At last we got a good, solid winter storm in the Ely area. Well over a foot fell in the high mountains. About 4" in town.
I seized the opportunity to ski an area I have had my eyes on for a while now. Low angle was essential as avalanche danger was significant. These slopes fit the bill!
My first run was good fun. A bit wind affected but by reading the texture of the snow I was able to avoid most of the crust. Textured = soft. Smooth = crust.
An interesting aspect of this zone is that one approaches from the south/back and it is difficult to see the lay of the land from the top. On the way up after my first run I spied these two very attractive glade runs.
Took my second run in here. Wonderful snow!
So good I went up the following day for more. These snow bike tracks were of great help making trail breaking a breeze instead of a chore.
Views over to Mt Wheeler in Great Basin National Park.
Views of town too. Right center.
The glade skiing here was sublime! This is the bottom third of the run.
Big fun!
What a run!
We then got another storm.Wouldn't call it a regular winter storm though. High elevation rain and warm temperatures melted a great deal of snow. Went up Timber Creek in the Schell Creek range and was shocked at the lack of snow.
Worse yet, the areas with reasonable coverage featured a nasty rain crust. Oh well. A short window of good skiing beats no window!
