The MeFi Tahoe Snowjob, 2/1/09

December 12, 2008 6:14 PM

MeFites + Snow = AWESOME. That's why we should have a meetup in the Lake Tahoe area on Sunday, February 1st, at a snowpark.

Proposed location: In or around Lake Tahoe, California.

Proposed date: Sunday, February 1st.

Proposed time: Morning.

Proposed AWESOMENESS:

Let's meet up at one of the snow parks around Lake Tahoe on the morning of Sunday, February 1st, for sledding, snow tubing, snowman-building, stovetop hot chocolate, and anything else we can think of. Then we can, around noon, retire to Tahoe proper for lunch, and go our separate ways.

I'm posting this this far in advance in case any out-of-town MeFites want to drop in for some Friday or Saturday boarding, skiing or snowshoeing at one of Tahoe's resorts. I'm looking at you, mathowie.

If you're interested, speak up, so I can gauge how much potential there is.

posted by scrump to MetaFilter gatherings at 6:14 PM (80 comments total)

I don't trust you, you want to make your four year old hike in a blizzard.
posted by jessamyn at 7:07 PM on December 12, 2008 [5 favorites]

If we just wait until Sunday I think there will be snow in SF. Brrr.
posted by loquacious at 9:06 PM on December 12, 2008

Snow is a four-letter word.
posted by Cranberry at 10:34 PM on December 12, 2008

OH MY GOD FINALLY!

Well, on the one hand, it's far (since I moved).

On the other hand, it's my favorite. I'll bring the peppermint schnapps! (If I manage to make it, and no promises.)

Better pick a shore, in any case.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:16 PM on December 12, 2008

This only sounds like the BEST MEETUP IDEA EVER. Sadly I'm only in norcal this month, 17-27th.
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:04 AM on December 13, 2008

I don't trust you, you want to make your four year old hike in a blizzard.

No, we want to make him camp in a blizz HEY WAITAMINUTE WE DO NOT.

Can we pencil you in? It'd be nice to have someone there who really understands snow. My son actually asked me if "the candy lady" was going to come when he heard my wife and I discussing this.

Don't break a little boy's heart, jessamyn.
posted by scrump at 7:36 AM on December 13, 2008

I'm going to be in Toronto but in 2010 with enough advanced warning, yes! Also I'll be in SFO mid-Feb, I'll bring some more candy, just in case.
posted by jessamyn at 7:52 AM on December 13, 2008

I am in. I'll be driving up from Santa Cruz if anyone wants to carpool.
posted by special-k at 10:32 AM on December 13, 2008

That sounds pretty darn fun! AAAAND I'm free that weekend. And it's superbowl weekend so the slopes should be pretty clear.

I'll be driving up from San Francisco, probably Friday night. With room in my car for a few extra friendly mefites (I'll take unfriendly mefites only after running out of friendly ones)!


Oh boy oh boy!
posted by aubilenon at 11:02 AM on December 13, 2008

I'd like to go if I can hitch a ride. I'm usually pretty friendly, albeit quiet. *looks at aubilenon*

Not sure if the personal finances can afford a whole weekend up there, so maybe a Saturday or ridiculously-early-Sunday ride would be better for me. I can afford to chip in for gas, but 2 nights of hotel accommodations would be rough (and I'm too old a fart to be crashing on somebody's floor).

I also suck at all sports, especially those with a significant potential for falling on your ass, but snow-tubing sounds like fun, since I'd already be on my ass. Anybody have a tube I could borrow? (I have cross-country skis which I could bring, and anybody who's short enough is welcome to borrow them. I might even climb on them myself and entertain y'all by falling on my ass all over the place.)
posted by Quietgal at 11:43 AM on December 13, 2008

My SO's parents have a cabin on the west shore (Rubicon Bay). We need to check schedules and such before committing, but if y'all are choosing shores, I wanted to at least throw my preference in for south/west.
posted by team lowkey at 1:38 PM on December 13, 2008

Seriously considering flying from ATL for this just because of the cool factor.
posted by arimathea at 7:37 PM on December 13, 2008

El Dorado National Forest Sno Park info. Superbowl weekend might be tough. Hopefully we'll actually have snow by then though.
posted by Big_B at 8:03 PM on December 13, 2008

I think we can flex on the date: feel free to express a preference! It sounds like Superbowl weekend might be difficult.
posted by scrump at 10:37 AM on December 14, 2008

Oh I think superbowl weekend is probably best, since everything will be less crowded.
posted by aubilenon at 1:47 PM on December 14, 2008

Of course I'm up for this.
posted by tangerine at 4:05 PM on December 14, 2008

I will be in Truckee 1/30-2/2 with my family, so I'll be watching this space.
posted by padraigin at 9:11 PM on December 14, 2008

Checking with the hippy to see if we can make it.
posted by iamabot at 10:24 PM on December 14, 2008

