Sugar Bowl Advice 2nd Try - sorta long

I posted this recently and got no bites, so I thought I'd try one more time.
If you have any interest in replying I'd like to hear your opinion.

Care to rate some runs I haven't tried, yet?

I'm definitely an intermediate skiier. When they've been groomed, I can
ski, with confidence and style, East Face, Market Street, Donald Duck,
Eagle, and Donner's Way and I can ski all the blue runs. Add moguls to the
black runs and it becomes work, with worry, instead of play. Although, if
the moguls
are in good condition and the black run isn't too steep, it's more fun than
work.
I tried Nancy's Couloir and it wasn't much fun; I think I had the skills for
it, but
my confidence was low (I tend to worry about being able to pay my mortgage
when I'm skiing). The idea of skiing in control at all times is a joke to
me; if nothing happens to throw me off balance, I'm in control, but catch an
edge at speed ....

Whenever I ride the Jerome Hill Express with that excellent view of Mt.
Judah I start salivating; I want to ski that (it obviously requires hiking)
when it's loaded with fresh snow. And when I get to the Crow's
Traverse/Overland intersection where the sign says Open Area Do Not Ski
Alone and leads to Crows Face and Strawberry Fields, first I hear Beatle's
tunes, then I wish I could ski Strawberry Fields.

Where am I in my skiing ability when it comes to wanting to ski Mt Judah and
Strawberry Fields? Am I light years away or am I getting close?
I know I need a powder lesson and a mogul lesson and some practice in those
conditions. I also know that looking up at Mt Judah may be very deceiving;
slopes are never as steep when you're looking up as when you're looking
down; and Strawberry Fields is just a place on the trail map that I want to
try even though I know absolutely nothing about it. So, what do you think?
And while we're at it, is the Sugar Bowl run easier or harder than Nancy's
Couloir?

Bryan wrote:
Care to rate some runs I haven't tried, yet?

I think you're ready to take on some challenges, like the 58 for
example. Just throw yourself in and see what happens.
http://www.skisugarbowl.com/tahoe/SI...014/direct?c=1

Ok for real just take Mt. Lincoln Express and Disney Express up and down
as much as you can. When you can ski some of the blacks near the
chairs, you are ready to cruise off in that Crows Nest area. Just don't
take anything that's a double black cause you might find yourself near
one of those extreme skiing signs that scared me sh*tless when I was 12.

Mike

"Mike Weber" wrote in message
...
Bryan wrote:
Care to rate some runs I haven't tried, yet?

I think you're ready to take on some challenges, like the 58 for example.
Just throw yourself in and see what happens.
http://www.skisugarbowl.com/tahoe/SI...014/direct?c=1

Ok for real just take Mt. Lincoln Express and Disney Express up and down
as much as you can. When you can ski some of the blacks near the chairs,
you are ready to cruise off in that Crows Nest area. Just don't take
anything that's a double black cause you might find yourself near one of
those extreme skiing signs that scared me sh*tless when I was 12.

Mike


I appreciate your 58 suggestion; the humor is obvious!

However, you tell me I'm ready for the Crow's Nest area (Crow's Nest,
Strawberry Fields) and in the very next sentence you tell me not to take any
double blacks. Crow's Nest and Strawberry Fields ARE double blacks. So, I'm
confused.

I wonder which in-bounds patrolled runs are the closest thing to Crow's Nest
and Strawberry Fields? As I said, I easily ski several of the groomed
blacks off Disney and, from what you say, I need to try some of the Lincoln
blacks. I probably just answered my own question.

When I ask Ski Patrol for advice about a run, they seem to come from the
perspective of whether, or not, they can retrieve a skier from the run. So
the answer tends to be, go for it.
And the instructor's seem to come from a perspective of if you have to ask
then I can't advise it due to liability concerns.



It sucks that the quality snow season is coming to an end (this weekend's
snow acknowledged)! I'm really excited about testing my limits.

Bryan wrote:
I appreciate your 58 suggestion; the humor is obvious!

Thanks.


However, you tell me I'm ready for the Crow's Nest area (Crow's Nest,
Strawberry Fields) and in the very next sentence you tell me not to take any
double blacks. Crow's Nest and Strawberry Fields ARE double blacks. So, I'm
confused.

