Page 603 of 884 FirstFirst ... 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 ... LastLast
Results 15,051 to 15,075 of 22094
  1. #15051
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Where the sheets have no stains
    Posts
    22,069
    Quote Originally Posted by total_immortal View Post
    I think you just described all of SW Montana. It's going to be an interesting winter, sounds like there are lots of new BB pass holders, my hunting spots have been crowded and there are no elk, rail jammers at the base of BB (who the fuck skis park at BB?), ski school lotteries, Big Sky hype train hitting full speed, the list just goes on and on...
    Yeah pretty much. Another guy who worked for me jumped ship and will be at BB. He is a great patroller who bought a place in Livingston so the move wasn't just cause Big Sky sucks. He was one of the lead forecasters on the north side and will be missed. Good luck Woody.
    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  2. #15052
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Last Best City in the Last Best Place
    Posts
    7,270
    There were even n00b freaks running around up by Loma last week when I was deer hunting, camping in weird spots, doing inexplicable things. Never seen that before, usually it's guaranteed isolation except for a few local road hunters up there. Oh well... times change.


  3. #15053
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Making the Bowl Great Again
    Posts
    13,779
    Anyone lose a roof or a spruce last night? Holy shit.

  4. #15054
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    7,454
    The van was a rockin last night, sad to report it was just the wind, me, and mighty(my recent stowaway mouse).

  5. #15055
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Queen City
    Posts
    807
    Quote Originally Posted by Bunion 2020 View Post
    Ran into a guy who used to work for me at MLB. He made the transition to work at BS.

    Whatever he did it was the wrong thing and he was not invited to re-apply. Another guy who worked at MLB offered the opinion that this was bullshit. He was told that he was no longer welcome. Both were good patrollers and now instead they are being replaced by new folks. This season there will be at least 20 new patrollers at Big Sky. That is a frightening amount of new blood.
    I have never understood some of the mentality some ski patrollers have. It is like next level power tripping "my way or the highway". I think it loses so much talent. Maybe it's the mix of a high stress dangerous job + people who love to do dangerous things.

  6. #15056
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Where the sheets have no stains
    Posts
    22,069
    Quote Originally Posted by toastybroski View Post
    I have never understood some of the mentality some ski patrollers have. It is like next level power tripping "my way or the highway". I think it loses so much talent. Maybe it's the mix of a high stress dangerous job + people who love to do dangerous things.
    The entire concept has changed so radically since I started in 1985. In another thread there is this great photo of the CB Patrol in the late 70s.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	cbpatrol.jpg 
Views:	121 
Size:	205.6 KB 
ID:	393183 Fucking photo editor....


    The people that ran off to join the circus that is ski town life were on a pretty unstructured program, I know I was.

    Move someplace cool, figure out a gig to get the pass, a bed and ski. A lot.

    I fell into ski operations on a whim and into patrolling the same way. There were lots of AK fisherman, summer construction workers, river guides and Firefighters as well as the sprinkling of other trades that had the luxury of taking the winter to work a job that they enjoyed. Yeah it can be dangerous and now and then really high stress but 95% of the time we just fucked around or did the stupid jobs that are a part of a ski area. Whether its shoveling up some dog shit or blood or carrying loads of bamboo and rope and stringing endless lines of rope early season only to take it all down when it finally dumps we still had a lot of fun doing it. Then you could figure on some really dead days when the snow was good, the crowds were few and if you want to go research something all you need to do is ask or not. We used to have epic barbecues at PCMR in the spring, only thing missing was the beer.

    In that time frame there were a ton of great ski areas to work at, hell even Vail was cool then, I have seen the pictures.

    (Puts on old man hat): Nowadays there are very few places left where you can patrol and just fuck off and ski and run the occasional wreck.

    And then there is the cost of living in and near (60 miles) of any decent ski mountains. Oh yeah, and health insurance and maybe you want to retire at some point or get married and have kids. Did I mention the part about wear and tear on the body, I know a lotta guys and gals with replacement joints now.

