Ski the East...or not?

[cdskier]

Agreed completely. Carving performance is really important to me especially. Nothing matches the performance of a race inspired ski <73 mm underfoot. Its even more noticable on days approaching the feel of an injected FIS course. You CAN carve something wider, but I can enjoy a frozen day on a ski like that, much less fun flapping around on a 95 or even 85mm ski.

Same thing goes for real mogul skis, though I've only spent individual days on them and can't zipper moguls well enough to really feel confident touting their superiority in detail beyond "wow."

All mountain skis these days can do just about anything okay, but just as 117s really rock, a 67mm also shines in the right scenario and conditions.

Several years ago I tried using my Fischer RX8 skis (mid 60s at the waist) and absolutely couldn't stand them any more. Back in the day I loved my Atomic Beta Race Carve 9.something skis (although back then I loved just ripping down groomed runs with big GS turns and skied VT only maybe once a year)

My current quiver only has 2 skis:
Volkl AC50 (85)
Nordica Hell and Back (98 )

The AC50's are my hard pack/early season/late season skis. I enjoy the playfulness more on the Nordica's though as long as we have at least packed powder conditions. Can't really speak to wider skis as I haven't had much experience with them in the right conditions. I've toyed with the idea of getting something wider for true powder days but just couldn't convince myself to spend the money. Generally speaking my current skis do quite well in east coast conditions, although I fear the AC50s are approaching the end of their useful life and may need to be replaced in the next couple years.

 

[skiur]

I always have to laugh as now its so common on the east coast on a super icy day to see half the people out there on skis wider than 115. I like the way they look and its what people out west use so they must be good seems to be the thought process.

 

[ironhippy]

I always have to laugh as now its so common on the east coast on a super icy day to see half the people out there on skis wider than 115. I like the way they look and its what people out west use so they must be good seems to be the thought process.

I also laugh at this.
Or at the "powder days" when it's 3-4 inches of dust on crust.

If I only have one set of skis, I'd prefer them to be optimal for the conditions I normally ski.

 

[dlague]

Well, this is an interesting thread. I am on my 3rd season in Colorado and I honestly do not miss New England skiing at all. Conditions here are super consistent, rarely rains in the mountains, rarely are there days that are sub zero, and the snow is never frozen. Bumps are always nice and the woods always skiable. Powder days are never deep though generally 10-20 inches with several 3-10 inch tune ups. While I will get in a day now and then in VT or NH, the one time I have been so far was not great at Cannon - super icy. Did not miss it. So I get why people might focus on western skiing.

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[Smellytele]

I laugh when people are using race skis on 10" days. I have a pair of 78 under foot for most days but a pair of 110 for powder days. If it a day after powder with no ice to be seen I will ski the 110's, They work great on non ice groomers (packed powder) better than the 78's. Any site of "hard pack" aka ice and it's the 78. The 110's also bust through/over crud like a hot knife through buttah.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I've toyed with the idea of getting something wider for true powder days but just couldn't convince myself to spend the money.

Wait until near the end of the season, and buy demo powder boards. If you take a late trip out west you can find them at the mountains, if not, look on EBAY and you wont pay for than $350 for lightly used skis.

If I only have one set of skis, I'd prefer them to be optimal for the conditions I normally ski.

If I were forced to only own 1 pair of skis, they'd be 90mm and not twin-tips. That's fat enough to handle powder "okay", and narrow enough to be serviceable on ice and groomers.

I am on my 3rd season in Colorado and I honestly do not miss New England skiing at all.

If I moved out west, I would 100% miss New England skiing. Specifically, the tight, windy, classic, early American ski trails that you rarely find out west. I love those.

 

[ironhippy]

Well, this is an interesting thread. I am on my 3rd season in Colorado and I honestly do not miss New England skiing at all. Conditions here are super consistent, rarely rains in the mountains, rarely are there days that are sub zero, and the snow is never frozen. Bumps are always nice and the woods always skiable. Powder days are never deep though generally 10-20 inches with several 3-10 inch tune ups. While I will get in a day now and then in VT or NH, the one time I have been so far was not great at Cannon - super icy. Did not miss it. So I get why people might focus on western skiing.

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Not be a jerk, but how's the I70?
When I read stories about the weekend traffic on that road, I am glad I live where no one wants to come ski.

 

[Ski the Moguls]

Well, this is an interesting thread. I am on my 3rd season in Colorado and I honestly do not miss New England skiing at all. Conditions here are super consistent, rarely rains in the mountains, rarely are there days that are sub zero, and the snow is never frozen. Bumps are always nice and the woods always skiable. Powder days are never deep though generally 10-20 inches with several 3-10 inch tune ups. While I will get in a day now and then in VT or NH, the one time I have been so far was not great at Cannon - super icy. Did not miss it. So I get why people might focus on western skiing.

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Lucky #%*&!

So what do you think is the best width ski for those western conditions?

 

[mfi]

A lot of people I know out west have around a 108 to 110. Some go for the big ones at 117 120. Like I said before I had zero trouble on 117's in all the condition JH had..but never encountered ice. The Kore 117's are very stiff so they handle hardpack well. A lot of older powder skis were noodles and would fold on conditions like that. Things have changed a bit. Material science for one.
I think my 105's are almost perfect on any condition as long as they are sharp. Ice at the top of runs at Stowe can be pretty hairy but I don't have a problem with it. My Sultan 85's do handle it better but they are tanks and heavy.

