Location: Kirkwood Mountain Resort, CA
Date: Sunday, November 28, 2010
Skiers & Boarders: Jon, Alex & Nick
Location: Kirkwood Mountain Resort, CA
Photos: As noted
Synopsis: Quite simply, this was just plainly the most ridiculously awesome opening day to a ski season I have ever experienced. The fact that it took place in November further emphasizes the fact.
From Friday, November 19th – Thanksgiving Day, the Tahoe Basin was lucky to receive one of the largest November snow storms on records. Six to eight feet of snow fell depending on the location and altitude – not including wind-loading along the Crest. Then during the late stages of Saturday, November 27th, another 16-24 inches of snow fell in Tahoe. The end result was Jon, Alex and I hoping in the car Sunday morning, and heading to Kirkwood for what we expected to be some ridiculous conditions… in November.
The pictures pretty much tell the tale…
As the storm had come in very cold and day time highs remained in the upper teens to low twenties, we were expecting bluebird skies and cold smoke powder.
Both were delivered. Here, Jon getting a taste of the cold smoke in the Palisades. Photo: Alex
Alex getting a taste as well. Photo: Jon
Alex comes up for air. It was deep. Photo: Jon
And by deep, I mean ULTRA DEEP NOVEMBER POW. Nick getting in DEEP. Photo: Jon
Nick getting in CRAZY DEEP. It’s November, in case you didn’t remember! Photo: Alex
Just when you thought these pictures were getting ridiculous, Jon decides to match it through waist deep November Pow… on 130+ waist Praxis Protests. Photo: Nick
Not to be undone, Alex answers on a snowboard in one of the DEEPEST zones of the day. Photo: Nick
Did I mention that this was Utah-quality snow, measured in feet and delivered in November?
On account of said deepness, we soon realized that coverage was sufficient for the cliffs to come into play. Alex opens up with a huge method air. Photo: Nick
Jon fully sends one of the larger cliffs of the day. Photo: Alex
Nick airs into Ski School Chute. Photo: Jon
Alex somehow manages to make a snowboard and one pole look like a tele-turn. Photo: Jon
Nick hucking a nice cliff. Photo: Alex
Jon answers, noting “Hey, I can do that, but bigger and I stick my landings.” Photo: Alex
To be frank, I am too busy to notice his remarks, taking off in the good stuff. Photo: Alex
Meanwhile, Alex is still sending that huge method air (from a different angle). Photo: Jon
Jon in a nice small cliff zone. Photo: Alex
Even where areas where starting to get tracked out at the end of the day, the snow was still super cold. Photo: Alex
Ultimately, however, the day did have 2 casualties…. Alex’s airs and aggressive lines through some cliff zones cost him one snowboard. I mean, nothing like opening up the season by almost splitting your board! Photo: Alex
And for the second, Ski School Chute got bombed out pretty quickly after our hucking entrances. Nothing says “Opening Day” like hucking into a narrow chute into a now-developed bomb hole from hucking. Your skis stick straight in and you get tossed up perfectly. Here, I demonstrate this timeless technique of airing into a hole, only to be immediately flipped. Well, at least my skis stayed on!
Here’s to improving in 2010-11!!!! Photo: Jon
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