• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Heresy: Are powder days worth the hassle?

Are powder days worth the hassle?

  • I'd step over my sick mother to get a shot

    Votes: 29 25.2%
  • I'll go but only if the lines are short

    Votes: 24 20.9%
  • Probably not, it'll be tracked out in 3 minutes anyway

    Votes: 9 7.8%
  • I'm a powder hound if I'm already on the mountain when it's snowing

    Votes: 37 32.2%
  • Nope, hate the traffic, hate the lines, and all the good groomers are covered

    Votes: 8 7.0%
  • What's a powder day?

    Votes: 8 7.0%

  • Total voters
    115

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
Moderator
SkiTalk Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
12,910
Location
Reno
I'm just curious as to how others perceive a full on powder day. At my home mountains I don't feel the urge to stand in line for two hours waiting for the lift to spin to get a chance at maybe one or two open powder shots. That's if there isn't a crash on the road to the hill. I'll either go later in the day or go the next day and hunt for some untouched.
 

Winks

AKA "Gary".
Industry Insider
SkiTalk Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
Posts
461
Location
CA
I'm just curious as to how others perceive a full on powder day. At my home mountains I don't feel the urge to stand in line for two hours waiting for the lift to spin to get a chance at maybe one or two open powder shots. That's if there isn't a crash on the road to the hill. I'll either go later in the day or go the next day and hunt for some untouched.

Go touring!
 

cantunamunch

Meh
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
21,893
Location
Behavioral sink
Powder day = first of only two days of the week fortnight there will actually be snow on the hill.

Go today, go tomorrow, go cycle in the mud the day after.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Andy Mink

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
Moderator
SkiTalk Tester
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
12,910
Location
Reno

surfsnowgirl

Instructor
Skier
Joined
May 12, 2016
Posts
5,765
Location
Magic Mountain, Vermont
I love powder but I don't chase it. I ski where I ski and when I ski and if I'm lucky enough to have the powder be there then excellent. It gets tracked out pretty fast and I'm not a first chair person but if it works out that I get some freshies then I'm all over it. Last powder day my boss at Magic let me teach in the afternoon so that I could enjoy the powder all morning.
 

Bill Talbot

Vintage Gear Curator
Industry Insider
Joined
Nov 9, 2015
Posts
3,166
Location
New England
First off it must be a WEEKDAY powder day.
Driving in the snow to get to a really good snow dump is often as much fun as the skiing.
Short answer is YES!
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,434
Having the “already there when it snows” option on the poll i could avoid voting if it’s worth it.

I’m not sure why “No friends on a powder day” is so accepted, and then people complain about how uncivilized everyone acts.
Powder doesn’t equal license to be an Ahole. And, you’re likely not good enough to be in a film, since you’re skiing where everyone else is, so don’t try to prove it.
 

Mike Rogers

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Posts
753
Location
Calgary
Yeah, they are worth it!
I really enjoy powder Saturdays at Fernie. The lift system is pretty good for the number of skiers, and I know the generally opening sequence. I don't go for any of the currie rope drop madness, but I know which trees to hit to ensure I can get fresh all day long. Last Saturday was the best day of the year, and we only had significant lines right at opening, from 11-12 and from 1-2. Event the, we were only waiting 10-15 minutes.

I also really like powder days at Kicking Horse and Castle. Limited uphill capacity means I wait in longer lines, especially if it is a Saturday, and especially if it is Castle. But. the limited uphill capacity also means you don't have to go out of your way to get top to bottom pow runs.

I also ski Lake Louise a fair bit. It's closer the city, and has better lift infrastructure than other local resorts. Powder gets skied out at Louise pretty quick. I don't love powder Saturdays Louise, so I can understand where some Pugskiers are coming from!
 

Mike Rogers

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Posts
753
Location
Calgary
If the resort is hardpacked, I will probably spend at least one day on the weekend earning my turns. I like skiing powder....
 

Ski&ride

Out on the slopes
Pass Pulled
Joined
Mar 15, 2018
Posts
1,633
What hassle?

(I voted “powderhound when already on the hill”. Because it depends on the “hassle”. In some places, or time of week, there may not be much hassle. And for others, standing in line for 2 hrs and chitchatting with others are no hassle at all in their eyes!)
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,788
Location
Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
In winter I live 18kms from the mountain and get up there early ahead of any traffic incidents on a snowy road.

My home mountain, Sun Peaks, is 2 mountains on either side of a valley with 2 ridges between them at the end of a sort of box canyon. It spreads people out better than any place I have ever been to. SP has a reputation as a great familly mountain and usually gets small, frequent storms of very dry snow so the Powder Hounds are not here in big numbers.

I usually wait in line for 15-20 minutes (sometimes at 2 different chairs that open at different times). I have a powder day strategy that enables me to be first or one of the first down a couple of runs out of the village and then off to a more distant chair that may have additional untracked or only slightly cut up snow from the previous storm. Most of the resort, but not all will be tracked out most days by noon.

When on a ski road trip, on a powder day, I just head to the resort's furthest boundry to the skier's left or skier's right but I will not wait for hours for a lift to open.
 
Last edited:

Scrundy

I like beer
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
744
Location
Conklin NY
Been so long since I’ve seen a powder day I forget what they are. Hell as far as that goes I’ll throw “any snow” in that equation too. On positive side we are supposed to get like 2” today , that’s my powder day. Big friggin deal we need like 24” around my way. Gonna get out in it tonight anyways..... sad just sad.
 

Sponsor

Staff online

Top