Anyone else going to sit this one out?

[vindibona1]

Much to my chagrin, COVID still lingers and is spiking in lots of places. While I can see little problem if you get out of your car, ski pass in hand and get on the lift and ski. Outdoors will be a less contagious environment, but if you have to go indoors to pee or eat in my case at least it will be too close, even if the local areas limit day passes. The club I've taught for for over a decade has 1200 member, with an average of 400 on each trip. We'd take the members to different areas in the region on busses and until now was easy and relatively worry free. I'm not a young guy any more and have been restricting my contact with strangers and close spaces as I have to care for my grandson once or twice a week and be with my kids. I dunno... I'm thinking of sitting it out until at least a vaccine is available. I'm doing the same with the music groups I've been playing in.

Who here is doing what???

 

[mdf]

I'm almost certain to sit out this season. I'm holding out a faint hope for spring skiing if an effective vaccine rolls out more quickly than expected (I realize that is unlikely, but it isn't impossible). I've been skiing 20 to 30 days a season and attending (almost) all the Gatherings, so sitting out is a big deal for me.

I have some ancient XC gear in the garage -- I'll pull it out if it snows in the neighborhood.

 

[François Pugh]

Considering that we are dealing with an air borne virus and your chances of catching it goes up with the virus load you are exposed to, I would not worry about the few minutes it takes to go to the bathroom. However, I would avoid spending 1/2 an hour or more breathing the same indoor air as a bunch of strangers whose health habits I have no way of knowing, so no indoor dining for me.

 

[Wasatchman]

I'm sitting it out this year, although I can't say with 100 percent certainty what I would do that if I didn't also have an injury that makes it an even easier decision.

But I agree with the OP that completely avoiding indoor areas is not so easy.

All my local friends will be skiing. My guess is the significant majority of locals will ski, and those that are sitting it out are mostly going to be those that travel to ski.

 

[Posaune]

I'm going skiing, and I won't be changing much about the way I do it. Since retirement I've skied almost exclusively on weekdays at places with no crowds (except on a powder day) that are within day trip distance of home or my cabin. I usually find myself alone on the chair anyway. I've booted up in the lodge some of the time, but I'll just do it in the car every time this season. I've always brought my own lunch, and often eaten it in the car anyway, so I'll just do it all the time now. Mt. Baker will have outdoor-access restrooms installed, so I won't have to enter the lodge at all.

We're looking to have a La Nina year and I don't want to miss it, but I'll follow all the rules and be careful. Life is short and I don't want to make it shorter.

 

[hrstrat57]

I’m out until vaccine and my local Bluezz jam just shut down.

Won’t stop me from stealing licks and tunes from YouTube and practicing with either my Boss looper or HeadRush pedalboard.

Guitarring will continue at a frantic pace but skiing sadly will not.

Devastating situation. So now instead of “shut up and ski” it’s “shut up and play yer guitar”

 

[crgildart]

Still have hopes for a day trip or three. Not going to go fumble through a reservations system days/weeks in advance to make that happen though. If it's possible to make a decision Friday night to make the three hour drive and definitely be able to get a ticket and ski upon arrival (paying online the night before isn't a problem) I'm probably still going to ski a couple days. If it's too difficult or impossible to make a decision on short notice I'm probably out.. Leaving the state or staying overnight for leisure purposes is definitely a no go for me.

 

[graham418]

I'm going skiing. Or at least I hope I am going skiing. Local skiing will be based out of my truck, togging out in the freezing cold in the parking lot. Just like we did when we were kids. (now that I'm old, I will miss sitting in the warmth, sipping my coffee while I put nice warm boots on.) Dashing inside for a pee doesn't worry me so much nor standing in line, I do wonder what I am going to do for lunch , as I usually like to warm up with a bowl of soup. Cold sandwiches and granola bars don't appeal. I doubt my thermos will keep my soup much more than tepid. Maybe will have to invest in some kind of plug in warmer.
I do have some away trips planned, which are ski in / ski out, and 2 out of three have a kitchenette, so meals will be less of an issue.
My first trip is a training session at Tremblant in middle of December. I just hope they have snow!! (It was 18c at the base yesterday). Our club had a trip organized for the weekend immediately before, and it has been cancelled due to lack of available terrain and changing covid rules in Quebec.
I think the mantra this year will be "Chill. Take 'er cool" and not get too wound when plans get changed or cancelled.

 

[dbostedo]

I'm planning to at least ski locally. I have 2 trips planned but I'd call them "iffy" based on current trajectories. Skiing locally, I can be outside nearly 100% of the time, except for the occassional bathroom break (and I've been known to go a whole ski day without that sometimes). So local won't be a problem I don't think.

