The Softening of Society

In general you are correct but there is a large segment that are active. Come hike Marcy on a clear fall afternoon, shoulder to shoulder when you get to the top.

It's effin 40 degrees today at Hunter, yet I'm still seeing hand warmers strewn all over the slopes, some already broken and making the snow black.  I don't use those things unless it's subzero.  Why does ANYONE need them in 40 degrees.

Maybe they aren't as core as you

No time to read now but, but damn......I bet this thread is gonna be good.

mattchuck2 wrote

I understand that, merely by riding the lift, I'm not truly experiencing the raw, gritty form of skiing practiced by our ancestors, but ski lifts are awesome inventions.

Now might be a good time to Cherry pick this quote in order to remind everybody to breathe in some fresh air and remember that we obsess over this activity where we ride around on these things that were conceived of by guys whose frame of reference was conveyor lifts for fruit to be loaded onto freight ships.  

We are just a bunch of fucking bananas.  Some of us bruise easier than others.  Try not to take it all so seriously.

snoloco wrote

It's effin 40 degrees today at Hunter, yet I'm still seeing hand warmers strewn all over the slopes, some already broken and making the snow black.  I don't use those things unless it's subzero.  Why does ANYONE need them in 40 degrees.

There maybe actual medical reasons.  Fixedheeln may  suffer from Raynauds.  Fingers  just always freezing cold and turn discolored.

I like the historical reference. Sun Valley, Averil Harriman and bananas. Awesome.

I agree with Sno on this one. I've noticed over the years the increased '"bundling up" of skiers. On 40* days and warmer I've seen the majority of skiers donning enough gear in the lodge to outfit the entire Shackleton expedition---face masks, hand and foot warmers, triple layers under expedition weight gore Tex  jacket. I'm a runner and I see this with hobby joggers too. I think it is because there is so little outdoor playtime for children that they never have acclimated to colder weather. There is also a monkey see monkey do aspect where some skiers or runners wear what they think is expected of them. You know, there is beginning to be a knee jerk response to Sno. More than a few of you should be getting the same treatment as Sno if you are going to extend equal treatment. Remember, it is the Internet and you do not have to respond.

I typically use a face mask if it's below 25 out, or if they're making snow.  I see people with face masks on when it's 45.  I don't know how they don't bake alive.  If it were up to me, I'd ban hand warmers from the mountain unless it was below 20 out.

snoloco wrote

I typically use a face mask if it's below 25 out, or if they're making snow.  I see people with face masks on when it's 45.  I don't know how they don't bake alive.  If it were up to me, I'd ban hand warmers from the mountain unless it was below 20 out.

I would just ban hand-warmers. Only excuse i could see for them is in an emergency kit, replaced every five years with an epi-pen. What is wrong with people? Especially the morons that throw them around. Banned. Ban ban ban.

How about if people just throw their trash in a can..

snoloco wrote

I typically use a face mask if it's below 25 out, or if they're making snow.  I see people with face masks on when it's 45.  I don't know how they don't bake alive.  If it were up to me, I'd ban hand warmers from the mountain unless it was below 20 out.

This seems pretty arbitrary.  You wear a face mask at 24 degrees, but wouldn't allow people to use hand warmers at the same temperature?  I always carry a facemask and handwarmers in my buttbag, but rarely use them above zero.  How would you feel if I forced my "rule" on you?  You'd probably say screw it, I want to be comfortable.

The odds of finding a woman who will share winter sports with you goes up dramatically if you make sure she is warm and comfortable.

Personally I don't ever use hand warmers or face masks.  But of course I'm exceptionally core.  My kids generally ski with fleece neck warmers and the wife uses those boot heater things.  Bunch o' wimps.  Wait till I make them all ski naked this weekend.

I basically use all the gear that I need to be comfortable.  Don't know why you'd need a face mask and hand warmers when it's 40 degrees.

I hate using my face mask because it gets all iced up when I'm outside and when I come I to the lodge it gets pretty much soaked.  Actually, think the temperature where I start to use it might be lower than I originally mentioned.  I normally try to start without it and put it on if I'm cold.  If I know I won't be comfortable without it, I'm using it right away.  Obviously when I was skiing in 20 below at Killington, I was using all the said equipment and when it's 40 degrees. I don't need any face mask or heater packs.

Who cares what someone else wears? If they are comfortable they'll have a more enjoyable time. End of discussion.

I looked at the first post. Snoloco compared a water park to whitewater rafting. Seriously dude? I know you get beat up here too much, but sometimes with good reason. Paddling whitewater is nothing like a water park. Thread should have been locked right there.

Adk Jeff wrote

Personally I don't ever use hand warmers or face masks.  But of course I'm exceptionally core.  My kids generally ski with fleece neck warmers and the wife uses those boot heater things.  Bunch o' wimps.  Wait till I make them all ski naked this weekend.

Usually I don't wear clothes unless it's below 10 degrees

Shrinkage!

I never really read the first post, just tried to again but still tl;dr. (Try adding in some airspace:)  I did get some of it.

It's hard to imagine the cohesive world view behind this:

"Action Park should be dangerous, it's fun, read the rules, rock out, and if you get hurt, lawyer up?"

or

"More hs bubble lifts, grooming, slopeslide, beautiful lodges but no handwarmers above 20 degrees?"

Action Park advertises that their Colorado River attraction is meant to be like class 3 rapids.

Having actually done the real thing, it is way different and comparing the two is apples to oranges.

I've always wanted more snowmaking, grooming, and high speed lifts.  Bubbles are nice, but optional.  When I went to Mount Snow a few weeks ago, I skied the Grand Summit Express which has cushy chairs, but no bubbles for most of the day.  It wasn't cold at all, yet most people still chose to wait for the bubble chair when you could ski right onto GSE.  Granted the line was less than 5 minutes, but if there are two lifts that go the the same place at similar speed, I'm riding the one with the shorter line under almost all circumstances.

snoloco wrote

Action Park advertises that their Colorado River attraction is meant to be like class 3 rapids.

That's nothing like class III rapids. The water slide is engineered without obstacles and hazards. Just because the raft goes fast doesn't mean it's anything like an actual river. Water parks are engineered to be safe, and they should be. They're supposed to be fun while minimizing the chance of injury.

If you want whitewater, go paddle whitewater. I've never rafted anything, but kayaked ww for many years. When I started one of my buddies and I would paddle all winter wearing wetsuits and basic paddling tops. It was f'n cold. I don't paddle ww anymore but now it's very common to have very nice drysuits that keep you mostly dry and much warmer than a wetsuit. That's not softening, it's taking advantage of better and cheaper available gear.

The fact that you think Action Park is like paddling whitewater is more evidence of softening than people wanting warmer water at a freakin water park.

You should learn to paddle. You'd probably like it. There are some nice Class II / III rivers that aren't far from you. Check out KCCNY if you're interested.