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Your 2011 / 2012 Ski Season Recap

snoseek

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I had a nice long ski season.

Started @ Sunday River somewhere around halloween and skied a half dozen days on the EC while piling up the funds.

Mid December drove across to Tahoe, getting rid of some stuff I had stored in Denver on the way.

arrived in Tahoe to virtually no snow. skied groomers everyday and played up on the rim trail (hike/bike) in the afternoon. Some days I jst skied 9-4. Somewhere about Mid January I hit the road for Utah as they (and tahoe) were getting a decent storm. Skied lcc/bcc/pow mow for 11 days...following terrain openings for the year, snowpack was low tide but soft.

Drove back to Tahoe for a few days and decided to return to Utah for a few more...this time I didn't drive which was a nice rest. Skied a few days on ok snow....packed down at Pow Mow. First time was much softer.
Returned to Tahoe and skied more groomers into Mid Feb. Finally the snow was starting to fall abit at places like Kirkwood and some exploring could happen. This was the beginning of the good season for me. It came very very late.

Late February I grew impatient once again and chased a storm that sorta busted into Utah. Had a couple fun days at Pow Mow (WJenness had the best day that week I would say), then moves even further east as the Western Slope was getting pounded. Stayed with a friend in Grand JCT and skied three EMPTY two foot cold smoke days at Powderhorn. Two areas that were going off were Steamboat and Powderhorn. Also did some Mountain Biking in Fruitta and went out a couple nights, this trip turned out to be 9 days and tons of driving.

Returned literally the day before it went off in Tahoe. The month of march was a fucking dream! Skied till exhaustion every day....not too many lesiurely days. Somewhere around mid month things really started ramping up and even Heavenly was skiing pretty good, Mott, Killbrew and the slack stuff. April first was a big day and we got onthat one! skied a day at Squaw in Early April and confirmed that's where I'd like to spend a good deal of time next winter, the place is hyped but there definitely is a reason.

Was enticed into stepping back into my former job for the summer so I packed it up around mid month and stuffed my ski poles with some quality mendecino souvineers and got back a couple weeks ago. I am now in full on work mode till just before halloween when I start the cycle all over again...

Overall it was a tough year for many. I'm not gonna bitch tooo much as I did ski 100+ days and got a nice break from working. I road tripped WAYYY too much and spent too much money in doing so but what are ya gonna do when its so dry? I will pay for my sins this summer. I did manage to make things happen under the circumstances and can only imagine next year will be a drastic improvment for many. Driving back Colorado snowpack was as low as I've ever seen it in the month of april. LL pass looked like memorial day weekend so I'm not feeling any regrets about not going back to Colorado this season.


Edit-forgot to add I got home the day before closing day @ the river, so ultimately I opened and closed my season at Sunday River!
 

St. Bear

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Stats, thoughts and pics from 16 eastern ski areas on the topic in our SKI THE EAST year in review...

http://bit.ly/KvEYmN

I mentioned this on Twitter, but I'd be interested in seeing how the totals are skewed by single large storms. For instance, Jay Peak claims 254" for the season, but received 60"+ over Leap Day Weekend, which is almost 1/4 of their yearly total. Magic Mountain received 18" over the same weekend, which is almost 1/3 of their claimed 65".
 

legalskier

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35, almost all in the 'Cats. None in November or April (first time I can remember that).
A bad day of skiing beats a good day in the office, but I'm afraid I got spoiled by the prior two epic seasons. I'm very disappointed that I never got to the northern reaches, which I was saving for the last month of the season, which- infamously- never happened. Still had a few decent days though. Best part of the season was compressed by Mother Nature to right after Presidents' Week until the first week of March. If I could've known it was destined to go poof so fast, I would have been out much more then. But I ASSumed it would last til April. :sad:

What a strange season it was.
 

