Ski the East...or not?

benski · Jan 30, 2019

BenedictGomez said:
Stayed a night at the Cliff Lodge this summer, and I dont think I'd want to stay at Snowbird in the winter for this reason. The place is nice enough, but you're completely captive, and honestly the service was terrible, and that's coming from someone who doesnt care much about service. Restaurants basically shut when they feel like rather than by posted hours, and this was during an extremely busy, near sold out or sold out weekend. We had to wander to several restaurants to find one "willing" to serve us, and this was only at about 9pm, and even then, it was limited menu. Employees were disgruntled too and bitching about call-outs and lack-of-accountability from management regarding "bad" employees; I really got a very bad vibe from the place.

When I went to snowbird I felt like all the restaurant sucked too. I remember an incident with uncooked meat, but mostly just lame overpriced restaurants. On Yelp it looks like Alta has better rated restaurants. I know some of the on mountain lodging is independent at Alta.

Ski the Moguls · Jan 30, 2019

Domeskier said:
Fat skis are for people who think they like powder but really want groomers.

Ha! I have sometimes thought this myself -- are fat skis just cheats for people that do not know how to evenly weight their feet in the fluff? Putting most of your weight on the outside ski helps you hold an edge on hard pack, but it is not the way to ski powder!

snoseek · Jan 31, 2019

benski said:
When I went to snowbird I felt like all the restaurant sucked too. I remember an incident with uncooked meat, but mostly just lame overpriced restaurants. On Yelp it looks like Alta has better rated restaurants. I know some of the on mountain lodging is independent at Alta.

The lodges at alta are indeed independent and operate a modified American plan meaning you get breakfast and dinner included in the room fee. The lodges will gladly take outside reservations and it is prix fix menu that changes nightly.

mfi · Jan 31, 2019

Ski the Moguls said:
Ha! I have sometimes thought this myself -- are fat skis just cheats for people that do not know how to evenly weight their feet in the fluff? Putting most of your weight on the outside ski helps you hold an edge on hard pack, but it is not the way to ski powder!

I like my fat skis..skiing powder for 20 years now..but yes experts can rip it on skinny ones..I'm not in that category. Its like Banana George who can water ski on his bare feet..most people prefer water skis. I had a much better time on my 117's at Jackson in 3 feet of snow than others on their skinny skis. Technology is..technology..it keeps improving..some things..

andrec10 · Jan 31, 2019

Siliconebobsquarepants said:
It's been a while but western bumps are filled with packing peanuts . Eastern bumps are made with recycled concrete.
You'll be fine with the fat boys.

This!

tumbler · Jan 31, 2019

We stayed at the Cliff a couple years ago in early March, family of 5 and found everything to be great. The restaurant at the top was very good and the service was great. Took the shuttle and ate at other restaurants and had no issues. Yes, you are a bit captive but after a day of skiing, apres, hot tub and dinner, bed was the call. I liked being able to ski down to the Peruvian lift with almost no line while the tram line was out of the building. Take the tunnel into Mineral or ski off the Peruvian. The new bridge from the Cliff to Tram building should make a huge difference. I've also stayed at the Rustler and felt more captive there.

skiNEwhere · Jan 31, 2019

This time of year I wouldn't take anything sub 100 to Alta/Snowbird unless you have no other choice. Even on the days in between the storms where the snow gets firm, it's still very edgable.

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mfi · Jan 31, 2019

Alta Bird got 7 feet in 7 days..THATS BIG BAZOOKA ski territory. Read my write up of the Head Kore 117's. They worked fine in every condition I can think of except ice which I did not encounter at JH. Nor would I want to.

Ski the Moguls · Jan 31, 2019

mfi said:
I like my fat skis..skiing powder for 20 years now..but yes experts can rip it on skinny ones..I'm not in that category. Its like Banana George who can water ski on his bare feet..most people prefer water skis. I had a much better time on my 117's at Jackson in 3 feet of snow than others on their skinny skis. Technology is..technology..it keeps improving..some things..

Good point. The reason I have for being cautious about fatter skis is the potential drawback in bumps or tight trees.

I was mistaken, my old Volkl Kendos are 89mm, not 85mm, so that helps a little. However, Demos/Performance rentals are only $50 a day, while the airlines will charge $40 each way to fly my old skis out there. (4 ski days X $50) - (2 flights x $40) = $120 for demos. Seems like a small price to pay.

btw ... the Snowbird Cliff rental shop offers Volkl 108's, Mantras (96mm), and Kendos (currently 90mm). So my old skis would not be entirely out of place!

mfi · Jan 31, 2019

Jackson got hammered into moguls after every dump..the 117's just floated through them, turn if I want or just bomb over them. In the glades they just ripped through huge moguls, and the Hobacks which has huge moguls at the top.
An Eastern mogul ski they are not...
My regular Eastern skis are 105, shit condition skis are 85.

