Fresh Snow at Squaw Valley
Squaw was a white paradise on Saturday. Fourteen to 16 inches of snow had fallen, and it was my first time skiing the resort on a powder day. Chains were required on Highway 80, but the Bay Area Ski Bus made it to the resort in good time. Before de-boarding the bus, I layered my clothes, because the weather can be temperamental at Squaw (my suspicions were right–the conditions ranged from cold and foggy to sunny and slightly slushy).
Squaw Valley Resort
Because of the snowfall, lifts were gradually opening at the resort. We rode up the Funitel (a rare treat, since it is the only funitel in the U.S.) to the midmountain and then skied over to the Gold Coast Express. Because it was becoming crowded, we took a slight detour to Mainline, a small two-person lift adjacent to Gold Coast.
The runs were filled with strings of youngsters in ski schools–aka, snow cubs as they call them at Squaw. One ski instructor was telling her pupils to stay in the french fry and let their skis turn uphill to slow themselves down. One little boy exclaimed that he did it, and I wished for a moment that adults could celebrate small accomplishments with such exuberance.
Next, we skied to Shirley Lake, an area that hadn’t been groomed and was full of powder. Again the lift lines looked long, so we headed for Solitude and skied around the trees a bit.
Riding the Funitel at Squaw Valley
One of my favorite lifts at Squaw is Red Dog. It takes riders to Lake View, which as the name suggests has lovely views of Lake Tahoe, to Twin Pines. It makes for a nice, long run down the mountain that we lapped twice before breaking for lunch. The run is long enough that I could feel my legs burning when I got to the bottom. We decided to try the barbecue at the Resort at Squaw Creek. The food was delicious and cheaper than anything we could’ve found at the main lodge.
Refueled, I was ready to take on Red Dog. The snow was a bit choppy, but I made it down the black run without any problems. Feeling perhaps overconfident, I tackled Cushman’s, which was steeper and scarier than Red Dog. Once down, I realized our day was almost done. I couldn’t believe how fast time was flying! We took Exhibition and then headed back to the base to call it a day. I enjoyed a great day at Squaw, and I left a lot more terrain to explore for when I return.
Jamaican Roots in Truckee
Skiing Alpine, I’ve become a fan of Errol Kerr who lives in Truckee and whose home mountain is Alpine. The 26-year-old finished ninth skiing for Jamaica in skier cross in the Olympics today. Congrats!
Homewood: Small But Big on Fun
Homewood Mountain Resort is small, but it makes up for its 1,260 acres in size with its short lift lines, family friendly terrain, lower lift ticket prices ($39 midweek) and the best views of the Big Blue at Lake Tahoe. The mountain features mostly intermediate runs with some beginner and a bit more expert terrain, which is a bit gentler than terrain labeled black at many other resorts. One slope has three chutes that are rated double black.
View of Lake Tahoe from Homewood Mountain Resort's Lower Ego Alley run
I skied Homewood yesterday–a day that started sunny and warm and turned into a winter storm with wind, cold and pelting snow. Three inches of fresh accumulated over the hard-packed snow.
Conveniently, the Madden Triple Chair is adjacent to the resort’s North Lot, which means you can park, haul your gear 10 feet and be at the ski lift. The Bay Area Ski Bus pulled up beside Madden, and we took the chair to the top and skied down to Old Homewood Express, one of the few high-speed lifts at the resort. We skied down the crunchy surface of White Lightning (black) to the Ellis Chair. From Ellis, we explored the trees near Third Creek and The Glades. Riding from the top of the mountain to the bottom, we wound up at Exhibition (black) and at the base near Madden.
Some of the best runs of the day were Miner’s Delight and Bonanza at the top of Old Homewood. Laskey Lane (black), located beneath Old Homewood, was full of moguls, and I dared to ski down it. The moguls grew bigger and bigger as I approached the bottom, but smart skiers and boarders could escape into the nearby trees if necessary. Zari’s Run was another nice and mild blue run and the easiest way to reach the Ellis lift from the west.
Due to the cold, we stopped for hot cocoa at the mid-mountain lodge–nothing fancy, but it does the job, selling hot dogs, sandwiches, candy and beverages in a warm shelter. Eventually, cold, tired and happy we made our way to the parking lot. Of note, we avoided Lombard Street, which can grow crowded and slushy due to high traffic. We chose Pot o’ Gold and Ore Car, a long path to the main lodge. Though this route has less traffic, it does require a lot of poling in spots.
All in all, it was a fun day, with hopefully more snow on the way!
Homewood stats:
- Base Elevation of 6230′
- Summit Elevation of 7880′
- 1650 Vertical Feet of Mountan to Play on
- 7 Lifts
- 60 Runs
Romantic Things to Do at Tahoe
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but Lake Tahoe is romantic all ski season long. Here is my list of powdery activities perfect for two:
Dashing through the Snow
Snuggle under a warm blanket with your honey while soaking in the spectacular Tahoe scenery from a horse-drawn sleigh. Rides depart from South Lake Tahoe near Heavenly and whisk couples to a peaceful spot with panoramic views.
Borges Sleigh Rides operates from November to April. A 30-minute sleigh ride costs $20 per adult. 775.588.2953.
