Scraping

I just finished scraping the storage wax off my skis. A quick
inspection of the edges and the bindings says that systems are go.

The storm system that's dumped a couple of inches of rain in the last
24 hours will turn to snow when the front comes through, and they're
calling for a footof fresh to fall a hundred miles west of here.

With two nights of snowmaking, something may be open for the weekend
and I can shake out the cobwebs on the real stuff before heading to
Tahoe, instead of some dorky exercise machine.

All hail Ullr. Pleased be that He walks among us once again.

// Walt
//
// There is no Volkl Conspiracy

Walt wrote:

I just finished scraping the storage wax off my skis. A quick
inspection of the edges and the bindings says that systems are go.

The storm system that's dumped a couple of inches of rain in the last 24
hours will turn to snow when the front comes through, and they're
calling for a footof fresh to fall a hundred miles west of here.

With two nights of snowmaking, something may be open for the weekend and
I can shake out the cobwebs on the real stuff before heading to Tahoe,
instead of some dorky exercise machine.

All hail Ullr. Pleased be that He walks among us once again.

// Walt
//
// There is no Volkl Conspiracy

I did that on my rock ski's today also. I inspected the edges and bases
then realized it was going to be a full tune to get them ready. Figure
my first time out after the accident I do not want to do it on race
ski's something a little more forgiving would make sense. With binding
set for normal use.

michael

Walt wrote:
I just finished scraping the storage wax off my skis. A quick
inspection of the edges and the bindings says that systems are go.

The storm system that's dumped a couple of inches of rain in the last
24 hours will turn to snow when the front comes through, and they're
calling for a footof fresh to fall a hundred miles west of here.

With two nights of snowmaking, something may be open for the weekend
and I can shake out the cobwebs on the real stuff before heading to
Tahoe, instead of some dorky exercise machine.

Alright, I'll bite.
I submit that my regimen of dorky exercise machines is a vastly
superior method of preparing for Real Mountains than yo-yoing the
biggest baddest run at one of the local 200' of vertical hills.

As Ive stated before, I was a skier for about twenty years before I
ever skied outside the state of Michigan. I had an absolute blast
skiing Mt. Holly (thirty or so miles north of Detroit) and Crystal Mtn.
(a couple of hundred miles north of there) and literally nothing else
until a scant ten years ago. Once I experienced Real Mountains
however, I was never again able to be satisfied by anything in our
beautiful lower peninsula.

For the last several years I've found it very satisfying to commit the
dollars I would spend on skiing in our home state to spending an extra
day or two in the great state of Colorado.

I do feel it's important to be physically prepared for the rigors of
skiing so I resort to a variety of dorky machines. In fact for the
last few weeks I've made very good use of my Bowflex, Skier's Edge,
Indo Board, and Stair Master. I don't really have the opportunity to
get ready for the season by hiking for early turns so I opt for the
basement gym concept and it's going pretty well for me. By the time I
get to the mountains my core and upper body will be solid and strong
thanks to the Bowflex, my balance will be pretty darn well honed thanks
to the Skier's Edge and Indo Board. The newest addition to my gym is
the Stair Master 4000PT. It's a straight up stair climber from about
ten years ago that I bought from a guy in West Bloomfield for $300. He
had put about 400 hours on it in the first year then hadn't used since.
He was glad to see me take it away for less than a third of what they
more commonly go for. Thanks to this dorky machine my legs will be
strong strong strong when I hit the slopes for the first time, my heart
and lungs will be nearly where they need to be and my buns will have
that beautiful bubble quality that the chicks dig so much.

So what I'm trying to say is that man, I sure do envy you Walt. I
wish I could still get excited about our local skiing the way I used
to. But even if I did, and logged fifty days between now and my first
day Out West, that alone wouldn't be enough skiing to get me into the
ski shape that I'll be in using my machines. I eagerly await the
scraping of my storage wax, but I very well may not get to that task
until Valentine's Day or so.

That being said, are you planning to be out on Sunday? Maybe I'll see
you there if the lift tix aren't too expensive.

