Bogus Basin Storm Tour

Its been a foggy, snowy/rainy drizzly week and this weekend was no different.  Even with precipitation everyday, there is just a slight accumulation of frozen, or not so frozen slush on the snow surface.  Even so, once you get away from the roads and the houses, and if properly dressed the backcountry traveling is sublime.  Today, with no time pressures I took a pull behind toboggan out to the Bogus Basin Warming hut, climbing up from Ice Lakes Lodge, approximately following the usual groomed ski trail, except that the trail has not been groomed for over three weeks and has been reabsorbed into the continuum of the backcountry by the regular deposits of precipitation and remolding by wind.  The snowmobile would never make it this far back in these conditions, so my only choice was to retrieve the propane tank, heater, stove ring,  and tea bags by foot - or leave it to good luck that the awakening bears would take no interest in the tea (or molding garbage) and that vandals would bypass the unlocked hut in the muddy months before the kit could be retrieved by 4 wheeler.

On the way up, I followed a very clear and distinguished set of bear tracks - a set that I believe weee left by some sleepy ursine staggering downhill hoping to find some food at lower elevations.  As I climbed more that once I crossed bear tracks heading down the Serena Creek Canyon towards the American River.  These tracks varied from one day old to several days old, as the snow had already begun to fill them in.

Along with the bear tracks were coyote tracks, and rabbit tracks.  The wind was blowing the wet snow/sleet at me the whole way, but I felt happy, and comfortable.  The deep snowpack will long be clinging to these mountainsides, but tomorrow I am to depart for Oakland and "The Green" - escaping this infernal drizzle for some tree and flower pollen.

Yesterday, I accomplished a similar chore at another warming hut, but with whimpy nordic skis on, and a fuller toboggan load, the uneven and at times steep terrain became very hard to negotiate with my awkward cargo in these sloppy conditions. Anyone watching would have been in stitches as the sled repeatedly  capsized bringing me to a sudden stop.  Today the work was going much better, with a differently loaded toboggan, and much sturdier ski equipment, the return trip down the mountain was a breeze, with my heavily burdened, but secure toboggan obediently following close behind my parallel tracks.  I did not want the trip down to end, but in short order I was back at the banks of the swollen Serena Creek and back to the parked car awaiting me patiently.


Ski into Bogus Basin to retrieve the warming hut propan tank, heater, and hot plate.  No groomer has been up here for weeks so its a quiet tour, breaking trail.  Lots of bear and coyote tracks

Tail end of the season...

The sun was breaking in and out of clouds, but the drizzle has stopped so I venture out and look for some light in the mountain landscape. As I drive towards Donner Summit, the high clouds open up and reveal the fog layer hovering over Donner Lake 1,000 feet below. The snow is saturated with fresh rainwater, and the warm night temperatures are precluding the formation of corn snow. Large soggy blocks of cornice are breaking of up high and the roadside banks are calving like ocean facing glaciers. Snow surface is that of pudding, with weak spots forming over tress, rocks, and old wind scoured ridges that had become submerged by the record breaking snow late spring snow fall.

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

Clouds still obscure the higher summit peaks, but Donner Peak captures the lower morning light, with the adventurous skiers tracks just barely visible from a few days ago. The abandoned train shed is very obscured - keep in mind the face normally exposed of these sheds shows 16 foot walls as a formidable barrier to skiing down this aspect of the mountain. Now, a quick hop and you've forded the glide crack on the downhill side and on your way down to the lake below.

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

After checking the time of the sunset, I set out from home, walked one block, put on my skis, and skinned up the ridge between Royal Gorge and Soda Springs, what I call Royal Springs ridge.  Here I can see an unobstructed view of e saddle of Donner Summit.  The clouds were building again, and a caldron of atmospheric activity was boiling up from the valley to our west.  I was hoping for a dramatic sunset with the multi-layered clouds, but as soon as the sun dipped into the moist air near the horizon, it was lights out.

I "ripped hide" - removed my skins, and had a glorious ski down through the buttery spring snow before all light was gone from the sky.

From Royal Springs Ridge at sunset

From Royal Springs Ridge at sunset

From Royal Springs Ridge at sunset

From Royal Springs Ridge at sunset

From Royal Springs Ridge at sunset

Leaving Donner Summit

We packed up and left Donner Summit for the season. I'll actually go back to work some more patrol days through the end of the month, but all our kit is excavated from Serene road, and piled up in the dining room in Oakland.


Departing Serene Road with camper stuffed to the gills. Snow is slowing receding, but still towers over the top of the campier in the driveway...

From Spring-Summer 2011

In our long absence, a small herd of deer (5 total) appear to have taken up afternoon feeding habits in our back yard. I only wish they were a bit more like goats to save me the trouble of weed whacking.

