Slides craziness

I don't think I've ever seen so many people in the slides at one time.  It was a bit of a $h!t show at times.

Here are a few observations from today

Everyone chill out.  Way too much testosterone out there.

The traverses are narrow and at spots have quite a bit of ice unlike any traverse out west.   People are way too close together and were plowing into each other.  The stopping spots at the top of 2b in particular are very small.  If you are Sk iing that slide get off the traverse.  Look ahead and if it's backed up don't plow ahead.  It was like dominos out there. Learn good traverse etiquette.  If you ever go to Alta or Jackson you will need it.  This is something that Eastern skiers don't experience anywhere else.

If you don't like tight spaces don't ski slide 4.  Someone freezes up and caused a major traffic jam in the narrows. I seldom ski 4 because of this.

Other things I saw or heard about.  Patrol was asking kids ages and limiting those under 10.  Also they prevented a guy on rentals from going in stating its is an insurance issue.

For my time and effort I enjoyed skiing powder on Upper Cloud from the top this morning more than skiing big bumps in the slides.  

Anything that gets serious chatter on the interwebs is going to get a lot of attention and the slides have been getting chatted up on here of late and that, combined with the new snow, I'm sure led to the crowds.  

Can't say I blame the ski patrol for getting pro-active at trying to limit the sh!t show you're describing and quite frankly, if you've get rentals, how much skiing experience do you have?

Here's a few of my observations from Saturday:

The traverse was tough
People were having a blast
Best conditions of this season
AND Couch Z drinking a Bud Lite...Just sayin

It was a Single Chair Ale.  Just looked like a Bud Light.  

I did have a PBR today that Grillman gave me though

Learning to control your speed on a traverse is a skill that no where else in the east you can learn but is a key skill to accessing the goods out west.  
key points to doing it right
Look ahead and hold up if the path is blocked so you don't plow into those ahead of you
Gravity exists.  A bigger guy like me is going to be faster on the traverse than a kid or woman.  Take that into account in your spacing and the order your group starts out on the traverse
Don't stop and gape on the traverse
Be courteous and gave fun and it's not a competition

Coach Z wrote

If you don't like tight spaces don't ski slide 4.  Someone freezes up and caused a major traffic jam in the narrows. I seldom ski 4 because of this.

I don't understand why anyone skis 4 anyway. A few good turns followed by a steep, narrow, tree filled chute that even the best skiers have to use advanced strategies to maneuver just isn't fun for me, especially because you have to bypass 3 wide open lines, really fun cliff jumps and open snow fields to get to it.

The way I think about Slide 4 is its the best one to ski first in on a powder day and the worst one to ski second run because by then it's toast

I like 2b the best

I'm glad they were open, it shouldn't be a private club just for people the mountain deems worthy.

What I mean is, if it's going to be on the map, I'd like to see it open if conditions enable it as much as possible, as they seem to be doing this year.

I've been fortunate in the past to have avi-gear etc to get in there, but what if I had that stuff and rentals, they'd turn me away? I've rented skis before for a multitude of reasons. So has everyone. Even Bode Miller has skied on rentals at some point. It just seems a little high school to turn someone down based on appearance. Skiers should be responsible for getting themselves down anyway, like Europe.

A ride in a sled shouldn't ever be a lottery ticket.

As far as crowds: if any skier ever wants the fresh stuff, all they have to do is take a hike to one of the 50 something in the park anyway.

here's my brother on Algonquin, no other skiers around:

mattchuck2 wrote

Coach Z wrote

If you don't like tight spaces don't ski slide 4.  Someone freezes up and caused a major traffic jam in the narrows. I seldom ski 4 because of this.

I don't understand why anyone skis 4 anyway. A few good turns followed by a steep, narrow, tree filled chute that even the best skiers have to use advanced strategies to maneuver just isn't fun for me, especially because you have to bypass 3 wide open lines, really fun cliff jumps and open snow fields to get to it.

You guys are right, 4 it's terrible and not worth the effort, or wasting the opportunity to ski the other, better Slides.  Stay away!

Was that from Saturday? I was next door on Wright. Sweet photo!

ml242 wrote

 

SWEET!

I can barely remember the last time I skied the slides on a weekend but I do remember the gridlock in the narrows on 4.  Matt, 4 is my second favorite and I actually prefer the narrows to the billygoating to get into 3.  Nice try JT but wasn't 4 where I saw you and Pete for the first time on wednesday? 2b is my favorite too.  And Gebby, I get your point, but I sometimes rent when I go out west.  ML, I couldn't get 4 laps on Algonquin in an hour and a half, I do like the lift assisted side country.  I got to the top of Morning Glory Bowl(on rentals), off the Northway lift at Crystal Mountain Washington(alone as usual), and Ski Patrol gave me advice, not the boot.  Best piece of advice was make sure you stay right when approaching the deadhead or you will end up on the road and will have to hitchhike back to the base. I didn't know what he was referring to until I got to it.

