Steep and Deep: The Snow Skiing/Boarding Thread

[Goatnapper'96]

We want to get in one more good day this year before hanging up the skis for the year. My logic is with the unseasonably warm winter my best bet for good snow to head up to Targhee. The Targ got 4 inches yesterday, is planning on 6 more today and tonight and then a chance of 1-2 tomorrow. That makes for a great day, IMO, and even when it is unseasonably warm it still doesn't get much above the mid 30's at the voluptuous Grand Targhee. We haven't been up there this year and last year when we went it was really early season and bumpy/choppy. I want to see Targhee in all of its enhanced wonders and see it like those lecherous frenchies saw it back in the day.....however, my wife is going to the Women's Conference on Saturday and is planning to take our 3 daughters so I thought I would solicit advice/input from those of you along the Wasatch Front who ski. It was my assumption that the unseasonably warm weather has turned the slopes down there slushy. However, I am wondering if I am wrong in my assumption and/or this storm is improving the situation. I don't like sticky snow. However, my current plan forces me to have to drive all the way from Driggs to Eagle Mountain once we get done at the Targ at about 3:00 on Friday. Now dinner at Maddox's is always a pleasure, but if the Utah resorts have good snow I could forego my long drives and just head down to Eagle Mountain tonight and ski at Solitude tomorrow. So for those of you in the know about things what could I expect at Solitude tomorrow? Is it already sticky? Has this storm improved it? If you had your choice would you prefer to head to the tundra of the gorgeous Teton Valley or up lil Cottonwood canyon? Ftr, I really dislike sticky snow as it reminds me of my years engaged.

[hostile]

I forgot about the JJs. I've heard good things about them as well. If your son really wants the Bacons, backcountry.com has them on sale. Looks like they only have 172 and 190 lengths, though.

Picked up the JJs today. My sons bday is in early December so I'll hold them until then. I may pick up the Line Opus. At 190 it's a bit shorter than what I'm on now but at 118 under foot it is also wider.

Compared with backcountry and other online sites, sports den has the best end-of-season prices by about $75-100.

[BrutusBuckeye]

Last I checked Sports Den didn't have Bacons in any size. My son has skied them the past two years but needs a longer size. He is looking at the Armada JJ.

Great day at the Bird today. May be the last of any fresh snow this season.

I forgot about the JJs. I've heard good things about them as well. If your son really wants the Bacons, backcountry.com has them on sale. Looks like they only have 172 and 190 lengths, though.

[hostile]

Sports Den is where I called to demo them. They come in a 190, but for some reason Sports Den doesn't mount that size for demos. I guess I could try a 184 for the day and see how they feel. Six centimeters shorter would probably still give me a good idea of what the 190s would feel like.

The majority of my skiing is probably like you. I'm with my kids most of the time on groomers, but my older kids are starting to venture off piste. I also like (need?) twin tips because I end up skiing backwards a lot as I work with them.

Last I checked Sports Den didn't have Bacons in any size. My son has skied them the past two years but needs a longer size. He is looking at the Armada JJ.

Great day at the Bird today. May be the last of any fresh snow this season.

[BrutusBuckeye]

i bought mine at sports den on foothill up by the U. They usually have a good supply but this late in the season you might have to go online for a pair. They really feel great, they bust through crud, and handle well on groomers (for me this is a big concern because the majority of ski time these days is with wife and kids, not off piste). Even the graphics are very cool on them.

Line makes a great ski.

Sports Den is where I called to demo them. They come in a 190, but for some reason Sports Den doesn't mount that size for demos. I guess I could try a 184 for the day and see how they feel. Six centimeters shorter would probably still give me a good idea of what the 190s would feel like.

The majority of my skiing is probably like you. I'm with my kids most of the time on groomers, but my older kids are starting to venture off piste. I also like (need?) twin tips because I end up skiing backwards a lot as I work with them.

[TripletDaddy]

also, not even sure they make the Bacons in 190, so achtung.

[TripletDaddy]

The Bacons are probably at the top of my list right now. I really wanted to take them up yesterday, but I couldn't find a shop that had them in a 190. I have heard nothing but good about them.

i bought mine at sports den on foothill up by the U. They usually have a good supply but this late in the season you might have to go online for a pair. They really feel great, they bust through crud, and handle well on groomers (for me this is a big concern because the majority of ski time these days is with wife and kids, not off piste). Even the graphics are very cool on them.

Line makes a great ski.

[BrutusBuckeye]

This is my first season with fatter boards. I went with the Bacons. Absolutely love them. They are around 108 underfoot, so you definitely get the sense of the jump up from a traditional all mountain ski, but they arent so fat that you are stumbling over yourself on groomers. I also considered the Volkl Mantras and the Rossi Soul 7s. I have a friend who went with the Soul 7s and he loves those. I think you cant go wrong with any of the 3 i mentioned.

The Bacons are probably at the top of my list right now. I really wanted to take them up yesterday, but I couldn't find a shop that had them in a 190. I have heard nothing but good about them.

