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Posted
10 minutes ago, Mittens said:

One of my favorite memories of Spring Break skiing in HS over in Europe was watching the helicopters clear avalanche threats 1st thing in the morning.  Using explosives from the air is way fucking cooler than how we do it over here...

With howitzers?

Posted
10 minutes ago, Mittens said:

One of my favorite memories of Spring Break skiing in HS over in Europe was watching the helicopters clear avalanche threats 1st thing in the morning.  Using explosives from the air is way fucking cooler than how we do it over here...

Yeah, some of the terrain I really want to access might be too risky.  Right now they're at 3 out of 5 on north facing slopes, aka where we are staying.

Good news is the lower half of the valley has tons of tree skiing so there could be lots of goodness...

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Posted
4 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

With howitzers?

I forgot about howitzers, but those still aren't as cool as air bombing.  I was thinking about the guys that hike/skin up and lob charges.

 

Posted
4 minutes ago, Mittens said:

I forgot about howitzers, but those still aren't as cool as air bombing.  I was thinking about the guys that hike/skin up and lob charges.

 

...and when you see that they have to go around and do this, you wonder WTF ski resorts don't want to pay them well

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Posted
10 minutes ago, texasdago said:

...and when you see that they have to go around and do this, you wonder WTF ski resorts don't want to pay them well

Last weekend my son used some birthday money on an “advanced” group lesson. 3 people x $150 for 3 hours.  He spent the entire time on blues that he only would mess with if he was being nice and skiing with me, to “work on technique.”  Thanks, Vail Inc. 

Posted
35 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Last weekend my son used some birthday money on an “advanced” group lesson. 3 people x $150 for 3 hours.  He spent the entire time on blues that he only would mess with if he was being nice and skiing with me, to “work on technique.”  Thanks, Vail Inc. 

That sucks.  Where?

 

Posted
37 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Last weekend my son used some birthday money on an “advanced” group lesson. 3 people x $150 for 3 hours.  He spent the entire time on blues that he only would mess with if he was being nice and skiing with me, to “work on technique.”  Thanks, Vail Inc. 

Ski Instructors /= Ski Patrol

Posted
10 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Safe to assume Stevens pass for anything I post, unless I mention some other place. 

Here's the only thing I've seen is that sometimes they instructors aren't very assertive when someone who is lower skill gets assigned with people that are more skilled.  The only way to get around that and when you can tell they're going to put someone in your group that is below you (substantially so) is to speak up.  Now, I can totally understand a teenager not doing that.  They'll just ride with it but then be disappointed.  

Case in point - first time I went to Crested Butte, I signed up for the Steeps program where they basically guide you around the mountain, show you stuff off of the T-bars, etc.  Well, they stuck this guy in our small group and the guy was looking forward to skiing his first black.  Wait... WTF?!!?!  Our guide wasn't really saying anything or doing anything about it and so I had to go to the guy assigning instructors and say, "hey, this does not work" until he assigned him to a different group.  Almost happened to me another time at CB.  Mind you, I think CB has a lot of excellent and talented instructors but sometimes I wonder if the people who run the ski schools try to maximize the number of people in a class... you know, ROI and such. 

Can't say that I saw that at Taos but have seen it at CB which is a Vail resort.  

Oh... the blues at Stevens are b-o-r-i-n-g 

Posted

Was mainly bombing blues and groomed blacks all day.  Ran the race course 5 times.  It was closed but you could get to it.  Hauled ass down it.  Empty and perfectly groomed.  

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Posted

Back up at Vail.  +9” of much needed snow last night.  Had the insta-crowd going.  I’m a good skier and I’m probably #14 in this group of ex-Vail patrol, CU racers, and locals that can log 75 days a season.

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Posted

Rolled into Vail today and made it out on the mountain for a few runs with my son. Rest of fam gets in tonight.  First time in Vail but wanted to use the epic pass again this year. 

Trying to convince wife on Japan next year for spring break.  May switch to ikon pass after being an epic holder for years.  

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Posted
1 hour ago, gyroprotagonist said:

Rolled into Vail today and made it out on the mountain for a few runs with my son. Rest of fam gets in tonight.  First time in Vail but wanted to use the epic pass again this year. 

Trying to convince wife on Japan next year for spring break.  May switch to ikon pass after being an epic holder for years.  

