What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

PowderAssassin wrote

Vist cannon mtn  sometime if you want to see some crazy winds. All the snow gets blown into the woods. It doesn't stay on an open trail.

Some of my best powder runs of my life were on the Front Five at Cannon. It doesn't all blow into the woods, but if you don't know where to go, you just might miss where it is blowing and sticking to the trails...

...that said, woods are nice too.

this thread gets better and better.

I think my favorite part was when Okemo got compared to Aspen.

No, it was still the kind suggestion that Skimore visits Tug Hill

I don't know where to start.

Do you guys think if I get "fat skis" I can ski powder this year too?

ml242 wrote

Do you guys think if I get "fat skis" I can ski powder this year too?

Only in Aspen and on a trail.........for safety reasons

skimore wrote

ml242 wrote

Do you guys think if I get "fat skis" I can ski powder this year too?

Only in Aspen and on a trail.........for safety reasons

Common sense would dictate wood skiing is dangerous. One wrong move and you plant into a tree. Of course if you face plant into a tree as long as you have a helmet on you'll be fine.

riverc0il wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

Vist cannon mtn  sometime if you want to see some crazy winds. All the snow gets blown into the woods. It doesn't stay on an open trail.

Some of my best powder runs of my life were on the Front Five at Cannon. It doesn't all blow into the woods, but if you don't know where to go, you just might miss where it is blowing and sticking to the trails...

...that said, woods are nice too.

I could post a video a great pow day in the pocono's. It's all about how often and how deep. Cannon is notoriously windy and difficult to fine unaffected powder. But hey, believe what you want.

mattchuck2 wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

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

Yeah, those World Cup racers suck!

Yeah, they never get injured either.  Their bodies are like mr. potatoe heads! Almost every single one of them has had major knee surgery. Ask Lazinger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIMt8SKi1lA after he lost his leg. Nevermind these crazies use din settings in the 20s. The invention of Proper releasable bindings save a ton of leg fractures/knee blowouts when they're set correctly.. Oh and if it wasn't for the netting(protecting them from the trees since they're going 70mph and would roll and hit the trees) there would be deaths on every race. Every single year multiple people die hitting trees at major ski areas. It's what started the helmet craze. Helmets reduce risk in many falls, but won't help running into a tree going fast. Number one cause of death at ski areas. Sometimes not skiing in glades, but right next to them on an open trail. One of the reasons I like wide trails. Huge turns and you can stay far away from trees. There's a reason they pad lift towers as well. It saves lives. You always think it won't be you.

Tree skiing is dangerous. You want to take that risk, that's up to you. There's a reason they say ski with a partner. It's amazing how people try to downplay risk because they want to partake in an activity. It's way more dangerous than just skiing down a wide trail and reasonable speed. This is common sense. You fall and you have a greater risk of hitting a tree than on a regular trail especially in the tightly packed east coast trees.

I ski for fun. Not to prove anything or to "push limits". Boiler plate is a recipe for a broken leg/Screwed up knee. It happens to people all the time. It's also not a fun surface to ski on.

Skiing powder is FUN as is skiing nice soft real snow groomers. Pow is a real special treat on the EC compared to places like Alta. They're spoiled rotten over there! lol

<quote author="PowderAssassin">

PeeTex wrote

West coast vs East coast

Tell me more about this Mountain Creek...

<quote author="YUKON CORNELIUS">

PowderAssassin wrote

PeeTex wrote

West coast vs East coast

That's why everyone is having a hissy fit and some cursing at me. I'm an east coaster. I keep it real. You can't compare the two. You have surfers trying to compare the ec and california/hawaii. It's absolutely patently absurd.

PowderAssassin wrote

I could post a video a great pow day in the pocono's.

Please post it.  I am curious to see where and when it was shot.  Prior to moving out West, I spent many days and nights recreating in Northeastern PA.  

PowderAssassin wrote

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. .

I think this is a bit of a misconception.  I live on the Eastern slopes of the central Cascades.  We get a lot of snow, but we also have fairly frequent draughts.  During the past 2 seasons, there have been periods of several weeks with very little snow.  Last season, from December through March, it was 8 weeks of dryness, and 8 weeks of nearly constant snow.  Anywhere you are, it’s hit or miss.

