PNW, new to SkiTalk

[Even_Stevens]

Thought I’d introduce myself, having lurked for a bit and read the skitalk archives.

41 year old guy, elder millennial. Married to a woman who is a lifelong skier and comes from an Alaskan ski family that goes 3 generations back. The photos of them at Alyeska in the 80s are awesome.

I’d call myself a strong intermediate who wants to get solidly into the advanced category in a few years. Any blue run is doable and I’ve been skiing easier single blacks, most recently on a late season powder day at Mount Baker. I’m on a pair of Elan Ripstick 96s which are a great all mountain ski and have plenty of untouched potential for me, and a quiver goal would be to add a frontside ski in the low 80s and possibly a serious powder ski like a QST Blank for deep days at Baker and other areas.

If it’s a surprise from my user name, my home mountain is Stevens Pass. Learned to ski there around the turn of the century and skied pretty regularly until 2006. Then I took almost 10 years off for a variety of reasons and went a couple times a season until 2019, when I decided that I needed more turns in my life.

Since then I’ve gotten an annual pass to Stevens and most recently went Epic Local for some days at Whistler and Park City. 16 days this season, shooting for 20. I’ve done every mountain in the (western) Washington State Cascades except White Pass this season, and hoping to get a White Pass day in.

 

[dbostedo]

Welcome!

If you haven't found it yet, the PNW thread has a lot of info and folks from your general neck of the woods...

Pacific NW/AK/BC - 2022-2023 PNW Ski Resorts/Conditions/Meetups

It's that time of year when......when......when......when we don't know what to do with ourselves until it starts snowing. So, take the opportunity to post news about ski resorts in the PNW, plans for the upcoming season, and begin to discuss meetups large and small. And maybe let's clarify...

www.skitalk.com

 

[chris_the_wrench]

done every mountain in the (western) Washington State Cascades except White Pass this season, and

if your heading to whitepass this coming week, let me know. I’ll probably be skiing there a few days during the week.

 

[martyg]

Look up Anne Healzer Garske, instructor at Stevens, and PhD level PT. She can work with you over the summer to really develop your skiing skills.

Also, there are great summer camps on Hood.

The Ripstick should be plenty of ski for Baker, unless playing in side country where there are some long runouts. Anne will be your best Source of the Truth on skis. If you want to develop into a true expert she will likely direct you into something <80.

Enjoy.

 

[DanoT]

@Even_Stevens, if you are going to Whistler, right now until mid April is the best time to go. Spring break is over and all of the crowds are gone, end of the season sales are on, and this time of year is the best chance of seeing the sun.

 

[Even_Stevens]

if your heading to whitepass this coming week, let me know. I’ll probably be skiing there a few days during the week.

Midweek skiing is the best. Unfortunately I can’t burn too many PTO days and I work weekdays , so I’ll probably be there on a weekend.

It’s looking like Baker might have another day of fresh stuff next Saturday so I might just have to be there.

@Even_Stevens, if you are going to Whistler, right now until mid April is the best time to go. Spring break is over and all of the crowds are gone, end of the season sales are on, and this time of year is the best chance of seeing the sun.

Good to know! I’ll file that away for next year. April Whistler would be great but it probably isn’t in the cards for this year.

 

[RoninSkier]

Thought I’d introduce myself, having lurked for a bit and read the skitalk archives.

41 year old guy, elder millennial. Married to a woman who is a lifelong skier and comes from an Alaskan ski family that goes 3 generations back. The photos of them at Alyeska in the 80s are awesome.

I’d call myself a strong intermediate who wants to get solidly into the advanced category in a few years. Any blue run is doable and I’ve been skiing easier single blacks, most recently on a late season powder day at Mount Baker. I’m on a pair of Elan Ripstick 96s which are a great all mountain ski and have plenty of untouched potential for me, and a quiver goal would be to add a frontside ski in the low 80s and possibly a serious powder ski like a QST Blank for deep days at Baker and other areas.

If it’s a surprise from my user name, my home mountain is Stevens Pass. Learned to ski there around the turn of the century and skied pretty regularly until 2006. Then I took almost 10 years off for a variety of reasons and went a couple times a season until 2019, when I decided that I needed more turns in my life.

Since then I’ve gotten an annual pass to Stevens and most recently went Epic Local for some days at Whistler and Park City. 16 days this season, shooting for 20. I’ve done every mountain in the (western) Washington State Cascades except White Pass this season, and hoping to get a White Pass day in.

