wtcobb
New member
http://www.powder.com/stories/wicked-pissah/a-skier-goes-east/#j1fstagDIxzfOgip.97
Some good lines in this piece.
Some good lines in this piece.
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Powder Mag: A Skier Goes East
- Thread starter wtcobb
- Start date
Smellytele
Well-known member
Kind of a short lame article that goes nowhere
wtcobb
New member
...and then I found five dollars.
dlague
Active member
Interesting article, but I have to admit I prefer where we are now. The east does present challenges that I have not found in Colorado yet but most of those challenges I can live with out.
Skiing over rocks hitting a waterfall and then hitting more rocks does not exactly scream FUN. I have skied in New England for over 30 years and frankly I really do not need to ski ice or rocks or ski in the rain/freezing whatever. So far the weather and snow have been very consistent and we have enjoyed it. I also do recognize that east coast skiers do have a skill set not found in many the have lived here their entire lives. Is the northeast a market to attract western skiers I do not think so. In fact the ski shows in New England feature western resorts. The ski show here, we'll nothing back east is represented.
What do I miss about eastern skiing, the proximity of all the ski areas. The skiers back east are more diehard compared to here IMO. When skiing is good the narrower trails are super fun. I also think the vibe is different back east.
I think this article does more bad than good for the Northeast because it makes it seem more threatening than it really is.
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Skiing over rocks hitting a waterfall and then hitting more rocks does not exactly scream FUN. I have skied in New England for over 30 years and frankly I really do not need to ski ice or rocks or ski in the rain/freezing whatever. So far the weather and snow have been very consistent and we have enjoyed it. I also do recognize that east coast skiers do have a skill set not found in many the have lived here their entire lives. Is the northeast a market to attract western skiers I do not think so. In fact the ski shows in New England feature western resorts. The ski show here, we'll nothing back east is represented.
What do I miss about eastern skiing, the proximity of all the ski areas. The skiers back east are more diehard compared to here IMO. When skiing is good the narrower trails are super fun. I also think the vibe is different back east.
I think this article does more bad than good for the Northeast because it makes it seem more threatening than it really is.
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gmcunni
Active member
west > east
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
The only part of eastern skiing that's generally better than western skiing is the tree skiing (assuming you actually like "tree skiing" as opposed to skiing between widely spaced gaps between trees, which some people erroneously call "tree skiing").
dlague
Active member
That is the lamest statement i have ever heard. Every place I have been to has tree skiing that is just as tight as stuff I skied in New England. Yes there are glades that are more spread out and guess what there are glades like that in New England. I have done some tree skiing back east where trees were 3-4 apart and speeds were super slow to navigate. I have found trees like that here too. Personally I am not a fan of tight trees and bushwacking. And who says how far apart trees have to be to be called tree skiing. Is Timbuktoo a tree run? I think it is and it is more open. Is Andre's a tree run that is fairly open as well. Or are you talking about tighter glades like Cannon has which some are so tight it feelsnloke bushwacking. So what exactly is your criteria?
I will tell you one fundamental difference there are less hard woods tree skiing out west.
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jimk
Well-known member
No sympathy for anyone pissing and moaning about New England skiing. It's the frigging bomb compared to mid-Atlantic skiing.
I am a sloppy, non-technical skier and not good for astute observations on style, but one difference between East and West I've noticed is Eastern skiers are very turny, great in tight spaces and know how to deal with firm/icy surfaces and crap conditions. Out west the great skiers don't turn much, they do 5 GS turns down 750" vertical of steeps. They gobble up terrain in big swoops and don't sweat the small stuff because they blow right by it.
I am a sloppy, non-technical skier and not good for astute observations on style, but one difference between East and West I've noticed is Eastern skiers are very turny, great in tight spaces and know how to deal with firm/icy surfaces and crap conditions. Out west the great skiers don't turn much, they do 5 GS turns down 750" vertical of steeps. They gobble up terrain in big swoops and don't sweat the small stuff because they blow right by it.
dlague
Active member
SkiFanE
New member
Have skied the East nearly ever winter since 1970 - 4-5 days in Tahoe in the 90s (on a very East conditions) is my west experience. So none lol. I can't ski pow well. But I could be one of the best female skiers you've seen. Last winter when everyone bitched about sucky conditions, I still had 50 fun filled days. I hate ice - I go home if I can't find anything decent (probably 2 days/yr). But when I see people's pics and videos from the West - I wonder how long until I'd get bored. MRG is my type of place. The unexpected terrain, you never know what you'll find. Woods are rarely pristine - always some obstacle. Every year I improve And get better. And a Saturday can have conditions that are totally different than on Sunday. You're constantly changing your stance and skills to match the conditions dujour. Since my West experience is limited - it's tough to judge - but I suspect I wouldn't find it as exciting 50+ days a year.
Edd
Well-known member
Hmmm. It seems to me that the west has everything the east does, plus a crap ton of additional types of terrain. I love east coast skiing, but placing it above the west is an extremely difficult, if subjective, argument to make.
witch hobble
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I think the snow corns up a little better in the east during spring skiing.
Edd
Well-known member
High praise (not really).
witch hobble
Member
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It's what I got.
Smellytele
Well-known member
Ya not sure why she would be bored. Plenty of bumps and it isn't always powder. I love having to ski around obstacles (rock/roots and such) as well and I have had to before in the west as well.
dlague
Active member
Funny thing is before skiing Banff and Colorado, my views were pretty jaded and I felt New England had plenty to offer. I also dug in the whole eastern skiers have better skills POV because we skied harsh conditions at times. However, when skiing a place that is 3000+ acres it is tough to get bored too fast. And when you are on the lift and everything is quiet because skis are not scraping it seems so unreal until you make your run and the edges dig in and turns feel so graceful even though I am not. Getting to the top of a summit and looking across and seeing so much terrain and feeling like a kid in a candy store just feels awesome. I could go on and on.
We have skied Breck 3 times and each time we focused on a Peak which are all different and they all ski like different resorts. Yet we have not skied everything there. We have been out 16 days and were are just as excited as the first day. There are bump runs that have crazy long lines and tree runs that are 1000-1500 vertical feet and I am not talking trees that are 12 ft apart. There are steeps that are exilleratiing and fast. Groomers that just let you float and fly and you feel so free (as long as the yellow jackets are not out). As I mentioned before, the snow is so consistent as well as the temps that we have never been concerned about trail conditions or how bumps or trees will ski.
I am sold on the life and skiing out here. I will never forget what New England is like but I also will probably not ski much back east as well - when I do I will probably have gotten soft and the conditions with freak me out who knows.
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No question West is better. I'd swap our mountain ranges and weather for the Rockies in a heartbeat.
That said, if for some reason I never skied out west again, I'd be fully content. The skiing is plenty good enough in the East for me. Even a horrible winter like last year, there was still some great skiing up in Quebec.
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That said, if for some reason I never skied out west again, I'd be fully content. The skiing is plenty good enough in the East for me. Even a horrible winter like last year, there was still some great skiing up in Quebec.
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West is better but I am Eastern to the core.
SkiFanE
New member
Since I've never really been west - I can't comment on terrain. I'm totally speculating. I love skiing here - would I love it more in the west - can't say. But since I love variety - seems to be more on East. Why doesn't someone bring me West with them so I can know for sure
$ is why I can't, not because I can't. Our ski budget is taken up at our home mountain.
Way more variety out west. Not sure what would give you the impression otherwise
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