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Written by Sam Kieckhefer

Oh what a sierra storm can do! In less than 7 days, the Tahoe area has received nearly 5 feet of new snow at the upper elevations and the coverage is awesome. The skiing has been incredible, and it’s only December 6! We’re still sticking to low angle slopes as there’s lots of uncertainty in our snowpack, but it is time to get out there and move those legs uphill and down.

After a couple days of storm skiing and putting in some vertical gain, we opted to give our legs a rest and re-visit the…

Alpenglow Guide Peter Terwilliger provides an update on the current snowpack conditions.

We toured into some of our local Truckee/Tahoe terrain today to assess how our much-anticipated new snow was interacting with our existing snowpack. The day started off brisk: temperatures hovered in the teens at Palisades Base, with clear skies and light winds. We set a skin track out Shirley Canyon, observing a few small point releases along the way, but found no significant signs of natural slab avalanche activity. Along our tour, however, the most consistent sign of something happening was the constant whumpfing sound…

Written by Sam Kieckhefer, Alpenglow Guide

When did you take your last avalanche course? Has it been a few years? Just like the snowpack, weather, and conditions are constantly changing, so is avalanche education. As a result, Alpenglow Expeditions has developed an AIARE 1 Refresher course. Whether you’re fresh off your first level 1 course last season and are excited to practice new skills, or you’re a 20+ year veteran backcountry skier eager for an update, this refresher course is for you. Offered in both North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe, Alpenglow’s AIARE 1 Refresher course is…

Written by Alpenglow Guide and AIARE Instructor Sam Kieckhefer here to provide an update on the state of the snowpack prior to an incoming storm. 

As we close out November and move into December, it’s important to take a look back at the snowpack and evaluate what that means for the winter ahead. If you’re like me, the 30-50” of snow that fell from November 3-9 kick-started the 22/23 ski season and led to some excellent pre-thanksgiving turns. Resorts opened early, and the backcountry skiing around Lake Tahoe was surprisingly good! Hopefully your ratio of quality turns to…

Written by Peter Terwilliger, Alpenglow Guide

We went out for a tour today to inspect conditions along the Andesite ridge and around the Castle Peak area of Donner Pass. Quickly upon entering the trees and protected north / northeast facing terrain we observed some pretty spectacular surface hoar that has been growing despite our warm daytime temperatures. These crystals will be found in protected areas from wind and solar exposure – the largest surface hoar crystals I could find were upwards of 20mm in size.

We continued our tour up towards Castle Pass and followed the ridge north toward…

Beginning in the ‘22/’23 season, Alpenglow Expeditions will be offering all AIARE avalanche education courses as well as our Backcountry series in our regular North Lake Tahoe locations as well as new locations in South Lake Tahoe! Here at Alpenglow, we believe it’s best to learn the avalanche safety skills necessary to travel into the backcountry in the same terrain you plan to explore. As such, we’re proud to provide the opportunity for everyone in the area to learn avalanche safety in familiar terrain. 

With…

Fresh powder. Untracked terrain. Ditching the lift line. Endless opportunity for adventure.

Does this sound like something you’ve been dreaming of? If so, then it’s time to start thinking about heading into the backcountry. Going past the boundaries of the ski resort opens up a whole new world of possibilities for skiers and riders, adding an extra dash of adrenaline and escapade to invigorate your overall experience and absorb all the landscape has to offer in a whole new method.

However, it’s extremely important that before we exchange the slog from the parking lot for skin…

Written by Robert Kyte

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alpenglow has been forced to cease operations on the North Side of Everest due to China’s strict zero-covid border policy. Alpenglow is one of a small number of companies operating exclusively on Everest’s North Side. This means we have not climbed the world’s tallest mountain since our last North Side expedition in 2019. We miss it! And while we remain unable to say with certainty whether or not we will return to Tibet next year, we are receiving a number of positive indicators from our partners that the…

Written by Robert Kyte

Through November 1st, 2022, Alpenglow is excited to offer 15% off all AIARE courses with the code Spooky22. We recognize the potential for adventure to be had beyond the boundaries of Lake Tahoe’s many ski resorts, and we are here to ensure that skiers and splitboarders are getting the avalanche education they need to stay safe in the backcountry. This promotion is valid for all our AIARE programs in North and South Lake Tahoe. See below for a list of our available AIARE courses and determine which one is right…

Written by Robert Kyte

On October 7th, in celebration of the 5th Anniversary of the Tahoe Via Ferrata, Alpenglow hosted a Locals’ Day on the Via, offering free climbing excursions all the way to Tower 1 atop Tram Face here in Palisades Tahoe. With over 100 climbers ascending the route, we were thrilled at this opportunity to give back to our local community and allow everyone to experience the joy of the Tahoe Via. 

Seven years ago, we had a question: how can we provide accessible climbing experiences to the local community, as well as…