    So instead of getting a bunch of arrested adolescents who make it work for 10-20-30 + years you get folks taking a break from school or career and now out of the Military. They are figuring it out too but its not the same kind of a situation. 5-6 years and they are consumed and move on.

    No way you will ever have the security of a Firefighter or a Paramedic let alone the pay and benefits so if you are a patroller you had damn well better enjoy what you are doing as much of the time as possible.
    Last edited by Bunion 2020; 11-18-2021 at 01:00 PM.
    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  7. #15057
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    2,748
    Quote Originally Posted by Bunion 2020 View Post
    The entire concept has changed so radically since I started in 1985. In another thread there is a great photo of the CB Patrol in the late 70s. The people that ran off to join the circus that is ski town life were on a pretty unstructured program, I know I was. Move someplace cool, figure out a gig to get the pass, a bed and ski. A lot.

    I fell into ski operations on a whim and into patrolling the same way. There were lots of AK fisherman, summer construction workers, river guides and Firefighters as well as the sprinkling of other trades that had the luxury of taking the winter to work a job that they enjoyed. Yeah it can be dangerous and now and then really high stress but 95% of the time we just fucked around or did the stupid jobs that are a part of a ski area. Whether its shoveling up some dog shit or blood or carrying loads of bamboo and rope and stringing endless lines of rope early season only to take it all down when it finally dumps we still had a lot of fun doing it. Then you could figure on some really dead days when the snow was good, the crowds were few and if you want to go research something all you need to do is ask or not. We used to have epic barbecues at PCMR in the spring, only thing missing was the beer.

    In that time frame there were a ton of great ski areas to work at, hell even Vail was cool then, I have seen the pictures.

    (Puts on old man hat): Nowadays there are very few places left where you can patrol and just fuck off and ski and run the occasional wreck.

    And then there is the cost of living in and near (60 miles) of any decent ski mountains. Oh yeah, and health insurance and maybe you want to retire at some point or get married and have kids. Did I mention the part about wear and tear on the body, I know a lotta guys and gals with replacement joints now.

    So instead of getting a bunch of arrested adolescents who make it work for 10-20-30 + years you get folks taking a break from school or career and now out of the Military. They are figuring it out too but its not the same kind of a situation. 5-6 years and they are consumed and move on.

    But it was sure fun while it lasted.

    Bunion, Thank you for this^^^

    Patrol in the midwest is a different animal -
    I often wonder what might have been If I had made the move west in 1980.
    in 2000, I spent a day with a guy a few year younger who did ( go west ). Steve got a degree from MSU, did a lot of fly fishing, I think all across the northern hemisphere, and spent a few seasons at Baker ( I will always remember the quotation, ' forget GoreTex - commercial fishing wear. . . ' )

    he's back in the midwest too - for a long time now... teaches high school, and operates a fly fishing guiding business ( best in northwest Wisconsin it is claimed )
    ( I might ask him to look in on Harry's Party next Summer ) ...


    anyway, Bunion - Thanks Again. I will always wonder if I would have skied the Ridge in the early 1980s. ... skiJ

  8. #15058
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Big Sky/Moonlight Basin
    Posts
    14,415
    ^^ is this the guy in Duluth ?

    Either way, PM his contact info to me. He sounds like somebody I want to know.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    "Zee damn fat skis are ruining zee piste !" -Oscar Schevlin

    "Hike up your skirt and grow a dick you fucking crybaby" -what Bunion said to Harry at the top of The Headwaters

  9. #15059
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Last Best City in the Last Best Place
    Posts
    7,270
    Blacktail Ski Area sold to Washington resort company

    By Daily Inter Lake
    | November 18, 2021 3:59 PM
    Washington-based Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort on Thursday announced it has purchased the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area in Lakeside.

    Transition of the ski area’s ownership is set to begin immediately and all Blacktail Mountain staff will be retained. All 2021/22 season passes and other pre-purchased products will be honored. New benefits for season passholders will be announced in the next few weeks, Mission Ridge said in a press release.

