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Skiing, puking, and skiing in Tahoe

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,673
14,076
In a van.... down by the river
<snip>
On a side note:
Snowbird is a crazy place and everyone should go at least once. When they get a snowstorm they fire these huge artilery canons into the mountain in the morning to control avalanche risks. It's nuts to hear this loud boom and then a whistle of the shell flying over your condo hitting the mountain!!!!! Ski patrol also carrys bags of dynamite with depth charges and blows them up to start slides so that skiers don't. Ski patrol is a serious job out there.
Actually pretty much every resort out west does this. Cannons and hand charges are required to control all the mountains... avalanches are just a way of life out here. :D
 
Actually pretty much every resort out west does this. Cannons and hand charges are required to control all the mountains... avalanches are just a way of life out here. :D
None of the resorts in Tahoe have done it when I have been there, and I've been in some big dumps there. I guess the "sierra cement" doesn't slide much because of how wet the snow is. I would guess that Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho have to do avalanche control because of how light the snow is. Snowbird was just my first experience with the cannons and dynamite. Thirty years on skis and twenty years on a snowboard and my first time out west was 2005 so...... take it from me you guys don't realize how lucky you are.
 
Yes they did

Either your standard of big dump is off or you got up late.


......or you went to northstar


Luck has nothing to do with it. I sold everything that didn't fit in the back of my tacoma and drove out here with savings.:D
Like I said, I have never heard them do avalanche control, but I don't live there so i'm no expert on the subject. I'm sure my standard of big dump is off as i live in the East:think: 3 inches here and we call in sick to have a "powder day".

I was at Sierra at Tahoe during a storm that dropped 3 feet and I considered that a dump. Northstar after 2 feet, again considered it a big dump - if we got 2 feet here we would sh!t ourselves!!!!! Also at Heavenly after 2 feet of fresh and considered it a big powder day!! Never heard any cannons or charges, but maybe they were not obvious like it was at Snowbird.

Loading up your truck and heading out there with not much sure took guts. I think I would have done the same if not for having all my family here. Where did you move from? I don't know how you afford housing there, my fiance is from truckee and we talked about moving back but to get into a similar house that we have here is outta the question. Even townhomes were $800,000.
 

matt12

Monkey
Aug 17, 2004
512
0
Napa, CA
I was at Sierra at Tahoe during a storm that dropped 3 feet and I considered that a dump. Northstar after 2 feet, again considered it a big dump - if we got 2 feet here we would sh!t ourselves!!!!! Also at Heavenly after 2 feet of fresh and considered it a big powder day!! Never heard any cannons or charges, but maybe they were not obvious like it was at Snowbird.

Loading up your truck and heading out there with not much sure took guts. I think I would have done the same if not for having all my family here. Where did you move from? I don't know how you afford housing there, my fiance is from truckee and we talked about moving back but to get into a similar house that we have here is outta the question. Even townhomes were $800,000.
Just speculation here, but both Northstar and Sierra are relatively flat mountains... If you were at them, I wouldn't expect to hear them blasting. I can't really think of any areas that would even slide at either of those two places.

If you skiied at Alpine, though, they do avalanche control, but I believe earlier in the morning. Right before you hop on the chair you will notice a sign that says, "If you see explosives picture of them here don't pick them up!"

My guess is kidwoo probably moved out to Tahoe when housing was much cheaper. Even a few years ago would have made a reasonable difference. My grandma bought her house in 1990 and its about tripled or so in value since....
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Like I said, I have never heard them do avalanche control, but I don't live there so i'm no expert on the subject. I'm sure my standard of big dump is off as i live in the East:think: 3 inches here and we call in sick to have a "powder day".

I was at Sierra at Tahoe during a storm that dropped 3 feet and I considered that a dump. Northstar after 2 feet, again considered it a big dump - if we got 2 feet here we would sh!t ourselves!!!!! Also at Heavenly after 2 feet of fresh and considered it a big powder day!! Never heard any cannons or charges, but maybe they were not obvious like it was at Snowbird.