I don't know much about Strawberry Fields, but I think you have to hike
to get there... and I haven't done it Soooooo I don't know much
about it. But the backcountry stuff on Crow's Nest is only double-black
because the ski patrol doesn't watch it as closely as everything else on
the mountain. Isn't Crow's Nest a lift? I think I've skied that area a
dozen times, and I never ran into any hairy situations.

I wonder which in-bounds patrolled runs are the closest thing to Crow's Nest
and Strawberry Fields? As I said, I easily ski several of the groomed
blacks off Disney and, from what you say, I need to try some of the Lincoln
blacks. I probably just answered my own question.

Yep. But be careful on the runs skiers right from the chute under the
chair (Lincoln) - those can get realllly crazy. I'd say you should be
able to comfortably ski directly under the chair on Lincoln Express
before you go cruising around Crow's Nest (if it's open). Or you could
just get a few friends and go over to Crow's Nest anyway- it's not like
there's any huge cliffs over there.

When I ask Ski Patrol for advice about a run, they seem to come from the
perspective of whether, or not, they can retrieve a skier from the run. So
the answer tends to be, go for it.
And the instructor's seem to come from a perspective of if you have to ask
then I can't advise it due to liability concerns.

Have you ever seen Ski Patrol?

It sucks that the quality snow season is coming to an end (this weekend's
snow acknowledged)! I'm really excited about testing my limits.

You probably shouldn't ski Crow's Nest or any backcountry-esque terrain
if there's no fresh snow. It'll be icy all day if it doesn't get any sun.

Anyway, here's a sweet picture of me (left) and my friend pete on a jump
at Boreal! I don't like terrain parks but sometimes there's nothing else
to ski (ie before Christmas when we missed a HUGE storm).
http://www.afrinspray.com/images/pic...e/DSC01665.jpg


-Mike

"Mike Weber" wrote in message
...

I don't know much about Strawberry Fields, but I think you have to hike to
get there... and I haven't done it Soooooo I don't know much about it.
But the backcountry stuff on Crow's Nest is only double-black because the
ski patrol doesn't watch it as closely as everything else on the mountain.
Isn't Crow's Nest a lift? I think I've skied that area a dozen times, and
I never ran into any hairy situations.

There is a Crow's Nest lift, but it feeds the blue runs: Overland,
Montgomery, ....
It's the closest lift to the Crow's Nest Peak and Strawberry Fields area.
That area
has a rope and a sign that says Open Area Unpatrolled Do Not Ski Alone.
The hiking doesn't bother me. It's actually the unskied nature of that area
that is
becoming so interesting to me. I want to get over there before Sugar Bowl
puts a lift
in that area.

I'd say you should be able to comfortably ski directly under the chair on
Lincoln Express before you go cruising around Crow's Nest (if it's open).
Or you could just get a few friends and go over to Crow's Nest anyway-
it's not like there's any huge cliffs over there.

Since I started asking you these questions I've been looking at the trail
map
in a different way and I agree that I should probably get comfortable with
the black
runs off the Lincoln Express, starting with the Silver Belt run. And if the
Crow's Nest
Strawberry Fields area is free of cliffs then I'm a lot closer to skiing it
than I was aware of.
Friends? I don't need no stinkin' friends! Actually, I've got blue
friends, green friends,
and friends who want nothing to do with snow let alone skiing it. I'll have
to make
some black friends.

When I ask Ski Patrol for advice about a run, they seem to come from the
Have you ever seen Ski Patrol?

Sure, I see Ski Patrol all the time. They hang out at the top of Disney.

You probably shouldn't ski Crow's Nest or any backcountry-esque terrain if
there's no fresh snow. It'll be icy all day if it doesn't get any sun.

Anyway, here's a sweet picture of me (left) and my friend pete on a jump

The jump looks like fun; which one are you - the black or the tan? I used
to play
on the jumps until I blew 3 disks and a knee (unrelated to skiing).

Thanks for the discussion.
Bryan

Bryan wrote:

I want to get over there before Sugar Bowl
puts a lift
in that area.

Good point! That would be awful... they should spend the money on
replacing older chairs with 6-paks instead (not beer).

Since I started asking you these questions I've been looking at the trail
map
in a different way and I agree that I should probably get comfortable with
the black
runs off the Lincoln Express, starting with the Silver Belt run. And if the
Crow's Nest
Strawberry Fields area is free of cliffs then I'm a lot closer to skiing it
than I was aware of.
Friends? I don't need no stinkin' friends! Actually, I've got blue
friends, green friends,
and friends who want nothing to do with snow let alone skiing it. I'll have
to make
some black friends.