    “We are really excited to get to know the Montana ski community and feel that Blacktail Mountain is a great fit for our culture,” said Larry Scrivanich, owner and president of Mission Ridge. “Blacktail Mountain is a treasure of the Flathead Valley and loved by local skiers and snowboarders as well as folks from outside of the area.”

    Steve Spencer, Blacktail Mountain founder and president said he, along with his three partners, Tom Sands, Dennis Carver and Jeff Sorg, “could not be more pleased about the sale of Blacktail Mountain to Larry and his team at Mission Ridge.

    “They are proven ski area operators that are community-minded and see a bright future for Blacktail Mountain,” Spencer said.

    Mission Ridge is located in North Central Washington, 12 miles south of Wenatchee.

    “Steve Spencer and his team built this ski area from the ground up 23 years ago,” said Josh Jorgensen, general manager of Mission Ridge. “They have run Blacktail Mountain with a focus on quality and a family atmosphere. We are really honored that Steve and his team trust us to operate Blacktail Mountain into the future and plan to make him proud.”

    SPENCER AND his partners put the ski resort up for sale in 2017 with a listing price of $3.5 million at that time. Mission Ridge did not disclose the sale price.

    Spencer and his partners began operations at Blacktail in 1998, after securing the only special-use permit for a ski area on U.S. Forest Service land in 20 years. The land itself is owned by the federal government, while the business owned the improvements, including the lodge, maintenance shop and other buildings, a terrain park, two double-chair lifts, a triple lift and a rope tow.

    In a 2017 interview with the Daily Inter Lake, Spencer commented that “the owners are all getting a little long in the tooth, I guess.

    “We just thought we’d start looking for an exit plan, and hopefully we’ll find someone that will make the improvements to take it to the next level,” Spencer said in 2017.

    Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling said in a prepared statement: “We have enjoyed working with Steve and appreciate his vision and hard work to create the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area on the Flathead National Forest, which has provided a great recreational opportunity for the community.”

    Blacktail Mountain features a unique experience for skiers and riders, with its lodge and parking located at the top of the mountain. Offering more than 1,000 acres of north-facing slopes and 1,440 feet of vertical drop, Blacktail Mountain has been a family-friendly resort since it opened in 1998. Blacktail Mountain is the state’s youngest ski area.

  10. #15060
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    the LCC
    Posts
    1,170
    Quote Originally Posted by Bunion 2020 View Post
    The entire concept has changed so radically since I started in 1985. In another thread there is this great photo of the CB Patrol in the late 70s.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	cbpatrol.jpg 
Views:	121 
Size:	205.6 KB 
ID:	393183 Fucking photo editor....


    The people that ran off to join the circus that is ski town life were on a pretty unstructured program, I know I was.

    Move someplace cool, figure out a gig to get the pass, a bed and ski. A lot.

    I fell into ski operations on a whim and into patrolling the same way. There were lots of AK fisherman, summer construction workers, river guides and Firefighters as well as the sprinkling of other trades that had the luxury of taking the winter to work a job that they enjoyed. Yeah it can be dangerous and now and then really high stress but 95% of the time we just fucked around or did the stupid jobs that are a part of a ski area. Whether its shoveling up some dog shit or blood or carrying loads of bamboo and rope and stringing endless lines of rope early season only to take it all down when it finally dumps we still had a lot of fun doing it. Then you could figure on some really dead days when the snow was good, the crowds were few and if you want to go research something all you need to do is ask or not. We used to have epic barbecues at PCMR in the spring, only thing missing was the beer.

    In that time frame there were a ton of great ski areas to work at, hell even Vail was cool then, I have seen the pictures.

    (Puts on old man hat): Nowadays there are very few places left where you can patrol and just fuck off and ski and run the occasional wreck.

