old guys setting PRs for ski days

[Kingslug20]

I gotta up my game...

 

[jimk]

I skied 64 days this winter of 2023. It was a PR. First day was Jan 19, last was May 29. Many of my late spring ski days were just 2 or 3 early hours until the snow got too slushy to be much fun. Usually, I get a couple ski days in the East in early season, but not this winter. Had a health problem that delayed my start. Skied two days in CO on the drive west, all the rest in UT. Injured my shoulder in a ski crash in early April that cost me about a week of skiing. Also, during the winter attending a funeral and a wedding at different times cost me about a week of skiing each. These various wildcard factors and my advancing age make me feel very fortunate that I can still enjoy the great sport we all love.
A buddy took this shot of me from 1 March 2023 at Sundance, UT. Big powder day, still tons of loose snow on the slopes at 3PM, possibly my fav day of the season:

 

[hovercraft]

I gotta up my game...

Now that we have passes to both mountains it shouldn’t be hard to elevate your game

 

[Kingslug20]

I'll try

 

[Harvey]

This is a fun thread.

I'm 64, and live 285 miles from Gore and about 190 miles from Plattekill, my primary passes.

I consistently got 35 until the last few years I've kind of given up on the WROD. Not totally but would only do a few of them. Now I get about 28 or so.

The year after next (24/25) my goal is 100.

 

[Abominable]

Harvey,

Thanks for the story on Holiday Mountain! I grew up skiing and hanging out there in the 80s / early 90s - a bus would take us from Monticello school system and the hill was open till 10 pm. We had lockers, cafeteria accounts... we'd ski, play video games, etc. Lots of fun memories. Hadn't heard it was being brought back to life so that was a good read, thanks.

 

[jimk]

This is a fun thread.

I'm 64, and live 285 miles from Gore and about 190 miles from Plattekill, my primary passes.

I consistently got 35 until the last few years I've kind of given up on the WROD. Not totally but would only do a few of them. Now I get about 28 or so.

The year after next (24/25) my goal is 100.

There was a guy on TGR that did 100 days in the 21-22 season. It was his first as a retired person. He did an ongoing thread about it that I followed somewhat, but I'm just a lurker over there. He had a great attitude and it was inspiring, but he had a bum knee that he had to nurse/cope with that made some of his ski days painful especially as the season wore on. I think if I tried for 100 days my non-skiing wife would not be too pleased. One of my ski buds, retired like me, cracked 100 days this season. His wife was overseas for the second half of the season when he skied almost everyday. Both of us lived 20 mins from Alta/Snowbird/Solitude/Brighton.

 

[thebigo]

There was a guy on TGR that did 100 days in the 21-22 season. It was his first as a retired person. He did an ongoing thread about it that I followed somewhat, but I'm just a lurker over there. He had a great attitude and it was inspiring, but he had a bum knee that he had to nurse/cope with that made some of his ski days painful especially as the season wore on. I think if I tried for 100 days my non-skiing wife would not be too pleased. One of my ski buds, retired like me, cracked 100 days this season. His wife was overseas for the second half of the season when he skied almost everyday. Both of us lived 20 mins from Alta/Snowbird/Solitude/Brighton.

Currently at 101 days and not done. Honestly it isn't that difficult but you need to be ready to start the day SR opens, ski until closing at K and mix in a rockpile day or two. Not sure it would be possible without K and/or SR within day trip range. Also helps that my job is flexible, wife works long hours and kids ski everyday they can.

 

[snoseek]

I got all those 100 plus days between 25 and 45. There were at least 10 seasons. I'm all.set at this point. 50 feels about right but more if the season is good I guess.

 

[mister moose]

100 days at Killington is attainable if you can throw in some work from home and have a nearby place to stay. There is a solid 7 months from November to May, so that's about 30 weeks. Which is an average of 3.3 days per week. If all your weekends are 3 days weekends, it's almost in the bag. Throw in a ski week or two and it gets easier. Skiing most weekends I find it routinely possible to ski 85-95 days, getting the 100 takes more commitment.

 

[Harvey]

Harvey,

Thanks for the story on Holiday Mountain! I grew up skiing and hanging out there in the 80s / early 90s - a bus would take us from Monticello school system and the hill was open till 10 pm. We had lockers, cafeteria accounts... we'd ski, play video games, etc. Lots of fun memories. Hadn't heard it was being brought back to life so that was a good read, thanks.

You're welcome. Brownski wrote it, I don't think he is an AZ member.

The story is wild. Mike Taylor is off the hook. He's investing 2M in HM in the next 12 months. I really want to get there asap.

Question... assuming Holiday gets all the original terrain open eventually...

How much snow (depth) is too much for the pitch? Can you ski a foot of new snow there?

 

[Harvey]

There was a guy on TGR that did 100 days in the 21-22 season. It was his first as a retired person. He did an ongoing thread about it that I followed somewhat, but I'm just a lurker over there. He had a great attitude and it was inspiring, but he had a bum knee that he had to nurse/cope with that made some of his ski days painful especially as the season wore on. I think if I tried for 100 days my non-skiing wife would not be too pleased. One of my ski buds, retired like me, cracked 100 days this season. His wife was overseas for the second half of the season when he skied almost everyday. Both of us lived 20 mins from Alta/Snowbird/Solitude/Brighton.

That's MNIAW, an excellent skier and a great human.

I certainly won't push it if it hurts. We'll be living a few miles from Gore, I'll be retired and my wife will be working. I'm sure there will be some short ski days.

 

[urungus]

I managed 52 days this year, second most days on the slopes after 57 in 2020-2021. Not too bad considering full time employment, poor early season conditions, and teenage son on traveling soccer team in the spring. My goal for future seasons is to “ski my age” (have at least as many days on the slopes as my age that season). Didn’t quite reach that goal this year but I did in 2020-2021.

 

[Abominable]

How much snow (depth) is too much for the pitch? Can you ski a foot of new snow there?

Wow, it's been so long, it all was a lot steeper and bigger when I was ten years old. But on the 'old' part of the mountain certainly New Year's Eve (was the race slope) and Christmas Bowl (always known just as "the Bowl") should be plenty steep enough. And the furthest trail out - "Roman Candle" is steep enough for just about anything this side a monster 2'+ blizzard.

This is the mountain I remember best - https://files.skimap.org/oc3ck7573w8gwl1bntlsws9dd91g.jpg

Also, for you trout guys, this is a great place to fish. Historic and productive waters, just upstream from the Neversink Unique Area (aka "the Gorge").

Would be cool, in some dream scenario where there's plenty of snow and they're open past April 1st, to ski and trout fish on the same day. Like a "cast and blast" or "ski and surf" combo. Something different, anyway. Would you ski in your waders or fish in your bib?

 

[Harvey]

Thanks A-man. What about a spot for a dedicated bump run?

 

[Abominable]

Thanks A-man. What about a spot for a dedicated bump run?

I'd say #6 in the 1995 map, which they call "Brithday Schuss." I do not remember that name... but I also don't remember what we called it. It's short, but steep, with a flat-ish spot up top to stand around and pick your line. And it's comes right down under the main chair (if they keep the same layout) so you get to steeze it up in front of the crowd.

Or leave half of the Roman Candle un-groomed.

Such memories being brought back... The Christmas Bowl looked a lot like JimK's photo above when I was four years old in between my stepdad's legs. He was a ski instructor there for a time, I think.