It was fun out there.  I’m skiing Monday and Tuesday 

Posted
1 hour ago, Upgrayedd said:

It was fun out there.  I’m skiing Monday and Tuesday 

If you see a 6'6 dude snowboarding in a blue coat yell out muledick and that you are from the internet and I'll buy you a beer.  We are heading out Friday.   Daughter has another vball tourney with this one in Minneapolis. 

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Posted
16 hours ago, gyroprotagonist said:

Rolled into Vail today and made it out on the mountain for a few runs with my son. Rest of fam gets in tonight.  First time in Vail but wanted to use the epic pass again this year. 

Trying to convince wife on Japan next year for spring break.  May switch to ikon pass after being an epic holder for years.  

I love Vail.  Big mountain with something for every type of skier.

Trying to figure out a way to go again this year.  Probably go last week of March to Whitefish.  

Posted (edited)

Buddy I did the Thanksgiving run through CO w/ is at Alyeska right now.  Yesterday's pics looked less than ideal, but today looks great!

May be an image of 1 person, skiing and mountain

May be an image of ski slope and mountain

May be an image of mountain and ski slope

May be an image of mountain and ski slope

May be an image of ski slope, mountain, arctic and text that says 'AVALANG CLO DAN ሞሞርጠ'

 

 

 

Edited by Mittens
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Posted
23 hours ago, gyroprotagonist said:

If you see a 6'6 dude snowboarding in a blue coat yell out muledick and that you are from the internet and I'll buy you a beer.  We are heading out Friday.   Daughter has another vball tourney with this one in Minneapolis. 

Turns out there are at least two 6’6 boarders in blue coats out today 

Posted
17 minutes ago, Upgrayedd said:

Turns out there are at least two 6’6 boarders in blue coats out today 

Ha! We are staying in the lionshead area.  Going to just take the bus first thing to vail village and start from there today.  Hit up Bart and Yetis and Garfinkals for lunch; had a great meal at Montauk tonight (fancier seafood place).  Got lucky with a no show rez and got in as a walkin for 4.  

Was going to check skis down by the gondola but they wanted 21 buck per night (per set of skis) if you were not staying at that hotel.  So son turned into pack mule for the 2 block walk.

Good runs today.   Peak was a little windy in the afternoon.  

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Posted
25 minutes ago, gyroprotagonist said:

Ha! We are staying in the lionshead area.  Going to just take the bus first thing to vail village and start from there today.  Hit up Bart and Yetis and Garfinkals for lunch; had a great meal at Montauk tonight (fancier seafood place).  Got lucky with a no show rez and got in as a walkin for 4.  

Was going to check skis down by the gondola but they wanted 21 buck per night (per set of skis) if you were not staying at that hotel.  So son turned into pack mule for the 2 block walk.

Good runs today.   Peak was a little windy in the afternoon.  

Snow and wind tomorrow.  

Posted
Just now, Upgrayedd said:

Snow and wind tomorrow.  

We had a good day.  We go out of Cascade (parking is cheaper and shorter walk the Lionshead.  We stay in Avon with SIL.)

Lap at 26.  Over and up 2 via Lodgepole.  Ouzo into Game Creek.  Deuces Wild 2x.  The Woods 2x.  Honky Dory to Mid Vail for quick sandwich.  Up 4 to Northwoods then to 10.  Roger’s Run 3x.   Back up 11 (which is where I saw your twin that didn’t understand muledick).   Ramshorn and Spruce Face back to 2.  Pickaroon 2x.  Traverse over to Simba and back down to Cascade,

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Posted

Another fun day at Vail.  Wind wasn’t as advertised but the snow was.

Snowed from about noon on.   Heavy at times.  Really softened up and filled in spots that were kinda skied off.  Free refills!

Pretty much stuck to frontside groomers given the conditions and they were really fun.  Gandy Dancer 4x, Blue Ox 2x, Rogers Run 3x.

Even got a chance to ski some runs with @gyroprotagonist!

Tomorrow is gonna be good.  Too bad I gotta go home and it’s probably the season for me (unless I can convince her to come up for closing weekend).

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Posted

Finally connected with @Upgrayedd at the top of lift 2 and we got a few runs in at the end of the day.  They left this poor snowboarder in the dust for the most part.  Happy to say I met someone on the internet and left with both my kidneys.  As expected surly is good people irl.

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Posted
2 hours ago, gyroprotagonist said:

Finally connected with @Upgrayedd at the top of lift 2 and we got a few runs in at the end of the day.  They left this poor snowboarder in the dust for the most part.  Happy to say I met someone on the internet and left with both my kidneys.  As expected surly is good people irl.

