Testing the Terrain at Kirkwood

Kirkwood’s terrain is varied and seemingly limitless. Although I’ve visited the resort a half-dozen times, I have only skied roughly half of it, if that. Last Sunday, I skied the trees at Fawn Ridge (which sits on the western-most boundary of Kirkwood, and shhh, we went out of bounds for a bit), a bowl called Sentinel Bowl and the gullies.

Fawn Ridge at Kirkwood

The gullies aren’t shown on any map, but you can catch glimpses of them from the lifts. Off of Cornice Express is a long swerving gully that gets more fun with each run. The Reut chair leads to another gully that is deep at the top but becomes more and more shallow near the bottom.

We were literally off the map when we went up Sunrise to the new Covered Wagon lift. Covered Wagon is a “pommel lift,” or a surface lift. I had only ridden a pommel lift two other times and that was at Northstar and Alpine. The woman in front of me was struggling to grab the handle with a cable and seat attached. I saw one problem in her stance: She didn’t have her skis pointed up the mountain. She also wasn’t committing to it. When you grab the pommel, you feel a slight jerk. But don’t let go. I clung to the handle, and once moving, I placed the round seat between my knees.

From the top of Covered Wagon, we skied to the right to Fawn Ridge. The snow was still powdery and fresh thanks to a few small snow flurries in the past few days and the trees shading it from the sun and wind. We toured the area for roughly 30 minutes before returning to civilization, i.e. the groomers.

The snow conditions toward the end of the day began to get firmer, as was the case in Sentinel Bowl. Of course, no trip to Kirkwood is complete without making some big turns down Buckboard. My favorite run at Kirkwood, Buckboard is a wide blue sandwiched between the trees. Though it could have some competition–I rode the Wave (a black on the backside) for the first time, and loved it so much that I went back a second time.

Although power problems are rumored to still exist at Kirkwood since their generator went down over New Year’s weekend. We didn’t have any problems. Our own energy kept going all day as well. We were nearly the last riders back to the Bay Area Ski Bus before it rolled out at 4:30 p.m.

Dynastar Exclusive Legend Eden Skis Power through the Powder

I rode my new Dynastar Exclusive Legend Edens (152) for the first time last weekend. The widest skis in the Dynastar women’s lineup, they simply glided atop the fresh powder at Sierra at Tahoe.

First of all, I must admit that I am not used to skiing on planks this nice. I’ve rented gear for the last two seasons, and most of the rental skis are in need of a good wax at best and at worst, long overdue for replacement. So, I felt like I was floating on a cloud skiing on my brand new factory waxed and tuned skis.

The Legend Edens are pretty skis, and, well, because I am a girl, that’s important to me. I immediately received a compliment from one of the female lifties.

Besides looks, I also wanted skis that could handle the whole mountain with ease, transitioning from powder to groomers and from wide, loopy turns to tight turns in a pinch. At 85 cm under foot (or at the “waist” as it’s called), they’re wider than any skies I’d ever used. The extra surface area, especially at the tips (126 cm) and tails (110), buoyed me to the top of the fresh snow off-trail. I felt like the skis wanted to go with the flow, and all I needed to do was steer them around the obstacles (i.e., trees). When skiing on bumpy snow beaten up by countless other skiers, my skis punched through almost anything.

At the end of the day, the Legend Edens were lightweight and easy to transport to the parking lot with their special anti-slip grips–another plus! Other little extras that I like are the steel guards on the tips (because, I inevitably bump into things) and the women specific design. The Legend Eden is the re-made Exclusive Legend Powder from years past.

Ski.Net gave the Legend Eden a 3.29/5 in its review.

Most reviews and product info. say the Legend Edens are for advanced to expert skiers who ski aggressively. I’m looking forward to taking the skis out much more and seeing all of their–and my–capabilities!

Skiing the Trees at Sierra at Tahoe

Mel’s in downtown Placerville

Originally uploaded by dmourati

I skied the in trees Sunday on a perfect powder day–the kind that happens only four or five times a season. We were lucky to make it to Sierra at Tahoe. We survived a bit of an ordeal Saturday with the Bay Area Ski Bus getting turned around by a stubborn California Highway Patrolman along Highway 88 to Kirkwood. He said the road was “deadly,” and he refused to allow trucks and buses through. Our busload of 60-odd disappointed people steered away from the slopes and toward the Best Western Placerville Inn. But everyone was cheered up by the beers provided by Trumer Pils based in Berkeley.

