Your 2016-2017 Season Thread

[WJenness]

Does your Garmin have a heart rate sensor? Trace I am pretty sure applies a generic ski calorie burning formula. I don't remember putting any demographic info into Trace. If Trace reports basal + active, that is kind of annoying... It might make sense though. Otherwise it would read something like 1 hour of skiing, 13 minutes of on snow time, 35 calories burned hahaha.

I found a lot of variability (> 10-15%) between ski app vertical reported. I run Trace on my phone and AllSnow at the same time and at the end of a 30k vertical day will have a 5k difference between the app. Testing at places with a single lift, like Wildcat or Crotched, I find that Trace actually under reports vertical by that same 10-15% margin, unless the lift vertical reported by Wildcat and Crotched (and on newenglandskihistory.com) are wrong.

Yes, the watch has an optical wrist HR sensor (It is the Garmin Fenix 3 HR)... Also, there is an available chest strap you can buy that is more accurate than the wrist based one, but I have just been using the wrist one.

Another neat data trend is seeing my heart rate while skiing (both average and peak) decrease over the season, thanks to dropping a bunch of weight and being in better ski shape as the season has progressed.

My first day skiing this year (Dec. 9 @ Loon) I had an Avg. Heart Rate of 163bpm and a Max of 191bpm.
On Tuesday, the average was 122bpm and the max was 156bpm.

I used the data to graph my heart rate over the season, and there is a very clear trend line connecting the first data point and the last.


-w

 

[Hawk]

With any of these electronic gadgets, it is really hard for them to get a real good fix on calorie burn. The algorithms are based on an average and takes into account, height, weight, age and the activity that you are doing in conjunction with the heart rates you are achieving. What it does not take into account is the actual amount of energy you exert. Unlike a bike which can have a power tap built in which measures watts, your body does not have that. Also Skiing is much more dynamic. Just skiing a bump run vs a groomer can have a huge range in energy used. Also your ability has a big impact. If you are an experienced skier and can smooth out everything so you burn less calories. An intermediate that has to bull their turns uses more.

 

[Jully]

Yes, the watch has an optical wrist HR sensor (It is the Garmin Fenix 3 HR)... Also, there is an available chest strap you can buy that is more accurate than the wrist based one, but I have just been using the wrist one.

Another neat data trend is seeing my heart rate while skiing (both average and peak) decrease over the season, thanks to dropping a bunch of weight and being in better ski shape as the season has progressed.

My first day skiing this year (Dec. 9 @ Loon) I had an Avg. Heart Rate of 163bpm and a Max of 191bpm.
On Tuesday, the average was 122bpm and the max was 156bpm.

I used the data to graph my heart rate over the season, and there is a very clear trend line connecting the first data point and the last.


-w

That is quite exciting.191 must have had you really feeling it on that first day!

 

[Jully]

With any of these electronic gadgets, it is really hard for them to get a real good fix on calorie burn. The algorithms are based on an average and takes into account, height, weight, age and the activity that you are doing in conjunction with the heart rates you are achieving. What it does not take into account is the actual amount of energy you exert. Unlike a bike which can have a power tap built in which measures watts, your body does not have that. Also Skiing is much more dynamic. Just skiing a bump run vs a groomer can have a huge range in energy used. Also your ability has a big impact. If you are an experienced skier and can smooth out everything so you burn less calories. An intermediate that has to bull their turns uses more.

Absolutely. Experienced v. non experienced is seen somewhat in HR, but not enough.

 

[Hawk]

That is quite exciting.191 must have had you really feeling it on that first day!

I haven's seen the 190's in 10 years. Hell I am lucky to have a max up around 175 now a days. He must be young...er.

 

[WJenness]

Not sure how it is doing it, probably heart rate related... But I've noticed the garmin will read a much higher calorie burn on days where I am skiing more difficult terrain (bumps, trees, etc.) vs. just doing groomer runs, which is something that Trace did not do at all.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Day 31 today at Killington and 32 tomorrow!

Sent from my LG-H901 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Jcb890]

Day 31 today at Killington and 32 tomorrow!

Sent from my LG-H901 using AlpineZone mobile app

How is the cover and trail width looking on Skyelark? Debating going Saturday, but heard the coverage on Skyelark is getting thin and my wife would have to be dodging rocks and dirt going down. We're debating Sunday River for Saturday instead due to this so there's more blue terrain for her.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Sugarloaf still rockin 128 trails and woods! Too damn far!