Loading up your truck and heading out there with not much sure took guts. I think I would have done the same if not for having all my family here. Where did you move from? I don't know how you afford housing there, my fiance is from truckee and we talked about moving back but to get into a similar house that we have here is outta the question. Even townhomes were $800,000.
Sierra only has one area that's not a mellow glade. They just opened it two years ago and and they do drop charges on it every storm. For the most part it's just like northstar........too flat to slide. I live in kings beach and I can hear the charges from squaw and alpine at my house every snow day. I promise if you go to squaw, sugarbowl, rose, alpine, or kirkwood on a snow day, it's impossible NOT to hear (and usually see) them. Even homewood bombs an area called quail face. The two areas at heavenly are mott canyon and killebrew and they're so far away from the bottom of the hill and tucked on a different aspect, I could see why you'd never hear them bombing. The coolest is to be at alpine on a big day and see them use the freakin howitzer they have mounted on a little rise right by the roundhouse lift. I've only seen them use it once or twice in the 6 years I've been here.

You should have seen the crowns (remaining top of avalanche slabs) at kirkwood on sunday. They were blasting untill about noon. But yeah it's a lot more common at the places I listed.

Yeah it's expensive as hell here though for housing. I just moved in with a girlfriend who makes a little more than I do and we can afford a mortgage together. Truckee has gotten out of hand the last few years. Development around the lake is somewhat curbed due to available property but Truckee has turned into a free for all for developers. Kind of sad. I was only planning on living here (from florida btw) a year and then moving up to the PNW.......but then I found a real job:D
 

amydalayna

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
1,507
0
south lake tahoe, ca
Just speculation here, but both Northstar and Sierra are relatively flat mountains... If you were at them, I wouldn't expect to hear them blasting. I can't really think of any areas that would even slide at either of those two places.
sierra has gated side country stuff they blast. and last year someone got stuck in a small slide there.

heavenly blasts alot at mott/killebrew/milky way, but also on the california side at avalanche bowl (and other parts on really big days). love to wake up to the sound of blasting.

housing is expensive.... but still doable in south lake. but lots of people poo poo on how trashy the south shore is.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
sierra has gated side country stuff they blast. and last year someone got stuck in a small slide there.

heavenly blasts alot at mott/killebrew/milky way, but also on the california side at avalanche bowl (and other parts on really big days). love to wake up to the sound of blasting.

housing is expensive.... but still doable in south lake. but lots of people poo poo on how trashy the south shore is.
Hey I got your message but deleted it like dumbass before I wrote down your number. I had to work on saturday anyway. Hopefully you got out sunday. It was pretty good.
 
Sierra only has one area that's not a mellow glade. They just opened it two years ago and and they do drop charges on it every storm. For the most part it's just like northstar........too flat to slide. I live in kings beach and I can hear the charges from squaw and alpine at my house every snow day. I promise if you go to squaw, sugarbowl, rose, alpine, or kirkwood on a snow day, it's impossible NOT to hear (and usually see) them. Even homewood bombs an area called quail face. The two areas at heavenly are mott canyon and killebrew and they're so far away from the bottom of the hill and tucked on a different aspect, I could see why you'd never hear them bombing. The coolest is to be at alpine on a big day and see them use the freakin howitzer they have mounted on a little rise right by the roundhouse lift. I've only seen them use it once or twice in the 6 years I've been here.

You should have seen the crowns (remaining top of avalanche slabs) at kirkwood on sunday. They were blasting untill about noon. But yeah it's a lot more common at the places I listed.

Yeah it's expensive as hell here though for housing. I just moved in with a girlfriend who makes a little more than I do and we can afford a mortgage together. Truckee has gotten out of hand the last few years. Development around the lake is somewhat curbed due to available property but Truckee has turned into a free for all for developers. Kind of sad. I was only planning on living here (from florida btw) a year and then moving up to the PNW.......but then I found a real job:D
Yeah, both days I was at alpine and squaw were sunny and many days after a storm. I could see them needing to blast both of those mountains and Mott canyon at heavenly too. Kings Beach is a great spot, it's got a quaint feel to it and you are close to everything on the North side.