I used to night ski at Aleyeska, when I was assigned to projects on the N slope.
A great hill.

Ditto for Baker & Stevens when we lived in WA state.

 

[Snowplow Skip]

Thought I’d introduce myself, having lurked for a bit and read the skitalk archives.

41 year old guy, elder millennial. Married to a woman who is a lifelong skier and comes from an Alaskan ski family that goes 3 generations back. The photos of them at Alyeska in the 80s are awesome.

I’d call myself a strong intermediate who wants to get solidly into the advanced category in a few years. Any blue run is doable and I’ve been skiing easier single blacks, most recently on a late season powder day at Mount Baker. I’m on a pair of Elan Ripstick 96s which are a great all mountain ski and have plenty of untouched potential for me, and a quiver goal would be to add a frontside ski in the low 80s and possibly a serious powder ski like a QST Blank for deep days at Baker and other areas.

If it’s a surprise from my user name, my home mountain is Stevens Pass. Learned to ski there around the turn of the century and skied pretty regularly until 2006. Then I took almost 10 years off for a variety of reasons and went a couple times a season until 2019, when I decided that I needed more turns in my life.

Since then I’ve gotten an annual pass to Stevens and most recently went Epic Local for some days at Whistler and Park City. 16 days this season, shooting for 20. I’ve done every mountain in the (western) Washington State Cascades except White Pass this season, and hoping to get a White Pass day in.

Baker is still on my bucket list. I mostly ski Alpental and Crystal. I haven't skied Stevens in over 30 years. Skied Garibaldi a bunch in the pre-Whisler-Blackcomb era. Good boards, if you are still learning to parale

Thought I’d introduce myself, having lurked for a bit and read the skitalk archives.

41 year old guy, elder millennial. Married to a woman who is a lifelong skier and comes from an Alaskan ski family that goes 3 generations back. The photos of them at Alyeska in the 80s are awesome.

I’d call myself a strong intermediate who wants to get solidly into the advanced category in a few years. Any blue run is doable and I’ve been skiing easier single blacks, most recently on a late season powder day at Mount Baker. I’m on a pair of Elan Ripstick 96s which are a great all mountain ski and have plenty of untouched potential for me, and a quiver goal would be to add a frontside ski in the low 80s and possibly a serious powder ski like a QST Blank for deep days at Baker and other areas.

If it’s a surprise from my user name, my home mountain is Stevens Pass. Learned to ski there around the turn of the century and skied pretty regularly until 2006. Then I took almost 10 years off for a variety of reasons and went a couple times a season until 2019, when I decided that I needed more turns in my life.

Since then I’ve gotten an annual pass to Stevens and most recently went Epic Local for some days at Whistler and Park City. 16 days this season, shooting for 20. I’ve done every mountain in the (western) Washington State Cascades except White Pass this season, and hoping to get a White Pass day in.

Baker is still on my bucket list and I haven't skied Stevens in over 30 years. Ski mostly at Alpental and Crystal (I have passes for both.) Skied Garibaldi a bunch back in the pre-Whistler-Blackcomb era. Ripstick are a great choice, and you are correct about untapped potential. Do you parallel or stem christie? 100 years ago, I took lessons to break bad habits and gain confidence. It changed my world and now fear only the extreme and/or sketchy stuff. As an advanced skier I felt I could justify buying a set of cravers, to add to my Nordica Enforcer 100's. If I skied where there was more deep fluff (and could ski it really well) I would next get a 104-110's; but I just don't see enough serious pow days in the PNW. If I can ever travel, I will bring my boots and get premium rental skis.

 

[Bad Bob]

@Even_Stevens skied a lot in the Anchorage area in the 60's through the 70s fair chance i knew your wife's family up there. Put up a picture.

 

[Even_Stevens]

Baker is still on my bucket list. I mostly ski Alpental and Crystal. I haven't skied Stevens in over 30 years. Skied Garibaldi a bunch in the pre-Whisler-Blackcomb era. Good boards, if you are still learning to parale

Baker is still on my bucket list and I haven't skied Stevens in over 30 years. Ski mostly at Alpental and Crystal (I have passes for both.) Skied Garibaldi a bunch back in the pre-Whistler-Blackcomb era. Ripstick are a great choice, and you are correct about untapped potential. Do you parallel or stem christie? 100 years ago, I took lessons to break bad habits and gain confidence. It changed my world and now fear only the extreme and/or sketchy stuff. As an advanced skier I felt I could justify buying a set of cravers, to add to my Nordica Enforcer 100's. If I skied where there was more deep fluff (and could ski it really well) I would next get a 104-110's; but I just don't see enough serious pow days in the PNW. If I can ever travel, I will bring my boots and get premium rental skis.

