List fails without

Ohhh, ski slopes. Nevermind.

dat's wasiss

Having been involved with ski racing from the age of 11-16, I can say these runs give me the chills, but in a good way like "hey I bet all these years later I'm still a capable enough skier to take these on"

Most likely it would lead to my demise, but hey you gotta have dreams!

Fark east coast skiing. I tore my farking ACL on a black diamond that was one big patch of ice.

New England skiing: 30" base made of ice, 2 inches of powder that's gone by noon, and narrow runs.

And now that I'm on the west coast, it ain't snowing at all. Nearly every day here in Portland this month has been rain-free or sunny - that translates to ZERO snowfall in the Cascades.

I'll stick to the blue groomers, kplzthx.
Hitting Wolf Creek Pass in 2 weeks, w00t.

"Oh hai guyz. Whutz goin on in this threadz"?

A retort on the subject after reading the article and watching Youtube videos of the runs.

I think I'll stick to the lodge, thanks.

Anyone who has skied at Mad River Glen for any length of time knows that 1) the drop into Paradise is NOT 8 ft, and 2) Paradise is not even close to the best MRG has to offer, and all of the best stuff is not on the map.

Also the scariest ski slopes in America are NOT on piste.

Hell, almost all the traditional runs in Tuckerman Ravine are steeper than most inbounds stuff in the East, and that's not even the best that Washington has to offer.

Same goes for western US, although admittedly I've only been to Utah.

moops: Fark east coast skiing. I tore my farking ACL on a black diamond that was one big patch of ice.

New England skiing: 30" base made of ice, 2 inches of powder that's gone by noon, and narrow runs.

And now that I'm on the west coast, it ain't snowing at all. Nearly every day here in Portland this month has been rain-free or sunny - that translates to ZERO snowfall in the Cascades.

Yeah, you have to chase the powder in the east it's true. But if you know where to look, you can find stuff every bit as good as the western US.

Also, spring corn snow in the east is way, way better.

Blizzardbeach.jpg

I've been meaning to make it to MRG for several years now to attend the tele festival.

I've been on a good number of completely crappy "slopes," which are essentially just large swaths of ice from one end to the next. Oh, and then there's the snowboarders who will courteously throw a chip block into the back of your knees, get up and speed off without even an acknowledgement of your presence.

/hates skiing
//our instructor spent most of the time showing off and/or flirting

Worked at Jackson Hole resort. Even the locals were cautious of Corbett's Couloir. There was a howitzer installed and pointed at it just to ameliorate the avalanche risk. Never got to fire it though :(

Nick Nostril: [img4.imageshack.us image 300x360]

"Oh hai guyz. Whutz goin on in this threadz"?

bravo.

Blue Knob.

I learned to ski on ice...powder confuses me.

Not really a run so to speak but repelling down a cliff hanging from rope while strapped into your snowboard into a chute in Silverton Colorado was pretty wild.

I expected to see Dragon's Tail at Mammoth.
If you can get to it, it's a biatch to get down ;)

Mose: Yeah, you have to chase the powder in the east it's true. But if you know where to look, you can find stuff every bit as good as the western US.

Don't get me wrong, there *can* be amazing powder in the northeast. But it's few and far between.

Some of the best skiing I've encountered was at Okemo in VT. I skied there on a weekday, the morning after a Noreaster dumped 17" on the area. It was amazing and I had the place to myself.

That being said, that was the ONLY time I encountered lots of powder that was comparable to Snowbird or Heavenly.

Once I skied Heavenly (skied 3 days, 6" of new powder each morning), I never skied in New England again.

So, not being a "skier" myself, is the diamond rating scale standardized or do individual resorts get to put whatever they want on each run?

Back in 1990 I was stationed at Ft. Devons, MA with 10th SFG and every year they went to some ski resort for 10 days of "ski training." Your tax dollars at work. It really is just 8 hours of skiing every day. Well, having never skied before, I had to start out on the bunny slope getting the basics from the poor unlucky slob E6 Who drew the short straw to train the "noobs." On the third day, I was skiing on double black diamond runs and that is with the military style boot that has almost full range of motion on the ankle. I was not skiing them like an expert but I was staying in control and got some good speed on some. I passed the test at the end of the training which is skiing through a course with a 40 lb. ruck.

It was Mt. St. Anne's in Quebec, if that helps anybody.

It just seems odd that a noob like me could be skiing double blacks if double blacks are supposed to be hard and the runs in the article are being billed as the same.

Nick Nostril: [img4.imageshack.us image 300x360]

"Oh hai guyz. Whutz goin on in this threadz"?

