Q: What is your favorite ski area other than Tucks?

[elwood]

Mine has got to be Vail, CO. I had a 14 inch powder day there back in February, and enjoyed plenty of freshies in the Blue Sky Basin.

How abut the rest of you? Which slopes do you like to get your thrills on?


:skilas: , I think I know what your response will be!

[Skilasnow]

Hmmmm, Mt Baw Baw ;) (never been, I just like the name).
Though Las Lenas was my first big powder and my first serious off piste skiing and hence it has a special place in my snow filled, but warm heart, I might have to say Mad River Glen, I don't ski much else in NE, and heck, I own it! :D

[elwood]

Oh yeah, although Vail is probably my favorite, I do live in Vermont. My favorite East Coast Ski Area would have to be Jay Peak. It's all sbout the snow...and the woods!!!

[pepperdawg]

East Coast - Tha Bush in VT (even though I'm a K-mart passholder/ski house person) w/Stowe a close second

West Coast - 3 way tie - Alpine Meadows, Wolf Creek (CO) and Jackson Hole...


:snowflakes:

[elwood]

Pepperdawg,


Dr Phos and I used to be K-mart locals! I spent 5 years there working in restaurants and getting my kicks on Bear Mountain (love the Fiddle!)...

I beleive Dr. Phos slaved away for the corporation for a while... Damn, I've probably seen you at the Pickle Barrel before!!!

[Mumster]

Elwood, that's too tough, without subcategorizing.

Alta - Best overall ski atmosphere
Arapahoe - Best basin
Bear Creek - Best NASTAR
Camelback - Easiest proximity
Killington - Best early-season skiing (basically the only option from Phili)
Mt Hood - Best summer racing/glacier skiing
Park City - Best moguls and finals racing
Snowbird - Best bowl (the only time we went to Vail, we skied "the bowl from hell", so although Vail might be the best, we had more fun at Snowbird)

By the way, does anyone know what distinguishes a bowl, basin and ravine?

[elwood]

Skimom,

You are right. It is a tough question to answer... Sub catagorize all you want!

I would have to say A-Basin is the best spring skiing (outside NH). You can't beat the late season snow there, and I have skiied plaenty of 75 degree days there!

[elwood]

Also, I would have posted this as a poll, but Dave is hogging all of the poll posting permissions!!! :D

[RR]

Okey Dokey:

Mt Mansefield: first love, secrets and snowfields, compares very well to the Glen

Madonna Peak (these days called Smuggs): steep and deep, most freshies after Jay, compares very well to the Glen

Jay Peak: kicks buttocks, coin flip vis-a-vis the Glen

The Loaf: kicks buttocks, plenty of real secrets the time committment kills my day tripping lifestyle. I'd rather go to the Glen

Wildcat: whipped into mediocrity, tamed, better named "Housecat"...too bad, major nice views and nice terrain....that's nice as in well mannered and over groomed. I'd rather go to the Glen

Burke and Magic, Vermont's bookends and they are both a great break from going to the Glen

The bush: ...ahhhh...terrain...secrets on TERRAIN, but the VIP ticket concept pisses me off big time so if I'm up to Waittsfield it's most often skiing at the Glenn

Notice the common thread? Grinnnnnns!

PS: Now that 10e will be open first, K-Mart can go whistle, so too can SomedayBigger

[M@]

I haven't been to too many different places, but these are mine:

#1: Copper, proposed to wife there, can't say much for the skiing. So you'll want to ignore this advice. It's MY favorite, not necessarily yours.

#2: SugarBush, seasonpass/ski housed for like 3 years, and have very good friend who lives at the base of the hill (i.e. Local) so everytime I go and ski with him, I learn some MAJOR kewl stashes. And the bartender (Shawn) knows I always have long trail and there's never an issue when the bar is packed 3ppl deep.

#3: Mad River Glenn: Unfortunalty no-one can be told why mad river glenn is so kewl, you have to expierence it for yourself.

#4: Jay, this would prob be much higher on the list had I skiied there in the past 5 years. What miffs me, is I grew up in St.Albans VT, under an hour from Jay, and my parents never took us there.

M@

[DMC]

1-Kicking Horse
2-Fernie
3-Sugarbowl/Alpine Meadows
4-Jackson Hole
5-Crested Butte
6-A Basin
7-Squawlywood
8-Copper
9-Blackcomb
10-Big Sky

[jlydon11]

What a great topic.

my 2 cents:
East Coast: Jay Peaks + Okemo
East Coast Powder days: Magic Mountain - advanced terrain is great to ride. And its never crowded.

