joegm
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I'M PUTTING THIS UP HERE IN THE EAST CAUSE THIS SITE SEEMS TO HAVE MORE OF THE FAITHFUL CHECKING IN, IN THE EAST,IF IT'S OK W/ MARC!!!! I'LL BREAK IT DOWN AS SIMPLY AND AS MOST DESCRITPTIVE AS POSSIBLE. <BR>ATTENDED SMART'S ADULT SESSION AT WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB, IN B.C CANADA, HE RUNS 6 SESSIONS W/ THE FIRST 4 BEING FOR KIDS AND THE LAST TWO BEING GEARED FOR ADULTS... I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT THIS IN THE BEGINING, BUT WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WHEN THE AVERAGE AGE AT THE CAMP APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 33...THE CAMP WAS FOR 8 NIGHTS AND 6 DAYS ON SNOW, 2 TRAVEL DAYS ON THE ENDS, W/ ONE DAY OFF FROM SKIING AFTER THE FIRST 3. ALL TRANSPORTATION FROM VANCOUVER AIRPORT ( ASSUMING YOU ARRIVE THERE BY LATE AFTERNOON ), 8 NIGHT'S LODGING AT THE WESTBROOK HOTEL IN THE WHISTLER VILLAGE, BREAKFAST AT THE BASE OF THE FIRST UPLOADING LIFT, LUNCH ( TROUBLE... SEE BELOW ) AND DINNER ( ALSO TROUBLE... SEE BELOW ). LODGING IS BASED ON 2 PEOPLE PER ROOM, SO IT'S REALY BEST TO GO W/ A BUDDY... THE ROOM WAS A 1 BEDROOM W/ 2 BEDS AND A PRETTY SPACIOUS LIVING ROOM W/ A KITCHEN, NOT BAD AT ALL CONDSIDERING IT'S WHISTLER <BR>( SEE BELOW ) I THINK DURING THE KIDS WEEKS THEY STUFF 4 KIDS IN A ROOM, BUT WHEN YOUR A KID I GUESS THAT WOULDN'T MATTER... YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN ROOM FOR AN ADDITIONAL $400 US. LOCATION OF THE HOTEL IS RIGHT IN THE VILLAGE AND IS ABOUT A 7 MINUTE WALK TO THE FIRST UPLOADING LIFT. <BR>FOOD: <BR>BREAKFAST WAS DAILY AT MERLIN'S BAR AND GRILLE AT THE BASE OF BLACKCOMB AND IT WAS OUTSTANDING, DAILY SELECTIONS OF WAFFLES, PANCAKES, EGGS, BACON, CEREAL,FRESH FRUIT, AND DRINKS. <BR>A PACKED UP JUICE BREAK W/ A BOX OF JUICE, A PIECE OF FRUIT , AND A COOKIE IS PASSED OUT AT BREAKFAST FOR YOU TO BRING UP W/ YOU. <BR>LUNCH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST LIFT USED FOR UPLOADING AT A MOUNTAIN SIDE LODGE. FOR ME AND MY BUDDY IT TURNED OUT TO BE A FIASCO. A LITTLE EXPLAINATION: I GUESS IN THEORY YOU ARE ONLY SUPPOSED TO SKI FROM 9:00 AM TO ABOUT 1 PM, IF YOU BEGIN UPLOADING AT 8AM IT TAKES A SOLID HOUR TO GET UP INTO THE GLACIER WHERE YOU SKI AND IT TAKES A SOLID HOUR AND A HALF TO DOWNLOAD IN THE AFTERNOON. I GUESS THEY FIGURE THAT THAT IS ENOUGH SKIING FOR MOST PEOPLE ( 9-1 ) AND LUNCH REVOLVED AROUND THAT SCHEDULE. MY BUDDY AND I, HAVING TRAVELED ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND NOT PLANNING TO SEE SNOW FOR ANOTHER 4 MONTHS AND NEEDING ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET W/ ATTEMPTING TO LEARN TO SKI MOGULS CORRECTLY, FELT THAT SKIING TILL 2:45, THE TIME THE LIFTS CLOSE, WAS NOT