Pretty Great skiing this weekend

[Liam]

Even without much off-piste terrain, skiing this weekend here in MA was excellent.  Fast and fun surfaces and good coverage everywhere.  After a very slow start and an unfortunate warm-up the season is right where it should be around here!

Bring on the cold

[LivingProof]

Liam

How many days on snow this season. I thinking the one advantage of patrol work is that you make the commitment to spend a certain number of days per week at B-east, so, the days pile up quickly. How many days will you ski this season?

And, yes, the cold will really help make snow here in Pa. The week long warm, foggy weather really put a dent in my home mountains skiing. I'm at a mere 5 days.

[Liam]

I've been at the mountain about 15 times I'd guess.  Some are long days (like tomorrow's pro day goes from 7:30am to about 6:30pm...we have night skiing), others are quick jaunts for a few hours.  All in all, it's been good.

It took me a longer time than usual this season to really get my feet under me.  I have to admit that a few hours for a few days doing very basic PMTS drills helped a ton (basic tipping drills, dryland and on snow, and some of the easiest flexing drills from Essentials, and some time spent building the brushed carve that HH demonstrates in one of his youtube clips..all helped immensely).  Also doing some sled training sort of reawakens all my big muscle coordination skiing--I have been asked to become a ski and toboggan trainer on my hill, which is great as it helps refocus my time spent on snow.

Right now I am skiing fairly well, heck I might even put up a video for MA.  Conditions yesterday were firm but very easy to carve (not icy and very consistent).  Probably the best I have felt to date tipping them over and snapping them around. 

All that said, I hope we get a good storm soon as the mountain and the base is finally primed for such an event.

[LivingProof]

It took me a longer time than usual this season to really get my feet under me.  I have to admit that a few hours for a few days doing very basic PMTS drills helped a ton (basic tipping drills, dryland and on snow, and some of the easiest flexing drills from Essentials, and some time spent building the brushed carve that HH demonstrates in one of his youtube clips..all helped immensely).

I hear ya with respect to early season drills. I find that the flexing drills are the hardest aspect of PMTS to put into my skiing. Long leg, short leg, relax the stance ski to flex... all sound simple, and, look straight forward. Add in getting forward plus good hand positions, it takes dedication.

[Liam]

Today was a ripping day on the mountain...really.  I don't usually go for packed powder, corduroy skiing.  But either in spite of the cold (or because of it) the hill just skied magnificently today.  And I am really getting my carve on.  Seriously, if you can get out to your local new england bump in the next few days you'll probably find similar conditions everywhere (and the ballistic cold)...bring carve worthy skis (glad I still have those...  ). 

Funny about the flexing, I realized I wasn't really doing enough and lately I'm really getting good results and a lot of dynamism from strong leg retraction in turn transition.    I did some boot touch drills and finally got the hang of the power release drill earlier this season--I'll give that guy his due, they are good drills that connect directly with a useful technique.   

I have been asked this season to begin training as a Ski and Toboggan instructor on patrol and I have had the opportunity to analyze and instruct some fellow patrollers on technique (both sled skills and skiing skills....which are very different!).  Most that I get to work with are solid intermediates, they have a fairly good grasp of upper body organization, but they all, to a person struggle with a smooth transition, engaging the Hi-C portion of the turn, and speed control in steeper terrain.  And to a person, learning a little about flexing the stance leg at the end of a turn to innate early weight (or balance, whatever term floats your boat) transfer and then tipping into the turn hit them like a lightning bolt.  I'm amazed that 1. they had never heard such a thing before and 2. how quickly it yielded results.  Of course they (and me) need refinement, etc, but the ski skill gains were very, very quick and they all were very pleased with this new paradigm.

Right up there with the simple enlightenment of 'tip to turn' is 'flex to release.'  Or, in my parlance flex to transfer, and flex to float.

Anyway, nothing like a few banner carving days to make me think and work on straight up technique.

I worked an 11 shift on snow today and I am still a little chilled...it really is damn cold out!

[HeluvaSkier]

Hero snow.

[Liam]

Well,  I think of Velvety corn as true Hero Snow (where even the nastiest steeps are afforded a high degree of navigable comfort), but yeah, if you're heroes are Captain Carver and his faithful sidekick Edgie, then, yeah, it was hero snow for sure 

Is the skiing the same at Holiday, Greg?  You guys are probably in more of the lake effect lee, and I'd imagine conditions are wonderful.

[LivingProof]

Totally agree with Liam, the east is skiing great right now due to the cold weather. OK, can't speak for the northern Vt. crowd, but, my home mountain has just made so much snow. The past 2 days have seen the best conditions since the year before last. Sunny, single digit temps, low wind, does not get much better in eastern Pa.

I'm all   

And Gary's Holimont weekend is next week. They appear to have gotten a lot of lake effect snow, so, it should be good. Svend is my roommate, hmmm, could be the source of some interesting Peak Skiers discussion.

[midwif]

LP
Now don't go spilling all those "insider secrets" we moderators have been hoarding for ourselves.

Have a great time guys!

Very envious, I am, that you get to ski with Heluva.

Jim and I will have to make do with the poor conditions in Colorado and a lesson with Bob Hintermeister.

[LivingProof]

Very envious, I am, that you get to ski with Heluva.

To be clear, we get to ride chairs with Heluva, we might ski side by side for 30 yards, but, when he takes off, I can't ski with him, only far, far behind!

[ToddW]

Lynn,

Are you skiing with Bob on a weekday or weekend?  I'm checking to see if he's coaching at next week's camp.  If weekday, please tell him I said hello.

You can dazzle me with all you learn next Saturday.

[ToddW]

LP,

I am envious too!  My only consolation is that I'll get to see Diana and Harald and Jay ski next week.

[jim-ratliff]

Lynn,

Are you skiing with Bob on a weekday or weekend?  I'm checking to see if he's coaching at next week's camp.  If weekday, please tell him I said hello.

You can dazzle me with all you learn next Saturday.

Sunday.

[LivingProof]

LP,
I am envious too!  My only consolation is that I'll get to see Diana and Harald and Jay ski next week.

I've been trumped!

Todd,
Enjoy! And I do envy you for doing the trip and admire your passion for improving your skiing. Please share a summary of what it's like to be a "happy camper". 

[ToddW]

LOL.  The happiness comes afterwards at least for me.  I always end up feeling like a beginner at some point.  Or like I simply can't ski at all.  These are in fact symptoms of improvement, at least if your brain is wired like mine.  But I know I'll love the final outcome.  And there's always a great group of companions sharing similar "learning pains."