Posts

Showing posts from February, 2022

Gone in 60 seconds?

Image
Gone in 60 seconds?  Not necessarily... it all depends on whether you want to poke around a bit... look around some corners and think about where folks don't normally go. I abhor crowds and their tracks on a powder day and will traverse or hike quite a ways just to avoid them... which is how you get shots like this. Great morning and a friend called and said they opened The Chutes in the afternoon. So nice to finally have some freshies... I always convince myself that corn is just as good as pow pow until it snows... and then I remember... like a virgin... for the very first time. Ain't nothing like freshies. Nothing.  Sven

Pow day tomorrow?

Image
 According to the prognosticators it is likely that we will receive more very dry cold pow tonight into tomorrow and tomorrow night although amounts will not be kneedeep by any means. Hope for boot top and we will see what Ma Nature actually brings. One thing for sure... it sounds to be similar to last weeks storm with just under a foot when it's all said and done.  Still, as our friends at www.tahoeweatherblog.com remind us frequently. Ma Nature is on charge, not the weathermen.  Sven

The "new guy" at Rose...

Image
 No, we aren't talking about the revolving door of lifties at Rose this year... As many of you know, Paul Senft will be retiring from Mt. Rose Development Corporation after decades of managing the resort as GM.   Hired as the new GM is Greg Gavrilets. Greg looks great on paper and kind words have come from those who toured our mountain with him. My sense is that this is a man who hasn't spent his career under florescent lights pushing pencils and glued to cash flow and the bottom line.  Starting out ski patrolling in winters and raft guiding in summer, Greg has spent a lot of time outdoors. Graduating from the University of Tennessee with a Master's in Business and Economics, Mr. Gavrilets dove into the ski industry managing a number of smaller ski areas and ended up hiring on as the Attitash Mountain GM in 2020 in New Hampshire. Folks from Attitash speak very highly of him sharing that he is an approachable leader who values communication, quality improvement with an eye t

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

Spotlife on Staff

Image
 John was a fireman for 30 years before joining Ralph's liftie team. A true Slide Dog at heart, John has worked the Slide Side prepping and running the lift with competence, precision and a 20/20 focus knowing what will work best on the Slide Side for his customers. As any good supervisor is, John stands up and takes initiative to "make things right" anytime he can. That makes him our hero. Rather than just go along with orders from "on high" that come down the pipe, John consciously explores each problem for a solution that will lead to greater effectiveness and efficiency and more importantly, an improved customer experience.  If we could clone John and put his clones at every lift load we sure would. He rocks it! So here is a quote from Steve Jobs to celebrate John and other employees who make things better at Mt. Rose. They are rare and often self select out after a few years but we sure treasure them during their tenure at Rose. Sven

The Bunker

Image
 If you have been skiing Rose for long you'll remember the absolute wonder and incredibly unique spot affectionately called "The Bunker".  Unfortunately, (due to the over consumption of alcohol anywhere near the bunker) I don't have any photos but, trust me, it was an outrageous affair. Hanzee, (on the right below) as he is known throughout the Rose Universe would set up a deep pit with a sitting bench of snow running all the way around it with a set of stairs running down into it on top of Lakeview Knob just above and West of the Lakeview unload.  With International flags flying around The Bunker you could sit yourself down and for a small donation and drink yourself silly while telling big lies about the bottomless runs you just enjoyed down Shangri- left or Manzanita Bowl. Sooner or later a hot brat on a bun with liberal amounts of hot mustard and horse radish, onions etc would be dropped into your hands at just the right time while cranking open another beer. Musi

Support Local Biz: Spotlight on Slide Mountain Wax

Image
 Greetings Skiers and Riders,  Many of us already know about the amazing wax that local boy John Hegstrom is producing at Slide Mountain Snow Sports and if you don't... well this will be the most important post you've read all year! John began playing with wax recipe's years ago utilizing the latest technology and chemicals to concoct three of his most popular waxes. All have been vigorously tested by John and devoted Slide Dogs who are on the mountain a hundred days a year or more. Their conclusion: this wax works and works well. Formulated to last, you'll know if someone is wearing it on the High Traverse because they will be the one's passing you like you're standing still without poling or skating. Want to make skiing easier... this wax is your gateway to more runs and more funs!   The wax comes in three basic models. Slide Mountain Green for cold conditions in the single digits and teens, Slide Mountain Blue for more typical mid-winter cold conditions in th

South Facing Corn Runs now that its warming up? (not so much)

Image
 Ventured out to Manzo bowl to check out potential corn action and found some of the most interesting snow conditions I have ever seen. The high winds after the holiday storm combined with this long dry period and plenty of sun has led to some wild snow conditions... although fun to observe they are a bear to ski if still frozen (which they were in my case). Make sure to do your due diligence before committing to any long lines... think Simon and Garfunkle's song "Diamonds on the soles of her shoes" because extraordinary sun/wind cups do cut just like diamonds... Sven

The Heat be Comin Mon

Image
 Daniel Swain of Weatherwest.com just came out with his mid-Feb prognostication and it ain't looking grand folks... not only are there no storms in the forecast as the East Pacific Ridge hovers off our coast pushing all storms North, it also calls for temps 8 to 12 degrees above average.  I realize that we all want some snow for fun and to renew all the off-piste skiing we have been missing but it just doesn't look like thats in the cards according to the forecast.  The beauty of the last month is that it has stayed cold allowing the groomers to really lay down nice deep cord making first tracks wonderful and memorable. That may all change once the oven heats up.  The caveat here, as my friends over at tahoeweatherblog.com would remind me is that it is only a forecast for now and in the final analysis Ma Nature is always in charge... just like the Bombogenisis storm in October or the four day heavenly dump in December, it can all change in an instant... lets hope it does. John

The Zephyr Ecstasy

Image
 Nothing like first tracks on Zephyr when it's groomed. This week has witnessed a nice alternating grooming job between Bruces and Zephyr that makes everyone very happy in the morning. The grooming was flawless on Zephyr and very nearly so on every one of the immaculately groomed runs. The grooming crew looks to have gained much experience this season and it is definitely like the ghost of Dave or Skojoe is up there in a cat again. Face runs as well as Aida's have been my favorite so far... but all the runs on both sides have been in good shape.  In terms of The Chutes, yes, there have been quite a few serious accidents in the chutes over the last month and I do feel for patrol that has to go in there in firm conditions and haul lard ass bodies out but... I am happy they are still open. My advice: avoid Nightmare as it is currently living up to its name and try Lower Yellowjacket traversing in from Beehive gate. Actually pretty good skiing sporting a significantly lower risk fa