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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Dec 27, 2008 - 06:05pm PT
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Pagan M-Boy, just got home from the BC. Skied 5 runs of Wasatch pow. in a very safe area. Just gotta know where to go. There are some safe areas. Others are scary as hell.
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FullMonty
Trad climber
Originally from IN - Now living in Leadville, CO
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Dec 27, 2008 - 06:10pm PT
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Where I work (Beaver Creek, CO) the lift tix are $96 a day, and a season pass is $1800 if you buy at the ticket ofice. Its about the same at Vail as well. However, the Epic Pass was available in the early season and was a real deal. $579 for unlimited, no blackouts and good at all Vail Resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly.) If you shop smart and in the early season, good deals are still around, and if not, you can always hike for your turns.
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Hardluck
Social climber
N of Mexico, S of Sanity
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Dec 27, 2008 - 06:13pm PT
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For SoCal skiers, Mt. Baldy's "Club Card" is the way to go if you didn't buy a super cheap season pass in August (which is hard to do without a crystal ball to tell whether Baldy will have much snow for the year). For $150, the Club Card allows you buy $15 weekday tickets and $20 weekend tickets. So if you ski 10 weekdays during the season, you will be paying $30 per day (assuming you go on weekdays). You'll only spend $22.50 per day if you go twenty times. Your friends and family get 1/2 price tickets when you reserve with your Club Card.
The lifts were built in the 1950's, so they're slow and only about half the runs are groomed (as preferred by some of us). The vibe is definitely "old school"---cool and kinda funky. The road can be a b!tch to get up, especially after a storm. Carry a good set of chains, a bag of sand, and a shovel.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Dec 27, 2008 - 06:39pm PT
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I prefer a little different way to ski Baldy.
Leave the house around 7:00-8:00
Trail head 8:00-9:00
Walk up a mile or so to the Sierra Club hut. (you really don't ever want to ski this part either up or down more than once.)
Put on the skis, usually wet snow wax with a clear klister kicker
Ski up to the top pacing it to arrive on the summit around 1:00.
Timing is critical so that the crust on the west facing ridge between the upper and lower bowls is soft enough to easily carve the traverse on a 45 deg+ exposed slope, (around 1:30 or so)
Ski over to West Baldy and then down the big bowl to the shoulder. Traverse over. Drop into the next bowl and down to the hut.
back to the car and home by 3:00 or so.
Cost,
Just the gas and calorie burn.
Jacinto is a great ski also as well as many of the closed roads around Big Bear.
Free your heel,
Free your wallet.
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal Hell
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 27, 2008 - 08:16pm PT
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Wendall, I didn't know you were a skier! We gotta chat next time climbing.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Dec 27, 2008 - 08:28pm PT
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I can side slip and kick turn with the best of 'em
Other than that I'm more a fall down and get up'er
than a skier.
Sorta like Woody climbing. ;-)
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Dec 27, 2008 - 08:53pm PT
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$96 at the Beav? Man o man, Monty. I lived in Vail /Avon from 2000-4. I always had a merchant pass (various freebies/discounts in '99 when I was there for for a few months). During that time Vail/beav made national news for being the first place to break the $70 barrier, for a day pass. Even, well before, that time I have ever wondered how the ski industry can be economically viable. Snaring the ruling class is one thing, but how do they possibly get the volume it takes? If I ever find my self back in Eagle county I'm looking into the "Epic pass"; though even with $4 gas it's cheaper to drive to Indian creek during the high season winter months, maybe?
And, true about the (D)evo of Tele gear. Leather boot Tele is the flyfishing of skiing.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Dec 27, 2008 - 09:01pm PT
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......Kind of like the cross country version of pinball.
Sometimes it feels like that.
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andanother
climber
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Dec 27, 2008 - 10:12pm PT
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james Colborn,
that was a really awesome post. As I've said before, I just LOVE it when people spray about how much gnarlier they are than us. It keeps things in perspective.
Even though you (and the many, many others like you) have nothing to contribute to the discussion at hand, I think it's great how you chime in just to insult the things that other people enjoy. That's cool, and I really respect you.
