Lake Tahoe, CA, Backcountry Report: Big storm, high avalanche danger and gentle turns

Report dated December 14, 2024

We headed into the backcountry of Tahoe this morning in a heavy snowstorm.

The Sierra Avalanche Center declared a HIGH avalanche danger, with human-triggered avalanches likely.

This brought us to flat, unexposed terrain.

So we went for a nice walk in about two feet of fresh snow.

Geoff, Jamie and I drove around making skin marks and chatting about life.

The snow eased as we hiked, only to snow again as we reached the summit.

The snowpack appeared to be relatively stable, except for the top 4-6 inches, which was a dense, reactive storm slab.

We climbed a gentle tree-lined track up to the summit and then skirted a steep section.

Geoff decided to poke around near the steeper section and triggered a small avalanche (D1.5) 4 to 6 inches deep that spread over long distances in both directions.

We stayed at Mellow.

Back at the car (we had had to dig out a car-sized parking spot in a snow bank) we found the vehicle plowed in and got to work.

Once we were free, we headed back to the real world.

I got some rest, put on my clothes, and stormed out the door, excited for a few blustery rounds of Red Dog at the Palisades Tahoe, when they slammed the chair right in my face around 2:15 p.m.

Doh!

Probably the best.