One of the advantages of skiing at Alpine Meadows is a number of south-facing slopes that soften up when everything else is rock hard.

The biggest southern exposure at Alpine is Sherwood Bowl, a huge bowl that joins the Pacific Crest on its western side.

The snowpack is so low that you have to hike the High Traverse up near the crest to get to Sherwood Bowl because the groomer access is burned out.

We were rewarded with spring conditions—soft snow and warm temps.