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climbrunride
Trad climber
Durango, CO
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Dec 27, 2008 - 11:05pm PT
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Purgatory has a deal for Mountain Safety volunteers. You put in ten shifts a season and get a season pass, plus a day pass voucher for each day worked. On working days, you stay on the 'slow zone' beginner runs and stop for a few minutes at the 'slow zone' signs to show a visible presence.
And the rest of the skiing is freeeeee!!!!!
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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Dec 27, 2008 - 11:12pm PT
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The pinball skiing reminds me of a story Ted Wilson told me. Years ago he worked for John Harlin at his school in the 60s. Well one winter, a Brit by the name of Dougal Haston came over to climb. Ted growing up in SLC knew how to ski but poor Dougal being a Brit you know how that goes Brits are known for their skiing like they are for their cooking. Anyways, Ted and Dougal skied up to the climb and had an enjoyable day out. Time to ski home. Ted schusses down the slope while Douglas does a long long traverse and when he needs to stop he just falls down. Ted said it was Yaaaaaa - sheeeeet pumph, Yaaaaaa - sheeeeet pumph, Yaaaaaa - sheeeeet pumph all the way down the slope.
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Dec 28, 2008 - 12:41am PT
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Rich man's sport, always has been.
When you're a kid, you can spend 50% of your income to scrape together the gear and tickets.
When you are an adult, especially with kids, no f-in way lower middle class folks can go to the resorts.
thank heavens for the back country, as long as you don't die the conditions are usually better anyway.
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east side underground
Trad climber
crowley ca
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Dec 28, 2008 - 02:20am PT
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skipt. the wheeler crest to the valley has a few lines. Mayfield canyon (drops just below swall meadows) is a cool line, also hear shelite (spelling?) is good ,but I haven't done it. We approached mayfield from below but you can get to the top via sled. Also Karen, I know folks who have been poaching the mountain for years. You can get a can of starter fluild and clip tickets (did that alot in the old days!) just don't get caught!! they will BUST you. They also never check at mid-station.get there you can ride all day.
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couchmaster
climber
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Dec 28, 2008 - 12:11pm PT
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Man, I'm feeling good here! I have a season pass at Mt Hood Meadows I paid $440 for. The catch on this one was you had to line up 3 of your buddies and all of you had to buy. They call it the 4 x 4 (it was $400 last year for each of you. I have yet to use this year like I have in past years as I just flew in last week from Thailand where it was 80 degrees and the beaches were in perfect shape. The rock was excessively chalked as it was so warm out....but that's another story.
So at $83 a day, if I go 5 times I've got a winner. I've been averaging 13-14 times a year...so I'm good to go. Some of my best days ever are where my climbing buddy Ujahn and I go rip the white in the am, then run laps on the basalt cracks later in the day once our thighs have turned to mush on the slopes and it's warmed up. The troika of happiness is skiing balls to the walls high speed in the am (this only works mid week where the place is deserted), laps on cracks in the early afternoon, then stopping for a hike to the top of Beacon Rock or stopping to clean for a couple of hours till night fall at a new area. I've literally walked into the house, barely hit the shower and then collapsed in a deep sleep naked on my bed 10 feet away -out cold. Much to my wife's amusement. Theres been times I've had to pull over and sleep by the side of the road too.
One free alternative up here is to join the ski patrol. There's a short test, and I think you need to commit to 17 trips to the Mt, but free skiing: and lots of it:-) And as others have said: another alternative is back country skiing. You pay for the gear, but not the lifts.
I think if I lived a block from the beach like you Karen, I'd try to find some folks to split gas and go hang out in the ocean doing scuba: or lacking that, get a surf board. Free waves!
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal Hell
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 28, 2008 - 12:27pm PT
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You guys who know the Eastside well, what are some more decent moderate areas? I don't ski anything steep in the bc, and anymore am not too keen on skiing anything steeper than the cornice on Mammoth mtn. I know of some moderate bc places but would love more beta on just what is out there.
Eastside, I love your idea of poaching, I bet June mtn is also easy to poach.
