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In Praise of Skiing the Blues (and Greens)

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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I think I did that run with you Andy........ yep big carving GS and Super G turns. Doesn't get much better! Big Sky is great for that-wide blue runs with few people. The racer in me just opens it up-where's my Super G skis?
Yep, you and Judy were with us. It was like cruising cream.
 

Andy Mink

Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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Love it when some the blue runs are groomed and then we get 4 inches of light powder on them overnight.
It's like buttah!
 

sbooker

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The OP must head The Dolomites in Italy. There is about 600 Km or about 350 miles of largely blue linked cruising trails which are perfectly groomed and all have truly jaw dropping views. There’s a ‘rifugio’ or mountain restaurant that serves superb table service food at almost give away prices around every corner too.
 

Core2

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I start my day with the nasty stuff and end it always just cruising blues and greens. Nothing more relaxing than linking turns on a run that isn't trying to kill you.
 

Tom K.

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If I'm laying perfectly carved trenches on green or blue runs, I'm just as happy as I am skiing blacks. I still love them all.

In 7 days of skiing at the gathering at Big Sky this year the run that stands out was a long green off the Lone Moose lift called Little Calf. Several inches of fresh on a low angle, empty slope allowing easy, flowing big turns all the way to the bottom. So fun! Love the blues and greens.

I don't know about these days, but when Mrs. K and I used to go to Big Sky twice a year, Lone Moose often seemed like our own private lift. Slow and small? Sure. But also EMPTY! Perfect place to be on a crowded weekend powder morning.
 

Andy Mink

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If I'm laying perfectly carved trenches on green or blue runs, I'm just as happy as I am skiing blacks. I still love them all.



I don't know about these days, but when Mrs. K and I used to go to Big Sky twice a year, Lone Moose often seemed like our own private lift. Slow and small? Sure. But also EMPTY! Perfect place to be on a crowded weekend powder morning.
It was empty both times we ventured there. It could use an easier way to get there but once you figure it out it's not too bad.
 

Goose

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I start my day with the nasty stuff and end it always just cruising blues and greens. Nothing more relaxing than linking turns on a run that isn't trying to kill you.

I will often do the opposite. Ski starting off on the blues to warm up and loosen up and also practice technique. Then its on to the blks where I then take those techniques with me. Then depending on conditions and how I feel im skiing I may stay there or may venture back and forth or seek out different blacks. But usually once I switch Ill stay on the blks until later in the day.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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I will often do the opposite. Ski starting off on the blues to warm up and loosen up and also practice technique. Then its on to the blks where I then take those techniques with me. Then depending on conditions and how I feel im skiing I may stay there or may venture back and forth or seek out different blacks. But usually once I switch Ill stay on the blks until later in the day.
On a recent trip to Whiteface I started out on the blues and greens as I always do but they were so much fun with 3 inches of fresh snow that I stayed all day and the next. I just don't want to miss the beauty of the mountain for the steep stuff that would have been work when I just wanted the pleasure of the moment.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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In Praise of Skiing the Blues (and Greens)


On ski forums, such as this one, many skiers favor diamond and beyond skiing. Not this skier. I enjoy the gentler currents of blues and greens. On blues and greens I am flowing with gravity. My body is singing in harmony with gravity's tune. Whereas on blacks I am often fighting gravity's stronger pull. The song is too raucous. I can't match the beat. I can't keep up with the tempo. The difficulties presented by ungroomed snow combined with a diamond's faster pitch are too much for my skills.


Do I envy skiers who rock and roll their way down diamond studded runs? Yes. Frankly, I do. I would love for the entire skiable mountain to be my playground. But the reality is that I cannot ski that well, that the limitations I am working with can't promise that level of skiing.


So yes, I am mostly a blue (and green) skier. For me those slopes play beautiful music with a danceable rhythm. For some, it seems, blue and green music is too tame. I get it. What is the saying? We all must ski to the beat of our own drummer? We all must ski to the rhythm inherent in our own skiing.
Great thread, thanks for posting it .
 

surfsnowgirl

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There are some steep blues at Bromley that I'm quite fond of. I love going back and forth between those and the mellower blues. Groomed or ungroomed, all fun. I will do select blacks but the conditions have to be right. Greens and Blues are like no other at Magic and I'm so hooked on those. I've learned to love some more pitch over the years but it's all relative to the mountain anyway.
 

4aprice

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Long blue groomers, like the ones we just skied off the gondola at Loon Mountain NH this past weekend make my wife smile, and of course a happy wife makes for a happy life. As she told her nephew, she warms me up, then lets me go off with others (son, nephew) for the tough stuff later. Its something I've become very appreciative of.
 

Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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Long blue groomers, like the ones we just skied off the gondola at Loon Mountain NH this past weekend make my wife smile, and of course a happy wife makes for a happy life. As she told her nephew, she warms me up, then lets me go off with others (son, nephew) for the tough stuff later. Its something I've become very appreciative of.
I seem to remember a long blue trail up at Loon but I have not skied Loon for years, they don't have foot rests on the chairs there so I don't go back.
 

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