I parallel but I still skid my turns on more challenging/steeper stuff. I’m not afraid of moguls; but I don’t ski them with the best style or super fast by any means.

I’m looking at taking a lesson geared to my skill level at Alpental or Baker this year. I have an Epic Local and Ikon base pass, which means I’ll be up at Stevens a lot and will burn through my Ikon days at Crystal and Alpental/Snoqualmie, and Niseko.

Even with my passes I’m willing to cough up for a lift ticket for Baker. Such an amazing mountain and absolutely worth the long day trip from Seattle or renting a cabin around Glacier to access.

I ended up getting 23 days in last season and finished with skiing blacks at Palisades in late May off Granite Chief.

 

[Even_Stevens]

@Even_Stevens skied a lot in the Anchorage area in the 60's through the 70s fair chance i knew your wife's family up there. Put up a picture.

I’ll send you a PM. I’ve got a great photo of my father in law and his brother at Alyeska in the 80s. Did you go to high school in Anchorage?

 

[David Chaus]

I’m looking at taking a lesson geared to my skill level at Alpental or Baker this year. I have an Epic Local and Ikon base pass, which means I’ll be up at Stevens a lot and will burn through my Ikon days at Crystal and Alpental/Snoqualmie, and Niseko.

Consider taking one of the multi-weeks or camps from https://www.snowperformance.com/index.php

They operate multi-week classes at Alpental and Summit Central, and have weekends at Mission Ridge. I’ve been attending their programs for several years. I’m taking a camp at Sun Peaks in early December, and possibly another end of Feb camp at Snowbasin before driving to the Tahoe Gathering.

 

[Bad Bob]

I’ll send you a PM. I’ve got a great photo of my father in law and his brother at Alyeska in the 80s. Did you go to high school in Anchorage?

Part of it. Graduated an East Thunderbird.

 

[RoninSkier]

Thought I’d introduce myself, having lurked for a bit and read the skitalk archives.

41 year old guy, elder millennial. Married to a woman who is a lifelong skier and comes from an Alaskan ski family that goes 3 generations back. The photos of them at Alyeska in the 80s are awesome.

I’d call myself a strong intermediate who wants to get solidly into the advanced category in a few years. Any blue run is doable and I’ve been skiing easier single blacks, most recently on a late season powder day at Mount Baker. I’m on a pair of Elan Ripstick 96s which are a great all mountain ski and have plenty of untouched potential for me, and a quiver goal would be to add a frontside ski in the low 80s and possibly a serious powder ski like a QST Blank for deep days at Baker and other areas.

If it’s a surprise from my user name, my home mountain is Stevens Pass. Learned to ski there around the turn of the century and skied pretty regularly until 2006. Then I took almost 10 years off for a variety of reasons and went a couple times a season until 2019, when I decided that I needed more turns in my life.

Since then I’ve gotten an annual pass to Stevens and most recently went Epic Local for some days at Whistler and Park City. 16 days this season, shooting for 20. I’ve done every mountain in the (western) Washington State Cascades except White Pass this season, and hoping to get a White Pass day in.

Used to night ski at Alyeska when I was stationed in Anchorage, assigned to the ill fated BP Northstar project off the N slope.

A nice hill & facilities.

Baker is a nice hill, but for lessons at your level, would stick to Stevens Pass. I think the terrain at Stevens is better for honing higher end edge performance.

 

[DanoT]

Baker is a nice hill, but for lessons at your level, would stick to Stevens Pass. I think the terrain at Stevens is better for honing higher end edge performance.

Just my 2 cents, but I think the ski school and ski instructor that you end up with is more important than the terrain at any given mountain. That said, certain mountains like Revelstoke and Kicking Horse are best for black diamond skiers, less so for intermediates.

 

[tomahawkins]

Even with my passes I’m willing to cough up for a lift ticket for Baker. Such an amazing mountain ...

...amazing how small it is. And it's snow quality is often "amazing" -- like, wow, I've never seen snow like this, it's amazing anyone can ski it!