Travel and rest

[jimk]

Good discussion.

SkiFanE, thanks for the pep talk

I actually had more trouble with altitude as a young man than now even though I could run six miles in 30 mins flat back then, 40 yrs ago. My problem is due mostly to ignorance, but I might be genetically vulnerable? The couple times it hit me strongly was from charging hard and not drinking water. Now I try to go slower on first day and hydrate. Trips that involve sleeping entirely at 9000'+ seem to be where I have to watch out the most; i. e., Summit County, CO. Big difference just compared to sleeping 1000-2000 feet lower. Also, I don't try to fly and ski on same day any more. I got hit pretty hard with alt sickness once 25 years just when I finished an afternoon of skiing Ski Santa Fe after flying in from sea level same morning. Felt like crap next 24 hrs. Skied thru it, but not fun.

About powder: my memories about skiing powder decades ago are all so pleasant, but the big difference is back in the 70s and 80s I was skiing 6 to 12" of powder on top of groomers or inbounds bump runs (AND I was young). Nowadays most of us ski all kinds of glades and off-piste terrain with variable snow. Skiing new snow on top of that is harder than skiing it on a groomer or filled-in bump run IMHO. The fun, but exhausting days I've had skiing in powder the last two years at Snowbird entailed snow deeper than 12" on steep off-piste terrain. Don't tell my buddies at Snowbird, but my most enjoyable powder day in the last two years was a month ago at Beaver Creek skiing 12" on a single black diamond groomer with 2000' of vertical that I had all to myself for a couple hours:

 

[4aprice]

Good discussion.

SkiFanE, thanks for the pep talk

I actually had more trouble with altitude as a young man than now even though I could run six miles in 30 mins flat back then, 40 yrs ago. My problem is due mostly to ignorance, but I might be genetically vulnerable? The couple times it hit me strongly was from charging hard and not drinking water. Now I try to go slower on first day and hydrate. Trips that involve sleeping entirely at 9000'+ seem to be where I have to watch out the most; i. e., Summit County, CO. Big difference just compared to sleeping 1000-2000 feet lower. Also, I don't try to fly and ski on same day any more. I got hit pretty hard with alt sickness once 25 years just when I finished an afternoon of skiing Ski Santa Fe after flying in from sea level same morning. Felt like crap next 24 hrs. Skied thru it, but not fun.

About powder: my memories about skiing powder decades ago are all so pleasant, but the big difference is back in the 70s and 80s I was skiing 6 to 12" of powder on top of groomers or inbounds bump runs (AND I was young). Nowadays most of us ski all kinds of glades and off-piste terrain with variable snow. Skiing new snow on top of that is harder than skiing it on a groomer or filled-in bump run IMHO. The fun, but exhausting days I've had skiing in powder the last two years at Snowbird entailed snow deeper than 12" on steep off-piste terrain. Don't tell my buddies at Snowbird, but my most enjoyable powder day in the last two years was a month ago at Beaver Creek skiing 12" on a single black diamond groomer with 2000' of vertical that I had all to myself for a couple hours:

Agreed it is a good discussion (and I'm not trying to get on SkiFanE, she's entitled to her opinion). I only started it because I hit a wall last week at 7 days. Picking up a lots of valuable information. Hydration may be my biggest downfall as I get so wound up in the skiing I forget about it till its too late. Something I have to teach myself.

Have fun in Utah Jim, along with Colorado, truly a special place to be.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[kingslug]

SO an equation could be.. fat skis + good hydration + minimal alcohol intake + quality snooze time = good pow day.
change the variables and it could get much worse.
Bumps knock the hell out of anyone, regardless of quality. Add altitude and it can be hell, but maybe in a good way.
Try mogul runs at Beaver Creek...

 

[BenedictGomez]

"Champagne Powder" may be a marketing slogan for some ski area (Steamboat?) but they aren't lying when they call Utah the "greatest snow on earth".

I've heard Japan might be even better, high mountains that rise straight up from the sea (sadly I wouldn't know).

 

[BenedictGomez]

Thinking about this, the hydration aspect of this makes sense, because if you're not hydrated you're impairing your bodies ability to max it's carriage of oxygen. This also might be why I haven't had problems, because I pretty much drink like a thirsty camel 365 days/year. I dont walk past a water fountain without taking a sip, and I drink water at my desk all day long.

 

[Jcb890]

Thinking about this, the hydration aspect of this makes sense, because if you're not hydrated you're impairing your bodies ability to max it's carriage of oxygen. This also might be why I haven't had problems, because I pretty much drink like a thirsty camel 365 days/year. I dont walk past a water fountain without taking a sip, and I drink water at my desk all day long.

I'm like this too, but still had altitude issues in Colorado and also felt like I had to urinate almost the entire time on the mountain. I felt like my body wasn't retaining water quite as well as I am used to back at home.

 

[snoseek]

I'm like this too, but still had altitude issues in Colorado and also felt like I had to urinate almost the entire time on the mountain. I felt like my body wasn't retaining water quite as well as I am used to back at home.

You need electrolytes if you're consuming extra water IMO. EmergenC packets provide them cheaply and easily...much better than Gatorade and not so much sugar. I use Nuun tablets in the summer when riding bike on hot days. It makes a big difference for me

 

[Glenn]

I use Ultima Powder on days I run. Similar to Nuun, but a bit cheaper for what you get. However, Nuun is far easier than making a mix from powder.

