 Poster: A snowHead
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We are here in California to visit a Mr P's son who is instructing at Squaw. We've rented a lovely house in Tahoe City in the trees near the lake. Sadly it has not snowed since 30th December... (Yes really). Yesterday was our first day. Strictly piste skiing only. The off piste is either completely bare, the odd patch of snow between rocks and bushes or icy moguls. The pistes were mostly hard and icy in the shade, rocky in places and very mushy in the sun, even up the mountain -zero degrees was well above the top of the hill. It was the warmest day of the season according to L. We sat outside at lunchtime and fried. One of our party has already had to go to the medical centre having hit a rock and busted his thumb. Large flat rocks are becoming exposed by the retreating snow,but the piste patrol are not marking them. Yesterday I skied off a small bump, only to see one huge exposed dome of rock in front of me, and had to take evasive action. I wasn't going slowly, but it seems highly dangerous that such obstacles are unmarked on the slopes.
We will try and make the best of it, but we are here for 10 days, with no snow on the horizon. I can see how great this place would be with snow,but the famed 11m average seems at best wishfull thinking, and at worst, just dishonest. The last 3 years are said to have been pretty much the same. All quite frustrating. I keep looking at European webcams and forecasts....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Perty, sorry to hear that. In those conditions I think I'd dump my skis entirely and go walking. Did that today, actually, and had a 3 hour walk in gently falling snow. Visibility on the pistes was not good - very flat light - and a walk was great.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Perty, sorry to hear that. In those conditions I think I'd dump my skis entirely and go walking. Did that today, actually, and had a 3 hour walk in gently falling snow. Visibility on the pistes was not good - very flat light - and a walk was great.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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california has been in drought mode for so long you do have to wonder if this is a blip or a longer term change. friends of mine are in whistler this week and the freezing point today is way up the mountain with no material snow there for a good while also. as Bones said i would ditch the skiing and enjoy the City for what it is. you could also do some day trips elsewhere e.g. Sacramento (capital of CA).
i know this isn't why you are there but a lot of skiers in France had to do similar pre christmas.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Skied today on dead quiet pistes, and things were really quite enjoyable for the morning. It was good to have the mountain to ourselves. Our friend with the broken thumb did manage to ski today too. We had a nice lunch and called it a day.
We're just back from a walk in the woods above the lake. I have returned with a collection of enormous pine cones from various tree species. Bath, snooze, hot tub sesh and dinner out tonight!
So...we are having a nice time and it's good to see L and his girlfriend...which was the other purpose of the trip. But, on the down side, this is a long and expensive way to come for such poor conditions. I'm a bit of a ski obsessive (not that fellow snowheads aren't), and my idea of heaven is skiing all day everyday on any trip, with sightseeing left for non ski holidays. Without the off piste
@chrisJersey, the pisted area probably reduces the skiing to the same size as Zinal or Grimentz...
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Wow, almost went back to Tahoe this year but decided on Japan instead. I thought this was meant to be an El Nino year hence lots of precipitation for that part of the world? Obviously not.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| hd wrote: |
| Wow, almost went back to Tahoe this year but decided on Japan instead. I thought this was meant to be an El Nino year hence lots of precipitation for that part of the world? Obviously not. |
No shortage of precipitation here, problem is it's 5 to 10C to warm 
Not sure if that's the problem in Tahoe also - hope they're getting the precipitation bit at least as they really need it there
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@stuarth, what is whistler like then? know ppl that are going in a few weeks. as bad as the picture that @Perty is painting?
I have had 50/50 luck with tahoe unfortunately. been raining on me in January top to bottom at squaw. Been there after weeks of heavy snow, but warmed up alot int he wee before i got there and then got cold, so all frozen over. And then the worst was so much snow, we could not get to the resorts, and then when they opened, had to leave for work in SF.
@Perty, take a few days and go to napa if its that bad and you are up to it. I think its mustard blooming season soon, quite nice and uncrowded this time of year.
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