UNREASONABLE. WE DID THIS AT THE EXPENSE OF HAVING NO LUNCH BECAUSE THEY STOP THE LUNCH BY 3 PM AND YOU CANNOT GET THERE IN TIME IF YOU CHOOSE TO SKI PAST 1 OR 1:30PM. THIS BECOMES MORE THAN PROBLEMATIC FOR 2 REASONS. I) WE PAID FOR LUNCH AND ENDED UP HAVING TO PAY TWICE BECAUSE WE WOULD MISS THE <BR>"SCHEDULED" TIME, AND DINNER WAS "SCHEDULED" AT 6:30PM EVERY NIGHT, ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER WE WOULD FINISH LUNCH AND NOT EXACTLY EATING A LIGHT LUNCH EITHER CONSIDERING WE WERE SKIING ALL DAY. <BR>DINNER IS ADVERTISED AS A " DINE AROUND " MEAL OPTION AT A DIFFERENT RESTAURANT IN WHISTLER VILLAGE EVERY NIGHT. IT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING... IT CONSISTED OF EVERYONE IN THE SKI GROUP, ABOUT 50 PEOPLE, BEING JAMMED INTO A RESTAURANT'S BACK ROOM OR SECTION, AND BEING FEED A MASS PRODUCED DINNER WHICH FOR THE FIRST 2 NIGHTS WAS NOT VERY GOOD AT ALL, UNFORTUNATELY. MY BUDDY AND I ENDED UP EATING AND PAYING ( AGAIN ) AT OTHER RESTAURANTS AROUND 9 OR 930PM WHEN WE WERE FINALLY HUNGRY AGAIN FROM THE LATE LUNCH <BR>WE ENDED UP PAYING FOR 5 LUNCHES AND 4 DINNERS OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE ALREADY PAID FOR. <BR> THE SKIING AND COACHING: <BR>YOU HAVE TO UPLOAD ON THREE DIFFERENT LIFTS AND TAKE A BUS RIDE AND THE END OF LIFT 2 TO LIFT THREE TO GET UP TO THE TOP OF THE GLACIER, WHERE YOU DROP IN AND HAVE THE SKIING ACCESSED BY 2 T BARS. THIS TRIP TAKES A SOLID HOUR GOING UP AND AND HOUR AND 1/2 GOING DOWN, BUT INCREDIBLE VIEWS ARE TO BE HAD WHILE UPLOADING SO WHILE IT CAN GET TIRING, IT'S REALLY NOT BAD IF YOU SIT BACK AND TAKE IT ALL IN. SMART'S CAMP STARTS UPLOADING AT ABOUT 8 AM, THE RACE CAMP KIDS START AT ABOUT 7 SO THEY CAN GET THE FIRM SNOW. SMART RUNS HIS BUMP CAMP RIGHT BESIDE ONE OF THE T BAR LIFTS WHICH ACCESS THE GOODS. HE HAS 4 MOGUL LANES WHICH ARE LOCATED RIGHT BESIDE 4 OTHER LANES WHICH ARE HAD BY I THINK THE WORLD CAMP, RUN BY COOPER SCHELL OF FISTFUL OF MOGULS FAME. MY BUDDY AND I WENT TO SMART'S CAMP BECUASE HE SPECIFICALLY HAD AN ADULT GEARED WEEK, UNLIKE WORLD, WHICH I FOUND OUT DOES NOT AFTER TALKING TO GLEN PLAKE THIS PAST WINTER AT LOON WHILE HE WAS ON HIS PROMO TOUR. WE DEFINITELY MADE THE RIGHT DECISION AS FAR AS THIS GOES... THE WORLD CAMP SEEMED TO BE ALL 15 TO 22 YEARS OLD LEGIT WORLD CUP BUMP CONTENDERS...CLEARLY OUT OF OUR LEAGUE. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THE AVERAGE AGE OF SMARTS CAMP SEEMED TO BE MID 30'S THIS WEEK. THERE WERE ABOUT 50 OF US W/ THE YOUNGEST ABOUT 18 AND THE OLDEST ABOUT 50 OR SO. THERE WERE ABOUT 7 GIRLS. THEY TRIED TO DIVIDE THE GROUP UP BY ABILTY W/ NO GROUP HAVING MORE THAN 6 PEOPLE IN IT... WE HAD 9 GROUPS ( 1- LEAST ABLILTY/ TO 9-MOST ABILTY)...THE ACTUAL ABILITY WAS REALLY A CONCERN OF MINE BEFORE