Is it still skiing if we have to dig out the bottom of the hill to make it taller?

[HateBoilerplate]

Greetings from Detroit!

And yes, we actually have a hill like that. Pine Knob has a valley dug at the bottom of it, to help it achieve it's *cough* breath taking 300 foot vertical!

I'm SkaBob over on Epicski, but seeing as there's a skibob on here, I didn't want to cause any hilarious name confusion.

This place seems a bit less willing to blow sunshine up the backside of every product, and I'm actually grateful for more solid reviews and information than every ski being the greatest thing to happen since sliced bread

Cheers!

 

[Philpug]

Welcome. 300ft? You and @Tricia come from the same background. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[CharlieP]

HB:

Welcome. I'm intrigued by your title "Is it still skiing when you have to dig out the bottom of the hill?".

A few years back, I jokingly suggested to the GM of my local hill, Ski Liberty 630 ft, that one way to increase the vertical was to issue skiers at the bottom, pails of dirt prior to riding up the chair. At the top, the skier would dump the dirt at a specified area. This way, every pail of dirt increases the vertical by 2 pails. . As a reward to skiers who consented to contribute in this way, every so many pails, as determined by the ski area, results in a free day pass. Well, this went over like the proverbial ....... Less said.

So keep digging and pilling it on top. Pretty soon your ski area will have earned it's PhD. Pilled Higher and Deeper.

CP

 

[Philpug]

Blue Mountain in PA did this, Elk at the time was the highest vertical at 1,000ft. When Blue put in a new lift, they extended the bottom and piled it higher at the top of the lift to get 1082ft.

 

[fatbob]

You are Dexter Ruteckish & I claim my $5

 

[Monique]

Skiing is skiing.

 

[Philpug]

Skiing is skiing.

Yes, but then there is SKIING!!!!

 

[Tricia]

Hi @HateBoilerplate I grew up north of Cadillac Michigan and learned to ski at Caberfae. Spent most of my adult skiing at Caberfae and Crystal Mountain (MI) until I moved to Tahoe.

Caberfae was the one of the first ski resorts in the US, opening in 1938. When the Meyer family took the reins in the 1980's they had some significant excavation background and added to the resort by building up South Peak and later North Peak, while they shut down some of the old T bars and lifts that served some of the more low angle terrain.
So, yes you can call it skiing if you have to excavate to make it happen.

I contend that, if it weren't for the small 400ft vert hills in Michigan, I wouldn't be skiing the world class resorts in Tahoe, (and elsewhere) Feeder Hills for the win!

 

[HateBoilerplate]

You are Dexter Ruteckish & I claim my $5

I've actually managed to avoid skiing Mount Trashmore (Mount Brighton's local name, given that it's literally a landfill that they put some fill dirt and ski lifts on), but I like the cut of your jib!

 

[HateBoilerplate]

I contend that, if it weren't for the small 400ft vert hills in Michigan, I wouldn't be skiing the world class resorts in Tahoe, (and elsewhere) Feeder Hills for the win!

My biggest problem is, having gone out east to Stowe, and out west to Winter Park, I just had so little motivation to ski any of the frosted pimples here that I didn't even get out on the slopes for over a decade. I got spoiled, and it got boring being on the lifts for more time than I was on my skis...

Then last winter, my girlfriend's family had their holiday gathering at Boyne Mountain, and I said, "why not? I seem to recall I loved skiing!" and I'm a born again addict...Unfortunately, my skis, bindings, and boots are pretty well ancient at this point. The skis (K2 Merlin V's) are about the most useful, but are theoretically not worth spending the money on a new set of bindings for, when I can get more modern skis for a fair price...

But hey, at least my poles are still good!

 

[Tricia]

My biggest problem is, having gone out east to Stowe, and out west to Winter Park, I just had so little motivation to ski any of the frosted pimples here that I didn't even get out on the slopes for over a decade. I got spoiled, and it got boring being on the lifts for more time than I was on my skis...

