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midweek powder at Iron Mountain SnoPark

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
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With resort skiing closed, I am making plans to do some easy backcountry skiing this coming midweek after the second of two minor storms delivers fresh snow. So am posting herein to encourage any others in our region with flexibility and adequate gear to join me as there is value in doing this with others versus solo in case of trouble. This would be at the old Iron Mountain ski resort that has since been converted into one of our California SnoParks skiing on cut trails within otherwise heavy forest. Parking at a these parks requires a $5 fee for a permit one places on the vehicle dash. Note I have never been to this SnoPark and am unfamiliar with how much use it gets beyond noticing snowmobilers use it most. See this link:


BA at opensnow dot com:

A colder storm moves south down the coast and could start to increase precipitation as early as Monday afternoon, but then could bring snow showers to the Sierra through Wednesday. Snow levels dropping below 5000 ft. Monday night, and then below 4000 ft. Tuesday night. Ridgetop winds increasing with gusts to 50+ mph through Wednesday. Highs dropping into the 20s on the upper mountains and 30s for lake level. (Sierra-At-Tahoe a few miles NE thru Tue/Wed: 7" > 10" at 7k and 8" > 12" at 8k)

This satellite map shows the location.


And below is its topo map. Note the top is only at 7.4k elevation however with a 5k to 4k snow level storm that ought provide dry cold snow at 7k. I will be using Daymakers with Profoil skins using my 2020 Santa Ana 88's that I expect to go uphill rather slow with per my usual patient style and note am using this setup for the first time. I expect to mainly go up and down the 400 foot vertical mostly north facing lift towards the northeast per Google Earth 3D image below. I will also have a couple cameras along, my Canon ELPH190 and Canon Vixia R700 so will be able to take stills and videos.


Given the virus shelter in place orders, people can recreate outside as long as they maintain adequate social distances. Thus people ought to drive up independently from wherever using a totally self sufficient vehicle including food and drinks. And that includes having gloves to handle pumps at gas stations and a supply of their own hand sanitizers and or wipes etc. As such, this is also somewhat a challenging experiment for groups of we snow people meeting up to figure out how to do so responsibly, and for which we might later relate to the rest of the board as to how that went. This is the forecast for Kirkwood at 8k a few miles east and will decide at close notice when is the optimal time to visit the snow.


IM-GE.jpg
 
Last edited:

oldfashoned

Out on the slopes
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Jan 27, 2016
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395
I have been up there once when the spur was closed about 10 years ago. Sledded down what I would consider the main run a few times. Easy access from the road. Uphill back to the car. Could be a good area to tour around, depending on coverage.
 
Thread Starter
TS
SSSdave

SSSdave

life is short precious ...don't waste it
Skier
Joined
Sep 12, 2017
Posts
2,516
Location
Silicon Valley
Yeah that's why I added the map links. You probably did go down that obvious slope as it was right in front of the old resorts buildings. I did spend a wet spring powder day at the old resort but had never studied the map and don't recall much except being annoyed. BC stuff can easily scare a lot of folks but the old Iron Mountain resort site that had the lifts dismantled is as simple as it can get if one just sticks to the one 400 foot vertical slope area. One good thing is the first run down is for free, at the top where one parks instead of the usual of parking somewhere and then hiking up a slope.
 

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