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anyone here also into skiing? There probably is, since cycling is one of the best ways to get conditioned for skiing.
I'm in MA and frequently drive to Sunapee for day trips. Sunday River is a new favorite of mine because I have slopeside lodging available there. It's a 4.5 hour drive so when we do go we'll stay a few days and ski our butts off!
So where do you ski?
My screen name is probably a little clue that I like to ski :) Unfortunately, it just describes what I aspire to be, not what I actually am. It's a little tough to hit the slopes as often as I'd like to now that I live in the southeast.
I grew up skiing at Snowshoe in WV and my mom currently lives at a small ski resort in VA called Wintergreen. But, from Atlanta, it's actually easiest to hop on a plane and head out west. I like to try different places -- some of my favorites are Park City, Steamboat, Vail and Whistler.
Interesting that you mention the connection between cycling and skiing. When I was trying to get better/faster at descending on my bike, my BF told me to pretend I'm skiing. Many similarities in how you pick a line and shift your weight through turns.
Yes, I ski, but mainly on the other side of the pond from you ladies. I was in Hintertux last weekend - great snow but a little chilly.
DH and I had a trip to Colorado for skiing and thought it was fantastic. The only thing that we could not believe was that there were no safety bars on half of the chairlifts in Steamboat :eek:
Bron, safety bars are kind of a "new" thing in the west, they came in with the high speed quads, though a lot of the older chairs have been retrofitted. The resort I ski, Alta, has some chairs with bars but some without still. Then you go to Vail and they have chairs with not only bars but full on shields to protect you from the elements :rolleyes: . But I love those back bowls at Vail...Quote:
Originally Posted by Bron
I used to backcountry ski more than ski at the resorts, but these days I find myself mostly Nordic skiing (skating) and occasionally going to the downhill resort with friends. Alta does not groom a lot of the terrain, which is what I prefer. I tend to go way faster than I have any business going on the groomed runs. :eek: I'm better off skiing off piste.
I grew up skiing Sierra cement but now live in cold smoke paradise! :D Here's a shot at Alta last year (I'm on the right, the others are my friends Marsha and Sandy). Let it snow let it snow let it snow!!!
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1.../Feb_07011.jpg
That looks great!
The back bowls in Vail were some of the best skiing I have ever done and I finally realised why people like powder. There were also a lot fewer people than you tend to get in Austria and everyone was really laid back.
I still canīt get over the no-safety bars thing! I have never seen chairs without them in Europe - even the oldest lift in Garmisch (basically a kitchen chair hung off a cable) has a safety bar. And what about US litigation culture??????? (no offence meant).
Anyway, if you think Vail is cushy with bubbles over the chairs you should go to Lech in Austria - I have heard that they have heated seats!
Bron
I do quite a biti of skiing too. I actually Tele ski. DH and I start out the ski season at the resorts untill there is enough snow in the backcountry. Onc there is enough we stop going to the resorts and head out on our own for some yo-yo skiing. Great workout and very fun. And of course, no crowds:D
cool, nice to see some other skiers here, and the picture is great! The lifts are running in NH, VT, and ME and it's killing me not being able to get away. So I'll just climb on the bike in the AM and one of these days I'll get to ski again.
love to ski. Used to have season passes at Snowbird when I used to live in SLC. Strictly downhill though.
Snowbird was a nice place when it first opened back in '72 or '71?? Back then you could slap you skiis on inside the aerial tram then zoom out at the top. Before Snowbird, I used to ski at Alta, Brighton and Park City. Brighton just because it was cheap $5.00 for a day pass :p :p. At Park City, my two friends and I almost got kicked out by our coach for "yapping" and not listening to his instruction. Well, what do you expect couple of 10-12 year olds.
