Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

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rongon
Posts: 164
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:09 pm
Location: NY State 'Forever Wild'
Ski style: Wanderer - XCD, telemark
Favorite Skis: Fischer Rebound (3-Pins), Madshus Annum (Switchback), Elan Ripstick 96 (Switchback X2)
Favorite boots: Asolo Extreme, Crispi CXP
Occupation: I work to live
Website: http://skinortheast.com

Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by rongon » Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:34 pm

Last weekend, I went out alone into a favorite little pocket of my local hills. The snow was pretty deep, 2 feet to maybe a little more. The best open woods with a nice downward were a bit crusted up from the morning's mid-30s F temperature, but I was able to stay in control using stemmed telemarks and stem christies. I like poking around in the woods on skis. It makes me feel good. I can't understand why people choose to go to ski resorts on days like that. The crowds and machinery ruin the vibe, I think.
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GrimSurfer
Posts: 638
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2022 11:56 am
Ski style: Nordic Backcountry
Favorite Skis: Yes
Favorite boots: Uh huh

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by GrimSurfer » Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:08 am

Nice pics. Catskills are great.

I think avoiding lift lines and resort mayhem is what draws people to the sport. Fortunately, the exertion keeps most people from coming back, so it’s easy to still find virgin trails.
We dreamed of riding waves of air, water, snow, and energy for centuries. When the conditions were right, the things we needed to achieve this came into being. Every idea man has ever had up to that point about time and space were changed. And it keeps on changing whenever we dream. Bio mechanical jazz, man.



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fisheater
Posts: 2585
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI
Ski style: All my own, and age doesn't help
Favorite Skis: Gamme 54, Falketind 62, I hope to add a third soon
Favorite boots: Alpina Alaska, Alico Ski March
Occupation: Construction Manager

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by fisheater » Fri Dec 23, 2022 10:40 am

@rongon People as a whole don’t understand skiing in the backcountry. I personally think that crappy, slow, cross country skis that are only good for shuffling, and completely non supportive shoes are a big reason why most people will never learn about backcountry skiing.
As for the stem christy, and stem telemark, I know those turns well!



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lowangle al
Posts: 2748
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 3:36 pm
Location: Pocono Mts / Chugach Mts
Ski style: BC with focus on downhill perfection
Favorite Skis: powder skis
Favorite boots: Scarpa T4
Occupation: Retired cement mason. Current job is to take my recreation as serious as I did my past employment.

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by lowangle al » Fri Dec 23, 2022 3:56 pm

That looked good up there. It was good in my neck of the Poconos before that rain. I may have to check with you on a condition report up there if my trails go to crap.



User avatar
rongon
Posts: 164
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:09 pm
Location: NY State 'Forever Wild'
Ski style: Wanderer - XCD, telemark
Favorite Skis: Fischer Rebound (3-Pins), Madshus Annum (Switchback), Elan Ripstick 96 (Switchback X2)
Favorite boots: Asolo Extreme, Crispi CXP
Occupation: I work to live
Website: http://skinortheast.com

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by rongon » Fri Dec 23, 2022 4:14 pm

Funny, I was just checking on weather here...

I'm down in the valley, about an hour drive from the central Catskills.

The NWS says it snowed a couple of inches in the hills yesterday, then rained a couple inches last night into this morning, and now it's windy and snowing a little bit but freezing up hard. I don't expect we'll have decent backcountry conditions for a little while. No fun.



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GrimSurfer
Posts: 638
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2022 11:56 am
Ski style: Nordic Backcountry
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Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by GrimSurfer » Fri Dec 23, 2022 6:05 pm

Crap here in Ottawa too. Snow, rain, slush, and flash freeze. Going to take a lot of snow to soften the base up a bit and get some structure back to the snow pack.

At least I got out a few times. Heading to the snow belt soon though… they didn’t get the rain-slush and the temperature decline has been more gradual. Might actually be ok.
We dreamed of riding waves of air, water, snow, and energy for centuries. When the conditions were right, the things we needed to achieve this came into being. Every idea man has ever had up to that point about time and space were changed. And it keeps on changing whenever we dream. Bio mechanical jazz, man.



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randoskier
Posts: 1016
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 2:08 am
Location: Yank in Italy
Ski style: awkward
Favorite Skis: snow skis
Favorite boots: go-go
Occupation: International Pop Sensation

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by randoskier » Thu Jan 19, 2023 9:24 am

rongon wrote:
Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:34 pm
Last weekend, I went out alone into a favorite little pocket of my local hills. The snow was pretty deep, 2 feet to maybe a little more. The best open woods with a nice downward were a bit crusted up from the morning's mid-30s F temperature, but I was able to stay in control using stemmed telemarks and stem christies. I like poking around in the woods on skis. It makes me feel good. I can't understand why people choose to go to ski resorts on days like that. The crowds and machinery ruin the vibe, I think.
Catskills? Did you run into any stand-up comedians?



User avatar
rongon
Posts: 164
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:09 pm
Location: NY State 'Forever Wild'
Ski style: Wanderer - XCD, telemark
Favorite Skis: Fischer Rebound (3-Pins), Madshus Annum (Switchback), Elan Ripstick 96 (Switchback X2)
Favorite boots: Asolo Extreme, Crispi CXP
Occupation: I work to live
Website: http://skinortheast.com

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by rongon » Fri Jan 20, 2023 8:38 am

Billy Crystal was makin' 'em howl!



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randoskier
Posts: 1016
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 2:08 am
Location: Yank in Italy
Ski style: awkward
Favorite Skis: snow skis
Favorite boots: go-go
Occupation: International Pop Sensation

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by randoskier » Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:23 pm

lowangle al wrote:
Fri Dec 23, 2022 3:56 pm
That looked good up there. It was good in my neck of the Poconos before that rain. I may have to check with you on a condition report up there if my trails go to crap.
In the Poconos you can always recuperate with a good friend in the heart-shaped tub!




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mvwmvw
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:19 am

Re: Last weekend was nice (Catskills)

Post by mvwmvw » Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:35 am

randoskier wrote:
Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:23 pm

In the Poconos you can always recuperate with a good friend in the heart-shaped tub!

There's a reason all those PA resorts are on the EPIC pass. lol.



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