Mt. Tallac Backcountry Ski Session 2/6/12

Even though it has been a pretty rough snow year here in California, there is still lots of skiing to be done! I went for a climb and ski of Mt. Tallac on Monday and was pleasantly surprised with conditions. Tallac might just be my favorite ski destination around Lake Tahoe because of its vertical, views, terrain, and options. You can often find a little something for everyone... Powder, corn, steeps, bowls, etc... On Monday I expected minimal snow coverage and lots of breakable crust. To my surprise the bottom third of the route was thin but manageable. The middle third of the route had lots of boot deep powder! The top third was a mix of firm snow and the expected breakable crust. All in all it was a worthwhile mission. I even went back and skied the middle third a second time. If you go, you should probably allow for a little extra time to deal with the walk up Spring Creek Rd. (15 min) and a bit of extra route finding around some downed trees, manzanita, and rocks that are usually buried. It's not all that bad... I still managed to go from the car to the summit in 2:15. Climb it ski it. Rich