Skinning on closed resorts

[GeezerSteve]

Skinning up PNW slopes in early spring is the easy way to avoid unconsolidated bottomless mush. After the consolidation, it's the common quick after work aerobic fix.

[Buster Highmen]

Skinning up PNW slopes in early spring is the easy way to avoid unconsolidated bottomless mush. After the consolidation, it's the common quick after work aerobic fix.

Yeah, I hear that's a better aerobic workout than skinning down PNW slopes.

[josef]

Yeah, I hear that's a better aerobic workout than skinning down PNW slopes.

Haha buster I dont get your jokes man.

[jfost]

Haha buster I dont get your jokes man.

you get the user name joke though right?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Aaron, what's your location? I'd agee depending on snow pack, utah snow doesn't consolidate and corn up very well, often punchy and quickly turns to mank due to the low water content, and strong sun, can still be real good, but the window for prime corn is shortened

Sent from my DROIDX using TGR Forums

I'm in WA, east of the crest. Near my home the snow in the eastern Wenatchee Mountians is more like UT than near the passes. I've been skiing well drained, consolidated snow pack for a few weeks now. Maybe it's the latitude and temps. Low to mid twenties at night coupled with clear skies and highs in the mid forties makes for great corn. I can see the paths of the groomers on the piste and they are very hard underneath and lumpy and dirty. I'm skiing mainly W/N/E aspects. Southerly aspects below @5500 are melted out around here.

[josef]

you get the user name joke though right?

that I get.

[jfost]

I'm in WA, east of the crest. Near my home the snow in the eastern Wenatchee Mountians is more like UT than near the passes. I've been skiing well drained, consolidated snow pack for a few weeks now. Maybe it's the latitude and temps. Low to mid twenties at night coupled with clear skies and highs in the mid forties makes for great corn. I can see the paths of the groomers on the piste and they are very hard underneath and lumpy and dirty. I'm skiing mainly W/N/E aspects. Southerly aspects below @5500 are melted out around here.

there's probably a bunch of refrozen ice chunks mixed in the groomer snow that leads to uneven melt + the churned up surface debris with all those little grains of sand/rock etc likely really affects the formerly groomed surface as it melts... your point is noted re: snow quality though - ease of access and perceived safety are probably the primary reasons that so many people tend to skin the closed resorts.

[Scotsman50]

That is a different question than the OP's skiing in a closed resort question, if you get distracted don't look at uphill skiers or you will hit them, if the runs are that crowded I wouldn't go uphill OR downhill but my local hill is more like a country club, I would go somewhere it's not so busy still some folks want to get exercise, maybe a designated up track is the answer but would anyone follow the track or exercise their right to go anywhere?

some people don't want to fork out for a lift ticket

Sorry ...you misunderstood me... I meant your argument was a distraction not the uphill skinner. I have no problem with skinning in CLOSED resorts and can see the attraction especially here in the PNW but skinning up busy groomers at a resort is just whacked. A designated uphill track out of the way to access the BC is OK but putting a zigzag skin track up a black run on a busy Saturday at a resort is fucking selfish and whacked but some people up here think it's their right.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Sorry ...you misunderstood me... I meant your argument was a distraction not the uphill skinner. I have no problem with skinning in CLOSED resorts and can see the attraction especially here in the PNW but skinning up busy groomers at a resort is just whacked. A designated uphill track out of the way to access the BC is OK but putting a zigzag skin track up a black run on a busy Saturday at a resort is fucking selfish and whacked but some people up here think it's their right.

Agreed!!

[XXX-er]

I would just use all that uphill traffic as slalom gates ... when life deals you lemons make some margaritas eh

[The Duke of Hurl]

This year I skinned up some small local resorts that were open on my daughter's race days for 3 reasons:

1. Ski racing is already ridiculously expensive (3 pr skis, facemasks, speedsuits, etc.) that to add a full priced lift ticket for away races was the last straw.

2. The kids do 2 inspections and 2 runs and spend the rest of the day in the lodge so if you want to spend any time with them you're only going to get that many runs in as well so why would any sane person buy a lift ticket for that.

3. It's the only exercise you can get that day, and there's sort of a contrived goal attatched to it (seeing your kids race from the top of the course).

Just another perspective on an apparently puzzling behavior.

BTW, every chance I got I stayed in the trees off-piste, just safer.

And, the pack, the gopros, climbing harness and carabiners make the training more realistic (Have I shown you my AK pics?)

One more thing. SEARCH FUNCTION JONG! This exact thread was done at least 2 years ago. 36 posts and no one's said it. You guys are slipping...

[Scotsman50]

^^^^^ well at least you stay in the trees off piste and don't skin up the middle of the busiest groomer on the whole mountain.
However a few up here aren't even respectful of ski racing. At Crystal they sometimes set up the kids race course over by the Quicksilver lift which is also parallel to the normal skinning route to the South Back....we've had issues with these "its my rights " clowns even skinning up the fucking race course while a race was on......I kid you not.

