Location: Kirkwood
Date: 12/20/2009
Conditions: Packed Powder
Kirkwood is my favorite Tahoe resort. I love skiing there and I've had some of my greatest runs in the Thunder Saddle. We were in luck on Sunday as Kirkwood's lift 2, Caples Crest had just opened two days prior. Conditions were generally very good. We missed the powder the past weekend but most of the mountain was open and snow cover was decent. The backside was a bit "bony" in spots especially at the top of 4.
We had our best runs of the day on Canestoga. Another experience that stood out was our somewhat delayed start to the Sentinel Bowl. Lots of people were coming to the top of Sentinel and complaining about the conditions and steepness of the terrain. That never inspires much confidence in other skiers who overhear blurted assertions like: "Oh my god, its the freaking Ice Capades over here."
We wrapped up about 3:30 - 4:00 and headed back to the Bay Area Ski Bus for some Ace beers and snacks. On the way out of Kirkwood, our host Anthony asked a "gimme" question: "What's the name of the peak and the elevation of the highest point at Kirkwood." Thimble Peak, 9876' scored me a free "Experts Only" sticker for my helmet, which I bought, fittingly, at Kirkwood several years earlier.
One of my favorite parts of the trips on the ski bus is stopping for dinner on the way back. Loomis leaves a lot to be desired as far as options go. We dashed in for some takeout chinese and munched on it watching the tail end of the latest Star Trek movie which was actually really good.
Next trip up we're tentatively scheduled to hit Northstar and Alpine for the New Year. Word is that the ski bus has a 12 passenger van to shuttle skiers to and from a new cabin. We were the last two to signup for the overnight trip leaving New Years Day and returning Sunday. Some logistical difficulties may prevent this trip from coming together so we're crossing our fingers for a New Years powpow miracle.
Last Years Road Trip
8 years ago