Then last winter, my girlfriend's family had their holiday gathering at Boyne Mountain, and I said, "why not? I seem to recall I loved skiing!" and I'm a born again addict...Unfortunately, my skis, bindings, and boots are pretty well ancient at this point. The skis (K2 Merlin V's) are about the most useful, but are theoretically not worth spending the money on a new set of bindings for, when I can get more modern skis for a fair price...

But hey, at least my poles are still good!

When skiing in Michigan, you need to make it a social experience as much as a ski experience. You do have some good boot fitters in Michigan. Let me know if you want some input on that.
*perhaps @Freaq can help you with some ideas, too.

 

[HateBoilerplate]

When skiing in Michigan, you need to make it a social experience as much as a ski experience. You do have some good boot fitters in Michigan. Let me know if you want some input on that.
*perhaps @Freaq can help you with some ideas, too.

I'd love help with that, actually. I'm familiar with Schumer's in Grosse Pointe, and someone on EpicSki recommended the Ski Company in Rochester, but beyond those two stores and the pro shops at the hills (who have never been a bastion of actual knowledge, even up at Boyne or Nubs), I'm not sure where else I can go that isn't REI...

 

[Tricia]

I'd love help with that, actually. I'm familiar with Schumer's in Grosse Pointe, and someone on EpicSki recommended the Ski Company in Rochester, but beyond those two stores and the pro shops at the hills (who have never been a bastion of actual knowledge, even up at Boyne or Nubs), I'm not sure where else I can go that isn't REI...

My favorite boot guy in northern Michigan was Jim Riley at Precision Footworks, operating out of the ski shop at Crystal Mountain.
He doesn't have a web site or on line info, but you can probably call this number on the Yelp page.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/precision-footworks-thompsonville

Or, you can head west and see one of us.

 

[Philpug]

I'd love help with that, actually. I'm familiar with Schumer's in Grosse Pointe, and someone on EpicSki recommended the Ski Company in Rochester, but beyond those two stores and the pro shops at the hills (who have never been a bastion of actual knowledge, even up at Boyne or Nubs), I'm not sure where else I can go that isn't REI...

The Ski Company is very good.

 

[crgildart]

Been on that type of hill and would enjoy one within 10 miles of home with night skiing should I ever be in that situation again. Some say small hill skiing sucks, but not as bad as no hill skiing..

 

[Jilly]

Sounds like Ontario. Actually any of MI is higher than my local bump....all 190' of it. I'll drive 4 1/2 hrs for a much higher vertical drop.

Welcome

 

[Philpug]

Sounds like Ontario. Actually any of MI is higher than my local bump....all 190' of it. I'll drive 4 1/2 hrs for a much higher vertical drop.

Welcome

Is the 190' before or after the exchange rate?

 

[Jilly]

Before a good 6" dump! We actually tried to get the air force to dump snow on the top of the bump to make it taller. We thought it would be a good training exercise for them. But we do have some of the best racers in Ontario.

But back to Hateboilerplate!

 

[HateBoilerplate]

Sounds like Ontario. Actually any of MI is higher than my local bump....all 190' of it. I'll drive 4 1/2 hrs for a much higher vertical drop.

Welcome

Isn't Belleville near Blue Mountain? I haven't been, but I've heard it's a pretty decent hill, and it's 720ft vertical...

 

[HateBoilerplate]

My favorite boot guy in northern Michigan was Jim Riley at Precision Footworks, operating out of the ski shop at Crystal Mountain.
He doesn't have a web site or on line info, but you can probably call this number on the Yelp page.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/precision-footworks-thompsonville

Or, you can head west and see one of us.

Thanks for the recommendaiton! I'll have to check them out if I can't find out what I need at the Ski Company. I've been happy in the past at Schumer's, but until his new product comes in he only had two boots in any size I'd fit, and one was well below what I'd be looking for skill-wise, so I haven't got a clue how good his boot fitting services really are. Last time I bought boots there, I didn't really know to care much about how well the boots fit...

I'd love to be able to come out west. My sister, a ski patroller (and ski patrol instructor) has a shop she recommends highly in Utah, but the cheapest I can get out there for after car rental and food is close to $600. That sort of cost would eliminate what little budget I have right now for the boots...