Alpine Meadows
Saturday 11 December 1999

Weather

A perfect day, with clear blue skies but with the temperature remaining low enough for the snow to stay in good condition.

Conditions

Early season conditions, with thin coverage. Thanks to extensive snow making and just under a foot of fresh snow two days earlier, there was a great variety of skiing.

The Story of the Day

I really didn't know what to expect. On the one hand, a storm passed through the Bay Area and onto the Sierras two days before leaving a foot or so of new snow; on the other hand, the snow depth was well below average. The result was really good conditions but with thin cover and plenty of rocks in evidence. The lifts were advertised as running from 9am, but in fact started up at 8:30.	Views from the base at the beginning of the day
Snow making Snow making / The top of Kangaroo	I started the day with a couple of warm-up runs down the groomed runs from Roundhouse Chair. As usual, the grooming was excellent, although the snow wasn't deep enough to provide a level surface. The temperature was still low enough for snow making.
I really didn't mean to head up to the Summit when as I did. I could see that the runs were not groomed and it was obviously very windy. But after my second run, I found myself at the wrong lift by mistake, so earlier than planned it was up the Summit-Six. Conditions at the Summit were pretty unpleasant. There was a strong wind and lots of snow blowing. There were lots of rocks showing through *Alpine Bowl* and the only really usable track down was well over towards Alpine Bowl lift. At the top the surface was wind-groomed; lower down there were patches of powder before the groomed area starting in *Rock Garden*. There had clearly been no grooming this season, so the blue rating was just a little misleading.	The sun shining on the snow from the snow guns Thin cover on Waterfall High winds at the top of Wolverine Bowl Magnificent views of Lake Tahoe from the top of Summit Chair Lots of rocks in Alpine Bowl
The top of Roundhouse Chair	I went back to Roundhouse Chair and another run that had not been groomed. *Blue* *Trail, normally groomed and quite a tough intermediate run, was heavily mogulled and rocky in places. On the next run, I tried Yellow Trail*, normally a mogul run. It clearly had not been extensively skiied and apart from a few rocks was in great condition, with fresh soft snow.
The base area and the bottom of Weasel Snow making on Weasel	Sun shining through the snow from the snow guns on Weasel
Scott Chair was open for the first time this season, but with a limited number of runs. *Scott Meadow* was untracked powder, 6-9" deep, but very difficult to ski because of rocks just under the surface *Scott Ridge* was groomed, but with active snow-making that made skiing unpleasant in several places	Alpine Bowl from the top of Scott Chair Views from Scott Chair
Views around the base area at coffee time
Tree run parallel to D8 Views from the base area after I finished skiing	After a short stop for coffee, I took one run off Roundhouse, down *Banana Chute* and then spent the remainder of the morning skiing from the Summit, where conditions were a little more pleasant than earlier. I started on D8, which was in pretty bad condition, with many bare patches. After a couple of turns, I cut off into the trees where the snow was in much better condition. For the next run, I cut into the trees even higher. I then traversed across into *Wolverine Bowl. Again, it was possible to find a line to ski, with care to avoid rocks For all three runs, I cut straight across Blue Trail and skied down the ungroomed Sympathy Face* and finished off down *Banana Chute.* By this time, my legs were getting very tired, so I decided on one more run. This time I returned to *Alpine Bowl* and finished the day on *Ladies Slalom* which was pretty much like Yellow.
	There was still plenty going on as I returned to my car.
I arrived in Tahoe City just after 1pm and my hotel room wasn't ready. This gave me the opportunity for a rare walk along the water's edge, where the fresh snow met the lake.
	My usual hotel, the Peppertree was full, so this time round I tried the Travelodge, which worked out very well.

Vertical (feet)

15439

Runs

Lift	Vertical	Easy Runs	Intermediate Runs	Advanced Runs
Roundhouse	980		Red Trail, Red Ridge, Rock Garden
Roundhouse	980		Rock Garden, Red-Green
Summit	1555		Rock Garden, Red Ridge, Red Trail, Alpine Bowl
Roundhouse	980		Blue Trail
Roundhouse	980	Tiegel	Yellow, Rock Garden
Hot Wheels	658		Weasel
Scott	1053		Winter Road, Scott Meadow, Weasel
Scott	1053	Tiegel	Scott Ridge, Weasel
Break
Roundhouse	980		Red-Green, Banana Chute, Rock Garden
Summit	1555		Green, Banana Chute	D8, North Peril
Summit	1555		Green	D8, Sympathy Face, North Peril
Summit	1555		Banana Chute, Green	Wolverine Bowl, Sympathy Face
Summit	1555	Tiegel	Rock Garden, Red Ridge, Ladies Slalom, Alpine Bowl
Total vertical	15439