Riding Around the Range @ Remarkables, New Zealand Back in Mid-August of 2016, a father and son team descended upon a Southern Hemisphere gem…The Remarkables ski field near Queenstown, New Zealand. Located on the southern part of the South Island, the Remarkables is a mini mountain range by its own right. Running in a true North to South fashion and separated by the rest of the Southern Alps, not only does it have impeccable scenery but it also holds some absolutely radical terrain. Trip Report Casey Cane | August 11, 2018 3 Comments
Reminiscing the Radness @ Cardrona – New Zealand During a visit in mid-August of 2016, a father and son team had the opportunity to explore the fine terrain at Cardrona ski field. Even with pesky clouds blocking out the sun for the first half of the day, this team was able to enjoy wintery snow in varied terrain. Trip Report Casey Cane | August 4, 2018 1 Comment
Ski Week Slayin’ @ Telluride – 2018 Its that time of year again! It was no secret that the San Juans were having a less than stellar winter for the 17/18 season but as luck would have it, upon arrival in Telluride, we were met with cold temps and daily accumulations of Colorado’s finest white gold. Trip Report Casey Cane | April 2, 2018 0 Comments
August Aggression Session on The Sisters – Tahoe, CA How big was winter 2016/17 in the Tahoe region? The answer: we’re skiing non-glaciated terrain at the end of August! At around 6AM of August 24th, Joe Stewart and I ventured out on HWY 88 from South Lake Tahoe en route to Woods Lake. By just before 7AM, we were on the trail up towards The Sisters to find some late August turns. The Sisters are a few tall peaks (just above 10,000 feet) located due East of Kirkwood that hold north facing pockets of snow well into late Summer. We knew there would be snow, however, the big question for late Summer skiing is the state of the suncups. Massive suncups equate to the worst possible skiing surface known to man. Luckily, with the sun shining and a relatively easy hike up to the ski boot transition zone, we were greeted by a long steep slope with minimal suncups. Yippie! Trip Report Casey Cane | November 7, 2017 4 Comments
Telluridiculous Hiking & Chuting – Summer 2017 Summer gives us skiing’s second season…hiking and exploring those solidified slivers of snow in the backcountry of America’s largest mountains. Telluride, Colorado has some sweet high altitude north facing skiing in and around Alta Lakes and Imogene Pass. Most of the skiing in early July occurs between 12,000 and 13,500 feet. Trip Report Casey Cane | October 17, 2017 0 Comments
Box Canyon Bliss in the San Juans @ Telluride With now 19 years of annual visits to Telluride under my belt, it still feels just as special as that first decent down Palmyra Peak many moons ago. Flash forward to February 2017 and my wife and I have assembled our own crew to wreak havoc on the mountain. Alright, so the 9 month old did not make any turns but the 5 and 8 year old groms had a blast venturing all over the hill. With six days of skiing ahead of us, the weather gods granted a few inches of fluff on the first day, That was followed by two days of gorgeous Spring-like weather, a day of wind, followed by around a foot of cold smoke with cool air to finish up the trip.Ultimately, it was the perfect mix of conditions to find some powder, hike in the sun, rail some groomers, teach the kids some powder techniques and have a few nice meals in the sun. Trip Report Casey Cane | March 23, 2017 2 Comments
Savoring the Super Snowpack @ Kirkwood With over 500 inches of year to date snowfall on the upper mountain of Kirkwood, I was curious to see how my usual stomping grounds fared with all this snow. Would my usual ski line even be there? Upon arrival, the weather had stunningly blue skies and yet a consistent Eastern wind that was visible on the ridges. After the ‘getting the kids gear on struggle’ at the car and a few warmup laps with y daughter, I began my day on Chair 6, headed straight to the Funnel but found windstripped bulletproof on the steepest aspect. However, after a hundred feet or so below the ridge, the wind was absent and the snow was more mid-winter packed powder. The Fingers were fun but they are so small now…as in buried. Shortly thereafter, I notice that Chair 10 was finally loading so ran over to there to check out the coverage. I found that the wind was ripping up top and over Eagle Bowl into the Buttress. I normally roll into the Wall via the steep pitch above the usual traverse track but found that most of the upper steep pitches entertained the bulletproof layer that the winds created. Of course, I wanted to hit Once Is Enough but figured the snow was variable and I didn’t need a high speed crash, so I passed up the line (made the same decision for Upper Chamoix on Chair 6 earlier.) Conditions Report Casey Cane | February 17, 2017 2 Comments
