The foothills got over 20 inches of snow last night and this morning. Anytime we get over 6 to 8 inches or so, I try to get out on a ski tour from home, as there are trails only a few blocks away. But you have to get out soon after the storm, as the snow usually doesn't last long, because it tends to warm up quickly after cold spells. One of the "trails" is a dirt road that is relatively smooth, so it is great for ski tours in these conditions, i.e., no base. The road goes up 900 vertical feet over about two miles, but most of the vertical is in the last half mile -- so the you can make some turns on the upper part.
I started the tour about 20 feet from my front door.
Quite a few other skiers were out.
I used my trusty Kazama Mountain Highs (205cm; 62-52-55) and Asolo Snowpines. I've had both for over 30 years, and they are holding up well, although the Snowpines are really soft now. The temps were in the upper 20s, and I had good luck with extra blue kick wax.
Lots of good views on this short tour.
The Kazamas were a lot of fun, but a wider ski with more sidecut should be even more fun on the upper part of the tour in these relatively deep conditions, so I will try to get out tomorrow on some different skis.
