-- Tom's Trip Reports --: Current Creek 051510

Greeting Friends,

With the storms arriving late last week, we had our hopes up for some good skiing, and we weren't disappointed.

Bob and Wendy at the trailhead.

Joel, Bob, Cheryl, and Tom met at 4th and Union at 7:30, and we flew up I-70 to Downieville to meet Judi and Wendy at 8:00. The weather was fair and warm at the unplowed trailhead, where we found a few inches of powder sitting on a deeper base.

We quickly skinned up and headed up to the Upper 110s at the saddle between Current Creek and Second Creek. As the altitude increased, the top layer improved to 6 - 8 inches of new snow, though the warm temperatures turned it to a heavier consistency. We did hear some whoompfing on the flats below the aqueduct, but the slopes remained stable.

Once we reached the saddle, we climbed higher up the ridge to the south. Despite the calendar claiming that it was mid May, the weather was more like winter with gray clouds, swirling snow, and gusty winds.

Bob, Judi, and Wendy de-skin at the saddle.

Judi, Wendy, and Cheryl in the wind and snow at the saddle.

We quickly de-skinned and gingerly pushed our turns through the heaviest snow of the year. At first the snow was grabby, with turns resembling short straight lines instead of smooth curves, but by the end of the first run we had the conditions dialed in, and Joel broke a new up-track to get us straight to the ridge. This time we headed further south, but stayed in the trees below the top of the ridge to avoid some of the winds. The steeper slopes through the trees were more of a challenge, because there was no way to make quick turns with the heavier consistency of the snow. With a compensatory fudge factor for the turning radius and a heavier foot at the crux of each turn, the lines opened up and the smiles reappeared.

Joel skins up as the snow falls.

Judi follows suit with her skins.

Bob skins up as Wendy demonstrates

the correct way to strap on her beacon.

Cheryl is ready to climb.

After a quick bite for lunch, we scooted up the skin track for the third run, this time taking a more northerly route through the trees on the opposite side of the open space.

Judi, Joel, and Wendy at the top of the third run.

Our target was to stay above the aqueduct until reaching the up-track leading to the Middle 110s near Teacup Bowl. Finally we dropped down the slopes one-by-one, enjoying the variety of steep and gentle slopes, trees and open spaces, until we wound our way through the short luge run to the trailhead.