Later,
Chris

P.S. I wonder what other flat landers that enjoy skiing in the Rockies
feel about skiing the "learnin' hill" again.




All hail Ullr. Pleased be that He walks among us once again.

// Walt
//
// There is no Volkl Conspiracy

bumpfreaq wrote:

Walt wrote:

I just finished scraping the storage wax off my skis. A quick
inspection of the edges and the bindings says that systems are go.

The storm system that's dumped a couple of inches of rain in the last
24 hours will turn to snow when the front comes through, and they're
calling for a footof fresh to fall a hundred miles west of here.

With two nights of snowmaking, something may be open for the weekend
and I can shake out the cobwebs on the real stuff before heading to
Tahoe, instead of some dorky exercise machine.


Alright, I'll bite.
I submit that my regimen of dorky exercise machines is a vastly
superior method of preparing for Real Mountains than yo-yoing the
biggest baddest run at one of the local 200' of vertical hills.

Gym time is obviously good for athleticism. I just find it stiflingly
boring.


As Ive stated before, I was a skier for about twenty years before I
ever skied outside the state of Michigan. I had an absolute blast
skiing Mt. Holly (thirty or so miles north of Detroit) and Crystal Mtn.
(a couple of hundred miles north of there) and literally nothing else
until a scant ten years ago. Once I experienced Real Mountains
however, I was never again able to be satisfied by anything in our
beautiful lower peninsula.

Well, I've tasted the real thing, and I still enjoy the molehills. I
still have a blast at Holly and Crystal. I've eaten at great
restaurants too, but I still enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich with
Campbell's Tomato soup.


For the last several years I've found it very satisfying to commit the
dollars I would spend on skiing in our home state to spending an extra
day or two in the great state of Colorado.


For me it's not so much money as time. I can only take three whole
weeks off each winter, so it's two ski trips plus a visit to the
family around XMas (with a little skiing on the side). This would
leave me with only about 15-20 days on the slopes if I didn't ski here
local on evenings and weekends.


I do feel it's important to be physically prepared for the rigors of
skiing so I resort to a variety of dorky machines.

12 oz curls for me. Lather, rinse repeat.


That being said, are you planning to be out on Sunday? Maybe I'll see
you there if the lift tix aren't too expensive.

If anything is open in the vicinity, I'm there. But it looks like the
storm was a bust, so I'm probably working on the boat instead. I'll
fling a post in this direction if that changes.

//Walt

Gym time is obviously good for athleticism. I just find it stiflingly
boring.

You should try the Indo Board. It's pretty fun and fairly challenging.
Kinda like skateboarding without the travelling.

I've only seen you ski a couple of runs on a jet lagged, sleep deprived
day but I guarantee you that if you mastered the basics of Indo Board
and Skier's Edge, you'd seen an immediate and dramatic improvement in
your turns.


As Ive stated before, I was a skier for about twenty years before I
ever skied outside the state of Michigan. I had an absolute blast
skiing Mt. Holly (thirty or so miles north of Detroit) and Crystal Mtn.
(a couple of hundred miles north of there) and literally nothing else
until a scant ten years ago. Once I experienced Real Mountains
however, I was never again able to be satisfied by anything in our
beautiful lower peninsula.

Well, I've tasted the real thing, and I still enjoy the molehills. I
still have a blast at Holly and Crystal. I've eaten at great
restaurants too, but I still enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich with
Campbell's Tomato soup.

I'm with you on the food..... although I'd have to be pretty darn
hungry to consume Campbell's soup..... but when I ski the local hills I
never seem to get full.


For the last several years I've found it very satisfying to commit the
dollars I would spend on skiing in our home state to spending an extra
day or two in the great state of Colorado.


For me it's not so much money as time. I can only take three whole
weeks off each winter, so it's two ski trips plus a visit to the
family around XMas (with a little skiing on the side). This would
leave me with only about 15-20 days on the slopes if I didn't ski here
local on evenings and weekends.


