Snorkeling the Gnar Pow: Skiing 2021-22 Thread
- Thread starter Zososoxfan
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We decided to just jump on a trip to Park City for Presidents’ Day weekend. Just no real other options between my class and my wife’s job. Gotta get in turns when you can. Hoping our experience is better than last Christmas when not a lot of runs were open.
Just returned from the Selkirks after a week of touring up by the Durrand Glacier. To say it was outstanding would be a huge understatement. It snowed every day, about 40 inches for the week, and was cold (sometimes very cold) which made for crazy light and deep powder. The terrain is also insane---the steepest and most complex tree terrain I've ever experienced.
We had a difficult time getting there because of a turned-around and then cancelled Alaska/Horizon flight, but managed to arrange a heli for a late drop off on Saturday. The lodge is at 6400 feet and is closer to a heli trip experience than a typical backcountry lodge- hot showers, indoor toilets, and amazing food. The shoveling alone is pretty impressive.
We were split into two groups and normally toured with a lead guide and tail guide with 6-8 guests. It was a tough week to be breaking trail.
We spent less time in the alpine due to the snow, but were up above treeline every day before dropping into the woods.
The snow was amazing. I had many, many face shots, and was able to take very aggressive lines with such perfect conditions: lots of pillow lines and big drops.
I'm home and already thinking about next year...
We had a difficult time getting there because of a turned-around and then cancelled Alaska/Horizon flight, but managed to arrange a heli for a late drop off on Saturday. The lodge is at 6400 feet and is closer to a heli trip experience than a typical backcountry lodge- hot showers, indoor toilets, and amazing food. The shoveling alone is pretty impressive.
We were split into two groups and normally toured with a lead guide and tail guide with 6-8 guests. It was a tough week to be breaking trail.
We spent less time in the alpine due to the snow, but were up above treeline every day before dropping into the woods.
The snow was amazing. I had many, many face shots, and was able to take very aggressive lines with such perfect conditions: lots of pillow lines and big drops.
I'm home and already thinking about next year...
The only word that comes to mind is YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Question for the group: How does one (me) move from a very good skier to a great skier?
Background: Started skiing maybe in my teens, have skied ever since. In my early 40s now. An average winter is 6-12 days, though we've been increasing that lately (probably at 12-15 already this season). Attitash / Wildcat are my home base. New England skiing mainly, but I've skied the Alps and West Coast a bit too.
I can ski most any trail, really there isn't a trail I wouldn't go down. I seek out the trees, steeps, ungroomed, pow. I've done Tucks, went through the Chute last year. I was on a 'ski club/team' in college (RPI) where we did gate training, though I never officially raced.
I ski with friends who I consider great skiers. The difference I see when thinking of myself vs them... When they hit the gnarly stuff they are more fluid, bang bang bang. Effortless. Stringing turn after turn together. For me I can string a few good turns together through the bumps/loose stuff but often it will catch up to me and I need to correct, slow, then re-engage. If we are cranking down a trail and I am following one of them and he is getting after it, it is a little tough to keep pace. I can feel myself cheating a little on the turns, not committing 100%. I'll hear my skis clacking occasionally (meaning losing my parallel at times). I'll drag an occasional pole on the snow to balance.
I try to work on it continuously, skiing each trail like I'm in the Olympics. In other words, aggressive skiing, pushing my limits, trying for speed, control, good carving turns, no cheating. Finish the runs breathless. On groomers I try and picture gates in my mind and crank around them, focusing on starting the turn early. That is my fun place skiing, pushing limits, get the legs burning, be in a place where adrenaline is flowing and where a mistake could possibly get me hurt.
I am in a ski club in N Conway area, and each year we have a race vs a rival club. NASTAR, and I'd like to improve my times. I lost last year to 1-2 people who I didn't think I should/would. Suffice to say, I'm a competitive person.
Big picture, it's not obvious to me if I am improving still year to year, and if I am it feels very marginal / slow. If I have a goal it's to keep up with my great skier friends, to execute those bang-bang-bang turns through hairy stuff. I worry I won't get there without doing something differently.