In relation to the OP, a few have stated that there is no quantity of powder that can be considered "too much."  Taking risk and overall safety into account, I disagree.  Too much powder, and things tend to become risky.  Both inbounds and in the backcountry.  My wife is a strong rider.  She is very small (5 ft 95 lbs).  Last year we were at Revelstoke, and she was partially buried in a large slough.  It was shallow, and we were prepared, but nonetheless it was scary.  If you’re not careful, you could get buried in a relatively small amount of snow.

I think I would say boot deep on a 30-32 degree slope is ideal for me.  In the past 4 seasons, I have ridden some very deep snow.  For some reason, I just don't seem to enjoy the "face shot" as much as most people.  When it gets too deep, I tend to feel as if I am out of control.  Not in the sense of speed, but more in the sense of situational awareness.  When it's too deep, it effects my hearing.  I have found that I get paranoid, and often hear "false" avalanches starting behind me which effects my overall experience.  

nepa wrote

PowderAssassin wrote

I could post a video a great pow day in the pocono's.

Please post it.  I am curious to see where and when it was shot.  Prior to moving out West, I spent many days and nights recreating in Northeastern PA.  

PowderAssassin wrote

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. .

I think this is a bit of a misconception.  I live on the Eastern slopes of the central Cascades.  We get a lot of snow, but we also have fairly frequent draughts.  During the past 2 seasons, there have been periods of several weeks with very little snow.  Last season, from December through March, it was 8 weeks of dryness, and 8 weeks of nearly constant snow.  Anywhere you are, it’s hit or miss.

In relation to the OP, a few have stated that there is no quantity of powder that can be considered "too much."  Taking risk and overall safety into account, I disagree.  Too much powder, and things tend to become risky.  Both inbounds and in the backcountry.  My wife is a strong rider.  She is very small (5 ft 95 lbs).  Last year we were at Revelstoke, and she was partially buried in a large slough.  It was shallow, and we were prepared, but nonetheless it was scary.  If you’re not careful, you could get buried in a relatively small amount of snow.

I think I would say boot deep on a 30-32 degree slope is ideal for me.  In the past 4 seasons, I have ridden some very deep snow.  For some reason, I just don't seem to enjoy the "face shot" as much as most people.  When it gets too deep, I tend to feel as if I am out of control.  Not in the sense of speed, but more in the sense of situational awareness.  When it's too deep, it effects my hearing.  I have found that I get paranoid, and often hear "false" avalanches starting behind me which effects my overall experience.

Anywhere you are it's hit or miss? So mt baker and say killington....both are about the same. Hit and miss right? LMAO
Boot deep powder? Might as well just groom it out. You can only ski pow on a 30 degree slope? haha...man oh man. I've skied 2 feet on blue trails plenty of time. That's just a complete lack of skill. Too much powder is dangerous....hahahaha.... at a resort none the less.....spoken like a true gaper. ;) Seriously....get a pair of wide skis and learn to ski. Please.

Oh and if you live out west....why are you on this forum? Did you just move out there?

You guys better be careful of that DANGEROUS too deep powder here on the EC that we get on a hit or miss day. You can be BURIED ALIVE!!!  How many times a year does killington or jay peak have avalanches? LOL With all that snow....and there's some steep terrain  for sure at both they should be having a few times yearly avalanches. Anyone doing avalanche control in that gnarly east coast backcountry terrain? I think I heard explosives going off last time I was at jay peak. Pretty sure they were doing avalanche control in the backcountry ;)

I'm curisous what the statistical chance of dying at a west coast INBOUNDS resort area in an avalanche is? You know because more than boot deep and it's SUPER dangerous!

PowderAssassin wrote

Oh and if you live out west....why are you on this forum? Did you just move out there?

You spent more time telling me that I don't know what I am talking about, and failed to really read the post.  Yes.  I am fairly new to the West.  I moved out here 4 years ago.  I still enjoy being connected to Eastern snowsports through blogs and message boards.

Just curious... what makes you the authority on who has "skills" and who does not?

also, are you a meteorologist?  or perhaps an Oracle of some sort?  You seem to know where and when all of the snow falls out here.  I could use your "skills" for trip planning.

Yeah, this guy knows everything except for the fact that you stated the avy happened at Revelstoke, not Killington.

He's like a bizarro SnoLoco, instead of trumping up snowmaking and grooming it's "east coast sucks, you suck at skiing"

PowderAssassin wrote

I'm curisous what the statistical chance of dying at a west coast INBOUNDS resort area in an avalanche is? You know because more than boot deep and it's SUPER dangerous!

It happens... often to people with an attitude similar to yours.

Inbounds Burial at Crystal