    And then there is the cost of living in and near (60 miles) of any decent ski mountains. Oh yeah, and health insurance and maybe you want to retire at some point or get married and have kids. Did I mention the part about wear and tear on the body, I know a lotta guys and gals with replacement joints now.

    So instead of getting a bunch of arrested adolescents who make it work for 10-20-30 + years you get folks taking a break from school or career and now out of the Military. They are figuring it out too but its not the same kind of a situation. 5-6 years and they are consumed and move on.

    No way you will ever have the security of a Firefighter or a Paramedic let alone the pay and benefits so if you are a patroller you had damn well better enjoy what you are doing as much of the time as possible.
    Amen brother.
    Well said.
    Too bad there's no turning back the clock for folks like us, nowadays.
    Cause there's plenty of folks like us nowadays...
    Time spent skiing cannot be deducted from one's life.

  11. #15061
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    On your tic list
    Posts
    351
    I’ll be interested to see how it plays out in BS. Their operating plan press release seemed to indicate they were going to treat employees different based on vaccine status. Over here in RL we aren’t even talking about that possibility out loud because we figure somebody will be happy to sue our ass, which we don’t have money for. BS bucking the governor and the legislature with a public statement makes me think their lawyers know something that ours don’t.
    Not intending this to be a COVID or vax argument/thread killer. Anybody know how that thought process went down over there?


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  12. #15062
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Where the sheets have no stains
    Posts
    22,069
    Quote Originally Posted by telefreewasatch View Post
    Amen brother.
    Well said.
    Too bad there's no turning back the clock for folks like us, nowadays.
    Cause there's plenty of folks like us nowadays...
    Reeling right now. Phone call a couple of hours ago. Guy I hired at MLB who made the jump to BS decided to check out. RIP Shawn, you were a helluva ski patroller and a good guy to share a cold chair ride with.
    Depression sucks.
    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  13. #15063
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Last Best City in the Last Best Place
    Posts
    7,270
    Sorry Bunion. That's rough.

  14. #15064
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    2,748
    condolences, Bunion - tj

  15. #15065
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Where the sheets have no stains
    Posts
    22,069
    Thanks for the thoughts, rough way to start the season.
    I have been in this State for 30 years and I am willing to admit that I am part of the problem.

    "Happiest years of my life were earning < $8.00 and hour, collecting unemployment every spring and fall, no car, no debt and no responsibilities. 1984-1990 Park City UT"

  16. #15066
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    the Low Sierra
    Posts
    17,818
    oh man

    sorry buddy
    I didn't believe in reincarnation when I was your age either.

  17. #15067
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Wenatchee
    Posts
    14,610
    Quote Originally Posted by yeahman View Post
    Blacktail Ski Area sold to Washington resort company

    By Daily Inter Lake
    | November 18, 2021 3:59 PM
    Washington-based Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort on Thursday announced it has purchased the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area in Lakeside.

    Transition of the ski area’s ownership is set to begin immediately and all Blacktail Mountain staff will be retained. All 2021/22 season passes and other pre-purchased products will be honored. New benefits for season passholders will be announced in the next few weeks, Mission Ridge said in a press release.

    “We are really excited to get to know the Montana ski community and feel that Blacktail Mountain is a great fit for our culture,” said Larry Scrivanich, owner and president of Mission Ridge. “Blacktail Mountain is a treasure of the Flathead Valley and loved by local skiers and snowboarders as well as folks from outside of the area.”

    Steve Spencer, Blacktail Mountain founder and president said he, along with his three partners, Tom Sands, Dennis Carver and Jeff Sorg, “could not be more pleased about the sale of Blacktail Mountain to Larry and his team at Mission Ridge.

    “They are proven ski area operators that are community-minded and see a bright future for Blacktail Mountain,” Spencer said.

    Mission Ridge is located in North Central Washington, 12 miles south of Wenatchee.

    “Steve Spencer and his team built this ski area from the ground up 23 years ago,” said Josh Jorgensen, general manager of Mission Ridge. “They have run Blacktail Mountain with a focus on quality and a family atmosphere. We are really honored that Steve and his team trust us to operate Blacktail Mountain into the future and plan to make him proud.”

