Texas Ski Addict Here

[tx river rat]

Hey everyone. My parents took me to ski for the first time in Winter Park, CO when I was 6 years old. I immediately fell in love with both the mountains and the experience. For the rest of my childhood, we went every year (sometimes twice a year) until I was 20. Since graduating from college and starting my own career as a high school teacher, I have continued the tradition, heading out to the slopes every Xmas, and/or Spring Break. My wife (also a teacher) and I have been married for 15 years and we look forward to road-tripping out to New Mexico, Colorado, or California every year. Off to Taos this December and Wolf Creek in March. I joined the forum to learn some new tips and tricks.

 

[David Chaus]

Welcome! This, being the home of the lunatic fringe, is a great place to learn and have fun while you're doing it.

 

[beginnerskier96]

Welcome

 

[Bad Bob]

Welcome! We are here to confuse and bemuse one and all.

Please forgive the spelling and punctuation. Would blame spellcheck but there is more.

 

[Southern boy]

Hey everyone. My parents took me to ski for the first time in Winter Park, CO when I was 6 years old. I immediately fell in love with both the mountains and the experience. For the rest of my childhood, we went every year (sometimes twice a year) until I was 20. Since graduating from college and starting my own career as a high school teacher, I have continued the tradition, heading out to the slopes every Xmas, and/or Spring Break. My wife (also a teacher) and I have been married for 15 years and we look forward to road-tripping out to New Mexico, Colorado, or California every year. Off to Taos this December and Wolf Creek in March. I joined the forum to learn some new tips and tricks.

I am from Houston and this December I had my first skiing experience. I think I am addicted now, not sure how I can live without it for another year.
Do you know if there is any indoor ski simulator around Houston or in Texas? I really wanted to continue practicing.

 

[Philpug]

I am from Houston and this December I had my first skiing experience. I think I am addicted now, not sure how I can live without it for another year.
Do you know if there is any indoor ski simulator around Houston or in Texas? I really wanted to continue practicing.

I don't know of one in Texas but indoor simulators are a great place to train and learn in a controlled environment.

 

[Southern boy]

I don't know of one in Texas but indoor simulators are a great place to train and learn in a controlled environment.

I agree, I checked a video on youtube on how you can improve your skiing skills on a simulator and I think I could improve a lot if I train regularly.
I found there was one in Houston, but it is permanently closed now.

 

[Jim Kenney]

You Texas people are within one day car ride (12-13 hours straight and flat) from some great skiing in NM and CO. This means you're free not-to-fly for one week ski trips and maybe even long weekends if you're crazy enough.

I've skied and lived almost all my life based near Wash DC. Back around 1980 I almost moved to San Antonio for the cheaper cost of living and also to get closer to some big time ski mtns.

 

[silverback]

Warren Miller comes to mind.

“Most people work fifty weeks a year so they can do this the other 2. Well the smart ones live in a ski resort, where the boss lets them have powder snow days off. And almost forty feet of snow falls every winter thats a lot of days off. A lot of doing what you moved here to do. Most major ski resorts are now so big that regardles of what kind of job you have in a city there's probably a job almost exactly like yours in a ski rsort like this. So quit your job and rent that U-haul trailer now so next winter this can be you. Not you just sitting there watching this and wishing that this was you.”

and of course:

“If you don't do it this year, you'll just be one year older when you do.”

We could use some good teachers in ski country.

 

[LoneStarMtnLover]

Welcome fellow Texans! If any of y'all are interested, there are a number of ski clubs in the state that plan (more) affordable trips through the US, to CAN, EU, and AUST/NZ. Skitalk folks alerted me to them. Cheers.

 

[Southern boy]

Thank you everyone for your responses!
I wish I could do three to five trips a year to NM or CO for skiing, but my circumstances allow me only one or at the best two trips
I am seriously considering to find a job around Denver to be able to escape for weekend skiing, but today I have a job in Houston that pays my bills.

 

[Southern boy]

You Texas people are within one day car ride (12-13 hours straight and flat) from some great skiing in NM and CO. This means you're free not-to-fly for one week ski trips and maybe even long weekends if you're crazy enough.

I've skied and lived almost all my life based near Wash DC. Back around 1980 I almost moved to San Antonio for the cheaper cost of living and also to get closer to some big time ski mtns.

Any recommendations on NM ski resorts? I did some googling, but didn’t get any clear understanding which ones are good.

 

[silverback]

Thank you everyone for your responses!
I wish I could do three to five trips a year to NM or CO for skiing, but my circumstances allow me only one or at the best two trips
I am seriously considering to find a job around Denver to be able to escape for weekend skiing, but today I have a job in Houston that pays my bills.

Make a plan, you could be living in/near the mountains by next school year. Maybe even apply for a teaching job at a winter sports school so you can ski midweek. On your death bed, would you prefer to look back at your life in Houston’s horrible weather and daily grind with occasional ski trips, or your 100 day seasons and family adventure?

Ie. https://www.wintersportsschool.org/

 

[Jim Kenney]

Any recommendations on NM ski resorts? I did some googling, but didn’t get any clear understanding which ones are good.

@tx river rat mentioned Taos NM and Wolf Creek CO. Those are two pretty good choices. Taos is the biggest in NM and famous for steeps. Especially attractive to experts, but they have a renowned and cheap ski lesson week that could be good for you. Wolf Creek gets some really good snow conditions and has decent affordability. You might also like Angel Fire, Ski Santa Fe and Red River in NM because they are relatively affordable and have some good learning terrain. Note, I have only skied at Santa Fe, Taos and Red River. Commenting on other places based on reputation.
If you prefer to fly rather than drive that opens up many more possible destinations. @LoneStarMtnLover suggestion to look into club trips is a good idea too. The club will advise on which of their trips are good for newbies.

 

[Southern boy]

Welcome fellow Texans! If any of y'all are interested, there are a number of ski clubs in the state that plan (more) affordable trips through the US, to CAN, EU, and AUST/NZ. Skitalk folks alerted me to them. Cheers.

I apologize for my ignorance, but what is a ski club? Can you please explain how it works and recommend some?

 

[skiki]

Member Clubs (By Location) - Texas Ski Council

www.texas-ski.org

 

[LoneStarMtnLover]

Member Clubs (By Location) - Texas Ski Council

www.texas-ski.org

Yup, that's the one. Depending upon where you are in Houston, there's (at least) two: Space City (central) and Clear Lake (southeast). There might also be special interest/mission driven ones, but I'm not familiar. In my experience everyone has been very friendly and responsive.