WOOT WOOT! Nukin' in Missoula

**mercuryhg** · 12-19-2009, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

He explained that most forest roads in the west went in long enough ago that the guys with the practical experience in this area have retired.

Good excuse for Brad! Right, road engineers in the area aren't up to the task, NOT! I think it's more like he'd have to pay quite a bit more than Pat's wage to have a road engineered and designed, which is likely what the FS will require. In the meantime, enjoy earning your turns on TV and not having it tracked out.

**Rasputin** · 12-20-2009, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by mercuryhg

Good excuse for Brad! Right, road engineers in the area aren't up to the task, NOT! I think it's more like he'd have to pay quite a bit more than Pat's wage to have a road engineered and designed, which is likely what the FS will require. In the meantime, enjoy earning your turns on TV and not having it tracked out.

You might be right, but I don't have a sufficient vantage to say for sure what the actual case is, do you? I don't really want to get that close, I hear things from all sides, and I vent about what I'd do differently, but the fact is that The Bowl is my favorite place to be, so I tend to sympathize with the people who have made it something that I value, even when they are at odds with each other.

**Jumper Bones** · 12-20-2009, 01:55 PM

Fuck the griz! Can't root for Griz, I'm a 'Cat (ie loser but I'm okay with that) through and through!

**mercuryhg** · 12-20-2009, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

You might be right, but I don't have a sufficient vantage to say for sure what the actual case is, do you? I don't really want to get that close, I hear things from all sides, and I vent about what I'd do differently, but the fact is that The Bowl is my favorite place to be, so I tend to sympathize with the people who have made it something that I value, even when they are at odds with each other.

Just remember, we have to love everything we hate about the bowl. It's what keeps the crowds down. Or smaller than they could be. Or something like that. They do the best that they can within their own self-defined constraints, and those constraints will always be their own noose. Good for us, it keeps the crowds down. As long as they don't follow in Marshall's footsteps, we don't want the crowds down so low they close, although there seems to be no threat of that any longer.

Looks like more snow is on the way (after this glorious crowd-culling rain

), maybe a christmas present for us, yippee!

**barbiekiller** · 12-20-2009, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by mercuryhg

Just remember, we have to love everything we hate about the bowl. It's what keeps the crowds down. Or smaller than they could be. Or something like that. They do the best that they can within their own self-defined constraints, and those constraints will always be their own noose. Good for us, it keeps the crowds down. As long as they don't follow in Marshall's footsteps, we don't want the crowds down so low they close, although there seems to be no threat of that any longer.

Looks like more snow is on the way (after this glorious crowd-culling rain

), maybe a christmas present for us, yippee!

Brad has an engineer for the road and you have a bad attitude.

**mercuryhg** · 12-20-2009, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by barbiekiller

you have a bad attitude.

Aw shucks, are you flirting?

**RootSkier** · 12-21-2009, 08:11 AM

STFU, JONG.

Let's talk waterskiing.

6" wet ass snow up top, 1.5" of rain down low. Rugged. At least today should be the last day we have to worry about rain for awhile.

**Iowagriz** · 12-21-2009, 09:01 AM

Headed to the Zoo for Christmas with the inlaws which means a lot of ski time for me. It sounds like a good portion of the bowl is open, but typical tough early season conditions. Can anyone expand on that?

thanks

**DeeAre** · 12-21-2009, 09:32 AM

^ I can expand on FUCK THE GRIZ.
Have a nice day

sorry for the cunting, but that was worth it.

**FreakofSnow** · 12-21-2009, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

STFU, JONG.

Let's talk waterskiing.

6" wet ass snow up top, 1.5" of rain down low. Rugged. At least today should be the last day we have to worry about rain for awhile.

Lemme know how rugged it is J. Thinking of taking my old man up there tomorrow, but I would like him to continue skiing (and not get the living shit scared/worked out of him --- see skis mostly groomers).

**cloud cult** · 12-21-2009, 11:25 AM

Simply shitty weather this weekend. A whole day of rain in town?

Did go to LTP on Saturday and it was not so bad. They had four chair running but off the groomers you'd sink to the ground. Pretty tough to get around.

**senior researcher** · 12-21-2009, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

STFU, JONG.

Let's talk waterskiing.

6" wet ass snow up top, 1.5" of rain down low. Rugged. At least today should be the last day we have to worry about rain for awhile.

Hope you get some salve for x-mas

My wish for bowl runs came TRUE!! HAPPY WINTER EVERYBODY! ULAR bless us all.