Located within a 45-minute drive to Sierra at Tahoe, Placerville is a quiet, historic mining town. We decided to take the Best Western’s shuttle to downtown Placerville and explore the shops and restaurants. Per our shuttle driver’s suggestion, we ate (hamburger for my boyfriend; turkey burger for me) at Original Mel’s in downtown and bought some magazines at the Placerville News Company, which has an excellent magazine selection.

Of course, we walked out with Skiing Magazine. Ironically, one of the articles talked about Sierra at Tahoe, where the Bay Area Ski Bus was taking us on Sunday. Often people think Sierra at Tahoe is too small and low-key to feature terrain for serious skiers, but the magazine revealed the recently opened gates to Huckleberry Canyon found to the left of the Grandview Express. The skiing there is rumored to be especially good on powder days. The resort offers a 2.5 hour lesson for advanced skiers that includes the necessary backcountry gear.

For me, the backcountry will have to wait. Instead, on Sunday, we immediately headed to the West Bowl, where I enjoyed some of my best runs of the day in the trees between Beaver (blue) and Dogwood (blue) and Beaver and Clipper (black). Sierra is known for its tree skiing, and now I could see why. It was my first time delving into the trees, and it was thrilling to plot my route, with no skiers or ski lifts in sight. I could hear the birds chirping in the trees, and I felt like I was alone in nature. Surprisingly, plenty of powder lingered in the trees from last week’s storms, and more was falling (a total of seven inches accumulated on Sunday).

The lines in West Bowl were long, so we decided to take Grandview Express to Preacher’s Passion (a black), which was a huge powder stash, cascading roughly 1,300 feet and dotted with pillows of snow. The powder was waist-high at times, although rocks occasionally peeked through on the trail. Jackrabbit (a black) had almost as much snow as Preacher’s Passion. For the last run of the day, we took it easy on Lower Main (a blue); however, I kept tapping the sides and riding the bumps and jumps. I figured it was the last run of the day, and I might as well go for it!

Drjoyous added these thoughts to mine about Sierra at Tahoe on the forum at TheSkiDiva.com: What a wonderful review of Sierra at Tahoe. We live in Tahoe and had been Kirkwood people for years, but this year added season passes to Sierra and Heavenly. Sierra truly is a wonderful resort–for all the reasons you stated. Its trees are beautiful and it has a ton of snow, even though it is (relatively) low. The north exposure keeps its powder on days that thwart even K’wood and Heavenly (much higher mountains).
PLUS–since it is a “boarder” mountain, the runs and tree glades end almost at the lift lines, meaning very little traversing (argh Kirkwood!).
The last plus (well, maybe there are more)? Since it is a boarder mountain, they tend to creak out around 10-11, leaving the early morning slushing to us early birds!
Fun, fun mountain–good music, friendly lifties (again, argh Kirkwood), and great trashing trees and steeps.

IntheClouds posted on TheSkiDiva.com: Ski Tripper – glad you enjoyed my home mountain. One secret is, with all those wide trails you can head off them and ski the entire mountain. The whole mountain is a great stash of snow when the snow levels reach where they are now. Try the backside also next time you’re there.

Lesson of the day: although Sierra at Tahoe has a reputation for being small, it contains secret places to ski and board that are challenging and add to the terrain. You just have to know where to look. Please comment with any hidden gems you know about at Sierra at Tahoe.

High Time at Heavenly

I checked another Tahoe ski resort off my list last weekend. Surprisingly, I had never skied Heavenly, although it is perhaps the most popular ski resort in Lake Tahoe. Besides its terrain, part of Heavenly’s draw is its proximity to hotels and casinos. Interestingly, the resort straddles the California-Nevada border, which I didn’t know.

Lake Tahoe covered in fog, as seen from the top of the Tamarack Express at Heavenly.

We arrived Friday night at the vacation home we were renting, unloaded our bags and drove to the Heavenly village at South Lake Tahoe to eat at Fire and Ice. The high-end Mongolian barbecue restaurant sets out fresh vegetables, meat and seafood (shrimp, mahi-mahi, tuna and scallops) to choose from. At the grill, two guys do tricks while grilling each person’s selections to perfection.

