bart (12/28/82)
Phew! Alot of snow in the Sierra. Power is finally back at all of the ski resorts, and so are the people. As of yesterday, all resorts were open, with lifts back in full operation. Alpine Meadows, Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl (and all the other Donner Pass resorts), and Incline were blackouted. Some of the resorts are still running generators to reduced power demand, and many are running reduced meal service to save energy. There is at least 5-6' of snow at all resorts at the base, and Sugar Bowl has 15' on top, Squaw 12', Alpine 12', etc. There is still some open powder, but the snow falls were pretty warm (wet), so it is fairly heavy. Some new snow (not much) is expected this week, and it will be dry. Temperatures running high 20's to low 30's in the day, and between 0 and 10 at night (below zero last night in Truckee!). The skiers are out in full force, so be prepared for some lift lines. The week after New Years should be great skiing with no crowds. We skied the 2 weeks preceeding Christmas Day, and never waited in a line. Also not that west shore of the Lake (around Emerald Bay) is still without power. Not many people live here, but if you were planning on skiing Homewood for some reason, they're still down. Right now, all highways in and out of the Tahoe Basin (I80, I50, 395, Mt. Rose Hwy, 89) and all highways around the lake are open without restriction (of course the west shore highway is closed at Emerald, as it is every year, because of snow slides). Enjoy! Next report, early in January. ---Bart Miller bart@berkeley
rhib@mhuxm.UUCP (irving) (03/18/86)
I have just returned from a week in the Tahoe area (3/8-3/15/86) and would like to convey to all interested parties what it is like there now. It was RAINING when I arrived but this quickly turned to snow; about 4 feet of surprisingly good powder fell last week, mainly at night - we had 2 sunny days, the rest partly cloudy to snowy. And now for a quick look at the areas we sampled: Squaw - a zoo on weekends, crowds on the slopes but not at the lifts (why?) during the week; most slopes were packed powder, with nice moguls on Headwall, KT-22 and Granite Chief. In balance I'd say the crowds dissipated my enthusiasm for this place but it was worth the trip from South Lake Tahoe (beautiful Lake drive on the way). Heavenly - I did not like this place, but conditions had a lot to do with it; it had rained the day before, with low cloud and snow while I skied. In spite of conditions, the place had LOTS of people, with long lift lines. Also, some hot runs like 'gunbarrel' were littered with beginners who were either illiterate or missed the 'expert' signs at the top. Proximity to casinos is a plus for gamblers or those seeking an inexpensive show (e.g. great comedy at Caesar's for no cover and a two-drink ($3 each) minimum). Kirkwood - There was plenty of powder at this place; deep and ungroomed on the 'expert' runs. Also for the adventurous there is a nice area called The Wall which was topped by windswept cornices leading to a quite exhilarating (though not TOO steep) bowl. The lodge served great stuff (e.g. plate of overstuffed nachos - enough for 3 or 4 for $4-50 and killer hot drinks for $2 - $3-50). But you'll definitely need chains to get there when there is snow about. Sierra Ski Ranch - In spite of warnings this place turned out great; even on weekends there were few people; intermed and beginner stuff was well-groomed with a good selection of ungroomed 'expert' runs. Nice view from the top lodge and lift tickets at $19 were a treat; no booze served here, so alcoholics must bring their own. I would not call this a comprehensive review by a competent skier so please just toss my ideas into the melting pot. And thanks a million to those of you who gave much valuable advice on touring/ skiing the Tahoe area. It was truly a great trip! Rich Irving mhuxm!rhib