Feb 27: Delicious Wind Buff for Brunch at Alpine

This report was written by Claire Weiss.

Spring was in the air today ahead of the storm expected to dump multiple feet of fresh snow on Palisades Tahoe.

Today, we arrived at Alpine in the morning. Turquoise skies and freshly groomed slopes greeted us at the resort. Spring was in the air.

View of Scott Peak and Lake Tahoe.

Yesterday’s windy storm that passed through the Sierra was supposed to bring snow to the slopes. Though the app didn’t report any new snowfall, we hoped to find windblown snow.

We jumped on the Summit chair and started with our favorite spot, the Wolverine Bowl. The top of Wolverine was covered in soft wind buff, skiing very smoothly and feeling like powder. The groomed section was excellent, although the bumps off-piste were still quite firm.

Wind buff in Wolverine Bowl.

For our second run, we decided to check on north-facing D7. This run, along with D6 and D8, usually has some of the best snow as it’s shielded from the sun during the winter months. Today, it was a mogul field with packed powder surrounding the bumps. The moguls themselves were very firm and affected by the strong wind. The snow between the bumps was more packed than Wolverine, but precise skiing around them rewarded you with splashes of cold smoke. The Face had more prominent bumps and very similar conditions. We noticed that very few people ventured off-piste today, at least in the morning.

Cold Smoke on D7.

We did a few laps on Wolverine and checked out Sunspot before it was baked by the bright Californian sun. It was covered with very soft snow, perhaps drifted by the fierce wind the night before. We enjoyed smooth turns on Sunspot, skied through the soft Rock Garden, and then into Yellow. The freshly groomed Yellow skied nicely. Today felt like spring skiing, with corn snow starting to develop in the sunny spots. Expect the same spring-like conditions tomorrow, so start with the sunniest slopes, like Sunspot or Wolverine, and follow the sun.

Skiing Wolverine.

A major winter storm is coming to the Sierra on Thursday, with the forecast calling for several feet of snow that might affect operations. Please check the Palisades Tahoe app for lift status, be prepared for winter driving conditions, and have fun skiing powder. Miracle March is around the corner!

View of D6.

View from Roundhouse.

Snowy Ward Peak.

Skiing wind buff off Sunspot.

Skiing The Face.

Mogul field off D7.

Fresh corduroy off Alpine Bowl.