An Amazing Day

I would say I have days like this twice maybe if I'm lucky, three times
a year.

I took the Ski Bus to Kirkwood yesterday. I had planned on renting a
car and going up anyway, as the bus usually only stops in SF on
Saturdays, but enough people wanted to take it from here, so I didn't
have to spend the money on a car and a hotel.

Anyway, Kirkwood was a splendid condition. There was plenty of snow, it
was cold in the morning and it was nice and soft. In fact, during the
morning, it snowed (without wind) for about 30 minutes, which gave the
pack a really soft feel.

I skied really well yesterday. Everything clicked. I remembered a lot
of the earlier advice in here, thanks everyone! My turns were
beautiful. I'm really getting it down.

I even went up the Sunrise Lift which was my first time going up that
far at Kirkwood. I skied hard all day, until my right knee (injured in
a car accident 12 years ago) started aching, around 2pm. I finished
around 2:45pm.

It was the kind of day I dream about and is the whole reason why I love
skiing so much. May we all have days this good.

Martha

On 2005-01-17, Black Metal Martha penned:
I would say I have days like this twice maybe if I'm lucky, three times a
year.

[snip]

I skied really well yesterday. Everything clicked. I remembered a lot of the
earlier advice in here, thanks everyone! My turns were beautiful. I'm really
getting it down.

[snip]

It was the kind of day I dream about and is the whole reason why I love
skiing so much. May we all have days this good.

That's awesome, Martha! Man, you have them three times a year? I feel lucky
if I have a day like that once a year. Maybe I need to get out there more =)

Scratch that. I know I need to get out there more.


--
monique
Longmont, CO

Black Metal Martha was fortunate:

May we all have days this good.

Indeed. Ullr and Skadi have blessed us.

The snow remains good on the northern steeps, the pack has settled, and
the mountains becken.

By the way, you can all thank me for that good day - I was too hot the
day before so I wore my spring jacket and pants; naturally Ullr took
that as an affront and snowed on us.

Today was nice, too. Tomorrow will also be nice, as will the rest of our
days.

lal_truckee wrote:
Black Metal Martha was fortunate:

May we all have days this good.


Indeed. Ullr and Skadi have blessed us.

The snow remains good on the northern steeps, the pack has settled, and
the mountains becken.

By the way, you can all thank me for that good day - I was too hot the
day before so I wore my spring jacket and pants; naturally Ullr took
that as an affront and snowed on us.

Today was nice, too. Tomorrow will also be nice, as will the rest of our
days.

You all can bite me, bite me.

We are still skating on thin to non-existent snow here in good Olde New
England.

I'll be out at the end of February to see if you guys left me anything
to ski on.

VtSkier

"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
...
That's awesome, Martha! Man, you have them three times a year? I feel
lucky
if I have a day like that once a year. Maybe I need to get out there more
=)

Scratch that. I know I need to get out there more.

Actually, Monique, you don't need to get out there more, you just need to
follow the snow. For example, why go to Winter Park when Crested Butte has
been getting dumped on. Once you start chasing the storms, you will find
that you may be able to even get double digits of days like that every year.
Hopefully we will get out of these southern track storm systems and into
northern tracks that tend to dump a lot more snow on places like Winter Park
and Summit County. Untill then, may I suggest Wolf Creek for Jan 30th.
Locals appreciation day with $20 lift tickets and anybody in Colorado is a
local.

snoig

On 2005-01-17, snoig penned:

Actually, Monique, you don't need to get out there more, you just need to
follow the snow. For example, why go to Winter Park when Crested Butte has
been getting dumped on. Once you start chasing the storms, you will find
that you may be able to even get double digits of days like that every year.
Hopefully we will get out of these southern track storm systems and into
northern tracks that tend to dump a lot more snow on places like Winter Park
and Summit County. Untill then, may I suggest Wolf Creek for Jan 30th.
Locals appreciation day with $20 lift tickets and anybody in Colorado is a
local.


Unfortunately, I rarely have the time for a longer drive to unfamiliar areas
=/

I'm not complaining. And as I've mentioned before, powder isn't fun for me,
yet. I'm working on it, though, here and there!

Thanks for the pointer to Wolf Creek. I hear awesome things about it. Maybe
I can make some time. Unfortunately, all of my January hockey games are on
Sundays, and it's hard to get back home in time.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
On 2005-01-17, Black Metal Martha penned:
I would say I have days like this twice maybe if I'm lucky, three
times a
year.

[snip]

I skied really well yesterday. Everything clicked. I remembered a
lot of the
earlier advice in here, thanks everyone! My turns were beautiful.
I'm really
getting it down.

[snip]

It was the kind of day I dream about and is the whole reason why I
love
skiing so much. May we all have days this good.

That's awesome, Martha! Man, you have them three times a year? I
feel lucky
if I have a day like that once a year. Maybe I need to get out there
more =)

Scratch that. I know I need to get out there more.