Now days I just enjoy relaxing run on a bunny run with my partner. Showing her how to ski with instruction that makes sense unlike her ex.
safty bars.. is that what that is? just don't lean so far forward :p :p
And seat warmers on the lift? What will they think of next? heated socks and defogger for your goggles? and maybe even a heated glove?
must plan on ski trip. Atleast, my sister and my mother still lives in SLC. I ... think... I'll stay at a local B&B instead :D
MEOW!!
Smilingcat
I learned to ski at Sunday River in Maine!
I spent lots of time skiing at Cannon in NH, also Loon and Waterville Valley.
My sister has connections with a house near Stratton in VT, so that's where our New England skiing is done now.
Skiing in Maryland is pretty spotty at best....Wisp in western MD, and Liberty and Whitetail in PA. Canaan Valley in WV was a hoot the one time we went there - blizzard and lots of powder! :eek: :D
I have a friend who has a place in Colorado....so lately we've been doing an annual trip out there to ski Copper, Breckenridge, Keystone, and others in the Summit region.
Yeah...I ski where I have friends with lodging! :p
I'm a confirmed blue square skier....I'll drop into the blacks if conditions are good. Most blacks around here are pretty tame. I'm not a big fan of bowls, but will do them if they're okay. I've never skied "real" powder (that bit in WV notwithstanding).
Oh...and I LOVE safety bars! I'm such a wimp - but also, it's what I know. I've ridden up without them (esp. if sharing a chair with 'boarders), but it totally freaks me out.
Is there any other kind of downhill skiing??? :pQuote:
Originally Posted by solobiker
I once had a bumper sticker that said:
TELEMARK NAKED! Free the mind, lose the clothes!
:D
yellow, free heeled since ~1990
I ski -- anxiously awaiting snow here in Boise. I can see the mountain from my living room (except at this time of night!) and there's not much up there yet, darn it!
Mt. Sunapee --- I just today read about something you want to know about. Didn't look too deeply, since it's across the country from me, but...
So, here's where I saw it -- I joined this forum, http://www.theskidiva.com It's a ladies ski forum (kind of like here, eh?) and I saw a bit of info there, along with a link for more. It's a friendly place -- maybe others will like it too? I did see a KimmyT there, which is a familiar-looking handle!
Karen in Boise
Yup that's me! :) You found me out. hello Kano!!
I don't really have a local hill (well, I live about 10 minutes bike ride from a place called Spring Mtn, but it's not much to speak of) but The Boy lived in CO last winter so we skiied out there a few weeks. This year we're going back out there for a week. Planning on a holiday weekend up in Northern Vermont, and probably several weekend or day trips to vermont or to elk mountain up in Northern PA. We usually do one day at JF/BB in PA and that's enough pocono skiing for us. The crowds are ridiculous and I've found a love for the ungroomed that is hard to find at most PA resorts!
I'd love one day to try tele skiing (it's so beautiful, it looks like dancing...), but will save it for a day when I'm not as far a drive from decent skiing. The Boy and I are hoping to move to CO within 5 years, so I've got to bone up on my skills so that when I get out there eventually I can make the most of it!
K.
Kano-- thanks for the ski diva link, I'm off to search for news of Sunapee :)
I love it:) I started about 5 years ago. It is so fun, a little more challenging when you have a somewhat loaded pack on, but it is worth it to do "yo-yo" skiing, get a work out and get some turns too, what more could you ask for:DQuote:
Originally Posted by yellow
Ooooooh, Noooooooo....... :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kano
Another discussion forum for me to burn yet MORE on-line time!!!! :rolleyes: :D ;)
:You will love CO. The skiing, backcontry and resortys is awesome, as is the weather. Let me know if you need a CO contact, I would be happy to help outQuote:
Originally Posted by Kimmyt
Yeah, Regina, I know -- I'm using two tabs in internet explorer, and swapping back and forth when the connection slows for some reason. That seems to help!Quote:
Originally Posted by Regina
Karen in Boise
Please join me in praying for snow here in Northern California! I have a season pass at one of the Tahoe resorts, but we don't have any snow yet :( Some of the resorts are making snow, but the resort where I bought my pass has very limited snow-making and they are not open yet. Man-made snow typically stinks anyway. We just need some STORMS!!!
