The crappiest conditions ever?

[anemic]

I will have to give Maine a look based on your old school Colorado reference. Did you know Jay Bostrom from Steamboat ?


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[Harris]

I will have to give Maine a look based on your old school Colorado reference. Did you know Jay Bostrom from Steamboat ?


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I love it up there. The ski areas are rustic and very family oriented. Skiing is part of the culture. For example, my niece and nephew ski race through their public school. Some areas have adult league racing at night. Totally different scene than in WA. People are much friendlier and less anal. I'd love to live in either Bridgton or N. Conway NH.

Did not know a Jay Bostrom that I recall, but the "Bostrom" name does sound familiar. I left there in 1986. So it has been a long time.

[Cannatonic]

you better like the people if you move east, the skiing and snow is 100 times better in the PNW in every way versus New England. Sorry! Crystal Mountain versus Sunday River? Mt. Baker versus Sugarloaf???? And personally I find people way more laid back in the west than the northeast. That said I love going to western Maine, Saddleback is (was) my favorite ski area in the east.

[Harris]

you better like the people if you move east, the skiing and snow is 100 times better in the PNW in every way versus New England. Sorry! Crystal Mountain versus Sunday River? Mt. Baker versus Sugarloaf???? And personally I find people way more laid back in the west than the northeast. That said I love going to western Maine, Saddleback is (was) my favorite ski area in the east.

When Crystal is on it is amazing. No doubt. But you better get there early, right? Because the entirety of Seattle area skiers take the day off and swarm the place and by mid-day it is chopped out. Same with Alpental. Never been to Baker. For me it is a pretty far drive through the worst of Seattle traffic. At least 4 hours. I can be in the Alpental parking lot in 40 min.

PNW skiing when it snows is pretty spectacular. And from what I can tell a lot of the hard-core skiers here are vey choosy as to when they ski, and after the big storms they storm in. I ski 3 days a week regardless of conditions (during the weekdays; the weekends are such a hell hoard I probably wouldn't bother) and between those storms is a lot of rainy days getting soaked on the lift and re-frozen boiler plate snow. And I haven't seen a decently formed, soft zipper-lined bump run since I've been here. A lot of bumps sure, but not the kinda runs you bang down. Sunday River has em. Hell, they have some serious bump runs, but not here. Nope. All the snowboarders side sliding pretty much kills that. That and I've only skied in the sun twice in 3 years up here. No raccoon tan. But maybe Colorado spoiled me. The east is generally icy, true but at least it is a well-groomed icy and you get sun. Pow? I lived in Steamboat and skied Alta quite a bit. I've had chest deep blower champaign many times. The PNW fresh is good, but it is nothing compared to 30" at 10,000'. Personally I'll take regular good grooming and good bump lines over the rare pow these days. Skiing is my winter exercise.

I don't know how people are in the big cities out East, but in rural Maine and NH, at least N. Conway, people seem pretty cool, friendly and generally happy. The old farm house set. I love all those old farm houses and old barns. My sister has an old farm house built in the 1800s. Seattle folks are an odd sort. I'm not sure if it is the tech workers, the constant dreary overcast, Prozac medication or what, but they never make eye contact with strangers and many are super self-important. Non-Seattlites are normal though, but they have a sign at Alpental's upper lift telling people to be friendly and share the ride. They actually need to state that. Wow. Being anti-social is so accepted here they don't even have singles lines. I like to screw with folks who try to ride single on 4 mans. I ski up and plop down, getting all snug with them, forcing them to move off the center. Then I give them a big "howdy." It is my little fun. If you can break through the crust and force it upon them they can be friendly, in an awkward kinda way. At least some. I was catching the gondola up at Crystal one day and this tool barges past the 4 of us and sits down next to the door, making all of us have to trip over him to get in. He just sat there ignoring us. I felt like yanking his dumb techie ass out. I had heard of the "Seattle Freeze," but I was unprepared. And I've got countless stories like that.

If I could pick one area and one area only to ski it would be Bridger Bowl MT. On a bad day it blows a good day at Crystal away. But you go where the job takes you.

[Woodserson]

I have skied New England all my life, the Alps, lived in SLC one winter, lived in Seattle for two winters skiing the PacNW.

The east is generally icy, true but at least it is a well-groomed icy and you get sun.

YES! The sun makes it for me, fo'sho'. Brilliant days. And it's cold. And I love it beyond rational thinking.

