π
2019-01-06 01:01
in Nsnow, Snow
Snow started a bit late this year. The first real snow started when I was leaving for Xmas, so I missed that. As luck would have it during a mere 4 days I was home between a France and New Zealand trip, we got a nice storm system that hit Tahoe. The storm was tricky, changed a lot, initially dumped less snow at Kirkwood than planned, and stranded a lot of people in Lake Tahoe on sunday night as the roads closed for the night.
Day #1 was a bit busy, but not terribly so. Sadly only 6" in the morning, but more fell during the day:
![we were in line at Cornice we were in line at Cornice](/blogimg/06/thumb1024_106_20190106_Kirkwood_Day1.jpg)
we were in line at Cornice
![but the wall ended up opening first but the wall ended up opening first](/blogimg/12/thumb1024_112_20190106_Kirkwood_Day1.jpg)
but the wall ended up opening first
![cornice got a bit busy when it opened cornice got a bit busy when it opened](/blogimg/23/thumb1024_123_20190106_Kirkwood_Day1.jpg)
cornice got a bit busy when it opened
![](/blogimg/26/thumb1024_126_20190106_Kirkwood_Day1.jpg)
KW tried to stay open as long as they good despite hellish winds and terrible viz at the tops, and eventually had to close around 15:00. Not a big deal, we had had enough fun by then
Day #2 got a bunch of snow overnight, but it was a bit wet (almost sierra cement), and because both roads to KW were closed. As a result, KW opened very late as the snow was dangerous and they were short staffed since somehow they still let some of their critical staff drive back to South Lake before a storm that is likely to segment KW. In the end, they only opened at 11:30 which was kind of pathetic, but they made up for it by opening Cornice just before noon, and the Wall arount 14:00, which was really good, especially given the very few crowds:
![](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_201_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
![](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_217_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
![not really crowded not really crowded](/blogimg/19/thumb1024_219_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
not really crowded
![that viz was still better than the viz from the previous afternoon that viz was still better than the viz from the previous afternoon](/blogimg/27/thumb1024_227_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
that viz was still better than the viz from the previous afternoon
![by 14:30, we finally got to see the sky for a short time, while enjoying 5-6 runs off the wall by 14:30, we finally got to see the sky for a short time, while enjoying 5-6 runs off the wall](/blogimg/33/thumb1024_233_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
by 14:30, we finally got to see the sky for a short time, while enjoying 5-6 runs off the wall
![](/blogimg/35/thumb1024_235_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
![](/blogimg/38/thumb1024_238_20190106_Kirkwood_Day2.jpg)
Day #2 was definitely good once things opened, especially with so few people on the mountain. |