Here’s a video from my friend Mile Clark recently going after it in both well- and lesser-known spots around Squaw. The Tram Face is slated for Sat., Feb 27 but there’s an event window through March 4 so it can run in optimal conditions.
Here’s Miles’ helmet cam, and listen for the end when he realizes his boots weren’t buckled!
Future Olympian? At Squaw's Oly. Museum (High Camp)
You might know some of the Squaw-folk who are at the Olympics because you bought a cookie next to them at Wildflower. Or your kid may have gotten to take a few runs with them while in the Mighty Mites. You could have watched Shannon Bahrke train one last time on Squaw’s bumps course before boarding a plane for Vancouver. And possibly you checked a couple of them out in the X Games. But it is another thing altogether to see these same folks competing on the world’s largest and most significant stage. Here’s a quick rundown of Squaw’s own who are at the 2010 Games:
Julia Mancuso, Ladies’ Alpine Skiing: 2010 Silver in Downhill, Silver in Ladies Super-G Combined. She won Gold in 2006 Olympic Giant Slalom. She confirmed that she’ll compete in the Freeride World Tour at Verbier – this is the fourth stop of the very same tour that comes to Squaw’s Tram Face in the next week. Julia was on the Squaw Valley Ski Team.
Shannon Bahrke, Ladies’ Moguls: she got Silver in 2002 and an impressive bronze in 2010. Grew up in Tahoe City, skied on the Squaw Valley Freestyle Team.
Daron Rahlves, Men’s Skiercross: He wiped out so didn’t get a high finish result but that’s the nature of the sport. Daron is considered the most successful American downhiller and he started with the Squaw Valley Ski Team.
Marco Sullivan, Men’s Alpine: in Vancouver her got 23rd in Super G, and DQ’d in Downhill. Marco was on the Squaw Valley Ski Team.
Nate Holland, Men’s Boardercross: 4th in 2010, 5-time X Games Boardercross winner. He moved to Squaw in the late 90’s and loves the place!
Since it’s been a little dry lately we’ve been finding ourselves doing what Alex Cushing told us to way back when: “Ski the Sun.” It’s a tried and true technique for all of the Sierra and it rings true at Squaw. Places like the Sun Chutes, Sun Bowl, Broken Arrow, Gate 8 in Silverado, Red Dog Ridge, the Kitchen Wall, the Granite Chief Meadow – well I guess the list is a little too long to keep going but there’s a ton of great terrain that sees the light of the sun enough to get nice and mushy.
West Face looking 'West Facey' i.e. a lonnng bump run...
The classic bumps runs are living up to their reputations as witnessed by ole West Face. The interesting thing is that there’s still wintery snow if you know where to look – or if you just spend the time looking. A word to the wise (at least wiser than me) – don’t go searching once the sun starts getting low. Your knees will pay the price for your brain and that’s not too cool.
Crazies on Eagle's Nest / McConkey's
In other News – have you noticed all the tracks down McConkey’s, a.k.a Eagle’s Nest, lately? Yesterday I saw a kid toting Shane’s brainchild Spatulas up there. If you haven’t checked it out look up to the left of KT’s top terminal. Go around towards Red Dog Ridge and you’ll see where the hike starts. There’s a metal eagle perched on a rock that overlooks the 68-degree pitch in memory of the insaniac who regularly skied this scary thing.
As far as keeping your fingers crossed, let’s hope for a little more snow out of this next cycle. As we learned with how the mountain’s been skiing for the last few weeks, it doesn’t take much fluffing to make this bird sing!! Check the weather links at the bottom of this page for more.
GET READY: The Tram Face steeps event comes to Squaw next week. The competition window starts on 2/26 and goes to 3/4. This is a must-see as these lines have never been legally skied
Touring is something that’s well known throughout the ski world. Usually it requires adapted gear and special skills that help folks reach lofty goals and loftier peaks. Avalanche training, guides and maps are all part of the game. So maybe you don’t have all that stuff nor do you really care about letting a lot hang out just so you can get some fresh air in the mountains. Well, sometimes I feel exactly the same way – like today.
Thrillah' in the Mist - Granite Chief Peak, shrouded
‘Backcountry’ is the phrase typically used in the States for going hiking back in the wilds. ‘Sidecountry’ is a newer word used to describe terrain that you can access from a resort’s boundaries. And ‘frontcountry’ is the word we lazier skiers use when talking to those who go after the other ‘countries.’ It makes us feel like we actually accomplished something special – and in front of the right audience it sounds pretty cool. Today my group skied the frontcountry and we did it right.
The Funnel - opened today around 2
A classic Squaw frontcountry tour goes from one end of the joint to the other – Squaw Creek all the way over to Solitude then a lap on Silverado and finally Broker Arrow. It takes about 2 hours to get from one side to the other and just like any classic backountry tour, this one ends with a Holy Grail at the end of the trail:
Arc Bar at Gold Coast, niiiiiiice
For those of you who didn’t schralp the windbuff today, you may have The Hikes to look forward to. Today most of them were closed so Saturday could see, as it has for weeks in a row now, fresh track chances for all who want them. The Hikes include: Palisades, Granite Peak & Mainline Pocket.
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