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What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

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PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

skimore wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

Ummm....I said WEST COAST. Last time I checked that's CO, UTAH, BC, ALASKA, ect.

and I only made the comparison to most of the CO resorts

how hard is that to understand

Most of CO doesn't get nearly the amount of snow as the wasatch/cascades ect. But they still get more pow days than Vermont. No question. Ask anyone who's lived there and then came back east. You have to remember that many storms on the ec have ice, freezing rain, sleet, rain, too much win that ruins the powder.

14-15 Season:

11-22 Snow Ridge (opening day 35") 1-7 Snow Ridge (10")
11-28 Grand targhee 1-8 Telluride(12 inches)
11-30 jackson hole(10 inches) 1-9 Whistler(12 inches)
1-11 mt bactchelor(20 inches)
12-7 Vail(15 inches) 1-12 Mt baker(30 inches
12-10 Whistler(20 inches)
12-12 Whistler helisking(bottomless)
12-14 Big Sky(27 inches)
12-15 Mammoth(24 inches)
12-18 Kirkwood(50 inches)
12-21 Alta(37 inches)
12-22 Grand targhee(40 inches)
12-26 jackson hole(26 inches)
12-28 Chugatch backcountry(bottomless powder)

PeeTex

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

West coast to me means Tahoe, Oregon, The Cascades, Whistler/Blackcomb and Western Alaska. Utah & CO aren't even in the same time zone.

Don't ski the trees, ski the spaces between the trees.

skimore

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

PowderAssassin wrote

skimore wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

Ummm....I said WEST COAST. Last time I checked that's CO, UTAH, BC, ALASKA, ect.

and I only made the comparison to most of the CO resorts

how hard is that to understand

Most of CO doesn't get nearly the amount of snow as the wasatch/cascades ect. But they still get more pow days than Vermont. No question. Ask anyone who's lived there and then came back east. You have to remember that many storms on the ec have ice, freezing rain, sleet, rain, too much win that ruins the powder.

None of that was disputed

PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

If was a pow hound, I would choose almost any co area over VT. I ski vt because I live on east coast. If it was equal distance, I'd know where I'd go.
Aspen, notice the pow on wide open trails. At okemo/jiminiy and most ec ski areas, this would be flattened by groomers.
Aspen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd8cq7-dZ7w

DEEP pow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joA-KrLPgLo

Different skiing out west. They'd have a riot if they groomed all the pow flat right before they opened after an overnight dump. They groom when they close at 4 or 5 and then leave most of the pow, except on some greens. Out here, look how most places groom. Powder is viewed differently out there. Most EC skiers have never even skied powder.

skimore

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

PowderAssassin wrote

Wind ruins many potential pow days in VT. Trust me.

Maybe for you. Not for many

PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PeeTex

PeeTex wrote

West coast to me means Tahoe, Oregon, The Cascades, Whistler/Blackcomb and Western Alaska. Utah & CO aren't even in the same time zone.

Ok, well The cascades get more snow than anywhere. :) West coast vs East coast is pretty clear. West of the mississipi in the front range of the rockies point on west vs east of it. But have at it nitpicking :)

PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by skimore

skimore wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

Wind ruins many potential pow days in VT. Trust me.

Maybe for you. Not for many

Yeah, if you don't wind affected snow and most of the pow blown off the trail. it's not even close to the same thing.
SO you're saying wolf creek, colorado and northern vt have about the same amount of quality pow days? LOL

skimore

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

PowderAssassin wrote

If was a pow hound, I would choose almost any co area over VT. I ski vt because I live on east coast. If it was equal distance, I'd know where I'd go.
Aspen, notice the pow on wide open trails. At okemo/jiminiy and most ec ski areas, this would be flattened by groomers.
Aspen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd8cq7-dZ7w

DEEP pow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joA-KrLPgLo

Different skiing out west. They'd have a riot if they groomed all the pow flat right before they opened after an overnight dump. They groom when they close at 4 or 5 and then leave most of the pow, except on some greens. Out here, look how most places groom. Powder is viewed differently out there. Most EC skiers have never even skied powder.

I disputed your statement of not much snow in NVT and it always being windblown. That's it. What don't you get?

skimore

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

PowderAssassin wrote

skimore wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

Wind ruins many potential pow days in VT. Trust me.

Maybe for you. Not for many

Yeah, if you don't wind affected snow and most of the pow blown off the trail. it's not even close to the same thing.
SO you're saying wolf creek, colorado and northern vt have about the same amount of quality pow days? LOL

Where was that stated. I stated most of CO on snow totals........obviously excluding the place that gets the most

MC2 5678F589

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

I think he's saying that Crested Butte, DMR, Stowe, and Jay have similar amounts of Pow days.

The problem is, while the snowfall amounts are similar, the 300 days of sunshine in Colorado are nicer than the 58 average days of Sunshine in VT.

PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by skimore

I disputed your statement of not much snow in NVT and it always being windblown. That's it. What don't you get?

I didn't say always, but quite often. And it does NOT get much snow COMPARED to out west. It's all relative. Compared to the pocono's? Yes NVT gets hammered. And it's quite often wind blown Of course you can find days with less wind. Usually a weaker low pressure system that delivers less than a foot. There's always exceptions though of course. If you want deep pow 2 feet plus on the ec on an actual trail that isn't severely wind affected and doesn't have hordes of crowds, visit snow ridge. Plenty of pics on this site.

skimore

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

PowderAssassin wrote

If you want deep pow 2 feet plus on the ec on an actual trail that isn't severely wind affected and doesn't have hordes of crowds, visit snow ridge. Plenty of pics on this site.

