Steep and Deep: The Snow Skiing/Boarding Thread

[Walter Sobchak]

Snowed all morning... just stopped. It's perfect up here right now (@Brighton).

[BrutusBuckeye]

Sincere question: I'm not a skier, so I don't know how skiers really view this stuff, but when heading out of bounds, do you worry about avalanche danger? You watch the news and it seems that is all they talk about - that by skiing out of bounds, you are essentially taking your own life. Is the media blowing it all out of proportion or are you just a crazy ass son of a gun? Or do you just know where to go to avoid the avalanche conditions?

I try to mitigate any heightened danger when going out of bounds. The gate I went through said the risk in that area was moderate, so I felt ok about it. If conditions were rated as high or extreme, I wouldn't have done any hiking that day. I also stick to a place that isn't too far out of bounds and isn't known for having many avalanches. If I were to continue on where others go, the danger gets even higher as you get away from the boundary lines. Most avalanches you see on the news are pretty far from the resorts' boundaries.

[Shaka]

I try to mitigate any heightened danger when going out of bounds. The gate I went through said the risk in that area was moderate, so I felt ok about it. If conditions were rated as high or extreme, I wouldn't have done any hiking that day. I also stick to a place that isn't too far out of bounds and isn't known for having many avalanches. If I were to continue on where others go, the danger gets even higher as you get away from the boundary lines. Most avalanches you see on the news are pretty far from the resorts' boundaries.

It really doesn't matter what the sign says, skiing anything out of the boundaries without a buddy and transceivers in these conditions is stupid.

[BrutusBuckeye]

It really doesn't matter what the sign says, skiing anything out of the boundaries without a buddy and transceivers in these conditions is stupid.

What conditions are you talking about? The people who who give the risk rating I'm sure are aware of the dangers when giving it. Recently, I've seen the risk as high and extreme, but conditions can change and the other day was considered moderate, which I find to be acceptable without a beeper.

Out of bounds does not automatically mean avalanche danger. There are a lot of areas that are out of bounds with no avalanche danger. I'm familiar enough with where I was (and others, by the way) that I felt comfortable going where I went. If I were to go a little further, I would agree with your blanket statement.

[Walter Sobchak]

So much powder up here today.

[TripletDaddy]

SGs posts about the awesome ski conditions remind me that he lives out of state.

Enjoy the epic ski day!

[Walter Sobchak]

SGs posts about the awesome ski conditions remind me that he lives out of state.

Ikr!

I think my son and I will dine at Cafe Rio before attending the game tonight. #utahcountylife

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

So much powder up here today.

40+" by tomorrow and a blue bird day!

[BrutusBuckeye]

40+" by tomorrow and a blue bird day!

I wore my Hoodoo shirt under my coat in honor of all the snow up in the Cascades.

I had a great day on Saturday with my 7-year old at Brighton. He's much, much better than I was at that age and I'm guessing that by the time he's 10, I'll probably be struggling to keep up with him. I'm looking forward to it.

[Walter Sobchak]

I wore my Hoodoo shirt under my coat in honor of all the snow up in the Cascades.

We barely made it home... Snoqualmie pass was closed last night half an hour after we made it over. My BIL didn't make it and spent the night in Cle Elum.

Today would be a brilliant day for skiing, but now I'm swamped at work and the kids are back at school.

[Lost Student]

I have been looking at boots lately b/c I need to replace the 10+ year-old things I have been skiing on since my undergrad days. Right now I think I'm going to get the new Tecnica Mach1 130. I tried a pair on tonight and they felt awesome compared to my old ones.

RC, can you speak to the expertise of the boot fitters at Greenwood's? Between them and McU's, Greenwood's employees seem the most knowledgeable and least pushy. But I have no idea if they know what they're doing when it comes to boot fitting.

I am looking at getting a custom footbed too, and I am deciding between a Surefoot insole and a Sidas Conform'able insole. Surefoot is more expensive (about $225 vs. $135 for the Conform'able) and less convenient (drive to Sun Valley for Surefoot or stop at Surefoot while I'm in Park City next month vs. going to the local shop for the Conform'able). Does anyone have experience with the Conform'able insole?

I'm excited b/c it's been so long since I've skied on new boots but a little nervous because of the potential for buyer's remorse, especially because I have no idea about what insole to get. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[BrutusBuckeye]

I have been looking at boots lately b/c I need to replace the 10+ year-old things I have been skiing on since my undergrad days. Right now I think I'm going to get the new Tecnica Mach1 130. I tried a pair on tonight and they felt awesome compared to my old ones.

RC, can you speak to the expertise of the boot fitters at Greenwood's? Between them and McU's, Greenwood's employees seem the most knowledgeable and least pushy. But I have no idea if they know what they're doing when it comes to boot fitting.

I am looking at getting a custom footbed too, and I am deciding between a Surefoot insole and a Sidas Conform'able insole. Surefoot is more expensive (about $225 vs. $135 for the Conform'able) and less convenient (drive to Sun Valley for Surefoot or stop at Surefoot while I'm in Park City next month vs. going to the local shop for the Conform'able). Does anyone have experience with the Conform'able insole?

I'm excited b/c it's been so long since I've skied on new boots but a little nervous because of the potential for buyer's remorse, especially because I have no idea about what insole to get. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Those look like nice boots. Of all the ski boots I've ever had, I think I have enjoyed my Tecnicas the most. They just seem to fit my foot the best. I should have stuck with them.

Footbeds make a big difference. I just bought some DFPs and they've been much better than the stock beds that came with the boot. If you end up deciding on Surefoot, call the Lifthouse (mouth of Big Cottonwood) to get a price. I believe they do it for significantly less than what you posted above. It would be a little bit of a drive from Park City, but it might be worth it.

[Walter Sobchak]

I'm also in the market for new boots, but the options can be overwhelming.

One small rant however... why are so many ski boots either red or accented in red?! More blue please.

[BrutusBuckeye]

I'm also in the market for new boots, but the options can be overwhelming.

One small rant however... why are so many ski boots either red or accented in red?! More blue please.

It's amazing how many options there are nowadays.

I never realized blue boots were so rare. Maybe I'm sitting on a gold mine with my Langes.

[hostile]

Those look like nice boots. Of all the ski boots I've ever had, I think I have enjoyed my Tecnicas the most. They just seem to fit my foot the best. I should have stuck with them.

Footbeds make a big difference. I just bought some DFPs and they've been much better than the stock beds that came with the boot. If you end up deciding on Surefoot, call the Lifthouse (mouth of Big Cottonwood) to get a price. I believe they do it for significantly less than what you posted above. It would be a little bit of a drive from Park City, but it might be worth it.

I've got Atomic boots with Surefoot liners/footbeds. I've had them for 7+ years and they still feel great. I'll probably get some new Lange this off season if I can find a good fit.