I do feel it's important to be physically prepared for the rigors of
skiing so I resort to a variety of dorky machines.

12 oz curls for me. Lather, rinse repeat.

Lately those are my reward for the 40# curls.


That being said, are you planning to be out on Sunday? Maybe I'll see
you there if the lift tix aren't too expensive.

If anything is open in the vicinity, I'm there. But it looks like the
storm was a bust, so I'm probably working on the boat instead. I'll
fling a post in this direction if that changes.

//Walt

I'll count on you to keep me updated.

Tahoe eh? Sounds like fun.

Chris

Gym time is obviously good for athleticism. I just find it stiflingly
boring.

You should try the Indo Board. It's pretty fun and fairly challenging.
Kinda like skateboarding without the travelling.

I've only seen you ski a couple of runs on a jet lagged, sleep deprived
day but I guarantee you that if you mastered the basics of Indo Board
and Skier's Edge, you'd seen an immediate and dramatic improvement in
your turns.


As Ive stated before, I was a skier for about twenty years before I
ever skied outside the state of Michigan. I had an absolute blast
skiing Mt. Holly (thirty or so miles north of Detroit) and Crystal Mtn.
(a couple of hundred miles north of there) and literally nothing else
until a scant ten years ago. Once I experienced Real Mountains
however, I was never again able to be satisfied by anything in our
beautiful lower peninsula.

Well, I've tasted the real thing, and I still enjoy the molehills. I
still have a blast at Holly and Crystal. I've eaten at great
restaurants too, but I still enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich with
Campbell's Tomato soup.

I'm with you on the food..... although I'd have to be pretty darn
hungry to consume Campbell's soup..... but when I ski the local hills I
never seem to get full.

You do put at least three good quality cheese on that sandwich, right?


For the last several years I've found it very satisfying to commit the
dollars I would spend on skiing in our home state to spending an extra
day or two in the great state of Colorado.


For me it's not so much money as time. I can only take three whole
weeks off each winter, so it's two ski trips plus a visit to the
family around XMas (with a little skiing on the side). This would
leave me with only about 15-20 days on the slopes if I didn't ski here
local on evenings and weekends.


I do feel it's important to be physically prepared for the rigors of
skiing so I resort to a variety of dorky machines.

12 oz curls for me. Lather, rinse repeat.

Lately those are my reward for the 40# curls.


That being said, are you planning to be out on Sunday? Maybe I'll see
you there if the lift tix aren't too expensive.

If anything is open in the vicinity, I'm there. But it looks like the
storm was a bust, so I'm probably working on the boat instead. I'll
fling a post in this direction if that changes.

//Walt

I'll count on you to keep me updated.

Tahoe eh? Sounds like fun.

Chris

bumpfreaq wrote:

I've only seen you ski a couple of runs on a jet lagged, sleep deprived
day but I guarantee you that if you mastered the basics of Indo Board
and Skier's Edge, you'd seen an immediate and dramatic improvement in
your turn.

Thanks for the kind euphemism, but you and I both know that you saw a
pathetic example skiing that day - I was atrocious. I was exhausted
from lack of sleep, and after four hours of attempting to keep up with
my hosts (who live there and are bored on anything blue) I was wiped.
Plus, it was the first day on a new pair of boots an my heel was
lifting with every turn, so every turn took twice as much energy.
These are excuses. The truth is that by the time we met up I had
nothing left and was skiing like crap. I knew it, you knew it, and
anyone watching knew it. If it was any worse you would think I was
flatboarding.

I see your point, though. Better physical conditioning would have
helped. It's off to the Skier's Edge machine this afternoon. I've
used it before, and it works the right muscles so it's good for
strength training. I'm *highly* skeptical that it does much for
technique. Not familiar with the indio board.

I'm with you on the food..... although I'd have to be pretty darn
hungry to consume Campbell's soup..... but when I ski the local hills I
never seem to get full.

You do put at least three good quality cheese on that sandwich, right?


It depends. If I make it myself I'll use Huntsman (Double Gloucester
and Stilton), but I'll cheerfully eat the classic Woolworth's lunch
counter version made with commodity American cheese if that's what's
available.


