Hey crew,
We almost bailed on this one.
The early season in the Sierra Nevada has been… well, thin. Just a couple of storms really. Snow totals have been hit or miss. Coverage reports were full of “watch for sharks.” It felt like one of those years where you convince yourself to wait another week or just go for a trail run.
But instead of pulling the plug, we went full snow-nerd mode. Refreshing OpenSnow multiple times a day. Diving into snow depth charts each passing day. Temps. Wind. Everything. If you know you know. If not, check out these screenshots. Basically, everything weather-wise you could need to plan for a 3 day backcountry ski trip.
We were planning each day based on what the data was actually showing, not just wishful thinking. Based on the snow depth report by elevation, we planned our first day. Knowing that winds were ~80mph, we decided to stay clear of ridgelines and North faces, also knowing that those aspects were heavily wind loaded, leading to high avalanche danger.
We skinned out to the hut on day one….And things lined up perfectly from there.
Eight inches overnight of cold, really cold snow.
Ridgelines were still trashed from the wind, so NE tree skiing it was.
Blower powder. I mean blower. And, in the Sierra, this is rare.
The kind of snow that makes you laugh mid-turn. The kind where every pillow stacks perfectly and the slough just pours over your shoulder. Not “good for early season.” Just good. Perfect for putting our new Storm Rider jacket through the paces.
Pillow lines. Cold smoke in the trees. Clean landings. Three buddies just grinning ear to ear like dummies.
On the skin track day three, my friend Adam said something that really stuck with me:
“How beautiful is it to be fortunate enough to have the time, ability, and conditions for a trip like this? There really can’t be many left where all the things line up this good.”
He’s right.
Good snow is one thing.
Good partners are another.
And time. The ever fleeting precious resource that is slipping through all of our hands.
But when timing, health, weather, stoke, and life all cooperate? Magic.
That window feels smaller every passing year.
Grateful we pulled the trigger. Grateful we trusted the forecast. Grateful the storm delivered.
Now, go check the forecast and rally your crew.
Venture Far. Laugh Hard….the time is now.
See you out there,
Dom
Co-Founder KETL Mtn.
P.S. Oh, and it’s pretty sweet when your friend on the trip also happens to be a badass photographer. Check him out on IG @jbaxslt