The next day, I went to rent gear, waiting in line for roughly an hour at one of Heavenly’s sport shops. An employee said it was their busiest day of the year at the rental shop. I asked him about conditions on the mountain, and he said there was a light dusting of snow on the mountain. With my K2s in hand, we rode the gondola from the middle of the village to the mid-mountain area. My friend wanted to go down a green run, the Big Easy, which was crowded with beginners. We did a few runs there, and then rode up the Tamarack Express to the California Trail, an easy blue.

With 4,800 acres, spanning two states, it’s easy to get lost at Heavenly. I accidentally stayed on the California Trail, a long traverse to the base of the Sky Express, and became separated from my friends. After consulting my trail map, I discovered the best way back was to ride the Sky Express to the Skyline Trail. From the Skyline Trail, skiers can glimpse amazing views of Lake Tahoe. Even foggy, the panorama was spectacular. I looped across the mountain on Skyline to the Nevada side and took Big Dipper, a blue run, to reunite with my friends.

Tired from the morning’s excursions, we stopped for lunch at the East Peak Lodge. Again the lines were l-o-o-o-ng. My cheeseburger tasted delicious, especially with all the toppings (sautéed mushrooms and red onions). After chowing down, we had enough time to take some runs down Orion before catching the gondola to return to the base.

On Sunday, I took the opportunity to explore the mountain, from Perimeter–a blue, which runs along the Nevada edge of the resort–to the Ridge Trail, a blue that marks the furthest reaches of the California side. We stayed away from the black runs, because the snow cover looked thin. But the snow in the forecast should make the resort’s conditions, well, heavenly.

Going to Heavenly? Be prepared for crowds. I was surprised by the number of inexperienced skiers and boarders on intermediate runs who posed hazards to themselves and others as well. My friend was struck not once, but twice, by skiers who were out of control.

Heavenly stats:

Peak elevation: 10,067 feet

Descent: 5 miles (the longest on the West Coast)

Snowfall: more than 30 feet a year on average

Lifts: 29

Runs: 94

Adult Lift Ticket Price: $82 ($119 on the Bay Area Ski Bus, which includes transportation, breakfast and snacks)

People ask me which Tahoe resort is my favorite, which one is yours?

Mogul Mayhem at Sierra-at-Tahoe

In the span of two years, I’ve moved from the bunny hill to moguls–albeit, inadvertently.

I was riding the Grandview Express at Sierra-at-Tahoe yesterday when my boyfriend suggested going down Castle, a black diamond that I’d tried before and liked. This time as we crested the hill, we saw  a run covered in moguls that looked like large marshmallows fenced in by trees on both sides. Sierra-at-Tahoe calls it an unending mogul field for truly hardcore skiers! I took off my skis and walked down the hill, passing the worst of it, while my boyfriend carried my skis and repeatedly apologized. Surprisingly, I wasn’t mad at him; instead, I felt disappointed in myself for not dipping my skis into the marshmallow mess.

Halfway down, I clicked back into my skis and tackled the smaller moguls with my boyfriend’s guidance, traversing through the worst of it and turning with the help of pole plants. At the bottom, I exclaimed “I love pole plants.” Suddenly, skills such as pole plants and side slips had a purpose, and I was bubbling with new questions to ask my ski instructor during the lesson I’d scheduled in the afternoon.

Paired with Kimmie, I skied over jumps in the terrain park (something I’d never before dared to do) and then learned skills, such as:

1. Side slipping forward and backward with a transition

2. Edging or carving by leaning my knees toward the hill

3. Pressuring the front of my boot and flexing the heel; she said to learn forward and pretend like I am trying to spread peanut butter evenly across the top of the boot

4. Facing down the mountain; she had me hold my ski poles shoulder width apart and keep them facing down the mountain

5. Stepping into the turn with the inside ski

6. On moguls, turning on the top of the mogul with a pole plant and a hop

7. Leaning forward on jumps and moguls (on jumps, she said to go into it with knees bent, straighten up at the top, pull my legs up and keep my arms in front of me)

Kimmie led me to the sides of the groomed trails over small jumps and up walls. At the end of the lesson, she took me to Lower Dynamite, a bumpy black run underneath the Grandview lift. This time, I felt much more equipped to tackle the moguls that awaited.

Where to Sleep When You Ski #1: A Cabin

Lodging options at Lake Tahoe run the gamut. Since I have laid my head in a variety of places, I will write about several options in my next few blog posts.

