Rare Earth

"in order to write about life, you must first live it"

Rare Earth, there is a reason why Kirkwood is just that.  26 feet total this season thus far and another 2 feet expected this next week just before New Years.  With a small hurdle to jump last week with some major avalanche warnings and high winds moving people around like rag dolls, Kirkwood is producing what it promises each season.  Epic conditions.

For New Years Kirkwood will be holding a torch light parade run, where the top expert skiers will ride down the mountain with flares during first night fall.  Now that is going to produce an epic photo!  On another note, mountain living has become quite the adjustment...awesome none the less.  Pushing yourself out of your own comfort zone is something I would recommend to everyone.  With a diet consisting of what's available, soup has become my new favorite food.  Living 45 minutes from any grocery store, preparation is key because when the roads close, they close and you're stuck until the snow decides to let up.  Working long hours combined with boarding and the high altitude, demands on ones body become quickly apparent.  Let's not forget after about 10 hours of working, you start to become loopy at work!

Avalanche training classes are coming up and I pretty amped to get out on the mountain and learn the ropes.  

All in all, expectations have been exceeded thus far.

WHITE OUT!

10 days straight of snow... just in time for the holiday season!  It's a bit ridiculous how much snow has fallen and keeps falling.  But then again it's Kirkwood.  With changing weather also comes sickness and I have already had my share of the "kirkwood crud" as they like to call it, where the flu once it hits spreads like wildfire.  Fortunately with one day full day of sleep to recover, it won't keep me from work nor boarding the fresh powder that accumulates everyday!

Jumping on the bandwagon with ZipTahoe, I'll be lucky enough to join the crew on my off days to take photos and get fully trained in zip lining at Kirkwood.

Our new website was launched today as well as the announcement of the backside and full mountain access opening up!  The season has officially taken off.

a little K-Factor education...

K-Factor Avalanche lesson:

Kirkwood mountain is made up of nearly 2 miles of ridge line where cornice forms.  After any snowfall or where windy conditions develop, Kirkwood can become at high risk for an avalanche hazard.  Classified in the CLASS A category, Kirkwood is of the most dangerous of about 12 avalanche areas.  Not to be turned away just yet, our avalanche control team takes extra pre-caution to ensure the safety of all those that step foot on the mountain...even to the point where they will upset guests by opening a bit past schedule in order to make sure all 25 zones have been dynamited and secured.  FYI don't be that guest that complains about the chairs moving slightly after schedule on heavy weather days, it's for your own good.  We will kindly tell you you should have gone to another mountain if chairs turning on schedule is what you are looking for...under our breath, asking you if massive amounts of perfect snow over stellar terrain is what you came here looking for, learn some patience and go have a beer :). Give them some credit...they work in groups of two, strapped with dynamite, in harsh conditions and have a stretch of time to secure some of the most dangerous areas from the time the sun rises to scheduled opening times!  Another FYI, sometimes the mountain opens before all zones have been secured, so when you see a rope and a sign saying STAY OUT AVALANCHE ZONE, it's to tell you stay out you not only are you in danger of an avalanche but we may still be setting off dynamite in this zone.  In other words don't be a 'poacher'.

A cool addition to Kirkwood this year... Zipline Tours!  Eight ziplines have been installed from the top of chair 7.  Ziping down the mountain from tree top to tree top, tours last about 2 hours.  Normally a summer activity, they stepped it up a notch and will have quads taking groups up all winter...  Something I will definitely be taking advantage of :).  

For the next week or so, weather shows mostly snow with a few sunny days here and there!

Crossing our fingers for another large dump just in time for the holidays!

Just another epic powder day...

What can I say, Kirkwood hosts some of the most epic snow!  Deep and Dry, it ranks top in my book for some of the best conditions.  WE DONT BLOW SNOW and if we do it's because mother nature doesn't cooperate.  It cost's about a million dollars to blow snow each day.  Yes, 1 million.  So you can imagine what ski resorts pay just to get their winter started.  Kirkwood on the other hand... yup, we don't need it.  Kirkwood holds such a unique location that it is rare that we need to resort to snow blowing to get the season going.  With a little patience and luck on our side, once the snow begins to fall...it pours.  Not even dipping into December yet, we have already reached 15ft total this season.  There's been talk that in 30 some odd years they haven't seen this much snow in such a short time and this early in the season.  And I must tell you, it's pretty epic.  Already 3 days boarded, I'm content and it's only November.

There's nothing like looking out your window at night and seeing beams of light from the groomers covering the mountain sides nor is there anything that compares to waking up to the sound of the chair lifts starting up and the groomers continuing to keep the snow fresh.  It's awesome actually.  I'm pretty much drooling over the fresh runs when walking to work.  Luckily enough, the 2 hour ride breaks are keeping me happy during the long 11 hour shifts.  For once, working long hours has become worth it.

The pattern for the next week in weather shows to be pretty promising.  Off and on.  A few days of snow and a few days of sunshine...perfect for bluebird days.  We haven't opened the mountain completely yet.  Our manpower is still trying to catch up to the conditions handed to us.  Between avalanche bombing in the morning and the groomers at night, we are doing out best to control and prepare the snow on the mountain.

All in all, Kirkwood is worth visiting this season.

Stay tuned for some more photos...it's been a busy opening week :)

Spread the love around!!!

There is nothing more amazing then living in a post card!  Nonstop hustlers these groomers are!  With about 15 feet already total this season Kirkwood is opening earlier then expected!  Wednesday November 24th Chairs 5,6 and 11 will be open with hopefully a few more on the way.  There's talk of The Wall being open by the weekend.  Massive amounts of snow covered all over Lake Tahoe over the weekend.  I was lucky enough to have my 3 hour trip back to Kirkwood turn into a blizzardy maze of 12 hours.  Luckily the subaru did it's job well.  All day and all night the groomers have been running.  From my window all I can see at night is a beaming light making its way through the white snow.  Throughout the week it is supposed to be off and on snow and sun, perfect weather to keep the season going.  I just found out avalanche classes are offered to employees at the fourth of the price, so one more thing to add to my list of things to experience!  Im waiting for the perfect conditions to take my first run of the season...it's almost here!  A few more avalanche grenades and a few more cat runs and we are going to have some stellar conditions.

POWDER ALERT!

Well well well, first powder fall of the season.  Still not enough to have the base we are looking for to open but give it one more solid dump and the chairs will be spinning.  Took an attempt at a morning hike this past tuesday... lets just say I was able to board down some fresh powder but not as steep as I was hoping.  Let's just say I either need to throw aside my sweet but stiff 32's and invest in some snow hiking shoes or I need to work on my stamina.  Im thinking both.  Regardless it was untouched champagne powder to the fullest.  Every boarders dream... that and some step shoots.

Meeting went well and it looks like I'm going to be working on snapping more photos than I thought, starting small as a side photographer but the more photos they like the more dinero I rack in :).  However I would say photography is far from a do-for-the-money love of it.  Strictly an added bonus to be paid for something you enjoy.  Look for hopefully some of my photos popping up on the new Kirkwood website that will be launching soon.  If you've navigated our website you will understand why we are choosing to step it up a notch this year and make it a bit easier on users eyes.

Not much to update as far as weather, looks as though it will remain a bit warmer this week.  Hopefully mother nature will turn it's course again so we can get the last dump we need to kick off the season!