Whats your skill level?

[Big Game]

HA HA !!!
The weather is something you can't promise at Tucks...
I can promise you that you'll see weather and lots of it.....

As far as slow... You don't have to do the crazy stuff - there's lots of alternatives for skiing there... Even mellow...

Well I better go this year. I bought a bunch of lift passes for the Tuckerman Express Quad off some guy on the internet and they expire this year. He gave me a killer deal... I got 50 passes for $1000. I know the passes are good because my credit card was charged a grand. He told me that the passes are waiting for me at the Howard Johnson's there, along with a complementary breakfast. I don't mind sharing the wealth to anyone interested. Just blast me a PM and I'll tell you how to pick up a ticket.

 

[RISkier]

Definately a middling intermediate. Third year skier. Comfortable on blues and many blacks if conditions are good. I suck in crud (though I think I'm getting better) and on icy conditions.

 

[ctenidae]

If by "Advanced" you mean "don't fall down and can maintain control on every trail and condition I've come across so far", then I'm Advanced. However, I'm not ready for Tucks, or anything BC. I'd go with lower Advanced. I know enough to know when to go slow and stick to the side, anyway. As my wife says, "You can ski down anything, if you go slow enough."

 

[ALLSKIING]

Hmmmm......

dmc, I love ya lots, kid, but I can't agree with your poll criteria. Seems to me you can be an expert without having to be a BC aficiando. It takes expert ability to race and, at most hills, to ski double blacks, so if you can include that, I can consider myself an expert. I think after 37 years on skis, I can safely call myself an expert, even if my endurance isn't what it once was.....

I see your point chilemass, but to me an expert is just more then ability, its knowledge. If your an expert in your work field there is nothing you don't know you are an expert. If there are things you can't do or don't know about skiing on a mountain from lack of experence I can't consider them an expert.

 

[awf170]

I think Im a expert/advanced because i can ski pretty much anything but i dont have to much backcountry knowledge. So skiing wise I am probably an expert but knowledge of backcountry probably an intermidiate.

 

[moguljunkie]

I agree with ChileMass. I think you can be an expert without knowledge of backcountry skiing. If we were to assume Bode Miller had never skied in the backcountry, would you really say he's not an expert? You can also make analogies to other sports: there are legendary basketball players who couldn't shoot a three-pointer to save their lives, top-notch tennis players who don't serve and volley, and world-class sprinters who have never run a marathon.

Off-piste skiing is a whole other animal that most skiers, myself included, haven't had an opportunity to try. In my opinion, if you can rip up the moguls, easily handle trees, steeps, powder, gates, and the terrain park, that should be enough to qualify one as an expert.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Skill Level

I have limited back-country experience from some out of bounds excursions at a couple of areas around Salt Lake City. Other then that, I am comfortable with any type of terrain ranging up to and including ungroomed double blacks. I do not however make it a practice to ski on "glaciers" masquerading as ski trails. I don't mind a few icy patches, but there has to be something you can grab an edge on every so often. I also find it silly to challenge a mogul field that has had the powder skied off. That is just an invitation to injury! As to groomed, the steeper the better. There is nothing like an occasional moment of "free fall" before my edges reconnect with the snow! And, when the trail is empty, I love reaching "terminal" velocity; the point where the air resistance matches my downhill inertial energy. I have had contacts blown out of my eyes when the weather has allowed me to ski without goggles. BTW, I guess that allows me to rate myself as "Advanced" according to the poll criteria.

 

[awf170]

ya i agree with that too.

 

[ALLSKIING]

I guess I put a higher level on the word "expert" than others. Thats cool. All opinions matter.

 

[awf170]

oh nvm i agree with Adam not tirolerpeter

 

[riverc0il]

i mostly agree with a lot of the responses regarded "expert" not requiring "Full Knowledge" of the backcountry. i think an expert skier can skiing any trail at any mountain in nearly any condition and do it well. an expert skier should be able to own mountains like MRG and other tough mountains. expert skiers in theory should be able to do most non-extreme backcountry even if they don't have the knowledge to get themselves there. "skill level" and "knowledge level" really are two completely different ratings. perhaps a fifth selection could have been offered that builds upon expert level, perhaps a "master" selection that includes BC knowledge. but then again, that's knowledge. what about ski patrol knowledge, or instructor knowledge. apples and oranges.

i selected expert despitehaving only a little bit of BC experience in non-avalanche areas. plan on taking avi courses so i can access the goods in places like GoS. but i firmly believe i can ski anything in new england with a few "extreme" exceptions, so i put expert despite my lack of avi knowledge.