GOING TO THIS, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT BEING OVER MY HEAD, BUT REALLY WAS NOT. I WAS IN THE LOWER THIRD OF ABILTY GROUPS (#3)BUT DID NOT FEEL BAD OR INTIMIDATED IN ANY WAY CAUSE IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER SKIERS LIKE ME WHO WERE REALLY JUST LEARING HOW TO TACKLE MOGULS...SO THE TRUE RANGE OF SKIERS WAS FROM LOW INTERMEDIATE ON REGULAR GROOMED TO REALLY REALLY GOOD, FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND BUMPERS. SMART ESSENTIALLY WATCHED YOU SKI 1 RUN ON DAY ONE W/ OUT BUMPS AND ASSIGNGED YOU TO A GROUP ACCORDING TO HOW YOU MADE YOUR TURNS IN THE FLATS...SOME PEOPLE SEEMED PUT OUT BY THIS , BUT MY OPINION WAS THAT SMART WAS AND IS AN INCREDIBLE SKIER AND CLEARLY COULD MAKE AN HONEST EVALUATION OF ONE'S ABILITY JUST BY SEEING ONE'S BODY POSITION AND TURNS. OF COURSE, ME, BEING NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME, FELL ON MY FACE DURING THIS EVAL RUN. THEY WERE REAL GOOD ABOUT HOOKING PEOPLE UP W/ THEIR BUDS AS LONG AS THE ABILTY RANGE WAS CLOSE. EVEN IF IT WASN'T, THEY WOULD LET YOU HOOK UP W/ A BUD, WHICH SOME PEOPLE W/ BIG EGO'S AND OPINION'S OF THEMSELVES DID. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED AT CAMP WAS THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SKI W/ FLAWLESS TECHNIQUE ON THE FLATS AND IF YOU DON'T, YOU HAVE KNOW BUSINESS BEING IN THE BUMPS. SOME PEOPLE DID NOT WANT TO HEAR THAT THOUGH, AND SPENT THE WHOLE WEEK SKIING STEEP BUMP LINES THAT THEY HAD NO BUSINESS BEING IN, BUT HEY WHAT EVER MAKES YOU HAPPY I GUESS. THE ORGANIZED SKIING WOULD START AROUND 9 30AM W/ A BASIC STRECH ROUTINE W/ THE WHOLE GROUP AND BREAK UP INTO ASSIGNED GROUPS AROUND 10. YOU HAD A DIFFERENT COACH EVERY DAY. UNFORTUNATELY MY GROUP, 3 , MISSED SMART AS A TEACHER CAUSE HE STARTED W/ GROUP 4 AND WENT UP TO 9, BUT LOOKING AT IT HONESTLY, THE GUYS IN 9 DESERVED SMART MORE THAN ANYONE IN 1 2 OR 3, SO IT WAS REALLY NO BIG DEAL. THE COACHES ARE MADE UP OF VARIOUS PEOPLE FROM THE CANADIAN FREESTYLE TEAM AND VARIOUS FREELANCERS... SOME WERE BETTER THAN OTHERS BUT THE BOTTOM LINE WAS I PERSONALLY GAINED AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE ABLE TO SKI MOGULS PROPERLY...THE COOL PART WAS THAT THESE GUYS ( A LOT OF EM WERE KIDS REALLY ) ARE SOME OF THE BEST SKIERS IN THE WORLD AND A LOT OF EM HAVE BEEN TO THE OLYMPICS OR WILL BE VYING FOR 2002. EACH ONE HAD A LITTLE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND OFFERED A LITTLE DIFFERENT ADVICE AND TECHNIQUE EACH DAY. ONE OF THE DAYS MY GROUP HAD THE CURRENTLY RANKED #2 IN THE WORLD MEN'S MOGULS, P.A ROUSSEAU. THIS KID WILL DEFINITELY BE IN THE OLYMPICS AND TRULY WAS STUNNING TO WATCH SKI. THIS KID WOULD GO THROUGH MOGULS AS BIG AS CARS AND NOT HAVE HIS UPPER BODY DEVIATE OR