From Spring-Summer 2011

Trailer Hitch Mounted Storage Box fits the folding Kayak

On moving day, we attached this new nifty hitch mounted storage box to the camper to help get all our stuff off the summit and back to Oakland for the summer.  It's just roomy enough to hold the folded and packaged double expedition Feathercraft K-2 sea kayak we'll be traveling with this summer.  Installation was a breeze, although the hitch mounting screw/lock assembly that came with the unit conflicts with the trailer lights electrical socket mounted on the hitch.  I'll ned to do some work on that.  With a $13 connector from NAPA auto parts I was able to connect the male 7 pin (circular configuration) trailer light socket with the 4 in-line round pin connector that came with the storage box.  Still working on the how to mount the back-up camera that used to be attached to the license plate, but is now obstructed by the box.  Here are some pictures in a slide show format:

Spring skiing after storm with Steven and Jessie

Watch a brief movie with dialog...


The blizzard has blown out it's fury and we are left with great spring conditions. High temperatures and bright sun sooth my aching muscles and we spend a weekend with family ski touring at Royal Gorge.

White headed woodpecker - female

From White Headed Woodpecker

From White Headed Woodpecker

From White Headed Woodpecker

From White Headed Woodpecker

Climb up Jakes Peak, and along its North Ridge

Never a bad view, while resting on the way up Jakes from the DL Bliss State Park winter parking area...

From Jakes, first REAL day of spring

Once on the summit, we toured north along the ridge, with great view to the southwest of Desolaiton Wilderness, and to the east and north of Lake Tahoe.  Our route down was in the open chutes just left of center in these photo.

From Jakes, first REAL day of spring

We skied slowly across the ridge, picking our way over wind gullies and enjoying the stupendous weather and scenery in all directions.  Amazingly, we saw some small animal tracks right on the ridge, very well preserved in the firm snow.

From Jakes, first REAL day of spring

From Jakes, first REAL day of spring

Looking for the perfect lunch perch, we ascended this roll along the ridge so we could see both ways, and be protected from the wind.

From Jakes, first REAL day of spring

Here is a short (1.5 minute movie) from the top...I wish I had filmed more.


Drive down to the west shore of Lake Tahoe to the DL Bliss State Park parking lot and tour along the north ridge of Jake's Peak. The copious snowpack was wind beaten, and soggy, but the views were amazing.

Storm rages outside - again

What an eventful day- so far. While seeing our house guests off after breakfast in their Prius (that I had spent an hour excavating) we discovered it had a flat tire and the chains were wrapped tightly around the rim, with a sagging tire stuck in between like a trapped fish. So,
jacked up the car once we dug out the snow down to a firm icy surface and drove the tire down to Truckee in white out conditions to get it fixed.

With repaired, inflated tire (chains still attached) we drove back up the now closed Interstate 80 (Royal Gorge Employee Badge came in handy to get past the CHP roadblock). Luckily Ted had his Android talking GPS enabled cell phone with him as we inched up the unplowed, abandoned interstate by brail. The snow was blowing hard and the snow was so deep, the road signs were all obscured. The phone handily chirped up "your exit is in 100 feet" as we drifted off the main road and found a slight gap in the bank indicating the exit ramp. Once across the train tracks and safely back in the neighborhood we got bogged down in the indistinguishable and impenetrable 4' berm at the base of our driveway. Leaving the car with blinkers on half-way extending into the rapidly vanishing roadway, we returned to the distressed Prius - now once again buried to the hip in fresh snow and drifted in on the diver's side stranded halfway up the driveway. We cleared the snow away from the jack, retrieved the lug nuts and remounted the repaired tire after having to raise the jack as it had melted int the ice during our absence. With the other car forlornly blinking at us from the base of the driveway, we cleared a path back into the carport, dug out the Prius again, and parked it back in the carport - its journey back to the Bay abandoned for the time being. We then returned to the Subaru - blowing snow down the driveway to an ever increasing depth as the side banks of the driveway now tower well over 20 feet - well beyond the reach of the blower's throw. Once a path just wide enough for the Subaru had been excavated in front, we dug all the compressed snow from beneath, and coaxed the mush covered and frosted car off the berm, and back up the narrow path to the top of the driveway.

At last, I imagined a steaming cup of coffee and a rest as a reward after a hard morning's pointless work. We went inside and discovered that a power failure had occurred, and our normally bright and welcoming house was dark, and cold, as all the heating devices require electricity to operate. Diane lit a collection of candles and we contemplated our fate over cold sandwiches and tea. Already 1:00 pm and chances of skiing today are
evaporating rapidly.

We took the guest bedroom linens back out of the laundry hamper and invited our
guests to stay until the storm abates. Another family is expected tomorrow night, but what the hey - the more the merrier.

I climbed the steep stairs to the second floor - and our bedroom, the only room with windows not obstructed by accumulated and drifted snow and went to relax with my iPad and discovered I had sat on my reading glasses since I had worn them last so now I have a pair of monocles instead.

Diane is quilting tropical fish. I wonder why?

Welcome to my world.

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

North Maggies with Jeff

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

Emerald Bay, with North Maggies at the head - photo curtesy Stone Tire in Truckee - (see next post for explanation of why I was at Stone Tire). We skied the south east shoulder and then down the left edge of the big avi chute just above the road...

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

We drive to the end of the plowed road (Route 89) and break trail to the usual trailhead for North Maggies - having Emerald Bay all to ourselves with plenty of time to study the ski lines off Jakes and Maggies, and to enjoy the view out over Lake Tahoe without being pestered by cars racing bay. You can see the skier on the unplowed road on the right side of the photo above.

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

After a 4 hour slog up through the deep snow, we enjoy an incredible ski down through the massive Sugar pines and champagne blower snow - using the edge of an old avi chute for a great guide back to the uptrack far below.

From 2010-2011 Serene Road house

This cloud of snow has a skier just on the left edge. If his face was not obscured by so much snow, you'd see a big grin.

Watch a 2.5 minute video...

Drive down to the west shore of Lake Tahoe to the end of the plowed road at Emerald Bay and share this climb up North Maggies Peak on stormy day. Our 5 hour tromp through fresh snow is compressed to a 2.5 minute video for your enjoyment

Jakes Peak - 2,300 feet in one clean line from the summit - 4 minute video

Drive down to the west shore of Lake Tahoe to the end of the plowed road at Emerald Bay and share this climb up Jake's Peak on a perfect Bluebird day. The southeast chute offers 2,300 feet of uninterrupted powder from summit to highway, and the only reason I could stop Jeff was to make a few of these movie clips. Come along for a fun tour and watch the 4 minute movie.

Very Snowy Day - Starts off with Amazement - a short video

More snow, and more snow, and then, more snow!! Snowbanks overtaking the 2nd floor windows, banks collapse and bury the front door. Thinking of spring and a tropical island right about now. Anyone have a snorkel?

Ski traverse on a cloudy day over Mt. Rose Saddle (3 minute video)

A ski traverse on a cloudy day between Mt. Rose Summit and Sky Tavern Ski Resort hitting the Sparkplug Chutes, and then crossing over Mt. Rose saddle on the way to the back boundary of Sky Tavern Ski Resort,

Practice with toboggan belay down the West Pal run at Sugarbowl

Practice with toboggan belay down the West Pal run at Sugarbowl. Used a special device that allows a knot in the rope to pass through the friction break for especially long descents.

Quick lap ski tour with Diane - short movie

We take a two hour ski-tour from the house through the adjacent National Forest and enjoy the fine spring weather on Donner Summit.

Road trip mid-season to Powder Mountain & Snow Basin in Utah

Eight ski buddies explore the amazing terrain at Powder Mountain and Snow Basin in Utah. Hard to reign in these cats long enough to make movies, but here is what I have. This movie is 20 minutes, so grab some Joe, and sit back for a invigorating break from your daily routine.

Eight alpine ski buddies gather annually for a "boys' trip to gather up some good western skiing mojo. David, Andy, Paul, originally high school adventure buddies, formed the nucleus of this group years ago and over time others have been added to round out the posse. Sam, Chris, and Bob all hark from the New York City Area, although Chris has since migrated to Denver. Bob is the most recent addition, and now it seems the group is complete.

All eight of us are married in long term relationships and have followed very different career and family paths but there is non-the-less a strong bond and commonality when we shed our daily routines and reunite annually for this pilgrimage back to our primal desires and perform a loosely choreographed group dance in the snow covered western mountains.

This year we selected the small town of Eden, UT - in an out of the way valley north east 1 hour from Salt Lake City because it is mid-way between two great ski resorts - Powder Mountain, and Snow Basin (more recently famed for hosting a few events of the winter Olympics). We had fresh snow on 5 of the 7 days of our trip - that is why we all flock to Utah when looking for powder snow.

More to come later on resort descriptions, but for now, I hope you enjoy this rather lengthy video (20 minutes) capturing some of the joy and exuberance we shared.

Key to skiers in order of appearance:
======================================
Red Parka, blue pack, gray helmet - David D.
Orange Coat, black pants, white Helmet - Sam L.
Blue Parka, blue helmet - Chris C.
Orange Parka, yellow pants - Andy W.
Green park with black shoulders - Paul S.
Red and black parka with F A T skis - Bob M.
Grey parka, black pants, red pack(usually a blur) - David G.