April 5th, 2014

Location: Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California and BEYOND

Weather: Stunningly Bluebird

Riders: Slaythegnar, Slim & Pimpin’ Frog

Photographers: Mainly Slaythegnar with some help by Slim & Pimpin’ Frog

POV VIDEO Shootin’ Some Chutin’ @KirkwoodMtn – 04/05/14

Shootin’ Some Chutin’ @KirkwoodMtn – 04/05/14 from SlayTheGnar on Vimeo.

Music: Doc Scott B2B DJ Lee with MC Justyce – Metalheadz History Sessions @ Fire 21.02.14

Java Porn: Coffee with more of a kick?

Synopsis:

The last week of March through the first week of April 2014 have provided some of the best skiing of the year in the Tahoe region. With a glorious Spring day scheduled, we headed to Kirkwood to session up some of the infamous high altitude slackcountry zones before the powder turned to mush.

With snow quality on our mind, we waited for first chair on The Wall, and then headed straight to the backside to get a few laps out in West Shore. The snow remained in mid-winter shape and mostly untracked until around 12pm where the sun really began to show its strength. However, we did manage to grab some stellar laps in Broadway, Boulevard, and Temple of Doom near the bottom of Chair 4.

The highlight of the day for myself was a descent down Sushi Roll. Sushi Roll is situated between Boulevard and Broadway chutes respectively and offers a consistently steep pitch that funnels directly into the exit of Broadway chute. On this day, a few feet of fresh stable snow provided just enough coverage to make it through the center minefield of rocks.

Other than that, just another day in Tahoe where you start off your day wearing your puffy skiing pow to skiing slush in a long-sleeve by 1pm.

BLOG BEGINS:

What the hell is falling from the sky???…

Always a good thing to wash down the Tenderloin…

Night runs up the Waller steps and around Buena Vista Park were in order…

Early morning departure through Lodi…

By the look of things, I think it may be a bluebird day…

The Carson Spur with some wind depositing…GETTING EXCITED!!!

Hello blue skies and white powdery slopes…

Slim and his third child on his chin made an appearance…

Its a bit hard walking past impeccable groomers…

I TOLD YOU THEY LOOKED IMPECCABLE!!!!

EXPERTS ONLY BRO…

Slim is a bit unsure if he can make it down THE WALL…

Oh man…talk about a GORGEOUS DAY!!!

With a dusting of new snow, its looking fast…

Slough management heading to Norm’s Nose…

The Cirque looked amazing as we watched a few humans make a descent down Carnels….ski patrol? Filming? Poachers? I doubt it.

Norm’s Nose is always a good time…

Untouched pow days after the storm? Ok.

Did I mention how good the groomers looked?

CHAIR 15 IS OPEN….CHAIR 15 IS OPEN!

Slim begins his descent down above Broadway…

YEAH SLIM!!!!

I think his drive from Incline was worth it…

Pimpin’ Frog enjoying his first ever lap in West Shore…

Slaythegnar decided for a slash turn on Corner Zone…

Yep…a white room experience in 13/14…OMG

As I traversed over to Broadway Chute, I drooled over Slim’s turns below…

Looking better and better each visit…

Fast and Fun…

Sunny and Silky…

Smooth and Stupendous…

Time to start the traverse track back to Chair 4….

Now with a sweaty dripping helmet, I explored Temple of Doom for the first time this year. The first line being skier’s right…

Bear Valley, Mt. Reba, and the Sierra to the South…

Boulevard Chute anyone?

Great up top and into the shoulder…

Still a bit firm in the crux…

Got to stay ahead of the slough…

Two lines down, the sun is out in force, but I see one more line looking prime…

Today’s Panoramic from frozen Emigrant Lake…

Lap 2 in the Temple of Doom, this time in the center line. The only variable to deal with is the iceberg under the snow on this spine…

Someone has to the AC work on it…

Snow is almost always soft in here…

Luckily, today was no exception…

Isn’t skiing fun when there’s actually snow?

Lap 3 welcomes an old friend…Sushi Roll!

Gameplan was to take a few deep turns up top and slough off the top layer…

I do know to expect big hidden granite rock in spots below…

I hit a ton of rock through the middle crux but since its not the typical sharp Kirkwood rock, I sailed right over it…

Now its just making solid turns…

Pimpin’ Frog watched from the sidelines…

Slough control and then we’re good down to Emigrant Lake…

Well that was fun…

A group of people were out lapping Stovepipe…

Hell’s was still a bit rocky…

Why not give Handrail a go?

And from here to the car…

Carson Spur snowbank still growing…

Ridge Road looking down to Jackson…

Expectations Blown…