July 3, 2011 Alpine Meadows, Tahoe

We spent the evening in the Alpine Meadows parking lot next to the stream and listened to frogs in the evening. I was surprised and half expected a big crowd in the evening. Alpine started the lifts at 8am and ran the express 6 pack and quad on the front side. They did some grooming so the early hour of skinning was fast with an inch of cream. The high speed lifts easily handled the crowds. The temps were mild and most folks were in shorts at 8am. The front side has a variety of terrain and the coverage was surprisingly good. It never gets old to be skiing and look down and see the deep blue color of Lake Tahoe. It reminds me how special it is to be skiing at Crystal on a sunny day and look over and gaze at the beauty of Mt. Rainier.

I skied a few hours in my new downhill boots and found a couple of minor hot spots. Once the snow became mushy, we packed up and headed for Squaw Valley for the party and skiing.

Photo 1 – View from the base of Alpine Meadows

Photo 2 – From the upper ridge with a glimpse of Lake Tahoe