This will be my first season as a cyclist/skiier. I've been skiing since I was 6, but I'm new to the bike this year. I can't wait to see the difference cycling has made for my skiing muscles.
Can us snowboarders be counted in on this thread?
I used to downhill ski but I switched to snowboarding a few seasons ago. I still have my skiis and I've been thinking about pulling them out for a day or two this winter.
Now that I've pretty much switched my cycling over to spin classes at the Y and the trainer in the basement I'm really looking forward to some good snow around here.
My daughter and I usually take one trip out west every season for a chance to spend some time on real mountains. Her favorite place is Breckenridge. We spent some time out in the Tahoe area a few years ago and really enjoyed those resorts as well.
I hope for lots of snow soon for all of us winter sports enthusiasts.
The Boy is a snowboarder. Maybe was? I converted him though. Actually, he broke his bindings at Vail last year and got a pair of skis. He did fix the bindings but hasn't snowboarded as much since he got his twin tips.
It's better that way anyway, I think he was tired of trying to catch up to me (and he HATED it when I dragged him down the moguls! muah!). I've tried boarding a few times but always manage to get out of control and almost hurt myself. I figure I'll save it for a few years away when I'm alot better at skiing and needing to challenge myself with something new. Or maybe that'll be telemark skiing.
Choices!
K.
I am fortunate to live a few miles from the base of Sugarloaf, moved here 14 years ago when my son was a freshman at Carrabassett Valley Academy (he is now an alpine coach at another ski academy).
So far I have only skied twice due to other things keeping me busy, but during the season I am generally on the hill 3 to 5 days a week (weekdays, thank goodness--I am spoiled). Kind of neat to ski and bike during the same month! I think the bikes are put up now til April.
Bike legs and ski legs may have good crossover, but upper body needs work!
Oh Kimmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...
Heather Paul's clinics
Babes in the Backcountry (I did Mt Shasta with them some years ago...)
Maybe you should make a special trip to Colorado this year!! :D :D :D
hah! if only! unfortunately, my employers expect me to do this silly thing called WORK! Don't they know that winter is time to ski not work??? :D
(i.e. I have ABSOLUTELY NO vacation left, it's all squirrelled away... I guess thats what happens when three very close friends all decide to get hitched in the same year, and they all live on opposite ends of the country!)
Telly here. I love the workout you get. And I love how cool it looks (for those who do it well).
Lately, since I've owned dogs, I've done a lot more cross country than downhill. I get exercise. They get exercise. And we all get to be together.
The best bumper sticker I've seen about tellying is "Randonee: French for can't telly". :D
I grew up downhilling in VT. Mt. Snow, and then a few vacations to Okemo in New Hampshire. One of my favorite memories was when the whole family got caught in a blizzard at Stowe. We had a few local slopes in NY that we could go to for weekends, but all our winter vacations were spent skiing. For some reason, I stopped when I went to college (hmmm, maybe because college was in Miami:rolleyes: ) and never started again. Might be time to dust off my skis.
Time to resurrect this thread!
I am SO excited about skiing this year! I've only been twice so far this season (we didn't have any snow until 2-1/2 weeks ago) and I am extremely happy with my strong cycling legs. I can ski and ski and ski and my legs do not get tired. It's wonderful! :D I have my super duper bargain $199 season pass (just can't ski on Saturdays and holidays, and who wants to go on those days anyway?!?!) and I plan to be up there at least once a week throughout the season. Hooray for snow!
I confess. I, yellow, have gone to the dark side.
After debating with myself over and over last year, I finally gave in to the lure of a fixed heel. I've been on telemark gear since about 1996. But these days I don't ski enough to stay strong enough to tele all day and keep up with my friends. So this year I went on an alpine ski hunt.
