Dale Matson
We are now well into the fall season and soon our rain in
Fresno will be snow in the Sierras. Once the skiing season starts, I usually
get up to ski once a week depending on the weather. I want to say immediately
that downhill skiing has never appealed to me though I have given it an honest
try. Just arriving in the parking lot with car radios blasting heavy metal
music and beer coolers being unloaded for the trek to the lodge put me in the
wrong frame of mind. I am more the Enya and
granola person.
My first ten years in California, I skied machine groomed
surfaces with waxless trak skis and skate skis. My choices close to Fresno are
Montecito Sequoia resort in Sequoia Park and Glacier Point Road (groomed as a
trail in winter) in Yosemite. I have also skied at Tamarack by Mammoth Mountain
and loved the scenery and groomed trails.
Sequoia Park near Big Meadow
Lake Mary From Ski Trail Near Mammoth Mountain
Who could forget the squeaking sound
of ski pole tips on cold snow? On a cold
day with freshly groomed snow, the experience is wonderful. These places have clear
views of the Sierras that warrant taking a camera. Groomed surfaces allow for
fast travel and the ski from Badger Pass to Glacier Point (21 miles round trip)
can be done as a day ski. My only caveat is that an old groomed surface that
has thawed and refrozen can be outright dangers to ski. The grooves on the
trail sides are what I would call suicide ruts at that point.
Half Dome From Glacier Point
My first backcountry
ski experience was a day trip to the Ostrander Lake in Yosemite on new back
country skis. It is also about 20 miles round trip but takes twice as long as
the trip to Glacier Point. Most folks ski to Ostrander as an overnight at the
ski hut.
L to R Track, Skate And Back Country Skis
Back country skis are shorter and wider than skis for
groomed surfaces. This is for maneuvering and flotation in deep powder snow
conditions. I have experienced fresh powder so deep that it is too deep to ski
in. Snowmobiles get stuck in snow like that. Generally however, I like fresh
powder snow since a fall is cushioned by the snow. Getting up in deep powder
can be a problem if you do fall.
Back country skiing has become my preferred ski experience.
We have two snow parks that we use within an hour of our home. Coyote and
Tamarack both have Nordic skiing with views of Shaver Lake, Balsam Forbay and
Huntington Lake. The views are a great place for lunch.
Shaver Lake Overlook
Your trail is the trail
you create. Having a few folks along, helps, when breaking trail in fresh snow.
Each person takes a turn at the lead. Back country skiing requires more gear than
groomed trails. You need a day pack with a hooded windbreaker, food, water,
map, compass or GPS and duct tape for emergency repairs. I also carry a
balaclava, satellite phone and spare waterproof gloves. Drinking water is
important since it is easy to become dehydrated in the dry mountain air.
Back country skiing is quiet. It bestows a solitude and
reverent frame of mind. There are various animal tracks in the snow. How in the
world do coyotes get around so well in deep powder as they look for an occasional
rodent? Our Airedales have been a part of our ski experience and they so enjoy
frolicking in the snow. Duke, our big male tends to post hole because of his
weight. Susie our female got herself in trouble one spring jumping into Tamarack Creek to chase ducks. The bank was too high with snow for her to climb back
out. I had nylon webbing and was able to lasso her and help her back out. Tree
wells can also a dangerous trap if you fall into them. After a fresh snow, the
evergreens are adorned with a breathtaking mantle of white.
Squirrel Trail Tamarack Snow Park
Finally, I can’t emphasize enough what a great workout back
country skiing can be. It is an overall body conditioner and calorie burner par
excellence. Because the weather is less conducive to swimming and cycling in
our winters, skiing makes up the difference. It is always sad for me when our
snow pack begins to drop but the water from it creates our rivers which fill
our reservoirs. Mountain snow is the source of much of our drinking,
hydroelectric, recreational and irrigation water. For that we are truly
blessed.
.JPG)
March Sierra Snow Pack
Here is my you tube video of the Glacier Point ski from Badger Pass.
No comments:
Post a Comment