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...
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...
We are bringing back our cherished tradition of Rose Employee of the Week. If you have a submission please drop a comment and tell us why with a photo and we will see what we can do. Mt. Rose has always had some incredibly committed employees who really deliver to their customers and to the betterment of the resort. Excellent service is punctuated by hard work, enthusiasm, positivity, excellent communication skills, patience with the general public (which is not always easy) and the ability to answer every question with a smile, no matter how many times it may have been asked. If you ski Rose much I'm sure, like myself, you have had experiences on both ends of the scale. Rather than grumble about those staffers that have difficulty managing a smile much less taking the time to welcome and communicate clearly with the Rose community, we have opted to celebrate the winners in the hopes they might rub off a little on those who are "emotionally challenged" to work hard, have...
It's getting cold turn ON the guns
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