All Your Base Are Belong to Us @ Sugar Bowl Sugar Ski Resort located on the summit of Donner Pass, CA has measured 536″ of snowfall on the upper mountain for the season. Yes, that is over 46 FEET (13 meters) of snow! On Monday, February 6th, 2017 Bevan Waite and I braved some stormy conditions to see all the snow with our own eyes. Given that most of the resorts around Lake Tahoe were closed for the day, Sugar Bowl ended up being the right call in order to make some turns. Unfortunately, extremely high winds shut down the chairs to the summit but we definitely were able to make the best of it. Conditions Report Casey Cane | February 10, 2017 0 Comments
Scratching the Technical Itch @ Kirkwood The series of storms that have hammered the Sierra over the month of January recently calmed down and in their absence, a ridge of high pressure gave California a chance to dry out. With Kirkwood receiving over 400 inches of total snowfall on their upper mountain so far this year, the calm weather provided a perfect opportunity to examine my usual fun spots and to see…well…if they were even still there. With my daughter in tow, we arrived early in response to the reports of crowds and full parking lots the last few weeks. Her Mini-JETS (Junior Expedition Team) begins at 9:30am, so with an early start, we managed to grab a few untracked corduroy laps on Chair 5 and sneak in a lap into the Ditch of Doom before dropping her off. Conditions Report Casey Cane | February 2, 2017 2 Comments
Before the Storm – Early Season Radness @ Kirkwood Early season at kirkwood mountain is quite unique. The mountain is littered with deep volcanic chutes and cliffs that skis quite differently at the end of the season with a deeper snowpack. On a normal year, these same chutes and cliffs disappear and may even turn into a open bowl later on in the year. Therefore, this early part of the season yields some radical mini-golf action in the classic Fingers, Wagon Wheel Bowl, Oops & Poops, Lightning, All the Way and of course all of Thunder Saddle. Casey Cane | January 6, 2017 1 Comment
Firming up a Solid Base @ Kirkwood – 12/11/16 Just like that another ski season around the South Side of Lake Tahoe is up on us. With strong wet storms providing much needed drought reducing rains since mid October, all signs are pointing to a solid year…my unscientific opinion of course. After a busy Thanksgiving, I finally was able to grab the kids and head to Kirkwood for our first day to ‘Ski at a Higher Level.’ While most resorts were reporting top to bottom rain the previous day, Kirkwood was reporting snow…albeit in the wet variety. In any case, since my daughter had a mini-Jets evaluation, we were going to ride regardless of rain or snow. As we pulled into the lot, the upper mountain ‘looked’ liked creamy goodness. However, after we took a few runs on Chair 7, it was obvious that rain fell on the mountain overnight. The groomers were in decent shape but a bit frozen and ideal for cleaning off your rusty edges. We headed over to the Village at 10am and ran into Coop who said straight up ‘it is FIRM up top but the positive is that we know have a solid base.’ With a massive crowd on Chair 11 due to some de-icing on Chairs 5 & 6, I headed over to Timber Creek to rail the groomers on Chair 7 until I was informed of the opening of Chair 6. Conditions Report Casey Cane | December 13, 2016 2 Comments
Sierra Cement Slayage @ Kirkwood – 04/09/16 Another late season storm pushed it’s way into the Tahoe region last weekend but with forecast models showing 9,000 ft snow levels, it really wasn’t looking too promising. With one day to ski, myself and the two kids decided to roll the dice and head to Kirkwood…praying for snow instead of rain. On the drive in the early AM, it was apparent that warm weather had a stranglehold on the area as we encountered nothing but rain on the summit of Carson Spur. The parking lot scene did not look much better as the rain fell from the sky and not just from dad’s forehead after fitting a few pair of ski boots. But hey, we are in the mountains, there’s almost nobody around, and WE ARE SKIING! As we loaded Timber Creek Express, a refreshing mist washed off our sunscreen laden faces as we soared above untouched perfectly groomed corduroy. However, to our surprise, it was starting to snow at the top of the lift. We took a few laps down the corn groomers, the Trench of Terror, Ditch of Doom and the rollers of the Gold Rush Zone until it was time for dad to get his groove on…alone. By 11am, massive flakes of wet snow were plastering the mountain including the base area. I met up with Bevan and his buddy Noah and we attacked the steeps of Chamoix and Oops & Poops…finding soft landings everywhere we looked. One of the good things about the warm weather was that the spring snow underneath did not have time to freeze, so the dreaded ‘dust on crust’ was happily avoided. Of course, there was a lot of goggle management going on but we managed to take quality runs on Notch Chute, Lightning, The Fingers and more. We met back up with my son and ended the day with a few more laps on Chair 6…but now finding around 5 inches of an untouched silky surface. As we departed at 3:30pm, the snow was still coming down and chain controls were in effect over the Carson Spur. By the next morning, 12 inches of snow accumulated where some resorts on the North Shore received only an inch or two. Luck was on our side and we’re not complaining. Conditions Report Casey Cane | April 12, 2016 5 Comments