    SPENCER AND his partners put the ski resort up for sale in 2017 with a listing price of $3.5 million at that time. Mission Ridge did not disclose the sale price.

    Spencer and his partners began operations at Blacktail in 1998, after securing the only special-use permit for a ski area on U.S. Forest Service land in 20 years. The land itself is owned by the federal government, while the business owned the improvements, including the lodge, maintenance shop and other buildings, a terrain park, two double-chair lifts, a triple lift and a rope tow.

    In a 2017 interview with the Daily Inter Lake, Spencer commented that “the owners are all getting a little long in the tooth, I guess.

    “We just thought we’d start looking for an exit plan, and hopefully we’ll find someone that will make the improvements to take it to the next level,” Spencer said in 2017.

    Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling said in a prepared statement: “We have enjoyed working with Steve and appreciate his vision and hard work to create the Blacktail Mountain Ski Area on the Flathead National Forest, which has provided a great recreational opportunity for the community.”

    Blacktail Mountain features a unique experience for skiers and riders, with its lodge and parking located at the top of the mountain. Offering more than 1,000 acres of north-facing slopes and 1,440 feet of vertical drop, Blacktail Mountain has been a family-friendly resort since it opened in 1998. Blacktail Mountain is the state’s youngest ski area.
    I came here to ask about this. What’s the deal with Blacktail Montana folks?


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  18. #15068
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    PNW -> MSO
    Posts
    7,889
    Heard that it's fun when not foggy. Nothing gnar but some good trees.

    A quirk is that the parking is at the top.

  19. #15069
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    PNW -> MSO
    Posts
    7,889
    Sorry about your patroller bud, bunion.

  20. #15070
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
    Posts
    16,804

  21. #15071
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Hell Track
    Posts
    13,844
    Sorry to hear about your buddy Bunion. Rough start to the season indeed.

  22. #15072
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Hell Track
    Posts
    13,844
    Quote Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn View Post
    I came here to ask about this. What’s the deal with Blacktail Montana folks?
    Small and mellow. Usually open Wednesday through Sunday, so powder Wednesdays are a possibility.

    The biggest thing holding that place back is that the road up to the ski hill is long and slow. From where you leave the pavement, it's 14 miles up a dirt road to get to the "base" area (which is at the top of the lifts).

  23. #15073
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    2,748
    Quote Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn View Post
    I came here to ask about this. What’s the deal with Blacktail Montana folks?

    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

    ' not sure what you are asking, MUnicorn -
    it appeals enough to the folks that own MissionRidge, that they bought it -

    I Love the place. small is a relative term ( it only has three chairs, None new ), and mellow - maybe. some days ( but watch-out for the home-school moms )
    it's got enough Vert. that the north side are decent non-stop top-to-bottom runs ; rarely, could I ski the south lift non-stop.
    late season, I never had a lift line, though I avoid Saturdays.

    they could upgrade the south lift, though I don't know how that would work with the midway loading station.

    The road is what it is - fourteen miles in montana doesn't feel like an impediment to me ( the drive up Big mountain is seven miles or eight miles. wider, I don't think it is faster if you have to navigate the Whitefish 'snake trail' ... )

    it -Blacktail - is an old-style ski (and snowboard) area - a nice alternative to the Resort.


    I Love Blacktail. skiJ

  24. #15074
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    155
    Didn't Blacktail offer $35 ski tickets on Wednesdays? Beautiful views from that mountain, and sometimes it feels like they are spinning the chairs just for you.... Fun hill to check out when you need a breather from the crowds at Big Mountain.

  25. #15075
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Hell Track
    Posts
    13,844
    Whitefish is most definitely a shitshow. Lift lines were bad last year, and they sold 13% more season passes this year. It's gonna be a mess. It'll be interesting to see if that drives more traffic towards Blacktail.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •