Recently spent a night car camping in Tahoe (because who wants to pay $200+ for 8 hours of sleep) in a heavy storm and woke up to the sound of a plow clearing the parking lot I was posted up in. Got to the resort at 5:30am, just after the first plow put one drive-able path through the parking lot. There was about 15-18" / 38-45 cm of new snow on the ground and nowhere to park, so I had to drive around the block and catch more sleep in front of an apartment complex.
I got back to the resort around 7 and rode inbounds all day in and out of storm bands. By the end of the day I was exhausted and tiger balm for back pain was in full effect.
Note: If it's a weekend, look for lifts with limited parking, and access that requires a big traverse from other parts of the mountain. Gotta avoid those lines somehow.
Avalanche risk that particular day was a 4 (high), so the slack / back country was off limits to me. Some people recently got caught in an avalanche on a 3 (moderate) risk day at this mountain in a back country zone I have heard tales of for years. They had to get helicoptered out. Scary shit.
Not the zone I'm talking about above, but nearby where Caltrans sets off bombs:
The next day, early in the morning I could see some snow covered tracks in the backcountry zone I would be riding and realized people went for it on the high risk day. Glad they made it out. The risk had dropped to a 3 and this particular zone is well known for being stable.
I ended up riding it all day and got greedy on the final run. Skipped the known easy exit, chased untouched powder, and ended up in a flat area that I hadn't been to in years. Normally it's a 10-20 minute hike out when the snow is ankle deep, but this time it was a 45 minute slog through knee to occasional wind blown waist deep patches. I incorrectly assumed the lower elevation snow would have been stiffer after settling. Nope, temps stayed below freezing. Whoops.
My risk awareness for that day was too focused on avalanches and tree wells when it should have been on energy conservation. Taking a chance on a new line on the final leg of the final run of the day, when I knew I was tired was a bad idea.
I ride with emergency sleeping bag and tent, but I don't ever want to have to use them. The thought of "if any animal decides to attack me right now, it'd be tough to put up a good fight" definitely ran through my head.
Years ago, some experienced backcountry riders hit this particular zone after a 3 foot dump and they seemed pretty shook when they talked about getting caught in a deep flat area. They told me if they didn't have their split boards that day, they would have struggled for hours to boot pack out.
Anyways, happy shredding. Ride with extra food and water. Ya never know when ya might need it.
Topic: Snowboard Appreciation (Read 43570 times)