West: Powder Mountain, Utah. I had some fantastic powder days out there a few years ago - steep terrain, powder, and blue skies (got a tan too)
My first chance at heliing too.
Close second - Wolf Creek, Colorado

God, I'm already having winter withdrawals...

[Mumster]

elwood:
I would have to say A-Basin is the best spring skiing (outside NH). You can't beat the late season snow there, and I have skiied plaenty of 75 degree days there! Sometimes USAir offers e-savers to Denver...last I heard A-basin was still running at 100% :D

[skicdave]

elwood:
Also, I would have posted this as a poll, but Dave is hogging all of the poll posting permissions!!! :D Yup Elwood! You don't have permission to post a poll since it would most likely have something to do with :skifemcool: (women) instead of Tucks :D

If you want a poll (about favorite areas or trails), list me the areas you want to include or the questions you want to ask and I'll set it up.

My fav areas are heliskiing at Panorama (RK). Fernie for powder. Tremblant 'Vertigo' and 'Zig Zag' for steeps, mainly since its close and we go they quite often.

Skied all over the east but only Banff, Whistler, Panorama and Fernie out west. Unfortunately I developed a fear of heights (ie danging from chairlifts) after an incident at Sutton about 8 years ago so I'm pretty limited these days... its a bummer. Luckily gondolas aren't too bad... boy this is off topic!!

[Skilasnow]

Top 10 places I MOST want to go ski, in no particular order:

Chamonix (learned there and haven't been back since I started off piste)
Zermatt (second ski trip of my life - see above)
Whistler/Blackcomb
Jackson Hole
Snowmass
Arapahoe
Jay
Sugarloaf
Kitzbuhel
Whackapapa (the name kills me)
Alyeska
Tremblant
I have to stop now

Places I will probably never ski again for a variety of reasons:
Killington
Attitash
Megeve
Gunstock
Loon
Okemo

[pjmanchester]

East:
Sugarloaf
Smuggs (season pass holder)
MRG

West:
Big Sky
Snowbasin
Alta

[Jolly J]

Here's a couple of small hidden gems.

Big Rock, ME, like a mini Wildcat
Val D'Irene, PQ, The back side & trees rule

Cheers

Jolly J

[TenSeven]

In the east: Le Massif, Quebec
-great glades
-never overcrowded
-small town Quebec
-Quebec's best kept secret

In the west: Lake Louise, Alberta
-Its got it all but pack a lunch unless you want to get fleeced in the caf.
(Never been out west USA)

T

[RR]

BTW: Cannon rules NH...imagine 14 inches of third-tracks freshies on Tuckerbrook, thousands of vertical feet, quiet, but stimulating...next season: Coppermine gullies and trees to T-brook outrun.

Cannon guards her secrets well. Some are better hidden from most...for instance, another side of the hill so steep that an elbow will touch the snow when one stands up straight, and that in the middle of 2500+ vf.

[skibum07]

From my experience:

East Coast:
1. Jay Peak
2. Sugarbush
3. Stowe


West Coast:

1. Jackson Hole
2. Crested Butte( Lived and worked there for 3 years)
3. Wolf Creek( Best Snow in Colorado)

[M@]

re: Cannon, RR are you talking about the Mitersil side? Not so secret anymore, as they are planning on opening it officially this year. Been poached for a while.


If that is not what you are referring to, I am open to stash-exchange program. I've got some little-known lines at Sugarbush and Sunapee for some Cannon info. (Tramline doesn't count, as that is also on the map now)

M@
:ducttape:

[loafnut]

1. sugarloaf (by far)
it gets tougher after this...
2. cannon
3. Jay
4. sugarbush
5. stowe

never skiied out west :( so i cant comment on any of those areas.

[elwood]

Ok, I just remembered another one of mine...

This past winter I had the pleasure of dropping in on the Vasquez Cirque at Winter Park, that was sa-weet! Mary Jane Mt. at Winter park is nice too, lots of steep moguls there for the mogul hound!!!

[Skilasnow]

Yup, Cannon get's Star of NH award, by an easy margin

[Jolly J]

I've only skied Wildcat in NH (Besides Tucks and Eastern Snow Field) and I must the Thompson brook area rocked. We hit it on a mid week powder day and had freshies all day.