maineskier69

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I started my season in October with a powder day (if you squinted) on 2 open trails at Sunday River. This is the first year I did not ski outside of "The Great State of Maine", but thats just how it worked out. I didn't keep an official tally, but I ended up in the low 40's for # of days. Most of those days were at Sunday River which when you have a winter like this one (and hopefully never will again) is IMHO the best place to be when it comes to making snow. I had 2 great "powder nights" at Shawnee Peak which were a couple of my best ski expiriences this season. Made it up to Saddleback for Presidents Day Weekend (thank you Silver Pass) which I have decided is my favorite mountain to ski in Maine (when there is snow). My biggest regret was not making it once up to Sugarloaf this year. In my 20 years of living in Maine, this was the first season I didn't make it to The Loaf. We had intentions, but due to high winds we were steered to Sunday River.
So from a skiing perspective it wasn't the best season, but from the social perspective it was great because when the skiing isn't up to par you head to the bar..
 

aveski2000

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I had a pretty good season, in spite of the lack of snow. Started at the River in October and ended the season there in April. Probably got around 30 days or so. Two days at the Loaf and one at Saddleback late in the season. Had only one powder day in the East. The highlight of the year was going to Jackson Hole in late February into March and doing the Steep and Deep Camp. We had fresh snow three out of the four days of camp. A truly amazing mountain. I got my two seconds of fame in one of the Steep & Deep clips.
I'm at 1:45 - 1:47.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTw9ihBUk0&feature=player_detailpage
 

rocojerry

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where its snowing
seasons in the signature --

but best day? Probably @ Copper.

For how little mother nature cooperated, I feel like I had 1-2 bad days all season --

I was shooting for 32 days, so fell about 5 short......
 

Hawkshot99

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Skied somewhere in the sixties for my yearly number. I no longer keep track exactly, but thats close. Past 3 years I have done in the eighties, so not bad but not definitely short. This was doen with working 6 days a week, minimum of 60 hours a week of work, usually more (although I do work at the mtn., but not in a skiing role).

I only had 1 real powder experience all winter. 9-10 inches the last Friday night of X-mas break. Was a real fun night of skiing. I did quite well in advancing my racing however and was very happy with my results in my 2 leagues.

I was a bit disappointed in the # of mtns I skied(6), but did ski Stowe for the first time, although it was late spring bumps, nut I would love to try it mid winter. The other place I went quite a bit was Bromley, had not been there since I was a little kid. I dd not get in any earned turns this winter(thats what I get for buying AT boots!)
 

ScottySkis

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Skied somewhere in the sixties for my yearly number. I no longer keep track exactly, but thats close. Past 3 years I have done in the eighties, so not bad but not definitely short. This was doen with working 6 days a week, minimum of 60 hours a week of work, usually more (although I do work at the mtn., but not in a skiing role).

I only had 1 real powder experience all winter. 9-10 inches the last Friday night of X-mas break. Was a real fun night of skiing. I did quite well in advancing my racing however and was very happy with my results in my 2 leagues.

I was a bit disappointed in the # of mtns I skied(6), but did ski Stowe for the first time, although it was late spring bumps, nut I would love to try it mid winter. The other place I went quite a bit was Bromley, had not been there since I was a little kid. I dd not get in any earned turns this winter(thats what I get for buying AT boots!)

That is awesome that you can ski so many days and work all those hours.
 

4aprice

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Definately a sub par season for me. Got somewhere in the area of 45 days. Didn't get out west for the 1st time in about 20 years. Camelback was ok. They certainly made the most of what they were presented with weatherwise. They were able to get the entire mountain open by mid January and rode it out till mid March but with the exception of a few days it wasn't vintage Camelback skiing. Got to Vermont about 15 days with mixed results as well. Some good days, some not so good days. Had some injury problems as well with some back issues in January and a tweeked knee in February. I'm in the camp that this was the worst year weatherwise I have ever experienced in 45+ years of skiing so I shed no tears when it ended for me March 18th about a month earlier then normal. Glad its in the rearview mirror and really looking forward to next season already. Got the dry land training already in progress trying to be in top shape for November. Early prognostications from weather guru's I follow say that next year figures to be much different from this past season so the stoke factor will be rising daily during the summer months.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ
 

snowmonster

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Stats, thoughts and pics from 16 eastern ski areas on the topic in our SKI THE EAST year in review...

http://bit.ly/KvEYmN

Thanks for this. But, why no Sunday River?
Mad River Mountain, Ohio? :lol:

