Blanketed by Three Feet of Snow, Resort to Open Additional Terrain

Kirkwood Mountain Resort Blanketed by Three Feet of Snow,

Resort to Open Additional Chairlifts and Terrain

Expedition: Kirkwood Offers Backcountry Courses and AIARE Avalanche Awareness to Better Educate Winter Enthusiasts

Kirkwood CA, January 23^th, 2012…..A classic Sierra snowstorm stalled out over Kirkwood Mountain Resort this weekend blanketing the slopes with more than three feet of snow which has allowed the resort to open additional chairlifts and terrain.  The much anticipated weather system rolled in late Thursday afternoon with intense snowfall rates of more than an inch an hour continuing early into Monday morning. Powder-hungry locals are celebrating a bona fide powder day at the resort this morning with the National Weather Service calling for an additional 12 inches of snowfall throughout the day followed by bluebird skies the remainder of the week.   The resort committed to opening up more terrain daily.  Kirkwood is expected to open the legendary chair 10 “The Wall” as well as access to the backside and chair #4 within the week. 

Kirkwood has the geographical advantage of being situated at a higher elevation than most other Lake Tahoe resorts. It rests at the high point on the western slope of the Sierra allowing the resort to take full advantage of powerful winter storms as they peel off the Pacific Ocean. This ideal location regularly results in Kirkwood receiving more snow than any other resort in the nation.

Snow reporting is a critical part of any ski area operation and Kirkwood Mountain Resort has recently incorporated real-time weather data functions via its website www.kirkwood.com. The snowfall totals reported on the website are now pulled directly from a weather plot located at the base of the mountain and updated on an hourly basis. There is no manipulation to this data which provides skiers and riders an accurate, real-time view of snow and weather at the resort with no marketing enhancements. Kirkwood is the only resort in Lake Tahoe that utilizes this approach.

 “It has been a bit of a late start to the winter, but with the recent welcomed changes in the weather pattern, the resort is still optimistic that it will hit its seasonal snowfall total averages,” says Jon Copeland, Director of Skier Services at Kirkwood Mountain Resort.  “The current weather pattern is more typical for Lake Tahoe this time of year and the snowiest months of the season still lay ahead. Kirkwood has long been famous for its impressive snowfall totals and the resort is proud of its recent investment in the new weather and snowfall reporting systems so that guests can stay updated and make informed decisions.”

Thanks to the new snow, Kirkwood has announced it will be opening additional chairlifts and terrain. Expedition: Kirkwood, home to Northern California’s premiere all-mountain skills and adventure programs, also plans to ram up its offerings at the resort which include backcountry awareness camps, clinics and guiding services designed to promote safety awareness and skills needed to navigate in any terrain and conditions. Given the sudden change in snow conditions, now is the perfect time to become more educated.   Kirkwood offers three day AIARE Level 1 courses on February 3^rd - 5^th , 2012 and February 8^th – 10^th, 2012. The resort also offers a more condensed, 1-day Backcountry Awareness course on January 28^th, February 12^th and February 25^th, 2012.   For more information on any of these courses, contact Expedition: Kirkwood at (209) 258-7360.