It was fun skiing.  That last two hours were great.

Posted
7 hours ago, Chewbacca said:
8 hours ago, Upgrayedd said:
It was fun skiing.  That last two hours were great.

Did you guys fuck in the trees or just do handys on the lift?

Gondola sex.  I’m not a savage.

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Posted (edited)

Just got back from three days in big sky, our first time there. It may be my new favorite. Bluebird day our first day, snowed heavily our second day, but it was still worth it, day three had tons of residual powder left even after the main trails got groomed. Fairly light crowds too.

Edited by HiggyBaby
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Posted (edited)

Lindsey Vonn finishes 2nd in the Super G at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley at the age of 40. It was her 1st podium finish in 7 years. She is truly the 🐐

Edited by TonyTexas
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Posted

Of all of TonyTroll’s idiotic posts in the history of this website, calling Vonn the GOAT takes the fucking cake. Even worse than being a 50-year old baseball ‘fan’ that doesn’t know the infield fly rule.

Anyone with a slightly functioning brain knows Lindsey isn’t even the best American skier of our generation. Poor guy. 

Posted (edited)

Why get so worked up over it?

Will post pics later.  6 days on the mountain, knee got a bit tweaked on some chopped up heavy powder (first day!) but since I'm stubborn, I pushed through the tightness and inflammation here and there and made it work.  Actually got better by day four Although six straight days was a bit of a "woof!?"

More pics lto.come but here's one off piste with my son on day one 

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Edited by texasdago
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Posted
On 3/15/2025 at 5:21 PM, Upgrayedd said:

Back up at Vail.  +9” of much needed snow last night.  Had the insta-crowd going.  I’m a good skier and I’m probably #14 in this group of ex-Vail patrol, CU racers, and locals that can log 75 days a season.

IMG_2334.thumb.jpeg.d731f8681212a96c9fac69c6703481fa.jpeg

That was like when I went with my buddy to Bachelor a couple of weeks ago.  I can usually hang with most anyone I typically go with, but he lives 25 minutes from Bachelor and goes 3-4 days/week.  He was gone in a flash.

Posted

Sitting in an airport, waiting. 

So, here is a variation on a them.  When above treeline, you can pretty much ski, hike, take whatever line you want.  Personal responsibility is on you so you better have a beacon, etc.  We saw one guy underneath a series of colouirs walking around the bottom of a fresh avalanche field looking for his skis.  Idiot was not wearing a backpack so probably didn't have any avalanche equipment on him.  I was with a guide who talked to the liftie who saw it happen.  Liftie pretty much said the guy was a dumbass and put himself in a dangerous situation and hopefully learned his lesson.  

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Posted
1 hour ago, Sbbruin said:

That was like when I went with my buddy to Bachelor a couple of weeks ago.  I can usually hang with most anyone I typically go with, but he lives 25 minutes from Bachelor and goes 3-4 days/week.  He was gone in a flash.

Yup.

For anyone that knows Vail, as a group we skied Riva which is a long black groomer on that day.  Got to the bottom and one of them was waiting.  “I didn’t even see you pass me.”  “I didn’t.  I went down Prima.”  (Double black bump run).  Still beat me down.

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Posted

Didn't go this year.  Heard one day lift tickets at most CO resorts were $300+  Check Chamonix and it was less than 100  Airfare prices are about double for me but lodging even looks cheaper.  Next YEAR!

Posted (edited)
41 minutes ago, Litig8r said:

Didn't go this year.  Heard one day lift tickets at most CO resorts were $300+  Check Chamonix and it was less than 100  Airfare prices are about double for me but lodging even looks cheaper.  Next YEAR!

Our 6 day pass in Serre Chevalier was 320 Euro.  Adding insurance (on mountain rescue - yes, it's worth it) added something like 24 Euros.  Pass also give you access to one day at each of the following, if you wanted to use it...

Aloe d'Huez

Les Deux Alpes

Via Lattea/Sestriere

Monts di Lune/Montgenevre 

Puy St Vincent 

Longest lift line we saw was, I don't know, 3-4 minutes 

Also @Litig8r if you want to go to Chamonix, wait until they've finished the cable car at Lea Grands Montets

Edited by texasdago
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Posted
46 minutes ago, Litig8r said:

Didn't go this year.  Heard one day lift tickets at most CO resorts were $300+  Check Chamonix and it was less than 100  Airfare prices are about double for me but lodging even looks cheaper.  Next YEAR!

