Will you ski in any conditions

[riverc0il]

it all comes down to fun. if you are enjoying making turns despite the weather, than you are going to be willing to ski in those conditions. the only people that need their head examined are the folks that ski in conditions that make skiing really crappy just to prove something. if i don't enjoy making turns due to the weather, i don't. if i am enjoying turns despite suspect weather, as long as i am having a good time, then it is all good. everyone has a different threshold for what constitutes weather that will not effect their enjoyment.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Does anyone know a good therapist?

Therapist? No.

Therapy? Yes. Get out and ski and enjoy it. If it takes perfect conditions for you to enjoy, well, that's ok. You're just not as likely to get as much enjoyment here in the East. If you can enjoy less than perfect conditions, consider yourself lucky (or perhaps easily amused.)

 

[Vortex]

I will take a few runs no matter what the weather. Rain shortens the day more than cold. Bad weather days means short lift lines.

 

[JD]

Any conditions as long as the snow is soft and untracked. I don't ski in the rain. And freezing fog can be a bummer too. But cold does not bother me.

 

[wintersyndrome]

Rain, Ice, Sleet:
IF Im there atthe mountain: maybe, though my general outlook is if its not enjoyable to be outside why e out there
I do hate driving in bad weather to get there, once took me 8 hours to get up to Okemo from LI...but the end resut was worth it (10 inches of fresh)

White out conditions, are ususally good days to be in the woods, the wind dies down, the snowfall may be intense but at least you have trees and shrubbery to create some definition. Once at K-mart in a blizzard,with whiteout conditions, (early season so no glades) Visiblity was so bad that If not for gravity I would not have known which way was down. Did one run and I was soo not psyched that I just went back to the house waited in the Hot tub for the next day (storm totals ended up around 27") WHEE!

 

[jimme]

I hate wind. It makes any other weather worse. No, I don't partake in any activity that requires wind, obviously. If I see a winds of 10 -15mph, that's about my upper limit because I know it will be worst at elevation. Low winds and gusts are a fact of life and are tolerable.

Temps down to about 10 above, light rain, snow are all tolerable. If it's sunny and 70 I love it. It's too bad snow won't stay all through the Summer.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

This is the most ridiculous discussion I've ever seen.

We've had way more ridiculous discussions then this. Don't you pay attention?

Can you imagine what someone from the West would think about this?

Who gives a freak what they would think.

You guys are actually bragging about how you skied in the world's crappiest conditions.

I wait all year for ski season, but I also have to work for a living, therefore I ski any day I can reguardless of the weather or conditions.

Some people might see that as being hardcore.

I am hardcore, but that's not way.

I think of it as being an idiot.

I'm smarter then you times 2.

 

[mattchuck2]

I'm not really in the mood to argue . . . My post wasn't supposed to be inflammatory, I was just thinking out loud . . .

And I think you meant "older" instead of "smarter" in your last sentence.

;-)

 

[from_the_NEK]

Greg Wrote:
-30? -35? Are these actual temperatures or wind chills?

This was the reading of the themometer in the base lodge at Jay a couple of years ago. The only blessing being that there was no wind. :-o

View attachment 233

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

And I think you meant "older" instead of "smarter" in your last sentence.

;-)

That was a good one.:smile:

 

[ChileMass]

Since it's 2 hours minimum to any decent skiing from where I live, if the conditions suck (ice, rain, below zero temps) I will blow it off. But if it's snowing and any temp above 5*F, I am there. Someone else mentioned how cool the sound is when it's really dumping and all you can hear is the occasional click from your skis going thru the powder. That's the best. But - it's pretty rare here in the east.

I have to agree - I don't really care what a westerner might say about this discussion, we have to ski on the conditions we get - but it is pretty stupid to drive for hours, pay thru the nose and ski on lousy snow. If you have the time and money, great. I wish.....

 

[AHM]

Very interesting thread

I'll change it around a bit so we can look at it a different way. Difficult conditions, be they weather or snow quality are a constant when skiing actual backcountry or true big mountain skiing or on your vacation planned far in advance. To hone those skills you will need to "do" that at your local hill.

To learn to ski in zero vis you must actually go out and practice it. Some of the best pow days happen when it is dumping. Don't want to let a little low vis keep from the face shots at Alta, Snowbird, or Jackson, cus you feel uncomfortable because you can't see. The no vis thing can be truly practiced at Big White in Kewlona (sp) BC. One of the most low vis hills I have ever skied.

Hard icy conditions. These are very very common in big mountain conditions. Didn't see it in the last TGR or Matchstick flicks. That's cus those shots don't look as cool to the audience. But, Seth, Jeremy, Pep etc find their fare share of hard packed couliors/wind packed faces. To practice wind packed or hard scoured surfaces, you need to do that at your home area. Then when are face to face with some steep, butterflies in the stomach shot that you've ended up at either cus you thought it was good or the tour/descent takes you down that shot, you know you have the skills to handle the terrain.

I could not tell you how many times while in the backcountry or out big mountain skiing that the conditions have been tough (or on vacations--1.5 ft of fresh with a rain crust on it--stay inside--no way. Without the skills I honed skiing icy windy eastern terrain, I know I would be at a disadvantage. I recall being in La Grave in 2003 and because of no new snow in ages, the big lines were scoured. Most were not on these lines, but with a group of eastern skiers, everyone was comfortable on the scoured pitches and the low snow week was no biggie and really quite fun. Most other skiers were complaining

So you may not like tough conditions, be it cold, icy, windy, but the reality is, these types of skiing not only make you a better skier, they allow you to be comfortable in all types of conditions and terrain, and to ultimately have more fun. They will allow you to enjoy your vacation to wherever a whole lot more, than hoping it goes Tahoe blue sky, with Utah blower.................yep big chance of that on every vacation day right ?

 

[JimG.]

You may not like tough conditions, be it cold, icy, windy, but the reality is, these types of skiing not only make you a better skier, they allow you to be comfortable in all types of conditions and terrain, and to ultimately have more fun. They will allow you to enjoy your vacation to wherever a whole lot more, than hoping it goes Tahoe blue sky, with Utah blower.................yep big chance of that on every vacation day right ?

Also a part of my line of thinking when conditions are less than ideal. Frankly, nothing more than this needs to be said.

If skiing is possible and it's a day for me to be able to go, I'm there. Period, no other thinking necessary.

 

[montageskier]

I will ski in any conditions, ive skied in a storm were we got 2 inches of rain, 20 inches of snow, sleet, and pure ice. I may not take as many runs when conditions are worse, but i still ski.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

I will ski in any conditions if im already at the mountain staying there, but im not gonna go get in my car and drive 3hrs to ski in rain, just not worth it to me.. im not that hardcore

 

[Birdman829]

ICE is the only condition that I will say it is not worth it ... and go home..

If I followed that rule, I would have got 1 day at Sugarloaf last year instead of 27 days.