So where do you ..gravitate to

[deadheadskier]

agreed that groomers are for nothing more than early season and getting back to the lift, .

I used to feel this way, but have grown to appreciate mixing in groomers and speed throughout my day.

In my 20s when I was a ski bum living in Stowe and could pick and choose my days, I only viewed groomers as a means of getting to the natural stuff. Once I lost that flexibility, I learned to enjoy it all.

So, even when places are wide open on natural terrain, I'll still spend at least a handful of runs a day ripping arcs.

Honestly I think a lot of people who don't enjoy groomers at all are either not very good at carving, are on the wrong equipment or are skiing a places that have very boring groomed terrain. That's the beauty of Wildcat. Less than 50% of their terrain gets groomed and what does get groomed is all pretty fun to rip, even their beginner trails.

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[KustyTheKlown]

I can rip groomers, especially on my kastles (which are actually my widest ski). I just value every run too much to "waste" one on a groomer, if there are options to ski more interesting things.

 

[abc]

As long as there is soft snow, I spend almost all my time on ungroomed terrain.
I favor woods runs, but don't really care too much. The fewer crowds, the better.

I'll easily lap the same few trails if I can find empty lift lines and good snow.

I should get a pair of carving/racing skis so I can enjoy hardpacked groomed runs more. I like to turn.

You're describing EXACTLY what I like (and half of the people here)!

I love skiing around obstacles be it rock, dirt, shrubbery, trees, bumps and grass. Groomers are fine early season, powder brings a smile to my face but obstacles are my favorite.

I'd put powder as my top favorite. But other than that, obstacles make a non-powder day a lotmore interesting.

 

[Edd]

I guess I gravitate to this mostly.



I’ll ski most inbounds terrain, conditions permitting, but crowds kill my will to be there. If it’s crowded and the off piste is in good condition, I’m ok. If conditions restrict me to groomers and it’s crowded, I’m all set. I wish I were more tolerant, but I’m getting worse as the years go by.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I like the speed sensation on groomers. I really like long windy groomers, which may be green circles in some cases as well -- taking it like a long (sometimes slow motion admittedly) GS or Downhill course.

Like someone else said I'm no master of perfect carving on the steeps. Unless it's really good snow and I'm making slalom turns.

Try to take whatever the mountain is offering up best on any given day, but I also like some variety over the course of a day if possible. Legs need a break from constant bumps and trees as well. I try not to let any specific area of my skiing fall too far behind the rest.

Mellowing out a bit as I age as well. No longer concerned about one-upping myself every time I head out. More concerned about fine tuning the technique and ending the day tired & satisfied.

 

[skiur]

agreed that groomers are for nothing more than early season and getting back to the lift, and that stumps/rocks/grass/exposed ground is fun and what gives eastern skiing its unique charm. I am busting the rock skis out for the rest of the season and im gonna get dirty out there.

Groomers are also good for when you are sweating your ass off after a great bump run to just straight line down and get 50 mph winds in your face to cool off.

 

[BenedictGomez]

My favorite places are the "stuck in time" areas that feel like they haven't changed much since before I was born. These are the places that are old school and barely groom because the people who go there have (GASP) actually taken the time to learn how to ski.

Sadly, there aren't many places left like this that I'm aware of, and I get it, it is a business, and it's the giant corporate places that offer massage and sushi that rake in the money.

The very small list I'm aware of that I'd proffer for what I'm describing contains:

Mad River Glen
Magic Mountain
Plattekill
Smuggler's Notch

 

[kingslug]

Early season I would rack up 40 K vertical at Stowe just nailing the groomers top to bottom as fast as I could. Its great early season training to get the legs in shape. Its also something I'm trying to get my wife to do. Stopping a lot, she just gets used to doing 500 vert a shot, which when skiing big vert places is not very good. At least not when she's chasing me around. I notice a lot of East Coast skiers , mostly intermediates doing this out west as they aren't used to the long vert.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

My favorite places are the "stuck in time" areas that feel like they haven't changed much since before I was born. These are the places that are old school and barely groom because the people who go there have (GASP) actually taken the time to learn how to ski.

Sadly, there aren't many places left like this that I'm aware of, and I get it, it is a business, and it's the giant corporate places that offer massage and sushi that rake in the money.

The very small list I'm aware of that I'd proffer for what I'm describing contains:

Mad River Glen
Magic Mountain
Plattekill
Smuggler's Notch

I consider mad magic and platty to be the holy trinity of old school. but you are right that smuggs belongs on that same list.

pico, cannon, wildcat also sort of similar

 

[BenedictGomez]

I think a lot of people who don't enjoy groomers at all are either not very good at carving, are on the wrong equipment or are skiing a places that have very boring groomed terrain.

I think that's probably true. For instance, I don't know how you could get "bored" skiing a Nosedive at Stowe, etc...

 

[bdfreetuna]

I consider mad magic and platty to be the holy trinity of old school. but you are right that smuggs belongs on that same list.

pico, cannon, wildcat also sort of similar

Sutton is pretty cool like that too.

Saddleback deserves a place in that grouping as well.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Sutton is pretty cool like that too.

Every year I say I want to get there.

 

[Smellytele]

My favorite places are the "stuck in time" areas that feel like they haven't changed much since before I was born. These are the places that are old school and barely groom because the people who go there have (GASP) actually taken the time to learn how to ski.

Sadly, there aren't many places left like this that I'm aware of, and I get it, it is a business, and it's the giant corporate places that offer massage and sushi that rake in the money.

The very small list I'm aware of that I'd proffer for what I'm describing contains:

Mad River Glen
Magic Mountain
Plattekill
Smuggler's Notch

Even when out west I like the a-basins, lovelands, Wolf Creek and Mt Roses of the world.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Even when out west I like the a-basins, lovelands, Wolf Creek and Mt Roses of the world.

Oh yeah, I wasnt thinking of out west, just east.

I liked A-Basin and really loved Loveland for these reasons though. Loveland actually reminded me of a giant Platty, it was my favorite of the 4 CO areas I've skied. Powder Mountain in Utah has the same feel too.

 

[abc]

Even when out west I like the a-basins, lovelands, Wolf Creek and Mt Roses of the world.

I don't really care that much, as long as it's not crowded and have decent terrain.

Did Big Sky and Solitude last week. Both are quiet (almost dead). I like them both.

 

[tumbler]

Groomers are also good for when you are sweating your ass off after a great bump run to just straight line down and get 50 mph winds in your face to cool off.

Ha! this is what I do to defog the goggles. I will also mix in a groomer bewteen some woods and bump runs to save my legs to make the days go longer. Getting older and fatter sux.

 

[kingslug]

Watching a lot of youtube vids on east coast stuff..the cliffs of stowe..the church at SB..lot of natural terrain out there..
I just dont get the totaly socked in tree runs where they are walking through them..claustraphobic..

 

[Domeskier]

I just dont get the totaly socked in tree runs where they are walking through them..claustraphobic..

I insist on being checked for spiders after runs like that. I don't even know if spiders can survive on winter tree branches, but it make me feel better.

 

[kingslug]

Or end up like the guy in jackson with the branch through his face..didnt even know it

 

[SIKSKIER]

Only Cat has a less than 7 minute HSQ to access their 2100 vertical

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Way fast quad at the Cat but Cannon's tram can run 1500 ft/minute.Thats less than 4 minutes for 2180 vert though they dont run it at that speed.It used to be run at 6 minutes but I hate that thing and never use it.I'd take the Cat quad any day over the tram.