 

[Jully]

Sugarloaf still rockin 128 trails and woods! Too damn far!

I emailed asking if there was any chance they would reopen for some kind of bonus weekend next weekend. It is a long shot, but if they did I would book a room right away. Can't go that far this weekend, but next weekend I'd love to ski more than 1-2 trails at K.

 

[Jcb890]

I emailed asking if there was any chance they would reopen for some kind of bonus weekend next weekend. It is a long shot, but if they did I would book a room right away. Can't go that far this weekend, but next weekend I'd love to ski more than 1-2 trails at K.

We're thinking about Sunday River on Saturday. Right now they're saying 23 trails... of course its not really 23, but more than the 1-2 Killington has.

 

[dlague]

We're thinking about Sunday River on Saturday. Right now they're saying 23 trails... of course its not really 23, but more than the 1-2 Killington has.

Based in the trending weather, Killington probably will not make June 1st. Seems like there is still a lot of snow but there are no freezing nights ahead.

 

[Jcb890]

Based in the trending weather, Killington probably will not make June 1st. Seems like there is still a lot of snow but there are no freezing nights ahead.

It doesn't even seem like they're going to be able to groom much. I asked their FB Messenger peeps and they said they may only be able to groom a cat-track wide path on everything due to the warmth. For skiers that's nice, but for myself and my wife, that's not exactly easy riding. I'll definitely go at some point for some Superstar mogul laps, but I was hoping for an easier route for the wife this weekend, so that's why we're leaning towards Sunday River... but I wonder if their grooming will be similar? Maybe they figure with it being their last weekend they won't care if the grooming causes snow loss and groom anyways. I'm not sure.

 

[chuckstah]

It doesn't even seem like they're going to be able to groom much. I asked their FB Messenger peeps and they said they may only be able to groom a cat-track wide path on everything due to the warmth. For skiers that's nice, but for myself and my wife, that's not exactly easy riding. I'll definitely go at some point for some Superstar mogul laps, but I was hoping for an easier route for the wife this weekend, so that's why we're leaning towards Sunday River... but I wonder if their grooming will be similar? Maybe they figure with it being their last weekend they won't care if the grooming causes snow loss and groom anyways. I'm not sure.

Most everything at SR will have to be groomed for Saturday to spread out the snow and make a few trails ski-able. The grooming certainly won't last long though.

Sent from my LGMS345 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[ALLSKIING]

How is the cover and trail width looking on Skyelark? Debating going Saturday, but heard the coverage on Skyelark is getting thin and my wife would have to be dodging rocks and dirt going down. We're debating Sunday River for Saturday instead due to this so there's more blue terrain for her.

Trail width is side to side and cover is pretty good just a few small areas to keep an eye out for.

Sent from my LG-H901 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Jully]

It doesn't even seem like they're going to be able to groom much. I asked their FB Messenger peeps and they said they may only be able to groom a cat-track wide path on everything due to the warmth. For skiers that's nice, but for myself and my wife, that's not exactly easy riding. I'll definitely go at some point for some Superstar mogul laps, but I was hoping for an easier route for the wife this weekend, so that's why we're leaning towards Sunday River... but I wonder if their grooming will be similar? Maybe they figure with it being their last weekend they won't care if the grooming causes snow loss and groom anyways. I'm not sure.

SR mentions a lot of trails groomed in their report. I'm suspicious of this though, I think they may be referring to grooming as snow farming. I'd be shocked if they made corduroy on trails like Right Stuff and Southpaw. Those were thin this past weekend. The blues like Sunday Punch, et al., should be groomed and should be nice for the first 3 hours or so of each day. It will bump up quick!

If you're looking for bumps, Top Gun this past weekend was the best I've ever seen it sans powder day. Made Barker ski a whole lot nicer IMO.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Sent from my LG-H901 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[Jully]

The S is already creeping in on that first picture and it isn't even May 1. Tower 2 was fully surrounded by snow the last time I saw a picture of Superstar.

 

[Domeskier]

Here's what SS looked like on April 28, 2016, courtesy of Kzone's Southside Bobby.



A lot more snow on skier's right toward the bottom this year. Hopefully that will help stave off that portion of the "S".

 

[ALLSKIING]

The S is already creeping in on that first picture and it isn't even May 1. Tower 2 was fully surrounded by snow the last time I saw a picture of Superstar.

There is so much snow down below....like 20feet that I think they can push it around to fill in.

Sent from my LG-H901 using AlpineZone mobile app