Slay The Gnar

Documentary of Casey Cane
Posts Tagged ‘rock garden’

Springing into Slush Season @ Squaw & Kirkwood – 04/21/12

Slush Skiing? OH MY!

Dates:

April 20th – 21st 2012

Location: Two resorts in California….(click pics for larger sizes)

Squaw Valley Int’l playground…

Kirkwood ski area….

Weather: How does PERFECT sound?

Riders: Skier666, SQ99, and Girlski

Cameradude: Skier666

POV VIDEO – Springing into slush season @SquawValley & @KirkwoodMtn – 04/21/12

Music: Goth Trad – ‘New Epoch’

Synopsis:

After about a month off to obtain a Real Estate license, I embarked on a 2 day journey up to the legendary Sierra Range. On my spiritual journey I uncovered a police search for a loose gunman on a closed I-80, bluebird skies, no lift-lines, hot temps, a deterioration snow pack, cold beer, and wicked good time skiing. The snow was slushy yet strangely entertaining. Truth be told it was some of the most fun I had all season.

I met SQ99 and Girlski for a reunion of sorts. Due to the highway closure, our time together was cut short but felt like the old times skiing up in the PNW. We gave SQ99 a hard time, as usual, Girlski and I talked about law school, and WE HAD FUN SKIING….perfect day I’d say! After dropping off SQ99 at the Reno airport, I rallied down to South Lake to catch some sleep to awake early and hit up some perfect Kirkwood corn-slush. It was fun.

JAVA PORN:

Peets New Guinea Korona

Red Bull Zero…

GAME START!:

It started to rain in the Bay….but I knew I wasn’t going East to the snow…

because of this…

…but the forces high above knew I’d pass on my first attempt…yippie!

While it snowed in Tahoe, I ran to Mexico…

Punta Minta to be exact…

The fountains were nice…

The sunsets were….meh

On my return, and after a work week, it was finally time to get in the car and head to some bluebird fun….

And what are the chances that I get held up going to Squaw before Sacramento due to a gunman on the loose? I mean, really? However, I was quoted in the article and I do have a story to tell…heh.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl…BA681O72HS.DTL

It was 7:05am. Almost to Sacramento. And STOP. No westbound traffic. No eastbound traffic. Hmmmmm…….

When I saw this, I knew I had to get out of here….

‘Let me through, I need to meet SQ99 up at Squaw!"

After a 6.5 hour drive that should have been 3 hours, I finally made it to KT-22 at 12:45pm…ugh.

Headed straight to Olympic Lady….

Then to Chute 75 which was skiing ‘oh so nicely.’

We headed over to the Nose…

And went to my usual zones…

It was actually quite nice….

Squaw’s upper mountain looked great, but I just couldn’t leave the vert of KT!

The alternates were up next….

Looking to the South toward Alpine….

There’s something quite nice about skiing around the Fingers with nobody on the chair….

AND NO MOGULS IN THE RUN-OUT!!!!!

SQ99 wanted another lap in Chute 75, so I happily joined him…

Always good to ski with old friends….

WHy not a lap in the Rock Garden?????

And then follow it by a lap near Olympic Lady…hell, we’re the only people on KT!!!!

Time for the Chamois…its getting a little wet at the base:

Why not go wine tasting after skiing @ Truckee River Winery?

That night, I fell asleep to these…


KIRKWOOD DAY

The morning was spectacular….

If only I could remember the name of this lake…

And to think I took this with my cellphone…heh

Mt. Tallac looking a little Spring-like…

THE CIRQUE!!!!

Caples Lake and West Shore etc….

Round Top to Sisters….

The WALL!!!!!!!!!

Obligatory early morning groomer shot…

The snow was pretty soft from the get go, so I headed over to the Ski School zone…

And found a nice little air…

Over to Chair 10. With the warm temps, there was one line I figured would be good…

Yep, Once is Enough…

Then over to Waterfall…

A couple laps off the top didn’t hurt….

Upper Chamoix looked a bit thin yet EXTREME…I passed.

The untracked corduroy wasn’t too shabby as an alternate…

Back to 10, I did a couple laps in Norm’s Nose…

Then a lap down the Sisters…

One last lap on 6, I went above Ski School….

And was pleasantly entertained…

In a few short hours, my vehicle hit this temperature in Walnut Creek….

The next day I was buying this..

Thank Yew California!