Times you've skied in sketch conditions

[crank]

I used to ski at Mammoth back in the early 80's. I remember skiing up on the ridge in total white out conditions several times. It was always in fresh snow though and hardly any bumps at all back then because the only way up was the gondola.

 

[JimG.]

Here is a picture from the trail beside the icy one, this trail was pretty much fine, but will give you an idea of the steepness
View attachment 22891

Val D'Irene?

 

[andrec10]

The conditions were mostly good, but the most scared I've been on skis was on the backside of Amqui in the Gaspe.

The trail was steep, but seemed good enough. I got to the really steep part and realized the entire pitch was wind swept and basically ice.
I was able to get down, but it was incredibly sketchy.



Here is a picture from the trail beside the icy one, this trail was pretty much fine, but will give you an idea of the steepness
View attachment 22891

Sketchy, try Great Scott at Snowbird in a whiteout.

 

[kingslug]

Sketchy, try Great Scott at Snowbird in a whiteout.

Anywhere off the top at Snowbird in a whiteout. I skied right off the side one day. No idea where I was. Stuck to the side holding on. Climbed up and out.

 

[ironhippy]

Val D'Irene?

yup!

 

[ironhippy]

Sketchy, try Great Scott at Snowbird in a whiteout.

I didn't purposely try to ski it in sketchy conditions, I just didn't realize the steep pitch was void of snow until I was there!

 

[andrec10]

I didn't purposely try to ski it in sketchy conditions, I just didn't realize the steep pitch was void of snow until I was there!

Damn and oops!

 

[KevinF]

The icy day that I remember vividly was on New Year's Day at Bretton Woods one time. It had rained the night before so it was going to be "firm". At the time I had a season pass to Cannon which came with a couple vouchers to Bretton Woods. BW is a lot less steep so I figured it would be more manageable in icy conditions.

At 8:00AM I'm alone in the lift line waiting for them to open. A patroller comes down and comes over to me and says "You realize that it's icy?". I said something about "It's New England, it's always icy". Patroller looks at the lifty and says "Ok, let him on".

I ride up, get off, find something to ski down. Icy? This could have been groomed with a zamboni. I was afraid to make a turn -- i.e., falling meant sliding, probably a disturbingly long ways. I did more sideslipping then turning, but somehow I got down.

I went inside, took a couple hours break and read a book or something and eventually went back out to see if the rising temps / sun had softened things any. Maybe it had softened up in the "bullet proof" to "bullet resistant" sense? It was still pretty sketchy getting down.

Went inside, took my gear off and went home.

 

[Riverskier]

I have skied over 20 days a year since the early 80's, and never let weather or conditions stop me, so I have seen it all. I have had plenty of less than stellar days, and plenty of sketchy runs where I have just tried to get down in one piece. There was only ONE time though in all those years where I was actually a bit scared and felt like the mountain should not have opened. It was an October day at Sunday River probably 6-10 years ago. They had the usual early season offerings, T2 and Upper Punch from the midstation. Not sure I ever knew the exact cause, or perhaps just forgot, but it was ice like I have never seen before on a ski mountain. I don't think it was rain though, I believe they had a problem with the snowmaking system the night before, which would explain why I have never seen it. Not sure how to describe it exactly, but solid glare, shiny, and slippery ice- completely unedgable, even on flats. I had to find obstacle (ice chunks, banks, etc.) just to stop myself on steeper sections. NOBODY there was doing much more than getting down, but those with carving skis and sharp edges were doing a bit better. I had midfats with dull edges. A fall would have caused you to slide until something stopped you, no chance for self arrest. And to be clear, I have skied the steepest groomers in Maine completely covered in ice, but this ice was just different. This was discussed on the Sunday River message board at the time, and most who skied that day shared the same sentiment. Of course those who weren't there thought the mountain definitely should have been open, and that they could have ripped it up lol.

 

[Dickc]

Got another one. Sunday River again as, well, it IS my home mountain. Skiing a day or two after a thaw freeze cycle. Most of the grooming is OK. Get near the top of Barker and note that Top Gun looks groomed, and there is some visible loose snow at the top. Start down Top Gun and as soon as I crest the first knoll, its GLARE ICE, and the wind is blowing uphill fairly strongly. This has swept all the loose snow to the edges or the top. First thought is careful you DON'T want to fall. Suddenly I notice a loose ski at the side of the trail. I head over to it, stop and look around. 40-50 yards further down is another ski. No skier in sight. I pick up the first and head for the second one. I get there and notice someone WAY DOWN the hill. They are not moving. Oh boy, are they hurt, should I call patrol here? I decide to carefully ski down. I get down nearer to them and they still are not moving even though I know I am close enough to be heard scraping and scratching my way down. I finally get to them and they look up at me and I ask, "Are you OK"? They smile and say yes, but they don't DARE move. The location is the last knoll before the last kind of steep part. A slide from there probably would mean into the woods. I stand there a minute and then think, well, if I go right below him, he can brace against me and perhaps get up. I pull right under him and with my help, and his poles in the other hand we get him up standing against my uphill ski for stability. We figure out that I have to put one of his skis in between mine to hold it there and lean way down and hold the other one in such a way that he can snap into it. It took a few minutes as this was NOT an easy task. I had to have him lean onto my back while I held the ski on its edge until he could get into it. Now it was time for the other ski. Same thing, I have to hold it on edge at an angle to the hill until he can get into it. Finally he is on two skis. He wanted to stand a minute, so I stood with him for a bit until he finally started down. He seemed to be doing OK, but told me he thought he would head to the base lodge and sit a while. Bet he was cold as I have no idea how long he was there, he had said a while, but when you are certain any movement will make you slide farther I am also sure he never looked at a watch. The whole time in going down and helping the guy, not one other sole came down.

Top Gun was NOT a do over!

 

[JimG.]

yup!

Backside of that place has some steep shots.