I think that weekend is great, because I'm only back in northern CA for that one weekend.
posted by nat at 10:48 PM on December 14, 2008

I am tentatively interested. I have no idea what snow-tubing is, but I intend to be somewhere in the States that weekend - maybe I'll make it Tahoe.
posted by jacalata at 1:46 AM on December 15, 2008

This sounds really really awesome. I like the idea of it being on Superbowl weekend. My wife will be 7.5 months pregnant, though. I wonder how bad of a person I would be if I were to go without her.
posted by zsazsa at 10:02 AM on December 15, 2008

(congrats to zsazsa and his lovely wife!)
posted by gingerbeer at 8:00 PM on December 15, 2008

Bring her with you, zsazsa. Hell, I'm a paramedic, how hard can this baby-delivering thing be, anyway?

KIDDING
posted by scrump at 8:35 PM on December 15, 2008

Color me intrigued, but I don't know what my February looks like yet. If I do go I'd be either looking for a ride with someone or looking for mefites with whom to split the cost of a rental car.
posted by whir at 12:38 PM on December 16, 2008

That sounds like a fantastic initiation to mefi meetups! But Super Bowl weekend won't work for me, because of...the Super Bowl. Ah well, hopefully next time.
posted by Brak at 10:34 PM on December 16, 2008

Funny, I'd already suggested going to Tahoe that weekend to the SO, and we'd made tentative plans. I'd happily drive all the way around that lake to see mefites.
posted by wzcx at 1:51 PM on December 17, 2008

Wheeee doggies! That sounds great. I'm in Incline Village and have a spare bedroom and a couch and a futon for the floor if anyone needs a place to crash as long as they don't mind dog hair. MeMail me.
posted by HeyAllie at 5:47 PM on December 17, 2008

I'm interested and speaking up! Won't know til closer to the date where I'll be coming from, but wherever it ends up being I'd love to catch a ride up with a mefite. Or a few!
posted by baserunner73 at 2:44 AM on December 28, 2008

MeFite Super Bowl Party/Snow Day?!?! Hell yeah!!
posted by sambosambo at 1:46 AM on January 2

Okay.. we both might be going. Mrs. zsazsa won't be doing any skiing, though, of course.
posted by zsazsa at 12:01 PM on January 2

It looks like I will almost definitely be in the country. I'll probably be coming from Seattle, and I can't drive, so I might try and fly somewhere closer then get in on one of these car pool ideas? Also, what kind of accommodation options are there? Or rather, whereabouts round the lake should I be aiming for?

I made a New Years resolution to try snowboarding, so I'd love to make a weekend of it.
posted by jacalata at 3:51 AM on January 6

People with more experience than I should weigh in on the where-to-stay score, jacalata, but one thing you'll want to consider is the airport into which you want to fly.

San Jose (SJC), San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) are all likely to have good airfares, but you're looking at a roughly 3-to-4-hour drive from those locations to get to the Tahoe vicinity. Reno (RNO) is about an hour away, and Sacramento (SMF) is about 2 hours.

Right now, I'm strongly inclined to hold this at Adventure Mountain, which looks to be about 15 minutes out of South Lake Tahoe, because of the convenience factor (no need to acquire a Sno-Park pass) and dedication to things like sledding and snow play.

We're a month out, and it looks like there's solid interest, so I'm confirming the date and time:

Sunday, February 1st
Starting around 0900
Adventure Mountain Lake Tahoe
posted by scrump at 11:43 AM on January 6 [1 favorite]

Excellent! I haven't sledded since I was 10 years old and got run over. Ended up with three stiches by my eyeball. Wanna see?

Again, I'm in Incline Village (about 45 mins from South Tahoe), but I'd gladly put up people who need a place to stay for a night or so or pick up anybody at the RNO airport, help with shuttles, etc. MeMail me.
posted by HeyAllie at 3:25 PM on January 7

Wow, it sounds like there's going to be a million people here!

Okay, that does it, I'm going to rent a big ol' cabin, to split with people.

My plan is to arrive friday night, and leave sunday, for saturday snowboarding and sunday meetupping.

I'm going to hold off a little bit to gauge how big a cabin to get; if you are interested memail me. I'll keep it under $40/person/night.
posted by aubilenon at 5:17 PM on January 7

If you're driving in:

You'll want to check, a day or two before, the DOT road information hotline for chain requirements: California has aggressive chain requirements, and even if you have mud + snow (M+S) or snow tires, you may be required to carry chains.
posted by scrump at 8:50 PM on January 10

Looks like my work visa is not valid for entry to the US until February 6th. If anyone has any suggestions for a really cheap way to temporarily leave the US/Canada/Mexico area in order to change status from a tourist to a worker I'd love to hear them, but failing that I won't be able to make the weekend. I hope you all get together and have a great time!
posted by jacalata at 3:57 PM on January 12

Can we employ you as temporary help?
posted by scrump at 7:51 PM on January 13

I got the time off from work, so I will probably definitely try to be there!