Wearing my Heavenly shirt right now, as a matter of fact. Loved that mountain, but it was farking cold. Every time we crossed the NV-CA state line, I would shout, VELCOME TO CALIFAAANIA!!!
It was tiresome, until we drank more beer.


Granted, the trees were pretty damn big, so I could see how Sonny farked up.

whizbangthedirtfarmer: I've been on a good number of completely crappy "slopes," which are essentially just large swaths of ice from one end to the next. Oh, and then there's the snowboarders who will courteously throw a chip block into the back of your knees, get up and speed off without even an acknowledgement of your presence.

/hates skiing
//our instructor spent most of the time showing off and/or flirting

You sound old and fat.

A paralyzed guy skied Corbet's last year. Impressive (it is out on YouTube)

I remember this one time when my boss went skiing and broke her leg. I started answering her phone at work and managed to both pull off a huge deal and meet a really terrific guy.

Benjimin_Dover: So, not being a "skier" myself, is the diamond rating scale standardized or do individual resorts get to put whatever they want on each run?

Back in 1990 I was stationed at Ft. Devons, MA with 10th SFG and every year they went to some ski resort for 10 days of "ski training." Your tax dollars at work. It really is just 8 hours of skiing every day. Well, having never skied before, I had to start out on the bunny slope getting the basics from the poor unlucky slob E6 Who drew the short straw to train the "noobs." On the third day, I was skiing on double black diamond runs and that is with the military style boot that has almost full range of motion on the ankle. I was not skiing them like an expert but I was staying in control and got some good speed on some. I passed the test at the end of the training which is skiing through a course with a 40 lb. ruck.

It was Mt. St. Anne's in Quebec, if that helps anybody.

It just seems odd that a noob like me could be skiing double blacks if double blacks are supposed to be hard and the runs in the article are being billed as the same.

Trail ratings are not absolute, they're only relative to the other trails on the individual mountain, more or less.

Black Hole - Smuggler's Notch, Vt.
Touted as the only triple black diamond run in the Eastern United States, the Black Hole is steep - a 53-degree pitch - and offers glade skiing at its most intense. Not only do you have to keep from falling, you have to keep from slamming into a pine tree. Here's a tip: Don't look at the trees; look at the white space between them.

I did that one on my 50^th birthday.
*yawns*
/get off my snowgunned lawn.
//55 now
///no poles. I'm not running down a mountain with two sharp sticks in hand.

thurstonxhowell: whizbangthedirtfarmer: I've been on a good number of completely crappy "slopes," which are essentially just large swaths of ice from one end to the next. Oh, and then there's the snowboarders who will courteously throw a chip block into the back of your knees, get up and speed off without even an acknowledgement of your presence.

/hates skiing
//our instructor spent most of the time showing off and/or flirting

You sound old and fat.

Wrong on both counts, unless you consider 35 "old."

/can't help it if the majority of snowboarders I meet are dicks

As a snowboarder I have to say that skiers are elitist rude pigdogs and deserve all that ice.

moops: Mose: Yeah, you have to chase the powder in the east it's true. But if you know where to look, you can find stuff every bit as good as the western US.

Don't get me wrong, there *can* be amazing powder in the northeast. But it's few and far between.

Some of the best skiing I've encountered was at Okemo in VT. I skied there on a weekday, the morning after a Noreaster dumped 17" on the area. It was amazing and I had the place to myself.

That being said, that was the ONLY time I encountered lots of powder that was comparable to Snowbird or Heavenly.

Once I skied Heavenly (skied 3 days, 6" of new powder each morning), I never skied in New England again.

Well, I won't argue with you at all the many places in the west get better, more frequent snow and without as many thaws.

I just enjoy dispelling the stereotype of icy New England skiing. Yes, pistes are often scraped down to boiler plate where they make the majority of their snow, over groom it, and have so many high speed lifts that they over ski it.

If you if enjoy man made, over groomed, over crowded pistes, than your experience in New England will be most likely icy and miserable.

Then again, if you like good snow, you stick to the snow belt and the lesser traveled resorts like Bolton, Smuggs, Burke, Wildcat, Black, Cannon, etc.

Or you do what I did and slap a pair of skins on the bottom, touring bindings on top, go into the backcountry and never look back.