 

[subdude]

Although I can ski anything thrown at me including hardpack, trees, bumps, powder with confidence yet have no back country knowledge i'm an advanced skier

 

[dmc]

Although I can ski anything thrown at me including hardpack, trees, bumps, powder with confidence yet have no back country knowledge i'm an advanced skier

..definately..

The fact is... Or to me at least -
Once you reach a certain level above intermediate and settle into whatever it is you do - be it BC, Racing, Freestyle, freeriding...

It diffcult to rate someone on level.... It's like saying a Formula 1 driver is better or more advanced then a NASCAR driver...
They are both experts at driving cars... But they drive them differently...

Also - you may be an expert in your own back yard but not in somebady elses...

 

[ctenidae]

you may be an expert in your own back yard but not in somebady (sic) elses (sic)

I definitely agree with the sentiment, with the exception that being expert, or even advanced, involves being able to read the terrain, no matter whose backyard it is. If you know any trail well enough, you can ski it like a pro. If you're somewhere else and a fish out of water, you're not really a pro anymore.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Ok how about levels?


Level 1:Ski or ride anything in or out of bounds,lots of BC experence.

Level 2 : Ski or ride anything in or out of bounds.

Level 3 : Ok at skiing bumps,trees,steeps but blues are to easy.

Level 4: Blue and some Groomed blacks not yet ready for bumps and trees in the blacks.

Level 5: Green and some blue.

Level 6: Green and having fun.

Is this better?

 

[dmc]

you may be an expert in your own back yard but not in somebady (sic) elses (sic)

I definitely agree with the sentiment, with the exception that being expert, or even advanced, involves being able to read the terrain, no matter whose backyard it is. If you know any trail well enough, you can ski it like a pro. If you're somewhere else and a fish out of water, you're not really a pro anymore.

true - true...
Just pointing out that even though you may think you've got it wired tight... You may end up somewhere that will unravel you...

I respect my lack of ability...

 

[ctenidae]

I respect my lack of ability...

Safest thing you could ever do.
If you ever stop being at least a little bit scared, go home.

On the new rating scale, I'm a 3.5. Blues are generally too easy, but not so hot on bumps, only ever had one run in trees. Fortunately, no run-ins with trees.

 

[dmc]

I respect my lack of ability..

Safest thing you could ever do.
If you ever stop being at least a little bit scared, go home.

Part of respecting my lack of ability is knowing when to turn around and go home!

I got nothing to proove to anyone except myself...

 

[ftrain]

Come to Tucks with us...!!! I love nooobies up there.... Seeing the look on the faces when they first catch a glimps of the bowl is priceless!!!

Do a JimG day trip or stay at the shelters a couple nights with us...

When you going? I will tag along. I want to ski with some of the experts on this board. I consider myself advanced and need to ski with experts to get to the next level. The reason I do not consider myself a expert because I would not feel comfortable leading a group into the back country. Being the person to judge the snow pack for my entire group. I feel I have the knowledge to decide if I am going to put myself in danager but I will not make that decision for the other people in my group.

I also feel experts are the people we see in the extreme ski videos. The type of person who would build a jump at the top of the headwall and use tuckermans for the landing after completeing a back flip.

 

[JimG.]

Come to Tucks with us...!!! I love nooobies up there.... Seeing the look on the faces when they first catch a glimps of the bowl is priceless!!!

Do a JimG day trip or stay at the shelters a couple nights with us...

When you going? I will tag along.

We usually go early to mid-April; I won't be camping this year, but my son David and I will do at least 2 day trips up to Tucks during that time. Since it will be his first time, we'll stick to runs like Left Gully. If that's too tame for your tastes, I'm sure DMC and the gang will be able to get you pumped up.