WHEE!! SNOW!!
posted by sambosambo at 6:35 AM on January 16

I was up there this weekend. It was fan-damn-tastic! Hopefully it stays cold and snowing.
posted by aubilenon at 10:30 AM on January 26

Yes, kids, that's right, it's THIS WEEKEND.

Attendees who want my contact information, mefimail me for it.
posted by scrump at 11:01 AM on January 26

So who all is going to be skiing or snowboarding on saturday?

*raises hand*
posted by aubilenon at 2:37 PM on January 26

I'm out, sadly.

So faaaar away
Doesn't anybody ski on my face anymore?
It would be so fine to crash on your cabin floor,
Doesn't help the snow to live so near LA.

Long ago I went to Tahoe and learned to ski
Boarding there once more, oh it would be Heavenly.
Feel sorry for me
I'm so far away

One more song about living in SoCal somewhere,
The weather's heating up, winter's all through.
If I could only stomach skiing Big Bear
Then I'd only pine for meeting up with you.

So faaaar away
Doesn't anybody ski on my face anymore?
These tracks must be from tears then, I'm such a pitywhore,
Unfrozen evermore,
And you're so faaaar away.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:06 PM on January 26

I'll ski on your face, and tell you that I love you.

Will you ski on my face and tell me you love me, too?
posted by scrump at 4:25 PM on January 26

You have a black diamond face, scrump. I'm a-skeered.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:21 PM on January 26

So, all kidding aside: who's coming, so we have some sort of rough headcount?

I'm bringing raar and miniscrump.
posted by scrump at 8:08 AM on January 27

I'll be coming along with my wife.

BTW, what are people doing on Saturday?
posted by zsazsa at 2:14 PM on January 27

I'll be there on Sunday, and snowboarding somewhere on Saturday. I haven't decided where yet, so if other people are going to be on the slopes somewhere, I'll go there.
posted by aubilenon at 2:49 PM on January 27

I'll be there on Sunday. I'll probably be spending Saturday looking for the damn snow pants I know I bought at a thrift store 5 years ago so I can go sledding. Oh, and probably looking for a sled.
posted by HeyAllie at 3:39 PM on January 27

If you wind up not finding your sled, you can rent one at Adventure Mountain.
posted by scrump at 10:35 AM on January 28

Ok, it looks like aubilenon, my wife, and I will be at Northstar on Saturday! aubilenon will be snowboarding, I'll be skiiing, and Mrs. zsazsa will be sitting around happily being pregnant.
posted by zsazsa at 9:25 PM on January 28

I'm out, unfortunately, since my busted toe is healing very slowly and I still can't get around well enough to play in the snow. Have fun for me!
posted by Quietgal at 12:01 PM on January 29

I think the wife and I will be driving up Sunday, but maybe Saturday night if I think I can find a hotel room that approaches reasonable.
posted by iamabot at 4:48 PM on January 30

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY. I have contact information for some of you, and ditto the reverse. I will be the large hairy guy in the red jacket, probably telling some sort of story to anyone who will stand still long enough to listen.

In the unlikely event of severe weather (by which I mean, blizzard, etc), we cancel: if it's snowing so hard you can't see the car in front of you, stay off the road. The forecast is for sunny weather in the 50s, so I'd recommend layering.

Hell, if you want to wear a bikini on the sled run, we can't stop you, but we can sure take pictures. iamabot, I'm looking at you, Mr. Hooligan. Your wife told us about the Incident in Majorca.
posted by scrump at 9:05 PM on January 30

:(
posted by iamabot at 7:41 PM on January 31

Getting in vehicle now, see you all at about 10:30ish
posted by iamabot at 7:07 AM on February 1

Video's uploaded!
posted by iamabot at 7:49 PM on February 1

You all missed a great day. Spectacular crashes! Body parts flying! Shrill screams! Dented trees! A good time was had by all.
posted by HeyAllie at 8:45 PM on February 1

That was more fun than should strictly be legal.
posted by scrump at 8:58 PM on February 1

Man. I hurt everywhere and am dog tired. Too tired to pick pictures to upload. But that was pretty awesome.
posted by zsazsa at 10:03 PM on February 1

If fun is outlawed, then only outlaws can have fun..

I have a zsazsa-knee-shaped bruise in my back. What a great meetup!

Some photos
posted by aubilenon at 12:02 AM on February 2

Oh man, that looked like fun! All of it! I wish I'd gone.

Thanks for the shoutout!
posted by rtha at 12:04 PM on February 2

That looks like all kinds of fun. So very sorry we couldn't go. If any of you want to go up to Klamath and stand around in the cold and look at birds next week, let us know.
posted by gingerbeer at 12:23 PM on February 2

omg guess who I didn't recognize!

