Drinking and Skiing

[jimmy]

Oh yea! Now there's my mind-altering substance of choice. Can we get a "hell ya" for some doobie emogis?
View attachment 56045
And a HUGE HELL YA to my Neighbors to the North. Once again you lead the way in progressive thinking for positive social change. Fan-tastic!

The Outside article popped up in my google feed. I read the first paragraph and thought, "now this will make a good PugSki topic". The 20-somethings enjoying Coors Light in the Tram line? Good for them. Do it while you can. One way or the other it can't last. Just don't be an idiot out on the slopes.

You guys have hit on the rest of it - alcohol saps strength. Skiing requires strength. Nothing wrong with enjoying a beverage, but it's unlikely to make you a better skier. The better we ski, the more fun we have. If it's your thing, there's plenty of time after the lifts stop spinning. Please, please, please stay off the road.

Hell ya dubie emoji ft420w.
(over)Drinking makes me tired so i don't wile skiing but sometimes a nip on the flask, a bloody with lunch, or a puff in the trees is just what the dr ordered. The article had a tone of superiority that put me off, don't mock Kinco gloves.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Hell ya dubie emoji ft420w.
(over)Drinking makes me tired so i don't wile skiing but sometimes a nip on the flask, a bloody with lunch, or a puff in the trees is just what the dr ordered. The article had a tone of superiority that put me off, don't mock Kinco gloves.

Really, some of us have been using them long before the hipsters were born. Note that they may be going up in price due to tariffs. From cheap to not quite so cheap.

 

[Gentry]

The response to the article on this forum versus TGR forum is truly...something.

 

[jmeb]

Really, some of us have been using them long before the hipsters were born. Note that they may be going up in price due to tariffs. From cheap to not quite so cheap.

And even if hipsters use it -- that doesn't make it bad. Its a good thing when people use cost-effective, solid products.

 

[tball]

I was surprised to learn that Coors Light is 4.2%. So while flavorless, it isn't impotent.

Note you can still get 3.2 Coors Light and other flavors at most grocery and convenience stores in Colorado, at least for a while. I'm not sure how the new law changing this will be rolling out in practice.

3.2 beer is my secret survival tip for drinking at altitude. I might be the only one that seeks it out and I'll miss it if it goes away completely.

 

[Bill Miles]

A number of years ago, when Aspen Highlands was still independent, a number of us went to a lodge arranged wine and cheese party at the little cabin most of the way up.

After a bit too much wine, we headed down and were gathered at the top of the double black run, Wall, egging each other on to ski down. I said anybody who didn't head down was a wuss. I crashed pretty bad, but not injured, the others bailed for an alternate route, and I rejoined them at the bottom bar after recovering from thje yard sale.

Now I don't drink while skiing. Wait for the hot tub at home.

 

[Scruffy]

I got that shot at the gathering last year. It was at Snowbird. Very sobering (pun intended).
View attachment 56054

Saw that at Snowbird too in the tram line last year. I save my drinking for après, I need all my faculties to ski at the level I aspire to ski at whenever I have skis strapped to my feet. Besides, if I drink before 5pm I get sleepy and need to curl up and take a nap. ( I know, I know, it's 5 oclock somewhere) I seem to not have that sleepy problem drinking after 5; weird, I know. If it's very late season, like the last day or two of spring skiing for the season and the sun is out and it's like 60 degrees, I might have a beer at lunch with my ski buds if there's a party on the deck at the base lodge. Very occasionally a safety meeting is called and I might attend for one puff but I'm not that coordinated after the meeting so it's not my first choice. A few years ago we skied Chamonix and my wife and I cut off from the rest of the crew and had a "European" style ski day. We skied the morning and then had a two hour lunch at a on mountain lodge with a bottle of wine and gorgeous food. Needless to say, after that lunch we skied down and were done for the day

 

[Crank]

I just read the article and thought it was pretty bad and probably mostly BS. But I am sure the author is thrilled that we are discussing it.

 

[bbinder]

I like beer.

But I prefer to wait until the end of the day.
My understanding is that drinking alcohol can give you the perception of feeling warmer, but can contribute to faster cooling of the body due to peripheral vasodilation.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Note you can still get 3.2 Coors Light and other flavors at most grocery and convenience stores in Colorado, at least for a while. I'm not sure how the new law changing this will be rolling out in practice.

3.2 beer is my secret survival tip for drinking at altitude. I might be the only one that seeks it out and I'll miss it if it goes away completely.

I have been known to buy 3.2 on purpose, as well. Anytime I see folks buying beer in the grocery store I point out that is is 3.2 and that a few doors down they can get the real thing.

