Tahoe in April

All this talk about slush powders piqued my interest (plus we finally
found some decent airfares), so it looks like Tahoe 4/8-4/10. Now we
gotta book lodging, but that'll be driven by where we ski. What hills
tend to hold up better late in the season? I have the impression that
Alpine would be one (don't know why, but I do), but where else?

And do you ski IN the slush powders (like with other powders), or do
you ski ON them? I need to know if standard ski pants will do, or if
I should bring the wetsuit as well.

bw

Kirkwood and Mammoth will have the best snow. Sentinel Bowl in
Kirkwood is shaded and North facing.

Granite Chief at Squaw is good and will have night skiing through the
10th. Plus, Squaw has a huge resort style pool at High Camp and that
is wuite the scene on warm spring days.

Regular light weight ski pants are best.


bdubya wrote:
All this talk about slush powders piqued my interest (plus we finally
found some decent airfares), so it looks like Tahoe 4/8-4/10. Now we
gotta book lodging, but that'll be driven by where we ski. What
hills
tend to hold up better late in the season? I have the impression
that
Alpine would be one (don't know why, but I do), but where else?

And do you ski IN the slush powders (like with other powders), or do
you ski ON them? I need to know if standard ski pants will do, or if
I should bring the wetsuit as well.

bw

bdubya wrote:
All this talk about slush powders piqued my interest (plus we finally
found some decent airfares), so it looks like Tahoe 4/8-4/10. Now we
gotta book lodging, but that'll be driven by where we ski. What hills
tend to hold up better late in the season? I have the impression that
Alpine would be one (don't know why, but I do), but where else?

And do you ski IN the slush powders (like with other powders), or do
you ski ON them? I need to know if standard ski pants will do, or if
I should bring the wetsuit as well.

bw
Bring a wetsuit and REALLY wide skis with little skegs on the
tails. Improves tracking.

bdubya wrote:
All this talk about slush powders piqued my interest (plus we finally
found some decent airfares), so it looks like Tahoe 4/8-4/10. Now we
gotta book lodging, but that'll be driven by where we ski. What hills
tend to hold up better late in the season? I have the impression that
Alpine would be one (don't know why, but I do), but where else?

Well, that early in April really isn't late in the season. Expect
Alpine, Sugar Bowl, and Squaw to be skiing well. But be prepared - watch
the weather. Could as easily be blizzard conditions as spring conditions
in April.

Other Cal skiing that holds up well is Kirkwood and Mammoth (which holds
up till July most years.)


And do you ski IN the slush powders (like with other powders), or do
you ski ON them? I need to know if standard ski pants will do, or if
I should bring the wetsuit as well.

Through. You ski through slush with GS turns. Weenies get wide boards
and try to stay on top, but then they get bounced around by surface
weirdness - better to stay down in it. You don't get the porpoising that
you do from powder - you want to stay embedded in the surface, slicing
right along.

But really, what you look for is corn - hit each slope as the surface
softens, then move to the next freshly sun kissed surface. Whole new
world - pure ego skiing.

VtSkier wrote:

bdubya wrote:

All this talk about slush powders piqued my interest (plus we finally
found some decent airfares), so it looks like Tahoe 4/8-4/10. Now we
gotta book lodging, but that'll be driven by where we ski. What hills
tend to hold up better late in the season? I have the impression that
Alpine would be one (don't know why, but I do), but where else?

And do you ski IN the slush powders (like with other powders), or do
you ski ON them? I need to know if standard ski pants will do, or if
I should bring the wetsuit as well.

Bring a wetsuit and REALLY wide skis with little skegs on the
tails. Improves tracking.

That late in the season, don't you have to worry about draft? i.e. the
skegs hitting rocks in the shalow spots? Seems to me you'd want a swing
keel.

PS - bite me, bw.

--
//-Walt
//
// There is no Völkl Conspiracy