Pacific NW/AK/BC Midlife crisis ski road trip (BC Okanagan)

[jhkc]

Day 3: Apex.
So far so good. 3 consecutive days the quads were stiff but three runs in and everything was good. Those stretches the physiotherapist taught me really do help along with the hotel hot tub afterwards.
The sun was obscured by light clouds so it didn’t soften the snow much. It was also one of the few times where I felt under dressed. I did a few difficult runs just to get my blood and adrenaline pumping to warm up. Partly because of that I didn’t ride Stock’s chair as much today (10 minute ride).

The competitors in moguls were training again today. Love a free show during my ski breaks.
Best run today: either Chute or 97. Both were groomed blacks with lots of speed. I also liked Dawdler 2 going thru the woods. I didn’t like Sun Bowl because of my aversion to rock hard moguls.

tomorrow is a travel day… heading to Big White

Notes for Newbies: there’s horses and potentially cattle along Green Mountain Road which leads to the ski hill. So drive with care. Strayhorse run is off of Grandfather’s trail and leads you past the upper parking lot. It also leads you to the hockey rink by the main parking lot or the main hotel. However you do have to ski across a road to do it.

also looking for advice: my boot liners (especially toes) were damp the morning of day 2. I took the liners out to dry them (plus my orthotics insoles). but is it safe to do so? Will that wear out my liners and boots? Or are they made to do that? Putting the hair dryer in them seemed to be ineffective in a short time

 

[geepers]

Day 3: Apex.
So far so good. 3 consecutive days the quads were stiff but three runs in and everything was good. Those stretches the physiotherapist taught me really do help along with the hotel hot tub afterwards.
The sun was obscured by light clouds so it didn’t soften the snow much. It was also one of the few times where I felt under dressed. I did a few difficult runs just to get my blood and adrenaline pumping to warm up. Partly because of that I didn’t ride Stock’s chair as much today (10 minute ride).

The competitors in moguls were training again today. Love a free show during my ski breaks.
Best run today: either Chute or 97. Both were groomed blacks with lots of speed. I also liked Dawdler 2 going thru the woods. I didn’t like Sun Bowl because of my aversion to rock hard moguls.

tomorrow is a travel day… heading to Big White

Notes for Newbies: there’s horses and potentially cattle along Green Mountain Road which leads to the ski hill. So drive with care. Strayhorse run is off of Grandfather’s trail and leads you past the upper parking lot. It also leads you to the hockey rink by the main parking lot or the main hotel. However you do have to ski across a road to do it.

also looking for advice: my boot liners (especially toes) were damp the morning of day 2. I took the liners out to dry them (plus my orthotics insoles). but is it safe to do so? Will that wear out my liners and boots? Or are they made to do that? Putting the hair dryer in them seemed to be ineffective in a short time

 

[Posaune]

I use those things every time I drive to the mountain. It also makes your boots warm for when you put them on. You can plug them into your DC outlet in the car, or, using a different attacchment, plug them into the wall. As far as I know pulling your liners and footbeds out won't hurt anything. I do it.

 

[dbostedo]

I use those things every time I drive to the mountain. It also makes your boots warm for when you put them on. You can plug them into your DC outlet in the car, or, using a different attacchment, plug them into the wall. As far as I know pulling your liners and footbeds out won't hurt anything. I do it.

I've been using them as soon as I get home for about 5 years and let it run all night. Works really well.

The only drawbacks I've heard to pulling the liners are that it could cause a bit of extra wear, and it's a PITA any time I've done it

 

[geepers]

Day 3: Apex.
So far so good. 3 consecutive days the quads were stiff but three runs in and everything was good. Those stretches the physiotherapist taught me really do help along with the hotel hot tub afterwards.
The sun was obscured by light clouds so it didn’t soften the snow much. It was also one of the few times where I felt under dressed. I did a few difficult runs just to get my blood and adrenaline pumping to warm up. Partly because of that I didn’t ride Stock’s chair as much today (10 minute ride).

The competitors in moguls were training again today. Love a free show during my ski breaks.
Best run today: either Chute or 97. Both were groomed blacks with lots of speed. I also liked Dawdler 2 going thru the woods. I didn’t like Sun Bowl because of my aversion to rock hard moguls.

tomorrow is a travel day… heading to Big White

Notes for Newbies: there’s horses and potentially cattle along Green Mountain Road which leads to the ski hill. So drive with care. Strayhorse run is off of Grandfather’s trail and leads you past the upper parking lot. It also leads you to the hockey rink by the main parking lot or the main hotel. However you do have to ski across a road to do it.

also looking for advice: my boot liners (especially toes) were damp the morning of day 2. I took the liners out to dry them (plus my orthotics insoles). but is it safe to do so? Will that wear out my liners and boots? Or are they made to do that? Putting the hair dryer in them seemed to be ineffective in a short time

As for pulling the liners out I've heard both.

Since you are in Big White go ask Lindsey in Dizzies - there was only one ski store in BW last I was there and that's it, Lindsey is/was the owner and resident boot fit guru - and he'll tell you it not to to reduce wear and tear. Equally I've had boot guys say it makes little difference.

