Good snow; lots of action around Tahoe

Lots of freshies now out there - finally. It was sloppy last Sunday but better than before at Heavenly. We were over in New Mexico the week before where the snow was all you could ask for. The nice thing about skiing in New Mexico is that there is lots more than just snowsports there. History is right around every corner and art galleries everywhere. When the snow isn't here, I'm off to New Mexico in the future.

KIRKWOOD PASS

Kirkwood has a new El Niño Season Pass for $299 (adult price). The El Niño Season Pass is valid the rest of the 2007 season except for this weekend. Adult El Niño pass $299; junior El Niño pass $199; child El Niño Pass $89; senior El Niño pass $189; senior plus El Niño pass $89; college El Niño pass $209; not valid this weekend. The resort got more than five feet of fresh snow this week.

SLOPESIDE SKIING

The terrain park crew from Diamond Peak managed to make enough of the white stuff to build one of the best slopestyle courses ever there. Skiers and riders at Diamond Peak raised the bar last Sunday with backflips, switch 720s, rail slides, spins on and off of the battleship and rainbow boxes and even a Lincoln loop here and there. In the Women's Division 20-year-old Iris Lazzareschi from North Lake Tahoe walked away with first place and $200. In the men's ski division Murphy McRackin from Yerington walked away with a new pair of Line skis. In the men's snowboard division North Lake rider Jonny Lazzereschi led the field all day and won a new Bataleon snowboard.

ROCK ART TOUR

The Nevada Rock Art Foundation will give history and nature lovers the opportunity to view some of the state's oldest petroglyphs in their natural environment on a free, guided tour of Grimes Point Saturday. Grimes Point is east of Carson City. See info@nevadarockart.org or call 323-6723.

WINTER TRAILS DAY

The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will be hosting its second annual Winter Trails Day Saturday at 10 a.m. The TRTA along with the Forest Service, and the Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol will be sponsoring a number winter of activities for all ages. There will be a snowshoe hike for the children and adults. The Tahoe Backcountry Ski Patrol will be holding an avalanche and snow safety session, while the U.S. Forest Service will be doing an interpretive program. At Mount Rose there will be a Search and Rescue Demo at 1:30 p.m. Warm refreshments will also be provided. Call Alexis at (775) 298-0231 or alexiso@taoherimtrail.org, for reservations, location, and event details.

LAST TRACK TWILIGHT

Diamond Peak offers its Last Tracks program each Saturday through the end of the season. Take a journey to the mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge with its views of Lake Tahoe to sample fine wines and tasty appetizers, then head down the hill on freshly groomed corduroy. Tickets are $25 or season passes are available for $200. Reservations are required. Log on to www.diamondpeak.com or call (877) 468-4397.

SQUAW FREESKIING

Visit Squaw Valley USA hosts the Subaru Freeskiing Open through Saturday. Athletes compete all around the United States including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and California for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. Log on to www.squaw.com or call (530) 583-6985 for details.

HEAVENLY RAIL JAM

Heavenly will host this season's only JackPot Rail Jam event on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Nightlife Terrain Park on World Cup at the California Base. This event can guarantee the top ten star participants a spot in the upcoming Sessions Log Jam to be held March 23-24.

The event is limited to the first 50 participants to sign up, so day registration is suggested. The entry fee is $5 and the event is open to any skier or rider with the guts to attack the web of features the Heavenly Terrain Park crew has created. There is $1,000 purse, with cash being awarded to the best participants.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with 50 competitors, which will be to 25 competitors within the first half hour. Immediately following this segment of the jam the overall winners will be announced and awarded prize money; $300 for 1st Place, $200 for second place, $100 for third place.

and $100 will be awarded to the best contestant under age 15.