Cheers

Jolly J

[pepperdawg]

skibum07:
From my experience:

East Coast:
1. Jay Peak
2. Sugarbush
3. Stowe


West Coast:

1. Jackson Hole
2. Crested Butte( Lived and worked there for 3 years)
3. Wolf Creek( Best Snow in Colorado) Wolf Creek - Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Hee hee hee.....

[Skilasnow]

So far, all places voted for more than twice: not including my post of places I most want to go. I did not go so far as to say 1st choices worth more than 2nd choice etc.

Jay - 6;
Bush - 5;
MRG - 4;
Stowe - 4;
Loaf - 3;
Jacson Hole - 3;
Wolf Creek - 3;
Alta - 3;
A basin - 3;

p.s., I am somewhat surprised by the number of mentions of Jay/Bush/Stowe, without mention of MRG. Are y'all afraid of rocks? :p

[elwood]

Wolf Creek is awesome. I spent two summers in Durango and did a lot of hiking around there, but never got to take any turns there. I plan on going at some point... Next time I go to Telluride, I will have to make the trek down to Wolf...

[pepperdawg]

YEah - I made the trip in 2001...wanted to see if everything i read was true - man it was...super, super light, light dry pow...bluebird skies...no crowds/lines...decent hikable terrain...nothing super crazy, but the snow more made up for it...need to get back soon...super mellow vibe..no hassles

plus their ski reports are the opposite of some commercial places - where 2-3 inches of real at killington is reported as up to 1/2 a foot....

1-2" reported at wolf creek mean 8-10" of the light sluff-lup-a-gus fell overnight....must be bizzaro world or something...

[Skilasnow]

SkiLasLeñas:
Top 10 places I MOST want to go ski, in no particular order:

Chamonix (learned there and haven't been back since I started off piste)
Zermatt (second ski trip of my life - see above)
Whistler/Blackcomb
Jackson Hole
Snowmass
Arapahoe
Jay
Sugarloaf
Kitzbuhel
Whackapapa (the name kills me)
Alyeska
Tremblant
Now I need to add:
Wolf Creek
Alta

[elwood]

:skilas: , man I am jealous. Chamonix and Zermatt are two of the tops on my "Places I most want to ski" list. And also Las Lenas, of course (who can argue with beautiful skiing and great nightlife?)

[Skilasnow]

I learned to ski at 24yrs old in Chamonix when I was living in Brittany caretaking an old chateau for pennies. Then I managed a long weekend to Zermatt the next year while at school in Paris. Out of school I was recruited to Hotel Piscis in Las Lenas and went from a rank novice, hit the occasional red slope (euro rankings) to skiing 45 degree bowls in spring corn thanks to 46 days (2-4 hrs per day) skiing out of a possible 86 (overextended a ligament in my knee and was out for 20 in peak season)

So I really have very little Big Pow experience.

[elwood]

I think I need to change my career to resort management! I haven't had a 50 day season since college, and it makes me mad!!!

How did you get a job at Hotel Piscis?

[Skilasnow]

3 Assistant Managers came to Paris to visit the school I was going to. Christina, Alexandra, and Flavia. I self proclaimed myself their Ambassador, and at the end of the three weeks they were there they offered me a job that included skiing from Jun to Sept. How could I refuse three lovelies from Argentina?
:D

And I have only barely skied over 50 days in all since then

[NHski]

East Coast:
Jay
Wildcat(Thompson Brook, Elevator)
Cannon
Sunday River (secret Stashes)
Stowe

West Coast:
Alta
A-basin
Snowbowl

I have heard good things about Sugarbush, but have yet to try it. How good is it?

[Skilasnow]

NHski:

I don't know Sunday or Jay, but I can't imagine you wouldn't like the Bush, hit up the castlerock chair and you will have a good time.

I don't ski there much because I usually have a pass at MRG

[pjmanchester]

Personally i find bush a little overrated...not meaning to offend anyone, just my opinion.

too many people even at north nowadays, the stashes (at least the ones im aware of) are even becoming more used.

[elwood]

You got it SkiLas, Castlerock chair = Heaven...

Next time 3 lovlies from Argentina come your way, let me know!!! :D

[RR]

Hey M@...not so fast....the exact opposite side, skiing towards Layfayette Place campground. Recommend you hook up with locals and take the anti-shrivel meds

(nothing personal, heck I haven't even taken a close up look yet. A visiting professional extremist looked down and told my then teenager "no way" until the kid and a couple of Cannon Kidz went floating through, face shots for landings)

Oh, and bring a strap so you can skijore behind a passing snow machine back to the Tram when you finally get to the bikepath.