[TripletDaddy]

Great day at Brighton yesterday. They had about 8 inches of new snow and it snowed most of the day. As with most weekdays, there weren't a ton of people up there, so my brother and I were able to have a good number of runs before it felt like the good snow was getting tracked out.

I decided to demo a pair of skis yesterday. The shop guy recommended some Liberty Double Helix and they didn't disappoint. My current skis are about 90mm under foot and the demos were 120mm, so a pretty significant jump. They were a lot of fun and floated very nicely in the deeper snow. I've been wanting to buy a new pair of skis and was thinking I shouldn't go above about 110mm under foot, but now I'm thinking up to 120mm. Does anyone have a recommendation of a fatter ski that would be a good buy for an all-around ski? A few models I've been looking at are the 4FRNT YLE, Line Sir Francis Bacon (or maybe Mr. Pollard's Opus), Faction 3.Zero, K2 Shreditor (112 or 120) and Moment Deathwish. I'd love to hear what others recommend.

Also, I downloaded a pretty cool app on my phone. It's called Ski Tracks and it runs in the background as you ski. For those of you who are familiar with Strava, it is basically this, but geared for skiing. It tracks vertical feet, elevation, speed, time, number of runs and mileage. It's 0.99, but well worth it.

This is my first season with fatter boards. I went with the Bacons. Absolutely love them. They are around 108 underfoot, so you definitely get the sense of the jump up from a traditional all mountain ski, but they arent so fat that you are stumbling over yourself on groomers. I also considered the Volkl Mantras and the Rossi Soul 7s. I have a friend who went with the Soul 7s and he loves those. I think you cant go wrong with any of the 3 i mentioned.

[BrutusBuckeye]

Great day at Brighton yesterday. They had about 8 inches of new snow and it snowed most of the day. As with most weekdays, there weren't a ton of people up there, so my brother and I were able to have a good number of runs before it felt like the good snow was getting tracked out.

I decided to demo a pair of skis yesterday. The shop guy recommended some Liberty Double Helix and they didn't disappoint. My current skis are about 90mm under foot and the demos were 120mm, so a pretty significant jump. They were a lot of fun and floated very nicely in the deeper snow. I've been wanting to buy a new pair of skis and was thinking I shouldn't go above about 110mm under foot, but now I'm thinking up to 120mm. Does anyone have a recommendation of a fatter ski that would be a good buy for an all-around ski? A few models I've been looking at are the 4FRNT YLE, Line Sir Francis Bacon (or maybe Mr. Pollard's Opus), Faction 3.Zero, K2 Shreditor (112 or 120) and Moment Deathwish. I'd love to hear what others recommend.

Also, I downloaded a pretty cool app on my phone. It's called Ski Tracks and it runs in the background as you ski. For those of you who are familiar with Strava, it is basically this, but geared for skiing. It tracks vertical feet, elevation, speed, time, number of runs and mileage. It's 0.99, but well worth it.

[dabrockster]

The family went to one of the few skiing places here in Ohio (Mad River Mountain/teeny-tiny hill). It was the first time my son had ever skied. He is on a hockey team and skates really well so he took to it really quickly. I had never skied before (Only snowboarded) so I took this as a chance to learn how to ski. It was lots of fun.. Now, the mountain sucked and it was like skiing on ice pellets etc. but it served its purpose. Great family outing for all!!


My daughter got skies on for the 1st time as well, but didn't like over time, but when she saw his big brother having fun then she wanted to get back out there..


Nothing like Utah etc., but there isn't many options here...

[RC Vikings]

How was the powder up there? I was at Pomerelle on Friday and the snow was like stuff in California. This last storm dropped very high "moisture" content snow. Great for farmers and fasting mormons but sucky for skiers. It was disappointing enough that I am opting out of my planned trip to Brundage this Friday at the boys state tourney. However, if Targhee is still good I am considering spending a day or two up there during my kids' spring break later this month.

It was heavy for Targhee but probably still better than anywhere else in the country. It was that broken up powder that you need to attack and I just didn't have the strength in the new knee. They have a ton of snow up there so skiing should be great into the middle of April.

[Goatnapper'96]

I went up to Targhee yesterday and after one run I could tell my knee wasn't ready. They had nine inches of new snow and it was broken powder all over the mountain and my knee just wasn't strong enough yet to tackle it. I will try again the first of April and hope for a mountain full of freshly groomed runs.

How was the powder up there? I was at Pomerelle on Friday and the snow was like stuff in California. This last storm dropped very high "moisture" content snow. Great for farmers and fasting mormons but sucky for skiers. It was disappointing enough that I am opting out of my planned trip to Brundage this Friday at the boys state tourney. However, if Targhee is still good I am considering spending a day or two up there during my kids' spring break later this month.

[venkman]

Well, Mineral Basin never opened today so you didn't miss anything

Thanks, I feel better already!

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

According to the newspaper we have a 60 foot base!

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