Tahoe eh? Sounds like fun.

Yes, it will be. For me at least. Tahoe is getting skunked so far
this year, so it looks like I'll be skiing on groomed man made snow.
Each hill will probably have about a half a dozen blue runs open, but
no steeps, back bowls, trees, off piste, etc.

This might ruin the trip for some. Not me. I'll happily ski groomed
manmade all day. I figure it'll keep the crowds down.


Lal, does this sound right to you? Any advice on which hills to hit
and which hills to avoid in the current situation?

// Walt

Walt wrote:
Better physical conditioning would have
helped. It's off to the Skier's Edge machine this afternoon. I've
used it before, and it works the right muscles so it's good for
strength training. I'm *highly* skeptical that it does much for
technique. Not familiar with the indio board.

Yeah, if you use the Skier's Edge just right it can be a boon for your
balance. I use the powder/mogul master set up and try to do it without
putting my hands on the bar for 20 or 30 minutes at a time. Check out
indoboard.com. It's a pretty simple piece of dorky equipment but it's
pretty fun and again, great for your balance.


I'm with you on the food..... although I'd have to be pretty darn
hungry to consume Campbell's soup..... but when I ski the local hills I
never seem to get full.

You do put at least three good quality cheese on that sandwich, right?


It depends. If I make it myself I'll use Huntsman (Double Gloucester
and Stilton), but I'll cheerfully eat the classic Woolworth's lunch
counter version made with commodity American cheese if that's what's
available.

Hmmm, I've never been a big fan of Huntsman. It seems to me that if
the Stilton is decent then there's no need for the Double Gloucester.
If I use Stilton in my grilled cheese (which I usually do) I'd rather
combine it with a good Emmentaler and a nice sharp cheddar.


Tahoe eh? Sounds like fun.

Yes, it will be. For me at least. Tahoe is getting skunked so far
this year, so it looks like I'll be skiing on groomed man made snow.
Each hill will probably have about a half a dozen blue runs open, but
no steeps, back bowls, trees, off piste, etc.

This might ruin the trip for some. Not me. I'll happily ski groomed
manmade all day. I figure it'll keep the crowds down.

Well have big fun, I hope we'll see a trip report.

Later,
Chris


Lal, does this sound right to you? Any advice on which hills to hit
and which hills to avoid in the current situation?

// Walt

bumpfreaq wrote:

That being said, are you planning to be out on Sunday? Maybe I'll see
you there if the lift tix aren't too expensive.

If anything is open in the vicinity, I'm there. But it looks like the
storm was a bust, so I'm probably working on the boat instead. I'll
fling a post in this direction if that changes.


I'll count on you to keep me updated.

Just got an email from Mt Holly. They open today at 3pm. Game on.

I may wait a day or two to see if they get more terrain open. My guess
is that they'll be 100% open by the weekend, maybe earlier.

//Walt

bumpfreaq wrote:



P.S. I wonder what other flat landers that enjoy skiing in the Rockies
feel about skiing the "learnin' hill" again.

This is something I have been working myself to write about. I'll start it
here.

I am a UP skier. I typically ski at: Powderporn, Blackcrack, Idiothead,
Whitecrap, and Ski Blur (most of the time here). (Big Powderhorn,
Blackjack, Indianhead, Whitecap, and Ski Brule). Early 2005 I went to
Colorado and skied at Monarch Pass, not a lot of vertical but more than
anything here and a much wider variety of terrain. The run I had liked the
best was of course longer, had portions as steep as anything I ski around
here, was wider, and had fewer skiers on it. It was great taking the nice
carving side of run to side of run and skiing faster than I would be were I
schussing most runs back home.

I returned and the following weekend I was back at Brule, yes the thrill was
much less than before. However, the choice is to move to a ski area, not
ski unless out to a serious ski area, or to ski. I choose to ski.

--
Before Heading to the Hills Head to The Wisconsin Skier:
http://www.wi-ski.com/