2008 Woodie Awards
Let it snow
California mountains bombarded with fresh powder
Alexander Hand
Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: Travel
What began as yet another disappointing snow season on the west coast has taken a slight turn for the better over the last month.
By slight, I only mean over ten feet of new snow that has buried most of California's resorts beginning in early January. It all started over the holiday season, when ski resorts were struggling to cover their trails with the small amount of manmade snow they had to work with, in order to accommodate the holiday crowds.
Now it has turned into something entirely different. "We went from scavenging snow all over the mountain to get the coverage we needed-to having to push the snow off the trails and chairlifts so that the mountain could operate," said Jim Larmore, Snow Surfaces Director at Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA. The inconceivable part is that a great majority of this snow fell over the month of Jan. In fact, meteorologists are reporting a 2008 record snowfall for the month of January.
According to "onthesnow.com," the biggest current base depth is reported at 165" at Squaw Valley, USA. No, that was not a typo-165 inches of snow-which is close to 14 ft. That much snow gives the term "freshies" a whole new meaning.
Other mountains in the area report similar data, ranging anywhere from 78" on Sierra at Tahoe to 140" at Mammoth Mountain. Then there is the local favorite, Bear Mountain, which currently reports a base depth of 36-48". Still not bad considering that you could hit up Bear in the morning and go surfing in the afternoon.
So what should all this mean to you? It means grab a few friends, pick up a pair of snow chains and take a road trip of a lifetime. If you are just planning a day trip, Bear Mountain might be the way to go. But you should know that taking a weekend to head up to Mammoth or Tahoe is well worth it. When asked to describe the current conditions in Lake Tahoe, Larmore said, "this is the best skiing we've had in a number of years." Just how many years that was, well, Larmore said it was reminiscent to "back in the 80s." To put it more simply, this might be one of the biggest ski seasons any of us have experienced in a lifetime.
By slight, I only mean over ten feet of new snow that has buried most of California's resorts beginning in early January. It all started over the holiday season, when ski resorts were struggling to cover their trails with the small amount of manmade snow they had to work with, in order to accommodate the holiday crowds.
Now it has turned into something entirely different. "We went from scavenging snow all over the mountain to get the coverage we needed-to having to push the snow off the trails and chairlifts so that the mountain could operate," said Jim Larmore, Snow Surfaces Director at Heavenly Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA. The inconceivable part is that a great majority of this snow fell over the month of Jan. In fact, meteorologists are reporting a 2008 record snowfall for the month of January.
According to "onthesnow.com," the biggest current base depth is reported at 165" at Squaw Valley, USA. No, that was not a typo-165 inches of snow-which is close to 14 ft. That much snow gives the term "freshies" a whole new meaning.
Other mountains in the area report similar data, ranging anywhere from 78" on Sierra at Tahoe to 140" at Mammoth Mountain. Then there is the local favorite, Bear Mountain, which currently reports a base depth of 36-48". Still not bad considering that you could hit up Bear in the morning and go surfing in the afternoon.
So what should all this mean to you? It means grab a few friends, pick up a pair of snow chains and take a road trip of a lifetime. If you are just planning a day trip, Bear Mountain might be the way to go. But you should know that taking a weekend to head up to Mammoth or Tahoe is well worth it. When asked to describe the current conditions in Lake Tahoe, Larmore said, "this is the best skiing we've had in a number of years." Just how many years that was, well, Larmore said it was reminiscent to "back in the 80s." To put it more simply, this might be one of the biggest ski seasons any of us have experienced in a lifetime.
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