Do You Ski Every Day When You Are On A Ski Vacation?

[gardenmary]

The longest stretch was 12 days in Utah, in 2009 over the holidays - but I took a day midway and cross-country skied (lifts on the mountain were on wind hold) while the boys just hung out (they were tired). I liked breaking up a long trip like that with a XC day - makes for a mellower day amid the high-energy of alpine. Though where we stay in Utah, if we don't use lift tickets we turn them back in and they hold over to the next trip or year - so I'm not thinking "use it or lose it" which is nice.

 

[altagirl]

I did ski 19 days straight once. But that isn't something my knees want to repeat, I don't think!

 

[abc]

I liked breaking up a long trip like that with a XC day - makes for a mellower day amid the high-energy of alpine.

I never thought of XC as a "not skiing day"!

I have on occasions brought my XC skis with me and use it on the day when alpine condition was bad. I did that in Jackson, Telluride, and will be doing it in Tahoe in a week! I just plan them into the trip like they're...well, ski days!

 

[gardenmary]

It's just a different mindset for me, I guess. Alpine for me is intense. XC is Zen. But they are both followed by apres!

 

[Downunder Diva]

I ski for a month + at a time and usually ski 6 days in a row with every Saturday off. Saturdays at Mt Hotham are 'mad' and insanely crowded, I prefer to get my adrenaline surges from skiing itself rather than from horrific near misses and collisions with the hordes of newbies on black runs

 

[mustski]

We are used to half day skiing because in SoCal that's usually what conditions (or crowds) dictate. So when we go on a trip, we always plan a day off in the middle somewhere to rest our bodies. The longest ski trip we have taken is a week, with 6 days of skiing and 1 resting day. We are going to Mammoth in April and plan on 4 out of 5 days skiing.

 

[RuthB]

We're similar to Magnatude - this year we did 14 in a row, but we had travelled half way around the world specifically to ski (we did have a weeks holiday as well as the beginning). Having said that, we had our 8 year old with us, so it wasn't hard and fast all day every day. He was in ski school for six days and the other skied with us all day. We don't do first chair to last chair, but we were near to last chair most days.

Thinking about it, I think staying on the mountain (ski in ski out) makes a big difference for us - we can sleep later in the morning and being home and showered/warmed up much earlier makes a difference too. Domestically I haven't skied every day on ski holidays since I did ski-weeks on mountain, although it is often a weather call in the morning (not paying full price for a lift ticket if the weather is rubbish (wind + no visibility) and there are only limited facilities open) or mountains are closed because of weather.

 

[Little Green]

Beggars can't be choosers around here so any snow is better than no snow so we ski all day every day when we get the chance (again hard ice in the morning followed by slush in the afternoon) - we do a 4 day trip a year but I'm lucky in that I can sneak up the mountain for a day every 3 weeks or so x

 

[canadianjem]

At my home mountain I go everyday and quit about 2.
We did go to sunshine Banff. I skied for two days and took two days to explore and go to the spa...but that is probably because I know I'll still get loads in when I get back home

 

[SkiinFool]

The plan going in is skiing all day every day during the ski trip but usually by day 3 my legs are yelling at me so it's usually a half day or a rest day. Then it's back at it until the plane ride. But like others have been saying... if I hear snow conditions are better one day than another I'll plan my sham day around it.

 

[shima]

I don't take ski trips longer than 3-4 days most times, but yes I go every day on a ski trip unless I hurt myself badly!

 

[marge]

All day every day. Yes, my legs are shot but I just can't "not" do it. We usually go out close to first chair and come back when the back lifts start closing when we're out west.

 

[marge]

Sorry, I meant to add that our upcoming trip we're going to squeeze in a trip to the Dinosaur museum and maybe Yellowstone so that will be the first time we've "vegged" for a couple of days. But, we're also going to be gone for 9 days.

 

[marzNC]

Conditions and company are a factor for sure. I was planning on taking a day off during Diva Week to see Yellowstone in winter. But no one else was that interested. Plus a storm was coming in. So spent a day in the middle of the week checking out demo skis instead. Didn't want to take time changing skis once there was fresh snow to play in.

 

[SkiNana]

Sorry, I meant to add that our upcoming trip we're going to squeeze in a trip to the Dinosaur museum and maybe Yellowstone so that will be the first time we've "vegged" for a couple of days. But, we're also going to be gone for 9 days.

