ALPINE MEADOWS -- The monster storm that dropped over ten feet of powder in the mountains around Lake Tahoe last week left behind epic conditions at Alpine Meadows. With 2,400 acres spread across numerous peaks, Alpine has become a favorite for Bay Area locals trying to avoid big crowds without sacrificing quality runs. Last Monday was a phenomenal powder day.

Jeremy Benson, a professional skier and photographer, is on the freeride team at Alpine. “One of the best things about Alpine Meadows is that a lot of the terrain is hike-to access only,” he said. “For people who are adventurous, they can really branch out and ski a lot of different parts of the mountain as well as out-of-bounds terrain, where the snow stays fresh for a long time.”

Alpine was all but empty last Monday, which was the first pleasant day after nearly a week of continuous snow. With a base of 6,835 feet, the powder was deep and abundant.

“We had a rough season last year,” said Benson, “didn’t get much snow, and already this year this storm has probably brought us up to about where we were at last year, and it’s a couple months before that. It’s really nice to have the whole mountain open, really good snow conditions, tons of places to go skiing, and tons of snow to ski on… it couldn’t be better, really.”

Nearly all lifts were open in the morning, including Summit Six Express, which offloads onto Alpine Bowl, Sun Spot, and a number of blacks. Alpine Bowl was perfect for the first couple hours until turning to crud, but all the runs below it remained fluffy and soft for most of the morning. The Face, in particular, is an excellent fast black diamond well suited to adrenaline junkies like myself. Blue Run was another excellent choice all day.

Around noon, Miranda Hope, of Oakland, was enjoying the fire in the main lodge after a solid morning of fresh tracks.

“I got out here around nine o’clock, and it’s been gorgeous,” she said, “best run of the season. It’s amazing.”

For many Bay Area residents, the monster storm was nothing more than a headache. The rain led to widespread power outages and fallen tree damage. But like most skiers and snowboarders, Hope remained excited throughout the deluge.

“I was in Oakland during that storm,” she said, “and there were trees flying all over the place, and the whole time I was thinking there’s much snow on the mountains right now! I had to race up as soon as the storm was over.”