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Cathy Gherardi Home: Incline Village, NV Exp. 17th yr. skier/ 5th yr. snowboarder |
12-6-1997 - 7:00 p.m.
Early season skiing is a little known treasure that those of us who live in Tahoe hope the rest of the world
will never discover. You'll not only find reduced lift ticket rates and virtually no crowds, but you'll
usually find a high level of service from a fresh, attentive staff that's as anxious for the season to get
off the ground as you are. Combine that with 4-6" of fresh powder and you have the makings for a
good day on the slopes. That, in essence, was my day snowboarding at Northstar, Saturday, December 6, 1997.
I'm a skier at heart, but when I go to Northstar it's almost exclusively on a snowboard. The long, wide open
groomed intermediate runs and bowls provide the perfect terrain to work on my turns and even try the occasional
jump now and then (ok, my board really only makes it an inch or two off the ground, but I'm trying).
I boarded the better part of the morning off of the Comstock Quad at the top of the mountain, checking out
most of the intermediate runs off the West Ridge (and even braving it down a few ungroomed advanced runs).
Conditions were good; a bit firm-pack in the center of the groomed runs; stay on the edge of the run if you
want the best snow. For me, though, the real fun is in the trees! I found at least 6" of light, fluffy powder
...with a good base and very few obstacles. After four or five runs I stopped at the mountain-top Summit
Grille for a rejuvenating break.
Now having been a skier for 17 years and having worked in the ski business for 8 of those years, there's one
thing I've come to appreciate about Northstar -- their attention to service and detail. One of the highlights
of my day (don't laugh) was baskets in the restroom stalls at the Summit Grille. Those of you who have ever
used the facilities and had to fumble to keep your gloves, hat and goggles from dropping to the floor into
a wet, muddy mess know exactly what I mean. Not to mention the fact that the bathrooms look like they belong
in a 4-star hotel, not a ski resort: clean, well maintained, sharply decorated - it's worth a visit to the
Summit Grille just to check out the facilities alone (small details make a big difference -!)
After my little side trip I headed off to the skier's right of Comstock lift to the Flume and Powder Bowl; this
soon became my favorite playground for the day. The snow through the trees around Powder Bowl was the kind of
snow that makes you shout weeeeeee out loud. I rode the Rendezvous Triple Chair, catching a few more runs
in this area before heading down to the Big Springs Day Lodge for lunch.
I was mildly disappointment that the Summit Grille was not yet open for lunch (I love the burritos up there),
however the choices at the Day Lodge were impressive. Aside from traditional burgers and fries you can order
veggie-burgers, pizza, made-to-order Caesar salads, select from three different types of pasta and sauces,
and more. I was so overwhelmed, I had to circle the room three times just to decide what to eat. Great
food, great bathrooms, great snow -- what more could a girl ask for?
While I ate the snow started falling thick and heavy, and still no wind to speak of (Northstar's pretty well
protected and a good place to be on a stormy day). After picking up my board from the complimentary ski
check (another nice touch), I headed back up the mountain at 12:30. By the time I was to the top of the
Comstock Quad there was a visible layer of snow covering my clothes and the runs. I once again headed to
Powder Bowl and my playground was more fun than ever before.
I've always been a fair-weather skier, so it took a lot for me to bundle up and head out on a snowy day - but
if you can stay warm and dry while it's snowing, the pay-off is big! The snow was coming down so heavily I was
getting fresh tracks on virtually every run, even on the main trails -- it was like cutting through butter.
At 2:30 I decided to call it a day, more out of exhaustion than anything else. I boarded all the way to the
bottom of the mountain, making a mental note to take the Gondola down next time -- the bottom of the mountain
gets a little too flat to keep a snowboard moving; I had to get off and walk the last 50 yards or so.
All in all, it was a great day. According to my Vertical Plus wrist badge, I logged 16,430 vertical feet for
the day -- no wonder I was so tired. The snow continued to fall all weekend, and I wouldn't be surprised if
the entire mountain is open by Monday, December 8. Those of you looking for early season deals have about
10 days left to catch them; check out your local sports shops in Sacramento and the Bay Area to find out about
the best early-season specials.
I'm looking forward to returning to Northstar later in the season, especially once they've opened their new
Lookout Mountain for Guided Cat Tours! Haven't decided yet if I'll take the skis or snowboard out for that
venture.
For me, though, the real fun is in
the trees! I found at least 6" of light, fluffy
powder ...