Thanks for the shoutout, snowbunnies.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:20 PM on February 2

omg guess who I didn't recognize!

I know, right?
posted by aubilenon at 4:38 PM on February 2

What lengths you'll go to for FSM art?!!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:42 PM on February 2

Is this about aubilenon's haircut? Is there a backstory?
posted by jessamyn at 5:45 PM on February 2

I love the shoutout board!
I was sitting at home in 110 degree heat wishing I was there.
posted by jacalata at 6:39 PM on February 2

Ok! My pictures are up here! I've got a video, too, but I'm in the processing queue at Vimeo and YouTube's quality is lacking when confronted with the EXTREME SLEDDING ACTION.
posted by zsazsa at 8:54 PM on February 2

Video is up in "high definition" glory! Thrill at me catching air, aubilenon laughing maniacally, and scrump and iamabot independently almost running over the dogs, children, and posessions of the group using the run next to us.
posted by zsazsa at 1:08 AM on February 3

In our defense, it's hard to miss a complex of kids and dogs when the parents have parked them at the end of the run. No wonder that dog was tiny and trembly, particularly after the dad of the family nearly killed it.

Kudos to aubilenon for walking over to them and politely suggesting that perhaps the end of a sled run was not the perfect place to store your family, particularly not with ballistic 200+ pound adults bearing down on them at speed.

Also, note to self, when sunblock is being handed out, take some. My face is the approximate color of my jacket, and I'm molting.
posted by scrump at 9:26 AM on February 3

Scrump, did the wife question why you have two palm-sized bruises on your chest? I SO wish that rather spectacular double fly-over bump twist had been on tape.
posted by HeyAllie at 10:29 AM on February 3

I actually didn't bruise, although I did sproing some ribs. Not broken, but apparently near as dammit. The wife has been totally unsympathetic, but she has been laughing at me as I totter around and ask my son to pick up my socks.

And I wish it had been on video as well, if for no other reason than it would make an AWESOME "remember, kids, this could happen to you" warning. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. And then it almost instantly became "shit shit shit OW OW OW OH GOD WHAT WAS I THINKING OW OW OOF OW".

Ten years and fifty pounds ago, I might have made it. Not so much these days.
posted by scrump at 12:27 PM on February 3

Damn it. I was too hungover to make my way over there from Truckee so early in the day. It looks like I missed a good one.
posted by padraigin at 5:17 PM on February 3

Great photos! Looks like a good time was had by all despite various sprains and bruises. (Admit it - the stories are much better when there's carnage involved. Anyone who isn't limping when they get home wasn't trying hard enough.)

And thanks for the shoutout! My first, and on such a cool plaque too. Sorry I couldn't join you for the fun, but I'm still hobbling around on my stupid still-swollen-healing-way-too-slowly-come-on-it's-been-over-a-month-already toe. I salute you fellow gimpers with my hard-soled shoe!
posted by Quietgal at 5:43 PM on February 4

So, SPEAKING of carnage...

I spent Tuesday afternoon in the ER and Tuesday night and Wednesday in the hospital for observation, because they thought I'd actually ruptured my spleen. As it turns out, after multiple ultrasounds and CT angiograms, I didn't: instead, I "only" bruised my entire thoracic cavity, to the extent that the surgeon couldn't decide between "hit by a truck" or "kicked by a horse" to describe what happened to me.

I've been Told by Doctors that I am not to return to work until at least Monday, and that recovery is going to be long and painful, and I believe them. But, anyway, it turns out that that impressive yard-sale crash was more serious than it looked.

That said, I'd still do it again, only maybe not with as much vigor. This was still awesome all the way around, and we need to do it again, and again, and again...
posted by scrump at 10:05 PM on February 5

Oh, jeez, man. I'm amazed that you were walking around, let alone sledding, after you wiped out. You must be quite resilient! Heal up soon.
posted by zsazsa at 10:45 PM on February 5

I've been Told by Doctors that I am not to return to work until at least Monday

Oh man I am so jealous!
posted by aubilenon at 9:59 AM on February 6

Whoa, Scrump. Just.... whoa. That's what we get for hogging the longest run on the slopes - and I think on that particular run, you went up a little higher than everybody else (hence the double WHUMP AAGH UGH OWW OWW OWW FOOMP).

Heal quickly. Drink lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows.
posted by HeyAllie at 10:24 AM on February 6

Oh, scrump! Ow! Take good care, and at the next meetup, we'll be sure to plan nothing more strenuous than lifting a pint glass, okay? Take care of yourself.
posted by rtha at 2:49 PM on February 6

Geez, scrump, some people will do anything to get out of a little work. (just kidding) Hope you get better soon!
posted by Quietgal at 2:05 PM on February 8