 

[kingslug]

My club went to Japan last year..and yes its all true, best powder in the world,just not very steep.

 

[180]

My son is in this a few times!

In this video ignore the airs and focus on the actual skiing

Skiing bumps at a high level you are making about five times as many turns as typical powder skiing and doing so on much more jarring terrain.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Topic I've been thinking about lately as well. I have been away much more than home this March, in California and skiing Tahoe, then business trips, and a business trip to Colorado that included skiing Telluride.

While these were fun trips and I'm glad to have experienced some different places, the math just doesn't work out for me. All the travel, the additional expense, and the bigger gamble taken with weather and everything else.

So next year I think I'll focus on some good Eastern mini vacations. Sugarloaf + hopefully Saddleback, Le Massif + Mont St Anne, Whiteface, Mad River Glen + northern VT.

The skiing was well and good in Telluride and Tahoe but the tree skiing is so much better in northern New England and the most fun days of this season have been out East as well.

I have learned that "big mountain skiing" isn't really my thing, and if a bunch of the terrain at some place is borderline or actually "extreme" (aka cliffs, eg Telluride) it doesn't do me any good if I'm not going to ski it.

So good revelation to have because it saves me time and money in the future.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Getting sleep should be no problem in CO, WA, some other states soon. Go to the local Green Cross and pick up some Indica Sleep Tabs. Also helps you (maybe) drink a little less in the evenings.

 

[Cornhead]

I think hydration is very important when skiing at high altitudes. Last trip I brought a one liter Soadstream bottle with me. I forgot it and left it in the car at Taos. I tried to compensate by stopping for drinks of water at the various lodges on the mountain, but it didn't do the trick. I felt like shit. I felt good every other day when I had water with me.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Jully]

My club went to Japan last year..and yes its all true, best powder in the world,just not very steep.

How not steep is not very steep?

 

[ironhippy]

How not steep is not very steep?

I think specific destination depends here.
I've never heard anyone complain that Japan isn't steep enough, but most of the reports I've seen have involved backcountry skiing.

 

[madriverjack]

Way to go Spencer!!! What's he like 6'3" now

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Jcb890]

You need electrolytes if you're consuming extra water IMO. EmergenC packets provide them cheaply and easily...much better than Gatorade and not so much sugar. I use Nuun tablets in the summer when riding bike on hot days. It makes a big difference for me

Good point. Will have to give that a try next time.

Topic I've been thinking about lately as well. I have been away much more than home this March, in California and skiing Tahoe, then business trips, and a business trip to Colorado that included skiing Telluride.

While these were fun trips and I'm glad to have experienced some different places, the math just doesn't work out for me. All the travel, the additional expense, and the bigger gamble taken with weather and everything else.

So next year I think I'll focus on some good Eastern mini vacations. Sugarloaf + hopefully Saddleback, Le Massif + Mont St Anne, Whiteface, Mad River Glen + northern VT.

The skiing was well and good in Telluride and Tahoe but the tree skiing is so much better in northern New England and the most fun days of this season have been out East as well.

I have learned that "big mountain skiing" isn't really my thing, and if a bunch of the terrain at some place is borderline or actually "extreme" (aka cliffs, eg Telluride) it doesn't do me any good if I'm not going to ski it.

So good revelation to have because it saves me time and money in the future.

Just curious why you thought so? Do you like tighter trees?

 

[bdfreetuna]

Just curious why you thought so? Do you like tighter trees?

Yeah, the whole vibe of the woods is different too. Of course it varies from mountain to mountain, but it's also because expert skiers out there want to ski real steep chutes and high alpine terrain.

We don't have much of that out here so expert skiers tend to ski gnarly woods. And fortunately our forests have usually better trees for skiing, with better spacing, a better canopy, more varied trees and more rolling terrain. In the west more often you get 1 kind of tree with a thick trunk, more spaced out, and a consistent fall line.

... which is probably fun too but IMO we folks who ski Jay and MRG and Sugarloaf and Magic are kind of spoiled when it comes to the trees.

 

[Jcb890]

Yeah, the whole vibe of the woods is different too. Of course it varies from mountain to mountain, but it's also because expert skiers out there want to ski real steep chutes and high alpine terrain.

We don't have much of that out here so expert skiers tend to ski gnarly woods. And fortunately our forests have usually better trees for skiing, with better spacing, a better canopy, more varied trees and more rolling terrain. In the west more often you get 1 kind of tree with a thick trunk, more spaced out, and a consistent fall line.

... which is probably fun too but IMO we folks who ski Jay and MRG and Sugarloaf and Magic are kind of spoiled when it comes to the trees.

As a snowboarder, I much prefer the trees I have tried out West. Skiers may prefer the tighter New England trees though, that's what I was imagining when I asked my question.

 

[RISkier]

Well, I'm well past double nickels. The impact on my body really depends on conditions, and in CO you're getting less oxygen than you're used to getting. I also find I have much more endurance later in the year than early in the year. On a week long trip we usually take a day off. Some time off freshens not only the body but also the mind. No shame in taking a day or two off and getting recharged. You're there to have fun, not beat yourself up.