Things I've considered:
-Ask those same friends for pointers. **I very well may, but I worry slightly about opening the door to criticism (I don't want a pointer every run, that will get on my nerves quickly).
-Get a private lesson or two. **This could work out well. I'd want to ensure I get someone good to teach me
-Have a friend take some videos, post them somewhere (here?) for analysis. **This seems like an easy win to me
-Stop being so competitive and just enjoy yourself. **Not in my blood...
-Specific weight training to increase leg/core strength. **So far laziness has won the day...
Anyway, open to ideas / suggestions. Thanks!
Background: Started skiing maybe in my teens, have skied ever since. In my early 40s now. An average winter is 6-12 days, though we've been increasing that lately (probably at 12-15 already this season). Attitash / Wildcat are my home base. New England skiing mainly, but I've skied the Alps and West Coast a bit too.
I can ski most any trail, really there isn't a trail I wouldn't go down. I seek out the trees, steeps, ungroomed, pow. I've done Tucks, went through the Chute last year. I was on a 'ski club/team' in college (RPI) where we did gate training, though I never officially raced.
I ski with friends who I consider great skiers. The difference I see when thinking of myself vs them... When they hit the gnarly stuff they are more fluid, bang bang bang. Effortless. Stringing turn after turn together. For me I can string a few good turns together through the bumps/loose stuff but often it will catch up to me and I need to correct, slow, then re-engage. If we are cranking down a trail and I am following one of them and he is getting after it, it is a little tough to keep pace. I can feel myself cheating a little on the turns, not committing 100%. I'll hear my skis clacking occasionally (meaning losing my parallel at times). I'll drag an occasional pole on the snow to balance.
I try to work on it continuously, skiing each trail like I'm in the Olympics. In other words, aggressive skiing, pushing my limits, trying for speed, control, good carving turns, no cheating. Finish the runs breathless. On groomers I try and picture gates in my mind and crank around them, focusing on starting the turn early. That is my fun place skiing, pushing limits, get the legs burning, be in a place where adrenaline is flowing and where a mistake could possibly get me hurt.
I am in a ski club in N Conway area, and each year we have a race vs a rival club. NASTAR, and I'd like to improve my times. I lost last year to 1-2 people who I didn't think I should/would. Suffice to say, I'm a competitive person.
Big picture, it's not obvious to me if I am improving still year to year, and if I am it feels very marginal / slow. If I have a goal it's to keep up with my great skier friends, to execute those bang-bang-bang turns through hairy stuff. I worry I won't get there without doing something differently.
Things I've considered:
-Ask those same friends for pointers. **I very well may, but I worry slightly about opening the door to criticism (I don't want a pointer every run, that will get on my nerves quickly).
-Get a private lesson or two. **This could work out well. I'd want to ensure I get someone good to teach me
-Have a friend take some videos, post them somewhere (here?) for analysis. **This seems like an easy win to me
-Stop being so competitive and just enjoy yourself. **Not in my blood...
-Specific weight training to increase leg/core strength. **So far laziness has won the day...
Anyway, open to ideas / suggestions. Thanks!
At this point it's just endurance, muscle memory, and getting out of your head. Most "great" skiers had many seasons where they were getting 50+ days a year, and that carries through.
Seems like you're already upping your days - adding a bunch of cardio, core, and lower body workout will for sure help. Even just 5-minutes a day of wall sits makes a difference.
But it sounds to me like the mental aspect is getting you. There is a "correct" way to ski, sure, but the great skiers are pre-conscious. They're not thinking of it like practice, or worrying about their edges or putting a pole down, they're getting after it and feeling the joy of it.
I do some instructing and there are a lot of guys (mostly guys, a woman every once in a while) who want skiing to be like engineering or math: "Is the angle of my ski proper? Do I extend my pole arm at the right second?" And the standard instructor response is that you have to feel it, not think it.
If you're thinking it like this, you're not feeling it.
