Hidden Valley Highlands, Hinterlands, 1/28/12: Race Day

Today I Iearned that racers are good company on a Saturday.

We finally have a little bit of natural snow.

 
I had one of the company trucks so decided to go primitive. Usually, my skis never ride outside:


When I arrived at the Valley, the crew was setting up for the Nancy Greene racers. My first reaction was, "oh noooo" but in the end, the racers made the day.


Racers and their parents fill up the parking lot, buy lift tickets, spend money in the cafeteria, take up half a run and leave the rest of the hill pretty much empty.


Racer parents seem totally happy standing around in ski boots, fiddling with equipment, cheering the kids on and ringing cowbells. When do these people ski?


I was a little startled to learn that some the extras from Star Wars were there. What were those desert dwellers called?


This one was definitely channeling The Force.


The views were nice, the skiing was outstanding and I even found a little leftover powder on the infamous Members' Dip. It is a very steep but short pitch that most people go straight down. I was practicing my Coach Z lesson today and skied short-radius turns on the run edges all over the hill - that little shot paid off.


One chairlift ride had a Bambi moment:


Later on, I met up with FishBrother and MiniFish (who is not so mini anymore). FB is a telemarker of the old school and was rockin' Fischer TelePathics, Rottefella Chilis with release plates and his venerable Merrell Super Comps. For you youngster telemarkers out there, these boots were the cat's meow in 1990 and feature a plastic cuff riveted on to the leather lower boot. FishBrother did opine that he might need to break down and get plastic boots soon. I ordered those skis for him back in the mid-90s and remember looking at them when they arrived and thinking, wow, these skis are pretty wide. Things sure have changed.


Too bad I have to work tomorrow, it is going to be a powder day in the Hinterlands:

Huntsville - Baysville
9:55 PM EST Saturday 28 January 2012
Snow squall warning for
Huntsville - Baysville continued

Snow squalls over Grey - Bruce are now extending across Parry Sound - Muskoka. The snow squalls are expected to continue to affect large parts of the regions through Sunday. Total snowfall accumulations of 30 cm can be expected locally.

Strong winds gusting up to 70 km/h will accompany the snow squalls and reduce visibilities to near zero at times in bursts of heavy snow and blowing snow. Motorists should expect dangerous winter driving conditions.

So much here, so many points to make... first I have a much different perspective on a "little bit of natural snow."  Try "powder bonanza" and your south of the border audience will have an easier time relating.  :)

Sick Bird Rider wrote

Racers and their parents fill up the parking lot, buy lift tickets, spend money in the cafeteria, take up half a run and leave the rest of the hill pretty much empty.

This is a time tested formula by ski hills everywhere. The pay a bunch and on ski one single line (!) often leaving corduroy (or pow in my dreams) along the sides of the race trail.

Sick Bird Rider wrote

Racer parents seem totally happy standing around in ski boots, fiddling with equipment, cheering the kids on and ringing cowbells. When do these people ski?

This is why Neve will not race. She's destined for the trees.

Sick Bird Rider wrote

I was a little startled to learn that some the extras from Star Wars were there. What were those desert dwellers called?

LOVE the Ewoks!

Sick Bird Rider wrote

This one was definitely channeling The Force.

Sick Bird Rider wrote

... venerable Merrell Super Comps.

I should have kept mine for the museum. Compare to my current Scarpas they weren't actually that comfortable, but they were cool and really are link between the past and future of tele.  I once read a description of them in the Mountain Gear catalog - the were referred to as "the BENCHMARK in TELEMARK POWER!"  



Nice report SBR! Good on ya for the past and future pow pow.

Harvey44 wrote

... first I have a much different perspective on a "little bit of natural snow."  Try "powder bonanza" and your south of the border audience will have an easier time relating.  :)

......
Good on ya for the past and future pow pow.

Thanks. I had to work today but might be able to enjoy some of this tomorrow. Don't mean to rub it in but here is the SBRHQ back deck Snow Depth O-Meter at 7:30 this morning:



My truck parked at work, after sitting for the last three days:



Calling Telemark Dave!!!! Pipeline tomorrow?

Wow! Snow!

x10003q wrote

Wow! Snow!

I just want to roll in it.

I'm not going to lie, at this point if we got that much snow down this way I would literally cry tears of joy..

I think I would call in sick - for a week.  Nice report!

jimvdak wrote

I'm not going to lie, at this point if we got that much snow down this way I would literally cry tears of joy..

Lol.

Wow, what a cast of characters in the Hinterland. Ewoks, Bambi, Fishbro, Minifish (guppy?), Bluetoes....does everyone north of the border have a nickname? What are yooz people smokin up there ? How much of it can I get for a Looney?

And where the heck is Bigfoot? Or does he soley reside in Whitehall, NY along with Champ the sea monster?