[powdork]

^^^^^ well at least you stay in the trees off piste and don't skin up the middle of the busiest groomer on the whole mountain.
However a few up here aren't even respectful of ski racing. At Crystal they sometimes set up the kids race course over by the Quicksilver lift which is also parallel to the normal skinning route to the South Back....we've had issues with these "its my rights " clowns even skinning up the fucking race course while a race was on......I kid you not.

why on earth would you set up a race course in the middle of the uphill skin track. christ, thats as bad as postholing the skin track.

[Loon]

Poachninjas prefer to sled rather than skin closed resorts.

photo: Shinobi rider:Stuntcok


photo: Shinobi rider:non mag Mr. East

[keipow]

the euros skin up resorts mid-season.

[CarveMan]

I skinned up an abandoned resort in Japan this year. Figured it would be hard to get lost.

[userA]

Poachninjas prefer to sled rather than skin closed resorts.

photo: Shinobi rider:Stuntcok


photo: Shinobi rider:non mag Mr. East

pretty sure this is the same activity that scarred mission ridge ski and snow resort last month

[MagnificentUnicorn]

pretty sure this is the same activity that scarred mission ridge ski and snow resort last month

It's OK, it only ruins it for skiers for a few weeks.

[Ottime]

If it were last season... because, it is not like the lifts are all that reliable, and the pow just kept on coming, and lines you wanted all season were super filled in and perfectly smooth. But then again, I missed last spring.

Two years ago, I was visiting friends in the valley, it had snowed a few days before, and the corn was perfect right out the door. Why drive anywhere else, when you can skin right up and ski back for lunch? And besides, when can you line up a straight line off the Wall, step back ten feet, skate and pole for speed, and blinding launch in? June is the answer.

[dookeyXXX]

Also the corn snow on piste is usually better (not as manky) where there has been snow making and grooming all season.

Interesting. I've always found that the corn off-piste where less people (or no people) have skied is better; it's generally less cut up, hasn't been compacted, and I also feel that there could possibly be a chemical reaction from all the super-flouro wax that most folks use that changes the make-up of on-piste corn (but I'm no snowologist, so who knows?).

It's been stated already, but the main reasons for skinning or boot-packing a closed resort are safety (you know the terrain and it's most likely been avy'd, etc), ease (if you are banging out a dawn (before work) or dusk (after work & before dinner) patrol you can do it quickly), and as other's have stated, it might be the only stuff still available in your immediate area.

Also, if you're just getting into touring (i.e. just purchased skins and an AT set-up), starting out on something familiar and easy is the way to insure that you really want to pursue "earning" your turns. Additionally, hiking a closed resort is a great way to introduce friends or perhaps that new GF to the world of skinning and boot-packing; again, it's a controlled environment that works great for easing yourself or someone else into the mix.

I, personally, only hike closed resorts early season when the snowfall is still new and the bases aren't set up; this is where knowing the terrain and having clear-cut groomers underneath you comes into play.

When it gets to post-season, such as now, I'm more apt to hit up some of the great (and relatively easy access) BC stuff that's all around Tahoe and the rest of the Sierra region.

[yabyum]

This is kinda where my original question came from. If you are going to put the work in why do it somewhere that everyone else is just riding a lift up? Ive seen a bunch of people snowshoeing at MHM durring the season. One dude had a hunting pack on and looked like he was training for something.

Was it the gaper spirit animal hunter?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

While usually safer, slopes that have had control work done and ski compaction can still suffer climax avalanches in the spring. I think it might be more unpredictable because you're not thinking about it. Some years back a steep roll in Inner Bowl at Mission Ridge slid to the ground in April. It had a seasons worth of moguls on it. Maggie's run did the same, catching two unsuspecting skiers who luckily escaped injury.

[josef]

One more thing. SEARCH FUNCTION JONG! This exact thread was done at least 2 years ago. 36 posts and no one's said it. You guys are slipping...

Haha thanks hurl I needed this

[Buster Highmen]

While usually safer, slopes that have had control work done and ski compaction can still suffer climax avalanches in the spring. I think it might be more unpredictable because you're not thinking about it. Some years back a steep roll in Inner Bowl at Mission Ridge slid to the ground in April. It had a seasons worth of moguls on it. Maggie's run did the same, catching two unsuspecting skiers who luckily escaped injury.

True. Alpental develops monster slide crack and holes in the spring. that can be deadly.
There's so many potential reason people may want to skin up a closed resort and some potentially false sense of security is likely big one.

As for skinning up @Crystal when it's open busy and in really dumb places, it's beyond me. But yelling at people: I'm assuming there's some hormonal imbalance or dysfunction in that level of rage. Or pinching knickers.

[Canada1]

This season I saw people skining up the busiest run on the mountain on three occaisions. One was opening day when it was one of like three open runs and a total mad house. I guess everyone is hungry to get some, but there are so many relaxing places to go where you wouldn't have people coming at you at mach one. The patrollers all just cruise by them. I guess they think it isn't worth the confrontation to address it with them, and I agree.