 

[parkrat]

I'm not sitting this out, but I might if I were 60+ or had any pre-existing conditions and at higher risk of COVID. At any place, which isn't a day trip, there's flying to get somewhere, staying at a hotel, taking public transportation to the resort, getting food/drinks from restaurants/bars, trusting the resorts to come up with some type of lift mazes with social distancing, and potentially riding lifts/gondolas/trams with strangers. On the other hand, if I go into an office building 40 hours a week in a building with thousands of people, my normal routine isn't risk free either.

 

[Blue Streak]

After missing the entirety of last season, I can't afford to miss another, or I may never get back on the snow. I will start making mid-week day trips to Loveland, as soon as they open.

You don't know what you have, until it's gone.

 

[graham418]

You don't know what you have, until it's gone.

Spoken for Truth.

 

[KevinF]

I'm going to be moving in January (just a few towns over), so effectively quarantining is going to be nigh impossible as winter begins --- i.e., movers, real-estate agents, lawyers, and god knows who all else that I'll be interacting with for the next couple weeks.

Might take a midweek day trip out to the Berkshires at some point. Come February, maybe sneak in a trip to VT or NH depending on how the season is progressing at that point.

 

[Scruffy]

I have Epic and IKON passes. I'm thinking of deferring the IKON. I'll use the EPIC mid-week at my local hill if, and it's a big if, the crowds are not too crazy. I suppose I'll be able to tell about the crowd pressure by the reservation system? We'll see. I'm putting an addition on my house, so there will plenty of inside remodeling work to do this winter if I don't feel safe skiing. I also XC and back country, so if we get a good snow year I can get my fix that way.

 

[Ulmerhutte]

In making a decision to wait for a vaccine, you might consider that the common cold, MERS, and SARS are all coronaviruses. No vaccine yet for any of them. HIV was first diagnosed around 40 years but no vaccine yet. The point being that the pronouncements on imminent availability of a vaccine fly in the face of experience. Yes, the scientists may get lucky and ace it quickly, but would you bet your house on it?

In my case, I am on the edge of the age group that is apparently at heightened risk of covid. I am however going skiing if it is available. My rationale: whilst I am very fit, I am also on the edge of the age group where physical capabilities typically start decreasing more rapidly. Each year of being able to ski, and do stuff, is valuable to me. So, yes, I will take my chances and ski on the premise that tomorrow is not promised, so live each day as best as possible.

 

[Green08]

I will be skiing this season, but it will look different.

I am going to sit things out initially. I only plan on skiing middle of the week, and I want to wait and see what kind of crowds develop. Having the availability to head up to the mountain depends on my kids preschool safely operating. We are not there right now given the viral spread locally....so we will see when sitting out becomes making a few turns

 

[Steve]

I live :15 from a 1,000 footer. I bought a pass. My plan is to ski many weekday mornings, as I have for years. Anything else, like day trips to NH are possible, but at the least I have that. No way I'd take a year off. Boot up in car, or at outside heated tables. Ski until 11:30, drive home. No lodge use at all.

 

[Jilly]

I've rented the seasonal condo again in Tremblant. I priced a studio condo for the Christmas holidays and immediately called my landlord. Less expensive in the all run. It's slope side, so lunch will be there. Not a big one on going out for dinner, so same ole, same ole. après will have a different flavour that's for sure. Sitting outside in the dark at -20C, maybe?? I've made a deal with the landlord that if they close for long time I'll get some money back.

I figure with all you Americans and the Brits not coming over the crowds should be less. But then the Ikon holders in Toronto may decide not to fly west and drive to Tremblant.

 

[Crank]

We will ski. Not sure if Ikon will be activated.

NY areas, northwestern MA...if enough snow will do some skinning at Thunderbolt. Berkshire East is fun, if somewhat vertically challenged. And possibly a week in VT with some quarantining. May hit Sunday River (Ikon)

We are renting a slopeside house at Big Sky first week of March. Don't know if we will actually go but we can cancel 2 weeks out if things are still surging and we don't feel safe traveling

 

[BS Slarver]

How many useful trips around the sun does one get ?
This year and for the foreseeable future none of us are getting exactly what we want when we want it. Hell, for that matter I have not even boarded a plane to see my adult children back east, I get it !

However since the passing of member Tim F, I have re read some of his posts and his obit. Yes, a life well lived but cut way short, much shorter than my time here. How much time do we have, who knows ?

I'm going out this year with his motto - FULL SEND ! First day and every day !
Yes, there will be no après, no lodge, no guiding and riding with those I don't know.
From someone who is 5 miles from the lift and who's car has been my base lodge for years I'm truly thankful and blessed.

My thoughts for those who aren't in the same position is be as careful as you can. Be hyper diligent in you travels and exposure around those you don't know, this may be with us longer than anyone of us wants to talk about.

But for god sake, get outside and feel the earth move under your feet before you cant.