I lost track of how many skis I demo-ed. But I found a love, or Tough Luv to be precise. It is SO nice to ski all day and not have jelly quads. I am having a serious amount of fun with these boards. Much tougher to drive than my old tele set up (this new one is probably twice the weight, and I'm not a very big person) but such a blast. Here we are today at Solitude here in Salt Lake. (Yes, I have a tiny head, so I look like an alien in a helmet.)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...IMG_0012-1.jpg
I'll still tele in the backcountry and occasionally when I feel the need to punish my quads. Keep the p-tex down, ladies! :D
I used to ski as a child but after a long hiatus switched to snowboarding. I'm at a point where I need more time to do some freeriding between the trees, but I just don't have the time or the money to go enough to get comfortable.
I'd also love to take up skiing again, only to see if any of my other sports may help in getting me past the intermediate stage I was. I'd love to be able to switch from one type to another depending on how I feel that day.
I went to Colorado last year. Went to Keystone, Vail, and Breckenridge. The bowls behind Vail is lovely, but the powder was thicker/deeper than any I've experienced so I got stuck a bit more than I cared to.
me and bf on top of Breckenridge (apparently equivalent of 1/4 of the way up Everest. bf nearly died climbing up)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...f/CIMG1165.jpg
view of where we were
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...f/CIMG1166.jpg
We just got back from an AWESOME long weekend at Cannon Mountain, in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire. Cannon is New Hampshire's best kept secret, and this past weekend was the BEST I have ever seen the mountian. The place has a reputation as steep and icy. Well, the steeps were there, but the ice was not. Powder, packed powder, and loads of it. And best of all...no lift lines!
Schweeeet.....
DH and me at the summit...
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...9/IMG_0909.jpg
DH checking out the aerial tram....
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...9/IMG_0911.jpg
One of my favorite trails, Rocket, on their "Front Five"...
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...9/IMG_0897.jpg
A view of Mt. Lafayette from Rocket...
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z...9/IMG_0896.jpg
Skiing for us is a family affair. We have been skiing with our kids for about 6 years in the NW. We go up every Friday night and do night skiing. Both kids are great skiers but decided this year to try snowboarding. Bums me out a bit because they went from being able to go down any run with us to now being stuck on the bunny hills. So DH and I go off on our own and leave the kids to the bunny hills and drop by to check on them every few runs. They seem to really be picking it up, but I hope they don't totally turn their backs on skiing.
Would love to try Cross Country some day as we just bought a cabin that is about a mile from a Cross Country rec area in Eastern Wash. That will have to wait though until we pay off the new snowboard gear and can afford to outfit family in Cross Country gear.
For another female oriented forum site - check out peaceloveski.com, which was started sometime last year by a great pair of ladies...
I just came back from skiing out at Snowbird & Jackson Hole, there was fresh snow the week before I came, so the beginning of the ski trip was good, and by the end it was reduced to groomer skiing since the temps were hovering above freezing during the day & below at night...
I got a local ski pass this year for the Pennsylvannia resorts - whitetail, ski liberty & roundtop. I'm guessing I will hate it, but figured skiing is skiing!
My favorite place to ski is Kicking Horse mountain in Canada - 4,133 foot vertical, 30-45 mins long steep runs, great powder, challenging terrain, and a cousin with a ski lodge at the base of the mountain. Next to that I'd say would be Lake Louise... However, I haven't tried Whistler yet! After that I'd say Vail for skiing...
I'm a strong blue skier, and can do most blacks... I've gotten to the point where I'd say I was "reasonably competent" on moguls, but I hate them. I can get down them looking reasonably in control and it's not merely survival skiing, but I don't enjoy them. Steep however, I love.
Hey Yellow - I picked up a pair of K2 Lotta Luvs yesterday at REI (awesome sale!) and I'm in love too! I took them out for their maiden voyage this morning and I'm very impressed. The snow was a weird combo of minimal soft snow on top of icy Sierra Cement and it got pretty chewed up by noon...these skis just busted right through all the crud! I can't wait to get up there on a weekday when I can have the runs to myself. Oh, and they're very pretty too. K2 did a nice job on their graphics this season.Quote:
Originally Posted by yellow
It's supposed to snow tonight...woohoo!