Besides top of Cannon to the road via Tuckerbrook (NW) is 3000 vf (give or take), Going the other way (SE) is more like 2600 vf

[skibum07]

pepperdawg:
YEah - I made the trip in 2001...wanted to see if everything i read was true - man it was...super, super light, light dry pow...bluebird skies...no crowds/lines...decent hikable terrain...nothing super crazy, but the snow more made up for it...need to get back soon...super mellow vibe..no hassles

plus their ski reports are the opposite of some commercial places - where 2-3 inches of real at killington is reported as up to 1/2 a foot....

1-2" reported at wolf creek mean 8-10" of the light sluff-lup-a-gus fell overnight....must be bizzaro world or something... I do agree: I have skied there about 10 times and each time I was able to find plenty of powder stashes. Especially before they put the new lift in the Waterfall area. You used to have to take a snowcat back to the base lodge but now it can be accessed by the chairlift( Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of terrain that you can't ski unless you :happyhiker: to earn your turns.)

[BladeGirl]

Hi all! Wow, lots of things to respond to. Heres for starters:

skimom:
that's too tough, without subcategorizing.

Alta - Best overall ski atmosphere
Killington - Best early-season skiing
Park City - Best moguls and finals racing
Snowbird - Best bowl
I have to agree with you on Alta. Plus, it has the best snow in the world. Light, airy fluff that never turns icy. And I had my best day ever skiing at Alta this past March, where I was one with the mountain and could ski like a goddess. :skifemcool: The NEXT day was another story... :(

However, Park City has the best Bowl I've ever skied: Jupiter Bowl. I could spend an entire ski season just skiing that bowl. It has it all: steepsteep steeps, moguls, trees, views and a HUGE area (bigger than many New England mountains).

On Killington, I ski there early and late season because it is the only option around for a 3 hour drive (which just barely makes it a day trip in my book). A Basin is clearly the better choice, if you can get there.

[BladeGirl]

RR:
BTW: Cannon rules NH...imagine 14 inches of third-tracks freshies on Tuckerbrook, thousands of vertical feet, quiet, but stimulating...next season: Coppermine gullies and trees to T-brook outrun.

Cannon guards her secrets well. Some are better hidden from most...for instance, another side of the hill so steep that an elbow will touch the snow when one stands up straight, and that in the middle of 2500+ vf. Cannon absolutely ROCKS New England. The main mountain itself has a reputation as being "far away" (though its no farther in drive time from Boston than the much more crowded Loon and Waterville. We make it in 2 hours 15 minutes); icy cold and windy (though Wildcat, which gets Mt. Washington weather closes much more often); and a "tough" "skier's mountain" (as opposed to a "family mountain" or the like. All this combines to make a place where even on the weekends there is rarely a wait for the lifts.

THEN you add in the fact that its "backside", the former Mittersill ski area presents a unique opportunity in New England: an entire lift-served (with about 7 minutes of hiking) :happyhiker: ungroomed, natural snow ski mountain. I am SO disappointed that Cannon has been working at reclaiming that mountain. Even this past year they were running a groomer over one of the trails. :snowcat:

[Skilasnow]

Hey Dave,

This MUST be the record for a single thread to reach two pages, what 8 hours?

:cooldog: :jumpturn:

[BladeGirl]

One more thing:
Cannon and Alta are (comparatively) dirt cheap, especially for what they offer. They both win best value awards.

[Mumster]

BladeGirl:
Park City has the best Bowl I've ever skied: Jupiter Bowl. I could spend an entire ski season just skiing that bowl. It has it all: steepsteep steeps, moguls, trees, views and a HUGE area (bigger than many New England mountains).Bladegirl: This is killing me.....Painful as it is, I haven't skied the Jupiter bowl at Park City. I went there to race, and barely had time to hit their mogul runs.....
Alas, the snow in Utah is mouthwatering and their moguls are "to die for." I'll heed your advise and put the Jupiter bowl on my "to do" list for next year. :skiplow: ...
I CLEARLY need to ski more and work less.... :D

[Skilasnow]

Bladegirl:

I was just about to say, why do you go to Killington (3 hrs) when there is Cannon (2.25) - length of season is understood. I won't go to Killington and pay those prices :mad: just to start my season a few weeks earlier and I won't go spring skiing for those prices :mad: when there is Tucks! :tucks:

[Skilasnow]

You have to add MRG for Value

[LeFemmesauCanada]

TenSeven:
In the east: Le Massif, Quebec
-great glades
-never overcrowded
-small town Quebec
-Quebec's best kept secret Oui.

