Author: Disco Cat

That’s right!  It snowed this week, I purchased my Sugar pass, another season is coming.

I’ll be making more of an effort to post regularly this whole season, and I’m also looking for other opinionated Sugar Bowl regulars who would like to write for the site.  Got an opinion on the new Crow’s or Summit chairs?  The inside scoop on what’s going on at the mountain?

We’re unaffiliated with Sugar Bowl (hence the name) and want to hear from you.

– J Snow

I admit it, I was a bit skeptical this storm would amount to much in the end, but Saturday was a bona fide powder day for sure.  A foot out there starting the day, and other than a brief sunshine break, it snowed all day.

About a foot of light blower pow on top of… ice and dirt. It was tons of fun, but a little tricky without much base underneath in a lot of places.

They teased us with Crow’s but didn’t wind up opening it in the end.  Crow’s (and Jerome Hill on Judah side!) are opening Sunday.  I know which one I’m more excited about!

Keep it positive… you got this!

– J Snow

Picked the wrong season to start a ski blog….

Anyway… President’s weekend and ski/skate week.  They happened.  There were kids all over the place but no lift lines to speak of.   Except maybe Nob, haha.  It was sunny and warm.  Its been sunny and warm for two months.

Winter definitely returned to Tahoe today.  It has been so long that I forgot how to use my cold-weather gear.  Sugar had every snow gun in the place running.  Gotta give them credit, the big money making portions of the season are over, but they’re still willing to make as much fake snow as they can as soon as the temperature cooperates.

We actually might have something small on the way this weekend, weather wise!  We could sure use it.  The forecast should stabilize in a day or two, hopefully it isn’t just being a big snow tease.

-J Snow

It seems I’m always apologizing for living in the past.  Between $DAYJOB and a double equipment failure (boot and binding this time!) I wasn’t able to ski over the weekend or Monday.  I’ll try to stop slacking and get a little more on top of letting you know how it is in the now.

On the topic of last weekend’s storm, it wasn’t great, but it turned out a lot better than I thought.  There was snow, rain, snow again, and everything in between.  Sugar claimed 24 inches, which might be a total added over several days at the peak, but realistically, there was about a food of new ski-able snow on top.  Bottomless or super-light, no, but pretty freaking amazing nonetheless.

Friday was closed as the storm came in with super high winds.  Saturday was pretty heavy.  There’s a reason they call it Sierra cement.  I was able to take one run down Lincoln before a bolt sheared off in my boot and ended my day.

Word is that Sunday and Monday were pretty decent.  On Tuesday Sugar re-opened Disney and I was finally able to make it out again.  Still not sure why it was closed, but it was a real treat to get out there and make fresh lift-served turns on a weekday a few days after the storm, that’s for sure.  No Crow’s lift, but — even better, lots of fresh terrain over there and barely anyone skiing it.  Almost like the old days!

Coverage wise it was really amazing what a small amount of snow can do.  All of the troublesome thin spots were gone, and off-piste lines I hadn’t skiied in weeks were do-able again.  There was proper ski-up cave access again.  You could get out to Roller or Sugar Bowl and not worry about picking your way back.  Well, unless you were a snowboarder.

Unfortunately with solid suns in the forecast and the holiday weekend, I don’t think it will last very long.  I’m going to get it while I can!

Finally, I’ve also been slacking on the pictures, but here’ s a taste of what you missed (or not!) on Tuesday:

– John S.

Those pesky work and life obligations kept me off the mountain most of last week, but I was able to make it out for some turns again Friday and for the weekend.

Friday was another warm, follow-the-sun day, like most of January.

Saturday had enough wind to keep the snow nice all day, despite the warm temperatures and sunshine.  There was even a few spots with nice windblown powder-like turns to be had.  Definitely a surprisingly good day.

Sunday was warmer, heavy and buttery.  Even without much in the way of crowds, by the end of the day, coverage at key spots was suffering pretty badly.  It definitely showed what an impressive amount of repair work the grooming crews are doing each night to keep hanging on.

Sugar bowl offered $50 day tickets over the weekend, and it did bring in some crowds, but not enough for any significant lift lines.  The only annoying line was taking the gondola back to the parking lot at the end of the day on Saturday, since the Judah lodge and parking lot are closed.  The whole “snowbound village” is kind of silly at this point, they could just plow the road and run a shuttle for an hour or two at the end of the day.  There’s even an old white school bus just sitting there in gondola parking lot.  To Sugar’s credit, after the first time it happened last Saturday, they have been keeping Disney (and Nob) open until 4:30.