It's one extra thing to do in the morning so the dryers are great. Generally only take my liners out evening before a rest day so plenty of time to put 'em back in.

 

[dovski]

If you are really worried about wear and tear on your liner, get a boot horn

Ski Boot Boot Horn

Ski Boot Horn / Snowboard Boot Horn

buckmans.com

But IMHO it is better to pull your liners and dry them thoroughly as damp liners are not good for your feet or the liner

 

[jhkc]

Day 4 was a travel day.
Day 5 Big White. I’m splurging and staying on the hill. Ski in ski out. So we started around 9 am looking for the 3 cm of fresh snow that fell last night.
The morning was overcast and we headed out to Gem Lake area making stops at Powder and Falcon Chair along the way. There was decent snow at the top but it was really windy. Heading down into runs sheltered us and there were some good ones there.
a bad one was Pot of Gold. Big rock hard moguls - not sure why this was left open.
a good one was Cann Cann. On the board it showed up as groomed. But when we got to the entrance of Moonlight Run which is where Cann Cann starts it was roped off. As we debated continuing two snowboarders whizzed past us without hesitation. So we decided to take a chance. Cann Cann was definitely not groomed but the snow was decent and the trail interesting with little bumps and trees to go around.
We dropped by Powder chair and enjoyed Corkscrew and Surprise but by this time the winds seemed to get stronger. We retreated for lunch.
after lunch a thick fog enveloped the hill and we tried going to Bullet Express and Black Forest but nothing helped, the fog was super thick and the winds got stronger.
Hopefully tomorrow clears up with more fresh snow

PS my boots are wet again… I took the liners out and put them next to the base board heater

 

[geepers]

Day 4 was a travel day.
Day 5 Big White. I’m splurging and staying on the hill. Ski in ski out. So we started around 9 am looking for the 3 cm of fresh snow that fell last night.
The morning was overcast and we headed out to Gem Lake area making stops at Powder and Falcon Chair along the way. There was decent snow at the top but it was really windy. Heading down into runs sheltered us and there were some good ones there.
a bad one was Pot of Gold. Big rock hard moguls - not sure why this was left open.
a good one was Cann Cann. On the board it showed up as groomed. But when we got to the entrance of Moonlight Run which is where Cann Cann starts it was roped off. As we debated continuing two snowboarders whizzed past us without hesitation. So we decided to take a chance. Cann Cann was definitely not groomed but the snow was decent and the trail interesting with little bumps and trees to go around.
We dropped by Powder chair and enjoyed Corkscrew and Surprise but by this time the winds seemed to get stronger. We retreated for lunch.
after lunch a thick fog enveloped the hill and we tried going to Bullet Express and Black Forest but nothing helped, the fog was super thick and the winds got stronger.
Hopefully tomorrow clears up with more fresh snow

PS my boots are wet again… I took the liners out and put them next to the base board heater

Ah, yes, the Big WhiteOut.

Please note - it is NOT fog. Officially it's low cloud. And visibility is "limited". But, really, who do they think they are kidding?

If vis is still "limited" tomorrow then check the Gem Lake cam. Due to some weird atmospherics it can happen that the Gem side is clear while the Village side is pea soup. Not always but often enough. Otherwise into the trees! Best of luck.

 

[jhkc]

Day 5: forgot to mention we took four turns down Easter Chutes and turned off skiers right. It was way too steep and dense for me and my colleague.

Day 6: six centimetres of fresh fell overnight and it was still gently falling. All morning we found fresh tracks in and around the Ridge Rocket and Snow ghost express chairs, especially in the glades and trees where the snow just piled up high.

Every time we left that area we regretted it. Alpine T bar? Strong winds and bad visibility chased us away. Same for Powder Chair. Bullet Chair and Blackforest had nice spots in the trees but nothing compared to the Ridge Rocket/Snow Ghost area.

I had to really work on my technique in powder and also my confidence in the trees. At one point I wiped out but felt nothing; the snow was past my knees and super soft. It was a great day to test my limits.

tomorrow is my last day at Big White - and it’s supposed to snow again

 

[geepers]

Oh yeah, the Easter Chutes. Great in freshies although it funnels out to the Black Forest lift. Short but sweet.

The Ridge area ended up being one of my favorite places at BW. When both chairs operating there's a huge lifting capacity and plenty of terrain. If it's fresh pow then the tree-ed gullies between the groomers are a lot of fun. They are narrow with not a lot of space to turn so need some freshies. Have to find your way in towards the top and can't really exit until the walkway from Snow Pines to the main village. IIRC there's one either side of Born To Run.

Sounds like you scored some good BW conditions - at it's best when snowing.

 

[jhkc]

Feb 1 was my 3rd consecutive day at Big White and similar to the day previous, i5 was snowing all night and continuing to come down.
On this day the best stashes seemed to be near/under the Bullet Chair. There were knee deep areas close to International in spaced out trees that very few people went. I repeatedly visited and found precious few others. I was skiing solo on this day so I was a bit less courageous but I did venture into heavy treed areas (Powder Gulch) and near Millie’s Mile. similar to the previous day, any time I left my favoured area I regretted it because of high winds or shallow snow.
Lunch hour brought colder temps, stronger winds, and low visibility so I ducked into the Ridge Day Lodge for a brief pack lunch. Hardly anyone was inside. By contrast the Black Forest Day Lodge was half capacity and mostly full. After my lunch the sun started coming out and I told myself “one last run” three times before I finally left.

