Northstar-at-Tahoe

Can It Get Any Better?

How many great powder days have you typically seen in a season?  I am already beginning to lose count on how many unsullied powder days I’ve seen already this season, and we are not even through the end of January yet!  The total snow pack for the Tahoe Region is already well above what we saw all of last year and we are not even half way into the season.  Can you imagine if we see some of our regular springtime storms roll through with more major storms?   We’ve been seeing perfect temperatures and tons of moisture, creating the snow that is just what the doctor ordered  - a cure for the despondence some felt from our marginal snow pack we saw last season.  I’ve been out testing the only way to put it “EPIC,” snow this season just about everyday, just so I can tell all of you about it (and trust me that is the only reason, jk).  Whether you like to cut some fresh track through the trees or if you prefer the soft packed corduroy, we’ve got it all here for you. 

Here is a little insider tip for some great groomed and trail skiing:  If you are a groomed rider/skier, get here early and head straight for the Tahoe Zephyr with your grooming map (usually in that area we see the softest snow and most sunshine early).  Pioneer is habitually groomed and a great warm up.  I would ski/ride around that area until around 10:00 and head over to the Backside.  I suggest Burnout or Challenger, remember to check your grooming map to see what was done that night, before proceeding down the hill.  After that -  its all up to you, I can’t give away all my secrets!

For those powder enthusiasts:  Lookout Mountain is by far my favorite Powder skiing location at Northstar™ Resort.  If you are one of the first in that area, check out Martis (for an open powder run) or if you prefer the trees, stay between Martis and Boca until it starts getting tracked out.  It can get a little tight through that spot.  If you think you are the first one in that area but see a snowboard track, don’t worry it is probably just me.  Oh yeah, the Backside is always an excellent choice, I tend to see more people in that area earlier.  If that powder starts wearing on your legs and you would prefer little shorter runs with nice steep slopes, almost everything off of East Ridge for the most part has great powder skiing.  You can access that area by Comstock or Rendezvous, if it is a little busy because of the great conditions and blue skies, stay on Rendezvous, I generally see hardly anyone over there and little or no wait.  Justin and I were in all three of these areas last week and put together a little powder safety video in case your interested.

A quick update from B.A. The Weather Man:  We are looking at another storm system that is expected to move in Thursday and possibly dump 2 feet on the mountain by Friday afternoon.  There is potential for another storm this Saturday, but right now it looks like the ridge will split and the moisture will move south.  This storm could very well change and we could see even more snow, I’ll know more in a couple of days.  Check back,  have a forecast for you before the weekend.

Sunny Skies, what a Blue Bird Day!

Sunny Skies are gleaming through today.  We are expecting clear skies today and some more snow throughout next week.  We have seen 11 new inches in the last 24 hours and then the sun peeked through the clouds bright and early this morning making for a great day.  We also have excellent grooming for those who prefer the corduroy like trails.  Check back, I'll give a detailed weather forecast and maybe a few other things going on.  Take care and we'll talk to you soon.

Chris

38" Inches In The Last Seven Days And Counting!

Sunday's snow accumulation forecast is calling for 12-18 inches above 7000ft! And it doesn't stop there. Monday and Tuesday are also calling for snow, with chances of snow through Saturday. We will keep you updated as these storms give us a better look into what they are going to do. So if you were bummed that you missed out on the epic powder days this last week, your chance for redemption is now! All you have to do is get out there and rip it up. Maybe get that Quad Pak for $229 so you can ski any four days you want during the rest of the season.

Things You Are Not Going To Want To Miss

Starting February 1 through February 3, our Women's Ski and Snowboard Camp will be held for women of all skiing and snowboarding abilities. This is not your average instruction session either. The camp includes wine tasting, yoga, equipment demos, and more as our top certified instructors not only focus on teaching, but on health, wellness, and camaraderie. Make your reservations today!

Do five of your seven layers in your seven layer bean dip just not taste right? Looking for someone to high five when the Patriots finally lose?* Northstar Resort is the place to be for Super Bowl Sunday! The game will be on TV's in the Lodge at Big Springs on Mid-Mountain as well as Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Rubicon Bistro in the Village. Timbercreek will have the game on too, with some awesome specials including $2.50 Coors Light, $5 Jaeger shots, 1/2 price wings and nachos, and a raffle after every quarter. That's where I will be hoping Tom Brady goes down in flames! Don't forget to turn in your lift ticket by 12:30  p.m. and recieve credit toward your next ticket.

That's all for now. Check back this week for new daily videos on the blog, updated snow reports, and other commentary that you are going to want to hear about!

Justin

*Blogger's opinion about the New England Patriots does not represent that of Northstar Resort or the rest of Northstar Resort employees.

Will Saturday be a Blue Bird Powder Day?

We received over 21 inches of light, fluffy, Colorado like snow since last Sunday morning.  Forecasts are saying this trend is supposed to continue through next Wednesday or possibly later next week, only time will tell.  The temperatures are expected to remain below freezing during the day and night, so the fluffy snow is still expected to fall (in my opinion the best kind of powder there is!).  The current low is moving across California and is heading east, but right behind it is another system moving into the position of the old low and will remain here until Friday and early Saturday, but will clear until the afternoon.  Meaning:  Saturday is looking like it has the potential to be an excellent Blue Bird Powder Day, maybe a few clouds!  These systems have been gaining lots of moisture since they have been traveling across water, we are expecting an average of 2-12 inches tonight and the same through Friday, all depending if the storm hits the northern edge (which is what we want, more snow) or heads a little more south. 

What do you predict by Friday? 2 or 12 inches?  I am saying 10 inches; let me know what you think.  Sunday is looking like a big snowy day as the low crosses over California along with the tail end of another system in the Pacific Northwest that is expected to braise us as well.  By Monday, we are expecting a little bit of the system to linger and move out, leaving partly cloudy skies and some more new snow.  With no surprise, another frontal system is expected to move down from the north and deliver some more snow through Tuesday, but clear up on Wednesday.

Think the storm cycle is done yet? I don’t! Looks like another system should be reaching the Tahoe Region by late Thursday and from there, I guess you’ll have to check back to see what else is in store.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve made it a point to get out everyday since the snow has start flying this week and have seen nothing but great fluffy powder.  Who am I kidding, I’ve made it a point to get out almost every day, you know something like 55+ days so far. 

How many days have you been skiing or riding this season? I want to know!  Stay tuned, I’ll give you another update as soon as I have a more current weather forecast.

9" Snow Total, Still snowing!

What's in store for January 26th, 27th, and the weekend...? Following the busy MLK weekend, Sunday night brought Northstar scattered snow showers and about 3 inches. Tack on 3 inches during Monday day, and 3 more at night and all of a sudden we got a 9 inch storm total. And it’s still snowing now! The forecast from now until Friday is calling for a couple more inches, here and there. But the real focus is on a new low coming down from Canada behind the current storm, planned to arrive Friday/Saturday.

What’s Up for the Weekend?
In fact, The Weather Man B.A. says, “If it comes inland just south of us, we will get that northern edge with the heavy snow and it could mean a 2 foot dump.  However, if it goes a little further south we may get only snow showers and be measuring only inches.”

Personally, I think I will go with Option A, but that’s just me. Even if the Friday/Saturday low doesn’t max out on potential, fear not, there is another storm right on its heals for Sunday/Monday. Models are indicating that someone (hmmm, could that be Northstar..?) in the Sierra is going to get a total of 4-6ft of freshies by next week.

What’s Going On This Week? National Safety
Stepping out of daydream mode and back to the present, Northstar has plenty going on right now. National Safety Week continues this week with Captain Safety touring around the mountain, showing how to safely handle the parks and groomed runs. The Safety Tent located at mid-mountain is even giving out free hot chocolate, water bottles, and raffle tickets daily. Check out these safety tip videos on riding smart. Maybe your way of supporting National Safety Week is rockin’ a helmet while airing it out in the massive Superpipe that opened last Monday. The 420’ beast is looking pristine as the park guys are giving it a lot of TLC. So check it out. That’s all for now. Hopefully the next update will include something about my car being buried under a ton of fresh snow!

Superpipe open for the season!

Our 420 foot long Superpipe is open for the season!  Northstar’s Terrain Park crew put their final touches on the pipe early last Monday morning and opened it for the public as the lifts began turning. 

A Good Day, in a Great Pipe
This monster of a pipe is not just built, it is engineered.  Northstar’s enormous Superpipe is designed to near flawlessness and the walls are regularly cut in an effort to pursue perfection.  Our Superpipe is considered the best pipe in Tahoe and Transworld Snowboarding rank it the number 5 pipe in the nation! (link to press release, if we have?) You can get a view of the Superpipe or other areas of the mountain by visiting our Web Cams.

Conditions Today
Today, January 17th, the pipe was freshly cut in the early hours this morning and is looking great.  The smooth walls are gleaming from sunshine smiling upon them as you eagerly wait for the just sharpened edge of your skis or snowboard to slice the near perfect walls. Has your board grinded at Snowell lately?

New to the Pipe?
When you begin dropping into the 18+ foot walls, you can't help but feel a little intimidation.  Not feeling quite comfortable with the massive pipe yet?  I suggest trying a few wall rides and kickers in Pinball to get a good idea what the Superpipe is all about.

Mountain Safety Week
If you are raring to go big in the pipe or looking to learn its curves, it is always a good idea to practice Smart Style.  In an effort to emphasize the importance of safety, especially when skiing/riding Northstar™ Resort will host its annual safety week January 19th-25th.  There will be all kinds of safety activities and even chances for prizes if you know a little about safety on the mountain.  If you haven’t got it memorized yet, The Responsibility Code is the principle rule or guideline for etiquette on the mountain that every skier or rider should know.  Check out the video.

We want everyone to be safe and have a Good Day on the mountain, it is your sense of duty to make it happen.  Please let us know if you have any great ideas how we can promote safety this next week, we would love to hear them, who knows maybe we’ll adopt it.  Keeping checking back, the next update will be about some weather we are expecting early next week.  See you soon!

Superpipe is Open

Props to Snow Park Technologies for moving around all of that snow to create the leanest, meanest pipe in Tahoe. More tomorrow, took some sweet footage today and will give you the full report.

