Alright, Alright, Alright!
It's time for a new thread, like a Yearbook for each season.
With any luck, a multitude of you TGR maggots will be swinging through the Motherland this winter.
I hope you shout out to some locals here as there are quite few who really dig showing others the hill and all it has to offer.
Skiing at The Vill is often more of a chess game rather than checkers. The angle of attack on any given day requires consideration of a multitude of variables: snow conditions, anticipated crowd size, lift opening timing yada yada.
This will be my 30th year here and it's still a challenge to nail it on the big days. I'm still the rare guy who beats the workers and stands in the dark by the Tram, debating where to start.
And for this assessment, one can have the single greatest run of their life. Over 4000 vert of untracked Blower, is fairly common if you're willing to get after it.
And if you're gonna go thru all the caca to get here - Do not sleep in. You will regret that approach.
Rule # 1 - Get in front of the crowd. Bust out laps as strategically as possible.
Rule # 2 - Don't let the massive line before opening freak you out. The lift system here can move a shitton of skiers in short order.
Rule # 3 - Locals are polite, if not patient. We will talk your ear off if the vibe is right, maybe even show you the special places, our treat. If you're slow, that's ok, we'll wait or we won't.
Rule # 4 - Skiing together really only means riding the lift together. Decide where point 'B' is and ski there (i.e. Thunder chair). We may not choose the same line, but let's ride up and have fun. Do it again.
Rule # 5 - On the Chair. The majority here puts the bar down. If you pull it down too quick and hit a noggin, crunch an arm or rack the nuts next to you, it will get loud and rowdy real quick. Bet on it.
Like, more aggressive than one would expect. Arguably the biggest faux pas.
Rule # 6 - DO NOT assume you're the fastest, bestest skier out there. That's a recipe for disaster. Look uphill is a real thing here.
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There are a ton of extremely high caliber skiers here. All ages too. Very few of them are uncool. That's how we roll.
I always say - ' In a big snow year for the states, we are usually in the top 5 for season total snowfall ( competing often with AltaBird, Whistler, Tahoe areas) and in a low season, we almost always have more'. My 2nd year here we got 252", the least I've ever seen. I've had about 5-7 600" seasons. All very different.
I hope for the best, and plan for the worst. But truth be told, I'm always happy with whatever happens. I ski a lot. I am one of the luckiest guys on this forum.
I look forward to skiing with all the local and visiting mags this winter. Last year I started connecting with youse peeps at 11 @ Casper restaurant, mid mountain. Gonna be the default from now on.
Ski season opens here the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I'll be there with bells on; and my mega knee brace.
Already have a few mags lined up for Good Times;
But what about you? Are you gonna come and get some this year?
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