SierraPundit

Well, I guess it was inevitable.   The crowds inching up the Half Dome cables have become quite a mule train with congestion contributing to several hiker fatalities.

Crowds inching up Half Dome cable.

There will be 400 permits a day and demand will likely  exceed availability.  Permits must be reserved at least one week in advance through the National Recreation Reservation Service at (877) 444-6777 or online. There will be a small fee.  Permits for May and June will be available beginning March 1; July and August dates will open April 1.

One of the advantages of living a quarter-mile from Tahoe Donner XC is that it is one of the more vertical Nordic areas in the world. One can drop down 1300′ from Hawk’s Peak to the Euer Valley in one double-black run named “I’m Ok Euer OK”. Since this is a spectacular, hairy and sometimes icy run I insist on metal edge skis, relying on Fischer E99 Crowns with Garmont Excursions. While this is a fantastic all-around combination the full metal edge does kill a lot of the grip on the long, groomed slog to the top as well as on backcountry traverses. I also loath skinning up on groomed Nordic trails. Therefore I decided to give Fischer Silent Spider skis a try.

The Silent Spider skis feature a metal edge on the tips and tails and an aircraft-grade ceramic/glass fiber edge in the middle that continues the waxless pattern for better grip, especially on traverses, yet provides some bite on the downhills.

I must say I’m thrilled with these skis. They do provide better grip going up. I was a little worried the two different edge materials would be unpredictably grabby on the downhills but that hasn’t been the case.

A video review is at Youtube.

Like Jason in Friday the 13th this rascally rabbit just keeps coming back:

He just sat there for about two hours observing the street until the municipal snowblower came along. Anyone have a wecipe for wabbit fwicasse????

Looks like I’ve got a housemate for the winter:

He crawls out from under the front porch every so often and just sits there, motionless, for several hours on end. Meditating? What do wabbits meditate about?

According to this Sierra Sun article the railroad isn’t convinced of a pedestrian tunnels feasibility at the Mousehole. Fear is construction could cause the tracks to sag. Funny, here’s a similar pedestrian tunnel under the UP tracks in Davis, which seems to have been built after the railway embankment:

It seems to me a matter of emulating the tunnel boring machines and boring a little bit, install a concrete liner section, bore a bit more, install another liner section, etc.

Time once again for the fall invasion of the deer through Tahoe Donner and my yard on their way to lower elevations. There are 9, count ‘em, nine deer in this picture:

This other one came right up to the front door, as if looking for a hand out:

Fortunately I’m not into flower gardening. These critters nibble on even the nastiest scrub.  Flowers would last about a week.

ORIGINAL TAHOE DONNER HOA RULES DISCOVERED

Burrowing around in the E Clampus Vitus, archives I uncovered an early version of the Tahoe Donner CC&Rs:

Architectural Standards

In the interests of maintaining esthetic harmony and property values all structures except stills, slaughterhouses, smokehouses, chicken coops, cattle barns, horse stables, pigsties and outhouses shall be constructed of sugar pine, oak or redwood harvested from stout trees larger than 3′ in diameter. All structures shall be painted cattle-dung brown, horse-dung green, or weather-bleached grey. Only high-quality, lead-based paints shall be used.

No other cutting of trees larger than 3′ in diameter shall be permitted unless a notice is posted on the door of the Northwoods Road Clubhouse at least 1 hour in advance.

Unescorted women shall be permitted residence only in the Northwoods Road Clubhouse.

Public Safety

The discharge of fire-arms while on horse-back, cow-back, hog-back, or within 10 feet of an occupied dwelling is prohibited, except in case of Indian or Confederate attack.

The discharge of cannon larger than a 6-pounder or fire-works containing more than 1 pound of powder from a residence is prohibited, except on the 4th of July or in case of Indian, Confederate or highwayman attack.

Horse-riders, wagons, and carriages shall be limited to a canter on Northwoods Road and to a trot elsewhere. Galloping is strictly prohibited, except when being pursued by Indians, Confederates or highwaymen.

