Official '08-'09 Midwest Chatter Thread

[emtnate]

Hope everyone who made it up there got stuck in the snow. Seriously, looking forward to any actions shots. Not every day you get conditions like that in Michigan.

[flatNshallow]

YAHTZEE!

Yesterday was "happy in your pants deep". No shit. 18" on Sat. and a couple more over night + Dark side opened for the season and had been left ungroomed = boner city.

Didn't hook up w/ pb untl the last 2 runs of the day and then only by random chance... he and his crew had been sending it off the ridge skier right of Irishman into the bowl... the bomb holes were - shall we say, quite a ways down there? Hopefully he'll grace us with some pics.

For now all I can offer is a couple craptastic shots taken by some random stranger...

Trees of South Peak Lift:


Random strange lacks photog skills:


Be careful where you hike!


Snapped this in the lot on the way out:


I'm gonna be in the doghouse for a couple days for electing to ski instead of finishing my holiday chores but it was oh-so worth it!

For anyone heading out this am... Tournament is untouched, There was no need to hike out there - it was face shots bell to bell in bounds yesterday - easily the best day I've had in Michigan. But be warned: the slog will be brutal: Skins or snowshoes highly recommended.

[emtnate]

Thanks for the pictures flat. Does not quite make up for missing an epic day, but like I said, my career is still more important than one amazing snow day. Keep em coming.

Edit - Flat, is that the chute skiers left off stagshead bowl where you are waist deep?

[pbourdon]

Didn't hook up w/ pb untl the last 2 runs of the day and then only by random chance... he and his crew had been sending it off the ridge skier right of Irishman into the bowl... the bomb holes were - shall we say, quite a ways down there? Hopefully he'll grace us with some pics.

I'm waiting on the one photo my friend took all day yesterday. We probably would've had more but my camera took a shit, and I don't know what is up with it, and secondly, like Chad said, "when its this good as much as I'd like to take some photos, its just easier and more fun to ride"...The only photo we have is of my first larger launch into the bowl on the backside of Irishman. The shot gives you a good idea of the hangtime but I got put into the backseat a little bit and was also a bit surprised my self how far I sent it (hadn't had air like that since living in Tahoe over two years ago) so my grab in the photo is a little weak style wise. Any way, I'll suck it up and post it when I get it from Chad. I do wish though that either myself of my buddy Brent had got a shot or video of Chad's cab 5 off Irishman into the bowl...it wasn't as big as the straight airs that he and I (Chad) had sent, but the fact that he manned up and went cab 5 into that bowl on the little jibstick 154 that he was riding was definitely worthy, and he still probably dropped 10+ feet vertically...it was raw. I'm also bummed we didn't bother to take any gratuitous pow turn shots 'cause the snow was ridiculously dry and deep. It reminded me a lot of the snow I rode out at Targhee a few years back....good day, good day indeed. And FNS, it was cool to grab a couple turns with ya...hopefully this storm pattern continues...

[Gnu]

That's some beautiful shit right there.... Caberfae was the place to be. Of course I was at Crystal, which has officially become over run with the holiday hordes. Some pow to be had in the nooks and crannies, but most of the good stuff was scrubbed off by Noon on Monday. Weatherman says more dumpage on the way.

[pbourdon]

Of course I was at Crystal......

Why?

[Gnu]

Why?

Somebody told me Caberfae wouldn't be that great on Monday....

(Too much work -- too little time, driving N to S...)

[pbourdon]

Ahh, I see....well, so far as I'm sure we're all aware of it seems as though the pattern this year has been, big gnarly storm cycle for two weeks, then thaw with rain/mixed precip for a few days, then back into the storm cycle. Looks like the warmer temps are popping up once again this weekend, which is a bummer, but if the pattern holds true, Cabby should get another huge dump in a week and a half by my calculations....lol...Regardless, it looks like the post holiday skiing is going to be nasty/icy unless you head west (waayy west) or to da UP eh....good luck...and sorry again to hear you had to ski "moving trees" at Crystal...