Sounds like somebody's coming to Big Sky! We'll try to calm the winds and lower the temperatures for you! Snow hasn't been a problem, and somehow we've kept it falling as snow, though how that has happened with the thermometer reading 40°, I'm not really sure! It's spring skiing for sure, but it's skiing! Given your signature, I assume you'll be taking the snowmobile tour through Yellowstone? Your son (and DH) will love it: the bears are up and around too.

As for days off, we usually took a midweek day off when we came out west for four or five weeks (before coming to Big Sky). Now that we're here for the season, we average five days a week, every week. That is unless it snows the night before our usual Wednesdays and Sundays off. There truly are no friend on powder days, and it doesn't matter what I've planned in town (except scheduled Dr. app'ts), it's off! DH considers it a tragic failure if we don't hit 90 days a season, and he's shooting for 100: we won't make either this year.

I'd have been interested in seeing the ages beside those who posted to see the difference in who skis 19 straight days and who skis three or four before resting though: I really would!

 

[abc]

I assume you'll be taking the snowmobile tour through Yellowstone? Your son (and DH) will love it: the bears are up and around too.

I was under the impression snowmobiling in Yellowstone ends the first week of March. I could be wrong though.

I'd have been interested in seeing the ages beside those who posted to see the difference in who skis 19 straight days and who skis three or four before resting though: I really would!

I don't think it's the age. (I'm one of those who don't take rest days, and I'm no spring chicken).

I bet it's got to do with the distance their home to the mountain! The further away from the mountain, the more desperate they are and more likely to ski straight through without a "rest". ;)

 

[SkiNana]

I was under the impression snowmobiling in Yellowstone ends the first week of March. I could be wrong though.;)

You are absolutely right! Since the annual biking-only starts April first, it stands to reason that snowmobiles and snowcats would have to be off the roads before then! And sure enough, a look at the paper shows that they, stopped on March 1 (?) and all over-the-snow travel is over by the 15th.
I am so sorry if I gave hope where there is none.

However, if you are bikers, you see amazing wildlife on those weekends before motor vehicles are allowed in the park!

 

[marzNC]

Perhaps what type of skiing is more of a consideration than age. Those who are mostly cruising groomers and taking lessons seem likely to have different energy levels than those who are going off-piste or side-country as much as possible. I ski far longer and harder on one week trips out west than 15-20 years ago.

 

[shima]

All day every day. Yes, my legs are shot but I just can't "not" do it. We usually go out close to first chair and come back when the back lifts start closing when we're out west.

Last ski weekend on Sunday I skied from 8:30am-4pm with only maybe a 45 minute lunch break. A lot of tree skiing and moguls (And on my kenjas which meant a lot of fighting to get down efficiently)... anyhoo long story short by 2pm my knees were done, but I just really wanted to hit a new high on the epic mix app for total vertical feet in a single day, so I suffered through 2 more hours of skiing when I probably should have stopped... finishing up at 4pm, lol. It's the whole concept of I just can't "not" do it that marge says above, heh.

 

[Perty]

Every day if I possibly can. I wouldn't take a day off as such simply because in most ski resorts there isn't much else I'd want to do. I did take my folks to our rental chalet a couple of years ago and we went snow shoeing with a guide which was fun.

However, next week is my last week in the snow ( at Courchevel 1650) for this season so I will try and make the most of it. If the conditions warm up too much in the afternoon and we're on mashed potatoes, I may throw the towel in before 4pm but probably not. We may even out the day with some nice long lunches though! So far the forecast is not predicting too high temperatures. When I was away 3 weeks ago it was very warm, but it did make for some lovely long days with an end of day gathering at a nice restaurant above the resort. That was where I discovered a new really naughty end of day drink...hot chocolate with Grand Marnier...

If at all possible (which with others in tow is not often) I love being first on the lift and skiing the empty pistes first thing, and if there is a great run and good conditions at the end of the day, repeating the process is just great. I love the feeling of having the mountain to ones self. Hopefully next week, which is still low season, it should be quiet with no queues! Plus we have a bonus of a Sunday to Sunday trip. As most accommodation change over is Saturday this means fewer people on the pistes on our last day. Bliss!!!!