Damm, Florida - what a change. I lived in Sarasota, Tampa, Jax, and went ot school at UF in sunny Florida. Was glad to get out and closer to the mtns.

Is Northstar going to open their bike park this summer????
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Damm, Florida - what a change. I lived in Sarasota, Tampa, Jax, and went ot school at UF in sunny Florida. Was glad to get out and closer to the mtns.

Is Northstar going to open their bike park this summer????
Haha.....I grew up in jacksonville. I went to episcopal HS, ga tech for two years then transferred to UF to finish my bachelor's and part of a masters. I left gainesville in 2000 to move out here. Ride the powerlines much? I did:D But yeah "a big change" was what I was after when I moved out here. Multiple ski trips per year gets expensive.

Gotta wonder if we crossed paths somewhere.

Northstar's stated intention is to open the bike park this year.
 

amydalayna

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
1,507
0
south lake tahoe, ca
Hey I got your message but deleted it like dumbass before I wrote down your number. I had to work on saturday anyway. Hopefully you got out sunday. It was pretty good.
i just thought that you thought you were too cool to hang out w/ me.
are you riding this weekend? being blacked out we are heading out to carson pass.

sunday i thought kwood was going to be a disaster of people. we just lapped north bowl trees at the heave. it was fun.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/akadelski/100B0385med.jpg
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator



That looks about right.


I was going to call you saturday night and see if you were going back out but I'd delted your message. But yeah I was down by auburn working in the mud and rain all day.


Sanjuro is the only person I'm too cool to hang out with
 

douglas

Chocolate Milk Doug
May 15, 2002
9,887
6
Shut up and Ride
None of the resorts in Tahoe have done it when I have been there, and I've been in some big dumps there. I guess the "sierra cement" doesn't slide much because of how wet the snow is. I would guess that Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho have to do avalanche control because of how light the snow is. Snowbird was just my first experience with the cannons and dynamite. Thirty years on skis and twenty years on a snowboard and my first time out west was 2005 so...... take it from me you guys don't realize how lucky you are.
Breck was doing it while we were skiing (2 weeks ago)
 

amydalayna

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
1,507
0
south lake tahoe, ca
Glove rock is out/above palisades? Not sure where you're talking about. Everything within the gates opened......although late in the day.
rock that looks like a glove. wish i had a better picture of it... but this is it:


gotta hike to it. gate is above palisades. not sure if they've opened it up.

fun fun fun.
 

amydalayna

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
1,507
0
south lake tahoe, ca
LOL - is that the same jacket Rachel is wearing??
You have to tell Rachel that EMS is the awesome! Don't see it that much out here.... being a New England company and all. I even have the matching pants. Her and I need to hang out. We'd look like a team.

plake's volcanic rake rules. i shall now call glove rock that. thank you.
 
You have to tell Rachel that EMS is the awesome! Don't see it that much out here.... being a New England company and all. I even have the matching pants. Her and I need to hang out. We'd look like a team.

plake's volcanic rake rules. i shall now call glove rock that. thank you.
We walked into EMS in Manchester, VT and that $275 jacket was on sale for $75!! She snatched it right up but they didn't have the matching pants in her size!

TOO FUNNY!
 

amydalayna

Turbo Monkey
Aug 16, 2005
1,507
0
south lake tahoe, ca
We walked into EMS in Manchester, VT and that $275 jacket was on sale for $75!! She snatched it right up but they didn't have the matching pants in her size!

TOO FUNNY!
bummer. i had to pay $90. but it's a total steal at $90.

if you guys come back to tahoe we'll have to all hang out in our EMS gear. and i hope if you come back there are better conditions awaiting your return.....
 
