Playtime on The Nipple

Things really started to come together with the sled missions late winter this year. In early March Ally, Dan & I got out for a flawless stormy morning in Blackwood Canyon with deep & fun turns. It was the first full ski day on the machines, and that day finally delivered on what we were searching for when we bought the sleds. 

This weekend we got out to the Blue Lakes zone up on Carson Pass for some exploration. We hadn’t been there before and things were looking more like spring corn conditions so we weren’t expecting too much out of the ski day. We were however rewarded with six great runs ranging from corn perfection above Upper Blue Lake to silky and steep winter conditions in Polaris Bowl and off of The Nipple. I took one heavy tumble down a 50 degree chute after I threw a shoe on a hidden rock. Nothing like a tomahawking four+ times to keep things interesting. Other than that mild beating it was another day of perfection in the Tahoe back country. During the day we ascended over 11,000 feet traveling over 40+ miles and our bodies were beyond beat when we retuned home.

Ally shredding some corn perfection above Upper Blue Lake

Ally and me doubled up and headed for more.

Looking South past Upper Blue Lake – terrain is out of the sled zone but looks pretty good to tour

Sleds are hot so time to take a lunch break

Ally works her way out over the exposure in Polaris Bowl – keep going, it rolls to nearly 50 degrees!

Ally under the cornice, you can see my turns that ended as a fall-line tumble down the chute

Back to the top for lap #2

Starting my redemption run – getting to throw some smoke top to bottom

Oh yeah, Ally – we can go ski that

Dan & Ally scoping lines off the top of The Nipple

Stoked and ready to head up

We ditched the machines on a high saddle and traded in for a skin track

Chasing Dan

Towards the top it got too steep to ski up so we opted to boot pack it

Views from the uphill – future terrain to check out

Dan at the top of The Nipple – 9,342'

Me up top, ready for some turns

Got my skis back on and looking down the face – nearly 1,000' to the bottom

Ally mid-turn slaying her line

First turns from to top and they are steep with stuff rolling

Dan getting through the crux of the 45+ degree chute

And safe & happy on the lower pitch

Back on the shoulder to collect the transport

One final look back at our tracks off The Nipple as we head out

Headed home and all smiles with the zone in the background

Afternoon light on the lookers right side of the zone

Lots of moving around as seen in our Strava

Some ups and some downs to the day

Sled Necking

Well, kinda… Last year Dan & I doubled down on some sick sleds. Machines with serious beef that could take you virtually anywhere you wanted to go in the back country. This year, Ally joined our little posse of completely clueless sledders. Dan & I were lucky to get 10 or 15 days on the sleds last year and started to learn a few skills. While we learned some basics, the lesson most seared in was that these beasts of the back country were hard to handle and that it would take some time to master. I’ve gotten out a few times this year and tried to continue to grow the skills. With a few mishaps here and there things are starting to come along, and we even got Dan on our first sled assisted Tahoe back country run. We have lots of zones to explore, and lines to scope and find, but every day things are a little more promising than the last in our slow sled neck education.

And then there were two – Ally's new RMK joins my whip

Ally on her new 800cc steed

Took Maher out for a little sled neck education

After some serious rains in late Jan navigation became difficult on the jeep road in Blackwood

An unfortunate collapse – fortunately the engine was above water

Looks cold, Dan

After ditching the sled and heading to town for supplies we free the sled from the impending ice

A nice sunny day with views out canyon and to the lake

Clear and awesome conditions when the sun pops

After a successful double we are atop the ridge below Barker Peak

Dan's first BC sled assisted shred

D.Hass making it look pretty easy

Me laying one over

Late in the day but think we found a little zone we could access the next time

Another good day, indeed Mr. Haas

Suns out and up at elevation

Heats up quick and smearing some turns

Ally first sled rip

Cold Stream exploration – the foot of a promising zone

Ally gets off the path at Donner 

Digging a ton with Maher

Playing with the big boys up Negro Canyon 

Sled Mishaps in Blackwood

A glorious day of recon in Blackwood

A great day in Blackwood – finally getting some turns in

Some further Cold Stream exploration 

Wellers Chrome Cherry

I was stoked to get to do an early winter trip with Weller. First stoked to catch up with the guy after so long – he has ridiculously amazing stories to tell from time in Pakistan & even a little crazy mission into Afghanistan. And second super stoked to get him on his first ocean going piggy. A great weekend and surely a new winter partner in crime to go hunt for Chrome.

Put Weller on the sticks and what do you know, he can put a boat where he's told

Closed eyes, full hands can't lose

Now we're into them, Weller getting his first taste of a strong fish

A true success, we even got her in the net

That's a banger of a first Chromer, Weller

A truly great fish, indeed

From our return trip in Feb – no huge fish but some nice clean ones