Seattle folks are an odd sort. I'm not sure if it is the tech workers, the constant dreary overcast, Prozac medication or what, but they never make eye contact with strangers and many are super self-important.

I thought I would stay out in the PacNW longer than I did... But I couldn't get over the weirdness. In the northeast, we tell it simple. If you cut in line at the post office you're going to get a "Hey buddy! get in the back!" In Seattle, they just take it and make small quiet comments and don't actually do anything about it. I was given the stink eye when I would berate line cutters like I was the jerk! Also, there is an attitude of being friendly to your face and making plans and then not actually following through because a better plan came along. Being upfront isn't part of the equation, I just got ghosted. It's a weird place. There are great people, for sure, but there's an inward-looking personality thing going on there that just bums me out. I LOVE meeting people and making friends, however temporary, and I just got the "what a weirdo" stare more often than not. I often get the "New Englanders are cold" line, and I see that, but if you go up to someone and talk, they'll talk back. If you need something and ask, they'll take their shirt off for you. I do it as a New Englander, others do it for me.

There are exceptions to all the rules, I'm not blanketing everything or everyone, but I was certainly bummed.

I like to screw with folks who try to ride single on 4 mans. I ski up and plop down, getting all snug with them, forcing them to move off the center. Then I give them a big "howdy." It is my little fun. If you can break through the crust and force it upon them they can be friendly, in an awkward kinda way.

We need to ski together.

[Harris]

We need to ski together.

You nailed it as far as how it feels to move to Seattle. There are some nice people here, many in fact, but the jerks are so overtly present it is hard to see the forest through the trees. On the nice side, I ski mid week (work weekends) and a lot of retired folks ski then. The older people seem pretty cool. An older alpiner guy and I hooked up for a blast down a serious run after meeting on a lift up. That was the run I broke the Meidjo on, right at the top. The conditions were kinda tracked out but still very deep, fresh wet snow. You couldn't put a foot down without going up to your hip. I had a long way to go skiing down on one ski, and it took me over an hour to do so. He carried my broke mount skid all the way down to the base even though I assured him it wasn't necessary. That was really cool. Something I would do too. But for every one of those stories I have ten about dudes being inconsiderate dicks. And you are dead on about people making plans but then cancelling last minute.

Skiing together would be a blast.

[teledance]

Last Sat was 1"breakable crust at Silver made two runs and bailed, better yesterday but we still need more snow to heal from the warm up. Glad you survived Harris, dove into Sunset at Silver yesterday and it was ok but must have looked horrible the alpiner behind me did not follow . Got in 4 laps but toojarring on my back to ski more with my blown discs.

[Cannatonic]

some interesting feedback on the PNW! I have to say I can relate - on one vacation to Portland I brought my big-city East Coast attitude with me and had some interesting encounters with locals! I parked my car in front of the hotel for about 30 seconds to take my bags inside - the valet guy asked to hold my key for a minute and promised not to move the car.

When I came back out, the car had been moved into the garage in an attempt to charge me money. I flew into a rage! I was ripping the guy a new asshole and I don't yell often. I'd never seen a brazen move like that before in many years of business travel. I found that people seem more eager to scam you or rip you off because people aren't nasty enough. Not sure how else to describe it. My friend from NJ that lives there said he often threatens to "go East Coast" on people in Oregon! Pretty funny.

The California or west coast snobby narcissist is a well-known phenomenon. People are awfully full of themselves. Just go wine-tasting in Napa or Sonoma and watch the people around you to see it in action. I think the harsh winter weather in the Northeast brings people back down to earth somewhat - we all have to deal with it and can't have that pampered attitude too much.

There is just so much snowfall in the PNW, and open trees, and alpine terrain, that it's hard to compare it to east coast.

[fisheater]

If I get on a plane to go skiing I am landing in Salt Lake City. Cheap lodging in SLC, reasonable lift tickets (if there is such a thing). The most important thing is the terrain was challenging (off piste) when I was in my thirties mostly on alpine equipment, and Alta. Snowbird, and Solitude get 500" of snow per year, every year, La Niña, El Niño, or whatever.
As for location, I am happy to live in Michigan. The Traverse City are offers good dune skiing, good snow, and good fishing and mountain biking. By that time it will definately be healthier for me to tour for my turns. Heck it is already healthier for me to tour for my turns.

[Telerock]

I have to say eastern Idaho was the friendliest place I’ve skied lift line. Teledance being a prime example.