It is what it is and when Whiteface is cranking on all cylinders, the adventurous, curious and testosterone laden all want to see what the buzz is about.  Any popular mountain will experience the same crowd and Kudos to the WF patrol in making sure everyone is safe.  They are the ones to come rescue you when you are in over your head.

We skied slide 2 on Sunday.  The lifty was writing " slides are open" on the blackboard when we got to lift 6.  By the time we got to the top, there was a line of maybe 50 or more at the gate, and the patrol closed it!  My buddy name dropped a patroller we know, so we were the last ones they let in.
That was the best I've ever seen the Slides.
I ended the day by closing Empire with that patroller.  I cranked my knee there and I'm pretty sore today.  Bummer.

mm

Seems like when people get pretty decent at skiing they start judging others as to who belongs and who does not.  The slides are tough but any strong intermediate can get down them.  I almost saw a cat fight on the cat tracks Sat.  Pretty entertaining stuff.  After four runs I decided to get the heck out of there.  I had some pretty good powder shots but I could tell the party was over the last run.  I have my routes that I go that usually nets me some fresh .  Fav Slide. 1 for sure.  Nice steep Pow turns and then the waterfall.  That is like a big kids jungle jim.  Made it down in two turns Sat.  Was at the top of a pretty decent ledge. Could see where everyone was side slipping down.  They made a big pile of snow at the bottom.  Made a leap landing in it 6/7 feet of fluff one jump turn and off the next ledge into more fluff and ran out the bottom.   One of the few times I have seen the snow like that enabling the maneuver.  

I bet they get another 5 up there today.  

This is exactly what I'm saying about the 'club', I don't think judging people at the resort is cool. If they bought a ticket, let them do what they want. That's all.

Coach Z wrote

The way I think about Slide 4 is its the best one to ski first in on a powder day and the worst one to ski second run because by then it's toast

I like 2b the best

I was lucky enough to time out the opening of the summit chair correctly Saturday morning - was first guy in the slides after patrol - hit 4, untouched and boot deep. It may be a little tight at times - but it was a hell of a run.  Big thanks to the patrol I was with who said I could set first tracks.  Had several other good slides runs this weekend even bumped into some ppl from on here...great weekend both conditions and weather.

I was not judging anyone.  It was crowded and people had fun.  When it became a zoo I felt there was better skiing elsewhere and enjoyed the pow on Upper Cloud that everyone was ignoring.

Just offering some advice on how to safely and courteously navigate the traverse which eastern skiers who have not skied out west most likely don't have experience with

I took my son into the slides when he was 7.  I had to convince patrol he could rip.  There are plenty of strong skiing kids.  If they can do the side steps up they are probably ok.  You can tell a lot from how skiers handle slide in.

Rentals on the other hand are a different issue.  I've rented demo skis out west.  Has anyone skied on a true rental ski recently?  The are made as a teaching ski and are not performance oriented.  I'd have no issue limiting access that way.  If someone gets over thier head and gets hurt they have to shut the whole thing down for the evac.

On further thought, besides hanging the biggest scariest sign they can dream up, asking people to count 90 seconds between people going in wouldn't be the worst thing.

It's just such a memorable and unique experience to ski the slides, that I would like to see as many people get the opportunity as can be justified.

tjf1967 wrote

The slides are tough but any strong intermediate can get down them.

That is true enough when the conditions are good and people don't zig when they should have zagged.

I get it, who the heck are any of us to say who is worthy?  But it is a valid topic of discussion.  It's not that difficult to find yourself in a tough spot out there, one a strong intermediate might have a hard time handling.  99% of the time that won't happen....but it could.  Last year I was low down the falls on 1, past the point of being able to cut left to the bottom of 2B.  I knew where I was going.  My only out was straight lining a steep section exposed ice (mostly, some rock, too) for about 15+ feet before haveing to make a hard right, and control speed immediately to avoid more exposed rock and ice on the runout.  I don't want my strong intermediates having to execute that one.  Someone who doesn't know where they are going could find themselves there (getting to that spot didn't require navigating any terrible obstacles further up) and the potential for injury was high if you fell.  

Was having an interesting discussion the other day, and I'll throw it out here.  If you could ask one question of a skier before they go in, to assess their skilz.....what would it be?  Seriously, some people I saw Friday could barely side-step up the trail leading to the Slides, how would they have fared if they found themselves in a tough spot?

simple solution - beacons all the time.  

Many did find themselves in tough spots.  ALL OK.  Lets face it, its a matter of time before a serious injury happens in there.  That's life.  Being around the hill a lot I hear the reason that they are not open more is that patrol does not want to work with injured in that environment.  No patroller ever said that to me so I may be just spreading rumor but a wise old man had a pretty good solution.   He said " if they don't want to patrol the slides there is a nice little hill about 60 miles down the road called gore, go patrol there".