--
monique
Longmont, CO

Monique:

I'm probably on more of a learning curve than yourself. I'm still
spending most of my time on the blues, and finding out that not all
blues are created equally.

I'm going back to Kirkwood this Saturday, so maybe I'll attempt a
couple of blacks. I'm feeling lucky.

Martha

Black Metal Martha wrote:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

On 2005-01-17, Black Metal Martha penned:

I would say I have days like this twice maybe if I'm lucky, three

times a

year.

[snip]


I skied really well yesterday. Everything clicked. I remembered a

lot of the

earlier advice in here, thanks everyone! My turns were beautiful.

I'm really

getting it down.

[snip]


It was the kind of day I dream about and is the whole reason why I

love

skiing so much. May we all have days this good.

That's awesome, Martha! Man, you have them three times a year? I

feel lucky

if I have a day like that once a year. Maybe I need to get out there

more =)

Scratch that. I know I need to get out there more.


--
monique
Longmont, CO


Monique:

I'm probably on more of a learning curve than yourself. I'm still
spending most of my time on the blues, and finding out that not all
blues are created equally.

I'm going back to Kirkwood this Saturday, so maybe I'll attempt a
couple of blacks. I'm feeling lucky.

Martha

Some of the fine print on every ski area's brochure/trail map
will tell you that trail classification is relative only to
trails within the ski area and you shouldn't compare their
classification of trails with other ski areas.

Not only that, but areas will skew classification for
marketing purposes (NO, they wouldn't do that would they?).

At Killington we are know as the "Beast of the East" for our
preponderance of black diamond trails and general lack of
easier terrain. That really isn't true, but to increase the
number of blue trails, management has taken some easier
trails and labeled them blue and some relatively easy black
trails and labeled them blue.

Now the first part isn't so bad. But labeling a trail that
should be black, blue is a travesty in the making.

1. You'll get the scraper crowd big time. Both boards and
skiers.

2. This makes what was initially an easy black trail into
a horribly difficult trail because all the snow has been
scraped off AND the thing is bumped up with bumps which
have no pattern or rhythm.

This happened two places at K a few years back. Bittersweet
was downgraded to a blue as was Mouse Trap (which was also
renamed "Middle Bunny Buster".

Both trails are or have somewhere on them a "headwall", that
is a steep section approached by a gentle grade, but without
exit by the time you get to the steep part. Stuck, must go
down the steep, can't bail, must skid, must survive. You know
the thoughts and actions.

Both trails are now back to being black diamond and Mouse Trap
has regained its old name.

VtSkier

On 2005-01-18, Black Metal Martha penned:

Monique:

I'm probably on more of a learning curve than yourself. I'm still spending
most of my time on the blues, and finding out that not all blues are created
equally.

Well, I can't speak to your learning curve, but it's definitely true that
blues come in all shapes and sizes!

I'm going back to Kirkwood this Saturday, so maybe I'll attempt a couple of
blacks. I'm feeling lucky.

I'd recommend asking around for the best "beginner blacks." As much as blues
tend to vary in difficulty, it seems like blacks have an even wider range at
most resorts.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

On 2005-01-18, VtSkier penned:

Some of the fine print on every ski area's brochure/trail map will tell you
that trail classification is relative only to trails within the ski area and
you shouldn't compare their classification of trails with other ski areas.

They should also mention that the classifications only vaguely relate to other
trails on the same mountain =P

Now the first part isn't so bad. But labeling a trail that should be black,
blue is a travesty in the making.

1. You'll get the scraper crowd big time. Both boards and skiers.

My least favorite trails are the green catwalks that funnel people from one
area to another, and are sometimes unavoidable. There are sooo many people
there, all moving at different speeds or not at all. There are slow signs and
slow people in areas where you know that slowing down will force you to work
eight times as hard on the latter portion of the trail. And they get bare and
icy faster than any other trail on the mountain.

I'd much rather ski a "gnarly" run than a green catwalk, any day of the week.
Maybe I'm weird that way.

Seems like I find greens more hazardous than most blues and blacks, just
because of the people. (Kind of like how in martial arts, sparring a white
belt is scarier than sparring a black belt, because the white belt lacks
technique and control and is more likely to hurt both of you.)

2. This makes what was initially an easy black trail into a horribly
difficult trail because all the snow has been scraped off AND the thing is
bumped up with bumps which have no pattern or rhythm.

Blue bumps. They're the worst!

Both trails are or have somewhere on them a "headwall", that is a steep
section approached by a gentle grade, but without exit by the time you get
to the steep part. Stuck, must go down the steep, can't bail, must skid,
must survive. You know the thoughts and actions.

Ugh! That certainly shouldn't be a blue. Lame.

Both trails are now back to being black diamond and Mouse Trap has regained
its old name.

Good to hear.

--
monique
Longmont, CO