Wallowing in Winter’s Warmth @ Kirkwood – 03/18/16 The season rolls on and El Nino has been gracious enough to continue to add substantial resets every Monday or so. On this day, we headed out to Kirkwood to check out the conditions in the West Shore area after 6 feet of new snow fell the previous on the tail of the previous weekend. Unfortunately, I could not make it out during the storm due to road closures and not wanting to spend all day in the car with my two lovely children. The storm followed the traditional pattern of big snowfall, high winds and then followed by four days of warm Spring temperatures. After finding a nasty ice layer two weeks prior, I was a bit hesitant to fully unleash on some of the steeper and more exposed lines, so we settled with a relatively conservative jaunt over to Boulevard Chute. To our surprise, we encountered a consistent wintery and silky surface all the way to Emigrant Lake. The rest of the day was spent searching for chalky and softening snow in Hell’s Delight, Norm’s Nose, The Wall, Sisters Chute and of course all aspects of Cornice Chair. Remember, the sun angle is a bit higher so those North facing hidden gems are beginning to get their fare share of sunlight, so if it snows, its best to get after it early. Bottom line, the upper mountain is CAKED. Cliffs and massive rock formations are now buried in areas like West Shore, All the Way, Fingers and Chamoix. Conditions Report Casey Cane | March 22, 2016 1 Comment
Springing into March @ Kirkwood – 02/28/16 After a nice refresh the previous weekend that was followed by extremely warm temperatures throughout the week, the bar was not set very high for finding great conditions on this ski outing. It was that typical Tahoe early spring pattern…the groomers were perfection upon opening and most of the off-piste needed some time for softening. But would the north-facing aspects hold any winter snow? The day began with dropping one kid off early for JETS and skiing with the 4 year old for a few laps at Timber Creek before dad could be set free on his own will. I immediately met up with telemark extraordinaire Bevan at the bottom of Chair 6 where we immediately headed straight to Thunder Mountain. The plan was to hit up Thunderbowl to look at V-tree and eventually make our way out to Carson Spur. If anywhere has winter snow, its the protected aspects in these two zones. Upon arrival to V-tree, we unfortunately found un-edgable bulletproof ice conditions under a tiny layer of new snow. Bevan made his way down slowly and safely while I ended up traversing out mid-way. Luckily, I found some cold powder in the chute directly below the ice-fall. After a medium hike over the Carson Spur, we opted for the 2nd Sentinel and headed in the direction of Mario Land. Fortunately, we found some smooth consolidated spring powder and great terrain. Although Bevan pre-released in the middle of his run, he was stoked to get his first tour of the area. The rest of the day was spent cruising Chair 6 & 10 with my 7 year old and having a blast of a time. We actually found wintery chalk in Chamoix, Oops, and lookers left of the Wall. Mission Accomplished and bring on the MEGA STORM in the forecast! Conditions Report Casey Cane | March 4, 2016 1 Comment
Thrashing with the Tribe…a week in Telluride! So here we are…another year, another ‘ski week’ in Telluride. With six days of skiing on the docket, the big difference this year is that the kids can actually ski with us! Hell, my 7 year old decided to pick off ‘double blacks’ all over the mountain. Call this dad impressed… Telluride is our staple ski destination outside of California for many reasons. One, and most importantly, there’s great hike-to steep terrain like the Gold Hill Chutes, Mountain Quail and Palmyra. Secondly, they have some amazing beginning and intermediate terrain for the little rippers in your family. Finally, it was a town before a ski resort and that character shines through as you walk down main street. I guess you argue that the views are pretty spectacular, restaurants are amazing, and the sunsets are to die for, but I only have some much time to editorialize. With over 240 inches of snowfall