*** Official Snow Surfing Thread ***

[b.r.]

so we went to vegas xmas night to get in front of the storm and drove up the next day, our friends got got in the cajon pass closure and then turned back at the pass before Primm, took them 18 hours to get to Brianhead! so gnarly, the snow was crazy... boarded for the first time in years on friday on my new/used board. my same old friend larry hooked me up with a board from his storage unit, i chose a burton elite 155 which seemed pretty user friendly, he sold me new gloves, brand new helmet and the board for 140 bucks. i picked up some head boots at play it again sports and I was set up.

my wife and youngest did a lesson and they really enjoyed it. Brianhead is not a challenging mountain but perfect for family because it is cheap compared to mammoth, uncrowded, good snow, and nice people. it snowed the first two days and we had a lot of fun powder runs, it was super cold on saturday so we sat on chair 1 just lapping in the powder, nobody around, did i say it was cold! Sunday was blue bird and my youngest was ready to go with me down some runs, good times. played cards at night with all the parents and the teens had fun goofing around the condo complex. great family trip, got back so SD in 8 1/2 hours yesterday. still tons of snow outside vegas and cajon pass. it was nuts,, see pic i took last night on the way back.

 

[crustBrother]

So on new years day, my skiing hit a new level and I was able to experience something I've never felt before....

Ripping knee deep powder in the trees.

It was so damn good. Not as good as clean, tropical surf, but deeply satisfying for sure.

 

[$kully]

Here is a sick video of a guy straightlining Kiwi Flat at Mammoth during a huge snow year. It is not normally that filled in.

Here is another video which shows footage of the Kiwi area. In much lower snow. It is from a contest, the Gravity Games in 2000 I think. It shows how rowdy the area usually is.

The line the guy skis is called Frenchies, and it is named after this guy, Guerlain Chicherit. I remember watching this contest on TV in Tahoe, I think it was on RSN or something. What blew me away was how crazy the line was compared to the lines guys like Shane McConkey and Kent Kreitler were taking. Chicherit was an incredible skier. I wish there was more footage available of him. He was skiing far and above the rest of the guys that day. I sometimes look up at that line in Mammoth and it blows me away that someone would even look in that area. Kiwi is rowdy enough.

Here's a better perspective of Ryan Hurley hitting it...

I stood at the top and looked down and turned and headed back to Phillipes.

 

[$kully]

Just got back from Montana yesterday. Two days at Bridger Bowl and 3 at Big Sky. Unfortunately we only got 3-4” snow there and both mountains had early season conditions. But still had fun.

Bridger Bowl is pretty awesome. One of the only non-profit ski areas in the country and its dirt cheap. Amenities wise it’s pretty basic but it’s got the goods for terrain and we had free lodging at a friends ranch in the canyon down the road. Adult lift tickets at Bridger over the holiday were $63. My friends wife who’s a beginner got a lift ticket, ski rental and a half day private lesson for $120 on New Years Day. That would probably run close to $500 at Mammoth. The ridge looked cool and some of the seasoned locals were hitting it but hiking and transceivers were required so we hung below the ridge and sought out stashes in the trees. But that mountain has so much potential for such a bargain.



Big Sky was more of a destination and man was it massive and beautiful. This was the view from our hotel room right on the slopes. All the money I saved at Bridger went into the room. GF's going for knee surgery at the end of the week so she couldn't ski, had to keep her close once we split with her friends. This way I could come down and have lunch with her and send her to the spa while I ski. Worth every penny.



Spent three days there skiing solo and mostly figuring out the mountain. Lots of exposed rocks on the upper mountain and some great steePs. Would love to ride it with better coverage.

More than anything Montana was incredible. Need to go back in the summer.

 

[$kully]

So on new years day, my skiing hit a new level and I was able to experience something I've never felt before....

Ripping knee deep powder in the trees.

It was so damn good. Not as good as clean, tropical surf, but deeply satisfying for sure.

View attachment 84569

YYYyyyyyeeeeeeewwwww!!!!

 

[dl4060]

Here's a better perspective of Ryan Hurley hitting it...

I stood at the top and looked down and turned and headed back to Phillipes.

That is a great shot. I particularly like the moment where he is committed, pushing off, but not over the edge yet. I used to straightline stuff in the Palisades at Squaw, Tube Chute, Extra Chute, Main Chute, I never hit the chimney (still a regret), and that moment when you push off and there is no turning back is a great feeling. I have not pointed anything serious since I left the mountains, when I have gotten to go back to Squaw I have skied Extra and Main but made turns, but I miss that feeling of a serious straightline.

