Glenn

Oh, that could be. I'd be scared of WL on my first day riding something 10 cm longer.

The biggest single storm I've ridden to date was in PA. Just sayin.

Ty is scared of fresh snow? Ski, I know you racers like hardpack, but really how sick would it be for a 10cm storm to put you knee deep. I understand if you don't want her turning into a freehealer though...

Does 6 inches really qualify as a dump? Most don't consider anything under 7 inches a true "powder day", let alone a dump. I'm still stoked for an inch or two, but 6 inches, a dump? Really?

I was near the lift when it happened and I got some cheers and jeers. Yeah I've heard that it's "as busy" as other resorts in the area. I thought the place was empty. Super close parking, didn't wait for any chairs, and for the most part on chair 8 it was 4 or 5 chairs empty in a row, then a half full chair, then 4 or 5 more empties. No high speed lifts, so I think thats what the deal is. Being a weekday it's hard to compare, but way less crowded than WP for sure.

http://oakley.com/pd/2034 I know what you are thinking, another jester hat big whoop. I think the price point makes this the future of sports fashion. Check out the matching eye wear as well. The future is now. Pick up one today, or you'll be another year older when you do.

I made it to loveland today. The weather was really fowl and I didn't think any pictures would really look like anything, let alone do justice to how sweet today was. They got 7 inches of snow last night on top of windblown hardpack. All day it kept snowing and blowing hard. The top of the upper lifts were total whiteouts. We started the day hitting the really steep stuff. It was a few good turns then some areas where the wind stripped everything, back into good snow. Also, since the base layer was so firm, any bumps under the fresh snow really bucked you hard. It was fun, but not that fun. After a quick warmup in the lodge we headed to chair 8 on the other side of the highway. It's pretty mellow terrain, but 3/4 of the run is above the treeline, which means super windy, but also pretty smooth snow. We took maybe 8 runs down chair 8. If you really wanted to, you could avoid all other tracks even by the time we left. Snow came to my boot tops in most of the time, but some wind drifts put me in knee deep and deeper. I practiced powder 8's, powder 1's, powder wheelies, powder tomahawks, and snowblind whiteout "where did the ground go?" cliff drops. Super fun day. Didn't put in the longest day, but the whiteouts and wind were beginning to take their toll on body and mind.

T*Maki's post makes me want to answer this a little more seriously. Basic knowledge can keep you safe in the Backcountry with minimal experience. Read the avy report, understand what is has to say. Read it every day, not just the days you go out. Understand and practice with your beacon/probe. No replacement for practice here. Watch for basic signs of instability, and when the forcast indicates human triggered slabs are possible stay out of avalanche terrain and runout unless you have some well developed skills at assessing snowpack. "A Dozen More Turns" shows how decision making is a WAY bigger factor than experience or knowledge. More to the point of my orginal post. I disliked your comment about O.B. only in the west requires caution. 5 minute hike or 4 hour hike, if you get in avalanche terrain, you should have an idea what you are doing. East coast or "out west".

Don't count on it. When are you coming here?

I think it's "spancer"

DH is there something I should know? I figured split boards were worthless in resorts, but I'd like to actually keep up with my skier friends in the back country. Is performance really that bad? AB whats not to understand. He wants the board, at the price you listed last, he can't pick it up in person. Nick, I sent you a PM.

You're funny. I'm sad to see you leave.

Never thought i would use this in a sale thread but.... Nick, if you have a board you can ride for right now though, you should save for a split board. You know what you really want to do is tour the backcountry.

My favorite trees are unaffected by wind and sun 90% of the time. I've had super good snow in there up to a week after a decent sized storm. The stuff under the chairs gets tracked in a day or two and most good areas get tracked in 3-5 or 1 weekend day.

I'm confused why a 22 ft pipe is harder to ride than a 13? Maybe scarier, but the bigger the pipe (from what I've ridden) the easier. Everyone here at WP said when they cut the pipe to 22 feet at the end of last year it was so much better, easier and more fun to ride than the 18 foot pipe that we normaly have. Bigger transitions means easier transitions, and more room to land if you don't air it out too far away from the deck. I would be super stoked to ride a 22 foot pipe, and the fact it's in PA... even better.

Really? Someone had to get out there first. There is so much information available that you can get in the back country without anyone in your crew being there before. It sure sounds like he's doing some slack country stuff though, and I would venture to guess he did so without B,P,S or any knowledge about the snowpack. For some of our side country stuff, it's under the resort and totally gladed. Pretty safe stuff. In another portion I saw a natural slide a few weeks ago. And what makes out of bounds "out west" any more dangerous than O.B. stuff in the north east? Your so found of bringing up Tucks, which is known to have slides, likewise for the backcountry in the ADKs. I assume vermont has 30 degree slopes and has stability issues as well.

For sure. I think thats why trail variety seems so much better at CB. I think blue has the variety, but to lap all the different trails back to back of high speed lifts just doesn't work. Burma is cool, but its a pain to get there. Main St is good, but riding the Main St lift is lame, and so is traversing to the top and traversing back. When I worked my way around the mountain I only hit the main areas, not all the little connectors halfway down. Birches/Park-Tut/Meadows, Front Four, Head to the Stevenson, Raceway, Pharoah, Cliffy, Nile, then work you way back. Do that 2 or 3 times and you've got a bunch of laps, and not a ton of repitition. Plus, the conditions change by the time you get back. Blue you lap lazy, the park, the double diamonds and paridise to stir things up. Sno you lap the NF diamonds, which are super good, but still not half as much variety as CB.

Might be a lot of park riding in march. We will see how the weather works out. Shoot me a PM or give me a call when you come out though for sure.

I'd take the east side over the front four anyday. Cliffy, Pharoah on a snow day and Nile... there really isn't any match.

Gonna coax him into nastar/asra as well?

Uh the hikeable stuff above morningside was a blast. Thats where all the really good hucks of the day, and the two pictured are from. It was super steep in the fall line, and super deep too. Its only about 800 feet of vert though, and then you are on a super flat cat track. We did it twice, and it pretty much killed our energy for the day. Other than that, definately find some aspens to rip through, and maybe try a line or two on the cliffs lookers left of the pony chair.

I guess, but watch Seth Morrisons double front in Believe and tell me you didn't wish he was wearing neon orange.

Skilift, We aren't trying to beat up on you. In fact, many discussions on this board have happened exclusively from the perspective of experienced (to some degree) park rats regarding riders such as yourself and your son. From my memory this is the first time a rank novice has posted about frustrations and injuries on first trips through the park. You experienced years of pent up emotion from people who ride this stuff every day and affected by the choices you and your son, and the hundreds of others who wander into the park uneducated make. Feature sizes and setups are dictated to protect your son, rather than benefit those who have taken the time develop park skills and knowledge. That being said few respond well to negative criticism and fewer know how to gently and empathically correct others blunders. To add to all this, there are tons of claimers who wildly exagerate figures regarding snow sports, and we generally think these people are lame. Considering your son was injured, it wasn't the coolest thing to call you out. It is what it is though. Hopefully you aren't put off from the website, and understand we don't want you or your son getting hurt, and we don't want to be injured because of you or your son. Reading through the smartstyle rules and going over them with your son would be a super positive thing. They are the basics for park safety, and you really do look way cooler to the guys who can actually ride if you follow the rules.

Bright colors show up way better in film. Just sayin.