Timeless

10 or 11 doesn't matter, all you need is a 5th grade report card or some other proof of attendance, I assume TP4 isn't too ashamed of his to show it 3 tickets to each of the following: Jay peak Killington Okemo Stratton Mount Snow Mad River Glen Suicide 6 Bromley and many more.... I could get to spend a good deal of my winter in VT, if only I hadn't just bought her a season pass to CB

I addition to the SkiPA offer of 4th Graders getting free tickets (previously posted), Vermont have a Ski 4 Free scheme for 5th Grade students. I'm signing my daughter up so that my wife will let us do more trips to VT through the year, you get 3 tickets to each resort to be used any time except for a few blackout dates. http://www.skivermont.com/kidzone/passport.php

I agree, I have always bought my boots from a store and would never waste their time trying on stuff only to go buy it online. ( Ihave also tipped the guy fitting my boots, was that the wrong thing to do?) However, this weekend may provide some argument to this. I bought my son new ski bindings at the loft this weekend and while we were there we looked at some boots for him, including having the guy size his feet and try on 1 pair, no special adjustments or trying multiple pairs. We didn't buy the boots because a) they told me his current ones still fit and b.) the new ones were labelled at $235 (my son has just turned 6). A quick look on line at home found the same boots for $119, no "special offer" price, from multiple sellers. To be fair, I didn't push the sales guy to see if there was something he could do with the price, but if you label the boot / box with that price it's going to put people off.

Now there's a phrase you don't hear much over here......

I have a pair of Grenade gloves and they're holding up pretty well so far, better than my Level pair. Never tried drop but the 3 in 1 thing sounds like a gimmick that will compromise the quality.

I hope you are right.

Thanks for all the useful, and the less useful responses. I've already got agreement from the loft that if I buy the mountings there they will fit them for free and I would NEVER do anything to compromise the safety of any of my kids. I was (and still am) interested in how it's done, as the thought of drilling into new ski's seems a little painful.

Do you think they've left it too late? With the weather turning so fast they may end up with no lift at all Then you'd see some lift lines Everyone else adding new lifts (like Belleayre and Windham) had the towers in during the summer and the cables are all in place. If you look at their timelines from placing the towers to where they are now, I'm not convinced Blue is going to make it.

I need to know hw easy / difficult it's going to be if I choose to mount the bindings on my son's new ski's (junior K2 omni's) rather than have the shop do it. I got a great deal on the ski's at the loft during the summer but I think the bindings there will be much more expensive (even if they mount them for free) than I'll get on-line so I'd like to keep that option open. Anyone have a step-by-step for someone that's not done it before. Also, what about DIN settings for someone so small (48" and 50lbs)?

Where / What is "your shop"

The rail off the cliff was amazing, the kid has amazing talent (and exposure it seems) for a twelve year old.

I don't like it but I don't really know what it is that really puts me off. Maybe just unfounded prejudice, but I prefer the other "speedlacing" systems that I've tried on Salomon and Ride boots.

The edit button?

My daughter has expressed an interest in an M4 Mini Heartbreaker (137)

Why mess around with plastic fences, mounds of snow etc, what you need is a really intimidating gap-to rail as the entrance to the park, with the fence running right up to both sides of it, if you can't take the rail, you can't come into the park.

Using Elan (as they do) is probably a good thing, it seems strange that they've kept the same model names from several of the old M3 lines if they are all new.

Do you know if M4's first boards are re-labeled elans, m3's or are they all new?

My daughter's going to need a new one, either a high end youth board (Ginger) or a slim ladies board in around a 138. She only weighs 85lb's, we have been looking at a K2 skyla, any suggestions. Also, have you tried a Vapor (for freeriding)?

It's cool that you have both your own opinions and a love of something outside of the park. And obviously I don't know you well (at all), but don't take my limited but excited view of "out west" as anything but that, I'm the last person to impose my views on anyone.

yep, about 30-40 minutes from the in-town bus stops. There is another park-and-ride right at the entrance to big cottonwood canyon, the locals said allow 30 minutes from arriving there. If you are going to look at SLC, check out the local transit authority website (google search SLC bus routes) and find a hotel on the main routes, mine wasn't but I had a car. You need to be in a suburb / area called "Sandy" for your Hotel.

LMAO

Wow some not too deeply buried hostility here me thinks..........

My favourite piture from the trip... I had to reduce the resolution to upload it from here. It's brighton from Clayton peak, where some of my best runs came from. Also, going back to the original post, it is practical to consider riding on the day you arrive, although the fact you won't have a car may prevent this. Sorry for the confusion, maybe OoB would have been better. The big difference out west, for me anyway, was the access to trees and cliffs and stuff in-bounds, there was more than enough "back country" riding which was easily lift serviced and not at all ski'd out. I'm going to try and attach a big pic' from brighton to this post. Sorry for the confusion, maybe OoB would have been better. The big difference out west, for me anyway, was the access to trees and cliffs and stuff in-bounds, there was more than enough "back country" riding which was easily lift serviced and not at all ski'd out. I'm going to try and attach a big pic' from brighton to this post.

Sorry for the confusion, maybe OoB would have been better. The big difference out west, for me anyway, was the access to trees and cliffs and stuff in-bounds, there was more than enough "back country" riding which was easily lift serviced and not at all ski'd out.

OK, so I did almost this exact trip this year so here's my advice for what it's worth You could (should?) comsider staying in SLC, if you choose your hotel carefully you can stay right on the bus route. The bus system is excellent and serves all of the big/little cottonwood canyon resorts and I believe you can even bus to PC. Hotels are cheap (>$70/night for a "suite") and the bus will get you to the resort for first lifts if you want. Also you can get cheaper tickets in the local stores ( I used canyon sports) than buying direct at the resorts. SLC also gives you better options for eating out. This gives you access to Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird (and Alta if you're skiers) and a longer ride to PC. OK, as for resorts, you seem to be of a similar level to me so any of these resorts will offer you enough in-bounds stuff to keep you happy for at least a whole week at each (except maybe solitude), but I guarantee you will try some OOB's before you leave, it's just too accessible to miss out on. If you are comfortable on anything blue/black at an east coast resort like Killington (rather than CB/Blue) then you will be OK on any of the blue stuff out there and most of the black. Just be aware that anything marked double black is for real and you might die basically double black means it could involve cliffs, trees, shutes, all of the above . I didn't make it to snowbird, but I'm told it's more "expert" than the others. I'll try it next time I go. You may get a more detailed picture from my posts when I was there, just search for "utah" in the old posts. PC was definately worth a visit, but you don't really notice the extra vert over somewhere like Brighton. The food at PC is very expensive. The lifts at solitude are a little primitive. If you stay at Brighton you can use the bus to get to solitude (or you can use the connecting trail but it's a bit flat for boards), but catching the bus back down to SLC and then back out again is going to be a pain. Brighton and solitude are both really nice but there won't be much to do in the evenings (but then as you will be making up for lost time that shouldn't be a problem. Whatever you do you should have an awesome time, I hope to get back out there myself next spring.