Official '08-'09 Midwest Chatter Thread

[pbourdon]

Depends where you look, but I would say anywhere between 16 and 36 inches. 16 or 18 in my yard in Harvey. Up to 36 out in the woods toward Negaunee. Probably 24+ in the woods around Marquette Mountain.

That's pretty good coverage then...I'm hoping to get up that way at some point this winter. My friend (the chick that told me about Eben) and I are tossing around the idea of heading up in late January/Early Feb....If you're down to catch some turns some where, let me know and I'll keep you posted as to my plans.

[INDY GS]

I'll be out at Swiss tomorrow. I'll be working the rat race from 1:30 on.

Red coat blue giro helmet.

[emtnate]

I'll be at swiss around noon, still trying to get my wife to go. Black pants, blue jacket, black helmet. I know that doesn't narrow things down much. At least it is not a big place to try and find someone.

[Nohillsnearby]

I'll have Thing 1 with me. She's a slowboarder. And her Bff, who skis. I like her better. I'll be lapping the race course lift. They'll be one lift over.

[pbourdon]

...slowboarder....

please tell me this is a typo...

[emtnate]

Good times today. Nohills, it was nice skiing with you, hope your family had a good time as well.

[Nohillsnearby]

please tell me this is a typo...

It's not a typo, it is a running joke here on TGR. And she is slow about buckling in.

Good times today. Nohills, it was nice skiing with you, hope your family had a good time as well.

It was fun meeting up with you and Indy. Thing 1 & BFF had a great time. Thing 1 even asked if I met up with "my people"

I'll get the pics posted soon.

[YooperSteeze]

I just moved from Houghton to Milwaukee. I forgot how miserable an experience skiing places like Sunburst and Alpine Valley is, when the #1 factor in your ski choice for the day is what will allow you to make the most turns in a 12 second run.

[pbourdon]

I just moved from Houghton to Milwaukee. I forgot how miserable an experience skiing places like Sunburst and Alpine Valley is, when the #1 factor in your ski choice for the day is what will allow you to make the most turns in a 12 second run.

I share your pain brother...Try moving back from the Sierra's....just make the best of it...it could be worse...you could be in Mississippi right now...or any other flat no-snow locale...um, wait...

[axebiker]

Dumbass weather-phucs... I came home early today since they were forecasting Armageddon AGAIN today. It didn't do shit until about 4:00, and all it ended up being was a little drizzle followed up by about 1" of snow. Glad I stayed home...idiots...

Oh well...my back was a frickin' disaster anyway. Probably better I stayed home. I'll get out tomorrow with the sub-zero windchills instead.

[ill-advised strategy]

I'm reporting now that my ass was completely handed to me by marquette mountain. 13/14 years of skiing big lazy turns in soft snow in the rockies has left me unable to ski well here. I get to the bottom of the lift thinking "OK, all warmed up, ready to drop in"...I step off the chair and nearly fall on my ass because I'm on yellow ice. Yup. Just a flaily shitshow. It was a brainmelt seeing it after that long though, and seeing some old faces from back in the day.

pics? pics you say? hah! no fuckin way

[pbourdon]

^^^ I will say that the icy, cruddy conditions around here do in the long run make midwestern transplants some of the best skiers/riders around when they get out west. I mean we learned to ski/ride on the shittiest shit around and learning to finesse/use our edges was key to our survival so when we are greeted with the usually amazing conditions out west, we thrive....glad to hear you got a bit worked back here....and glad to hear MQT is still a good place put a smile on your face.

[yooper]

I'm reporting now that my ass was completely handed to me by marquette mountain. 13/14 years of skiing big lazy turns in soft snow in the rockies has left me unable to ski well here. I get to the bottom of the lift thinking "OK, all warmed up, ready to drop in"...I step off the chair and nearly fall on my ass because I'm on yellow ice. Yup. Just a flaily shitshow. It was a brainmelt seeing it after that long though, and seeing some old faces from back in the day.

pics? pics you say? hah! no fuckin way

Heh... yellow ice.... That was hero snow!! The only actual ice you encountered was in that NASCAR course!
What about the tight ass trees?

