Report from January 18th, 2020

Brought to you by Alpenglow Expeditions

Today was a bluebird powder day in the Lake Tahoe backcountry.

However, the avalanche forecast for today was terrifying and we were especially scared after the inbounds avalanche fatality at Alpine Meadows, CA yesterday.

While the likelihood of triggering an avalanche on this weak layer has decreased since the peak of the storm, it is still possible and the consequences of being caught in a below treeline avalanche of this type may not be survivable. Unless there is an extremely clean runout, you will almost certainly have a high force impact with trees. Avalanche size is expected at D2, but do not underestimate how far the avalanche may travel. – Sierra Avalanche Center, 1/18/20

We proceeded with caution.

We decided to ski a low-angle zone we were familiar with that we’d never seen slide.

The snow was still sublime in the morning.

Our first lap was crazy fun.

We each hit about twenty 3-foot airs each on that first run.

On our 2nd lap, the snow had already changed and the snow in the sun had gotten a bit cooked and the snow down low got goopy.

The forecast high today was about 44ºF and it felt like that.

On our way home we stopped and hung out at the lake and it was stunning.

The lake was perfectly glassy today with blue skies and no wind.

Tomorrow we’ll be searching for good snow on north-facing slopes.

If you’re interested in skiing the Tahoe Backcountry, please contact Alpenglow Expeditions for a guide and all the local knowledge.

TAHOE AVALANCHE REPORT 1/18/20:

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