I don't think you should take my word for it though... it's possible
that there's some cliffs in that area that I don't remember. Looking at
the map, you should be able to ski Rohlver's Run (I think it was called
Carl's Nose before) before you cruise over to Crow's Face (I thought the
area was called Crow's Nest earlier, sorry). Definitely do it with your
new black friend, yo.

The jump looks like fun; which one are you - the black or the tan? I used
to play
on the jumps until I blew 3 disks and a knee (unrelated to skiing).

I'm the tan. 3 disks and your knee??! Ouch how'd you do that?

Thanks for the discussion.
No prob, thank you!

Mike

"Mike Weber" wrote in message
...
Bryan wrote:

I want to get over there before Sugar Bowl puts a lift
in that area.

Good point! That would be awful... they should spend the money on
replacing older chairs with 6-paks instead (not beer).


I understand that Sugar Bowl needs to add these lifts to remain competitive,
but it seems a shame to open up those areas to anyone who can make it to a
lift line. One of the things I love about Sugar Bowl is that it still feels
like a mom and pop operation and not like the plastic fantastic Squaw. If
the information I've received is correct, Christmas Tree will be replaced
with a high speed detachable and the old Christmas Tree lift will be erected
in the Crow's Nest/Strawberry Fields area. The timeline is based on how
much money is in the kitty at the end of each year.

Friends? I don't need no stinkin' friends! Actually, I've got blue
friends, green friends,
and friends who want nothing to do with snow let alone skiing it. I'll
have to make
some black friends.

I don't think you should take my word for it though... it's possible that
there's some cliffs in that area that I don't remember. Looking at the
map, you should be able to ski Rohlver's Run (I think it was called Carl's
Nose before) before you cruise over to Crow's Face (I thought the area was
called Crow's Nest earlier, sorry). Definitely do it with your new black
friend, yo.

One of my black friends only skis blues because of his knee; he would be my
first choice. My other black friend is a coworker that can't join me until
next year. Patience is not my virtue. Immediate gratification is my
favorite objective.

The jump looks like fun; which one are you - the black or the tan? I
used to play
on the jumps until I blew 3 disks and a knee (unrelated to skiing).

I'm the tan. 3 disks and your knee??! Ouch how'd you do that?

Nice move! I did my damage coaching soccer, playing baseball with my kids,
and growing old. The growing old part explains my urgency to accomplish my
Sugar Bowl goals; I'm in the middle of my midlife crisis and my wife
objected to the 25 year old girlfriend option. Go figure!

Bryan wrote:
I understand that Sugar Bowl needs to add these lifts to remain competitive,
but it seems a shame to open up those areas to anyone who can make it to a
lift line. One of the things I love about Sugar Bowl is that it still feels
like a mom and pop operation and not like the plastic fantastic Squaw. If
the information I've received is correct, Christmas Tree will be replaced
with a high speed detachable and the old Christmas Tree lift will be erected
in the Crow's Nest/Strawberry Fields area. The timeline is based on how
much money is in the kitty at the end of each year.

I don't get it... I mean Christmas Tree is just a transport between
June/Jerome and Lincoln. Anyway, it kinda sucks that they'd put the
Christmas Tree lift over by Strawberry Fields. Ironically, I was
talking to a friend tonight and he- seriously out of the blue I didn't
even mention sugar bowl- said that it was so fun when we skied
Strawberry Fields like 6 years ago... I honestly don't even remember it!
I guess I've been over there though.

One of my black friends only skis blues because of his knee; he would be my
first choice. My other black friend is a coworker that can't join me until
next year. Patience is not my virtue. Immediate gratification is my
favorite objective.

Crow's Nest can't be thaaat cool- I think you should just ski some trees
next to the main runs until you get someone to ski with. As paranoid as
the ski patrol are, you shouldn't ski alone when they say not to...

Nice move! I did my damage coaching soccer, playing baseball with my kids,
and growing old. The growing old part explains my urgency to accomplish my
Sugar Bowl goals; I'm in the middle of my midlife crisis and my wife
objected to the 25 year old girlfriend option. Go figure!
Thanks! I'm sorry about the knee. That totally sucks... but it happens
to everyone. Most people can barely ski by the time their 35. Man the
25 year old gf option sounds cool (especially since I'm 24. BTW I
was a catcher in high school! Baseball rules-- and I'll remember it
forever. Keep playing it with your kids.

Mike

Mike