Venting about ice!

[Knitjenious]

Is it icy on the hill where you are too? Vent about it here! No constructive advice allowed -- complaints only!

Ice sucks! Stupid warm, rainy week and refreeze last night. Smooth ice, crunchy ice, secret hidden ice. Taking a break and hoping it softens up a bit in an hour or two! Blah!!!

#thisisbullshit

youtube.com

 

[Knitjenious]

(It also doesn't help that this seems to be the lesson week where the small army of tiny children seem to have graduated from the bunny hill to the main hill, and with so little terrain open, it's an obstacle course out there!)

 

[Jilly]

Well it rained this week here. So unless the grooming is fabulous, you've got ice. Plus I live in the east. Not snowy like out west.

Learn to ski it and like it. Or don't ski.

 

[Knitjenious]

Well it rained this week here. So unless the grooming is fabulous, you've got ice. Plus I live in the east. Not snowy like out west.

Learn to ski it and like it. Or don't ski.

That was definitely in the spirit of the thread, so thanks bunches @Jilly ! Glad to see you have a sense of humor. Enjoy your ice!

 

[shadoj]

It's either above freezing during the day, or the sunlight's strong enough to melt the not-fresh snowpack. Refreeze at night. Repeat.

Someone had a brilliant idea to put a new snow whale just uphill of the exit of a nice blue trail. Snow whales are wet. Water runs downhill. Cue weird chopped-up ice patch, with slush ravine and flowing liquid underneath. Patrol made a wise choice to close the run, which otherwise was lovely for skiing :(

Tree skiing has become tree survival. The newly-exposed underbrush is much grippier than the "snow".

I want to be able to stick my poles in the snow again without feeling like I'm stabbing a rock! Waaaah!

 

[Knitjenious]

I want to be able to stick my poles in the snow again without feeling like I'm stabbing a rock! Waaaah!

Right?? Lol

 

[MissySki]

Okay so no I absolutely don’t “like” ice, and have actually felt uncomfortable on it in the last couple of years which is annoying. I tense up, I brace, I over edge.. not all of that always, but definitely a theme when I hear loud snow under my skis. I am usually able to find soft snow on the edges at least etc. and avoid a lot of ice, but it was harder to find than usual today outside of active snowmaking trails that were fun later in the day but a bit grabby/sticky too. It forced the focus of our seasonal program lesson to be lots about technique and tactics on ice.. and I actually had a great time! The conversation was engaging with our instructor and other students in the group and I picked up so many things to think about and work on myself.

When I went out this morning I thought I would only ski until the end of the session at 12:30. But it was such a gorgeous sunny day and I enjoyed playing with stuff alone after my lesson so much that I stayed out for over 2 more hours. And that was lapping lifts because there were pretty much no lines where I was skiing.

So I second the part about embracing it and learning from it so next time can be better! It was one of those ski days that was very good for you even though the conditions were not “good”.

 

[brooksnow]

I definitely had a few "perhaps my edges need some attention" moments today.

 

[Knitjenious]

I really don't understand what wasn't clear about "this is a sarcastic humor venting thread where I am asking people to refrain from advice" (where I clearly stated this isn't an advice thread, so dont leave advice or expect to read advice) but yes, I understand that skiing in the East means getting more comfortable on ice and that is why I went out to my home hill and practiced skiing on it today until I decided it wasn't helpful for the day anymore and then I went home, and that's why I will haul my ass back out to ski tomorrow, too.

There are a hundred threads where I could find ice skiing tips or ask for advice on being better at skiing ice. I spend plenty of time working on getting better at skiing and cheering others on to tackle things that are hard for them. I was really just blowing off some steam and thought others might also sometimes want to blow off steam in between practicing navigating less than ideal conditions.

 

[racetiger]

Ice Sucks.
Melt/freeze/melt/freeze. Rain in the forecast this week.
When I get off work , hurry, and maybe if I'm fast enough the first few runs are nice, but then once that sun goes down, it's over. Slushy turning frozen chunks that like to surprise edge catch. I've 'found' lots of random icy spots and just slide through them to survive not even bothering to try use my edges.

 

[shadoj]

Ice sucks! Wax the skis hoping to find snow, but *poof* gone after one run. Not like I need help sliding on all that frozen water...

 

[lisamamot]

I TOTALLY wasn't feeling the conditions today. Normally I can happily play in the soft stashes along the edge, but today was a fail for me. I was guiding the slide, getting overwhelmed by the hordes of irresponsible skiers/boarders bombing around, and ultimately I was not finding the fun factor. For the first time, I ducked out of my instruction group 20 minutes early and met my husband on the lodge deck!

 

[snoWYmonkey]

On those rare icy days when even east coasters would complain, I would.look down from the lift mystified by the instructor making perfect hugh speed turns. Oh, wait, right, Tommy Moe! Never mind. I still suck as much as skiing ice sucks. Love the noise too...I mean really, what could be more confidence inspiring then the steady sound of ###### turns right on my tail?

 

[elemmac]

I TOTALLY wasn't feeling the conditions today. Normally I can happily play in the soft stashes along the edge, but today was a fail for me. I was guiding the slide, getting overwhelmed by the hordes of irresponsible skiers/boarders bombing around, and ultimately I was not finding the fun factor. For the first time, I ducked out of my instruction group 20 minutes early and met my husband on the lodge deck!

If it’s any consolation, I went in at 10!! Bravo for only ducking out 20 minutes early. The conditions just simply weren’t worth dealing with the crowds.

Louder, for those in the back! Ice sucks.

 

[MissySki]

If it’s any consolation, I went in at 10!! Bravo for only ducking out 20 minutes early. The conditions just simply weren’t worth dealing with the crowds.

Louder, for those in the back! Ice sucks.

Was it a Shipyard day??

 

[elemmac]

Was it a Shipyard day??

Nah, decided to go home instead. But headed over to shipyard after lifts closed with the pup for a little fire pit time! Was a great way to end the day.

 

[Iwannaski]

Here’s my biggest ice issue. I try really hard not to fall. I’m old*, I don’t like bruises and I don’t like needing help. Ice makes it more likely I’ll fall and more likely that the fall will hurt. No thank you.

*older than I have ever been. Technically middle-aged, but still, old for me.

 

[scandium]

I'm sure I'm not alone but I use the chair up to listen to and watch people on the way down to work out if they're:
1. Quite good and therefore making the ice look skiiable
vs
2. Actually on something that resembles snow rather than sheet ice

And I have to say, going for a 3 degree edge angle has also improved my confidence* no end.

(*from "I'm DEFINITELY going to die" to "I might not die, OH WAIT YES I AM")

 

[MissySki]

I'm sure I'm not alone but I use the chair up to listen to and watch people on the way down to work out if they're:
1. Quite good and therefore making the ice look skiiable
vs
2. Actually on something that resembles snow rather than sheet ice

And I have to say, going for a 3 degree edge angle has also improved my confidence* no end.

(*from "I'm DEFINITELY going to die" to "I might not die, OH WAIT YES I AM")

I do that as well, you can tell a lot by how other skiers sound coming down a trail! I like a 3 degree side angle too.

 

[MissySki]

Well, for anyone lamenting the ice.. don’t look ahead at the cycle continuing to set up a big thaw this week and then a hard freeze in New England yet again for next Saturday!