Northstar Website
Matt Winter's 11/25/97 Review
Message Cathy's Mailbox
12-6-1997 - 7:00 p.m.
|
Early season skiing is a little known treasure that those of us who live in Tahoe hope the rest of the world
will never discover. You'll not only find reduced lift ticket rates and virtually no crowds, but you'll
usually find a high level of service from a fresh, attentive staff that's as anxious for the season to get
off the ground as you are. Combine that with 4-6" of fresh powder and you have the makings for a
good day on the slopes. That, in essence, was my day snowboarding at Northstar, Saturday, December 6, 1997.
I'm a skier at heart, but when I go to Northstar it's almost exclusively on a snowboard. The long, wide open
groomed intermediate runs and bowls provide the perfect terrain to work on my turns and even try the occasional
jump now and then (ok, my board really only makes it an inch or two off the ground, but I'm trying).
I boarded the better part of the morning off of the Comstock Quad at the top of the mountain, checking out
most of the intermediate runs off the West Ridge (and even braving it down a few ungroomed advanced runs).
Conditions were good; a bit firm-pack in the center of the groomed runs; stay on the edge of the run if you
want the best snow. For me, though, the real fun is in the trees! I found at least 6" of light, fluffy powder
...with a good base and very few obstacles. After four or five runs I stopped at the mountain-top Summit
Grille for a rejuvenating break.
Now having been a skier for 17 years and having worked in the ski business for 8 of those years, there's one
thing I've come to appreciate about Northstar -- their attention to service and detail. One of the highlights
of my day (don't laugh) was baskets in the restroom stalls at the Summit Grille. Those of you who have ever
used the facilities and had to fumble to keep your gloves, hat and goggles from dropping to the floor into
a wet, muddy mess know exactly what I mean. Not to mention the fact that the bathrooms look like they belong
in a 4-star hotel, not a ski resort: clean, well maintained, sharply decorated - it's worth a visit to the
Summit Grille just to check out the facilities alone (small details make a big difference -!)
After my little side trip I headed off to the skier's right of Comstock lift to the Flume and Powder Bowl; this
soon became my favorite playground for the day. The snow through the trees around Powder Bowl was the kind of
snow that makes you shout weeeeeee out loud. I rode the Rendezvous Triple Chair, catching a few more runs
in this area before heading down to the Big Springs Day Lodge for lunch.
I was mildly disappointment that the Summit Grille was not yet open for lunch (I love the burritos up there),
however the choices at the Day Lodge were impressive. Aside from traditional burgers and fries you can order
veggie-burgers, pizza, made-to-order Caesar salads, select from three different types of pasta and sauces,
and more. I was so overwhelmed, I had to circle the room three times just to decide what to eat. Great
food, great bathrooms, great snow -- what more could a girl ask for?
While I ate the snow started falling thick and heavy, and still no wind to speak of (Northstar's pretty well
protected and a good place to be on a stormy day). After picking up my board from the complimentary ski
check (another nice touch), I headed back up the mountain at 12:30. By the time I was to the top of the
Comstock Quad there was a visible layer of snow covering my clothes and the runs. I once again headed to
Powder Bowl and my playground was more fun than ever before.
I've always been a fair-weather skier, so it took a lot for me to bundle up and head out on a snowy day - but
if you can stay warm and dry while it's snowing, the pay-off is big! The snow was coming down so heavily I was
getting fresh tracks on virtually every run, even on the main trails -- it was like cutting through butter.
At 2:30 I decided to call it a day, more out of exhaustion than anything else. I boarded all the way to the
bottom of the mountain, making a mental note to take the Gondola down next time -- the bottom of the mountain
gets a little too flat to keep a snowboard moving; I had to get off and walk the last 50 yards or so.
All in all, it was a great day. According to my Vertical Plus wrist badge, I logged 16,430 vertical feet for
the day -- no wonder I was so tired. The snow continued to fall all weekend, and I wouldn't be surprised if
the entire mountain is open by Monday, December 8. Those of you looking for early season deals have about
10 days left to catch them; check out your local sports shops in Sacramento and the Bay Area to find out about
the best early-season specials.
I'm looking forward to returning to Northstar later in the season, especially once they've opened their new
Lookout Mountain for Guided Cat Tours! Haven't decided yet if I'll take the skis or snowboard out for that
venture. |
For me, though, the real fun is in
the trees! I found at least 6" of light, fluffy
powder ...
|
Northstar Website
Matt Winter's 11/25/97 Review
Message Cathy's Mailbox
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