53’s Journey

[Started at 53]

I created a thread for that. Here! Folks, please stay on track and go back to the scheduled fly fishing discussion ... wait!

OK... That is FUNNY!

I could discuss that my 2nd rehab stint is going well and my left knee is feeling better and I am about to re-embark on my normal workout routine of one legged squats again.

 

[Started at 53]

Had a great day yesterday, look it easy after a 32 hour commute home on Monday. And it is GREAT to be home

Only took 12 runs and called it a day before jet lag kicked in. Snow was GREAT, which was unexpected as the temps are a bit warm this week. Lots of crowds so had to hit the stash runs to get away and hide a bit. First day this year I did not ski Success at least once as it is my favorite run, took a look at it once when I got off of Homestake and it looked like it would be a clusterf$$k so hit Big Stick instead. BS is quickly becoming a favorite.... well the upper part anyway

Felt great to be back on the snow and took it very easy as I was skiing with TWO knee braces on for the first time. Did not even notice them while skiing, they are fantastic. Without trying I easily had my highest speed of the year by a significant margin. I was very surprised when I looked at my app at the end of the day.

Warm temps in the forecast today so it will be first tracks and then calling it a day fairly early if it gets soft. I have found I much prefer firm crusty over spring soft conditions.

Just to add, my Phantomized skis (year two on the magical permanent “wax”) were super fast yesterday. I am kind of in disbelief as they felt faster than ever before yesterday. No base grind, not one thing done to them all season. Betsy and I both noticed the same thing, her’s are new this year, but also have phantom.

 

[Started at 53]

Yesterday was good, fewer crowds than the day before, and like Tuesday the snow seemed silly fast. We did ski one run with an eastern exposure near noon that had a mashed potatoes texture, it was the first time all year. That was just lack of thinking as it was the only one all day and the snow surfaces had been perfect so we did not think about it. Going forward the rest of the year we will plan runs after 11am relative to sun exposure, just part of spring skiing. Other than that run, the surfaces were great if not a big scraped off in a few areas by people skiing like snowboarders. We did encounter one run that was pure ICE as it had not been groomed, it was an adventure to say the least. It was my fault as I never look at the grooming chart/sign anymore, I just get off the lift and GO! We noticed on the next lap of that chair lift that the run in question was ungroomed.

It was a bit of a mini breakthrough day as I was consistently hooking up and carving left footed turns for the first time. I really felt the tail engage. My right footed turns had always been better than my left so I had been feeling this for a while on the right, but it was nice to finally break through on the left as well. Gotta love break a through!

 

[fatbob]

Ice? Mashed potatoes? Spring snow? Whatever next?

Dare we say it but your skiing horizons might just be expanding. We'll see you using those Ikon days at other places soon enough and who knows maybe one day you'll be trying out a board?

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Yay on getting comfortable on variable snow.... This is a big giant = extends your ski season......................

 

[Started at 53]

Ice? Mashed potatoes? Spring snow? Whatever next?

Dare we say it but your skiing horizons might just be expanding. We'll see you using those Ikon days at other places soon enough and who knows maybe one day you'll be trying out a board?

Yesterday we discussed an early Ikon pass purchase to get two springs out of one purchase to chase May-June snow at Mammoth, but it is not in the budget this year.

Yay on getting comfortable on variable snow.... This is a big giant = extends your ski season......................

Funny thing is, I like a refrozen groomed ice/crusty run, not so much scraped off crap, hence the snowboarder affect. No need at this time to embrace mashed potatoes as it is only a run or two with the eastern exposure to get that texture. Most of DV has a northerly exposure. Ungroomed ice is not a problem, but not a favorite.

 

[Started at 53]

Because I am lazy, the next prargraph was cut and pasted from another thread.

I pushed off at 08:55 this morning, did 10 runs in 75 minutes, waited in lift lines less than 2 minutes total, both waits were on Carpenter at the main base, both were in the singles line. I got fed up, yep you read that right, and went to find my stashes. I skied to the lift and rode on the lift without sharing the chair 8 straight times. I was skiing an area that afforded me three choices off the lift, I chose runs depending on which had the least amount of traffic. When I encountered all three busy, that was it for the day. I don’t need to deal with crowded runs and dodging people. I have come a long way this year, I now understand all the bitching about beginners being unpredictable to pass due to no skiing pattern.

I tweaked my left ankle Saturday fishing and it affected my left LCL as well so I got off to a suspect start by skiing a bit defensively. 1/2 way down the 2nd run and all was good. It was an epic morning, my favorite surface, pure corduroy that was crunchy on top. I love that surface, you can have your powder, give me a firm groomer and I love to rip (for me) I was just making nice big GS turns and it was pure joy with all runs non-stop top to bottom.

