Today was a great day with few crowds, short lift lines, and sunshine all over by the end of the day.
This report was written by Rene Jerez.
Today the weather started out overcast, with temps in the 40s and no wind. This respite from the nonstop storms hitting Tahoe felt great, and the overnight rain softened the snow all over Palisades. It’s interesting to note how although Palisades and Alpine are so close together, the feel of the snow at both feels completely different.
I started my day with an obligatory Mountain Run to Packers to Sunnyside run. The groomers did a fantastic job the previous night, and there was still plenty of pow if you were to go off-trail. I absolutely love the big bowl that can be found on the Packers trail, and I shredded down it with a giant grin on my face. I love starting my day with this run, it’s perfect for ensuring your gear and board are in tip-top shape.
After the first run, I took the Exhibition lift to the top station. The snow here was hard pack and ideal for riding fast and making quick turns. After that first run down, I decided to head back to the upper mountain and lapped the Gold Coast chair, where I found tons of untouched powder still easily accessible from going off to the side of the trails. The snow was still soft powder, and I’m sure we’ll get an excellent pow refresher all over the upper mountain with the next cycle of storms passing through.
I hit Siberia Bowl after my Gold Coast laps and promptly fell down on my butt halfway through the run. I never mind falling down the bowl as it’s challenging yet rewarding to get your turns on that run. On my second round up the lift, I headed down Siberia Ridge and carved an incredible amount of pow. The pitch on Siberia Ridge is much more agreeable than the Bowl, and I particularly like how wide and open the ridge is, allowing one to make dramatic and wide carves without fear. After another Siberia Ridge lap, I headed to my car to eat a quick snack, take off some layers, and put on some sunblock as the sun was now out and in full force.
After my break, I did another Mountain Run lap for fun and rode the Funitel to Gold Coast again to head over to Shirley Lake. The Shirley Lake area was totally spring skiing conditions, with fast hard pack and sunshine now making the snow softer. After the last two days, it felt amazing to be shredding in weather that felt more like March. I hit all Shirley Lake trails this session, and my favorite was Standteiner; it was extremely quick.
After Shirley Lake, I did some park laps in Belmont Park. Some of the boxes were removed due to the snow dumps the previous week, but in their place, the park crew had made some incredible jumps to hit over and over. I probably spent an hour in Belmont Park and did one last Siberia Ridge down to Mountain Run to the lodge and parking lot. I feel like this season I will improve my park skills due to consistent park laps and new and stiffer bindings.
The next series of storms to hit Tahoe should make a great season even better as Palisades Tahoe gets dumped on with more fresh pow. e’re going to be in for a huge treat once that storm cycle works its magic in the Sierra.
