Why do you like/seek steep skiing?

[skibob]

I get a similar feeling a little lower when I ski commando.

Didn't you learn anything about shrinkage from watching Seinfeld?

 

[Mothertucker]

Didn't you learn anything about shrinkage from watching Seinfeld?

Mizz Manners says that it's only appropriate after Memorial Day, when it's warm enough for shorts. Think free air.

 

[geepers]

I get a similar feeling a little lower when I ski commando.

Too much information.


Never be able to use that emoji again...

 

[Ken_R]

Why do you like/seek steep skiing?

I dont seek steep skiing, steep skiing seeks me...

 

[Seldomski]

I like steeps for a several reasons:
1) Allows me to really bend and edge the ski without going fast.
2) Often can find the best snow here from wind loading and less traffic
3) Fewer people on them and usually the people there give you more space. People on them usually are better skiers and more predictable (less chance of injury)
4) Along with 1), sensations of skiing are more exaggerated. More fore aft motion, more lateral, more challenge to get forward, pole plants more crucial, etc.

In short, there is more of everything that I enjoy about skiing, and less of everything I don't like about skiing.

 

[Mothertucker]

Too much information.


Never be able to use that emoji again...

That's why I'm here. Pics and video next week...

 

[Wilhelmson]

I was skiing on some steep packed powder this winter and it felt like I was more bouncing and flying than making a carved turn. Maybe not the best tecnique but it sure was fun.

 

[Monique]

3) Fewer people on them and usually the people there give you more space. People on them usually are better skiers and more predictable (less chance of injury)

DING DING DING we have a winner!

 

[surfsnowgirl]

DING DING DING we have a winner!

I'm slowly realizing this because I feel safer on steeper terrain for exactly the reasons @Seldomski stated. I was hit from behind bad lst December on a black that everyone uses to get to the lower mountain. It's the most traversed area in early season and now I realize it's quite dangerous. I've learned the double black a couple runs over is a much safer way down, at least for me because I need to feel safe. I no longer feel safe early season on that other black.

 

[Rod9301]

I was skiing on some steep packed powder this winter and it felt like I was more bouncing and flying than making a carved turn. Maybe not the best tecnique but it sure was fun.

If it's steep, it's really hard to carve. You need a lot of room, and be willing to carry a LOT of speed.

 

[slowrider]

I like the sluff from loose snow on steep terrain. Woohoo I'm extreme or something like that.

 

[nay]

This thread crossed two topics: trafficked lift served steeps and back country. Those are entirely different things.

The practical reality of heavily trafficked steeper pitches is that they are always bump runs, and in places that don’t get huge high density snow events (or proper consistent wind fill), what lurks beneath kills the flow of steeper skiing in fresh snow. This is somewhat more attuned to “why do you like bumps?”.

The other question of steeps that are too lightly trafficked to bump up to me aligns with a love of mountaineering and pristine snow.

The untracked snow part looms large - those first fresh tracks in the front yard as a kid were magic. They still are.

It’s all about the snow.

 

[Ken_R]

DING DING DING we have a winner!

Exactly. Its way safer, MUCH less people and the snow and terrain take care of those not worthy (sometimes that can even be me!). Groomed intermediate runs are the most dangerous runs by far.

Also someone mentioned the edging part. So true, to me its just easier and flowy.

 

[Monique]

The practical reality of heavily trafficked steeper pitches is that they are always bump runs

Incorrect. My late friend Dirk taught me the phrase "Groomed by God."

 

[SBrown]

DING DING DING we have a winner!

But but but ... people are still idiots, even in the difficult terrain. Chute etiquette is breached more often inbounds, just due to greater traffic. I could not believe how many people were dropping in on top of me at JH this year. I am not saying they needed to wait til I was out of Tower 3, but I had to pull over a couple times when heat-seeking missiles were flailing about on top of me. (That said, yeah, it's still safer than the blues, I get that. But but but....)

 

[Monique]

But but but ... people are still idiots, even in the difficult terrain. Chute etiquette is breached more often inbounds, just due to greater traffic. I could not believe how many people were dropping in on top of me at JH this year. I am not saying they needed to wait til I was out of Tower 3, but I had to pull over a couple times when heat-seeking missiles were flailing about on top of me. (That said, yeah, it's still safer than the blues, I get that. But but but....)

Yeah. People are people wherever you go =/

 

[oldschoolskier]

It’s simple for me, I’ve worked hard to be able to.

So I do because I can.

 

[François Pugh]

This thread crossed two topics: trafficked lift served steeps and back country. Those are entirely different things.

Neither of these two topics immediately springs to mind for me. What does is the chutes behind the patrol shack at the top of the mountain, behind all the waning signs.

 

[nay]

Incorrect. My late friend Dirk taught me the phrase "Groomed by God."

On a good windfall day, yes. On most days, no. For example, much of the stuff off Pali is mostly steep bumps most of the time.

There are some places that get god grooming almost daily, and paradoxically those places are also low traffic, at least local to us.

If the thread was “why do you like groomed by god?”
the answer would look something line this:

But that’s not about steeps, and ^^^ is not particularly steep. That’s about wind making pitch almost irrelevant with perfect conditions.

And that is usually not the case, hence my observation that good snow is quite a bit more rare than good pitch .

 

[Monique]

On a good windfall day, yes. On most days, no. For example, much of the stuff off Pali is mostly steep bumps most of the time.

Yup - Pali definitely has that problem. The bumps probably make the run more accessible, in a weird way ... when you fall, you can't fall that far.