à bientôt

[RR]

I have made Cannon from Melrose in 2 hours flat, twice...but only once did I get the "First Tracks" ride up the Tram. But that was on a Powder Dayyyyyyyy!

The beauty of that drive is the quick peek and the 8-10 seconds to decide whether to plant the pedal and continue on to Burke! Just another 45 minutes to the ticket booth.

now where is that radar jammer???

[TheOctopus]

Following an epic 4 days of skiing the Sierra backcountry this past Memorial Day weekend, I'd have to put in my vote for Tioga Pass as my current (non-Tucks) favorite ski destination. (For the curious, we hit Mt. Dana and False White in Tioga, Virgina Lakes off of 395, and No Name Peak in Sonora Pass. Amazing.)

If I'm riding the lifts, though, the vote would be MRG in the East, and Taos in the West.

[DMC]

DAMN! All this talk of Alta, MRG and Taos is killing me.... It sux.... I tried to be good and just ignore it...

I figured YOU guys(The Tux Crowd) would at least chime in and stick up for your snowboarding brother...
Why won't they let me ride there?!?!?!? It's a bunch of BS....
:envy: :envy: :envy: :envy: :envy: :envy: :envy: :envy:

Now all you skiers may proceed to give me all the lame reasons why they dont let snowboarders ride there... Thank GOD for Tuckerman Ravine where it doesnt matter what you feel like sliding on...

[TheOctopus]

DMC, you can ride those places, they just won't let you pay to do it.... There's nothing like hiking MRG before they open (or after they close) -- sometimes I've seen more single-plankers than skiers there in the pre-season.

As for the reasons why those places are ski-only, I understand it's some combination of marketing and mountain design (Alta and Taos have some pervasive and nasty flat-outs). In the case of MRG, I understand they use to allow boarding way before most places did, but I think some combination of a few bozos giving Betsy Pratt a hard time and difficulties off-loading on the single-chair put an end to that.

As to the discrimination charges bandied about by a certain board-maker, I think that's done more to boost business at those places than anything else.

[M@]

<Flame retardant suit ON>

I will tell you why MRG is no-boarders. Bad Boarders ruin the stashes. Nothing ruins the snow on a trail faster than a slow-boarder riding the same edge from top to bottom. It's as close to "Anti Grooming" as you can get without it raining.

Why the boarder is there is a complicated story. They cannot climb back up though, so they just slide down the trail turning soft bumps and or powder into ice.

A bad skier snowplowing packs the snow a lot too, but much of it is pushed to either side. And more often than not a bad skier will ride one side down way over on the edge of the trail, becuase it is difficult to ski sideways like that. It's pretty easy to ride one edge of a board.

I don't know why this happens, but it happens. I have seen it many, many times and I try to be polite and not complain, but it is a fact of life. Bad snow boarders ruin the snow.

Apologies to all snow boarders. I am of the opinion that those reading this are not doing this. I've tried to be objective and maybe I failed.

M@

[DMC]

Well - thats exactly what I've been hearing for the last 15 years... :(

You know what I'm going to say... But since this is a script thats been written for long while.. There's no need for a rehash..

Enjoy MRG and the rest - I would never think seperating skiers from riders. In fact I led the charge to let skiers into the 1/2 pipe where I ride..

[DMC]

TheOctopus:
DMC, you can ride those places, they just won't let you pay to do it.... . Are you saying that if I show up at MRG with my splitboard and skins - they'd let me skin and ride there?

I had no idea.. I know Taos will arrest you if you are on a snowboard. yikes!

[Skilasnow]

As an owner of MRG I can say that M@ has it basically right as far as MRG is concerned. MRG is an all natural snow mountain with minimal grooming and most of us owners know that a good boarder can enjoy and not destroy our beautiful moguls, but the learners and intermediates just can't. Furthermore, the original reaon for the board ban at MRG was safety on The Single Chair, which led to a ban only on The Single Chair - afterwhich came the now infamous confrontation w/ Betsy Pratt and that 'other' element of boarders... that led to the all-mountain ban.

The safety issue on The Single Chair is pretty key and pretty serious. When Betsy Pratt invited boarders over after Stratton (Jake's home) and Stowe (I think) it quickly came to light that snowboarders trying to get off The Single caused a dangerous swing on the cable and several times that swing caused the cable to pop off the pulley at the top. This resulted in no injuries - luckily enough - but did cause shut downs of over 2 hours of the chair while 85 passengers just sat there in freezing weather.

