It’s been a few days since new snow, and Alpine Meadows was the place to be today for adventure riding, with pow stashes and newly opened terrain on Sherwood and Estelle Bowls.
This blog was written by Ryan Williams.
Sherwood
This zone opened yesterday for the first time this season, making today a fun adventure to check out the conditions in the Bowl and around High Traverse. It was a warm day at the base, however, there was a wind ripping on the ridges. With the warm afternoon sun, I had a feeling Sherwood was going to be very spring-like.
Taking Treeline Cirque up to Sherwood Bowl, I noticed there were quite of bit of pow stashes still rocking in the shade and steeps, which was awesome to see for the return lap. At the top, in the shade it was brisk and the snow was mid-winter, once I got out into Sherwood Bowl the snow had been cooked. It was hot pow, riding like springtime in December. Traversing out, the gullies still had a few fresh lines to rip and were a blast taking down to the chair. Hitting the groomers it was amazing to sink turns into the smooth, fast corduroy, and with all the side hits, so much fun.
Heading back up the lift, it was awesome to scope out the filled-in terrain below High Traverse. This zone is amazing, holding fresh tracks for days after a storm. It takes a hike from Summit to get there, but it’s well worth it. Hyped to see this area open in mid-December.
Sherwood, view of Bowl and High Traverse
Sherwood to Summit
After ripping around Sherwood it was time to check out Estelle Bowl from Summit Chair. Getting there from the top of Sherwood, it was fun to check out the conditions around the Sherwood Cliffs down to Hot Wheels Gully. And wow, we’re the cliffs hammered and tracked, but still ripping with fun snow in the steeps. Great to see how filled in it is getting. Hot Wheel Gullies had some great hidden pow stashes and the wall hits are forming awesome to float airs and slashes.
Summit
Heading up Summit it was time to check out the conditions in Beaver and Estelle Bowls. Scoping these zones from the drive in and the base, I noticed that there was quite a bit of untracked in some of the favorite zones, and north facing, holding cold pow. It was going to be good.
The wind was howling on the ridge at the start of the hike on top of Wolverine Bowl. Once hiking behind the ridge it was springtime balmy sunny. The hike out to Beaver and Estelle is bliss. The view, the mind boarding on the vast terrain beyond the resort. The stoke gets going with each step.
Beaver Bowl
Arriving at the top of Beaver, the conditions were still holding awesome cold blower pow on the spines and gullies. It was tempting to drop in, but seeing this, it’s a good sign that Estelle will be so good. Hiking the bit further to Estelle was well worth the adventure.
Estelle Bowl
This zone is one of my favorites in Tahoe. And today it was amazing to see how filled it is already with its steep terrain, spines, blind rollovers, and options for days. Dropping in from the top, the snow was amazing – cold blower, and found a sweet spine to rip. It was awesome to get cold winter pow face shots so many days after a storm. Estelle Bowl was ripping today.