I ordered a set of last season's lotta luvs off backcountryoutlet last week. I can't wait for them to come. I have a set phat luvs from a couple years back that I love.Quote:
Originally Posted by RolliePollie
Another one with a pair of Lotta Luv's here. I got mine at the end of the '05/'06 season. They're much stiffer than the skis I was on previously, but they have been a great ski for me so far (although I sometimes wonder if the Tru Luv would have been more suited for my less-than-aggressive skiing). But I have taken them everywhere from groomed cruisers to trees and bowls, and they are great.
One more Lotta Luv skier here. I love them, although I wish I would have went for one size down. I feel they are a bit too long for me. That's the bummer about ski's, once you have tried them, you can't take them back to adjust size.
K2's because of how they measure them tend to be bigger/longer skis for their size than the other ski manufacturers... What K2 calls a 160 is longer than what other ski manufacturers call a 160.Quote:
Originally Posted by ttaylor508
Really?? You know...I've never actually measured mine. And FWIW, I always felt mine were too short. TTaylor...wanna trade? :D
Mine are 153's (I think), I should be on a 149! I was actually thinking about trying to sell mine on Craigslist and get the right size. I will probably have to tough it out this year until I get a job.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Totally drifting from the topic, but does anyone else get vertigo when skiing in the fog? There was really dense fog on Friday and after about 5 runs, I was completely sick to my stomach like I had just ridden a carnival ride.
I can't say I've gotten sick to my stomach, but I've gotten pretty weirded out and disoriented.Quote:
Originally Posted by ttaylor508
A friend & I were skiing at snowbird a few weeks ago... We decided we wanted to go through the tunnel to the other side of the mountain to see what it looked like... we did that, but at that time a thick fog had set in. I'd never skied the front or back side of that mountain, and she hadn't skied it in years... So we knew there was an easy green to get down and a bunch of blacks... and there were a bunch of "danger cliff signs"... Either of us would have been game to ski the blacks if we knew the territory or could see... So we decided to be cautious and take the green down... We found our way down it, but it's a bit disorienting to suddenly drop down a 2-3 feet drop that you couldn't see. We could see no detail in the snow, and could barely see each other.
We got back up on the lift, but then had to take the cat track over to the front side of the mountain to get out of that... Very icy cat track with a steep drop off down the side - and we couldn't see the sides or the switchbacks till we were right on them, it was blowing snow or ice and caking our goggles instantly... so pretty much had to take off our goggles and just squint against the ice that was blowing in. We pretty much snowplowed our way down (I haven't snowplowed in years).. then got to the open bowl at the bottom and did the..... Okay, we can't see a thing, and we know there's 1 blue to get down here, and a bunch of blacks... heck if we know which way to ski to get to the blue, because the signs are all at the bottom and neither of us had been down the front. And we both knew there were sections with cliffs and it is possible to cliff out at snowbird. And the bowl was pretty carved up in moguls, and while I'm reasonable with moguls I GOTTA BE ABLE TO SEE THEM... hitting mogus you don't see, sucks.
Anyways, eventually we happened upon some guys that knew the terrain, who guided us the rest of the way down. Then we went and got into the hot tub, because neither of us had any desire to go back up there and try to find our way back down again.
NOOOOOOOOOOO, gosh, one more lost to the fixed heel. I know what you mean about the Quads though. It has been several years since I have taken mine to the resorts. I mainly use mine for the Huts and touring and of course Yo-Yo skiing. I got my butt kicked this past weekend. We went on a hut trip and did some laps. Boy are my legs out of shape:o Oh well, it was still very fun! maybe next year we will go to a resort. I'am just not a fan as they are crowded and peole seem to be more out of control then they used to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by yellow