before our visit and spring time temps throughout the week, we couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather to ski bell to bell everyday. Groomers such as Henry’s, Milk Run, Bushwacker and The Plunge had that ‘every so perfect’ Rocky Mountain chalky consistency. Coverage in the steeps was better than years past, and outdoor lunching at Bon Vivant or Giuseppe’s could not have been more sublime. My only dilemma was trying to fit in some dad time lapping Dihedral face and at least one hike up to Palmyra Peak. I managed to bag those lines and a few others but had just as much fun cruising the mountain with the 4 and 7 year old groms. To be honest, it is pretty rewarding to see your kids having a blast on the hill but its even more rewarding when they crash to bed earlier than usual after a big day. Conditions Report Casey Cane | March 2, 2016 2 Comments
Sunscreen Session Volume I @ Kirkwood, CA A ski season in Tahoe is never complete without a dry spell containing some good ol’ California warm weather. There’s a solid base around the region so it’s time to breakout the SPF 75, your favorite hoodie and hit the slopes! The day began with some solid warm up laps with the kiddos in the Timber Creek area on runs like Squirrel Ridge and the Ditch of Doom. Soon thereafter, Dad headed up The Wall over to Norms Nose to find some variable snow but steep pitches. Over on the Vista tow, we found some great East facing chutes that started to corn up. Next, we headed to the West Shore area and took a lap down Boulevard because Broadway, a much steeper option, was showing some nasty bulletproof conditions on the ridgeline. We ended the day lapping Chair 6 in the Fingers and Chamoix ending with a run down All the Way on The Wall. Overall, the snow on North facing slopes were great but other aspects were softening due to the warm temps and sun exposure. With the forecast calling for Spring temps, it is probably a great idea to grab that extra bottle of Zinka. Conditions Report Casey Cane | February 12, 2016 0 Comments
Welcome to the Pleasuredome @ Kirkwood – 01/24/16 The ski season rolls on and continues to impress with additional snow and new terrain openings. With snowfall totals close to 300 inches on the upper mountain, on some parts of the hill, cliffs have all but disappeared that were above the surface just two weeks prior. That’s just plain crazy! We started our day like any other…sessioning all aspects of Chair 6 like Chamoix, Oops & Poops, The Funnel and The Fingers and then moving on toward Chair 10 to eventually make our way to the Backside. Conditions Report Casey Cane | January 28, 2016 5 Comments
Killing Some Time on KT-22 @ Squaw Just over a week ago, I was fortunate to be greeted by a foot of new, no wind, bluebird skies and one chairlift that has some of the best skiing in North America… After dropping off the two kids at Ski School, Dad in full sweaty-powday-freak-out mode, was stressed about missing those crucial first pow runs. Luckily, a delayed opening for the mountain gave me some time to relax…at the end of the KT line. Once the mountain opened, conditions were sublime all over KT-22, including The Nose, The Alternates, The Fingers, and of course, under Olympic Lady. For quality control, I stayed on the North Facing aspects to maximize my half day sans kids. Casey Cane | January 23, 2016 0 Comments
Back From the Dead @ Kirkwood – ‘the way it should be’ After many years of drought, the day finally came when Kirkwood was skiing like its old self again. With over 200 inches on the upper mountain, now surpassing the total snow of last season, all my favorite zones are skiing quite well. It has been some time where we could lap every aspect of Chair 6 to Chair 10, over to Eagle and Norm’s, to the steeps of West Shore and the Temple of Doom, with that final sweet lap back through Hell’s Delight of Thunder Saddle…AND IT FEELS GREAT! Casey Cane | January 22, 2016 6 Comments
Noodling the Nooks & Crannies @ Kirkwood – 12/04/15 After a Thanksgiving treat of around 2 feet of cold fluff, December 3rd decided to drop another 6 inches of the white stuff that would ultimately lead to a blue sky powder day on the 4th. The forecast the day prior did call for at least a foot of snow, but sadly, that did not pan out. However, in a severe drought, I’ll ski anything especially after spending Thanksgiving week sipping Mai Tais in Hawaii. This old guy was in dire need of a good ol’ Chair 6 session. Before lining up with the powder-hounds around 30 mins before opening, patrol told me that a brief rain storm on December 2nd solidified the snow a bit and to ‘be careful of the chunder.’ With that advice in tow, I decided to pump out some much needed pow laps before exploring the technical lines off the Chair. Conditions Report Casey Cane | December 8, 2015 2 Comments
Trip Report
Conditions Report
