Well, I sure forgot how tough it can be to ski the storm. New this season: wet mask. Yuck. See you tomorrow for bluebird Monday!
Opening weekend!
It happened! Springtime conditions in November. Definitely thin and bony out there, but lots of fun to be had. Dreaming of bottomless turns in the eponymous Sugar Bowl, until then, going big in Two-and-a-half Chutes will have to do. 🙂
Ten suns in the forecast today… do your early season snow dances!!
-JS
Opening this Friday!
Opening day is almost here!! Better not eat too much tofurkey this holiday, because you’re gonna be up bright and early Friday!
Looks like Jerome will be spinning, and Hard Drinkin’ Lincoln too!
Sugar was selling some day tickets, but they’re already gone for opening day and weekend.
Ready to get your Sugar Gnar on, friends? I know I am for sure. See you in five days!
-JS
How to watch the weather
While we’re all waiting anxiously for Sugar Bowl’s opening day in one week (we’ll see you there), I thought I’d share the best way to watch incoming storms and get your stoke on.
First up is the Tahoe Daily Snow, where you can find BA’s great snow- and mountain-specific reports for the area, and fun geeking out on the forecast models, historic precipitation, and all things snow.
Second stop is the Weather Underground’s Serene Lakes station forecast, which is right next to Sugar Bowl. The 10-day graph is my go-to for visualizing when and how storms come in.
And lastly, be safe out there and always check Sierra Avalanche Center daily advisory before heading out the boundary.
See you in a week!
– J. Snow
We’re back, baby!
That’s right. We’re back for the 2019/2020 season! We’ll be tagging lifts, crushing pow, breaking trail and, most importantly, having FUN!
No snow in the forecast just yet.. Sugar says they’ll open in one month, on November 29th. Let’s hope a storm brings us an earlier date.
What is Unofficial Sugar Bowl? It’s a ski team, a website, a community, an annual closing day cave party, an attitude, a lifestyle. 🙂
Also time for our annual reminder that Unofficial Sugar Bowl is YOU! Wanna share your pics or video? Post about conditions? Have opinions on operations, coaches, local politics, who makes the best bloody? It’s all fair game. Get in touch and I’ll be happy to make you an account so you can post too.
-John S.
Now that’s a season opener!
Hi friends! What a great season opening! Happy 2018/2019!
Lincoln opened Saturday, Disney opened Sunday, plus as an afternoon surprise, the top gates at Lincoln for fun in Silver Belt, the Sisters and ’58s. Wow!
Not that patrol isn’t doing an amazing job, but I’m surprised the hike out from Lincoln to J-Bowl didn’t open Monday. I guess it’s the first few days of the year, we’ll have to watch and see what opening rhythms look like this year.
Lastly, a reminder that Unofficial Sugar Bowl is YOU! Wanna share your pics or video? Post about conditions? Have opinions on operations, coaches, local politics, who makes the best bloody? It’s all fair game. Get in touch and I’ll be happy to make you an account so you can post too.
-JS
Judah Bowl Sunday!
Freshies in J-Bowl with Snow White and John Snow!
Back at the Bowl, Baby!
That’s right! I’ve been all over this March but the first Sunday in April found me back home at Sugar for some sweet spring turns. I missed you, Sugar Bowl!
And would you look at that… snow on the way this weekend. It’s good to be home.
-J Snow
Alpine!
That’s right, Alpine!
Sounds like Sugar Bowl did a great job getting operations going Sunday and Monday, but I couldn’t get there. Caltrans had 80 closed all day from Truckee..
So on Tuesday I went to Alpine instead! Alpine was completely closed Sunday and Monday and opened almost all their terrain except High Traverse Tuesday.
Whatever the state of current management (grr..), Alpine is still one of my favorite mountains ever. It is where I learned what Tahoe was all about, chasing powder off piste.
I visited almost all of my favorite spots! Promised Land, Broccoli tree (aka the “Tree of Life”), the Bakery AND the Lower Bakery, Saddle, High Yellow, Counterweight Gully, Pete’s. Missed out on the Sisters and Closing Rock… next time!
One buried Bakery!
See you back at the Bowl!
– John S
A tale of two weekends…
Last weekend your intrepid editor made it out Friday and Sunday. 80 was closed from a mudslide so my plans to ski with friends visiting from the bay area were thwarted yet again.
Friday was another great powder day in an epic, record-breaking season. This one was surprisingly empty.  Sure, the highway was closed, but lots of previous pow weekdays have been busier with nobody but us die hard locals. Hey, I’m not complaining! Spent the day on Disney. I heard Lincoln opened in the afternoon but I missed that! Alas, you can’t score them all.
I heard things were busy on Saturday the 11th but I had already opted out…
Sunday had a great time hiking J bowl with Unofficial Sugar Bowl contributor Mean Dean! Maybe one day he’ll wake up and write another blackout date snow report. 😛
Alas, work travel and blackout dates have kept me off the hill since the 13th. Back on Monday the 20th for storm skiing. See you in the trees!
– J Snow