Agree with second statement. If they would at least groom just one run rest and recharge would be possible so more skiers would stay in the area. High elevation snow on Granite should some grooming - Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Eleeski]

@John Webb To be sure, there will be days when ice bumps are miserable. But Squaw is low altitude and low latitude so after a couple days it will warm up. Granite does frequently soften up nicely. A groomer just gets slower and stickier while bumps get fun - if they have good shape. And refrozen poorly maintained groomers are quite unpleasant.

Historically they groom Granite. But nobody seeks out Granite for sweet corduroy. The lift is too slow for a two minute zoom down even if it's good. Go when the bumps are good or off to the other side when it's fresh.

Still, I agree that having a decent out for when it's too crappy (one groomed run) makes sense. If there's enough snow. And it's very thin this year...

The best groomers are on Shirley. And they do a decent job regularly there. It does get skied off. Probably because lap times are so fast and it can handle so many people.

My other favorite groomer is the Resort run. Less crowded and a bit more laid back vibe. The run is long and fairly open. Somehow the snow is much better than Red Dog on the other side of the same mountain.

How about one groomed run on Granite but leave a couple public bump lines next to the freestyle course on Red Dog?!

Eric

 

[Andy Mink]

Looks like the three main lifts at Rose are closed today due to wind. I can't imagine it being much fun up there! Average 63mph wind with gusts at 80+.

 

[4ster]

As @Eleeski says, once a mogul run is groomed it will never be again unless it snows like 5’. The best you can hope for is a bunch of weirdly spaced piles, Not fun! Those icy moguls will be fun again once things warm up or they get covered with a coat of new snow.

In a low snow year like this, life is tough for the grooming crew, be thankful for the magic that they do. Before grooming, we just skied the icy bumps all day

 

[Eleeski]

Looks like the three main lifts at Rose are closed today due to wind. I can't imagine it being much fun up there! Average 63mph wind with gusts at 80+.

Is it snowing?

 

[laine]

Just got to Alpine and Summit and Alpine Bowl Chair are on hold. But Roundhoise is spinning and I asked - the plan is to keep it spinning until they can’t.

 

[Andy Mink]

Is it snowing?

No, clear as a bell or very close.

 

[Eleeski]

No, clear as a bell or very close.

You're killing me!

 

[Andy Mink]

You're killing me!

https://58f14b372a413.streamlock.net:444/mtrosecam/mtrosecam.stream/playlist.m3u8

 

[Mendieta]

https://58f14b372a413.streamlock.net:444/mtrosecam/mtrosecam.stream/playlist.m3u8

Boy, does that suck. I was gonna say that this is probably a very reasonable Prez day weekend to ski, because of the low crowds. Yesterday, there were no lines at Sugar Bowl at opening (of course, most passholders were blacked out), and fairly light lines at Mt Rose where we wound up. Because the "snow sucks", o many people are holding back.

Today was the day it was supposed to cool down. Too bad it was with high winds.

 

[Andy Mink]

Boy, does that suck. I was gonna say that this is probably a very reasonable Prez day weekend to ski, because of the low crowds. Yesterday, there were no lines at Sugar Bowl at opening (of course, most passholders were blacked out), and fairly light lines at Mt Rose where we wound up. Because the "snow sucks", o many people are holding back.

Today was the day it was supposed to cool down. Too bad it was with high winds.

Those trees are really moving. But they say that the winds are dying though there are still holds on the three main lifts.

 

[John Webb]

@John Webb To be sure, there will be days when ice bumps are miserable. But Squaw is low altitude and low latitude so after a couple days it will warm up

Friday was above freezing but moguls on Granite Chief did not soften.

Today 60 mph winds have closed all the upper mountains at Squaw and Alpine.
Red dog, Funitel and Scott Chair are also closed.

Far East, KT-22 (weak snow coverage), and Roundhouse are open so Prez day tourists get
no refunds.

Weather refunds are rare at most ski areas. I got one once at Snowbird
when the entire ski area shut down..

 

[Plai]

Looks like the three main lifts at Rose are closed today due to wind. I can't imagine it being much fun up there! Average 63mph wind with gusts at 80+.

Is it snowing?

So I was one of the unfortunates working the greens at Rose today. It was good for your skills day: edge work, short turns, one leg, javelin turns, etc... The skiing was still fun. Riding the 15min Galena lift, not so much.

BTW, it just started snowing lightly near lake level. The snow looks like little ball bearings. Hoping for more at the top of the mountain. Tomorrow's supposed to be much colder.

 

[luliski]

Is it snowing?

It is now! About 1/4" accumulation at lake level and pretty steadily coming down right now.