Weather on the way for next weekend… until today, it looked like depressing rain for days, which would really be a disaster for our already iffy coverage.  Today we see a hint it might be trending slightly colder, but that’s still kind of a long shot.  It does look like it will probably rain Friday through the weekend.  Get out there and get it while you can!

-John S.

I must apologize, it has been a while since I’ve posted.  It has been hard to keep my stoke level topped up properly.

As predicted it has been mostly sunny the last few weeks.  A storm looked like it was going to materialize over MLK weekend and then broke up at the last minute.

Judah side lodge has been closed weekdays the past few weeks.  This week Jerome Hill isn’t even spinning, and Crow’s has closed as well.  Coverage over at Crow’s was getting really thin and they did run it mid-week well past the point of reasonable snow, especially at the top.  So yeah, we’re down to Disney and (hard drinkin’) Lincoln, plus access lifts (gondola, Nob, Christmas tree).

Snow wise, well, I admit I was impressed at how well coverage was holding up and how much fun I was having, until the MLK holiday Monday.  The warm temps, crowded slopes and a little bit of rain from the storm-that-wasn’t really took their toll on the mountain.  Coverage at the top of Lakeview on Monday reminded me of last Juneuary, rocks everywhere.

This week, well, let’s say I’m pretty impressed how much better things look after getting some snow pushed back on them.  Without the crowds the snow still lasts nicely all day, softening up in the afternoon sun.

I’ll get some pictures up soon.  For now, I’m going to go out and get my Friday on and make some turns.

– J. Snow

More ice on Friday, but this time with holiday crowds.  I can’t remember the last time I saw Sugar so busy.  Still, somehow the chock-full parking lot and people everywhere didn’t translate into much in the way of lift lines.  It took longer to get a drink at the Belt Room than it did to get on the lift!

And then.. poof!  Just like that, everybody went home and the mountain was quiet as could be Sunday.  I pulled into the parking lot and couldn’t believe it was a weekend.  The warmer temps mellowed out the ice and lots more terrain was suddenly fun again.  Monday was much of the same, but even warmer, starting to get a little springtime sticky in the afternoon even.

I was a little surprised Mt. Judah was on money hold Monday and presumably weekdays through the rest of the season.  That explains the recent terrain park relocation (so it can still be accessed from Jerome lift).

Nothing in the forecast but days of sunshine, which is nice for a little while, but we definitely need some snow out there soon.  Juneuary is thinning things out quickly.

-JS

Back on the mountain for the new year!

Conditions are definitely super-firm, otherwise known to native West Coast skiers as “ice”.  Those of us who grew up skiing in the East know what real ice is.  😉  Despite the firm conditions, it was sunny, cold and great to be outside making turns again.  Word on the mountain is that this was the past few days had been colder and windier.

The sunshine did soften things up as bit towards the end of the day.  I was tipped off to some surprisingly good proto-corn out at the far end of Judah bowl, and Summit was open to get there.

Unfortunately the weather outlook is sunny and dry for the next week at least.  Temps will warm up a little.  I’m planning on refining my follow-the-sun strategy, getting a good goggle tan, and in general enjoying the January spring.

-JS

Definitely dust on crust conditions off-piste for Christmas day.  A few linked pow turns in a windblown stash here and there, but hard as a rock underneath everywhere.  Props to the brave souls who kept trying anyway.

A little snow did wonders for the groomers, on the other hand.  Patched up the bare spots and softened up the surface most everywhere.  It was cold and kept trying to be sunny but not quite succeeding.

Dana E. wrote in the comments and asked what conditions are like now — I don’t know, I expect there’s lots of crowds, ice and sunshine.  🙂  Like other Slightly Restricted and Midweek passholders, I’m blacked out between Christmas and New Year’s.  If anyone would like to write in and let us know the real skinny on conditions, I’m happy to pass that along, otherwise, my snow reports resume New Year’s Day.

– J. Snow

It started snowing around 1pm Wednesday at Sugar, and really picked up by around 2pm.  There was definitely enough to enjoy fresh turns on the groomers, but off-piste was pretty sketchy and icy underneath.  Weather was brutal — some of the worst storm skiing I’ve done at Sugar Bowl.  Especially toward the end of the day, winds picked up and really pushed the lift chairs around.  I was surprised Lincoln, Disney and Judah were still running until 4pm.

Alas, it looks like the storm kind of fizzled out for the evening, not dumping a bunch on us.  I’ll still be out early Thursday – if nothing else, it will be sunny, fun, and the last day of 2014 for Midweek and Slightly Restricted pass holders, so I’m going to get my turns in!

– John S.