Whiskey Tahoe

3.10.2011

Booklets, windows and glory spines

The day started blue, but we had a idea our morning would look like this. A big stick brings Dave Basterrechea to an instant stop.

We punched the trail, but the weather didn't want to cooperate.

We took the shortcut back and admired some pillows.

I took an even shorter short cut, almost made it.

More sun and cloud forecasted, the morning cracked blue again.

A couple steep treeline climbs got us in.

More of a late light zone, but still epic in the morning shade.

lines

the fog bank looked sick with the illumination from the sun.

The Daves, already into sun and cloud window shop mode.

Dave B instructed me to ride the sunny rib line, i listened.

Dave B drops into a spine on the other side.

The ridgeline is pretty corniced out, so it required some careful moves to find the entrances. I was pretty happy to see this flake.

Same line from the bottom, a couple fun airs in there.

Mack the Knife. Dave B shredded this line last year, he warned me it would be rocky.

It was catching a bit of light, and looked like a fun toeside shred.

token snowboard drop in photo

It was rocky, a couple feet of sugary snow on it, that peeled to rock with each turn. I was a bit gripped.

Meanwhile across the valley, Dan Treadway and Seth Morrison were about to session some lines nearby with a heli. They had already buzzed us with the heli earlier in the day, so we had a feeling we would see them again.

Dan shreds a fun one

We decided to sled over to say hello, and possibly shred the left overs. The snow was deep, and was a bit of a effort to make it to this spot. Seth and Dan packed up and we instantly started breaking trail and hiked the ridge. Little Bro Dave, stoked!

The leftovers were blowing my mind.

i dropped into the middle spine

The snow was deep, and made some noise as it slid off the cliff

It skinnys up in the middle, but flows the whole way.

good times spine exit party

Dave Treadway opts for the super skinny skiers left spine

more Dave

Dave Treadway looking for his glove

3.09.2011

100 percent chance of Sun or cloud.

It is often hard to get a sunny day in march, around here. If the forecast says sun and cloud, you will more than likely be window shopping. If you get a couple windows, then it is worth your time.

Sun, cloud and snow!.. It was deep out there, and for a well beaten zone, I was surprised to be trail-breaking.

The main face has some nice lines on it , but gets exhausted quick after a few shreds hit it. The lookers left section of the face, rarely gets hit, as it is protected by a good sized cornice. I am always drawn to this side of the face, but the cornice makes it really difficult to access. I could see from a distance there was what looked like a access point with a reference rock on the ridge. I tiptoed out there, and there was a tiny (about one foot) slot that accessed the face along the rock, with a sneaky entrance under the barrel of the cornice. I got my shovel out, and dug my way in for about a hour or so, filling in the deep hole along the rock edge. I carved a wide entrance, so i could slither under the cornice with ease. I hung out up there for a while, waiting for the light to unflatten. It finally got to the point where it was good enough, so i had to man up and ride under the wave.

It was a short, steep bubbly spine world, that was worth the wait and effort. I quickly went back for another lap after this one. Jon, Mie and Delaney decided to join me on the next one, as the door was now opened.