What I've learned since leaving Upstate New York

I recently moved from NY to Denver.  Colorado is a wonderful place, but I've realized a few things during the transition.

As a life-long upstate NYer, I loved chasing three inch "pow" days, driving up Northway in hopes that my destination was north of the rain line, and most importantly, bonding with like-minded kooks in the east-coast powder hound community.  We're a special group.  You have to be special to be hunt snow and good turns in the northeast.  It takes perserverance and a true love of the sport.  We're like the nerdy kids that only got laid twice in college...both times with a girl that everyone thought was unattractive and annoying (who am I kidding, I actually was that guy).   We might not always get the goods, but when we do, we really appreciate it.

No one really appreciates snow like we do.  I've found ways to love icy conditions.    I've convinced myself that two seconds under a snow gun count as pow turns.  I spent three years cutting a trail through the woods behind my house with hachet so that I could run home from school and make a few turns while still wearing my catholic school uniform.  I've waited at the base of the Straightbrook quad for an hour, in -15 degree weather, so that I could be the first one down Rumor after a small storm.  I've skied down Winfall where there was only about 10 inches of snow covering what would otherwise be a pile of rocks.  And, I've also had days out east that rival any pow day at Alta.  All true east coast powder hounds have stories like mine.

Move to Denver.  A dream come true.  I wanted it for so long.  All of a sudden, I don't feel as special as my favorite season approaches.  Everyone and their brother gets their share of pow turns.   What is the main complaint: The traffic up I-70.  Granted, I'm not pumped about the traffic.  Yes, there is a wonderful skiing community, and the skiing is great.  However, soemthing feels a little less special.  Maybe that's part of growing up; maybe it's because the community is larger; maybe I'm jumping the gun, since it's only late August.  What I do know is that nothing is like the truly special and wonderful skiing community in the northeast.  

Don

Where'd you get a pass?

Adrider83 wrote

Everyone and their brother gets their share of pow turns.

I'm embarrassed to tell you how few days of lift-served pow I've had since I started skiing 15 years ago.  Really just a few. So the initial reaction should be WTF this guy is nuts.

Except I've heard this same thing a few times from eastern skiers who've moved to Colorado.  So I believe it exists.  (I've also heard the opposite but that is not as surprising I guess.)

I also want to know where you ski. Be very cool to get some CO reports and pics. Maybe help us and help you too.  

As someone who debates moving out west every single year, I agree that we have it pretty good here in the east. I've noticed in other areas of my life, once you have super easy access to something, it starts to become mundane and it loses a little of its novelty. I agree that I appreciate powder more just because it is such a rarity and (sometimes) takes a lot of effort to reach.

I also feel like the lake/road bike/horse race track/small town/road trip to New England/big city access/etc. makes summers around here really nice. I feel like I'd miss floating on a lake in a boat if I moved out west.

All that being said, I still want to move out west and I think what's really driving your nostalgia is this: you're doing it wrong. The I70 Traffic makes Denver a really shitty place to live for a real skier. Why don't you move to Frisco or Durango or Bend or Bozeman or Park City or Salida or Taos or Flagstaff or some other place where you can be on the lift in 30 minutes? I recognize that your job is probably in Denver, which keeps you from living where you truly want to live (God, I know that feeling), but maybe you're not missing the powder hunting as much as you're missing the feeling of being part of a select group of crazies.

As a percentage of population, there's probably a lot more powder skiers in Denver than in NY (even though there are more ski areas in NY). So they all pile on to I70 on a powder day and get off at whatever hill they have a pass to and go stash to stash, shredding everything worth skiing really quick. In the east, there are skiers, but there aren't a ton of powder skiers (trust me, I see the "I can't ski in all this snow" lesson every day with over 4"). So you feel like you're part of a select club in the east. A club that has its own knowledge and code words (still don't like people calling Mt. Washington "George"), and it feels good to be part of a small crew instead of one in a sea of many powder fiends.

This is starting to get a little rambly, but really I guess I'm just agreeing with you. We should appreciate what we have here in the east, and we shouldn't get jaded when we move west. If we keep the powder hunting fire stoked, everyone is better off.

After a morning of bluebird pow turns off chair 9 at Loveland, you're going to forget the east.

Here, if it's a community of skiers you're looking for........

http://berthoudpass.org

Yes- I agree with you Matt.  It is incredible here in CO.  I think what I was trying to say, is that I never quite appreciated how great the community is back east, and how much fun we all have.  It's incredible back east- but in a different way.  Not just with skiing.  At the end of the day, it's all about having fun.  It also feels good to be really passionate about something that isn't as easy to love.  

Harvey- I think we need to have a NYSkiBlog excursion to CO.   I have a lot of exploring to do this winter, but from where I've been close, I like A Basin - for the same reasons I like Hickory.  

ABasin is great but it's hardly the hickory of Colorado. Maybe the Hickory of the Vail Resorts, but that's a pretty different thing.

There are so many Colorado pieces on the board already, but there are still more that the staff here has yet to get to.