But asking people for tips and getting lessons isn't going to hurt. It may be your weight is too far back, etc, and someone could give you a couple things to work on.
I'd also add on you may be better than you think. I grew up skiing, and lived in Stowe for the bulk of my 20s, skiing constantly with people that grew up there. At first I was super self-conscious about my ability and how I might appear skiing with them. But with a couple of exceptions (mainly the few people that did full on Olympic team stuff, or skiing something really technical like Goat), I was eventually told to let that mindset go because I looked pretty much the part.
I think it is mostly a matter of time. There are also a few things you can do to be more efficient at improving.
- Try a preseason, ski-specific program to strengthen core and legs. I like this one:
View: https://youtu.be/pKnP88kWTKA
When your base fitness is solid, you will get up to speed more quickly and have fewer errors from exhaustion. Eventually you ski into shape, but it wastes days.
- Increase your skiing days. There are a certain number of days required to just remember what you already know. Progress really happens after that point. I'm sure the number is different for different people and abilities, but for higher level skiing that number is somewhere between 6 and 30 days. 6-12 days a year may just not be enough to improve very much.
- Join a masters program or adult race league. I'm a firm believer in gate training as the fastest way to improve. It forces turns in difficult conditions, is merciless on mistakes, and race techniques apply to 80%+ of ski conditions. GS training is the most appropriate for improving daily skiing--slalom has too many techniques that are course specific. There are also summer race programs that do the same thing in a more condensed amount of time.
- Video training/video modeling. This may be the easiest to implement. Have a friend take video of you and watch it. It is often much easier to see mistakes than to feel them. Similarly, seek out ski pointers on youtube or other videos. Compare your efforts to those pros/coaches/instructors. I think this is most effective for fixing one thing at a time.
Thanks for the responses.
Fitness / strength is probably real, I've been lazy in the pandemic timeline. Really no cardio / strength other than skiing. That will be a great place to start.
@Devizier There's no way my wife lets me take a ski camp...
We have a hard enough time getting the kids to their camps.
@GoJeff! I like the race team idea, just probably can't fit it into the schedule. We don't ski any mountains regularly with Nastar unfortunately so no real way to get on the gates. We will do Bretton in a couple weeks, plan to get on Nastar then.
@MyDaughterLovesTomGordon You may be onto something with it being in my head. I don't think I worry too much about all of that when I am in the middle of it, except maybe on groomers (I have been watching some youtubes and basically doing what I can to prep for the annual GS race). When skiing a bump / tree / whatever run though I am in it, picking my lines and being very present in the moment, seeking that rhythm of turns. From reading the replies and reflecting though, I do think endurance comes into play on that 4th/5th/etc turn where my muscles are starting to scream.
Big picture, let me commit to getting on the damn Peloton during the week and also doing one of these conditioning programs. No excuse not to. I'll also ask one trusted buddy for some one-time tips, and maybe have him get some tape of me for analysis.
Thanks all! It's been a pretty good season so far, Epic Pass, mostly Attitash, some Wildcat. Have had to deal with #VailFail lift issues all season, but trying to not make that the story of our season.
Will mix in a Bretton day in a couple of weeks, and then a Sugarbush weekend later in March. I've got my boys in a seasonal program at Attitash and they are doing well.
Again, appreciated
-Dan
Fitness / strength is probably real, I've been lazy in the pandemic timeline. Really no cardio / strength other than skiing. That will be a great place to start.
@Devizier There's no way my wife lets me take a ski camp...
We have a hard enough time getting the kids to their camps.@GoJeff! I like the race team idea, just probably can't fit it into the schedule. We don't ski any mountains regularly with Nastar unfortunately so no real way to get on the gates. We will do Bretton in a couple weeks, plan to get on Nastar then.
@MyDaughterLovesTomGordon You may be onto something with it being in my head. I don't think I worry too much about all of that when I am in the middle of it, except maybe on groomers (I have been watching some youtubes and basically doing what I can to prep for the annual GS race). When skiing a bump / tree / whatever run though I am in it, picking my lines and being very present in the moment, seeking that rhythm of turns. From reading the replies and reflecting though, I do think endurance comes into play on that 4th/5th/etc turn where my muscles are starting to scream.
Big picture, let me commit to getting on the damn Peloton during the week and also doing one of these conditioning programs. No excuse not to. I'll also ask one trusted buddy for some one-time tips, and maybe have him get some tape of me for analysis.
Thanks all! It's been a pretty good season so far, Epic Pass, mostly Attitash, some Wildcat. Have had to deal with #VailFail lift issues all season, but trying to not make that the story of our season.
Will mix in a Bretton day in a couple of weeks, and then a Sugarbush weekend later in March. I've got my boys in a seasonal program at Attitash and they are doing well.
Again, appreciated
-Dan
I actually think the repetition of a set route is a lot more important than being timed, or even having gates. You might want to try to make up an obstacle course of sorts on a slope (around the trail sign, turn before this mogul, left on the ice patch) and session it. Get a feel for when you can't make a turn, and try to make it the next time. Because you have to pay for nastar, it ends up being a one-time run and doesn't provide much feedback.
Sounds like you’re in North Conway area? Shawnee Peak isn’t far and has adult race leagues on Wed and Thurs nights at 5, I believe. Some really high-level handicap-zero dudes and a lot of ex-college racers.Thanks for the responses.
Fitness / strength is probably real, I've been lazy in the pandemic timeline. Really no cardio / strength other than skiing. That will be a great place to start.
@Devizier There's no way my wife lets me take a ski camp...
@GoJeff! I like the race team idea, just probably can't fit it into the schedule. We don't ski any mountains regularly with Nastar unfortunately so no real way to get on the gates. We will do Bretton in a couple weeks, plan to get on Nastar then.
@MyDaughterLovesTomGordon You may be onto something with it being in my head. I don't think I worry too much about all of that when I am in the middle of it, except maybe on groomers (I have been watching some youtubes and basically doing what I can to prep for the annual GS race). When skiing a bump / tree / whatever run though I am in it, picking my lines and being very present in the moment, seeking that rhythm of turns. From reading the replies and reflecting though, I do think endurance comes into play on that 4th/5th/etc turn where my muscles are starting to scream.
Big picture, let me commit to getting on the damn Peloton during the week and also doing one of these conditioning programs. No excuse not to. I'll also ask one trusted buddy for some one-time tips, and maybe have him get some tape of me for analysis.
Thanks all! It's been a pretty good season so far, Epic Pass, mostly Attitash, some Wildcat. Have had to deal with #VailFail lift issues all season, but trying to not make that the story of our season.
Will mix in a Bretton day in a couple of weeks, and then a Sugarbush weekend later in March. I've got my boys in a seasonal program at Attitash and they are doing well.
Again, appreciated
-Dan
Thanks. Based just north of Boston, but have a ski club / house in N Conway area. So mid-week is tough...
Since the bulk of the photos on here make me insanely jealous I assume it does the same for others. As such, I figured I'd share a photo from Stowe this morning...this was about the best the visibility got. Of course, I was skiing at 9am on a Thursday in 30 degree temps and no lift lines with decent snow, so I can't complain too much.
My folks are staying at Stowe this week. My dad got a late start due to cold today, but I haven't heard how the snow is.
I used to use one called Ski Tracks, which I thought was pretty cool at the time when I started using it about 10 years ago. Just looking at other ones now, it seems there’s one called Slopes, which seems to be a snazzier, updated version of Ski Tracks. With either, you should be able to find the features you’re looking for. I always thought the coolest feature was the way it can track your path around the resort through the day, and how almost every resort that you would visit would be pre-programmed into the app.
One warning: the feature to track speed can be a little bit addicting, and I found potentially dangerous. I kept wanting to try to top myself, and finally once when I did, I sort of scared myself. I decided right then and there that I wasn’t gonna do that anymore. I think I was going 129 km an hour?
I mean, that’s not-quite-Olympic downhill speed. I wouldn’t trust an app to register at that level.
My guess is based on sunday's conditions pretty bullet proof and FAST. it was mid 40s saturday and by sunday dawn in the negative temps. They will likely take the week to blow a ton of snow to prep for a couple of vacation weeks coming up. But it will be relatively empty so you can't beat that.
I use Slopes. It works pretty well. You turn it on before your first run, pause it at lunch, restart it. It tracks time skiing, time on lifts, and time not skiing (waiting in lines, etc). It'll give you some metrics like total runs, top speed, longest run, etc. The app is free. There are additional metrics you can get for a subscription but the main one is all I use. I think you can also link it to the health function on your iphone and it'll track calories. The new garmin watch I have also has a ski function that does pretty much all the same stuff and more.
Seems like Slopes is the way to go. I'm going to North Conway tonight so I'll make sure to download it. Thanks!
My kids, age 8 and 5, have already started leaning hard into becoming park rats. One of the things about skiing out here is like 20% of the mountain (7 springs) dedicated to parks. Pretty much every kid who skis there goes that way.
As a full-on dad, I have no interest in parks. But I want the kids to love skiing. They both want to join the freestyle program next winter. Should I let them? I am on the fence, safety being my biggest concern. Mostly curious to see if other parents have embraced this.
As a full-on dad, I have no interest in parks. But I want the kids to love skiing. They both want to join the freestyle program next winter. Should I let them? I am on the fence, safety being my biggest concern. Mostly curious to see if other parents have embraced this.
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My kids are going on their first ski trip this season so I can't relate to your question directly as a parent. But, as a young teenager who grew up skiing on the Ice Coast, I spent a good deal of time in the park but once I got a bit older and got out West, I ditched the park pretty much entirely.
In retrospect and as I think you alluded to, part of the reason for this is likely the lack of challenging downhill (i.e. non-park) terrain. I think as long as your kids wear helmets and show some modicum of carefulness on the hill, I'd let them ski whatever they want. Learning park skills are actually hugely helpful for advanced terrain (e.g. cliffs, drops, tight trees, and all kinds of other sketchy situations), and as you said priority number one is keeping them interested in the sport generally. I also think getting out to mountains with the best non-park terrain will present them with enough challenges and variety to keep their attention. So even if it's just one special trip a season to Killington, Sugarbush, or whatever your favorite Beast Coast hill is to show them what's out there, I think it may go a long way.
That's basically my impression. The kids actually got a huge amount out of a trips to (slightly) bigger mountains Holiday Valley and the shockingly good Timberline. With our local hills being purchased by Vail, we will be on the Epic Pass next season, so it will be a good time to head up to New England or even Colorado. Not sure the kids are ready for Vail/Breckenridge though. Big step up in difficulty and resort size.
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Beaver Creek is far more manageable than Vail from a size standpoint FYI. Skieable acres at BC is about 2,000, compared to over 5,000 at vail (and I think 3ish for Breck)
Personally I'd let them do whatever they are interested in. My kids spend a lot of time in the park, particularly when we are at smaller resorts.
While it is not my favorite thing to do, it definitely keeps them motivated and the skills translate all over the mountain. Any kind of organized skiing will make them much better, so I'd be excited to have them do freestyle, or race, or whatever they like.
No doubt that I didn't have complete faith in the app's accuracy. I was going FAST though...and they didn't have those 3 layers of nets like they do at the races.
I would be most concerned about the social environment in the parks, and whether they are patrolled or monitored. The greatest threat to your young kids will likely be reckless teenagers who bomb through the park with no regard for anyone's safety. If the last one of a pack of 6 happens to clip your 5 year old on the way through, they probably won't even stop.
As long as your kids know to look around and be patient, and clear the landing areas quickly, they should be fine.
Edit- Definitely go for the freestyle program. They will become much stronger skiers travelling with a pack of other kids on their levels, and they will learn so much more about safety this way, too. My kids both did our mountains freestyle program, which I thought was much better than the racing program in terms of a laid back attitude and overall fun.
Aerodynamics have a huge effect on ski speeds over 40 MPH. Most skiers will top out in the 40s on typical groomed slopes. Speeds in the 50s are possible, but require really bombing down something quite steep.
To hit 60, you pretty much have to be in a tuck on a steep slope. 70 is virtually impossible without a speed suit. DH racers get into the 80s and 90s, but they are in a speed suit, have a great tuck, and are on a very steep slope with perfectly waxed skis. It all matters at high speeds.
I use an app and have seen reading of 70, 80 and 90 MPH, but think all of those were data errors.
I'm on a snowboard and it's been a minute, but this sounds right. Looking at my old Ski Tracks data, most of my days topped out in the mid 40s, with a personal high 54.2 mph at Heavenly on 01/13/2018. I've had a lot of fun these past 5 minutes trying to figure out what trail that might have been. My guess is Little Dipper, but maybe Comet or something else under the Stagecoach lift. That's of course you don't believe the data from Vail on 01/17/2017 when I clocked 185.5.
My point was not to brag about how fast I think I've gone, more to share that these apps can encourage you (or maybe just me) to do somewhat dangerous things.
However, I'm not sure I agree with you 100% on your speed ranges. At my home mountain in B.C., Silver Star, they still run an annual recreational downhill race for charity every year, complete with speed suits and long skis, etc. They've been doing it for 40 years on pretty much the longest, gentlest green run, and they advertise that people can hit up to 110km/hr on that slope. I have skied in a tuck on that run, and gotten going pretty fast. I have been blessed to be able to get some great mid-week uncrowded days on our mountain, which has some big, wide, well groomed runs. The run I hit my top speed on was a much steeper blue run and I did hold a tuck for quite awhile. Racers also get their speed controlled by the gates/turns, but i was just straight-lining it in this case.
Anyway, however fast that was, as I rapidly skidded to a stop, I realized it wouldn't have taken much more than a rock, catching an edge, or some ever so slight shift in balance to send me hurtling into the woods Sonnie Bono style. And then, as Bill said to Beatrix, "that would be the story of you..." No more for me after that!
Speed suits help a lot, but 110 kmh/68 mph on a green run seems improbable to me. Maybe Silver Star's greens are a lot steeper than what I am picturing.
A steep hill with a flat runout can result in very high speeds--most DHs see the top measured speed on the straight flat approaching the finish.
Top speeds in last night's women's DH were ~120 km/hr which, as you pointed out, is about average, the men perhaps being a tick higher.
My daughter and I went to Lake Louise to catch the women's races about 10 years ago, and she got to meet Lindsay Vonn, who autographed her skis!
My daughter and I went to Lake Louise to catch the women's races about 10 years ago, and she got to meet Lindsay Vonn, who autographed her skis!
Parent who embraced his kids becoming park rats and joining freestyle programs checking in here. I came to the sport later in life but, like you, wanted my kids to love skiing (we live in Maine and I wanted to have an outdoor family activity to pass the winter). My middle kid hated skiing but really took to snowboarding. He did a snowboarding program for about five years and having a crew to ride with really advanced his skills. My oldest kid is now 18, but at a young age was pushing hard to hit cliffs, take jumps, learn rails, etc. He tore his MCL when he was nine but was back to playing baseball two months later. The youngest is 12 and has picked up everything from his brothers. Last Saturday the conditions were great - plenty of snow the prior seven days and temps up to 50 so nice and soft with great coverage. My wife and I skied with the youngest for the day (the middle kid took some runs with us before heading out to meet some friends and the oldest is in college and was out with the ski club at some resort in West Virginia). At one point saturday we were skiing an ungroomed steep trail and the youngest hit a cliff up top (maybe a ten foot drop). A few hundred yards later he stood on top of another cliff but since the landing was flat he decided to skip it. Sunday the conditions sucked - it got cold and bulletproof. But the boys went out and just skied park all day since it doesn't matter much what the conditions are if you're skiing park.
I mention all of that to say this - skiing has taught my kids how to take risks. They know that when trying to progress they're going to fail before they succeed, and they're going to have to fail before they get to the next level. I think that has a lot of value in other aspects of life.
I've also found that the park rat community is not what I originally thought. They have a "code" of sorts, and by and large they encourage their peers and help people when they wipe out. It's not just selfish pot smoking a-holes at all.
Let 'em rip it!
Yup. He's a freshman at VATech and joined the ski club. It's been great for having things to do on the weekends and as a skier who can really bring it gave him an "in" with a group of friends. His roommates for next year came up to ski over winter break at Sunday River so we got to meet them. He also got me a J Ski / Jerry of the Day collab pair of skis for Christmas this year - I was floored. Maybe I should be posting in the "Brag about your kids" thread at this point!
I have a couple of friends who are actually at Snowshoe this week with their large extended families. They swear by it. They're definitely doing it on a dime, which I respect--they own a sprinter van and lug a ton of kids and gear and drive overnight for example. I don't know much more about it other than what they've said, but I'm certainly interested. I'm not interested in driving at all though, and flying there still requires a significant drive. And if I'm going to do that, I think I'd rather just go out West.
All that said, and I finally convinced my sister and her super bougie family to take a trip with us to Beaver Creek next month that's going to cost a pretty penny even though we planned decently in advance. Fastforward to January and she's sending me videos of her kids learning on the mean slopes of...Wisconsin?! Just an hour away from her house in the Chicago burbs. To make a long story short, I already told her that we'll come visit and ski there for the next few winters until the kiddos are ready for big leagues. I still can't believe she never mentioned it as an option SMGDH.
Apparently Snowshoe is a pretty legit ski hill and has decent snow. And I was talking to a guy last night who does the Sprinter van thing for Saddleback in Maine and swears by it. Skiing can be really expensive so it's great hearing that people find ways to make it more accessible. I'm pretty sure my wife who grew up in Chicago skied that place in Wisconsin - it's totally adequate for learning.
I've been to Snowshoe many times. It's pretty good and gets more snow than you'd think. A couple years ago, we lived on the northwest side of Richmond. When we left, it was about 60 degrees in Richmond. 3 hours later, we were at Snowshoe, it was 23 degrees and snowing pretty heavy. Chatting it up with folks on the lift, you realize it draws from a pretty large area. I met people there who drove from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Charleston. Certainly, best skiing option in the mid-Atlantic but doesn't compare to most of the NE resorts (size-wise).
I hear great things about Snowshoe - it's suprisingly good. It's been in the 60s in Blacksburg but 20 at Snowshoe and there is plenty of snow. I also hear the parks are really good too.
I’m up in NH w the family this week and will be heading out to ski for the first time in two years. Looks like a real mixed bag. Had some very warm and rainy days last week and have some more coming this week. Going to be above 60 in N Conway on Wednesday. Will be a unique mix of paste and ice this week…
That’s what I’m saying! Obviously, it’s all about the elevation. It’s pretty crazy. I’ve had some pretty good powder days at Snowshoe.
We’re at Park City this weekend. It’s pretty decent but we’re leaving tomorrow, right when the snow is moving in. We had three days of sunny high 30s/low 40s. Felt a bit more like spring skiing but I can’t complain. Last turns of the season for us.
I was at Bretton Woods last Thursday when it was in the 50s. Coverage was pretty good, although a few trails got roped off as the day went on. It's been cold and snowy since so not sure how much else has been covered. The conditions at the base were questionable, but the trails themselves were in pretty good shape. Cranmore the day before was in even better shape, pretty much a perfect day there.
From what I'm hearing about Snowshoe it basically has it's own microclimate. It's so great to see there's a solid ski resort in an area that might not otherwise allow for the opportunity.
As someone who basically hangs around one place exclusively I love hearing about your trips. We have our first to Europe on the calendar over next Christmas - going to Courchevel with another family. Tips and insights would be appreciated if you have any to share!