Our ski cabin companions putting on their gear at the cabin

Starting with ski cabins, we rode up with the Bay Area Ski Bus last Friday to ski for the weekend. Except this time, we didn’t ride on a bus and we weren’t up before the crack of dawn;  we were picked up in Sunnyvale on Friday afternoon by a 15-passenger van equipped with captains chairs and a DVD player to watch movies. Our bags went in the back, while people’s skis and snowboards were placed in a roof rack. One stop in San Francisco to pick up our last passenger, and we were on our way to Truckee for margaritas and Mexican food at La Bamba. My margarita came with green salt around the rim and tasted so-so, but the carne asada was delicious.

Next, we bought breakfast and dinner supplies for the next day at the local Safeway. Tammy, with the Bay Area Ski Bus, said the Truckee location is one of the busiest Safeways in California, and suggested going to a different grocery store if you’re in a hurry.

We arrived at the cabin, which has a master bedroom upstairs with a king-size bed (where we stayed) and a whirlpool bathtub in the attached bathroom, a smaller master bedroom downstairs with a queen-size bed and a twin-size bed and two other rooms with twins, so it can sleep eight. The kitchen was fully stocked with cooking utensils, and there was food (coffee, tea, beer, wine, snacks, etc.) in the cupboards. Our host, Brian McCooey, CEO of Bay Area Ski Bus, started a fire in the wood-burning stove.

The wood-burning stove and cozy chairs in the great room at the Bay Area Ski Bus cabin

Some of our companions–anxious to test the snow–took sleds down a sledding slope in the backyard, while we headed to the hot tub on the backyard patio. Tammy had warmed it up before we arrived. Aaahhh.

View of the backyard at the Bay Area Ski Bus cabin

In the morning, we awoke to the sound of Brian cooking eggs and bacon in the kitchen. I stepped out of the bedroom and was greeted by lovely views of the snow-covered trees in the backyard. I was starting to think that this was better than any hotel.

After breakfast, we put on our gear and headed to Alpine Meadows for our first day of skiing and boarding. On Sunday, we headed to Sugar Bowl. Both days, the Bay Area Ski Bus took care of buying our lift tickets and dropped us off at the lodge–front door service!

We arrived at our Sunnyvale stop on Sunday at around 8 p.m., after a weekend of having no worries. We were in good hands with the Bay Area Ski Bus.

The Bay Area Ski Bus cabin package costs $329 per person for the weekend.

New Year’s Resolution #2: Get My Own Ski Gear

It’s time folks. I am tired of waiting in the winding line at the rental counter to get my gear. Most rental skis are general, all-around skis, and have been put through the wringer by countless other skiers–my loaner Rossignols at Sugar Bowl last Sunday were badly scratched and gouged on the bottom. Plus, with the changing lengths, brands and styles, I spend my first hours on the hill getting used to how the skis and boots fit and operate.

Try Before You Buy

I was advised to test a bunch of skis in one day at a demo shop. That way the snow conditions will remain the same, and the only thing different will be the skis. Squaw Valley and Northstar at Tahoe have mid-mountain demo centers that allow skiers to try out as many makes and models as they like in one day (for only $51 at Squaw).

Read Reviews

Check out ski forums such as TheSkiDiva.com. This site is super helpful, and the divas are quick to answer inquiries.

Save Some Cash

Keep an eye out for sales (be put on local ski shops’ mailing lists) and consider buying last year’s equipment. Deals can also be found on Craigslist and eBay.

New Year’s Resolution #1: Blog More!

Yes, I realize more than two weeks have lapsed since my last blog post. I’ve been busy moving, holiday shopping and baking, spending time with family, and, well, skiing. The good thing is, the more skiing I do, the more material I collect to write about in this blog. So, I plan to do plenty more research in the coming weeks.

I enjoy writing this blog because it reminds me of my progress on the slopes and the resorts I’ve skied. I hope the contents will be useful to other skiers as well. My boyfriend is great at suggesting topics (I promise, I will write about them soon!), and I welcome yours too.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas for Skiers

It’s opportune for gift givers that the holidays coincide with the start of ski season at Lake Tahoe. Help your favorite skier or boarder stock up on cool ski gear and gadgets. Below, I’ve listed some of my best bets that they’re sure to love. (In doing so, I think I just created my holiday wish list–Santa, are you reading?)

Cold Feet?