The use of ‘Norwegian snowshoes’ and other means of travel alarming to horses, mules, women and small children is prohibited at all times within Tahoe Donner.

Unescorted women shall be permitted residence only in the Northwoods Road Clubhouse.

Public Nuisances

The establishment of stills, slaughterhouses, smokehouses, chicken coops, cattle barns, horse stables, pigsties and outhouses within 10 feet of lot boundaries is prohibited.

The butchering and consumption of human flesh is prohibited except between October 1 and May 15, and on the Sabbath therein.

Unescorted women shall be permitted residence only in the Northwoods Road Clubhouse.

In order to facilitate the tranquil observance of the stars and planets as they revolve around our Earth, all external lanterns, torches, and bonfires shall be extinguished after 10pm, excepting the red lantern outside the Northwoods Road Clubhouse.

Tahoe Donner features the Northern Sierra’s easiest hike or bike ride with panoramic ridge and summit views. Make your way to the Glacier Way parking lot off Skislope way and follow the yellow route on the map to Hawks Peak.

Follow the yellow highlighted route for panoramic ridge and summit views

1. Get up at 5 a.m. If it’s already above freezing, consider going back to bed. Or to work.
2. Arrive at ski area 30 minutes before it opens. Some areas open extra early in the morning during spring. Consider skiing there even if you have a pass elsewhere. You should have paid the pass off by now, anyway.
3. Be the first person at the lift. Elbow your way past oldsters and small children, but don’t actually knock anyone down.
4. Start on the side of the mountain that receives the morning sun first. Ski that, and when the sun hits it, move to the side of the mountain that’s still in the shade. Stick to the side of the trail that’s in the shade, ignoring lack of visibility.
5. Ski like crazy. Don’t take any breaks. Every minute is precious as the mercury rises. Continue to elbow your way past oldsters without knocking anyone down.
6. It is now 11 a.m. Temperature is 45 degrees. Trails are a mess. School children are arriving. You might try silicone spray on your skis, but you’ll have to reapply every other run or so. Otherwise, you’ve had 2 hours of decent skiing. GO HOME. Or to work.
7. Remind yourself to live closer to a ski area so you can easily ski half days whenever you want.
8. Starting doing a tune up on your bike or work on your tan by the pool because in your heart of hearts you know it’s time to say good-bye to another year of skiing.

I’m serious, this is the only way to get any decent skiing done in this kind of weather.

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While riding the Eagle lift a while back I encountered an in-the-know fellow who mentioned a proposal kicking around for a backside lift from the base of Walt’s or Hans Down to the Sno-Cat garage at the crest of Skislope.

I think this is a good idea for two reasons. First, we cater to beginners and this would create several runs for them between the current green and blue runs in steepness. Secondly, the downhill area’s backside - almost half of the ski area - is extremely hostile to pole-less snowboarders and beginning skiers due to the long flat return to the Eagle chair. A lift would allow beginners to do multiple backside runs, longer than the ones off the Snowbird chair, and return to the front side from the top without thrashing their way a half-mile or so along Mile Run.
Chris Green of the Planning Committee has also been looking into it for capacity reasons. The Snowbird chair is so impacted on weekends and holidays that the quality of experience is starting to diminish.

The existing 'Mile Run' is colored gray, new runs from the proposed lift are colored green.

This does not necessarily involve a multi-million dollar detachable chair. A number of mom-and-pop areas have installed used fixed-grip ski lifts for only several hundred thousand dollars. One example is Montana’s volunteer-run Turner Mountain Ski Area. In 2001 Turner Mountain purchased a 1200′ foot used double lift for $220,000 and installed it using mostly free volunteer labor. Another example would be Colorado’s Silverton Mountain, which installed a used ski lift from Mammoth to offer lift-served, extreme backcountry skiing.

This project would increase TD Downhill’s marketable verticle by 120′.

Contact: Chris Nelson, John Reece