Haha.....I grew up in jacksonville. I went to episcopal HS, ga tech for two years then transferred to UF to finish my bachelor's and part of a masters. I left gainesville in 2000 to move out here. Ride the powerlines much? I did:D But yeah "a big change" was what I was after when I moved out here. Multiple ski trips per year gets expensive.

Gotta wonder if we crossed paths somewhere.

Northstar's stated intention is to open the bike park this year.
Hell yeah I rode the powerlines! Ever meet Arthur and Shalom at Gator Cycle? There were a couple riding places in Ocala too and then one in Brooksville, but I can't remember the names. I left UF in 1996 and was in Jax until 2000 when I moved to North Carolina.

I know what you mean about ski trips from Florida - my spring breaks were always extended an extra week at UF as I would get in the car and drive to Burlington VT to stay with friends and snowboard

I guess Tahoe has better mtb riding then Hanna Park:thumb:

I'm sure we crossed paths somewhere. Did you surf at all. I spent lots of time at jax pier area, the poles, and would make the trek down to ponce inlet, New Smyrna, and once in a while sebastian inlet.

Anyway, I'll hollar at you next time I come out to tahoe. We stayed in Kings Beach once at Ferrari's Crown resort - it wasn't the ritz but the price was right.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Hell yeah I rode the powerlines! Ever meet Arthur and Shalom at Gator Cycle? There were a couple riding places in Ocala too and then one in Brooksville, but I can't remember the names. I left UF in 1996 and was in Jax until 2000 when I moved to North Carolina.

I know what you mean about ski trips from Florida - my spring breaks were always extended an extra week at UF as I would get in the car and drive to Burlington VT to stay with friends and snowboard

I guess Tahoe has better mtb riding then Hanna Park:thumb:

I'm sure we crossed paths somewhere. Did you surf at all. I spent lots of time at jax pier area, the poles, and would make the trek down to ponce inlet, New Smyrna, and once in a while sebastian inlet.

Anyway, I'll hollar at you next time I come out to tahoe. We stayed in Kings Beach once at Ferrari's Crown resort - it wasn't the ritz but the price was right.
woo facts

1. Rode santos a lot (ocala) the freeride park there now is sweet
2. rode at night in gainesville with brian pat and peter (perhaps you've heard of the tues/thurs night ride posse)
3. would do dawn patrols at the poles while living in gainesville and still make my first class
5. surfed the pier at high tide/poles at low tide almost religiously
4. Worked at chain reaction cycles in g'ville
5. lived out of my truck for 2 weeks riding pisgah every day on my way to tahoe

It would almost be wierd if we hadn't spoken to each other at some point:D

But yeah, get in touch next time you're out.
 

I Are Baboon

Vagina man
Aug 6, 2001
32,731
10,632
MTB New England
We need to get this thread back on topic, I want to hear more about Baboons vomit.

:picsstfu:
It consisted primarily of the pancakes and bacon I had eaten that morning at the Firesign Cafe. Sorry, no pics of the vomit bag. I threw it out before MBC had a chance to see the damage.

BTW, don't order the tall stack of pancakes from that place. You won't finish them.
 
woo facts

1. Rode santos a lot (ocala) the freeride park there now is sweet
2. rode at night in gainesville with brian pat and peter (perhaps you've heard of the tues/thurs night ride posse)
3. would do dawn patrols at the poles while living in gainesville and still make my first class
5. surfed the pier at high tide/poles at low tide almost religiously
4. Worked at chain reaction cycles in g'ville
5. lived out of my truck for 2 weeks riding pisgah every day on my way to tahoe

It would almost be wierd if we hadn't spoken to each other at some point:D

But yeah, get in touch next time you're out.
Santos is where the shore stuff is right? That place rocks now! I'm sure we have crossed paths somehow between all that.

My soon to be wife and I fly back to see her folks at christmas every year. They don't live in Truckee anymore, but moved to San Jose. The day after Christmas we come to Tahoe along with half of California for the week so I'll drop you a line.