Mad River Glen, VT: 04/07/07

[ono]

There are western analogies to this. On March 31 I was skiing 6 inches of dust on crust at Crested Butte, and most of the best terrain was closed for inadequate cover. Meanwhile at Vail they were ripping up 22 inches of fresh in over 3,000 acres of bowls. Pete Siebert knew what he was doing when he situated his ski area..

Agreed. Location, east or west, is huge. Look at MRG- great aspect/exposure for snow accumulation. smuggs and stowe are nicely tucked on the leeward side Mansfield. Jay Peak- great for upslope in on the west side, but horribly wind-scoured at times too- the freezer towers rimed-up point right at the source of the upslope- the blessing of 350"/year is also a curse with winds scouring the mountain (exacerbated by poor decisions in trail layout 20 years ago...)
location, location, location.

The 1-2 foot storms often produce the best powder. The super storms, like Valentine's Day in the East this year or New Year's a year ago at Mammoth, attract more crowds with their publicity, and are often so violent that lifts are closed and/or the snow is wind-affected. After mid-February Vermont got several of the ideal-for-powder 1-2 foot storms.

i agree. the monster storm was too much snow- in the sense that it was wind-loaded and variable. great base-builder, but the longe-duration 1-2ft synoptic-to-wraparound events generally have more moderate winds, lighter snow, and get less press/crowds (they can sneak up- like the past week, and three weeks ago- both 2-3ft of fluff with relatively light winds)

MRG was packed for the V-day storm- everyone was saying that it got better as it got tracked out into chowder. different story 3 weeks ago at smuggs- snow was much lighter, with much more untracked. amazing day. i imagine the past few days up there were similarly awesome.

i'm heading up to stowe friday and saturday (hopefully) and possibly looking for a place to live in burlington- so psyched (hopefully moving-in June 1st! watch 2007-2008 season be a dud...this one's not over, though, so i'll shut it...)

 

[Patrick]

If your GF is a Vermont native who laughs at the cold, more power to you. But admin's wife is from Quebec and she likes warm.

You should the amount of co-worker that hate winter. :x I don't know, but most of them seem to be Woman?

As for my wife and daughters, they love the cold and Winter (although they might have time skiing in the extreme colds). My wife isn't born in the Canadian climat, but in France. However she's spent her childhood in the Alps. 8)

I am certainly not oblivious to the many key aspects to my ability to score lots of great skiing. It was a consciously determined plan, though not just for the skiing, to make the move to my current location. (...) Kids are the major serious obstacle that can't be planned around once things happen. Jobs can be changed, locations can be moved, and wife be damned, go skiing! The kids always seem to change the picture, which can also tie people down to work and location (and, in some cases, spouse... hate to say it but true).

I won't comment on the wife be damned part, but I certainly agree with your statement. As for the typical North America worker trying to ski more offer, but still doesn't take any vacations, everything is possible, nothing is luck. You have the ability to change (work and expenses) and set your priorities. If skiing is the #1 priority no matter what, they there is a way. Life is full of choices.

 

[JimG.]

I am certainly not oblivious to the many key aspects to my ability to score lots of great skiing. It was a consciously determined plan, though not just for the skiing, to make the move to my current location. (...) Kids are the major serious obstacle that can't be planned around once things happen. Jobs can be changed, locations can be moved, and wife be damned, go skiing! The kids always seem to change the picture, which can also tie people down to work and location (and, in some cases, spouse... hate to say it but true).

I won't comment on the wife be damned part, but I certainly agree with your statement. As for the typical North America worker trying to ski more offer, but still doesn't take any vacations, everything is possible, nothing is luck. You have the ability to change (work and expenses) and set your priorities. If skiing is the #1 priority no matter what, they there is a way. Life is full of choices.

I have 3 kids...I don't ski any less than I did before we had our boys. My 10 and 13 year olds can ski anything. Sure, I spend time teaching my 4 year old, but I don't look at that as anything less than total fun. My wife is a snow bunny, but she loves the mountains and skiing easy stuff with the kids. I just make sure to accomodate them, and they reciprocate when appropriate (powder days). So, I don't really agree with Steve's comment about not being able to plan around kids. Happy marriages always work.

I don't understand folks who stop doing things they love to do because of marriage/jobs/kids. Makes no sense to me at all, but it does happen alot.

 

[Patrick]

I have 3 kids...I don't ski any less than I did before we had our boys. My 10 and 13 year olds can ski anything.

