TR Jack Frost 12-28-07

[RidgeRacer]

Just got back from JF. Pulled into the lot around 11:45. The place was insane. I couln't find a spot close by and I drove around a few times to find something semi close to the entrance. I booted up and headed for the snow where there was a good number of people by the lodge. This was easily the busiest day that I have seen it this year and maybe ever. I got my ticket and headed straight for T bolt. The snow was sugery and scraped off hardpack was to be found in the middle of the trails. I'm glad I got my edges sharpened. Headed straight for East Mt. where they had both lifts running and small lines were forming on each side. Sadly, the skull and crossbones pirate flag was not flying at the East Mt. lift. What gives there??? Put it back

 

There was pretty much a mass of people on River Shot and East Mt. Floyds was not yet open to alleviate some of that traffic. There were a good number of people who probably should not have been on East. I saw lots of people sliding down the headwalls...and not on their skis. All in all, today was fun, it was perfect skiing weather, the sun. Hopefully next week the crowds dissipate a bit.

Edited December 28, 2007 by PA Ridge Racer

[askier87]

maybe the rain will scare away the crowds this weekend? i doubt it, but i can have wishful thinking since ill be up in the area this weekend and most likely skiing

 

i remember the flag being there the other week, unless i was seeing things?

 

anyway ill let you guys know how it is/goes...if you see a guy in a yellow jacket that kind of resembles CB's ranger jacket, a black helmet, and white oakley goggles its probably me

Edited December 28, 2007 by askier87

[method9455]

I went to Boulder today, I saw the same thing, biggest crowds I have ever seen at Boulder. (But I've never gone holiday week before so who knows), but surprisingly small lift lines except for the one all the way skiers right of Boulder Park. I rarely waited for lifts except that one. The east trails where crowded, but surprisingly Freedom, Love Park, and Boulder Park where not too bad. Lots of guys in Boulder Park but it was running real smooth, I guess the jumps viewed from the lifts with all these guys throwing down scares off the noobs well.

 

Freedom Park - They took out at least 2 features, the first quarter pipe and the last thing. That is probably a good idea but I miss the QP at the start. It opens it a a bit for the crowds though. The jump line is beat as hell. The first one is fine, the second one is super tall with no gap, put a log on top or something and just make it a spine it sucks for a jump any air at all and you are bottoming out of the landing. The third jump is too big for where it is located, it is a nice jump but if you hit any one of the features before it you won't make the knuckle, I straight lined the 2nd jump and then straight into the 3rd and couldn't make it even with a decent ollie. If you bypass the features before you can, but then you only get 4 hits on the way down. The rails where setup fine, same setup as before. No park crew as far as I could tell and ramps got beat up as the day went on, I was in there about 10-11:30 and 1-1:30 and didn't see any either time. Overall, not nearly as nice as the day it opened, and not the best setup they have ever had. I think they should flatten it out and make it easier, there are a lot of kids clamoring for easier stuff to ride, make it a bunch of low boxes and rail with some clear progression. I was thinking make it 3 lines, a super easy line of all ride on boxes and super small jumps. In the middle line do gap boxes and a 5 foot jump, and in the left line do streetstyle rails, a 10-15 foot table jump. This way there is something for everyone. Right now the easiest boxes are the first box on the left, then the next two hits don't really have anything for a newbie, then the butter box. So a new kid is only getting 2 hits on the way down, they will never progress like that.

 

Love Park - Same setup, 40' single barrel rail setup street style, into about a 15 foot stepdown jump, into a 25 foot down rail streetstyle, into a 15 foot jump stepdown jump, into the 20 foot flat rail that has been there. The jumps where super sweet, perfectly shaped, not hard to get a lot of air on, lots of landing. My favorite two features of the day. I didn't try the three rails I'm not quite warmed up yet for the year in the park. They looked good though. A couple injuries in this park it gave me bad vibes so I bailed. A lot more gapers than the other two parks. I'm not sure why that is. It is also pretty barren compared to last year feature wise, again only 5 on the trail. I assume that will change as they make more snow. Everything was in good shape, but no park crew really doing anything.

 

Boulder Park - Its nasty, I said it last time, and I said it again. It looks like a 25 foot jump with like 5 feet of step down, into a 30 foot with a 6 foot step down into a 40 foot with a 12 foot step down. The last one is arguably a table but whatever. I saw people getting rediculous air off it. The second two are bigger than anything I've done but the first is sweet. There is a down rail at the start of the park, not sure if boarders can hit it you need speed and it has like NO run in. There was lots of park crew keeping it sweet. Lots of rediculous skiers going off. A few boarders doing stuff too. I saw Papasteeze's son do a few spins off the first jump that where nice. People on the lift where watching, people filming, it was a good seen.

 

The Plaza - they took out the butter pad and the pipe on the left. They where replaced with a picnic table. Next to the same long flat box and the down-flat-down double barrel. That is the smoothest flat box I have ever hit. The picnic table is sweet too.

 

Conditions where very icy from 8-10, and great after 10 when it softened up. I would recommend to get there for 10 if you are going tomorrow so the sun has time to loosen it up. Great coverage, crowds where ok. I rode the lift with a guy who was at Blue yesterday and he said it looked a lot better at BB today but it was hard to say because it was raining yesterday at Blue.

 

For me, I give the day a 2/10 because I sucked balls. I guess it was my first day really trying to do park again in two years and man did i suck. I was only landing stuff like 50% of the time, and it was entirely random. I land hard shit nicely and then blow a front board on the flat box. I was so pissed/embarrassed/frustrated. Hopefully I can get back to where I used to be quick so I can do some progression this year. I guess it isn't even January yet but since I've been going for 6 weeks now i feel like the year is almost over.

[method9455]

Nice report Method..did you ride any non park runs? It's amazing that Big Boulder has several jumps and Blue doesn't even have one yet..

 

Yea, but they are so short at Boulder I spent 30 seconds riding down and 4 minutes on the lift back up. At least at JF they are fun, they are just kind of flat and boring at Boulder.

 

Oh and I want them to bring back the boardercross stuff on the blue out to the skiers right when they get the chance, rollers and banked turns where fun as hell.

[Papasteeze]

Method, you write the best reports ever, even if you do .... Sorry I missed you, I didn't get there till 3pm. There was a really strong skier group from central PA region.. I met a crew from 7Springs who were amazed at everything. BTW I noticed too that crew was missing in action.tonight.

[Papasteeze]

A short edit from last Friday with Tom Wallisch and Steven.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNO6f7cRaVM

Edited December 31, 2007 by Papasteeze