MOVE ONE INCH... I FOUND THAT THE BEST TEACHERS, AT LEAST THE ONE'S THAT I FELT RELATED TO ME THE BEST WERE THE OLDER ONES,ABOUT 30 YRS OLD,A NON-PRO NAMED CHRIS OUT OF COLORADO AND A CANADIAN FREESTYLE TEAM MEMBER AND SPONSERED SKIER NAMED TRENNON PAYNTER, BUT THEY ALL WERE GOOD. ONE THING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE THOUGH, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO GOES OUT THERE AND IS NOT CLEARLY READY TO BE IN THE BUMPS ALL DAY, IS TO DEMAND FROM THE DAYS COACH, AN HONEST EVAL OF ONE'S ABILITY... IF THIS IS NOT DONE, YOU COULD END UP FLAILING IN BIG MOGULS FOR 6 DAYS AND GET VERY LITTLE OUT OF IT. ME AND MY BUDDY WERE HONEST AND REALIZED THAT WE REALLY HAD NO BUSINESS BEING IN LEGIT BUMPS AND SUBSEQUENTLY SPENT A LOT OF OUR TIME ON THE FLATS DOING DRILLS THAT WILL , HOPEFULLY, LET US SOMEDAY GO INTO THE BUMPS ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. THIS IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING I GOT OUT OF THIS CAMP. ANYONE CAN SKI BUMPS, ESPECIALLY SOFT CORNIES, BUT OUT HERE IN THE EAST, THAT USUALLY ISN'T THE CASE, AND TO SKI ROCK HARD MOGULS, YOU HAVE TO LEARN , THEORETICALLY SOUND POSITIONING, IF YOU WANT TO REALLY SKI EM RIGHT. THE CAMP SHOWED ME THAT I DO NOT SKI IN THIS POSITION AND MUST DO SO IN ORDER TO GET TO WHERE I WANT TO BE. ONE LITTLE TIDBIT THAT I LEARNED WAS THAT THE FINNISH BUMP TEAM SPENDS 70% OF THEIR TIME ON FLATS AND ARE CURRENTLY DOMINATING ON THE W.C CIRCUIT. <BR>THE SKIING TAKES PLACE IN A BIG BOWL CALLED HORSTMAN GLACIER... THE SNOW IS OBVIOUSLY SOFT CORN AND GOT PRETTY FIRMED UP DURING THE NIGHT... THERE IS NO LACK OF SNOW, IT'S ON A GLACIER AND IS THERE ALL YEAR. THE PLACE IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC TILL 12 NOON WHEN THE PUBLIC CAN COME INOT THE BOWL... CAMPS ONLY TILL 12....THE PLACE SEEMS TO BE THE NEW SCHOOL CAPITAL OF NORTH AMERICA W/ SOME AMAZING SKIING TAKING PLACE.... THERE WAS A BIG AIR CONTEST THAT SAW SOME REALLY WILD THROW DOWNS THAT WAS FUN TO WATCH. THE TEMPS SEEMED TO GO DOWN TO AROUND FREEZING UP IN THE BOWL AT NIGHT AND AROUND 40 TO 50 DOWN IN THE BASE... DURING THE DAY WE HAD 3 SUNNY DAYS, 2 PARTLY SUNNY DAYS AND ONE DAY OF RAIN W/ TEMPS AROUND70 TO 80 <BR>AND IN THE END: <BR>I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ON WHETHER I WOULD HAVE GONE IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW...FROM A SKIING STAND POINT, I WOULD HAVE GOT MORE OUT OF IT IF I WAS BETTER, BUT, THE WAY I WAS GOING, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE CONTINUED TO JUST BASH MY WAY DOWN THE BUMPS BACK HERE IN THE EAST W/ AWFUL TECHNIQUE AND CONTINUED TO GET AGGRAVATED AT WHY I CAN'T SEEM TO GET BETTER . SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, I FEEL LIKE I AT LEAST HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO TRUELY MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO GET BETTER <BR>SOMETHNG I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD IF I DIDN'T GO. IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A SOLID MOGUL BASE, I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT, YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME SKIING, WILL BE TAUGHT BY BIG TIME COACHES, AND WILL GET KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET BETTER. IF YOU ARE NOT VERY GOOD ( IE, RIGHT NOW FEEL LIKE A HERO ON PACKED POW BUT JUST CAN'T SEEM TO LINK IT IN THE BUMPS) GO... BUT GO CAUTIOUSLY AND GO W/ A FIRM PLAN AND SPEAK UP TO THE COACHES. UNFORTUNATELY, ALL THIS IS TEMPERED BY THE NON SKIING ASPECT OF IT. I DON'T FEEL I COULD GO BACK UNLESS SOME CHANGES ARE MADE TO THE FOOD PROGRAM, AND THAT KILLS ME CAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE SHOULD BE THE SKIING BUT WHEN IT IS AN 8 DAY TRIP THAT YOU USE YOUR VACATION TIME FOR, YOU HAVE TO BE SATIFIED W/ ALL ASPECTS AND LITTLE THINGS SUDDENLY BECOME BIG THINGS. I WAS NOT INTO THE GROUP MEAL THING AND FELT THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO OUT TO EAT WHEN EVER YOU WANT TO AND HAVE SOME SELECTION IN YOUR MEALS, AND THE LUNCH THING DID NOT WORK AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. THE ADULT WEEK COST $1235, MEALS ( AHHHHHH!) AND LODGING INCLUDED IN THAT FIGURE I GOT A TICKET FOR A ROUND TRIP OUT OF BOSTON FOR $370 ON PRICELINE.COM. AND DROPPED ABOUT $300 ON STUFF AND ADDITIONAL MEALS. YOU COULD GET THE COACHING ONLY PACKAGE FOR AROUND $700 BUT ARE ON YOUR OWN FOR LODGING AND FOOD AND TRANSPORT TO THE HILL FORM VANCOUVER. WHISTLER IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND SOME RESEARCH BY ME AND MY BUDDY FOUND THAT WE WERE PROBABLY AT THE CHEAPEST HOTEL IN THE VILLAGE, YOU ARE TALKING A LOT OF MONEY IF YOU ARE NOT HOOKED UP W/ A GROUP PACKAGE, TOO MUCH MONEY FOR ME , SO HOPEFULLY THEY WILL CHANGE AROUND THEIR MEAL PLAN SYSTEM, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY WAY TO GO FOR THE WEEK AND KEEP IT UNDER $2000.00 FOR THE TOTAL TRIP. <BR>P.S. THE PLACE IS IMMENSE, IT MUST BE ALMOST SUREAL IN THE WINTER ON A POWDER DAY, I DON'T THINK IT COULD COMPARE TO SKIING OUT HERE... IT HAS OVER 5000 FT OF VERT IN THE WINTERAND PROBABLY CLOSE TO 1500 OF THAT IS ABOVE TREE LINE...IT HAS 12 DETACH QUADS AND 3 GONDY'S AND PRETTY MUCH HAS LIFT ACCESS TO THE TOP... IT REALLY IS A STUNNING PLACE... THE PROBLEM W/ IT IS IT IS EXPENSIVE, EVEN W/ A 1.4 TO 1 EXCHANGE RATE....SOMEDAY I'LL GO IN THE WINTER, IT MIGHT TAKE 20 YEARS TO SAVE FOR IT, BUT SOMEDAY I'LL GO!!!!E-MAIL ANY QUESTIONS <A HREF="mailto:JOEGM@GIS.NET">JOEGM@GIS.NET</A> <BR>P.S.S. ANYONE HERE ANYTHING ABOUT BURKE?