How warm can it get?

We are supposed to go skiing/snowboarding in Wisconsin tomorrow (4hr
drive each way), but it's supposed to be 54 degrees! How warm can it get
before the skiing is ruined? Will it be slush and terrible at 54; they
have a 35-40in base.
--
"You can go a long way with a smile.
You can go a lot farther with a smile and a gun."
Al Capone

Your Worst Nightmare wrote:
We are supposed to go skiing/snowboarding in Wisconsin tomorrow (4hr
drive each way), but it's supposed to be 54 degrees! How warm can it get
before the skiing is ruined? Will it be slush and terrible at 54; they
have a 35-40in base.

It will be good if you don't mind slush. Better than when it gets cold
again anyway.
I don't mind slush so much but some hate it. If you hate it stay home.

Matt

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.skiing.alpine.moderated.] On 2005-02-05,
MattB penned:
Your Worst Nightmare wrote:
We are supposed to go skiing/snowboarding in Wisconsin tomorrow (4hr drive
each way), but it's supposed to be 54 degrees! How warm can it get before
the skiing is ruined? Will it be slush and terrible at 54; they have a
35-40in base.

It will be good if you don't mind slush. Better than when it gets cold again
anyway. I don't mind slush so much but some hate it. If you hate it stay
home.

Matt

I hate slush and I cannot lie!

Of course, slush is responsible for one of my many knee injuries. Okay, fine,
slush plus poor technique. Still, I find it's a lot easier to tweak my knee
in "heavy" snow, like slush.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

I hate slush and I cannot lie!

Of course, slush is responsible for one of my many knee injuries.
Okay, fine,
slush plus poor technique. Still, I find it's a lot easier to tweak
my knee
in "heavy" snow, like slush.


Slush is responsible for my cracked ribs.

The only time I don't mind it is when it's spring and the skiing days
are numbered.

Martha

Black Metal Martha wrote:
Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

I hate slush and I cannot lie!

Of course, slush is responsible for one of my many knee injuries.

Okay, fine,

slush plus poor technique. Still, I find it's a lot easier to tweak

my knee

in "heavy" snow, like slush.



Slush is responsible for my cracked ribs.

The only time I don't mind it is when it's spring and the skiing days
are numbered.

Martha


I think it can be fun, but it definitely requires aggressive technique
and a nice bouncy unweight during the lead change.

If I could choose it would be multiple feet of champagne powder every
day, but when it's slushy I can still have a good time.

Matt

On 2005-02-07, MattB penned:

I think it can be fun, but it definitely requires aggressive technique and a
nice bouncy unweight during the lead change.

If I could choose it would be multiple feet of champagne powder every day,
but when it's slushy I can still have a good time.

My problem is that, knowing that I've hurt my knee in the past and seeing that
the slush "looks" like an obstacle, I am not confident that I can carve
through it, so I don't and disaster strikes. I have this problem in crud and
various other non-ideal conditions.

I'm sure that if I had the confidence to truly commit myself to the carve in
these types of snow, it would work just fine.

--
monique
Longmont, CO

"MattB" wrote in message
...

I think it can be fun, but it definitely requires aggressive technique and
a nice bouncy unweight during the lead change.

er, lead change?

ant

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.skiing.alpine.moderated.] On 2005-02-05,
MattB penned:

Your Worst Nightmare wrote:

We are supposed to go skiing/snowboarding in Wisconsin tomorrow (4hr drive
each way), but it's supposed to be 54 degrees! How warm can it get before
the skiing is ruined? Will it be slush and terrible at 54; they have a
35-40in base.

It will be good if you don't mind slush. Better than when it gets cold again
anyway. I don't mind slush so much but some hate it. If you hate it stay
home.

Matt


I hate slush and I cannot lie!

Of course, slush is responsible for one of my many knee injuries. Okay, fine,
slush plus poor technique. Still, I find it's a lot easier to tweak my knee
in "heavy" snow, like slush.

I think we should recognize that there is a difference between corn snow
(some mistake this for slush) and slush (some mistake this for corn).
Both exist, occasionally side by side, but typically their basic
difference would be defined by the freeze-thaw cycle: corn is on a
frozen snowpack and slush isn't. Some would say you need an undisturbed
snowpack off piste to have true corn, but I say you can get good corn on
low traffic groomers sometimes, even though this is usually vastly
inferior to the off piste variety.

Usually you must wait to mid to late morning and follow the sun to get
the goods. But you may have to adjust that to earlier in the morning to
get good corn if it is barely freezing overnight. If it is not
freezing, try the shadows and north-facing aspects, in-bounds, for
possible corn. North-facing aspects are frequently dangerous in these
conditions, so be aware if hiking OB.

Personally, I enjoy corn snow nearly as much as powder. Part of the fun
is being a detective trying to find the right aspect at the right time
for nice, smooth, buttery, lucious CORN!!!! And the brews topside in
the mid afternoon sun after the corn slushes out don't hurt none either.

RAC

I assumed it was going to be too slushy and canceled my trip to Alpine
Valley.

On a side note, I'm assuming you're going to Cascade. Does an extra 100
vertical feet merit going to Cascade instead of Alpine Valley?

Nevhision wrote:

I assumed it was going to be too slushy and canceled my trip to Alpine
Valley.


Alpine Valley is just that - a valley. The temp in the valley can be
colder than the weather station in East Troy. Unfortunately AP does not
have a webcam or an on-site weather station.

I've been to AP when the temperature has been warm. There have been a
couple of spots that were truely slushy (standing water under the snow),
but most of the trails were just very soft snow and the experience was
like surfing in thick water. It was fun.

Check out Tyrol Basin's web site. Tyrol is also in valley. The place
saves a huge pile of snow using tarps to cover it, and has a snow
festival in June.

Dean