Get Steamy
Not far from Heavenly’s Nevada side, couples can escape the ski scene to David Walley’s Hot Springs, nestled one and a half miles south of Genoa. There, you can trade your snow suite for a swimsuit and plunge into one of seven mineral pools surrounded by vistas nearly as lovely as your date.
775.7828155
Picnic in the Powder
Plan a private picnic for two with the help of the Cupids who work at Heavenly. They provide the music, flowers, wine, silverware, china and food–including the kicker, a five-layer chocolate torte dessert. Everything is served on a table carved out of the snow and covered with a linen tablecloth. This unique dining experience is sure to make your hearts beat faster.
775.586.7000 ext. 6228
Stay the Night
No hotel at Lake Tahoe is more romantic than the Plumpjack Squaw Valley Inn. You’ll appreciate the small touches such as the fluffy robes and comfy slippers when you settle in on a cold winter’s night.
530.583.1163
Nothing Says Valentine’s Day Like…
For me, the best part of Valentine’s Day is the chocolate. Northstar-at-Tahoe‘s Chocolate Bar has it covered, offering delectable white, milk and dark chocolate creations. When there, try one of its award-winning chocolate martinis–cheers!
530.562.1800
I Heart Sugar Bowl
It was going to be mostly a groomer day at Sugar Bowl on Valentine’s Day. We arrived early on the Bay Area Ski Bus and caught the first lift of the day–albeit it was White Pines, aka the bunny hill. Despite that, we gave each other high fives and headed out on what we knew was going to be a great bluebird day with temps in the 40s.
Going up White Pines from the parking lot is a nice little trick to save yourself the hike from the parking lot to the Judah lodge. We skied down to the Jerome Hill lift and rode it up to Sidewinder (the snow on Sidewinder is usually nice, because it’s shielded with trees). We took Sidewinder to the Lincoln and Christmas Tree lifts.
Off of the Disney lift, we hit several nice black runs, including Donald Duck, Eagle and Nancy’s Couloir, a run which I’d never attempted or even seen. Nancy’s Couloir is a black diamond hidden behind the snack shack that another couple we met suggested skiing. They skied over with us but turned around when they saw the moguls. I dove into the moguls and had one of my best runs of the day. The moguls were small and soft (and as you can see from the photo, the snow was nice).
Another run that I like at Sugar Bowl is Crowley’s Run; however, I stay to the right side of the trail and ski along the fence in the ungroomed, which was a bit crunchy since it hasn’t snowed in days.
I also had a rare treat at Sugar Bowl yesterday. I rode the Crow’s Nest lift. It’s a small two-person lift that drops riders off below the top of the Disney Express. The lift rarely operates at Sugar Bowl, so I had to give it a few whirls. Plus, it was much less crowded than the Disney Express lift line.
New this year to Sugar Bowl is the Summit Chair. I think people used to hike up to the top of the ridge and ski or board down. I could see how it would be nice on a different day, but there were a few moguls and a lot of rocks poking through at the top. We skied through the tricky stuff and through the trees to Trailblazer. I guess that was my first double black, although it didn’t seem that bad.
The first weekend of February when there was more snow, we skied off-trail in Strawberry Fields and under and around the Lincoln Express. It was probably some of the most serious terrain that I have ever seen, although I saw it and then steered away.
It was two fun weekends in a row at Sugar Bowl. Now, I am pondering where I should go next on the Bay Area Ski Bus!
These Boots Are Made for Skiing
I’ve tried my new ski boots on the slopes a few times, and now that they’re worn in, it’s time for a review.
First of all, for those of you who are buying boots for the first time, good luck! It’s not an easy process, but it can be made simpler if you are prepared and find the right outfitter. REI offers this handy, comprehensive boot-buying guide. Read the REI guide before you go shopping at REI or a different store (even take it with you), such as the Sports Basement or Helm of Sun Valley (if you live in the Bay Area). You want a salesperson who is going to spend time with you, measuring your feet and looking at the way you walk. They’ll take into account if you roll your feet or if one foot is longer than the other. You might need to add Superfeet insoles if your gait is off.
Thanks to the expert help of the staff person at the Sports Basement who helped fit me in my boots I am very happy with my new Rossignol Vita Sensor 80s (2010). Check this link for a ski.net review. The boots have a couple of features that I really like:
* The heel has ridges to give the boot traction on icy pavement.
* The buckles are microadjustable for an accurate fit; the top two buckle catches provide 22mm of adjustability.
* The boot has a women-specific design; for instance the liner is scalloped in the back to be more comfortable on our calves.
* The liner is super-plush and comfortable.
* The power strap serves as a fifth buckle, cinching up the entire boot.
The Rossignol Vita Sensor 80s are lightweight and easy to carry. The 80 in the name stands for the amount of flex. An advanced skier would probably find these too mushy, but for me, an advanced-intermediate, they’re perfect.
The only drawback that I have discovered so far is that my feet actually get too warm in these boots. I have never suffered from cold feet in ski boots, but this is a common complaint among women. So, most women would probably find them the right temperature. I also have to take into account that several of the days that I have skied this season have been balmy. On powder days when I spent much of the day in the trees, my feet and liners stayed dry, while my boyfriend’s feet and liners were moist.
Once you’ve bought your boots, it’s smart to wear the liners around the house to wear the padding down. Then, your first day in your new ski boots will be more enjoyable.
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.
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