Terrain Park Update

Our 420 foot Superpipe is almost ready (keep a close eye on the web site) for all you eager riders looking for that near perfect, regularly cut pipe with over 20 foot walls.  If you’ve been watching the Superpipe Cam these last few days, you’ve seen the machines shaping and moving all of that new snow. I’ve been watching the construction of the Superpipe and honestly it is nearly finished.  The Park Crew hasn’t released the date they intend to open the pipe, but as an insider tip I am very confident we’ll see it open within the week, so keep that to yourself if you can, and keep checking the web site.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out our all-natural Terrain Park, The Stash, now is the time to do so.  Jake Burton, Snow Park Technologies, and Northstar’s Terrain Park Crew put together an all-natural park that includes a combination of park riding with a big mountain feel.  The Stash is the first run of its kind; it’s a place where riders can integrate their park riding skills into big mountain style in a fun, natural environment. The features include tree runs, road jumps, innate tables, and jibs all constructed with wood logs and other natural materials. 

Northstar™ Resort’s Freestyle Series the Pinball Rally will be held in The Stash this Sunday, January 13, 2008.  This session will be the second of five events with the next event being held in the Superpipe on January 27, 2008.

I put together a little slide show of some features you’ll find in The Stash and on Pinball.  I did not include all the terrain features we have to offer at Northstar™ Resort because you would be on your computer all day instead of getting out and shredding the gnarr. 

The Northstar™ Resort’s Terrain Park Crew has been working relentlessly to get their stellar park built to its reputation, and the Pinball line is there!  Transworld Snowboarding has ranked Northstar’s parks and pipes in the top ten once again.  We were ranked number 6 in Terrain Parks, number 5 in pipes, and in the top 5 resorts this last season.  I give huge props to Castaneda and his crew for all the work they’ve been doing this season to help open the envelope. 

In case you haven’t heard, our Terrain Park Crew has partnered with Snow Park Technologies and is completely committed to becoming a renowned SPT Terrain Park.  What is an SPT park and how is it different than any other park you might ask?  To be a SPT park it requires a high level of dedication to design and maintain each and every feature with the excellence and consistency you would expect from a top ten Terrain Park.  To accomplish this the crew is constantly developing and progressing their park designing skills in an endeavor to keep the parks always consistent, continually progressive, and of the highest quality. 

Keep checking back, I’ll try to include some skiers and riders in a nice little video next time.  I hope to see you on the slopes!

And now a word from the Weather Man, the one, the only – B.A.

“The next couple of weeks are looking very sunny for the most part.  We are expecting some colder air to bear down on us from the north carrying dry systems.  The weather patterns are looking pretty consistent for next week, bringing temperatures into the teens at night and in the 30s to 40s during the day with sunny skies.  The cold air and dry systems are expected to bring us some very cold temperatures later in the month, sometime around the 20th of January and lasting about a week.  The ridge is expected to push back towards the end of January and allow the storms move back into the tahoe region by bringing more precipated air and a little bit of warmer temperatures.  Have you ever heard of the phrase it is too cold to snow?  This idiom might actually be correct during the next couple of weeks.  Thankfully we have great snow and the conditions should stay pretty consistent due to the cold temps.  I’ll keep you posted and let you know if the forecast models change for any reason.”

Sunny Skies Forecasted with Great Snow Conditions

When the lifts begin to turn this Saturday we are expecting some valley fog to dissipate into nothing but a Blue Bird Sunny Day! The sunny, mild, and cooler trend is forecasted for late Saturday morning and will continue through Tuesday, meaning there will be nothing but great skiing in store for the weekend. The temperatures are expected to remain in the 40’s during the day and in the teens during the nights, giving us perfect temperatures to sustain all the new snow. With the storm earlier this season and all the snow we’ve seen in the last week, our base is looking really good, better than I remember it all last season. I was on the mountain shredding the powder the last few days waiting for some of those unforeseen obstacles to braise my board but never found, I guess they still remain unseen. I didn’t make contact with any trees, rocks, or stumps hidden beneath the snow (that is not to say they aren’t out there, I just didn’t find them) except maybe a few cut and polished logs in The Stash!

18 Inches Expected - 7 Feet in 7 days

How tall are you? Raise your hand above our head and reach to 7 feet. And that is on TOP of the base we already had. Oh yes, we've got coverage now. Lots of laughing on the mountain these past three days. We are expecting  ANOTHER 18 inches at the summit by Wednesday, January 9 morning - bringing our total to 7 feet at the summit.

As things are unfolding very close to  B.A.'s forecaste so we won't go into weather details today. Basically, it looks like a nice weekend is ahead of us so I highly recommend leaving work early on Friday and getting up here, or if you're a local, join the powder party  this weekend - it's going to be quite a snowy scene.

Did you know the Quad Pak means basically your 4th visit is FREE? And if you don't have your Double Whammy yet, with 3 months of winter to go, I highly recommend it. Everybody I know gets out more if they have a pass.

Stay tuned, may do a detailed weather report in a day or so. Thanks for the feedback on more video coverage, we did our best under the circumstances.