The Official Skiing / Snowboarding / Playing in the Snow Thread

[Numbernine]

Any body want to go to Bend for 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5 I'll drive.

 

[otc]

Got a bit of the good stuff

 

[otc]

And now I'm taking an ice bath because..muh knees need to work tomorrow.

App says I did 37k feet of vertical today

 

[otc]

Went back for some more

Didn't pop though... Landed way back seat

Spoiler

Still working on training cameramen so I can finally have good pictures of myself. I got him in a good position... Now if only I could get him to hold the camera level so it doesn't look like I am on flat ground.

 

[Numbernine]

Went back for some more
View attachment 1344330

Didn't pop though... Landed way back seat

Spoiler

Still working on training cameramen so I can finally have good pictures of myself. I got him in a good position... Now if only I could get him to hold the camera level so it doesn't look like I am on flat ground.

Dat right hand tho

 

[imatlas]

It’s been a fun weekend: drove up early Friday, spent the afternoon with an instructor friend at ***** Valley. We went out for beers and I ran into some of my fellow adaptive instructors. Taught a few adaptive lessons yesterday and ran into some friends at lunch. Hung out with friends in the evening. These days I know more people here than at home in San Francisco!

We got about 6-8” of snow last night, and I did a backcountry tour with a couple of laps of a ridge in my neighborhood this morning with said friends. Fresh tracks all morning

Now I’m killing time waiting for the chain control traffic to dissipate before heading home.

 

[Newcomer]

Well, knocked one off the bucket list!

 

[otc]

oh snap! they opened it back up. Did you get any fresh snow? Looks soft in there.

Corbet's was closed the whole time I was there...so lets pretend that's the only reason I didn't do it. It was looking mighty big...my instructor told me they actually build it up more for Kings and Queens.

 

[otc]

I'm thinking real hard about booking a day of cat skiing while I am in Steamboat. My lesson in Jackson Hole reminded me how fun and beneficial it can be to ski with people who are better than you (I'd say my lesson partner was about equal, but that's enough to benefit along with the instructor)...and unless I take another lesson, I know that won't be happening with the group I'll be in Steamboat with.

It will be during the last couple of days of their season, so conditions could be all over the place. They have photos from every trip they take on their website though and late season still looks pretty good. Right now there are still enough empty seats that I could hold off and wait for storm forecasts. Guy on the phone said a lot of their late season customers are chasing storms and wait to book since it can get rough if it has been a week of sun since the last snow.

This was march 25th last year...I'd be plenty happy with that: https://photos.steamboatpowdercats.com/20182019/March/March-25-2019/Cat-C/ (also, looking at those pictures reassures me that I am good enough for the "Level 3" group...maybe not that last cliff drop though...)

 

[Newcomer]

oh snap! they opened it back up. Did you get any fresh snow? Looks soft in there.

Corbet's was closed the whole time I was there...so lets pretend that's the only reason I didn't do it. It was looking mighty big...my instructor told me they actually build it up more for Kings and Queens.

I’m a pretty confident skier - and it was THE MOST terrifying thing I’ve ever done in my life. I went Sunday, after about 9” of snow. Otherwise, hiked the Headwall, and knocked out most of the chutes. Next time, I’ll hit Cody - didn’t have my avy gear.

 

[otc]

Nice! Stay on your feet and stick both turns?
My dad claims we did it back in ~2010, but it was spring and had melted down enough that it wasn't particularly notable (and I didn't really know anything about the Jackson Hole or the history back then, so it didn't stick in my mind).
But on last Tuesday it looked pretty gnarly...there wasn't even any goat path development since I think they basically opened it for Kings and Queens and then closed it again.

We only got 4-5" one night and it was nasty-and windy up top so I think most of it blew off. Spent most of that day in the trees in Saratoga Bowl off the side of Apres Vous (where all of the above photos were taken). I think they had caught all of the snow that blew off the top as they were skiing well all day and felt deeper than 5. Nobody seemed to figure that one out...the lines started getting long about halfway through the day, but it seemed like they were just there to rip the groomers. I suspect having to go through a gate (still inbounds though) scares away a lot of intermediates who would have otherwise come through and slipped out all of the snow.

Skipped out for a Tram ride and that was a mistake...should have just stayed in the Apres Vous area all day. Headwall was open the next day....but...hiking.

