Snow snobbery!

[Gary]

Ya know....I ski out west...I ski in the east...yup....I do love to ski...

But gesh, after skiing in the west this year, one time, I came back to 4" over ice and hard pack, scraped off.

Don't get me wrong, it's all good...just not as!!!

Still, I like to think that skiing here in the east where lack of aggressiveness on your skis get's you too much drifiting and not enough carving, it? for the most part is good training. Yet, it's just soooooo much darn easier to ski western snow. I think it's better stated by saying "more relaxing", yeah....I'll stick with that!

Call me a snow snob but I'd rather have you call me to join you out west for some turns! Man, I'm too spoiled! You'll have to excuse me so I can go check my edges....for you western skiers, they're those metal things on the outside edges of the skis!? ?

Until my next adventure to western snows....the sound of metal and hard pack is ringing in my ears!

Best, Gary

[jbotti]

I learned to ski in Tahoe. While the snow may not always be the lightest any fluffiest, in season there is rarely a shortage of it. Here is today's forecast for Tahoe. Come west young man!!

SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE SIERRA THROUGH MONDAY. THE HEAVIEST
SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY WITH SNOWFALL RATES OF 2
TO 4 INCHES PER HOUR. OVERALL SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 FEET ARE
LIKELY IN THE SIERRA ABOVE 7000 FEET

When was the last time you went out to ski in 5-10 feet of fresh!! If the answer is never, then you know what you need to do!!

I am proud to be a snow snob!!

[Ron]

count me in! 

Here's our forecast on top of the 8-10 we got today

Tonight: Snow and areas of blowing snow. Low around 19. West southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Sunday: Snow and areas of blowing snow. High near 28. West southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

Sunday Night: Snow and areas of blowing snow. Low around 22. Southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 10 to 14 inches possible.

Monday: Snow and areas of blowing snow. High near 25. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

[Gary]

Bite me

Yup...u right JB...I need to ski 5-10 feet....gesh..I'll take 3 feet....

Crap...I'll take boot high....

Thing is for us eastern livers , we need to realize that getting pow, any pow is a gift not to be taken lightly. Ron....blessngs bro....you dere and livnig in the lap of pow..amen to that. It's a gift when you travel from here to there and get that special dump that keeps ya yearning for more. Or....ya move out there and llive to ski or....you get on a plane when, like now, the mountiains are getting dumped on.

So..I'll sit here and be happy for my ski buds who are there, in it, up to their you know whats and keep my digits crossed that my next trip out west, I can too glide on that noiseless snow.....we just gotta hold on to those dreams!

Best to you powder hounds now living in the lap of powluxery!

Make some turns for us....and oh yeah....my days a coming!?

[LivingProof]

Hot off the press:

I'm going to be a snow snob from Feb 9 too 12 on a visit to Tahoe with Phil and Snow Hot.

Could be ONE  interesting trip, if you catch my drift!

Be good to yourself .

[Gary]

We're counting on big things from you Mike.....Big drifts, big pow, biig fun...

So....ya taking or trying any big skis?

G

[Philpug]

In the past 4 years I have averaged 45 days/season. 20 west, 20 vermont and 5 in mid atlantic...That breakdown is sure to change.....Sorry Mid Atlantic and Vermont (dropped to 3 days this season). But I have been a snow snob for a while, hence my aversion to BLUE Mtn, which very well has some of the worst snow..err ice management on the skiing world.

[LivingProof]

Phil,
Just so you don't forget, check out this article from today's Philly Inquirer  It will bring you back to your roots.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20101219_Priming_the_Poconos.html

[Gary]

Hmm...we make do when we can't do! 

3 weeks back to Jackson .....would be nice if the snow gods dropped in for a visit!

In the meantime....spill the beans boy you lucky few who are enoying the fruits of the snowgods!

G

[Perry]

Phil, Gary and Mike,
You are forgetting the one benefit to skiing on firm snow (ice).  No...it is not learning to edge, BUT you can hear the out of control boarder scrapping your way before they hit you.    

Now that is optimism!!

Or is it denial

Maybe too jealous to see straight

[LivingProof]

Gary,
Did my commute to Blue yesterday and your original post was on my mind during the trip. There is no way skiing at the local mountain compares with the experiences many have shared about early snow out west. The only snow at Blue is the WROD where they make it. For one of the few times in my life, I was not excited as I was boot'n up. I should be thinking, hey, I'm finally skiing again after all these months, but, damn after seeing the video Ron posted on Epic about his tree skiing, the shine has been removed.

Thankfully, full recovery began in a few runs. Local skiing gets me through the winter and, in a much larger sense, powers the experience when I go west or to Vt. in that it enables me to ski with you guys. It's just so neat to feel to forces when you turn and hold an edge on the hard stuff. The technique returns, the smiles come back. The ride home was so much better, achy back, knee and all.

Among my blessings is that I can be at an area with 1000 verticle feet drop and high speed lifts any day I'm willing to make the 90 minute drive. Can do 20 runs in 4 good hours and then head home. Sure, it's easy to trash what's in our backyard, but, many would love to have what's available to me. I just need to screw my head on straight.

And Perry, hearing snow-boarders and faster skiers coming up from behind is plain scary on a narrow trail. Had that experience many times yesterday. I guess from time to time, people hear me coming up from behind, so it's give and take.

But, at night, I still dream about skiing with all you on a great mountain bathed in hero snow.

[Gary]

Ah yes Mike...I so feel your sentiment...Still.. .never get my whining as disgust for our local mountain....we too like you have the privilege of being close to decent vertical, mother natures provides about 105 inches plus or minus, and the snow guns blow hard enough to cover the mountain in 3 days if necessary. I like you boot up thinking....well for me, it's go out and train so my legs are in shape for out west and then make the obligatory runs to do so. Having said that, I enjoy making turns with all my local mountain friends, talking about ski gear, grabbing a cup of something hot and sharing our upcoming ski trips. It's just that the "relaxation factor" I notice is sooooo much bigger out west. The sound of the snow, the quality of the snow, the vastness of the environment. Yup....I know you all hear me....it's truly amazing. AND for you westerners, if you ever want to know how blessed you are to have that all near by....come on up and visit with us for a few wintry days....We'll get those carving legs in shape indeed!

As for the sounds of metal on those edges for east coast snow....it's what keeps my head turning like an owl...you all know what I mean. So....we train away, dream away and are so happy to hear when our buds are getting dumped on but quietly sulk...."when is it my turn!"


I like Mike and Perry...got my dreams working overtime!
G

[Philpug]

Epic day at Northstar. The woods were super. Gotta love February skiing in December, much better than the other way around. Skied the Sultan 94's, I am liking these skis.

I am sorry....I didn't mean to post this here. 

[midwif]

Epic day at Northstar. The woods were super. Gotta love February skiing in December, much better than the other way around. Skied the Sultan 94's, I am liking these skis.

I am sorry....I didn't mean to post this here.?

I don't know Phil,
ALL kinds of inadvertent things are posted by you!
Hopefully, the snow"therapy" you've started will help you overcome this!
L.

[jim-ratliff]

Phil: I, for one, am completely happy that your move to the west has been rewarded with such (seemingly) Epic snow conditions.

All: But I too still remember when I first started skiing and I would hear others denigrate Vermont skiing and couldn't understand why.  Vermont seemed pretty nice compared to the local mountain.  Now I hesitate to ski the local mountain, Vermont is a distant second, and I now differentiate Utah as being better skiing than Colorado (in general).  Of course, I once thought my '62 327 Chevy Impala with 2 speed PowerGlide transmission was a nice car -- and I still like the looks of that year when I see one.