 

[Started at 53]

It was a bluebird day to say the least

 

[Mike King]

Because I am lazy, the next prargraph was cut and pasted from another thread.

I pushed off at 08:55 this morning, did 10 runs in 75 minutes, waited in lift lines less than 2 minutes total, both waits were on Carpenter at the main base, both were in the singles line. I got fed up, yep you read that right, and went to find my stashes. I skied to the lift and rode on the lift without sharing the chair 8 straight times. I was skiing an area that afforded me three choices off the lift, I chose runs depending on which had the least amount of traffic. When I encountered all three busy, that was it for the day. I don’t need to deal with crowded runs and dodging people. I have come a long way this year, I now understand all the bitching about beginners being unpredictable to pass due to no skiing pattern.

I tweaked my left ankle Saturday fishing and it affected my left LCL as well so I got off to a suspect start by skiing a bit defensively. 1/2 way down the 2nd run and all was good. It was an epic morning, my favorite surface, pure corduroy that was crunchy on top. I love that surface, you can have your powder, give me a firm groomer and I love to rip (for me) I was just making nice big GS turns and it was pure joy with all runs non-stop top to bottom.

Wow. What a sense of entitlement.

Remember that once you were a beginner as well.

Mike

 

[James]

Waiting for the Deer Valley app that tracks skiers in real time.

The secret to skiing trails is to pause for 10-30 seconds to let people pass. Then have the trail to yourself. People ski in packs.
I've even seen Mikaela and her mom do this at ABasin. They are expert at navigating trails with other skiers. Pretty sure she skis faster than you. Ironically, @Doug Briggs came the closest to Mikaela merging from a side trail at the bottom.

 

[Dwight]

 

[Josh Matta]

you would like powder more, if you werent pushing on your skis.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Waiting for the Deer Valley app that tracks skiers in real time.

The secret to skiing trails is to pause for 10-30 seconds to let people pass. Then have the trail to yourself. People ski in packs.
I've even seen Mikaela and her mom do this at ABasin. They are expert at navigating trails with other skiers. Pretty sure she skis faster than you. Ironically, @Doug Briggs came the closest to Mikaela merging from a side trail at the bottom.

That was spooky especially when I realized who it was. I don't like getting passed like that; there was a small margin between me and the trees and she used it for the overtake. I guess she knew what she was doing.

 

[dbostedo]

I have come a long way this year, I now understand all the bitching about beginners being unpredictable to pass due to no skiing pattern.

I still don't. And I still don't ski with a "pattern". I don't know why anyone would expect anyone else to.

 

[Started at 53]

Wow. What a sense of entitlement.

Remember that once you were a beginner as well.

Mike

Ha, I said I understood the bitching! Did I say I was bitching? That would be a big fat NO!!! Don’t try to put words in my mouth!

CYA

 

[Doug Briggs]

I still don't. And I still don't ski with a "pattern". I don't know why anyone would expect anyone else to.

Agreed. Much of the joy of skiing is the freedom to be, well, free to do what you want on the snow. While you have to be defensive, you shouldn't have to stifle your freedom to be safe. The defensive part is knowing that those in front of you can, and likely will be, erratic in their pattern. I know I am. I don't trust those behind me in most cases, though, and always check the new 'lane' when I make a turn out of my old perceived 'lane'.

 

[Started at 53]

Agreed. Much of the joy of skiing is the freedom to be, well, free to do what you want on the snow. While you have to be defensive, you shouldn't have to stifle your freedom to be safe. The defensive part is knowing that those in front of you can, and likely will be, erratic in their pattern. I know I am. I don't trust those behind me in most cases, though, and always check the new 'lane' when I make a turn out of my old perceived 'lane'.

Exactly!

The thing that scares me the most about skiing is an odd turn from someone below me.

 

[Started at 53]

you would like powder more, if you werent pushing on your skis.

Thanks for your opinion

 

[dbostedo]

Exactly!

The thing that scares me the most about skiing is an odd turn from someone below me.

Scares you, so you leave plenty of room or potentially stop to stay safe? Or scares you, because you try to pass or are close behind anyway, and are afraid they'll hit you?

 

[Started at 53]

Waiting for the Deer Valley app that tracks skiers in real time.

The secret to skiing trails is to pause for 10-30 seconds to let people pass. Then have the trail to yourself. People ski in packs.
I've even seen Mikaela and her mom do this at ABasin. They are expert at navigating trails with other skiers. Pretty sure she skis faster than you. Ironically, @Doug Briggs came the closest to Mikaela merging from a side trail at the bottom.

When I am skiing with my wife we often stop on runs and yes rejoin as you mention. She is out of town and I was skiing alone today and this week, so it is top to bottom no stops and no socializing, just skiing. So I was not interested in pauses, but thanks for the advice.