SmartWool socks such as the W’s Skiing Medium come with cushioning and stretch to mid-calf, rising above the boots so they won’t bunch. Plus, like any socks, ski socks tend to lose their mates in the dryer, so your skier will welcome a new pair. $20.95

To make toes even more toasty, layer in some heat from Insolator Winter Insoles sold by Campor.com. $7.99

Bright Idea

Give the present of prevention. Nutragena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock in SPF 85 shields against harmful UV rays, a double-whammy for winter sunseekers since they bounce off the snow. Visit drugstore.com. $10.99

Lip Service

Besides getting chapped, lips get sunburned too. For this, Burt’s Bee’s Lifeguard’s Choice contains titanium dioxide to help refract UV rays. $3.25

The Nose Knows

Runny noses are a common complaint among skiers. Sometimes, it’s possible to swipe tissues while waiting in the lift line, but for any other emergencies it’s convenient to tote Kleenex pocket tissues. $2.69 for a pack of eight

Friends with Benefits

If a lift ticket is out of your price range, then perhaps it’s also beyond your snow buddy’s budget. The Winter Tahoe Card offers handy discounts on everything from lift tickets and ski rentals to dining and lodging, with free waxes and tune-ups to boot. $39.99

Peppermint Pleaser

If they’re too busy making tracks to stop to re-fuel, energy bars do the trick. Luna Bars are my favorite and come in a variety of flavors, but the Chocolate Peppermint Stick are perfect for the holidays with their crispy, chocolately goodness with a hint of candy cane. $19.38 for a box of 15 at Amazon.com

Gift of Sight

As the name implies, the Ski Gee Goggle Wipe is a little rubber squeegee made to slip around a gloved finger and swipe across goggles to wipe away snow on powder days. They come in a variety of fun colors. $1.99

Walk This Way

Walk-EZ Revolutions take the clumsy clunkiness out of walking in ski boots. The rounded bottom provides for a smoother gait, and the rubber sole prevents slipping. Sold out on most websites, they can still be purchased on eBay.

Bus a Move

Fund part or all of a trip on the Bay Area Ski Bus with a gift certificate. Leave the choice up to them on where and when to go, since buses go to nearly all of the Tahoe ski resorts on several weekdays and weekends.

Phresheez Gets on the Map

I was scoping out the booths at the Bay Area Ski & Snowboard Show last month when I discovered a cool new app for Smartphones.

You can chart the details of your runs with Phresheez.

Phresheez tracks skiers and boarders’ runs on the mountain and creates charts, showing such details as speed, slope, altitude, difficulty and distance. It stores this data so users can compare and contrast different days by logging on to phresheez.com.

That’s just one feature. The Friend Finder shows users where their pals are on the mountain at any time and automatically uploads their photos so that each friend can view them. The social networking function allows photos to be stored in a gallery and users to post the photos on Facebook and Twitter, as well as maps and charts.

Phresheez spent last year testing its ideas in the field–at Kirkwood (tough work, I know!). The service is free and now available in most smartphones’ app stores, or it can be uploaded using software from phresheez.com to GPS devices and hand-held trackers.

I spoke with Aric Olnes, chief resort map maker for Phresheez, about how far the San Francisco-based startup has come with its technology and what exciting new features are ahead that he says–pun intended–”will really keep Phresheez on the map.”

Q: Cell reception is spotty at best at some ski resorts. What happens if satellite signal is lost to the cellphone?

A: Your GPS enabled phone will track you without cell coverage and upload the points as soon as you get connectivity. Your tracks are always recorded. The Friend Finder feature works best when there is a phone or Wi-Fi service.

Q: Resorts usually add new lifts or runs each year. How updated are your maps?

A: Our maps are incredibly recent. They were drawn this year. We stay on top of any changes the resorts make and include them as soon as possible.

Q: How does Phresheez differ from the competition, such as Garmin and the GPS trackers already available?

A: We track you like those devices, but we create maps, charts and animations that show your entire day with more detail than Garmin and the others do. Remember also that we are a social networking site. We’re all about keeping your days and pictures, and sharing them with your friends. So Garmin et al aren’t really competition.

Q: What new features are you looking to add?

A: We are always striving to add new content. We currently have numerous features but are looking to add more as we get feedback from users.

Q: How many people have downloaded the Phresheez app so far?

A: We are brand new and just starting out. We are looking to increase our user base with demos and presentations.

So download the app, use it for a day and give me and Phresheez your feedback.