 

[Newcomer]

Nice! Stay on your feet and stick both turns?
My dad claims we did it back in ~2010, but it was spring and had melted down enough that it wasn't particularly notable (and I didn't really know anything about the Jackson Hole or the history back then, so it didn't stick in my mind).
But on last Tuesday it looked pretty gnarly...there wasn't even any goat path development since I think they basically opened it for Kings and Queens and then closed it again.

We only got 4-5" one night and it was nasty-and windy up top so I think most of it blew off. Spent most of that day in the trees in Saratoga Bowl off the side of Apres Vous (where all of the above photos were taken). I think they had caught all of the snow that blew off the top as they were skiing well all day and felt deeper than 5. Nobody seemed to figure that one out...the lines started getting long about halfway through the day, but it seemed like they were just there to rip the groomers. I suspect having to go through a gate (still inbounds though) scares away a lot of intermediates who would have otherwise come through and slipped out all of the snow.

Skipped out for a Tram ride and that was a mistake...should have just stayed in the Apres Vous area all day. Headwall was open the next day....but...hiking.

I landed it, but I was pretty tentative. I was able to slow down my speed a bunch on my first turn, by going up the “wall” a little bit. Then was able to do a quick stop to slow down my speed before the second turn. The goat path was very nasty - took three days before I built up the courage. Less of a path, more of a drop, to be honest.

The drop from the cornice was obscene. Must have been 40-50 ft...

First few days snow was pretty awful. Saratoga was fun, as were some of the chutes off of Thunder and Sublette. Really want to go back with better conditions

 

[Numbernine]

Heading up in the morning hoping for a melt/freeze/melt cycle next couple days but then it could just suck

 

[otc]

First few days snow was pretty awful. Saratoga was fun, as were some of the chutes off of Thunder and Sublette. Really want to go back with better conditions

Yeah, I'm sure you were skiing what I left--Alta Chutes #1 and #2 seemed to still be skiing pretty well although there were always a few turns with surprise rocks or ice. Tower 3 chute had been good before the snow, but paradoxically the entry was looking worse after the snow. "Expert Chutes" were awful...too far twisted into the sun I think. The north facing trees skiers right by the Bridger Gondola had a real nice flow...great for tired legs at the end of the day (well...until you get to the bottom and decide to do it 3 more times).

Never ventured into the Hobacks, but it sounds like they are no fun in anything other than a big dump. I did make it to some of the ridges/bowls next to them and they were kind of nasty...but I was staying in the condo area at the blue X and figured out on the second day that if you caught last ride up on the gondola, you could cut under thunder to those ridges, carry speed, and ski all of the way to the red X.

 

[Newcomer]

Yeah, I'm sure you were skiing what I left--Alta Chutes #1 and #2 seemed to still be skiing pretty well although there were always a few turns with surprise rocks or ice. Tower 3 chute had been good before the snow, but paradoxically the entry was looking worse after the snow. "Expert Chutes" were awful...too far twisted into the sun I think. The north facing trees skiers right by the Bridger Gondola had a real nice flow...great for tired legs at the end of the day (well...until you get to the bottom and decide to do it 3 more times).

Never ventured into the Hobacks, but it sounds like they are no fun in anything other than a big dump. I did make it to some of the ridges/bowls next to them and they were kind of nasty...but I was staying in the condo area at the blue X and figured out on the second day that if you caught last ride up on the gondola, you could cut under thunder to those ridges, carry speed, and ski all of the way to the red X.
View attachment 1348961

Ha! I spent most of my days skiing Alta 1 and 2 and Tower 3 (and areas around there). Tower 3 had some of the best snow, although that’s not saying a ton! I hiked the Headwall twice. Although I’m happy to say I did it, the snow was awful except for a little bit up top that was not baked. I did Headwall and Casper, same result.

Expert chutes were fun on the snow day. I also hit the hobacks the snow day, and they were a blast up top although kind of tracked out and a bit bony down below. I had fun on lower sublette ridge on a low snow day, where everything was slushy and I could slash around a bit.

All in all, trip was a blast although snow would have improved everything. May be crazy to say, but I overall preferred Telluride on many levels. Snow is probably better in Jackson, but gosh, skiing without lift lines is nice.

I stayed right by you, albeit closer to moose creek.