I just read the article and thought it was pretty bad and probably mostly BS. But I am sure the author is thrilled that we are discussing it.

As far as the article being mostly BS, I'll say I've seen plenty of parking lot and lift line drinking prior to opening. I've also been on lifts when guys will pound a beer on the lift. If they did that every lift, or even every other, they'd be toasted by 11.

 

[Doug Briggs]

The response to the article on this forum versus TGR forum is truly...something.

Not being a member of TGR, I'll just imagine. 'Hey they're writing about me!'

 

[David Chaus]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a chairlift with a couple of bros (and often enough some women) who pull out a beer while on the ride up. They frequently offer to share, I politely decline.

And this being WA, the smell of 420 safety meetings can be often be detected.

For myself, I’ve got water in my hydration pack or in a flexible bottle in my jacket. So drinking, yes, but only H2O.

 

[Crank]

I've been on the JH tram line on powder mornings and did not see that many beer drinkers. And hey a can of Coors probably makes a good breakfast drink.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I've been on the JH tram line on powder mornings and did not see that many beer drinkers. And hey a can of Coors probably makes a good breakfast drink.

Apparently CO is a magnet for DBs. You're welcome.

 

[jmeb]

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a chairlift with a couple of bros (and often enough some women) who pull out a beer while on the ride up. They frequently offer to share, I politely decline.
...

To be fair, I wouldn't just assume someone having a lift beer is getting drunk. Or that they are drinking any more or less than the many people in this thread that have said they like having a beer with lunch.

We (my female counterpart and I) often have lift beers. Because we like to ski all day, rarely stop for lunch, and need to keep costs down. A lift beer split a few ways is less alcohol than downing that 16oz IPA with lunch.

 

[David Chaus]

To be fair, I wouldn't just assume someone having a lift beer is getting drunk. Or that they are drinking any more or less than the many people in this thread that have said they like having a beer with lunch.

We (my female counterpart and I) often have lift beers. Because we like to ski all day, rarely stop for lunch, and need to keep costs down. A lift beer split a few ways is less alcohol than downing that 16oz IPA with lunch.

Nor was I assuming or reporting they were getting drunk. Most of them were not. If I felt they were significantly impaired I would discretely mention it to Patrol to monitor when I got to the top, don’t want them getting themselves hurt, or anyone else.

 

[jmeb]

Nor was I assuming or reporting they were getting drunk. Most of them were not. If I felt they were significantly impaired I would discretely mention it to Patrol to monitor when I got to the top, don’t want them getting themselves hurt, or anyone else.

Yep -- didn't mean to misrepresent. I find when people use the word "bro" it is often sounds derogatory and associated with childish antics/drunkeness/lack of consideration for others. (And I don't discount those opinions -- I've had a falling out with a good ski buddy last year because his bro-ness eventually meant I couldn't enjoy being around him). Just wanted to say that not all lift beer drinkers are bros and obviously came off as a bit defensive.

 

[SBrown]

I have been known to buy 3.2 on purpose, as well. Anytime I see folks buying beer in the grocery store I point out that is is 3.2 and that a few doors down they can get the real thing.

As someone who was a teenager here when teenagers could drink 3.2 (ie, we wanted to learn about this stuff!), 3.2 is measured by weight, and almost all other beer (in the US) is measured by volume. Which means 3.2 beer is really 4.0 beer, which isn't that different from a lot of regular beers. https://www.dummies.com/food-drink/drinks/beer/understanding-the-alcohol-content-of-beer/ . It's really more of a difference in one's head than anything -- of course a 3.2 will never be a G'Knight, but that's a good thing.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

so five pages of this already,
just back from Belgium where they brew real beer.
light beers start at about 7.5% most are in 8.5- 9.5 % range and then there are strong beers.
pretty sure a couple of Belgium's with lunch while skiing would not work for me.
cycling after lunch was hard enough.

 

[oldschoolskier]

I have a couple of good (funny drinking stories re skiing and winter), however since someone brought up Pot and the lift I do have some concerns of second hand pot smoke. I don’t care whether or not you indulge that is your choice, however in Canada you can get charged if you exceed a certain limit driving and they’ve already stated second hand pot smoke can get you over the limit.

The concern is I can’t stop breathing, so unintentional exposure because you indulge in public is an issue. In alcohol I must indulge (my problem), in regular smoke I might get cancer, but no legal problems, but in Pot you (the pot smoker) directly causes the problem of others.

Again, I don’t care if you do or don’t (even before legalization), but please respect my choice not to, by ensuring I can breath (which is a requirement of life) without being exposed (put at risk) by your choice.


Lift pot smoking is not cool.