April 19, 2009
Kids Skiing Red Lake - 2009
Joe, Kaptain, Todd, Shelby, Kelly, Lissie, Brady, Sophie, Roxie and Ollie
Sophie chows some corn on her first backcountry ski adventure on Red Lake Peak - 4/19/09.
It's becoming a tradition: Wait for perfect spring corn cycle, Set up a car shuttle on Red Lake Peak, Lead a pack of kids up the summer trail (see: herding cats), ski perfect corn snow to the waiting car at the highway, Grin, laugh and hydrate. Toddy, Shelby, Lissie, Ollie and I have done all 3 years. The first one took place in perfect conditions in 2006. Then we had a more adventurous experience in 2008 with thunder and lightening all around. Fortunately 2009 (which was 9 year old Sophie's first trip out) would be more in line with 2006 conditions. Which were perfect.
Met at the Road Runner in the morning with favorable weather over Meyers:
And we are off. Hiking above the snow park where views of Round Top and Elephants back abound:
Kids stop constantly to adjust the packs. What they are trying to do is figure out how to get some of the load onto the Dad's packs. Sophie was eventually successful.
Todd and Shelb:
Brady and Sophie:
Red Lake is very doable because the summer trail on the West side of the peak is melted out and easily hiked while the North and East sides are still fully loaded for skiing.
Liss and Brady with Kirkwood beyond. They would close a week later.....not due to lack of snow though.
Final push to the summit. Sophie reached the top first with Shelby on her heels. Soaph was proud, and dad was dead (he had her skis and boots).
Switched over just below the summit rocks for the first little descent.
5 kids and the glowing Sierras looking south.
Sophie goes first, cheered on by Kel.
Sophie followed by Liss followed by Kel. Roxie and Ollie are hot in pursuit too.
B-Mac.
It was Kaptain's first backcountry ski too. He hated it.
After the first little bowl, we hiked across the ridge to the top of the East Face.
At the top of the big one, we gear up one more time.
Roxie loves the Spring because the snow doesn't clump on her fur.
Kel skiing straight, Liss skiing switch.
B-Mac and Soaph going through some mental visualization before their descent.
Soaph, Shelb & Ollie dog.
Liss and Kel are digging on the corn.
Kaptain.
....gets it started.
The Stewart sisters. And they are not arguing at the moment.
Liss.
All at once now.
Kel and Soaph.
Shelby rode this line so smoothly, top to bottom.
Coach Mac with a bummed thumb, tunes cranking and 2,000' of corn below.
Soaph implemented the power wedge when necessary.
Cool shot of Shelby - if only you could see her better.
Soaph and the pup.
We'll just let the pictures do the talking...
Kel, Squew and Ollie:
Ollie and Brade-dog.
Coach and corn.
Kaptain and Korn.
Soaph slays the corn.
"Just keep going everyone!"
Coach w/ Ebbetts Pass peaks beyond.
Sistahs.
With the whole line behind 'em, Coach and Kaptain keeping farming the corn.
Just a miserable experience for the Kaptain:
Kel has to do one more year of BW with me next year. She's a great & fun skier.
Squew - loving it, but not admitting it.
My favorite picture of Sophie's first backcountry outing.
B-dog and Soaph making sure there's still more skiing to do.
The flats.
Shelb will some day convert to a skier.....not that she needs to, but she'll see the light someday.
Hot down below, so Soaph strips down.
and experiences the mandatory dirt crossing required on every spring ski adventure.
One more patch to the road and we are done.
It was so warm that day that we hit up Valhalla beach in the afternoon. Sophie and I even took the plunge. It was a first for us to take a dip in Tahoe in April.
Air = warm. Water = frigid.
We were bummed Boom didn't join our ski trip, but she was willing to chill in a beach chair at the beach with us. Jakes still looks good too, huh?
Great trip and looking forward to another one next year. Pretty soon Nora is going to be marching up that mountain too.