Better to buy passes.  

Posted
16 hours ago, Frank Drebin said:

Better to buy passes.  

Yeah but it sucks to have to play the pass game.  And even when you buy passes, unless you live within easy reach to the mountains, you're probably paying too much.   Its a racket.

I'm not going to do all the various vacation cost comparisons but if you have a family of four like mine and you buy 4 passes for 6 days at the resort I mentioned, you're at about $1300 for four people.  If you want to do the same at Breckenridge using Epic Day Passes, here's your cost below.   That's a $1200 difference.  We haven't even touched rentals, lessons, guiding, etc. 

image.png.0aa12838cc038c9c3e419d4ba42c0d23.png

I mean, let's look at this...

image.png.5cb053de89dadad2b2dcd344cbfa638f.png

So... let's say you pay $63/day for equipment...

I went to a local INTERSPORT shop in the town where we were in France.  I had already rented six days of equipment for my other son and that was all paid up for about $200 for higher end all mountain gear.   Anyway, I then added the following:

* 2 days of intermediate rentals for my other son

* 1 day of avalanche gear rental for me

* 1 hand wax of my skis

Total - 87 Euro 

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Posted
43 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Yeah but it sucks to have to play the pass game.  And even when you buy passes, unless you live within easy reach to the mountains, you're probably paying too much.   Its a racket.

I'm not going to do all the various vacation cost comparisons but if you have a family of four like mine and you buy 4 passes for 6 days at the resort I mentioned, you're at about $1300 for four people.  If you want to do the same at Breckenridge using Epic Day Passes, here's your cost below.   That's a $1200 difference.  We haven't even touched rentals, lessons, guiding, etc. 

image.png.0aa12838cc038c9c3e419d4ba42c0d23.png

I mean, let's look at this...

image.png.5cb053de89dadad2b2dcd344cbfa638f.png

So... let's say you pay $63/day for equipment...

I went to a local INTERSPORT shop in the town where we were in France.  I had already rented six days of equipment for my other son and that was all paid up for about $200 for higher end all mountain gear.   Anyway, I then added the following:

* 2 days of intermediate rentals for my other son

* 1 day of avalanche gear rental for me

* 1 hand wax of my skis

Total - 87 Euro 

It's expensive.  I get it.

And I got raped a couple times this year because I skied Keystone twice paying full freight and renting demo skis.  It was like $400 a day ($270 for pass and $120 for rentals).  But I justified it because I was in Denver for work so spent none of my own money on plane tickets or lodging.

My college roommate and ski buddy who lives in Denver buys an epic pass for Keystone only.  He paid like $400 for the year.  And I think there were 3 or 4 holiday weekends blacked out (which he does not want to ski those days any way).  He skis 20 or so days a year.  That's a fantastic value.

I ski Whitefish because we have a home there.  I bought my own gear.  I can get a season pass for $750.   My kids' season pass is $400.  Other option is spending $65 on a frequent skier card.  That lowers the cost of lift tickets from $100 a day to $70.  And you only pay when you use it.  Pass is connected to your credit card and it gets charged when they scan it on the first run of a day.  So you don't have to mess with getting tickets.

I was reading an article recently where the author determined that the inflation adjusted costs of window lift tickets has exploded since the 1980s.  But the inflation adjusted costs of ski passes has declined or remained flat.

You have to plan in advance with Epic or Ikon passes, ski cheaper non Ikon or Epic mountains, or live nearby and just get season passes.  Otherwise it is cheaper to probably go to Europe given the lower costs of lift tickets and lodging. 

As crowded as the big resorts are, I do not see the prices dropping.  I am very content with Whitefish.  No lines even during Christmas break.  Great prices.

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Posted

Also, my kids learned in Santa Fe.  Family has a place in Las Campanas.

That was a bargain for ski school.  I think I paid $130 or so per day for ski school.  That included rentals, helmet, lift tickets, lunch and a snack.  Hell of a deal.

I bet it would be 5x that for school, lift tickets, rentals, lunch at any of the big Colorado spots (Aspen, Vail, Steamboat, Keystone, Breck, etc.).  You don't have to go to those.  Purgatory, Wolf Creek, Cooper, Monarch, etc. can be skied cheap even if you buy at the window.  If you plan and buy early, you can find great deals.  I think I paid $9 at Purgatory a few years ago with dynamic pricing.

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