**Iowagriz** · 12-21-2009, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

....Certainly after the road widening is complete, and then there is the FS saying that guard rails need to be installed; apparently there are requirements to create anchors for the posts which complicates the process immensely......

so the 40hrs I spent back in 86 or 87 digging post holes off the side of the road for those great <<<>>>> signs won't cut it? This brought back some very funny memories of working off passes when the group of docs owned the resort. I can't wait to get back and make some turns.

I don't suppose the trees on skiers left of Grandstand are still called "Tommy's Temple". A guy can only hope.....

**Iowagriz** · 12-22-2009, 08:43 AM

The bowl's webcam has been adjusted downward so you can actually see something now

**Rasputin** · 12-22-2009, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by Iowagriz

so the 40hrs I spent back in 86 or 87 digging post holes off the side of the road for those great <<<>>>> signs won't cut it? This brought back some very funny memories of working off passes when the group of docs owned the resort. I can't wait to get back and make some turns.

I don't suppose the trees on skiers left of Grandstand are still called "Tommy's Temple". A guy can only hope.....

I've never heard of those trees being called "Tommy's Temple", but Grandstand is frequently referred to as "The Homo Highway".

**Rasputin** · 12-23-2009, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by mercuryhg

Just remember, we have to love everything we hate about the bowl. It's what keeps the crowds down. Or smaller than they could be. Or something like that. They do the best that they can within their own self-defined constraints, and those constraints will always be their own noose. Good for us, it keeps the crowds down. As long as they don't follow in Marshall's footsteps, we don't want the crowds down so low they close, although there seems to be no threat of that any longer.

Looks like more snow is on the way (after this glorious crowd-culling rain

), maybe a christmas present for us, yippee!

I hear you on Snowbowl's inadvertent(?) crowd control.

As for your take on the rain, it reminds me of the first thaw/refreeze we had last January, my reaction to the conditions was to say to our head liftie, "That ought to send them packing."

**Iowagriz** · 12-23-2009, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

I've never heard of those trees being called "Tommy's Temple", but Grandstand is frequently referred to as "The Homo Highway".

So at least that part of the bowl hasn't changed in 20yrs

**barbiekiller** · 12-23-2009, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

STFU, JONG.

Let's talk waterskiing.

6" wet ass snow up top, 1.5" of rain down low. Rugged. At least today should be the last day we have to worry about rain for awhile.

Yeah, I heard a bunch of adult men complaining about how wet it was when I arrived. Once I got up to Lavelle and saw a bunch of 10 year olds on old straight skis ripping it up having a great time, I figured it can't be that bad. It was nice to me.

**Rasputin** · 12-23-2009, 10:34 PM

So, for those who have ears to hear, the Bowls opened around 2pm today, and they rated a "fuck yeah!" They didn't get tracked out much. Chicken Face skied like five inches of sandy spray on a Styrofoam base. I'll be there early tomorrow.

BTW, I attribute part of my enjoyment today to the razor sharpness I honed my edges to last night. Angel Face has some brutal hardness, and without a good edge, the gully is a vexation. The Outrun is wicked fast, and it's hard to hold and edge at the top of the final ramp.

**senior researcher** · 12-23-2009, 11:04 PM

Thanks, good on ya!

**RootSkier** · 12-23-2009, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by Rasputin

Angel Face has some brutal hardness, and without a good edge, the gully is a vexation.

Sorry I missed it.

**Rasputin** · 12-25-2009, 12:41 AM

Today was the best skiing of the season (woot woot), but there was a price to pay for it (

).

**Rasputin** · 12-25-2009, 12:47 PM

Some Christmas Eve day pics. Merry Christmas.

**cloud cult** · 12-28-2009, 01:11 PM

Stuart Peak -- Christmas Day.

A 4.5-mile approach breaking trail through 2 inches of snow. Put skins on at 5500 feet and found quite good snow and stable conditions above 7000 feet. Fast skiing on very light snow. Hell of a return, though, and a long walk to the trailhead. A dawn-to-dusk outing.

St. Mary's Peak -- Dec. 26.

St. Mary's Road features a mile of hard ice which starts at 4,200 feet. When I got out of the truck to check the road surface I could not stand up. I ended up parking at the first switchback and walking up. One truck made it past using monster chains. People had driven the road last week when it was warmer and many got to about 5,500 feet. Very good skiing found on the southeast faces above 7,300 feet on 5 feet of snow and only minor weak laywers. Below 7,300 is a melange of crusts and dust on crust; skiing the road down was not as bad.

Lookout Pass: Dec. 27

4.5 feet of snow in sheltered spots at 6000 feet. Good fast skiing on light snow down to 5400 feet, where a variety of crusts and obstacles makes turning difficult.