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breaking news, ski areas closed for, wait for it....snow

drjeff

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Your sarcasm detector needs adjustment. Dr. Jeff is anything but "elitist." Maybe he erred by using the rolleyes smilie instead of the wink.

His comment was more discussing the reality that most EC mountains rush to groom out the powder as fast as possible because that's what the customer base wants.


Thanks DHS!
 

deadheadskier

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Well don't steal a car during travel ban - some idiots did and were pulled over on 495. Lol. My work badge keeps me out of trouble, but how'd I explain going North and away from my hospital ?! Lol. I traveled during the last travel ban (Nemo) and noone bothered me.

I do think they are a good idea, but threats are stupid - just banning it keeps 95% of the people home, the other 5% are skiers :)

hmmm, I still have some hospital scrubs. If I'm ever stuck in a travel ban, maybe I'll wear them on the way to the mountain.
 

VTKilarney

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Your sarcasm detector needs adjustment. Dr. Jeff is anything but "elitist." Maybe he erred by using the rolleyes smilie instead of the wink.

His comment was more discussing the reality that most EC mountains rush to groom out the powder as fast as possible because that's what the customer base wants.

My bad. I totally missed that it was intended to be sarcastic.


.
 

Highway Star

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Pretty much all the high intermediate to mid-advanced skiers I know are totally uncomfortable in untracked snow, especially in the woods. They might be able to ski trees, but they fall apart in untracked trees, and have a tough time with untracked snow even on trails. High advanced to expert skiers, by definition, are good at skiing untracked powder. I would say that 99%+ of eastern skiers can't ski 2 feet of untracked snow, nor would they even know where to find it.

Wachusett will be groomed flat as a pancake, and they will pull your pass for skiing in the woods.
 

from_the_NEK

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Pretty much all the high intermediate to mid-advanced skiers I know are totally uncomfortable in untracked snow, especially in the woods. They might be able to ski trees, but they fall apart in untracked trees, and have a tough time with untracked snow even on trails. High advanced to expert skiers, by definition, are good at skiing untracked powder. I would say that 99%+ of eastern skiers can't ski 2 feet of untracked snow, nor would they even know where to find it.

Wachusett will be groomed flat as a pancake, and they will pull your pass for skiing in the woods.

Proud to be a 1%'r in Highway Stars book of ability :p.

tumblr_inline_mgl277zank1qc9lhz.gif
 
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fbrissette

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High advanced to expert skiers, by definition, are good at skiing untracked powder. I would say that 99%+ of eastern skiers can't ski 2 feet of untracked snow, nor would they even know where to find it.

So according to the above numbers, there is less than 1% of advanced to expert skiers in the east ?

Deep untracked powder is actually relatively easy to ski. For most, the challenge really lies with shallow partly tracked powder.
 

Highway Star

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So according to the above numbers, there is less than 1% of advanced to expert skiers in the east ?

Deep untracked powder is actually relatively easy to ski. For most, the challenge really lies with shallow partly tracked powder.

Not just in the east, pretty much everywhere - less than 1% of people who identify as "I ski" are high-advanced to expert. (not all advanced skiers, which is a much larger group)

However, a low advanced skier in east might be pretty great on ice while a western low advanced skier might be great in powder but terrible on ice.

Less than 5% of people can even carve a turn.

Lets say I'm a top 30 skier at Killington. They get an average of 800,000 visits a year, and each "skier" skis 5 days, so there are 160,000 individuals who are there over the course of the of the season. That puts me in the top 0.02% of skiers, or the 99.98 percentile.

By definition, an expert skier can ski all snow conditions well (within reason). A top expert / pro can ski agressively on terrain and snow that most people would find to be nearly unskiable.
 
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bdfreetuna

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I'm a top 1 skier in my own mind having fun. It's pretty funny how you have dicksizing down to a mathematical equation though.

FWIW... nearly 100% of my falls on skis take place on deep untracked powder. I agree it's harder if the snow is heavy and wet. I'm rocking 80mm underfoot, that's not what my skis were made for. But yeah give me some deep untracked woods and I'll probably eat some snow at some point on the way down.

Which puts me somewhere between the 0.0025% and the 99.987% of skiers according to your math.
 

AdironRider

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This thread is stupid. Even out here in Jackson (top 10 in the country for snowfall every year) a two foot dump overnight is really rare, as in once a year at most rare.

That being said, very few people on this EC based ski board have even had the opportunity, so lots of posturing about something that RARELY happens.

And HS guestimates really aren't far off. Very few can ski powder truly well. Its always fun, but some PSIA douche will pick you apart.

But who really cares on a pow day. Seriously.
 

MadMadWorld

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Not just in the east, pretty much everywhere - less than 1% of people who identify as "I ski" are high-advanced to expert. (not all advanced skiers, which is a much larger group)

However, a low advanced skier in east might be pretty great on ice while a western low advanced skier might be great in powder but terrible on ice.