The only possible explanation is that the assignment was given to a non-skiing intern who could not tell the difference between this and MRG.
I had a pretty good season, in spite of the lack of snow. Started at the River in October and ended the season there in April. Probably got around 30 days or so. Two days at the Loaf and one at Saddleback late in the season. Had only one powder day in the East. The highlight of the year was going to Jackson Hole in late February into March and doing the Steep and Deep Camp. We had fresh snow three out of the four days of camp. A truly amazing mountain. I got my two seconds of fame in one of the Steep & Deep clips.
I'm at 1:45 - 1:47.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTw9ihBUk0&feature=player_detailpage

Nice vid! Got me stoked on Jackson Hole. I have to hit that place someday. Madpadraic mentioned the Steep and Deep camp.This vid got me thinking about that.
 

drjeff

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Mad River Mountain, Ohio? :lol:

Yup, one of Peak Resorts properties outside of Columbus, OH. The GM there is a friend of mine and the former marketing director at Mount Snow before was promoted about a year ago.
 

Hawkshot99

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That is awesome that you can ski so many days and work all those hours.

I manage the ski shop on property. My shop is 100 ft to the main lift. I am in 2 race leagues a week, plus ski any night I want till 10pm(I work till 4, or 8 depending on the night). Every day off I had but 1 was spent at a ski resort this winter.

What makes me ski the most is that I move up there for the winter, so I dont have many friends who are not at the mtn or crazy about skiing. So, when we hang out, it is usually on the ski slopes.
 

ScottySkis

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I manage the ski shop on property. My shop is 100 ft to the main lift. I am in 2 race leagues a week, plus ski any night I want till 10pm(I work till 4, or 8 depending on the night). Every day off I had but 1 was spent at a ski resort this winter.

What makes me ski the most is that I move up there for the winter, so I dont have many friends who are not at the mtn or crazy about skiing. So, when we hang out, it is usually on the ski slopes.

That pretty sweet deal you got.
 

Nick

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Yeah I have to be honest I really missed woods skiing this year. There just wasn't much of it on the few times I got up north except for MRG which was actually pretty decent.

My late season was blown up by some family issues, so I missed the big storm in Feb, which was a huge bummer.

All in all, considering the conditions, I didn't get in half of what I was hoping to. Next year should be better!
 

DJAK

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Thanks for this. But, why no Sunday River?


The only possible explanation is that the assignment was given to a non-skiing intern who could not tell the difference between this and MRG.

Regarding Sunday River - not every mtn responds to every request for info (esp late season).

Regarding MRM in Ohio, my goal was to get outside of New England, thus the info from NB, WV, Ohio, etc.. VT was already heavy.

Tried to include a cross section, not every mtn.
 

SkiFanE

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50+ days or so, all at Sunday River for me. Just no natural to entice me elsewhere weekdays. But each and every day I had a blast. We took every opty to ski woods or nat'l only trails when we could. They came and went so fast, it was so smart. One day 2 youngest (11 & 6) and I hit a few black glades inclu chutpzah, awesome day. My 6yo started ripping up sides of blue/green trails right behind me "I'm following your style mom". What a great winter...precious memories that will last a lifetime, long after I forget about lack of snow.
 

gmcunni

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I wish i'd skied more and had better conditions but overall i had a fun season. I don't think i set specific goals this year but had I done so I probably would have come up short.


21 days on the snow - down from 39 previous season
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4 new mountains skied
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didn't catch any big storms / pow days.
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did a bunch of demos
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didn't buy new skis as i planned
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skied Canada for first time
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with son off to college next year this was our last year of family ski trips
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don't think i broke even on my pass to local hill
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with reduced days i really felt like it was a plateau year, didn't get any better
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escaped season without injury
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missed the AZ summit -
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summary -

2011/12 Season - best day - 3.2 @ magic

Ski Sundown - 12.17 12.27 1.1 1.11 1.14 1.16 1.21 2.11 2.26 3.4 3.8 3.11 3.17
Mount Snow - 12.30
Wachusett - 1.7
Magic - 2.4 3.2
Mont Sutton -2.18
Mont Orford - 2.19
Bromont - 2.20
Okemo - 3.10
 
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