MRG's motto is 'Ski It If You Can'. One famous take off on that motto highlights a snowboard graemlin and the words 'Poach It If You Can'. For the most part, there are not many Mad Riverites, myself not included, that would be upset if a good Snowboarder had the balls to hike up and poach - and by all means come and board anytime the lifts aren't running. It has since become a niche marketing thing that I am also in favor of, even though they won't let me ride my teleboard - these don't slide like a snowboard, but more like skis. As for Alta's reasons I don't know, and Taos, and that other one; there were 5 but Aspen reversed their ban last season I heard.

I can't tell you what would happen if you showed up with a split board, I just don't know... some would be upset... and it would probably end up with a shareholder vote. I would vote against until I learned more about them, I've never seen one, but I think I could be convinced to vote to allow them. Until, or if, I saw that they were turning my VW sized moguls into Mini sized moguls
:D

[DMC]

Exactly what does it mean that you are an owner of MRG?
Because - you know this basically makes you my opposition...

FREE MRG!!!! God I miss that place.... So sad...

[M@]

DMC: Mad River Glenn is a cooperative, meaning it is owned by a bunch of shareholders. Anyone can buy a share. I think it was like $2k last I checked. You get to vote on things like the snow-boarder ban and get to goto a bunch of kewl parties. Discounted lift tickets too, but I'll let Lenas expound more on that. I think the kewlest part is you get to have a bumper sticker which says, "Own it if you can."

Lenas: Thanks for the more logical explination. Reminds me of yet another story: Few years back when we skihoused to SugarBush, I took a visiting snowboarder to MRG, becuase someone said, "Boarders can ride the double chair." We got to the parking lot around 10:30 and someone was leaving so I we gave them $5 for their tickets (uh... let's pretend this is a fictional story). Walking towards the lift line we quickly found out he wasn't gonna be able to ride at all. Kind of a bummer, but I ended up having a great day skiing solo, of course I couldn't head into those lovely trees.

These woods are lovely... snowy and steep.

M@

[elwood]

SkiLasLeñas:

p.s., I am somewhat surprised by the number of mentions of Jay/Bush/Stowe, without mention of MRG. Are y'all afraid of rocks? :p The only reason I didn't mention MRG (which don't get me wrong, it is an awesome area) is because I only go there a couple times a year, after a really good snow storm. And usually when it snows, I get up early and make the trip to Jay... 12 inches of snow at MRG = 15 inches at Jay.

[pepperdawg]

Being a rider this debate used to get me fired up, but in my old age (31) I have more important things to worry about - like being still drunk at work from the night (OK - morning) before at 8:34 on a friday morning :)

If i'm not mistaken the only non riding resorts are - Deer Vally (Aka - who cares), Taos, Alta and MRG? (and maybe some hokey hill in the midwest)

I'll break it down form my point of view (does NOT reflect the opinion of anyone on this board or anywhere else) :)

Deer Valley - Who cares!! - If they dont want my 70 bucks for a lift ticket good for them - I can carry my own board from the parking lot.

MRG - I would like to ride to see what all the raving is about - which I have to believe is true, but I'm to lazy in the winter to "Poach it when you can"...

Taos - This annnoys me - "Free Taos" This is the the only 1 of the 4 I secretly want to ride...and if i'm not mistaken is on government land (?) (Natl forest?) which compounds to my annoyance even more...B2Sta@rds!!!! (sorry for the potty mouth Dave)

Alta - with Snowbird, and Bear Gulch , White pines (to hike)...once again who cares...the canyon is tha canyon...

anyway to re-iterate (and not start some type of war) this post is in good fun..and is for the amusment of all...

PS - TO quote the post above - "Bad Boarders ruin the stashes" - I have no argument for that....

BUT - If i had my way...there would be skier and rider competency test required before being allowed on hills....

Hee hee hee

OK - gotta get some work done as my boss just walked by and skowled...

(PS - this post is not spellchecked)(

[DMC]

Just turned 40 and still taking on the fight!!!
I won't rest until we are allowed to ride with our brothers who ski, blade or telemark - wherever we want!!!

That being said... One last thing on this topic from me...

I swore this after my home Mt. tried to ban snowboarders of certain trails... Fact is - Your either with me or against me - no in between... Anybody who supports banning snowboarding is my opposition - plain and simple. Don't buy into the sterotypes!!! Ride with me and my friends for a day - I can change your mind.. If not - I could care less about you..
If you are on the snowboard ban side... I would HOPE everytime you see a skier snowplowing or sitting in the middle of a trail you'd say something to that skier about scraping snow or blocking trail... Otherwise your nothing but a hypocrit..

