pm_wizard

So as I psyche myself up for SES2005, what is it like at Aspen these days, how much snow relative to normal? i can go to the snow conditions report on the Aspen Snowmass site, but I don't have anything to put the numbers into perspective, is it okay?? Cheers, John

Back from Osler. Fantastic day, firm groomed corduroy that lasted all day. More snow than I expected, in fact a lot more, looks like the rest of the runs (now open Marshall to S-hill) will be open next week if it doesn't get warm and wet! No one on the hills or the lift! John

Skategoat, Yeah I'm a member, along with a few more carvers. They are out there, but you don't see a lot of carvers on the hills at any one time. John

I didn't need to learn that Greg.... How's the snow, have they had much yet? I am probably going to be at Lake Louise for a couple of days in early January, but they don't seem to have received much snow. Cheers, John

There are now five ..... let the bells ring out and the people rejoice! I'm headed to Osler tonight to hit opening day tomorrow AM, if the web site is right (now why would they mislead us?) it should be a decent start to the season there. John

I have a set of the circular wedge Burton cant/lift (I think they are called universal - you rotate the two disks together and get anywhere from a flat lift to an 8 degree lift). They have a metal piece that mounts to the board (3 or 4 hole I think) and the plastic rings fit around them. I have the full set of two and all the screws etc. Send me a message and we can work something out. John

Northeast apparently doesn't include Toronto..... Latest look at Blue Mountain area shows no snow accumulation. (accumulated base 0, runs open 0, etc.... However as I look out the window in TO it is in fact snowing, just not below freezing! John

The best guess I have right now would be to take next Friday through Tuesday off (Dec 10 to Dec 14). be a late night drive I guess to max snow time. John

I've never been to Holiday Valley, the weather forecast on their site didn't look too promising. I may end up driving all the way to Sugarloaf after all. John

Skategoat, Thanks for the link to the Tremblant chat... not sure if it's worth the drive to Acton yet. I've been to tremblant a couple of times before, and I know it is not the best of carving hills (due mostly to crowds), but I am getting desperate. Help, anyone suggest anywhere else to go next weekend to get some carve time in? The hills in Collingwood are essentially bare as far as I can tell. Thanks, John

Has anyone been to Tremblant recently? I need to bust out and I can't cope with the ten hours to Sugarloaf, is the riding any good at Tremblant yet? Anywhere else better in the Eastern Townships maybe or Vermont. Help me, I need time on the snow and away from TO.... How about le Massif? is it up and running? John

Chris, it took me this far down the thread to stop laughing. I see a patent filing coming up fast... the perfect stress sensor. John

My knees! John

Signed up and ready to go! This should be great fun, a first time for me. I went to ECES last year, so I'm primed! John

My collision is a little funnier. I was standing across the fall line waiting for a class of little racers to go buy, and one of them hit me from behind. He was about the height of my knees and so nailed me in the back of the knees. I sat down and he popped out between my knees, stumbled over my board with his skiis, adjusted his helmet and goggles and shot off down the hill (in that incredible rubbery snowplow with the bum over the rear tips). Not a word was exchanged, I was concerned about having crushed him and he was worried about losing his class! Wish they all would end that way..... John

Arthur, Chris looks pretty good! I notice you managed to miss my skidded turns completely - would have made a good "before and after" contrast.. John

Dave, We'll have to get up pretty early for breakfast if it's a 45 min plus drive to Aspen!!!! Save me a seat. John

Al, Thanks for the info. A friend of ours has a chalet in Mageve, and has offered it any time we can use. On the other hand another good friend has offered his place in Klosters, so I am on the horns of that classic dilemma.... My recollections of Gotschnagrat are of a mountain that was not entirely carver friendly. all I need is time and money, what a problem.. Cheers, John

Earlier this month we drove through Courmeyeur and Megeve. Megeve, while not the same magnitude of verticals appeared to have a preponderance of wide cruising runs that just begged for a long carve. Does anyone know if these hills are any fun? John

I have a set of the Burton black plastic discs, use 3 or 4 hole fixture. These are wedge profile pairs of discs that you rotate against each other to set the cant and/or lift i've got all the hardware etc for them. I don't know if this is the sort of thing you are looking for? John

I was going to mention Flow, but someone got there first. I really like the Flow, and have had no trouble with adjusting the forward lean. I think the earlier models this was more difficult and the frame got all bent out of shape when you tightened down. Mine don't. As a step-in they are so easy to use (as long as you don't get frozen wet snow packed inside the tunnel). Now I'm using them on a boardercross board, not in the park or anything, so the stiffness is good. For others the freestyle bindings may be better. John

It has a soft rubber cushion with ribs, but no actual strap. I have some old helmets around, and I was pondering cutting a retaining strap off one. The back of the helmet does have a "channel" that the strap would fit along, but if you fell there would be nothing to hold it on. John

Nice injury. I used to race motorcycles, and broke my wrist a few times (never could remember not to put it out to stop me!), then about 5-6 years ago I was out jumping waves in a zodiac, and I landed on my right wrist (holding the throttle grip). Great pain, which got steadily worse. The end result was that the three little bones of the wrist (scaphoid, trapezium, and trapezoid (or something else - my apologies to anyone who knows the real names.. STT) had all been driven together, and the surgeon fianlly pinned the three to fuse them together to give me a wrist that "sort of" functions. But I have no more pain, and can actually hold a glass or shake a hand! They said I would have 80% mobility when it all healed, and they were right. The catch is on average, not everywhere, so it bends some directions much more than others! Moral: take really good care of that injury and let it heal properly! John

I bought a navy blue one at the Burton factory shop in July for $70. It has what looks to be dinosaur teeth all around the front opening - like jaws. I comes with a black plastic visor across the top, but I would guess that lasts for a day or two, then is gone. Goggles fit nicely inside. I tried one out last season, and really liked it, and i'm just trying to protect myself from my own foolishness. Cheers, John

Dave: I've got Toronto to Denver to Aspen on the 12th (using United) and Aspen to Denver to Toronto (again on United) on the 19th using mileage, so I'm committed! Cheap car rental too for the week! Gotta love those credit card points! John