Season's Almost Over

Sometimes a year is not as good as all other ones. 2007, for instance, was a seriously crappy year for snowboarding in Tahoe. The season started late, was marginal at best, and is likely to end soon. Highlights? Disappointing visits to Northstar and Sierra, making friends on and off the slope, and a few good days in Heavenly. Then there was spring skiing in early March – so hot people started shedding clothes like it we were on the Bahamas. Continue reading

Back from Whistler

{moszoomimglink:Whistler mountain}If Heavenly thinks it’s heavenly, it really should never visit Whistler. I stayed all of one week, with the best snow I could imagine, the best mountain(s), the best lifts, the best lodges, and frankly the best people. Let’s start with the snow: the snowfall total is rapidly approaching 30 feet, and you saw it everywhere. The snow is deep, fluffy, amazing. We had a snowstorm on Christmas day (which is when we flew in) and we spent the first day (Boxing Day in Canada) driving our boards mad in the fresh powder. Continue reading

Breaking (Snowboard) News

Finally, the first day of snowboarding. I went with J and G, two colleagues and friends of mine – we had been planning for weeks, and we couldn’t wait any longer. We met at the Berkeley Marina and boarded my truck around 5:45 on Sunday, eager to leave and beat the traffic. In Sacramento, we tossed a coin for the resort and ignored the result; we were then on I 80, intending to go to Northstar. Continue reading

Found new site: snocountry.com

Ok, this is going to be hugely embarrassing, since every single one of you already knew about this – but I am entirely surprised by finding out now about snocountry.com. Well, actually, considering how hard it was to find in the first place, I am not embarrassed after all… My friend Doug pointed me to it. The good thing (right now) is that it tells you of the resorts open, how many lifts they have open, how many runs, how much acreage. Continue reading

Postponed…

Well, looks like our friends in Heavenly were a little too optimistic until the last second. It is this morning they fessed up that they were not going to open today, but said they are now “shooting” for next Friday. Of course, anyone in the know is aware of the overpromises coming from skiheavenly.com – the current temperature is 51F, the current snow conditions are laughable, and the likelihood of a start next weekend pretty much nil. Continue reading

Is it going to be Nov. 17?

Check out the Heavenly site this morning (Nov. 12). The snow cannons are on, the mountain is white, and the site hopeful they are going to open on November, 17th! Some people (yours truly) think that may be a little of a stretch: in San Francisco, today, the weather is absolutely gorgeous, with a nice sun warming us at 8:30a, and it looks like it might be a beach day. How can we square that with a mountain run next weekend? Continue reading

First snow in Heavenly!

After an absurdly disappointing October season in 2006, things seem to be more reasonable this year. Maybe the 5th of October is a bit early for the first winter fluff, but it’s the first inning in what we all hope is going to be a great season! {moszoomimglink:10-05-2006.jpg}

Starting off the season in BC

It’s that time of the year again! I am starting to feel the chill in the morning, and the board is looking longingly at me every time I walk through the basement to get to the car… It’s snowboarding season! (Almost.) This year, it sounds like I am going to be invited over for a Thanksgiving event to Whistler. Remembering how much last year sucked (no snow until mid-December), I am extremely grateful for the opportunity, and I’ll get a chance to tell you all about the wonderful mountains up in British Columbia. Continue reading

Season Ending in Tahoe

Sadly true, this and next weekend are going to be the last ones for a nice run in Tahoe. Heavenly is about to board up the lodges, and so are all the other resort, concluding a short season that started poorly, as it ended on a bang. Next year? I’ll probably do without Heavenly, probably switch to the multi-pass for Kirkwood and Northstar. Heavenly finally got to me, I know every single run by heart, and I am sick of the tired snow an hour after the mountain opens. Continue reading

Snow in the Bay Area

Who would have believed? The snow that fell on Saturday is still covering Mt. Ham in the South Bay! I am tempted to go and take my snowboard there, to experience a unique thrill. I would take a picture, but the mountain is too far from the house and all I see is a white dot in the landscape.