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Dec 28, 2008 - 12:34pm PT
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oops, posted on the wrong thread. In response to James Colburn dissing tele, here's why I do it:
1 - I feel "trapped" in those stiff Alpine boots (even at the resort... sometimes I snowboard).
2 - I like the physical challenge (even at the resort).
3 - I'm not dropping into steep couloirs (if I were, I'd AT, or snowboard. And someday I might AT, but I don't have AT gear, because... see below...)
4 - Tele is cheap. Snowboarding is cheaper. AT is expensive, and until I'm doing #3 and get a job, it ain't happening.
Edit: at least the way I do it... light gear, good sales... harder to find that stuff in AT.
5 - Tele skills -> XC skills on long touring trips (e.g. I take soft 3-pin boots w/ scaled Fischer Outtabounds, and I can eek out some turns in the rare occasion I'd like to... more comfy than AT boots (so my AT friends tell me, after 15-20 miles of flatish skiing).
Not that you shouldn't AT... in many cases, AT gear is superior... light, fast, more control. But it is not the best for all types of backcountry skiing. I think Maysho could go faster than you on his skate skis in the backcountry... just sayin'... see here:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=749149
Oh, and when you try and turn using SOFT boots, sometimes the result is this:
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Brian
climber
Cali
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Dec 28, 2008 - 12:38pm PT
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Karen,
I feel your pain. I climb a bunch more than I ski; but backcountry skiing has been my staple since sometime in my 20s, so the cost of resorts never bothered me much. However, now I have two little kids (6 and 3) so I've been skiing resorts more and more over the past 3 years (starting them each on skis at 3 years old). The cost is fecking killing me, especially when you factor in the condo rental or motel 6 (my wife is keen for camping at Josh, Tuolumne, etc., but draws the line at a snow cave outside Mammoth).
Anyone have tips for skiing cheap with kids? I know that Mtn. High allows kids 6 and under to ski free, which helps a bunch. Not every place is so kind. Just got back from Heavenly and there it is 4 and under.
My kids' gear is straight off ebay ($45 for skis and boots, which means we own it for the price of a few rentals). Still, the accumulated lift tickets are kinds brutal with kids.
Glad that climbing is still cheap.
Brian
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Dec 28, 2008 - 12:45pm PT
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skiing w/ kids? well, my info is like 20 years old, but back in the day, resorts would promote "locals" programs... e.g. make it dirt cheap for families to get their kids ski lessons on, say, sunday afternoon. this was at pico in vermont... $65 per kid got you sunday AM lessons + plus sunday afternoon lift ticket... for TEN weeks (yep, $6.50 per day).
some public schools in vermont still take their kids skiing as part of gym class ... for example, Shrewsbury Vermont kids go to Okemo on Friday afternoons!
outside of vermont, i don't know, but there may be options if you're willing to be a "regular".
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Brian
climber
Cali
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Dec 28, 2008 - 12:50pm PT
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RE: James Colburn and Telemarking
I have both tele and AT set ups. I started on the latter, but then switched to tele about 10 years ago and haven't used the AT since then.
I would still go AT if I was going to ski anything in the "do not fall" territory, but that is not what I do much these days.
Most of my friends AT or snowboard, and I don't rib them about it--to each his own. However, here are some thoughts about your example.
Saying that AT is always better than tele because you can ski more, faster, harder, etc. Is a bit narrowly goal focused I think. I mean, I'm a bit goal focused too (maybe too much for my own good), but, c'mon.
Using your logic, sport climbing is superior to trad climbing (you can get more in, climb harder grades, etc.), creative aid (i.e., chipping and modification) is OK because you get get up bigger objectives (i.e., anyone can drill up El Cap).
For me, tele skiing is not about skiing the most or the hardest. After all my years on alpine an AT gear, I know I can ski harder on fixed heel gear. Its about the aesthetics and the process, which, at least in this one aspect of my life, I've embraced as more important that the end product.
Have fun counting miles or vertical feet on the AT boards. I'm sure you'll pass me multiple times in a morning on the hill. I'll be the guy with goofy grin, stopping a few times on the steeps to rest his aging knees and quads, and smelling the "roses."
Brian
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