How was your season?

[satsuma]

As good as the previous year (my first winter in WA), but very different. I think I did about 5 days of some kind of (ungroomed XC) in Walla Walla, where we apparently don't normally get much snowfall. It replaced my daily walk for a period of time, since the sidewalks were too dangerous--people don't necessarily shovel their sidewalks here. About 4 other days of ungroomed XC skiing in Umatilla NF. The one new trail I wanted to follow I couldn't finish, as I couldn't follow the trail and breaking trail through 8 inches of ungroomed powder alone was difficult. I'll have to get GPS coordinates by hiking up this summer. This also included one day skiiing with my older (40) daughter--her second time out skiing. My last day of ungroomed skiing (March 15?) was on collapsing rain crust. 11 days of XC on groomed trails, including 7 days at Ski for LIght (www.sfl.org) at Snow Mountain Ranch, CO--an event I greatly enjoyed. Also, got back on Alpine Skis, the first time since 2012, when I broke my ankle on my second day out Alpine skiing that year--my second and third time out Alpine skiing. 4 days of Alpine skiing at Bluewood (WA) and Anthony Lakes (OR), which went well. I still like XC better at this point, but Alpine may be more accessible to me and in 4 years lift tickets at Bluewood will be free. My last day skiing (at Anthony Lakes, 7200 ft. base) was April 1. There was plenty of snow then, but there was also had been some rain.

I am leaning to doing more groomed XC and Alpine--bought a pair of faster XC skis for groomed trails at the end of the season. I need all the help with speed I can get!

[telemarkmark]

7 day outing in Scotland, varying from terrible conditions (hardly any snow, rain / sleet) to lovely sunny days skiing from base. Included my first SKIMO, which was the worst day, but still loved it!!
3 days hut- tour is Norway. Should have been more, definitely going back, the DNT hut system is excellent.
Generally Northern Europe has had a very poor snow season, so not too bad all considered.

[djhutch]

I feel for you brother. We had a great start to the season. .... but then it seemed after every dump it rained and then froze solid boilerplate for weeks. Most of the season on the days I skied was crap; anything at the resort that wasn't cat was shut off, closed. And the one thing about up here is that the most of any mountain you ski is very limited groomer. So it totally sucked. But with a few stellar days. I was a trooper though. I skied 2 days a week daylight and a bunch of night skiing between. So I paid off the pass. Not sure I'll do that again when the runs are patently shitty. Save for skiing in Maine a few days mid-season I never got a good corn day.

Wow, what a different perspective on this past winter in Washington compared to me and all my partners. I have been here since '91, with over 60 days every year and I have never seen a winter this good. I ski 3-4 days a week and can remember maybe 2 or 3 bad days total.

"anything at the resort that wasn't cat was shut off, closed." Where did you ski?? Where do they close off-piste? Yes, backcountry gates were closed often since it was dumping so much but I wasn't aware that the resorts closed ungroomed terrain.

Never got a corn day? I assume you didn't ski the past 6 weeks.

I realize everything is subjective but all the skiers I know rated this past season as the best.season.ever and the spring season looks like it will last a long time more so I found your take baffling.

Edited to add: I just reread your post and probably answered my own question. I assume you had a pass at Summit? Yes, Summit's lower elevation can lead to some sub-optimal conditions (downright horrible some years) but given the near-record breaking cold temps and record breaking precip, even Summit had a great year.

[connyro]

How was MY season? Piss poor by normal standards around here. Little snow, not cold. Started late, ended early. The silver lining was that, although the snow was never very deep, the quality of the snow was great 90% of the time. I usually get 80+ days but this season was more like 50-60.

[STG]

60 days (backcountry/off-trail/ungroomed terrain). Most memorable: Scissoring down a low-angle slope (NE facing) on 4-5 inches of surface hoar in Yellowstone National Park. It felt and sounded like I was skiing on glass crystals!

[PhilM11]

Out here in California it was great! Mammoth is still open. Socal resorts opened early and closed Palm Sunday. I got started on some XC skiing love it. Classic. Want to try skating next.

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You guys really needed it. Is your drought over?

It was an epic season. None better since 1969. But it takes more than one good season to fill underground aquifers. So still replacing grass lawn with hardscape and rock gardens. Lower maintenance means more time to ski and get to the mountains for other things; bikes, kayaks, hiking, camping, sailing...

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[Harris]

I realize everything is subjective but all the skiers I know rated this past season as the best.season.ever and the spring season looks like it will last a long time more so I found your take baffling.[/quote]

Alpental started out great, and we had some great storms, no question there, but then each storm session was followed by extended inversions of rain and then night freeze temps. We had little of that the 15/16 season. But admittedly I don't cherry pick my ski days; I'm a pass holder and ski every Tuesday and Wednesday (my weekend days off) every week through the regular season no matter the conditions and past January on many of the days I skied they had International and the gates shut down due to icy, miserable conditions. Once that boiler plate set in it stayed that way until it dumped again, which was not routine in a weekly sense. Yes, when it dumped it came in buckets and was great, even dare I say incredible but as for regular, weekly skiing it was routinely boiler plate and in that it was not as good as last year, which was the first year I've skied west of the Rockies. In fact, 2 of the 4 days I went up to Crystal they had Chair Six shut down due to the ice. As for corn, they shut down Alpental to weekday skiing early this year, which was annoying, and Summit they quit grooming after the weekend hordes left and it had a lot of rain. I skied a week after closing, skinning in the rain, and yes it was corn. But I never had a sunny corn day other than the days I skied out in Maine this year. My perspective might be off though; 1) I'm a lift rider; I pay for a pass, and that is my thing. 2) Colorado usually has a several week stretch of excellent sunny, t-shirt spring skiing most seasons.

[fisheater]

I had a poor season this year for my backcountry adventures. I had some nice snow in December, but it was sketchy thin after that. I had great resort skiing with my son who is now my ski partner at 14. Skiing leathers and skinny skis helped make the intermediate runs a lot of fun.
I hear a lot of talk about this being the new normal. I have lived in SE Michigan my entire life. In my 55 years I have endured many winters without enough snow for my liking, and I still remember the first time snow was deeper than my boots, and I remember loving it. I really do not believe my winters here have changed much, but I do hope the big guy has a few more snowy ones for me the next couple of years.

[STG]

fisheater:

Will do some snow prayers for Michigan in the fall. In SW Montana we had a good season, but I got tired off shoveling snow, and sometimes I couldn't go to YNP because the road were too nasty. Sounds like you have a good ski companion. I haven't skied with my son in years. He is into big mountain/steep terrain backcountry and side-country skiing. I like the low-angle, telemark tours where I stay out off run-out zones/avalanche terrain. I like to relax and enjoy the scenery and wildlife.