[Lostinthetrees]

Perfect North did not suck today.
Great snow conditions. Plenty of freshly blown to turn in.
Almost every trail had some 10 - 12' piles to add to the "terrain park" feel down Tuff''Nuff and Deception.
Lift lines moving quickly and very few chair stoppages due to newbies.

Sadly, warming up this afternoon and spitting rain on way home.

Rain in forecast for the 24th.
Prolly back out there on the 26th for 1st chair.

[pbourdon]

Perfect North did not suck today.
Great snow conditions. Plenty of freshly blown to turn in.
Almost every trail had some 10 - 12' piles.......

10-12'....how do you ski that much snow here in the flat midwest, when they get 10-12' in the west you can't even do much with it....


just messin' with ya.

[fonixmunkee]

Any updates on conditions at Bohemia? Thinking about sneaking up there for a the weekend of January 2nd and want to know if it's Gnar Town up there, or if it's actually covered.

FYI if anyone gives a crap, Lutsen had 11" dumped over the past weekend. Most of the glades are still not filled in, and the backside ("The Plunge") is not yet open. If we get about 6" soon everything should be good to go.

[emtnate]

Ever been to PNS Pbouron? They get too lazy to push snow, leave the 10' piles from the guns and call them 'whales'. Kinda fun to launch off until you realize you're in Southern Indiana and the flat landing will be like concrete.

Gotta give Perfect North some credit, given 100% man made snow, they do an amazing job. I've skied there in 50 degree rain, and had a good time. They have a decent variety of runs too. Trees are open for skiing and deception is a pretty good pitch considering their average skier.

As for me, we're getting hit with more freezing rain and sleet. The ice from the weekend is still coating the power lines. It'll be New Years Eve till I can ski again with my schedule. I'll just deal with the icy slush like I do every year and wait for the next storm cycle.

[Jer]

Any updates on conditions at Bohemia? Thinking about sneaking up there for a the weekend of January 2nd and want to know if it's Gnar Town up there, or if it's actually covered.

It's pretty good for early in the season. I only met one guy with a huge core shot in his Gotamas (from hucking, which IMO it's too early for). I skied my Praxis most of the time and only had a few scrapes - even off the back and the Outer Limits. Chance for light ice/freezing rain this weekend - just like last year. Remember - last year had a total snowpocalyptical LES storm on New Year's Day. Got my fingers crossed.

[pbourdon]

Ever been to PNS Pbouron?

Nope, haven't been there...I try not to ride/ski any further south than about 42 degrees north latitude unless elevations are measured in thousands of feet...

I thought that lostinthetrees had made a typo and meant 10-12" so I was just giving him a hard time, but thanks for filling me in on what the story is down there. Definitely somewhere I won't be heading...ever. If I'm driving several hours to ski somewhere in the midwest, the last place it'll be is Indiana....

not tryin' to be a dick, just sayin' Indiana, is warmer and just as flat as Michigan....

[pbourdon]

Chance for light ice/freezing rain this weekend...

Even up there its supposed to get shitty? That's too bad...although I'm sure it won't do nearly as much damage as the full-on piss fest we're supposed to have down here Saturday followed up once again by freezing temperatures...damn, I'm so glad I live here...I do so love riding down slopes that are icy enough for me to play hockey on....

edit- I do so love having to wait several weeks for conditions that are good enough that the thought of riding less than 500 feet of non-rock smattered vertical sounds like a good idea. Although Cabby yesterday provided me with enough stoke to last at least a week and a half or so...

To conclude, the midwest is a perfect place for someone with patience issues....

[focus]

Even up there its supposed to get shitty? That's too bad...

High of 33 on Sat. here. Supposed to get cold again after that. Hope the LES machine keeps going .....

[pbourdon]

High of 33 on Sat. here. Supposed to get cold again after that. Hope the LES machine keeps going .....

Where are you at? In Muskegon they're calling for 42 and rain....

Oh well, its been dumping all friggin' day here with about 4-6" during the daylight hours, and still dumping at 11pm with probably another 2-3" since about 6pm.

