# TR: Shoulder season, multiple locations. spring-15



## snoseek (May 3, 2015)

Yup, things just didn't go our way out in the Sierra. Winter just never came. Multiple weeks in winter of low snow and brilliant sunshine made for a spiritually, emotionally and financially difficult winter. People started dropping after presidents weekend and by Late March it was just a handful of us left. Even the bay area people gave up. We were all actually itching for work to close down so we could move on.

Pretty much everyday looked like this:




and





Which is great for google tans but when you're planning on skiing, on snow, it not good. Everyone gave up. First it was the vacationers flying in, then the bay area people and eventually even most of the locals put their skis away in disgust. Not me, I'm born and raised in New goddmaned Hampshire. This snow builds character and beats sitting home.

Work slowed way down, went to weekends only-fine by me I'll go to Santa Cruz and also ride my bike after skiing vs going to work. For me this is the start to vacation!





Some Santa cruz


















Back at Kirkwood is was just a handful of people out daily. I'm not joking, many days just a dozen or two in the lot. I enjoy sunny days with a friend or two doing as we please. Fire it up! Anyway my day to finally be done work completely and move on from this abortion of a winter came in early April. 

The very day after getting done with any sort of responsibility of commitment this happened:




remember everyone gave up, completely empty.





^^^They all skipped work and came for this random Wednesday though. The benefit to skiing no matter what is memorizing what areas are keeping a decent base. My plan on this day was unbeatable.


Couple days later and the Sierra death star came back and started cooking the snow signaling my time to move on....albeit a full month early.

Next up: Desert


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## wa-loaf (May 3, 2015)

Sweet, except for that lack of snow stuff ...


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## snoseek (May 3, 2015)

So yes, desert time. some of my favorite time. I was tempted to ski some in the Wasatch but honestly Utah was having a rough go themselves and I saw no need to ski low base spring snow, been there done that.

I headed straight for Grand Junction and did some hiking with an old buddy. First was mt garfield









Next day, liberty cap

me




raised Colorado








...and I backtracked to Moab to camp/bike










hmmmm, my ass is killing me and the La Sals seem to be holding decent snow.....









I leave my phone off mostly when travelling backcountry solo to save battery. It was good spring snow though. I picked relatively safe lines. There is an impressive amount of really quality skiing high above Moab that sees VERY little use. I've always wondered, now I know.

Meanwhile the weather transitioned from sunny and 70's to stormy. It was dumping at alta and wind blowing violently in Moab. I packed my tent up early, budgeted my money and decided to transition from summer to winter myself.

Next-Summit county


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## snoseek (May 3, 2015)

Summit County. Everyone also left and with enough base for Breck and abasin to be pretty much fully open and a midweek cycle rolling in I knew it would be good times.

A sunny day at Breck before the snows:









The days following were quiet spring storm days













Abasin, I miss Colorado

















Four days of stellar Colorado skiing and I'd burned through my budget. Time to get back east.


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## snoseek (May 3, 2015)

After a long drive back in New England. My computer crashed out in the middle of my last update so I'm keeping in simple.

some ride pics first, when I left in the fall she was barely walking with crutches after being laid up for almost two months. Rods, plates and screws...and a ton of rehab:




Franklin Falls Dam:









Merrimack





Met Mishka, savemeasammy and kid at killington last week. Kids fucking destroys it, got dads genetics...

















And one last day at the loaf before ending my 4 week vacation. It was a great way to end it!


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## snoseek (May 3, 2015)

Time to go to work!!!!


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## Savemeasammy (May 3, 2015)

Nice report.  Maybe we will make turns at Kirkwood next time around!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## snoseek (May 3, 2015)

Savemeasammy said:


> Nice report.  Maybe we will make turns at Kirkwood next time around!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Droughts often end in flood. Despite what the media says it will end, eventually. Maybe not next month or even next year but I like to believe we've hit rock bottom (fml if we haven't). When it finally gets normal again you know what to do


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