I'll have to check that place out

PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

Oh and even in VT, some areas are way less wind affected than others. Bromley for example is less wind affected than other areas due to S exposure and surrounding topography. The worse hills are ones that are singular high peak. S exposure at bromely means wind protection from the north/northeast/northwest/ and protection from the west. Compare that to a mountain that faces northeast! Makes quite a bit of difference. Also, makes for better spring skiing. East and S facers are able to soften up better for nice corn snow especially if they have wide trails. Not hating on VT ski areas. Just keeping it real. Has some of the best pow days ever in VT! BUT IT'S RARE! One thing you notice at a place like mt snow is that no one is chasing the powder, unlike out west. You and all of salt lake city are calling in sick to work on a big dump if you're skiing in Utah! People at mt snow were actually complaining about conditions with 1-2 feet of perfect virgin pow. WOW! Had it all to myself with just a few others :) That's the whole point of what I was saying. EC skiers dont' know what to do with pow! So strange.

snoloco

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

This post was updated on .

In reply to this post by MC2 5678F589

I'm sure that the western mountain get loads more powder than Jay Peak does. If I want powder I can fly out to Snowbird and get there faster than driving through bad road conditions to Jay Peak. They might get snow, but all of it is blown right off the trails leaving a skating rink. The only reason I will go back to that ice trap is if I start racing and get better at skiing on boilerplate, or if I want to go to the waterpark, but the Great Escape lodge is closer and Gore is a far better mountain if I want a skiing and indoor waterpark experience.

I've lived in New York my entire life.

PowderAssassin

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

snoloco wrote

I'm sure that the western mountain get loads more powder than Jay Peak does. If I want powder I can fly out to Snowbird and get there faster than driving through bad road conditions to Jay Peak. They might get snow, but all of it is blown right off the trails leaving a skating rink. The only reason I will go back to that ice trap is if I start racing and get better at skiing on boilerplate, or if I want to go to the waterpark, but the Great Escape lodge is closer and Gore is a far better mountain if I want a skiing and indoor waterpark experience. Hey, Mountain Creek might even get an indoor waterpark. Not only will they have the best waterpark on the face of the earth, but they will have one indoors too. Jay Peak simply puts themselves at the whim of nature. They don't know when it is cold enough to make snow and end up making bulletproof, boilerplate ice by running the guns as wet as garden sprinklers. Mountain Creek is icy and overcrowded, but at least it is close and I know to expect mediocre surface conditions. I went to Jay Peak for the first and last time the last weekend of March in 2012 hoping to hit a new mountain and end that bad season on a good note. The waterpark was the most fun and I wish I spent more time there. They have an indoor waterpark for a reason, the skiing there is so unreliable that they need another activity for those who can't handle their icy terrible conditions.

East coast ice....that saying exists for a reason. There's no getting "good" at skiing boiler plate ice. It's just a recipe for leg/knee injury!

skimore

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by snoloco

snoloco wrote

they need another activity for those who can't handle skiing in the trees

snoloco

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

PowderAssassin wrote

East coast ice....that saying exists for a reason. There's no getting "good" at skiing boiler plate ice. It's just a recipe for leg/knee injury!

Luckily there are plenty of nonstop flights that get you to western skiing destinations. That is the only true escape from boilerplate.

I've lived in New York my entire life.

Harvey

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

Administrator

snoloco wrote

Luckily there are plenty of nonstop flights that get you to western skiing destinations. That is the only true escape from boilerplate.

Sno...name five way to escape from boilerplate without getting on a plane and I'll get you a ride on the first chair of the AE2*.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

(*may not actually be true)

"You just need to go at that shit wide open, hang on, and own it." —Camp

MC2 5678F589

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by PowderAssassin

PowderAssassin wrote

There's no getting "good" at skiing boiler plate ice.

Yeah, those World Cup racers suck!

riverc0il

Re: What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

In reply to this post by snoloco

snoloco wrote

I'm sure that the western mountain get loads more powder than Jay Peak does. If I want powder I can fly out to Snowbird and get there faster than driving through bad road conditions to Jay Peak. They might get snow, but all of it is blown right off the trails leaving a skating rink. The only reason I will go back to that ice trap is if I start racing and get better at skiing on boilerplate, or if I want to go to the waterpark, but the Great Escape lodge is closer and Gore is a far better mountain if I want a skiing and indoor waterpark experience. Hey, Mountain Creek might even get an indoor waterpark. Not only will they have the best waterpark on the face of the earth, but they will have one indoors too. Jay Peak simply puts themselves at the whim of nature. They don't know when it is cold enough to make snow and end up making bulletproof, boilerplate ice by running the guns as wet as garden sprinklers. Mountain Creek is icy and overcrowded, but at least it is close and I know to expect mediocre surface conditions. I went to Jay Peak for the first and last time the last weekend of March in 2012 hoping to hit a new mountain and end that bad season on a good note. The waterpark was the most fun and I wish I spent more time there. They have an indoor waterpark for a reason, the skiing there is so unreliable that they need another activity for those who can't handle their icy terrible conditions.

Love the passion. Misinformed and not seeing the full picture, but very passionate for sure! Don't write Jay off just because you didn't ski it in good conditions (which can happen often) nor because your skiing style doesn't suite the mountain (it is a natural snow mecca, groomed skiing isn't that good at Jay usually). Jay gets the same amount of snow as many western mountains... but it is still subject to rain/freeze/thaw events and most of the snow ends up in the woods... where most of us like it.

-Steve www.thesnowway.com

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