I think I'm going to hit up a hill in the area tomorrow and may have a photo or two to post from that venture...we'll see if I can get a photog or not, if not, maybe I'll try the Mike Basich self-portrait pow shot thing...

Either way, the hill I'm thinking about I scoped today and it looked prime and with another foot expected from this current event, it should be really good. However, the snow is getting wetter and is now about wetter Tahoe/ avg. Cascade consistency...

[birdboatboy]

Skied at Lutsen this past weekend. Conditions were good and the place was about 2/3 open with snowmaking in progress on most of the rest. It was cold and windy both days but the "reported" 10 inches of fresh between Friday night and Sunday morning made for good turns before and after it was blown around by the wind.

I spent Sunday afternoon trying out the new to me Spatulas. They handled the groomed surprisingly well when skied on the tails. They were fun in the untracked, but it was hard to find enough snow on a steep enough slope to really see what they are made for.

[kkerley33]

Going to be over in Tomah for the next 5 days. Will need a day away from the In-Laws...Anyone been to Cascade of Devil's Head this year yet? Give me what info you have for the Central Wisconsin Resorts....

[focus]

Where are you at? In Muskegon they're calling for 42 and rain.....

Houghton.

[Lostinthetrees]

PNS... They get too lazy to push snow, leave the 10' piles from the guns and call them 'whales'.

They call it "banking" the snow.
They build up huge piles when the weather allows them to blow.
They spread it out when and where they need it.

Gotta give Perfect North some credit, given 100% man made snow, they do an amazing job. I've skied there in 50 degree rain, and had a good time. They have a decent variety of runs too. Trees are open for skiing and deception is a pretty good pitch considering their average skier.

PNS does such a good job we have ski-buses come up from Tennesee on the 3 day weekends.
Given what is available in Ohio & Indiana, it is the best ticket around.

This season They opened everything the Monday before Thanksgiving w/ a $29 day pass.
They close up around 2nd week of March.
they have an amazing operation that provides us with good skiing given latitude and terrrain.

will post up a TR over the Holidays 4 y'all 2 c.

[skitime]

Skied both Cascade and Devil's Head last weekend. For the mid-west really good conditions neither is 100% open but both should be close by this weekend. It was nice to ski some softer snow conditions rather then the scrape we usually have. Let's hope we don't get the rain that's forecasted for Friday and Saturday.

[emtnate]

they have an amazing operation that provides us with good skiing given latitude and terrrain.

I skied there often when I was a Ball State. Shadowed the patrol a few times, the director told me they have people from all over the world come and observe their snowmaking operation. I'm not knocking them too much, they are impressive given what they have to work with. They do make the 'best' man made snow I've seen. Maybe the warmer temps help some to keep it soft.

I wouldn't say it is worth the drive from Northern Indiana or Michigan, but by far the best choice in the south. I haven't skied Ober Gatlinburg, but I'm not surprised people come up from TN.

The other option in Southern Indiana is Paoli Peaks, they're okay, kinda boring terrain though, even for midwest standards. I thought Ski World in Nashville had better hills before they closed.

[Roxtar]

Indiana, is warmer and just as flat as Michigan....

As flat as Michigan?

In our dreams, we're as flat as Michigan.

[baseWeldr]

ah felt good to get a skiday in at the 'fae yesterday
the ungroomed darkside stuff had some nice deep ruts that'd firmed up and been blown in so it appeared smoother than it was, the wind was nuking on the top of south peak which opened about 1130ish- I was maybe the tenth loaded chair up but still the first down to see a mom'n kid deer wallowing to get out of the way...
had the most fun just workin the edges and various ropelines, buildin up speed to blast into the kneedeep for an entrance faceshot then some softies until the deep was too much for the pitch...
pushed out the stagshead trverse a bit further to that old liftline lane, need to get over there next time up so I can use the sidestep I put in to get back outta there...
never went OB the place was pretty empty with the chilly temps and wind
real fine snow fell all night and has continued here in cadillac all morning...