/isn't for everyone though

moops: And now that I'm on the west coast, it ain't snowing at all. Nearly every day here in Portland this month has been rain-free or sunny - that translates to ZERO snowfall in the Cascades

Here ya go! Snow's a-comin'...
http://unofficialnetworks.com/pacific-northwest-la-ninachoochooooo-60 9 04/

Please, Santa, I've been good....

one_drummer: moops: And now that I'm on the west coast, it ain't snowing at all. Nearly every day here in Portland this month has been rain-free or sunny - that translates to ZERO snowfall in the Cascades

Here ya go! Snow's a-comin'...
http://unofficialnetworks.com/pacific-northwest-la-ninachoochooooo-60 9 04/

Please, Santa, I've been good....

Alaska is getting pounded. Go north.

moops: Fark east coast skiing. I tore my farking ACL on a black diamond that was one big patch of ice.

New England skiing: 30" base made of ice, 2 inches of powder that's gone by noon, and narrow runs.

And now that I'm on the west coast, it ain't snowing at all. Nearly every day here in Portland this month has been rain-free or sunny - that translates to ZERO snowfall in the Cascades.

based on the last few years, it seems that us here in the pacific NW don't get winter til about Jan and it lasts til almost May
the resorts need to start petitioning for an extended permit to run late in the "spring" as we still get big powder dumps and cold til almost June.

No, it's really simple....

Go that way... really fast. If something gets in your way...... turn.

MtLebanonBalogna: Blue Knob.

I learned to ski on ice...powder confuses me.

SO. MUCH. THIS!

/Glad to see Central PA skiing, such as it is, represented.

rillettes: I've been meaning to make it to MRG for several years now to attend the tele festival.

Ooh boy, you're not a televangelist, are you?

Convert now! Your alpine sins will be forgiven! :)

As a lifelong skier (who started sking before there was such a thing as snowboarding) I can say snowboarders are oblivious to anything around them but their own sense of entitlement... how else to explain that most boarders have no clue about mountain ettiquette? They have no sense of sharing the mountain or playing well with others.... typical self-involved asshats.

Get off my lawn...

one_drummer: As a lifelong skier (who started sking before there was such a thing as snowboarding) I can say snowboarders are oblivious to anything around them but their own sense of entitlement... how else to explain that most boarders have no clue about mountain ettiquette? They have no sense of sharing the mountain or playing well with others.... typical self-involved asshats.

Get off my lawn...

I've found the only way to get them to acknowledge your presence is to fall down on top of them when they cut your legs out from under you. A few pokes with the pole doesn't hurt, either.

Contrabulous Flabtraption: Orgasmatron138: No, it's really simple....

Go that way... really fast. If something gets in your way...... turn.

DAMN YOU!

Shakes tiny fist at both!

my contribution:

Link (new window)

whizbangthedirtfarmer: thurstonxhowell: whizbangthedirtfarmer: I've been on a good number of completely crappy "slopes," which are essentially just large swaths of ice from one end to the next. Oh, and then there's the snowboarders who will courteously throw a chip block into the back of your knees, get up and speed off without even an acknowledgement of your presence.

/hates skiing
//our instructor spent most of the time showing off and/or flirting

You sound old and fat.

Wrong on both counts, unless you consider 35 "old."

/can't help it if the majority of snowboarders I meet are dicks

I've ridden lifts with skiers who have threatened my life (and were serious) because I had a board and not skis. I've had three serious concussions, all caused by out of control skiers. I've been riding for a LONG time; I've never had a pass revoked. I can't say the same for the skiers that have hit me. Are all skiers bad? Nope. Are all boarders bad? Nope? Are you an ass? Yep.

ShadowLAnCeR: As a snowboarder I have to say that skiers are elitist rude pigdogs and deserve all that ice.

I came here to say the same thing, and got side tracked by the asshole above. I have been hit, assaulted, yelled at, threatened, "warned", intimidated and harassed in the mountains- not once by a boarder. I've seen guys do stupid shiat with other boarders in the confines of terrain parks, but I've never seen a boarder treat a skier the way I've been treated by other skiers.

skiing is an enjoyable form of recreation.

Lame list is lame.

Tuckerman's, Snow fields, glades and natural cliff drops at Sugarloaf FTW!

Contrabulous Flabtraption: [www.codinghorror.com image 600x320]
Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way... turn.

Do you happen to know the street value of pure snow?

I know everyone's been talking about how terrible eastern snow conditions are, but I had one of the iciest, shiattiest days of snowboarding when I went to Park City last year. The previous night had warmer temps and nasty high winds. Some of the runs the next morning were literally sloped ice rinks. I honestly didn't believe such terrible conditions could exist out west. I blamed the Mormons and their teetotaling ways.

/Also had one of the best days ever at Snowbird the previous day.

That ain't skiing, that's falling down a rocky hill that happens to have some snow on it. fark that shiat. I learned long ago that blues are about as extreme as I need to go and my knees thank me for it.