I love Tucks!!! Tucks is free!! Freedom!!!! WOOO HOO!!!! Enjoy the freedom!!! Live the freedom!!! Just don't pretend... Walk the talk!!!

[pjmanchester]

No offense to anyone but what the thing is with the boarding is that these ski areas think the "typical" boarder is a punk/homie person which used to be true but nowadays everyone is boarding no matter what your "image" is.

I think that is the main reason for not allowing boarders

[DMC]

Word up bro! Wat up wit dat homey?


I think the invention of the park has spared us freeriding - Craig Kelly - types from from that group... Things have change a lot in the last few years...

Actually I'm now a member of "Greys on Trays" :cool:

[two planker]

I am suprised not much mentioned about Whistler. I went last year and loved it. Great mountain and with the exchange rate everything is like two bucks! By far my favorite. Vail is second. Places I have not been but really want to ski are Jackson Hole and Mammoth Mountain anybody been? What are they like?

[DMC]

Jackson is great!!! It's huge...
Big bowls... Big drops... Nice chutes.. Great backcountry.. Great trees...
And of course the Mangey Moose.. A great place to get wasted...

I've been a few times. I'll go back - but I need to go back to Kicking Horse a couple times first

[elwood]

Pepperdawg,

I agree with the competency test. I think that people's level of skill should be high enough to hit the difficult trails. There is nothing I hate more than flying down a steep bump run and having to stop my rhythm because someone who doesn't belong on the trail is stuck in the middle. This goes for boraders and skiers. Stick to the bunny slopes until you are ready to run with the big boys. Sorry for my biased post, but I have had too many close calls...

[DMC]

That was not biased.... It was a great!
It's competency level we're really concerned about.. To be honest - I stay out of big bumps because I know I'll get in too many peoples way. And I snowboard bumps a little different from skiers(I'm an ex-bump skier).. I tend to use the backside and tops so I go a little slower than most people...

[BladeGirl]

skimom:
[QUOTE]Bladegirl: This is killing me.....Painful as it is, I haven't skied the Jupiter bowl at Park City. I went there to race, and barely had time to hit their mogul runs.....
Alas, the snow in Utah is mouthwatering and their moguls are "to die for." I'll heed your advise and put the Jupiter bowl on my "to do" list for next year. :skiplow: ...
I CLEARLY need to ski more and work less.... :D Skimum,

Jupiter Bowl is a playground for those who love snow and gravity. Each run is a challenge and a joy! It is also one of the emptiest expanses of in-bounds skiing, as it is 100% double diamond territory served by a single, two person chair. keeps most people away. When do you plan on going back? I should be there the first week of March.

-K

[BladeGirl]

SkiLasLeñas:
Bladegirl:

I was just about to say, why do you go to Killington (3 hrs) when there is Cannon (2.25) - length of season is understood. I won't go to Killington and pay those prices :mad: just to start my season a few weeks earlier and I won't go spring skiing for those prices :mad: when there is Tucks! :tucks: Absoltely, SkiLas. When I got back from Tucks (first weekend in March) I checked out Killington's web site to see what they had open. One trail (Superstar) for $39 dollars! If I'm going to drive 3 hours to ski one trail, that trail will be Hillmans! (past two years I skied several runs in the bowl. This was my first year skiing Hillman's and I could not see making that hike again for a second run!)

-BG

[BladeGirl]

RR:
I have made Cannon from Melrose in 2 hours flat, twice...but only once did I get the "First Tracks" ride up the Tram. But that was on a Powder Dayyyyyyyy!
We made the "first tracks" ride this year for the first time. It was -13 when we got on the tram. BRRR! Fortunately it warmed up to a comfortable -3 by mid-afternoon.

-BG

[jdew]

East Coast
Stowe - love that backcountry
Mountain Creek (NJ) - best terrain parks (really)

:snowboarding:

[pepperdawg]

This is the beauty of Tucks - NO Weekend warriors, very, very few hackers, and only people that love Snow and respect the mountains and having good times!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BladeGirl]

DMC:
Just turned 40 and still taking on the fight!!!
DMC,

Two posts in one day with your age! Not feeling those aches and pains a bit more, are you? ;)
I have skied with a distant cousin of mine who is in her 70s. She was a racer in her youth, and has retired to the While Mountains where she and her husband ski 3X week. But she's not just getting by on what she knows: She tried my blades one time and liked them so much she got a pair for herself. Thats how I hope to be when I get to that age (many, many years from now)

-BG

[DMC]

I snowboard with a guy who's in his 70's... Absolutly amazing... He switched to snowboarding for one of the same reasons I did.. It(At least for us) is easier on the body.. Especially the knees...

