Anti-groomers

[Posaune]

There’s a lot of posting done on threads about groomers, how steep, best ones, most, etc. That leaves out the anti-groomer crowd.

There are lots of better skiers than me on this board, but not much talk of the types of skiing that I do most. What’s up with that? I’m sure it’s not always perfect conditions, even outside of the Cascades. Is it a PITA for most? Are groomers and uncut powder snow really the only stuff you should enjoy? It seems like it when I read posts here at Pug. If so, I disagree.

Groomers are great for beginners and intermediates, but soon they need to get some experience in the uncut and crud that lies all over the place just off the groomed at many ski areas/resorts. The benefits are many: less people, more challenge, lots of variety, taking nature at its face, not making it into a freeway experience, etc., etc.

I ski regularly at the most anti-groomer place I’ve experienced; Mt. Baker. They only groom enough (other than the blue and green runs, which are limited) to get folks back to the base of the chair. Their stated reasoning is that you should like to ski on loose snow, so learn.

I know, I know. Carving is fun, but you can carve in crud and powder and slop of all kinds. In fact you have to do it if you want to have any fun, because sliding your tails in those conditions is difficult to impossible.

So, am I wrong? Lambaste away.

 

[KingGrump]

There’s a lot of posting done on threads about groomers, how steep, best ones, most, etc. That leaves out the anti-groomer crowd.

There are lots of better skiers than me on this board, but not much talk of the types of skiing that I do most. What’s up with that?

Shhhhh... we don't want the masses of groomer zoomers invading our bumps and tree runs.

 

[Decreed_It]

Nope. Not wrong. Crud lover here too. I use groomers to get back to the chair, or to the good stuff. Sooner I'm off of them, the better!

 

[Analisa]

Viva la crud skiing! You're not alone - lots of similar chatter on the dirtbag ski resort thread from last season. There's nothing more impressive than watching a really good skier tear it up in shit conditions. I was on Adams in June skiing knee-deep suncups with a friend whose parents are household names in Alta and younger brother is a Salomon athlete - it was unreal to see him plow through it like it was nothing.

Now, I will admit that there's something special about a steep, wide open groomer where you can get going fast enough to start to fear for your own safety. But that's probably even more rare than a 2ft+ powder day.

 

[mdf]

I agree with you. We have a saying: "that was horrible. We'll have to do it again."

And then there is the @Bob Peters scale ... I think "interesting" is near the top. I seem to have forgotten the progression, @James do you remember it?

I had my first sustained encounter with heavy breakable crust on a steep slope last spring at Loveland. That was fun, at least in a type 2 way.

 

[graham418]

You need to to have both, grasshopper. To balance our life. The Yin and the Yang. The crud, the bumps, the trees ,the powder, that is the fighting part of our sport, but the groomers are where we practice our Kata

 

[blackke17]

If the conditions are so bad i'm stuck on the groomers, that'll be one short day of skiing!

 

[fatbob]

If you only ski groomers or pow you don't really love skiing, you're just a tourist or glory hunter.

Skiing is all the shitty bits in the middle and the joy of unexpected windbuff and the pain of sastrugi, the humilation of breakable crust and that spring slope that isn't quite ready and then has gone past it by the next lap. And spraying soft bumps in peoples' faces and hitting 2 sweet turns in the trees etc.

Mind you I think Western US skiers are kinda spoilt in general. The things they call crud are like glorious pow to a Euro in the middle of a 4 week mid season drought.

 

[dbostedo]

Some of us grew up skiing at places that don't have anything other groomers. (Almost - every resort I know has at least one bump run too...) I've learned - and am still learning - to love skiing off-piste too. But I like a mix.

...a steep, wide open groomer where you can get going fast enough to start to fear for your own safety.

Those are great! And if you really nail a turn, and it feels like the g-forces are going to make your legs give out, it's the best! (Although I'm not too much of a daredevil, and that fear does slow me down... and it doesn't take too much force to make my legs give out. )

 

[Crank]

Only 2 conditions I really don't like, firm & icy.

I mostly avoid groomed runs and like to ski at places that have a good amount of natural snow skiing. That is why I usually don't ski early season here in the east.

 

[Analisa]

Some of us grew up skiing at places that don't have anything other groomers.

Totally hear that - grew up NC, and off-piste skiing there generally means dirt!

 

[slowrider]

Member when you skied everything on 205cm, 65mm.

 

[Posaune]

Member when you skied everything on 205cm, 65mm.

Yep. Except they were 210s. There was NO (or very little) grooming around here in those days.

 

[river-z]

Bouncing over uneven bumps.
Finding little bowls to bank power turns.
Slashing little stashes of leftover powder.
Pinballing a run beneath a lift.
Choose your own adventure through the trees.
Having the run to yourself cuz it’s sketchy.

...yeah that’s what I’m having

 

[Mike King]

To quote @Bob Barnes, there's two kinds of snow: good snow, and snow that's good for you!

Expert skiing is about versatility. Variety is the spice of life!


Mike

 

[Philpug]

There’s a lot of posting done on threads about groomers, how steep, best ones, most, etc. That leaves out the anti-groomer crowd.

 

[David Chaus]

View attachment 80787

What kind of grooming are you referring to?

 

[geepers]

It's hard to go past a day when the pow is hammering down, the trees are the place and every run is on freshies. Even beats a blue bird after xx cm the night before.

But pushing the personal performance envelope on a groomer isn't exactly terrible.

 

[David Chaus]

I like to say that I look for crud and bumps, and if I get fresh untracked snow or freshly groomed runs, well that’s something I’ll just have to learn to live with.

 

[Ken_R]

Totally hear that - grew up NC, and off-piste skiing there generally means dirt!