“Chance of precipitation is 100%,” NOAA.

Posted by Big Al on November 27, 2009 under The Weekly Deal | Be the First to Comment

You have to love when the National Weather Service guarantees our snow. So far they got it right – there’s a storm in the Valley as we speak and they say we can expect 6-8 inches by tomorrow. As is always the case, any bit of snow helps. It’s just especially true in the beginning of the season.

Far East earlier this week

The skiing right now is better than you’d expect given the amount of snow on the ground. Snowmaking and grooming crews have doubled the width of the lower Red Dog groomer. By the way on Opening Day (last Saturday) the locals’ choice was the far right side of lower Red Dog – where the bumps course makes its home. This was before it got helped by snowguns and groomers but when it was fresh that day, you were reminded what pow feels like. And the great thing about Red Dog is that it’s one of the best early-season cruisers and training runs. You get the full leg burn if you push it and try to get down the whole thing with speed.

I don’t think it’s a ‘hat tilt’ to the Olympic Anniversary but Ski Corp has put the focus of early season at elevation 6200’ (the base area). That’s why we have Red Dog top to bottom and not the Mountain Run. It makes for a cozier atmosphere like in 1960, and there are more skiing options plus steeper shots. We do get occasional temperature inversions in Tahoe, too, so sometimes it’s actually easier to blow snow down low than up top. The bonus is that the Cable Car is still open (and included with lift tickets) so you can still get way up top to check out everything at High Camp. There’s some really nice wind buff by the bungy tower and you can get great holiday / vacation pics up there.

Why not take 'er for a spin?

And then there’s the Picture Perfect Holiday Start – tonight at the Resort at Squaw Creek Olympian Peggy Fleming headlines the ultra-cozy Tree Lighting Ceremony from 5 – 8pm. She actually had an early-career victory in Squaw’s Blyth Arena (built for the Olympics) when she was only 11 years old. There’s a huge gingerbread house, carolers, s’mores, roasted chestnuts and the Claus’s are on the guest list – that’s not to mention that it will be snowing the whole time.

So get that first ski day under your belt or keep the count climbing – either way you can’t help but enjoy sliding downhill in your favorite Valley…