Is all skiing good skiing?

[Greg]

I know some don't subscribe to the "a bad day skiing is better than a good day at work" philosophy. I know others feel skiing the East coast on less than an epic day is not worth it. Personally, I'll never understand such mentalities. I enjoy skiing no matter where and what the conditions and I hope that I never outgrow or tire of skiing. You?

 

[snoseek]

it's all fun. anywhere, everywhere. look on the map and consider yourself lucky to be in the northeast. there are many much worse places to live and be an avid skier.

 

[lloyd braun]

all skiing is GREAT skiing. Some days are not as good as others, but what in the world would a "real skier" want to be doing.

 

[ctenidae]

No one is ugly after 2 am.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Sitting in my office in late july watching the rain fall.......Yep, all skiing is good skiing. Infact I would take a towrope and a 4ft wide patch of snow at this point.

 

[big_vert]

Well, sorry to have to take the other approach, but I've had days where it was all ice and DANGEROUS, where it was not a good skiing day. It really wasn't fun trying to survive glare, bulletproof, ice. And I'm a guy that skis until the lifts close.

I've also had days at Whistler (they're famous for it), where the visibility was nonexistant, and the only way to find your way back was via the tree runs so you could have some reference to get down.

I really did feel sorry for the folks that had to stick to the groomers, as it was almost surreal, a complete white-out. Patrol was telling people getting off the lift that it was dangerous, and suggested they downlift for their own safety.

Once at Squaw it was snowing so hard that they turned on the night skiing lights in the middle of the day to give you a reference to get back. Another day that ended early. Next day was bluebird with 24 inches of fresh however - another story.

 

[kingdom-tele]

It is not always good, the day after the rain and a canadian front blows in with sub zero temps to make the snow resemble some type of granite slab - it is not worth it - thats why you learn to play hockey

 

[Greg]

Well, sorry to have to take the other approach, but I've had days where it was all ice and DANGEROUS, where it was not a good skiing day. It really wasn't fun trying to survive glare, bulletproof, ice. And I'm a guy that skis until the lifts close.

Well, obviously you went skiing right after a thaw-freeze, no? It's pretty simple to monitor the weather, filter ski area ski reports, read actual trip reports on forums like this, and be able to make an informed guess as to what to expect on the hill. Any ski area where there is "all ice" is that way for a reason, and those are the days to simply opt to not ski.

 

[snoseek]

icy days on the midweek are o.k. with me. just play around and drink some beer, usually the mountain is real slow. holiday weeks with ice scare me sometimes, and i will often opt to hike or get stuff done.

 

[JimG.]

Any ski area where there is "all ice" is that way for a reason, and those are the days to simply opt to not ski.

Yeah, like March 16, 2007 when we went to Gore Mt. and it was bulletproof and it wouldn't start snowing until 10 minutes after we started for home.

Wait a minute, we did go skiing that day.

 

[Greg]

Yeah, like March 16, 2007 when we went to Gore Mt. and it was bulletproof and it wouldn't start snowing until 10 minutes after we started for home.

Wait a minute, we did go skiing that day.

Ah......you're right! And to come to think of it, I had fun that day too! I think we're just weird, Jim... :beer:

 

[nycskier]

All skiing is good skiing but some skiing is more good than others!

 

[big_vert]

Well, obviously you went skiing right after a thaw-freeze, no? It's pretty simple to monitor the weather, filter ski area ski reports, read actual trip reports on forums like this, and be able to make an informed guess as to what to expect on the hill. Any ski area where there is "all ice" is that way for a reason, and those are the days to simply opt to not ski.

Look, I've been doing this a long time, and know how to read the tea leaves.

Remember the little - Big Dump in February? Not the Valentines dump, but a later one with about 18 inches worth. Well, at Mt. Snow, when I went to catch some of that, as soon as you bit into some fresh it would slide away and you'd lose any type of grip with the ice not letting the freshies stick. Really nasty.

Now this was alleged to be (by everyone) one of the best VT weekends but ended up being fairly nasty with lots of injuries judging by the number of sleds on the North Face. Patrol said no way to Ripcord, since the first guy that went down slid everything off of it and it was a sheet of ice. Who would've thunk? By all accounts this was going to be good.

Notwithstanding how many precautions you take, reports you read, etc. etc, things change on a daily basis (hourly basis sometimes), and if you've had a weekend planned with the guys, kids, spouse or whatever, sometimes it sucks, and staying in the lodge becomes the only viable alternative, and I'm rarely one who'll not go out because of weather.

 

[thetrailboss]

Now this was alleged to be (by everyone) one of the best VT weekends but ended up being fairly nasty with lots of injuries judging by the number of sleds on the North Face. Patrol said no way to Ripcord, since the first guy that went down slid everything off of it and it was a sheet of ice. Who would've thunk? By all accounts this was going to be good.

Mount Snow is not the only resort in Vermont mind you...that weekend we had some great conditions up north. No ice there.

 

[bvibert]

Yeah, like March 16, 2007 when we went to Gore Mt. and it was bulletproof and it wouldn't start snowing until 10 minutes after we started for home.

Wait a minute, we did go skiing that day.

Ah......you're right! And to come to think of it, I had fun that day too! I think we're just weird, Jim... :beer:

That's the day that I thought of when I first saw this topic. But you're right we did have fun that day anyway, luckily the short visit with the medics coincided with the power being out so we didn't really loose too much time skiing.

BTW Jim, you didn't mention that not only was it snowing when we were leaving, but snowing HARD! That was a long trip home...

 

[Greg]

BTW Jim, you didn't mention that not only was it snowing when we were leaving, but snowing HARD! That was a long trip home...

5.5 hours IIRC. No regrets either. I guess we all have different tolerances of what's acceptable skiing, that's all..

 

[arik]

almost all

I think almost every ski day is a good day.

I have bailed out a couple times over the past few years after taking one or two runs and I just had to give up. Both days it was so cold that my hands hurt and it was icy after a thaw freeze so I wasn't having enough fun to make it worth it.

Every day I have skiied in Utah has been fantastic, I have the impression the skiing in the Northeast tends to vary more depending on the weather. Definately epic when the snow is right but can be pretty touch sometimes too.

 

[andyzee]

Anyone care to guess what my answer would be?:

 

[JimG.]

Every day I have skiied in Utah has been fantastic, I have the impression the skiing in the Northeast tends to vary more depending on the weather. Definately epic when the snow is right but can be pretty touch sometimes too.

The western resorts benefit from elevation. Whereas here in the east, top elevation is between 4-5K unless you earn your turns to the summit of Mt. Washington.

 

[JohnGD33]

To me all skiing is Good. I can't wait to go!!!