"Greys on Trays!!"

[Skilasnow]

The problem with a the competency test idea is you can't get better and learn to ski the bumps without skiing the bumps. I agree it sucks to come across someone stuck in the middle and I often tell people that they should move to the side boarders, skiers, jumpjack riders, bladers, teleboarders, whatever. Don't you all remember when it was you trying to learn the bumps?, or first tackle that REALLY steep 20 degree slope that you thought was strait down? Now that it is you that has to wait for the beginners they should have to be tested? Sounds pretty elitist to me.

To expound on M@'s comments: MRG is a private non-profit cooperatively owned ski area. I am one of about 1800 skiers that own a share of the business. For being a shareholder I get to vote on major issues and I get a very very small discount on my lift tickets. Shares are currently $1750 outright or about $2000 on a payment plan. Our ban started as a serious safety issue and remains one - though expanded slightly since then. I don't think anyone would like to find themselves stuck on a chair lift for several hours because someone popped the cable off the pulley, and this could eventually lead to a complete loss of the cable plunging all 85 passengers to the ground. It is not an image thing. I cannot speak for Taos, et al, I have no idea what their reasons are. But I will say this, there are a number of ski areas that are now defunct, Jake Burton should just buy one and do with it as he pleases. Please remember it is not the people that are being banned it is the equipment.

[DMC]

When was the last time they tested a snowboarder on the single chair?

I still don't buy it...

Snowboarding equipment has changed DRASTICALLY in the last decade.. Boots, Binding and boards...
I could see maybe with the equipment around 1o to 15 years ago this being a problem... But things are much different.. Take it from someone who used to ride on the early stuff...

If Pappa Jake tried to make a snowboard only area - I'd be pissed about that as well...

Enjoy your elitest ski area...

[pjmanchester]

I agree with Skilas about the competency thing, the only way to get better is to try try again!

[DMC]

So why not let snowboarders try again?

[Skilasnow]

2 years ago I believe. And as a sometime boarder myself, I bought a share.

So on a new board can you skate to the side when getting off a chair? There is no "ski-off" from the single.

[DMC]

Alright... Enough... I remember that chair - I could handle it... Even with the blanket...

Your set in your ways...
YOU own the mountain....
YOU call the shots......
YOU don't want snowboarders...

This is America... You own it - you make the decisions... I can deal with that...

Thank God nobody "owns" Tucks...

[Skilasnow]

I am surprised that I have not heard more raving about Jackson Hole. It seems like everyone I know that has been there can hardly talk about other places. Hence it is high on my list of places I most want to go to.

:skicdave: , I think this would be a good poll, top 5 favorite places, top 5 places you want to go.

[elwood]

SkiLas,

I would have loved to undergo a test. I love to be able to prove myself to someone who doesn't think I'm ready for something. Although I was flying down bump runs without turning when I was 7, so I have a different perspective than those who weren't fortunate enough to begin at an early age.

I am of the higher ability than that of the guy stuck in the middle of the run, so I understand that I have the responsibility to avoid collision. However it's a buzzkill when I have to pick a new line, especially when someone is stuck below a lip, and I don't see them until last minute. Used to happen all the time at Killington. Almost killed myself a few times...

[RR]

One of the great secrets of the east is Burke Mountain. The kids at BMA finish their on hill day early...after 1PM the mountain traffic is about 70% snow boarders...and judging by the noise out in the woods, they're having a blast.

Don't forget to stop in and put on the feed bag at the Miss Lyndonville Diner, ***!

[elwood]

Burke is the last ski area for me in VT. I have skiied everything else, but have never made it to Lyndonville (to ski- used to play rugby there every year in January--the Snow Bowl!). The problem is, from Burlington- if I am going that direction, Jay is much closer. I am going to have to make the trek at least once next season though, because I do hear good things...

[pjmanchester]

The only skiing I have done at Burke was for the pond skimming but i need to check it out more as well

[Mumster]

SkiLasLeñas:
:skicdave: , I think this would be a good poll, top 5 favorite places, top 5 places you want to go. Better yet, lets send the results to Consumer Reports - we can volunteer to rate these places for them ..... :D

[RR]

Lift served is the Matrix :disinfo: .....free your ride ;)