BenedictGomez · Jan 31, 2019

Threads like this remind me that we live in an age where many people have no idea what it's like skiing on something 63 or 65 underneath.

KustyTheKlown · Jan 31, 2019

i still have a pair of atomic beta carv 9.18s in the garage. they are 68 maybe? i took them to aspen about 12 years ago. narrow skis are stupid and ive never looked back. got 85s about 10 years ago, and since then never anything less than 100.

deadheadskier · Jan 31, 2019

KustyTheKlown said:
i still have a pair of atomic beta carv 9.18s in the garage. they are 68 maybe? i took them to aspen about 12 years ago. narrow skis are stupid and ive never looked back. got 85s about 10 years ago, and since then never anything less than 100.

Couldn't disagree more. And I skied wide skis before they were cool. I was on Rossignol Axiom (110) from 99-2005 as a primary ski.

Anything over 100 is pretty much a waste unless there's 8+" of fresh down. You forfeit considerable carving, mogul and tight tree performance going that wide.

My active quiver is

Head iRally (76)
Nordica Steadfast (90)
Nordica Vagabond (107)

In all but the best of EC winters, the Vagabonds are used maybe 10% of my days out.

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BenedictGomez · Jan 31, 2019

KustyTheKlown said:
narrow skis are stupid

Like this.

BenedictGomez · Jan 31, 2019

deadheadskier said:
Anything over 100 is pretty much a waste unless there's 8+" of fresh down. You forfeit considerable carving, mogul and tight tree performance going that wide.

Precisely this. All of this.

I have an ancient pair of Salomon XScream skis which I believe are 67 underneath, which I keep in-tune and they only come out in the absolute most horrid of (usually early season) conditions. I can use them to comfortably & safely go down a steep ice skating rink.

This is the point where numerous people will reply that they too can go flying comfortably & safely down steep ice skating rinks on their beloved 110 underfoot, but no, no you cant.

BenedictGomez · Jan 31, 2019

deadheadskier said:
My active quiver is

Head iRally (76)
Nordica Steadfast (90)
Nordica Vagabond (107)

My quiver is surprisingly similar:

Salomon XScream (67)
Line Prophets (90)
Rossignol Soul 7's (106)

I also have a pair of Rossignol S7's (116), but they only come out in major dumps.

GregoryIsaacs · Jan 31, 2019

BenedictGomez said:
Precisely this. All of this.

I have an ancient pair of Salomon XScream skis which I believe are 67 underneath, which I keep in-tune and they only come out in the absolute most horrid of (usually early season) conditions. I can use them to comfortably & safely go down a steep ice skating rink.

This is the point where numerous people will reply that they too can go flying comfortably & safely down steep ice skating rinks on their beloved 110 underfoot, but no, no you cant.

Agreed. I will never go wider than 98.. I feel like out east anything wider than that turns into the equivalent of cinderblocks attached to a 2X4 real quick... Wide open pow charges on a steep incline is a whole different ballgame though and thats why I still have a pair of Atomic Powder Magics hanging around just in case

jaytrem · Jan 31, 2019

GregoryIsaacs said:
I feel like out east anything wider than that turns into the equivalent of cinderblocks attached to a 2X4 real quick..

Out east? Where you from, Minnesota?

As for skis I'm mostly on old K2 Cabrawlers, somewhat old mogul skis. For me theyre fine in deep powder. For tele skis I do have a fatter pair if needed.

Jully · Jan 31, 2019

deadheadskier said:
Couldn't disagree more. And I skied wide skis before they were cool. I was on Rossignol Axiom (110) from 99-2005 as a primary ski.

Anything over 100 is pretty much a waste unless there's 8+" of fresh down. You forfeit considerable carving, mogul and tight tree performance going that wide.

My active quiver is

Head iRally (76)
Nordica Steadfast (90)
Nordica Vagabond (107)

In all but the best of EC winters, the Vagabonds are used maybe 10% of my days out.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

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.

deadheadskier · Jan 31, 2019

It's all physics. Not too different than automobiles

IRally = AWD sports sedan with studded snows

Steadfasts = SUV

Vagabonds = F150 with big ass tires

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