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pete

not peace but 2 Beers!
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@Michael Kane

yeah, Crazy Horse and War Path have nice runs and great views! .. this Apache I believe .. Mississippi views are stunning right when sun beginning to get low.



2017 Feb 17 Julia Chestnut (2).jpg
 

focker

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Man I am pumped up for this season here... Nastar and Beer League racing have really re-lit the fire for my midwest skiing. Not that I wasn't excited anyway but the ski racing has really added a new dimension to skiing on these tiny hills we have here.

Got a full family pass to Trollhaugen this year so I'll likely ski more than I did that past two years. Gotta train hard and be ready for our trip to Big Sky in mid-March.

Now all i need is some gently used Racing skis for the season this year. I plan to hit up the local ski swaps pretty hard this year.
 
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Dwight

Dwight

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Ski swap dates:

Oct 24-28 - Shepherd and Schaller in Wausau, WI
Oct 27 Zellers in Green Bay, WI
Nov 10 Play It Again/YMCA in Appleton, WI
 

Gentry

Booting up
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Welch is having their Outdoor Concert and Winter Sale Oct 26-27. No swap this year, just equipment on sale from Wayne's Ski and Tyrol Ski Shop.

Email also says they are finalizing a partnership for 25% off daily tickets for all Boyne Resorts with additional discounts at Big Sky. :golfclap:
 

Beach Bum

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Great conversation here. Browsed the site occasionally last year after the other forum closed shop. Just joined now given the conversation.

Like many of you I've skied Midwest all my life. Sure I much prefer to be out west or Europe of late but with kids finally at skiing age have been skiing around here much more last two years.

Been to Lutsen, Boyne(s) and Nubs Nob, Indianhead and Powderhorn and Whitecap, spent five New Year's at Granite Peak with my now wife years ago, Wilmot a million times, Devil's Head and Cascade and Alpine, all Illinois places including owning a place near Chestnut now so that's become our go to.

All different, all a lot of fun. Yet to get to Bohemia, one of these days. A few runs I love:

@ Chestnut - Warpath is better than any other run with 4+ hours and arguably better than any run in Wisconsin.

@ Granite Peak - The little double diamond alleys at the top left facing it are fun, ski fast into the diamond and take a hard left to catch the midway loading lift. I hate having to ski to bottom.

@Big Powderhorn - great skiing when there is powder. Fun terrain to go all around. Vertical Drop run rips.

@Indianhead - Hiawatha in good snow is where I learned to ski powder around age 11. Anytime I can go back which is rare gives me the chills.

Never skied Blackjack. Lutsen had poor snow when I was there so couldn't enjoy it as much, just not very ideal from Chicago but a great place. I recall liking Nubs as much if not better than Boyne resorts, some fun glades. But would have to go back it's been decades.

Can't wait for another great winter coming up!
 

Beach Bum

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Being a dork I thought it fun to pull up the maps of Devil's, Granite and Chestnut. Did this long ago on Chestnut and compared to Sundown (in Dubuque area) as they claim 500 foot which I never quite believed.

Anyhow, on image from Google maps using terrain and distance, I can see where Granite as experienced flattens out a lot near bottom. Devil's Head is opposite where it's more flat on top, steeper on bottom. I pegged pretty much their longest straight runs, both's verticals are pretty close at ~560 and 500 foot respectfully. I'd agree I think I like Devil's Head layout more and being closer .. only 10 miles off route on way to or from my kids home a place to hit. Looks as if most their runs are along the 1400 to 900 start and stop, Granite not as many and as noted, many drop fast and then flatten out.

all three on same scale but terrain and distance measurements don't really require them to be.

Chestnut I like, it's just fun and views of Mississippi are amazingly lovely, but I won't claim their near the 500 verticle.


anyhow, thought it fun.


View attachment 51373

Devil's
https://www.google.com/maps/place/D...!8m2!3d43.4180036!4d-89.6268972!5m1!1e4?hl=en

Granite
https://www.google.com/maps/place/G...e7!8m2!3d44.929236!4d-89.683162!5m1!1e4?hl=en

Chestnut
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...19!8m2!3d42.319017!4d-90.393793!5m1!1e4?hl=en

Interesting discussion for sure. I've always been highly skeptical of posted vertical drops. I recall Lutsen's skiing brochures showing places like Powderhorn at 400' or Indianhead at 525', all much lower than what they state. Then you have Chestnut at 460 and Devils Head at 500, Cascade at 430 I believe, etc.

I was bored one night so I spent a lot of time on Google Earth looking over all of this. Note it isn't perfect, however i was able to compare its posted elevations to topography maps, where available, and it generally lines up. Here's what I found:

- All places over state their vertical. It's like they count some antenna on the highest point of the hill or some remote area past the bottom of all the lifts. Wilmot is closer to 175, Chestnut is probably closer to 420, if someone can find me anywhere near 600' at Big Powderhorn I owe them a beer.

- Having consecutive skiable vertical of 500' anywhere in the Midwest outside of Lutsen and Bohemia is rare or close to non-existent. Sure some places post higher verticals than 500, but you won't get that on any single run. Indianhead I think eeks out a run closer to 550 via Google Earth, but Boyne Highlands, Powderhorn and many others don't.

- Next, and here's where it gets tricky, but I've been really into finding runs that actually have in your face vertical. Meaning anything at Devil's Head, eliminated, anything at Granite Peak, eliminated. I don't want a ton of flat areas with just a bit of real vertical skiing. Have you guys ever noticed that actual steep leg burn vertical of say even 400' seems to be hard to find? Cascade has about 300, Devils Head about 300, Granite Peak about 300, Powderhorn about 350. Indianhead like 350-400.

So what I found is that about 400' of vertical is the sweet spot for having a steep run with a constant slope to it. And no places have even close to 500' of "steep" vertical apart from again just a few aforementioned. Going back to Chestnut and its run Warpath, I highlighted this in my last post, this is a legit 400' of steep Vertical. I skied there a day where tons of ski clubs from around the Midwest were there and a handful of random people were all commenting that it beats anything at their local places (mainly WI resorts like Cascade, Devils Head, Nordic Mtn, etc).

Probably what makes places like Whitecap and Powderhorn popular for terrain. They may not give you the length of say Indianhead, but they have some runs with about 300-350' of legit steep vertical.

Anyhow, I'm sure I talked in circles and maybe didn't make much of a point. But to summarize, all vertical drops are embellished, and if you can find a fast run with vertical around 400' then you are doing as good as anywhere else in the Midwest outside of Lutsen & Mt Bohemia! Also to summarize, try Google Earth it is a lot of fun browsing terrain and tracking the altitude.
 
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Dwight

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I would say Whitecap has some of the steepest. The Dragon and few on Eagles Nest can be quite fun. Blackjack has Spillway and Long Jam.

Mont Ripley has two bowls that are steep and fun too. Never been to Chestnut. Sounds like a place to visit.
 
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Dwight

Dwight

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Technically it snowed today at Big Snow. So the weather is changing.
 

focker

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Big weekend for Ski Swaps in MN this weekend.

Wild, Troll and Afton all have their swaps this weekend.

Next weekend Afton has another swap and Pinewski's ski shop also has theirs.

Afton's swap is pretty impressive. Tons of good deals to be had.
 

Beach Bum

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Big weekend for Ski Swaps in MN this weekend.

Wild, Troll and Afton all have their swaps this weekend.

Next weekend Afton has another swap and Pinewski's ski shop also has theirs.

Afton's swap is pretty impressive. Tons of good deals to be had.

I am in need of some gear, wish we had that in Chicago. My wife wants skis, or more like I want to get her a set, and I could use some new snow pants. We have a ski show in a few weeks but I may be out of town for while thing, they get some okay deals.
 

Michael Kane

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I am in need of some gear, wish we had that in Chicago. My wife wants skis, or more like I want to get her a set, and I could use some new snow pants. We have a ski show in a few weeks but I may be out of town for while thing, they get some okay deals.
The Central region of NSP has an annual sale in Rosemont that is coming up in a couple of weeks
 

Gentry

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Went to the Afton swap on Saturday. Very busy. Chalet was packed. Checkout line snaked all the way upstairs. Love to see Midwesterners passion for skiing. Just grabbed a helmet and goggles for my 6yo.
 
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