However, I would highly recommend Monarch. The snow quality was very good and the people were the kind of unpretentious skiers you get at any local hill midweek. I understand that it's a bit farther from Denver, but the ride is nice and not on i70 either.

If anything it makes me more curious to check out the Echo's, Eldora's, Crested Butte and even get back to some other areas like Powderhorn one day. Not to mention return trips to Tohelluride, Silverton... and the rest of the big brand name areas are great too (I prefer Beaver Creek if you end up going that way).

I'm sure you'll continue to find great things about Colorado as well as things that you still miss that are unexpected about the East. But, you're younger than me and the world is your oyster. No one is forcing you to marry Denver any more than your high school girlfriend.

Have fun out there and take lots of pics.

Adrider83 wrote

Harvey- I think we need to have a NYSkiBlog excursion to CO.   I have a lot of exploring to do this winter, but from where I've been close, I like A Basin - for the same reasons I like Hickory.

See I think you should do what lolkl did. He started a Big Sky Conditions thread and uses it to post stoke, and remind nysb'ers  that he likes to give tours.

Eldora, Mary Jane, Loveland are all over looked by some, and all a lot of fun.  Since i started taking my family to whiteface 7 years ago, we have stopped skiing in the west coast.    I can ski the ADK's all winter for the same price that it costs to bring the family out west for 7 days...
That said, I wish i could do both.  Have fun chasing the pow,  and enjoy the turns in early November when we are counting the hours until the guns start to blow.

And enjoy powder days in late April/early May when the rest of America is landscaping.

Adrider83 wrote

  I think what I was trying to say, is that I never quite appreciated how great the community is back east, and how much fun we all have.  It's incredible back east- but in a different way.  Not just with skiing.  At the end of the day, it's all about having fun.  It also feels good to be really passionate about something that isn't as easy to love.

This is what's it's all about for me. I consider myself extremley lucky with where I live and the friends I have. We're a close knit group, and imo, I couldn't duplicate what I have here anywhere. Whether that's standing in line for first chair in the rain, sitting in a deer stand, or pounding beers at the lake like they wont be making them tomorrow. Wouldn't trade it for nadda.

campgottagopee wrote

Adrider83 wrote

  I think what I was trying to say, is that I never quite appreciated how great the community is back east, and how much fun we all have.  It's incredible back east- but in a different way.  Not just with skiing.  At the end of the day, it's all about having fun.  It also feels good to be really passionate about something that isn't as easy to love.

This is what's it's all about for me. I consider myself extremley lucky with where I live and the friends I have. We're a close knit group, and imo, I couldn't duplicate what I have here anywhere. Whether that's standing in line for first chair in the rain, sitting in a deer stand, or pounding beers at the lake like they wont be making them tomorrow. Wouldn't trade it for nadda.

You got it Camp...as with so many things in life it's not where you are its who your with. While I've enjoyed some awesome conditions out West and in Europe I wouldn't trade what I have at Whiteface...that's my place.

MC2 really nails it in this thread.

I've come to the conclusion that there will always be greener grass. When we follow our dreams and move, the grass back home where we came from suddenly seems greener than it was when we lived there because we gain perspective on what made that place special that we didn't see when we lived there. Sorry if that wasn't so eloquently and concisely written, I blame the beer.

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

You got it Camp...as with so many things in life it's not where you are its who your with.

This nails it just a little bit more. And is why I've become a bit disillusioned with my own move away from the city into the mountains ten years ago. I don't have a anyone to share all these adventures with. My partner doesn't ski. But even if she did, it still wouldn't be home without a tight group of friends. My closest ski friends are all hours away. We may only get one or two days together a year and those days are often far more special than the solo powder days.

All that said, I took my first trip out west and skied JHMR and damn near ideal conditions. It never made me want to move. The northeast is home for me and there is more to life than the best terrain and the best powder. I think the appreciation of it is an important part. But there is something in the water around here that you can't get out there. Life is more than just skiing.

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@rivercOil - I was wondering how to add my thoughts to this thread and you did it for me.

Sno - the analogy for what you have described is like dining at the Old Country Buffet versus a nice steak dinner at say Ruth Chris.

Surely you would be very happy living in Incline Village and being able to ski Squaw at night?
The analogy there is Old Country Buffet vs Fogo de Chao (All you can eat Brazilian steak house).

I do hope you and the old man make it out west and get some quality time - I think you need that to round out your experience base. You may find you want to stay in the east, but it will be for the right reasons, you may find night skiing at Mtn Creek is not why you want to live in the east, or you may find you love the Chinese Buffet.

PeeTex...why did you have to say Fogo de Chao...that is my FAVORITE!!!! I don't eat all day before I go there so I can crush some delicious meat.  You got me hungry just reading about it.

jjbrady wrote

PeeTex...why did you have to say Fogo de Chao...that is my FAVORITE!!!! I don't eat all day before I go there so I can crush some delicious meat.  You got me hungry just reading about it.

I love it when an analogy works!
So when the pow comes - it's a Fogo de Chao day!