I've skied more per season since my oldest daughter turned 4 than the years prior to that. My last 6 years are in my 7 top years in number of outings. I can hardly say that kids have lowered with numbers of days. What had a bigger impact on the negative side of my ski days in the past has been new jobs and positions. I've had to make adjustment and set my priorities straight. How many people at the end of their lives would say "I wish I would have work more in my life"?

I just make sure to accomodate them, and they reciprocate when appropriate (powder days). So, I don't really agree with Steve's comment about not being able to plan around kids. Happy marriages always work.

My comments about the kids and wife are on the flexibility required to do what Admin did, move to SLC, a better location or do the ski bumming thing. Harder when there are other people and careers involved. I personnally don't have an issue with kids and marriage.

I don't understand folks who stop doing things they love to do because of marriage/jobs/kids. Makes no sense to me at all, but it does happen alot.

All the more important in setting priorities and understanding with those involved. It's some give and take.

 

[jasoncapecod]

I've skied more per season since my oldest daughter turned 4 than the years prior to that. My last 6 years are in my 7 top years in number of outings

Patrick this is so true.. Since my girls 10 and almost 13 have started skiing proficiently( will attempt any trail on the mtn.) I have increased my skiing days and ski vacations..
Young kids stop you from being able to just pick up and chase an in coming storm..I would love to ski this saturday but, the wife need help with birthday parties etc.. Mayvbe when the kids are out of the house i will try and pull a triolpeter and move to the skiing :wink:

 

[Sharon]

Seems like we are still beating that dead horse in this thread. :roll:

Anyhoo as for this

My comment was based upon observation of "fair weather skiers," like admin's wife or my ex-wife. They want comfortable weather and packed powder conditions, a combination that is in short supply in the East.

That is true for my husband as well. At least he doesn't mind if I go to VT with the guys (or even one guy). Not too many men like that around. I think I'll keep him...even if he doesn't turn into the skier I had always hoped he would. But he's not doing too bad for learning to ski at 47 (eleven years ago). He just hates the cold and had no desire to go to Jay Peak and ride the Freezer this past weekend (or any weekend for that matter, anymore). I think it could also be his old age (and his skinny body) that is keeping him from exposing himself to the elements for very long. I will send him on a scuba or sailing trip to the Caribbean some time soon to make up for all those ski trips I go on w/o him. I have no desire to go on a warm weather vacation. I save it all for the winter, and my co-workers and supervisor know this. They were not surprised or upset when I called in on monday. The knew where I was and what I was doing and they were happy that I was out enjoying myself, as they know I'll be around for the duration of the late spring and summer.

and as for this

You should (see) the amount of co-worker(s) that hate winter. I don't know, but most of them seem to be Woman?

Well, that is true anywhere for more people including men, though women may be more vocal about it, as it is our nature to express ourselves. Most people don't like the winter and cold..especially in April.

I had to tell my co-worker my password to get on my computer a couple of weeks ago. When she learned it was "moresnow" she looked at me like I was nuts and asked "Do you really want more snow?" and to that I replied "is the sky blue?". Now she really thinks I'm nuts. She's from Jamaica.

 

[Patrick]

Seems like we are still beating that dead horse in this thread. :roll:
(...)

You should (see) the amount of co-worker(s) that hate winter. I don't know, but most of them seem to be Woman?

Well, that is true anywhere for more people including men, though women may be more vocal about it, as it is our nature to express ourselves. Most people don't like the winter and cold..especially in April.

Most of the ones I know of, but like the winter 12 months a year including Christmas. You should've seem my co-worker when she say the forecast for Ottawa tomorrow (10-15cm). :roll: "It's enough already...winter has been long enough". I add to politely point it out to her that the snow and winter didn't really start until mid-January.

Sorry, I didn't want to imply that women were the complainers and I know a few of them that love winter and the cold, however I don't work with them...I'm just married to them or they are my daughters. :wink:

 

[JimG.]

I am taking immense pleasure in all of the office banter and sadness regarding the continuation of winter this month. These are the same people who thought it was just fine to stop at my door each day in Dec/Jan to remind me that winter was going to be short because of all of the lovely warm weather we were having. I warned them then that we would have our 3 months of true winter.

Oh dear, payback is such a bitch.

 

[Patrick]

Oh dear, payback is such a bitch.

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

You should see some of my co-workers in Ottawa as it's snowing again today. :lol: