Waterhouse & Powderhouse Peak - There was just enough snow for the first ski tour of this winter

Last week a storm brought about 10 inches of snow to the Tahoe region. So I was hoping to finally get my skis broken in for the season. In order to make sure an attempt to do a ski tour wouldn't fail this time, I planned to start at an elevation of almost 8000ft and in addition choose north facing slopes for my tour. Waterhouse Peak and Powderhouse Peak from Luther Pass seemed like the perfect match for these requirements and circumstances. And indeed there was enough snow to finally make my first ski tour this winter. However, at my starting and end point the amount of snow was barley enough (and by now probably already melted again). Anyway, I was very happy to open my ski tour season, the latest start ever in my skiing "career".

Shortly after sunrise I arrive at my starting point, a turnout on Luther Pass (Highway 89, there are actually several parking possibilities along the meadow along Grass Lake Creek). I'm happy to find enough snow on the ground to immediately put on my skis. I head to Waterhouse Peak's northeast ridge and more or less follow it (mostly slightly north of the ridge) to the top. At the beginning there isn't all that much snow on the ground, but just enough. However, above an altitude of about 8200ft there is plenty of that white stuff and even powdery.

After a rather long break at the top of Waterhouse Peak I ski down it's "north face", where I find plenty of rather fresh powder. Since I'm not really used to ski in the forest (the treeline in the Alps is around 6000 ft), I still have to get used to the fact that I don't have a huge wide open slope to my disposal for making my turns, but have to curve around trees. At 8200 feet I turn west, cross the little river there, put my skins back onto my skis and walk up the Powderhouse Peak northeast ridge, again mostly slightly north of the not very distinct ridge.

After another break on this summit I then ski down the "north face" of Powderhouse Peak which lives up to its name: nice powder down to about 8200 ft and slightly steeper than Waterhouse Peak. From there I then have to change to a very defensive skiing style in order to not get too many scratched on my skis, because there's simply not really enough snow here any more. Once down at the meadow of Grass Lake Creek I finally ski back to the parking lot at Luther Pass.