Chutes this week...

Word on the slopes is The Chutes are set to open today or tomorrow... or so they are saying. Conditions are fairly good for the most parts with some mixed conditions with breakable fog, wind or sun crust depending on where you are dropping.

Be aware and ski with care. It is still early season and the rocks that were covered when the chutes closed down last year may not be covered by much now. Good luck!

Sven


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Season Winds Down with a Bang & a Whimper...

Image
Lots of BBQ's, beer wagons and costumed patrons led to a great last day of the season at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. Many closing days have been less than extraordinary with frozen crust, snow or high winds. Today was the exeption. Although there was some wind at the top it didn't amount to much and the snow softened quickly with temps in the 50's. The Chutes almost didn't open. Understaffed, the lift department just didn't have enough liftees... in stepped Mikyla (pictured below) a ski patrol rookie who volunteered to run The Chuter Unload... thanks to Patrol for making The Chutes happen the last day. They were absolutely sublime with all gates East of El Cap open. One could also downhill traverse over to El Cap which was the best I've seen it sans pow in many years. Pic is of Naia Selby ripping down it like it was a groomer. I can say with confidence The Chutes were absolutely stunning today and so forgiving that even I felt pretty good dancing with gravity. Groomer...
Read more

Rose Legion of Honor Part III

Image
The third and final in the Rose Legion of Honor series that highlights Mt. Rose Ski Area staff who are exceptional at their jobs. The Slide Dogs are lift staff on what's referred to at Rose as "the other side". They are more on their own over there and as a result are a little more independent and freedom loving. No other lifts operate quite like the Zephyr and as locals know... its often a local's crowd in the morning. What can I say... they take care of us over on the Slide Side... just like they always have. Unofficial celebrates Ulf, Jim, Brooke and their colleagues... we always feel mighty welcome over there! Next up is Naia Selby representing the Special Teams & Race Department. Always happy to be coaching and to share adventures with the little Green Coats, Naia comes at this from a lifetime of skiing. She was riding Northwest at 16 months old and skied all the chutes including Dragon Lady by the time she was seven. Yep, she is a Badass for sure. Rep...
Read more

The Chutes... 45 days on

Image
On Saturday a kid in the Skytavern Junior Ski Program took the Oblivion Express into a tree on the Cut Throat run in the The Chutes at the Mt. Rose Ski Area. He ended up in the ICU but is expected to fully recover.  The results could have been much worse.  Most of us are tired of seeing patrol rescues, ambulances and Careflight rides resulting from skiing or boarding and then losing control in The Chutes the last five weeks. This post addresses where we currently are in The Chutes in an effort to minimize future accidents and point out that you are putting more than yourself at risk when you ski beyond our ability.  Occasionally I get asked "Why are The Chutes still closed?" or, less occasionally, "Why are The Chutes still open?". My stock answer is something about snow safety, patroller safety, the time it takes to open complex terrain or the neglected skill of skiing within one's ability etc. And I only hear the question a 10,000th of the times patrol hears it...
Read more