Don't need no Stinkin Lift !

[jjue]

Most of the ski areas around here are closed ... in fact the only ski area open on weekdays is Squaw which is charging an exorbitant 82 dollar lift price for late season .. but if you are skiboarder with touring bindings and skins you don't need no stinkin lifts! magic storm with 1 1/2 foot of snow over the last couple of days . clearing this am ! finding a parking spot was the big challenge . my usual backcountry snow parks were still way under snow and not yet plowed this am ... finally found a nice general store guy who let me park in his store parking lot that had been plowed.
took a little walk to a bridge over this stream with all the nice new snow and bright blue sky ..
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1295.jpg

then over to this tiny ski area with two lifts .. ski area has been closed for weeks but tons of new snow make this a magic place
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1291.jpg

skins and touring binding on and up the hill I go .. this is my 2nd time up . so I have my nice skin track to follow ... actually I enjoyed breaking trail up the hill , Condors great for breaking trail in deep snow and you couldn't ask for better weather and nicer soft fresh snow .
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1293.jpg

Nice view from the top , Castle peak across the way .. empty chairs ..
no chair lift for me !

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1292.jpg

Sweet turns going down !

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1294.jpg

[sempai]

Jack, you are living the dream! :)

[slow]

Awesome Jack. Keep teasing us with more photos of your late season adventures.

[valmorel]

You out there on your own again? Make sure you only go to areas with cell cover and watch for those bear tracks!

[jjue]

You out there on your own again? Make sure you only go to areas with cell cover and watch for those bear tracks!

Speaking of bears... I told Val about a weekend trip a few weeks ago when my buddy Bill, and I saw what we thought were fresh snowshoe tracks deep in the wildnerness , we looked carefully however and the snowshoer had no poles and he must have been a huge snowshower seeing how deep the post holes of his feet went down in the snow .. suddenly we realized that that was most assurdly not snowshoe tracks but the tracks of a very large bear who must have awoke from his winter hibernation being quite hungry ... not wanting to be his breakfast we headed quickly the other way !

speaking of solo backcountry adventures and cell phones here is an interesting news item from a couple of months ago of a guy saving himself with his cellphone after being caught in an avalanche !

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22704435/detail.html

speaking of backcountry risks ,of control of risks , of technology and common sense , here is a nice recent piece by Dick Dorworth .. famous extreme skier, now entering his 8th decade of life and still passsionate about backcountry skiing ....

http://www.mountaingazette.com/exclusive/features/of_troglodytes_and_technology/

[pinkkid]

sp pretty all that fresh white fluffy stuff!!!! Just curious... when a resort is closed, and you go ahead and use the area for skiboarding... can you get in trouble for trespassing or anything??
...and best not to be by yourself Jack, you should no better!

[jjue]

sp pretty all that fresh white fluffy stuff!!!! Just curious... when a resort is closed, and you go ahead and use the area for skiboarding... can you get in trouble for trespassing or anything??


Really depends on the ski area ... certain ski areas own the land and thus you can be cited for trespassing on private property ( if there happens to be anybody there) .. ... other ski areas are on national forest service leased land and when the ski season is over the land is open to hiking to the general public . some ski areas allow backcountry skiers to climb through their ski area during the season as well as long as they stay to the side of the ski runs. and do not interfere with skiers coming down . ...

[jjue]

...and best not to be by yourself Jack, you should no better!

I most enjoy backcountry skiboarding with my buddies and agree that is safer , but I would rather backcountry skiboard by myself if the alternative is not heading out at all if i cannot round up a partner.

here are some interesting blog pieces by guys who do solo backcountry skiing as to risks , benefits and why they do it . ...

http://dolomitesport.com/2010/03/backcountry-skiing-alone/

http://dittli.wordpress.com/2010/03/18/dangers-of-backcountry-skiing/

[pinkkid]

I can understand that take on it, it make some sense and is avalid 'reason' to go ahead and ski with or without someone.... hey, when it's our time to go... it's our time no matter what! Life is just that way.

Thanks for the 'trepasssing' info too... need to know your resort/area for sure!

[MitchK]

Jjue, after this past weekend I have a greater respect for hiking for your lines. Bootpacked up Mt. Seymour on Saturday to session the post-season terrain park there, and my legs still feel it today.

But it's so worth it. That was one of the best days out on the mountain this year.

[jjue]

Ok , Donner ski ranch closed on Memorial Day , squaw closed Sunday . no more lift serve in the Tahoe area ... so what is a guy to do ?????
Don't need no stinkin lifts !!!!
Unlike some of my backcountry buddies ... I love ski areas especially after they are closed !
Stormy day today , some light rain , , but the rain is just perfect to soften the ski area groomed slopes . . ski area grooming during the season causes a glacier effect so that snow lasts much longer then on the surrounding natural slopes. if you have a nice north facing ski area that sees a lot of skier traffice and grooming , you are set up for many weeks after the ski area closes. This particular ski area closed 3 wks ago but the slopes are still in great shape .. you can park very close to the lifts , there is a barrier across the road and this sign where you park ..
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1464.jpg

Here I am at the bottom of the main summit lift . still plenty of snow .
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1458.jpg


slap some skins on my Condor and snap into my skiboard touring bindings and I am ready to climb ... no lifts necessary , nobody here !
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1459.jpg


Climbing is fast up the groomed slopes nice rain softened few inches of snow over very firm base ..

put on crampons for the final tricky section up the steeper upper section of the main summit bowl ...
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1460.jpg

total whiteout at the top , so no pictures , i could hardly see my hand in front of my face and descent was all by feel the first part .. lucky i have complete trust in my Condors navigating by feel down the steep upper section of the bowl ..

middle of the descent I can finally see .. snow is very nice and fast , rain softened surface over ice all the way to the bottom 1500 vertical up and down , Sweet !! ( carry short ice ax pole in one hand , case i fall in the white out to self arrest myself sliding downhill )

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l88/jjue/IMG_1461.jpg

[pinkkid]

you crack me up Jack!!!!! It feels like summer big time now though... but your pictures have cooled me down, refreshing!