I skied Mt Baldy both Saturday and Sunday, and it was fun. The coverage is excellent. The groomers were a blast. The off-piste stuff is a mixed back, some of it was firm, some unconsolidated. I skied some runs right under the lift on Thunder, it was fun but pretty firm. As the day went on it softened up a bit. About 3/4 of the way down you could cut skier's right into the trees and get a quick little shot where the snow was okay. If you cut skier's right into the trees higher up the snow was more unconsolidated, it needs more people to ski it. I skied the Herb's Hollow area, and although it did get slushy it was strange and grabby. It needs more people to ski it. The best snow I found was on Gold Ridge, it was still firm in spots, but there was good, edgable winter snow that was more consolidated than some of the other areas. I ended up lapping it more than anywhere else on Saturday and Sunday. Both days I skied down to the lot, which is, like the rest of the mountain, a mixed back. It is slushy in spots and firm in spots with plenty of rocks. Still, it is always fun to ski down to the lot. Bentley's and the other lot runs are closed right now, I talked to one of the Ellingsons(the guys who run the place) and he said Bentley's had been scoured pretty badly. On Saturday I also did a couple of chair 4 laps. Chair 4 is softening up early and someone built a kicker.

Overall Baldy is in good shape, conditional on the fact that it is Baldy. There should be good turns available for quite a while. I'm really glad I bought a pass last year when they offered the deal for this year. It is really great to be able to make good turns at Baldy, when it is the way it is now I can't believe I'm skiing terrain like this in socal.

It only took me an hour and a half to get to the parking lot from Newport. The snowplay crowds were not as bad as advertised.

The runs down to the lot could use more snow. They are currently skiable, but that could change quickly. Be warned that you will hit some rocks on the way down. My wife was not thrilled with the ski down on Sunday, but she handled it like a champ and was glad we skied to the lot at the end of the day.

Here is a Mt. Baldy trail map.

https://skimap.org/data/541/7/1209323030.jpg

I really do love this mountain. Great terrain and so close. I wish it was this good every year.

 

[RemyXO]

Utah, Colorado, Mammoth, Tahoe.... well, I went to Boreal with the kids after Christmas. They had a blast, and I guess that's all that matters nowadays.

BTW, when did resorts start charging for parking?? $20 fee greeted me when I pulled up to the lot. WTF is that all about, as if it isn't already expensive enough.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

BTW, when did resorts start charging for parking?? $20 fee greeted me when I pulled up to the lot. WTF is that all about, as if it isn't already expensive enough.

The world's population is growing, as well as the world population of people with means.

Therefore they can charge for parking no prob.

 

[crustBrother]

YYYyyyyyeeeeeeewwwww!!!!

Precisely.

 

[gymbag]

Where in SoCal is good for learning to board?

 

[$kully]

Where in SoCal is good for learning to board?

Go to Snow Valley. Skip the big bear crowds and the Mt High riff raff.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Where in SoCal is good for learning to board?

Fly to Utah and stay a week at someplace like Beaver Mountain for a week instead. Way cheaper and way better.

Snow Valley is in the 50s today and has been all week. Then dropping below freezing at night. Meaning refreeze.

 

[studog]

Go to Snow Valley. Skip the big bear crowds and the Mt High riff raff.

any of the Big Bear mountains. June's a little more for lift tickets than big bear. or one of the Donner resorts if happen to be in NoCal. Mammoth at $180/day lift tickets is too expensive for a beginner.

 

[dl4060]

Utah, Colorado, Mammoth, Tahoe.... well, I went to Boreal with the kids after Christmas. They had a blast, and I guess that's all that matters nowadays.

BTW, when did resorts start charging for parking?? $20 fee greeted me when I pulled up to the lot. WTF is that all about, as if it isn't already expensive enough.

Unfortunately they do that in lots of spots now. It is done often at places with large destination populations that also have day visitors. They have limited parking and they really want to encourage destination folks to use the public transportation. They also want to encourage day visitors to carpool. And, of course, they see another revenue stream. I wish I could say you would not likely see more of this, but I think more and more resorts and going to start having pay lots. Supposedly Park City is building a big parking structure, I would think they will charge for that.

I am really glad Mammoth has such a good shuttle system. The yellow line is right outside our ski lease, so we almost never drive to the mountain.

Great shots $kully! I really want to get to that area. I know lots of people who rave about Bridger and Big Sky.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Mammoth at $180/day lift tickets is too expensive for a beginner.

Unless you live close why waste a dime at Mammoth when you can fly elsewhere and get better snow and cheaper lodging elsewhere? Not to mention less people. Ripoff.

 

[scooch]

The price tag for snowboarding squeezed me out years ago, but is Mammoth really $180 a day to get on the lifts!?!?!?

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Does it include a free sticker for your car? Or does that cost money too?

 

[rice]

Squaw/Alpine is about that price, too. We got a 2 for 1 last year, but otherwise that is out of control.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Round trip ticket SD to Salt Lake City is $117. Lodging is cheap as is food an car rental. A lift ticket @ Powder Mountain is $90. No brainer.

Want to go even cheaper with lodging and lift, go to Beaver Mountain near Logan. Empty on weekdays. $50 lift ticket.

 

[RemyXO]

Vail is over $200 on holidays.