Next ski day (Feb 3) is at Sun Peaks where I’ll be meeting a colleague for the morning

 

[jhkc]

Day 9 of my trip, day 7 skiing, day 1 at Sun Peaks.
it had snowed nonstop afternoon to evening in town and it seems like the hill had similar conditions. I was skiing with a friend who knows this place inside out. He’s also an expert level Telemark skier so I spent most of the day chasing him around the hill. There were deep powder stashes to be found, almost felt like the consistency of flour. I took a few tumbles and it’s likely a combination of lack of technique on steep deep powder runs plus my skis which are 80 underfoot instead of the powder/fat skis.

we spent a lot of time at The Chief before heading to the Morrisey side. Because I spent so much time chasing my friend I was unsure of what runs we were on but I do remember LintTrap has having exceptionally deep soft snow. We also went to Father Tom which included a hike uphill and that nearly wiped. E out. Our reward was a small hill that had five or six turns of untouched hip deep snow.

it was an epic day. I’m tired, and my back is sore. Not sure how I’ll be able to wake up for day 2 at Sun Peaks tomorrow. But it’s worth it to try

 

[Tony S]

You are hitting it nicely, it looks like!

 

[DanoT]

As I mentioned in another thread, Thurs. Feb 3 at Sun Peaks was my best powder day of the season and there were lots of runs that had 2 or 3 days worth of dry, not crapped out snow and even where it was a bit cut up it was easy to push around.

 

[DanoT]

We also went to Father Tom which included a hike uphill and that nearly wiped. E out. Our reward was a small hill that had five or six turns of untouched hip deep snow.

I haven't skied Father Tom's in years, mostly because the amount of turns that you get is hardly worth the hike. But hip deep is hip deep.

Back in the day the run had no official name and we just called it The Mid Mountain Meadows. However in the 80s and early 90s there was a priest who was a Tod Mtn (original name for SP) regular and whose name was Tom and everyone called Father Tom. And the Mid Mountain Meadow was his favourite run.

Father Tom eventually ended up moving to a different diocese but new ownership that changed the name of Tod Mtn in the early 90s also officially named the run Father Tom's. I ran into Father Tom in the cafeteria when he came back for a visit in the mid 90s and I made sure he knew that they had named his fav run after him.

 

[jhkc]

Day 10: first time on the trip where my body didn’t feel good. I had a sore back going to bed and it was worse in the morning. I had trouble bending over to tie my boot laces. I called Sun Peaks and they allowed me to get credit for today’s lift ticket but I have to use it before end of next season.

After a couple hours in my car I went snowshoeing in the provincial park near the Sovereign Lake area. When my unit was ready I unloaded everything and went straight to the hot tub hoping for some magical healing for my back. I’ve got one more day…

My next ski day is scheduled for Sunday Feb 6 at Silver Star

 

[jhkc]

Unfortunately I’ve had to cut my trip short. My back pains have not improved. Bending over to do up my boots causes pain. Even getting up off the kitchen chair is difficult. So I’m sitting on the deck in the sun, warm enough to sit without a jacket, sipping a beer and watching people coming down the beginner green slope, tube town, or listening to random folks around me chatting while enjoying the summer like conditions.

I’ll be heading home tomorrow. Some personal notes:
- must learn better technique for deep powder
- invest in wider skis for powder days
- improve my core strength and flexibility to hopefully reduce the chances I get injured like this again

it’s been like two trips. The first half non stop skiing. The last three days, dealing with a very painful back. I had already scheduled a physio appointment for this coming weekend, anticipating some fixes required for my knees. Instead I get to surprise him with a brand new injury. Gotta keep things fresh.

 

[geepers]

Unfortunately I’ve had to cut my trip short. My back pains have not improved. Bending over to do up my boots causes pain. Even getting up off the kitchen chair is difficult. So I’m sitting on the deck in the sun, warm enough to sit without a jacket, sipping a beer and watching people coming down the beginner green slope, tube town, or listening to random folks around me chatting while enjoying the summer like conditions.

I’ll be heading home tomorrow. Some personal notes:
- must learn better technique for deep powder
- invest in wider skis for powder days
- improve my core strength and flexibility to hopefully reduce the chances I get injured like this again

it’s been like two trips. The first half non stop skiing. The last three days, dealing with a very painful back. I had already scheduled a physio appointment for this coming weekend, anticipating some fixes required for my knees. Instead I get to surprise him with a brand new injury. Gotta keep things fresh.

That's very unfortunate. Pita to be injured when there's skiing to be had.

Also out of BW, SP and SS, I prefer SS. The Powder Gulch side of SS has some outstanding terrain, it doesn't suffer the same vis problems as BW, usually gets more fresh than SP and MHO has a nicer ski layout. They all have their strong points as well and wouldn't knock a day/week/month/season in any of 'em.

Hope you get back out there soon.