White Christmas???
Guess where I am typing from? Sitting on my bed in Holiday Lodge, Heavenly Village, South Lake Tahoe, California. I got here late in the morning (actually it was already after lunch) and was expecting an exciting day on the slopes.
First impressions:
- More people were coming down the mountain (at noon!) than going up
- The bottom of the slope was bare
- A giant puddle had formed under the lift
So, you got it: the snow was no good. Better than what I had heard about Squaw, for sure. As soon as you get to the top of the mountain, the snow is actually usable, and Ridge Run is actually a real pleasure to be on. But as soon as you get to the bottom of the runs (Sky Express), the mush is on – and that’s halfway up the mountain!
You have choices, for sure: if you don’t like the mush, the groomers on top are usable, but as soon as it gets moderately steep, they turn into ice sheets that make you wish your board had blades on all sides. The mush is not too bad, though, as it feels and behaves a lot like heavy powder. The jumps feel comfortable, too. The kids on High Roller (the big terrain park) are having a blast, and I would love to take picture of the jumps in the afternoon sun.
SLT is fun, as usual. Even just walking around without any particular destination, browsing around and people-watching are amazing. Did I do the right things coming up here? I don’t know – I’d rather have been here with friends. But even without, pretty cool!