President's Corn Days

(Noticed this unfinished report in my drafts. Decided to publish as it is two winters ago..)

It has been a while since we had a good season in Tahoe.  An average season even.  So, needless to say, this has been a very fun season, looking to come up at just about average when they pull the April snow plot.  With the family headed east to visit the old home for a week, I was pretty excited to have a week to play in the snow.  When the snow stopped falling early on in the month, my hopes of a six day run of powder were lost.  Instead I began to set my sights on something a bit different.  I wanted to get out and harvest some mid winter corn.

The Paparazzi were out in force.

With morning views like this, it not hard to see why.

Of course, no one mentioned we were taking the long way in.

Up the moraine.

Fallen Leaf Lake.

After a few texts and phone calls, I made plans to ski with some friends at Kirkwood in the afternoon on Saturday.  That worked out well, as Moment was around with demos, and I got yo try out the Deathwish for a few laps.  Fun ski.  Fast ski.  Responsive ski.  Then, on Sunday, I met with Alex and Court neat Fallen Leaf Lake to make a frontal slog up Tallac.  I had never skied in the basin back country before, so having a view of non frozen lakes was kind of novel.  And the early morning views were stunning.  And the mountains somehow felt bigger than I had thought they would.  Tallac, itself is massive, with plenty of options other than the cross.  Give the current conditions of corn cycle, we opted for something that we figured would be much creamier.

Emerald Bay Chute

Lake Tahoe back drops never get old.

Then the upper ridge comes into view.

Kind of hard to beat this view.

The day warmed quickly.  

The Halls of the Gods and Round Top lining up.

We topped out here, well shy of the summit.  Nacho was happy to pose.

Alex gets ready to drop.

The corn was ripe.

Nice, steep, ripe corn.

Then it was Court's turn to drop.

Hey, technical shells are for winter.  

A man and his dog perched.

About mid way down the snow went from very good to excellent.

This one may have a little tilt to it.  

Tallac delivers.  Spring in winter.

Threading the rock zone.

Starting to look like spring.

It could be worse.

Nacho in Fallen Leaf Lake pose

Even down low was skiing pretty well.

Taking a break before the slog out.

Brian gets out for his first day.

Test run on a a shoulder of Red Lake Peak.

The views aren't bad out here either.

Perfect day for a tour.

Elephant's Back looking well skied.

Brian taking it all in.

Across the valley stands Round Top.

We saw this chute, and decided to boot pack.

Brian working his way across an icy patch.

Then it was time to ski to the car.

Finding more ripeness.

Pole steeze.

Mid basin was feeling epic.

Freshies to the lake.

Going, going...

Gone.

The exit was a slog, but the vistas were pleasant.

Find this creek, and you find the car.

Nice colors.

Ski with court, and sooner or later you'll be scrambling.

More Nacho.

Fort building is in the curriculum as well.  

As is slashing.

All aspects of skiing.

Long open slopes.

A man and his dog.  Again.

Across the street sits Sierra at Tahoe.

Here is a better view, with Kirkwood on the horizon.

One more lap from the top.

Hard not to go when the snow was so good.

Down low, things got pretty saturated though.

More Round Top on the way home.

And another of Elephant's Back.