The Official Skiing / Snowboarding / Playing in the Snow Thread

[Newcomer]

I'm ready:

 

[imatlas]

I have a couple of spare friends-and-family codes for 40% off at Patagonia, good through 10/22. Let me know if interested.

 

[otc]

too bad they don't have any of these in stock

Patagonia Black Hole® Snow Roller - 190cm

Patagonia Black Hole® Snow Roller 190cm - A super-durable, highly water-resistant rolling duffel designed to protect and carry your snowboard, skis and other awkwardly shaped gear to faraway places.

www.patagonia.com

 

[imatlas]

I prefer to bring boots and rent demo skis when I get wherever. Considering what it costs to ship skis, on short trips it’s a wash and on long trips it’s still not a bad deal, plus you get to try new equipment as often as you feel like spending 30 minutes in the shop.

 

[otc]

Costs?

Between my united credit card and southwest's policies, I don't think I have paid to fly a pair of skis in a few years.

Lately I have been carrying on my boots (so you have them no matter what...airline can always pay for some demos), but if I got a bag like that, I would consider going back to checking the boots. I haven't ever actually had a problem with luggage not showing up, and rental boots aren't *so* bad that I am not willing to risk it.

Dakine has a similar bag that can hold boots, gear, and up to 2 pairs of skis (although I've never brought more than one), but the patagonia is supposed to be much nicer.

Being able to put boots in the same rolling bag as the skis (along with most of my clothes) would be pretty clutch.

 

[Newcomer]

I have the Douchebag (I know, the name is awful). I can either do boots, helmet, two skis, and most of gear, or I can do boots, skis, helmet, all gear, clothes, and avy gear. Also, if you check a boot bag typically all counts as one bag. Or just take boot bag as carry on.

 

[otc]

Yeah, that one's on my list too because of how small it packs down (given I live in a 1BR apartment) and that you can make it perfectly fit the length of your skis. Only thing I don't like is the price and that there seem to be a lot of durability complaints out there.

Part of what draws me to this style is cutting down the number of bags I have to carry. Whether I carry on my boot bag or check it (and *technically* you aren't allowed to check it for free if it contains non-boot gear, but I've never been called out), I end up in a situation where I am walking around the airport with 3 bags. Ski bag (with most of my outerwear and clothes), overhead bag (with boots, helmet, some luggage), and ski backpack (repurposed as my personal item with laptop, book, etc.).

Gimme one double-wide wheely ski bag and I can cut that to 2 bags, and clip the second bag to the ski bag so that I'm only wandering around with 1 thing.

 

[imatlas]

Boycott Backcountry.com? | Blister

BLISTER | Industry News | November 7, 2019 | The most honest & in-depth reviews of outdoor gear

blisterreview.com

 

[otc]

First day out this season. Someone mentioned to me at a party last night that my favorite of the nearest hills had opened up yesterday. We hatched a plan to drive up there today, found a carload of people and went for an afternoon.

Hill was about 50% open, which was plenty. Good conditions for the Midwest. Mostly manufactured, but I think the weather has stayed good there so they haven't had an ice sheet form. Soft snow, almost starting to turn into spring conditions at the end of the day as the temps were a bit above freezing. Didn't have that Midwest pucker factor when you're edging hard in soft stuff and fully expect to dig yourself down to the ice layer and wipe out...

Gave my old slalom race skis a final sendoff. Been meaning to toss them for a while but always wanted to get on them one more time for some snappy tiny turns. Having not been on skis in months, they were prone to snap me right into the back seat.

Had a few nice little park features set up...I still can't reliably land 3's, but at least the snow was soft.

 

[Numbernine]

I haven't been watching the weather should be cold enough for man made in the Tahoe so they can kick off the WROD season

Spoiler

White Ribbon of Death

 

[imatlas]

***** from the air a few days ago. Note the WROD in the distance.

 

[otc]

Fun fact: Alpine Valley, WI has more open lifts than any resort in North America:

Let's ignore that 2 of those are magic carpets and that one lift at keystone probably services more terrain than all 9 of theirs (and that I'm not even sure they actually have 12 lifts that could be open...)

Kind of crazy

 

[otc]

I checked and they actually do technically have 12 lifts.

4 of them are magic carpets and one of them is a rope tow... But 3 or 4 are detachable quads which is pretty funny when you have 200 feet of vertical.

 

[Numbernine]

I've been skiing for over 40 years and every year at this time I go through this " WTF its snowing every where but the Sierras" Then we get 8 feet of snow in 2 days and its just like summer never happened.

 

[otc]

I have the Douchebag (I know, the name is awful). I can either do boots, helmet, two skis, and most of gear, or I can do boots, skis, helmet, all gear, clothes, and avy gear. Also, if you check a boot bag typically all counts as one bag. Or just take boot bag as carry on.

I got a douchebag (in bright red, so very clearly a douche bag).

Was worried about the durability complaints, but the materials feel good enough.

Returned the dakine... It was just way too large with no way to compact down. My 188s were swimming in it.