Being in the UK I’ve had need to go to indoor slopes a couple of times and from a safety point of view I’ve always been very wary.
They feel more unsafe to me. Whether it is the confined area, the lack of run-offs, the constant proximity to learners with little room for manoeuver…I’m not sure. It may be that there are infintely more ways to get into big trouble on a mountain but it doesn’t feel like it.
Thanks for all the advice. Except for one day at Mammoth, I’ve only skied in Tahoe (primarily Mt. Rose and Heavenly). I’m not picky after not skiing for a decade.
And I live in Kitsap, so any trip would probably have to include an overnight stay. Snoqualmie looks good, what do you think of Crystal Mountain?
Crystal is a much bigger and more serious mountain. Lots of great terrain, not sure how good it is for a relative newbie. I spent a bunch of time skiing at Ski Acres and Hyak back in the 70s, and they’re good basic skis areas with easy access to Seattle.
I think these places are now incorporated into The Summit at Snoqualmie
@garygnu I can’t speak to Crystal, but that is where the serious skiers go in these parts.
Check out the lesson packages at The Summit. Get lessons, equipment rental, full day pass in one package. Not a bad deal: Daily Lessons
(PS. if you do hit the Summit, let me know, good chance I might be on the mountain that day.)
Back to the thread in general, I just got in day 5 of snowboarding for the season today. Had my first good tumble that knocked the wind out and a good bounce on the back of the head (I wear a helmet). We’ve had surprisingly good snow this season, and have a week of snow forecasted starting tomorrow.
Yes, they are now central and east respectively.
I made it up to Mount Snow in Vermont yesterday for a day trip! Conditions were perfect and crowds were non-existent.
I figured crowds would be low because people are busy getting ready for the holidays as well as the “backyard effect,” and I was right. The same weather system that brought 18-24” of snow up north was rain in southern New England and New York, and it melted away all of the snow left over from the previous weekend. My backyard in Connecticut was totally bare when I left for Vermont yesterday…and found a whole different world with two feet of snow on the ground up north.
Conditions were actually better than any day I saw last season. Most of the resort was open, with the exception of the Sunbrook area. I didn’t want to leave, and actually overdid it a bit for early-season skiing. I skied nearly 20,000 vertical feet, and today my legs feel like jello. But it was worth it!
As a bonus I saw the last few minutes of the World Cup final in the lodge at the summit with a bunch of ski resort employees from Argentina. After the win, I thought the floor was going to collapse with their dancing. 
Mt High was great this weekend. Good base from storms previous weekend. Air temperature started out mid 20s, then high in the mid 30s, with bright sun. Very comfortable. We got in early, got out early, before the crowds got too dense.
Due to a a mix-up the ski event I thought was Saturday was Sunday. Since I was all prepped I decided to go to the nearby XC ski place (since if the conditions were bad it was not a big deal to turn around and go home) Most of the trails were rolled – some think spots and some twigs on the trail but overall skiable, groomer was out and passed me twice (the second time he rolled down the window and said they were grooming just for me! There were another half dozen or so skiers out.
I ended up staying home Sunday
Brian
Karma is a Lie
Taking the day tomorrow to head up north for a few hours on a small Indy hill before the rains come to New England.
Low tomorrow of -30, high of -2F. Definitely NOT skiing.
Currently in a hotel in Stuttgart, carrying on to Austria tomorrow. weather looking to be around 0-4C so should hopefully be some good conditions to report.
I had my big ol’ Red Sweater on today. Somebody accused me of having ‘style’.
arrived at the apartment (really nice!) ski’s are currently being waxed and edged overnight and tomorrow will be our first day on the snow. Some relaxing runs down a well known long blue so my wife gets her ski-legs back and the kids can get a feel of their new boots and skis, then off to explore.
Coffee and cake will be at one our favourite huts where they recognise us year on year and they’ve had a refit, be interesting to see how it looks now and if the germknodel is just as good as always.
Got in a good half-day at Pat’s Peak in NH today. 20+ relatively short runs, no stopping, no lift lines, conditions were firm but good. Too bad it’s all going away in few days due to the rain. They were blowing snow, which is a little confusing before a big rain event.
lovely day yesterday, no crowds and pistes in good nick
different today, rain at the bottom (750m) and snow and wind at the top (3000m) managed to find some good runs but we’ve cut the day short and heading to the spa this evening instead. Let the weather front pass through and get some nicely bashed snow tomorrow or day after.
For all the minor weather inconvenience at least we aren’t getting hit with the fun and games in the USA, for our stateside skiers, how is that going to affect you all?
Cooper got 4 inches from this last storm, and their temperatures are already back in the double digits and fairly calm. Don’t think I’ll get a bluebird day, but I guess I’ll just muddle through.
Had a good day at Heavenly today. Lucky to find a perfect parking spot, sourced out lots of good mogul lines. Waved to a friend on the web cam. Ran into a few ‘friends’ that I know and wished everybody a Merry Christmas. A good end to an absolute shit week.
Steak tacos for dinner!
Weather was a mixed bag today. Loose snow on top of a hard base but it hasn’t clumped up so a even though the weather isn’t clear and bright the skiing conditions were nice. Plus we had a nice coffee break at the peak with the snow gently falling outside and christmas music on the go.
There’s a 1300m vertical from the peak of the Schmittenhohe which my son and I skied all the way down and though it went from snowy and 0C at the top to 5C and drizzly at the bottom the piste itself was firm and consistent so we really enjoyed it.
Got in another day last week at Pats Peak, they had more terrain open and conditions didn’t suck. But that was before the rains. Everything in New England now is pretty much crap.