It has been storming off and on for the last week.  We have seen it all… huge light fluffly flakes, slushy wet flakes, sleet blowing sideways and rain.  Luckily the storm ended with the light and fluffly snow we all love to ski.  This weekend was packed.  I heard multiple reports from friends from the bay area taking 6 to 7 hours to drive up with spin outs and stops over the summit.  The parking lot and the lifts were packed Saturday morning, everyone ready for their piece of powder.   It was definitely a day to ski with friends as the lines were long so you might as well catch up and the snow was sliding so gdod to be with a buddy.  The ski patrol worked hard and got mostly everything open by the end of the day.  Sunday was much less crowded on the slopes but the crowds were still big.  It was a cold storm day so there were a lot of hot chocolate breaks happening.  The skiing was still great but not as good as Saturday.

After a great weekend, many happy visitors hopped in their cars for the drive back down the hill.  Around 4:30pm the line of cars from Truckee was just about to the Squaw stoplight.  My sister and family tried to leave around 7pm and Highway 80 was closed.  A lot of folks were stuck up here for the night.  Speaking of being stuck, I was returning home around 8pm last night and could not make it to my house.  There were pile ups of cars on both access roads stuck, smashed into each other and in the ditches.  Crazy part was both pile ups included tow trucks who had been trying to help and joined in the mess.  I parked at a neighbors house and walked.

Then comes Monday, ahhhhh!  Headwall opened after a week of closure  (i think).  It was almost 2 feet in some places of light fluffy powder.  The skies were bright blue, the parking lot full, the lines managable, everyone smiling, it was a good morning.  What a little piece of paradise we have here in the Sierras.

Today was the blue bird powder day we have been waiting for all season.  After two days of storms and lower mountain skiing, the sun came out this morning gloriously shining on Squaw Valley and the untouched powder of the upper mountain.  Everyone and their brother and sister and all their friends were on the mountain today.  The cars were a steady stream into the valley making the drive time from Tahoe City and Truckee 45 minutes and 1 hour respectively.  By 11am the cars were parked down the main road to Eric Rd. (unforntunately many of those cars had parking tickets in their windshields).

And now for the ski report, it was about quality not quantity.  I only had a short window of time this morning and planned to get a few great runs.  As I got to the locker room, about 8:50am, KT and Red Dog were already loading and the Funitel line was longer than I have ever seen it.  First run I headed for the skier packed powder on Chute 75.  Nice and smooth, the snow was fabulous and the run empty.  Next to the Funitel as the line had returned to normal, which broght me up the mountain for Siberia and the Reverse Traverse.  Headwall had a late opening for the lif but the skiing was ready.  I skied Sun Bowl and then the Horse Trails.  The Sun Bowl was wind impacted but great after the first 10 turns, and Horse Trails was great.  In fact I enjoyed it so much I went for another round and could still find untracked turns.

The crowds kept pouring in and I headed home about 11am to start my work day.  I actually had a busy afternoon which included showing property.  It is going to be a busy weekend.

So Squaw has been making snow on the Dog Leg of Red Dog amongst other places. They called the conditions soft and fresh. We had to go check it out and actually it was fresh man made snow and surprising soft and chalky, with the exception of the few slick spots. After our few fast warm up groomers on the Squaw Creek run, we did the Dog Leg three times. The moguls speckled with willow branches were more fun than expected. Around 11am we had enough and decided to go check out the new and improved Wild Flour Bakery for a cookie and latte break. They have probabaly tripled their space and the cookies were as tasty as ever. With warmed bellies we gathered the kids from their ski teams and did a few family runs. Regardless of the lack of snow, the fresh mountain air, sunshine and exercise made for a great morning.