Less than 5% of people can even carve a turn.

Lets say I'm a top 30 skier at Killington. They get an average of 800,000 visits a year, and each "skier" skis 5 days, so there are 160,000 individuals who are there over the course of the of the season. That puts me in the top 0.02% of skiers, or the 99.98 percentile.

By definition, an expert skier can ski all snow conditions well (within reason). A top expert / pro can ski agressively on terrain and snow that most people would find to be nearly unskiable.

We've seen videos brother and you are definitely not even close. Just dig up the MA thread on Epicski.
 

Bumpsis

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Yeah, I get it, nanny state travel ban, Wachusett closed on a 3 foot powder day. Even a 6 pm opening would have been fine. Now i suppose they are grooming everything in preparation of the hordes of people coming tomorrow, Man does Massachusetts suck! Coming up next, governor baker closes the beaches due to too much heat and sun.

I have a similar beef with the state being overly protective by closing ocean beaches ( to surfing) when there is even a whiff of a hurricane warning in the air and the waves are not even there, but I'm in strong disagreement with your post about the travel ban we just had.

Just today, I was out and about only to experience what a PITA it is to be held up in traffic by a driver who has crappy tires on his car and/or is just plainly clueless about his traction control settings. Even a shallow incline on a somewhat snowy road will cause traffic to bunch up behind the hapless ignoramus who should know better that to try to get through NE winter without winter tires. All it takes is just one car that can't get out of its own way and you have a messy situation.

Not keeping the driving public off the roads during slippery conditions is just a perfect recipe for spin outs, crashes and huge traffic jams which would prevent the road crews from getting the roads to be passable. Most people who see significant snow only a couple times a year really won't know how to safely drive in it. Even those who have the proper equipment do stunningly stupid things on the road. We've all seen SUVs in ditches :) :) :) during a snow event. Calling the drive ban "nanny state" action in this case is rather stupid.
 

bdfreetuna

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I have a similar beef with the state being overly protective by closing ocean beaches ( to surfing) when there is even a whiff of a hurricane warning in the air and the waves are not even there, but I'm in strong disagreement with your post about the travel ban we just had.

Just today, I was out and about only to experience what a PITA it is to be held up in traffic by a driver who has crappy tires on his car and/or is just plainly clueless about his traction control settings. Even a shallow incline on a somewhat snowy road will cause traffic to bunch up behind the hapless ignoramus who should know better that to try to get through NE winter without winter tires. All it takes is just one car that can't get out of its own way and you have a messy situation.

Not keeping the driving public off the roads during slippery conditions is just a perfect recipe for spin outs, crashes and huge traffic jams which would prevent the road crews from getting the roads to be passable. Most people who see significant snow only a couple times a year really won't know how to safely drive in it. Even those who have the proper equipment do stunningly stupid things on the road. We've all seen SUVs in ditches :) :) :) during a snow event. Calling the drive ban "nanny state" action in this case is rather stupid.

I feel like that guy can learn his lesson, meanwhile I in my Subaru can travel freely to work 10 miles up the plowed roads. Or go skiing.

Some guy spinning out on an incline doesn't bother me at all. "On your left!"
 

AdironRider

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I have a similar beef with the state being overly protective by closing ocean beaches ( to surfing) when there is even a whiff of a hurricane warning in the air and the waves are not even there, but I'm in strong disagreement with your post about the travel ban we just had.

Just today, I was out and about only to experience what a PITA it is to be held up in traffic by a driver who has crappy tires on his car and/or is just plainly clueless about his traction control settings. Even a shallow incline on a somewhat snowy road will cause traffic to bunch up behind the hapless ignoramus who should know better that to try to get through NE winter without winter tires. All it takes is just one car that can't get out of its own way and you have a messy situation.

Not keeping the driving public off the roads during slippery conditions is just a perfect recipe for spin outs, crashes and huge traffic jams which would prevent the road crews from getting the roads to be passable. Most people who see significant snow only a couple times a year really won't know how to safely drive in it. Even those who have the proper equipment do stunningly stupid things on the road. We've all seen SUVs in ditches :) :) :) during a snow event. Calling the drive ban "nanny state" action in this case is rather stupid.


Actually you pretty much just defined Nanny State.
 

Tin

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Lets say I'm a top 30 skier at Killington. They get an average of 800,000 visits a year, and each "skier" skis 5 days, so there are 160,000 individuals who are there over the course of the of the season. That puts me in the top 0.02% of skiers, or the 99.98 percentile.

50-cent-picard-gif.gif
 

Morwax

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I cant believe how many people are ok with the travel bans.. Are you kidding me! Whats next? Generation wuss is upon us folks
 
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