 

[AdironRider]

Not be a jerk, but how's the I70?
When I read stories about the weekend traffic on that road, I am glad I live where no one wants to come ski.

It is worse than what you read also.

Last trip there they called 9" at A basin. I left Denver at 645am and didn't make it A basin until 1145. It took three hours to get back to Denver that night. This is a 1 hour drive tops each way in good conditions that took an average of 4 hours each way.

The time before that was summer and it took almost 7 hours to get to Steamboat from just outside Golden.

The time before that someone jackknifed a boat and trailer (it was snowing?!) and I had to turn around and not ski that day.

That sums up my last three trips to Colorado to visit my sister in law. I sat in traffic. From now on she visits us. With all that said though this does seem to be relegated to the I70 corridor. Most other places you aren't dealing with traffic.

 

[mfi]

On the way back from Vail I70 was backed up for over 20 miles...oy

 

[Jully]

Just gotta wait for that hyperloop in CO!

 

[KustyTheKlown]

the i-70 corridor is just awful. it took me the same time to get from golden to copper on a saturday morning that it would take me to get from brooklyn to magic. denver is bursting at the seems. and the resorts (except for a-basin) are not that good relative to the rest of the west.

hard pass on summit and eagle county for me for the forseeable future.

 

[dlague]

Not be a jerk, but how's the I70?
When I read stories about the weekend traffic on that road, I am glad I live where no one wants to come ski.

I live in Colorado Springs and Saturdays we take the back way 24 and 9 to Breck so no I-70. We also check out Waze and see what the traffic gives us. We have had 2 bad I-70 days out of 25 days so far. Snow has been constant and it has been busier. We also ski Fridays where traffic is lighter. Typically Sunday traffic is not too bad as long as you leave by 2:30 ish. Once Marxh hits it is easy peasy into June minus powder days.

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[GregoryIsaacs]

Great all this talk about I-70 is really getting me excited for my trip for 2/27-3/3....

Staying in Wildernest and planning on hitting Loveland wed pm (flight gets into denver @8:30am) Vail thursday and Abasin for the fri-sat.

Any recommendations on what time the Abasin parking lot gets filled on a typical Saturday? Should we bag even trying to ski loveland that wed afternoon? We will be using Gem Cards

 

[mfi]

I remember not being able to get back ip the parking lot exit at A basin. Friggin SUV rental with 2WD took 6 of us to push the damn thing..beware of rentals.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I wouldnt bag Loveland, I actually prefer Loveland to Arapahoe Basin.

 

[dlague]

Great all this talk about I-70 is really getting me excited for my trip for 2/27-3/3....

Staying in Wildernest and planning on hitting Loveland wed pm (flight gets into denver @8:30am) Vail thursday and Abasin for the fri-sat.

Any recommendations on what time the Abasin parking lot gets filled on a typical Saturday? Should we bag even trying to ski loveland that wed afternoon? We will be using Gem Cards

The Gems card is awesome! Using it today at Loveland. A Basin Parking lot fills up fast on Saturday but the upper lot is full by 10. The key to skiing there is to take the Pali lift which has great bump runs and can get you to Lenawee Lift and from there East Wall amd Montezuma Bowl are available. Do hit Loveland!!!!

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[AdironRider]

I live in Colorado Springs and Saturdays we take the back way 24 and 9 to Breck so no I-70. We also check out Waze and see what the traffic gives us. We have had 2 bad I-70 days out of 25 days so far. Snow has been constant and it has been busier. We also ski Fridays where traffic is lighter. Typically Sunday traffic is not too bad as long as you leave by 2:30 ish. Once Marxh hits it is easy peasy into June minus powder days.

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This is bad advice. You leave at 230 on a Sunday and you are going to be in I70 traffic for hours.

There was also a front page article in the Summit newspaper about how waze is sending folks like you through residential neighborhoods and backing traffic up in town for hours also. I suspect the local cops are going to start putting up local traffic only signs and ticketing folks for that move so enjoy it while it lasts.

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/wh...nty-events-snowfall-and-google-maps-to-blame/

There is also a 248 page thread on TGR about how bad it is. There is no relief summer or winter.

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/275353-OFFICIAL-I70-BITCH-THREAD

The traffic is so bad there are people driving 8 HOURS to ski Jackson on their Ikon passes rather than deal with I70. It is pretty incredible the amount of Colorado plates this year in Jackson (and most have had access to JHole with the Mountain Collective for years now). They all say it takes them just as long in the car to ski Vail that it does to get to Jackson. Jackson is 550 miles from Denver mind you.

 

[Smellytele]

Great all this talk about I-70 is really getting me excited for my trip for 2/27-3/3....

Staying in Wildernest and planning on hitting Loveland wed pm (flight gets into denver @8:30am) Vail thursday and Abasin for the fri-sat.

Any recommendations on what time the Abasin parking lot gets filled on a typical Saturday? Should we bag even trying to ski loveland that wed afternoon? We will be using Gem Cards

While I don't want to say don't ski Loveland - Skiing on the first day you are there and not acclimated can be an issue. I usually try to acclimate on the first day. Walk around Breck then ski the second day.