Sierra Trip Reports

Date: Sunday, April 3, 2011

Skiers & Rider: Andrew, Alex & Nick

Location: Carson Pass

Photos: Andrew, Alex & Nick (as noted)

Weather & Snowpack: This winter in Tahoe has been unreal in the volume of snow, and in some cases, record setting. According to Tahoe Weather Discussion, for the month of March up to and including March 28th, “8-16 feet on the resorts in the last 10 days of non-stop snow, 11-21 feet in the past 2 weeks, and 13-23 feet in the month of March.”

Once the snow stopped on March 28th, that week brought a rapid warming trend. Unfortunately, nights were not refreezing so the snowpack was not transitioning to corn snow. After several days of heavy glop due to the warm days and nights, on Saturday night, April 2nd, we finally received what we had been waiting for – a very strong refreeze of the snowpack due to well-below freezing nighttime temps and a clear night for some radiational cooling of the snowpack.

As a result, Sunday we awoke to a strong refreeze, warming temperatures (capped around 40F) and blue-bird skies – the perfect combination for rapid corn snow growth.

Synopsis: Andrew, Alex and I headed out to Carson Pass in search of corn. Ultimately, our tour ran approximately 9.8 miles on skis, with approximately 4500′ of vertical ascended and 5200′ of vertical descended. Most importantly, this was Alex’s first day back in the backcountry following a full recovery from some spontaneous lung collapses last year. A proud welcome back indeed!

Pictures to follow. Note that this TR is several pages long.

First a little background direct from Alex on his triumphant return to the backcountry this weekend:

June 30, 2010 – Three days after my 30th day snowboarding in the backcountry last season, my left lung spontaneously springs a leak and collapses by over 30%. I go to the ER and get a valve installed in my chest so that my lung can heal on its own.

July 6, 2010 – Less than a week later, my lung springs another leak and collapses big again. I go into emergency surgery within 30 minutes. Two small pieces of my lung are cut out and I get stainless steel staples permanently put in to patch up the surgical resections. The surgeon says I am at risk for future spontaneous collapses, but no one knows what the odds really are.

March 24, 2011 – My new pulmonologist is concerned about my lung popping while I am in the backcountry and developing into tension pneumothorax – or put another way, my death because I can’t get an ambulance. I get a high resolution CT scan to determine if there is real risk for future collapses. The radiologist report is awesome – no sign of pulmonic blebs that can pop and spring more leaks, and there is also evidence of post-surgical scarring that would keep my lung sticking to my chest cavity instead of peeling away and collapsing big time again. My pulmonologist gives me medical clearance …

Time to get back to the backcountry!

As you can tell, Alex was pumped to get back out in the backcountry, and Andrew and I were very fortunate to be able to share this awesome day with him in perfect corn conditions in Carson Pass!

Prior to heading to Carson Pass, we left my car at Kirkwood in case we decided to tour from CP back to Kirkwood at the end of the day. This ended up being the end result during our corn-search.

After the car drop-off, we started the skin out from CP towards Round Top. Always an amazing site. Photo: Alex

We continued to make good time on the refrozen snow and get up to the saddle between Round Top and the Sisters to check out the 2,500’ gullies on the South side of Round Top. Photo: Andrew

Alex, pumped to be back out in the BC, looking out towards the Mokelumne Wilderness. Photo: Andrew (Alex’s camera)

Although the winds were still moving a bit, we headed over to the South gullies on Round Top to check the refreeze from the prior night and whether the sun was starting to corn the snow. Fortunately, the winds were slowing down the corn process a bit, as those Southern aspects in the back of Round Top can get VERY manky quickly and get you into trouble with wet instabilities later in the day (making for a very long, gloppy skin out). Interestingly, the re-freeze must have been very strong the previous night, because throughout the entire day we did not encounter any wet instabilities, roller balls, pinwheels or point releases. A truly great day out there.

Alex drops in near the summit of the backside of Round Top, for the beginning of an approximately 2,500’ descent. Photo: Nick

The very upper top was still in the transition stage to corn due to the winds, but within 200 yards we started to hit good corn. Alex carving on the harder stuff up top.Photo: Andrew

Andrew dropping in near the summit of Round Top, getting ready for the softer stuff. Photo: Alex

Nick opening it up as the corn starts to get buttery smooth and really fast. Photos: Alex

Man I love spring skiing (well, “spring” until our next storm this week delivers so new pow)! Photo: Alex

Alex is clearly enjoying be back in the BC. Photos: Nick

From his vantage point, Alex captures Andrew and Nick making nearly identical turns in a nearly identical place. Photos: Alex

Things start to steepen half-way down the gully and the skiing really gets good! Sequence of Nick. Photos: Alex

Meanwhile, Andrew picks another great line. Photos: Alex

The corn hunting continues on, making our way towards the bottom of the 2,500’ Southern gullies. Nick and Andrew, respectively. Photos: Alex

The lower we got, the better the corn got! Andrew catching some of the sweet stuff. Photo: Alex

Nick charging – man that was smooth corn! Photos: Alex

Alex framed this shot so well – so may as well include another of Andrew! Photo: Alex

Don’t worry – Alex definitely got some good stuff in as well. Here he is, shredding the lower gully. Photos: Nick

Nick following in course. Photo: Alex

Andrew closes out the sequence, down to Summit City Creek. Photos: Nick

After the long and amazing descent, we pulled up next to Summit City Creek for a very quick transition to start working up towards Fourth of July Lake. At first, we were worried that the skin up would be a gloppy mess, but as noted above, the snow really held up well even in the direct S-SE aspects.

But before moving, Alex did need to take in the relaxing pace of another day back in the BC! Photo: Andrew

After making it up to Fourth of July Lake pretty quickly, we stopped for lunch to discuss options. Here, Andrew and I sit below Fourth of July Peak, with the Sisters to our back. Photo: Alex

After a brief discussion, we decided that the snow was holding up well and we wanted to continue up towards Stovepipe and eventually Kirkwood (with the alternative of looping back NE towards the Sisters and back to CP).

Alex and Andrew following the skin up towards Stovepipe, with Fourth of July Lake below and Deadwood Cirque in the distance. Photo: Nick

Nick and Andrew, with what looks like a legitimate Alaska-style face behind us. Does anyone ski that? Looks super awesome. Photo: Alex

After getting up to Stovepipe, we dropped in for our last descent of the day, with Kirkwood off in the distance. Andrew dropping into Stovepipe and riding the channels. Photos: Alex

Nick following a slightly different line. Photo: Alex

Alex drops into Stovepipe below the Sun. Photo: Nick

After skiing all the way to Chair 3 at Kirkwood, we missed the last chair by literally 2 minutes. Well, Andrew and I were there, but we had to wait for Alex due to his split-fiddling nonsense 😉

Andrew wishing for a time-machine! Photo: Alex

In all seriousness, I was glad the resort closed so we could just skin up the green run to the front-side of the mountain. I mean, who really wants to end a day like this riding a lift?

The last transition, getting ready to ski the front-side down to the parking lot where my car waited. Photo: Alex

Let’s finish it off with some ragged-looking dinner at the Kirkwood Inn. That is – I am looking ragged (not the food – which is delicious)! Photo: Alex