Dan

There's no excuse for hitting someone below you that was on the run and clearly visible from far away, as it seems was the case here. I agree that ski team members tend to ski / ride inappropriately fast for conditions, and Ski Patrol's assessment of this collision sounds way off base to me.

Hey Cuban! I'm coming by train; it arrives around 7 a.m. on Saturday, so assuming it's on time, I should be on the hill by 9:30 or so. I'll text you my cell#. Looking forward to my second WTF Also, does anyone want to chime in on board selection? The forecast seems to say there won't be much fresh snow while I'm there (Jan 18-20), so I'm thinking my Thirst carving board and maybe an O-sin 3800 as backup in case we get snow. I'd prefer to just bring the Thirst though...do y'all think there's any reason to bring a pow board?

@west carven Thanks for the the conditions updates! Looking forward to riding with you and the WTF crew on Saturday - Monday!

Wow! That was indeed a good deal, I wonder who the original owner was. Also, that was a pretty wacky plate.

Hell yeah man, it can get lonely out there. Meadows has a crew, but I still ride solo as many days as I ride with someone. In theory, I could get a day in at Crystal occasionally, if I head that way I'll let you know.

I'll take 'em! I don't suppose you have soft (yellow) e-rings available, do you? Shipping to Portland 97212, please PM me the total and your PayPal info.

Head first lawn dart that somehow sprung one of my ribs slightly out of place. I guess that's where the energy of the impact went - beats breaking my neck, but that rib now pokes me in certain postures. Pretty memorable muscle spasm in my lower back last year at Montucky after a perfectly pedestrian fall. That took months to get over. Messed up rotator cuff from a hard forward fall - no dislocation, but it was years before I could sleep on that side pain-free again. Not too bad a toll, I guess. It probably helps that I ride slower than I did as a feckless youth.

Hibernation House -- the price is right. How about you guys?

Just booked lifts and lodging - I'll be at WTF, riding Jan 18, 19 and 20. Let it snow!

Lifty at Bachelor did a double take on my board then looked at me and just said "What!?"

Yeah, I can confirm...I rode the 25th and 27th and there are a fair amount of small rocks on the surface/poking through. I didn't hit anything big as far as I know, but definitely rode over some smaller stuff.

Does anyone know what conditions are like at Bachelor? Do I need a rock board if I'm staying on-piste?

Hell, if Mark would put a Thirst logo on his bags and sell them, I would be happy to buy a few. I've been burrito wrapping my boards for travel in some softshell fabric that I bought by the yard at a crafts store. It works fine, but is a pain in the butt - a bag would be much easier. If I could sew / had a sewing machine, I'd be all about making my own moving blanket bag.

Cool! Thanks for posting

Thanks Cuban! $89 for lift/lodging/breakfast is cheaper than a day at Meadows... I need to see how January shapes up but I have a shot at being able to make my second WTF

Wow, great news! Did you let them know that their equipment is going to get a serious workout, or are we just going to surprise them?

I may be able to drop by for a long weekend...what's the official lodging provider for WTF 2020?

Paging @dredman to the courtesy phone. Dredman to the courtesy phone please, your expertise is required.

Damn, is that from Schweitzer marketing, or did you shoot it? Beautiful photo!

I tend to agree with this assessment. They're saying Russian athletes can still compete if they test clean...but the whole point of the Russian doping campaign was to allow them to dope and test clean, so...??? Of course, this is just more confirmation the IOC is more interested in protecting their cash flow than in the sanctity of competition or anything else other than lining their pockets - exhibit b being the decision to hold the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing while the Chinese government has 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps... Is that veering a little too close to politics? Also, does this mean that Vic Wild will be regaining his US citizenship to compete for the Stars and Stripes again?

Welcome to the dark side! There's lots of good used gear in the classifieds here if you're thinking about buying an alpine setup.

Just an anecdote with a sample size of 1, but I hit my head while cycling this summer for maybe the first time -- I've come off the bike before, but never landed directly on my head. This time, I managed to spin out in some dry leaves, fall, and stop my fall by hitting a frickin' railing with my head. Even though this was at very slow speed (I was riding up a spiral bike / pedestrian overpass to cross a major street) I would definitely have had a concussion - at minimum - without the helmet. I will continue to wear a helmet while cycling and boarding (and skating, for that matter).

But the Portland crew would be happy to meet for a drink or give you a tour of the local ski areas if you're passing through Portland! Let us know.

I agree, it's plural. We say "y'all are" (in most cases). There are probably some people who would say "y'all is", but I think that's the exception.

Never barefoot, but I have standardized on thin ankle-length running socks, pretty much what Neil suggested. I like that the short sock doesn't bunch up or rub around the shin. Before that I used hiking liner socks, pretty much the same idea.