Good seeing you, man! I'll look you up in February when I'm in UT.

(we should have snapped at least a couple photos...)

[pbourdon]

(we should have snapped at least a couple photos...)

Hell yeah you should've, I wouldn't mind seeing some good 'ol MM stoke...I have many a fond/somewhat hazy memory of that place...

[uglymoney]

Time for a yellow ice TR from Chestnut. Hit it pretty hard the last week. Most of these are from last Saturday after a major rain event. The last couple are from friday and yesterday. I know its not the nar nar, not even great pictures, but this thread has to be sprinkled with a little color now and again.

Wife and I on the lift with last years sickbirds and auras.



Melissa is getting better. She really like the Auras and hasn't bothered getting her skinny Volkls out this year, even if they might kill the ice a little better.



The light was killer in these sunset shots but I couldn't get the exposure quite right on this one when I played with it. Oh well. The color was there.







Fall sequence









Trying to get used to the Sickbird/Scarpa T1/7tm Combo upgrade from my well worn old tele gear of past days.



Schralping the rain crust. It sucked but still fun when its all you have.









Addy turning for the straightline to the bottom and full glide to the lift.



Another happy day at the nut.



/yellow ice trip report

[hoarhey]

Fam's looking good, Nate.
Nice pics.
I skied Sunday at Wilmot and they had pretty much recovered from the rain.
I'll have to make it out to the 'nut again this year.

[axebiker]

Great pics! Aren't fat tele-boards a ball on ice?!?! I hooked up with some narrow waisted BD's for the blue ice nights. I actually find myself more excited to get out and FLAIL on my tele gear than to get out and RIP on alpine. Tonight was styrofoam cold, and bullet proof. Kinda slow.

[pbourdon]

First of all, thanks for sprinkling some color/stoke into this thread...

Secondly, and on a completely un-related note...it seems the weather around these parts has taken a turn to shit recently...Apparently a really good way to cure this is to put up an offering to this Ullr guy. From what I see from this NSFW thread, Ullr responds well to pics of skantly clad maggettes.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...=141879&page=1

We need a midwest maggette to take one for the team...or else I'm going to have to develop some old film of an old gf, 'cause dammit we need some snow...

[emtnate]

We sure do need snow. At least it looks like it will stay below freezing. I'd be happy with 6" on top of the ice we have in Southern Michigan. Looks like some LES all week.

From NOAA, the report includes Wexford County.

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN...
EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN...AND ADJACENT NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE
MICHIGAN...LAKE HURON AND LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITHIN THE NORTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN NEARSHORE WATERS...AS WELL AS ON WHITEFISH BAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WILL CONTINUE MONDAY WITH THE NORTHWEST LOWER
MICHIGAN NEARSHORE WATERS.

**YET ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.**

[pbourdon]

With the big system that's nukin' the PNW right now, you gotta figure we'll see at least a little something from that....one would hope at least....

[Nohillsnearby]

new snow to ski on vs. kids days off from school (after 19 long days of togtherness) hmmm...tough choice....

[yooper]

We sure do need snow.

There sure is a big difference between different regions of the "midwest"...

I'm sitting here watching our local news and they are saying that today could end our record snowfall string at 20 days in a row. (I heard from my buddy earlier that it had been 25 days or so, but I guess 20 is the official number so far) There is still a chance of snow today, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[Jag]

Ah, the classic 'pre-dump' expression!

[emtnate]

There sure is a big difference between different regions of the "midwest"...

Yep, seems like the Northern parts of Lower Michigan and up around the UP are doing great this season. Must be nice. We had a couple of days in the 60s recently, with no new snow after it all melted. We've actually been biking without snow tires, and trail conditions aren't too bad.

As much as I would like to ski Bohemia and MM at least once, it seems pointless. 12 hour drive to the keweenaw, 13 to the east coast mountains, 18 to the front range, or a 9 hour flight to Utah.

[fonixmunkee]

Bohemia was kickin' rad this weekend. New snow every day, including a good 6-8" on Sunday. Fresh turns every day, but the best was Sunday. Outer Limits went untouched, as did a lot of Haunted Valley for most of the day. But the Outer Limits was where it was at: