Skiing at last, Snoqualmie Pass in November 2010

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Terry

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We are now skiing this year in Washington. I went up for the first time this year at Snoqualmie West for a half day with Taylor and his mom Marlena. The snow was a little thin in places, but very good. You did have to watch for the rocks near the top of the lift, and between the towers, where there were branches sticking out and gully's. But is was good skiing and it was fun. It was the first time up for me since last January, so it was good to see that everything was still working.

The first shot of the lights was taken at the end of the day. The lifts were shutting down and most of the people had gone home.
I love all the snow on the trees.
 

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Thatguy

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I'm already jealous.
You guys get moguls out there?
The best fun is skiing in terrain parks as long as you don't have kamikaze snowboarders.

2200' is a pretty decent vertical drop. Here's our nearest skiing
http://www.skiwhitetail.com/
 
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Terry

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It goes back and forth between moguls and no moguls depending on grooming.
We're supposed to get about two feet of snow tomorrow. It should be good on Wednesday for skiing at Crystal. I may have to take a powder day off and let Jamie take over for the day.
 

Ian Gills

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I wish I could a) ski; and, b) afford to ski.

Virgin powder is apparently best. I have no idea why.
 

Thatguy

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I wish I could a) ski; and, b) afford to ski.

Virgin powder is apparently best. I have no idea why.
The best is going off a mogul that you didn't check out ahead of time and finding yourself 15' in the air.

You should check out some Warren Miller films.

I personally like packed snow with ice patches - it's way fast.
 
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Redwood

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I remember doing this in a much younger day....
I know I didn't do nearly as well...
It probably would be called a yard sale....
But I really don't remember anything much about it except climbing back up to gather everything...


Big Wally describes it pretty well...


I'd like to go back someday but I don't think I'll ski a lot of the terrain that I did over 30 years ago...
 
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Thatguy

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There was a woman in a ski lodge, shaking.
I asked why and she said she was skiing on a trail in the woods and some guy cut across her path.
Thing was, his skis were at her eye level.
 

Terry

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My cousin tore off part of his ear when he hit a tree, knocked himself out for a while and then skied down to the lift. There were a few women screaming when they saw the blood.
My brothers and sisters have been very lucky until last Winter when my brother Shannon broke his ankle skiing with my cousin Kirk at Stevens last year. He has a few pins in it now.
My last run last year at Crystal, a boarder came out of the trees and slammed me down with his board. I thought I was the only skier on the hill, and it was my last run down to the car when it happened.
Bindings are very good now, but collisions are not real good. I don't know how my brother messed up his ankle so bad.
My father used to ski jump in Leavenworth for the high school ski jumping team. They still have his picture near the cash register at Krystal's Restaurant in Leavenworth holding his ski jumping skis.
That was in the 30's

When my brother Clare got out of the Army, straight out of Viet Nam, he took a jump off that hill with downhill skis, cubco bindings, shorts and a California surfer shirt with short sleeves in February. Both his skis came off when he jumped, and he slid all the way down, scraping skin off his arms and legs on the ice.
They still talked about it the next year.
 
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Ian Gills

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No one has mentioned virgin snow.

Hasn't anyone skiied in freshly fallen snow and, if so, is it special?

A friend of mine who take helicopters rather than lifts to the top of remote slopes swears by the stuff.
 

Terry

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It was snowing all weekend, so yes, there was plenty of freshly fallen snow, and it's dumping today, so tomorrow should be great.
Skiing through untouched powder is a lot of fun, which you can get if you helicopter ski, or if you hit it right at the ski area. That's why tree skiing is fun, that don't groom the hill between the trees.
Grooming for those that don't know, is running up the hill with a big roller on the back, packing the snow down. If the snow is wet and heavy, then that's best. But if the snow is dry, then the skis can sift right through it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_grooming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stok_narciarski_w_Przemy%C5%9Blu_-_Ratrak.jpg
 
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Redwood

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No one has mentioned virgin snow.

Hasn't anyone skiied in freshly fallen snow and, if so, is it special?

A friend of mine who take helicopters rather than lifts to the top of remote slopes swears by the stuff.

It's nice Ian and in my younger day living out west I skied every other day all winter so I did run into my fair share of Fresh Fallen Virgin Powder.
I'm sure Terry has as well.
You don't have to ride in a helicopter to get it either...

All you have to do is show up early after a fresh overnight snowfall, or go on a day when it is snowing. When you ski while its snowing you can go all day on virgin untracked powder even on runs they groom. When you go after an overnight snowfall you first race to hit that face where you can lay down a set of tracks that everyone in the lodge will be admiring until the next snowfall. I've made my fair share down the face of Shafer Butte above the trees.

Schafer Butte.jpg

Then once the sun hits the face and turns it heavy it's time to bail from the face and hit the runs the groomers haven't hit yet. Finally after all those options play out it is time to hit the north side of the mountain and start skiing in the trees. You can actually often ski untracked virgin powder in the trees for several days after a fresh snowfall, not everyone wants to venture there.

bogus in the trees.jpg

You can also plan on strapping on the cross country boards and head off the beaten path. Some friends traveling in 2 cars can often find a trail where a car can be left at each end of a trail and a nice trip can be had. I once did a trip along the Snake River where we covered almost 35 miles of trail most of it a gentle downhill along the ridge overlooking the river below.

Then of course there is for those that want to pay the ultimate thrill of the Helicopter Skiing which I have also done.
For most that carries a rather hefty price tag though.
 
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Ian Gills

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I still think plumbing and electrical work is more fun than skiing.

Skiing ranks around about drywalling in my book. Which is also fun and exciting, but also very hard work.
 

Ballvalve

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I still think plumbing and electrical work is more fun than skiing.

Skiing ranks around about drywalling in my book. Which is also fun and exciting, but also very hard work.

Lets ask Sonny Bono about skiing. Bet he'd rather be drywalling.

Roberts Kennedys son also should have stayed at the lodge with some wine while his buddies at Aspen were out skiing.

Maybe we need the NEC to write a safety chapter on skiing!
 
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Terry

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December 30th 2010 at Central at Snoqualmie Ski Area

January 30th, new snow and a clear day. We parked at Silver Firs, and got an early start to the day.

central_terry_01.jpg


I can always work tomorrow. Besides, it's kind of like Christmas Break.

central_02.jpg


And this is really just the start of the ski season. I'm loving it.
 
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