crucible Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Quoting Mike T: -live 20 minutes from resort that is open 6 months a year -start on opening day, end on closing day -ride both days most weekends plus most holidays -save most of vacation time for winter and use it to ride -few if any trips to other mountains (little time lost to travel) -wife and daughter are just as into it as I am I do all of the same things that Mike T. does, with the following additional strategies: - bank all of the spousal "Good Karma" during the year so that I can call as many of my markers during the winter season - having a very flexible work schedule - committing beforehand to head up the hill, regardless of the weather - make sure that the snowgear and the boards are packed in the vehicle before I leave for work- that way I don't even have to stop at home and can go straight up the mountain as soon as I get off. - strict enforcement the "8 inch rule" at my daughter's school and at my work Thanks to these strategies and some extra luck, I have been able to get over 60 plus days per season for the past 12 years, even with a full time job and kids. YMMV, George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 <snip>To those who get 50+ day in. I would love to hear on how you do it. Any tips? Take one avid surfer... move to southern Indiana... have him burnout on skateboarding... done. I work for myself (Systems Administration). I pick my son up from school and have him do his homework en route. I'm willing to eat Subway or Wendy's. ( Eat at the hill?! Not made of money and yes those are the only two choices.) I got my son hooked on NASTAR so he wants to race all the time. Add one ridiculously short season. Dec 19 (HA HA!) to End of March. Add one ski trip. ~50 days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 A decent moutain from me is 3+ hours one way. Where in NY are you 3+ hours from a decent mountain? Maybe you need to settle for a mountain that is not as "decent". I always tell my wife that we can move anywhere she wants as long as we are within 30 minutes of a resort. This last move has taken us to a tiny hill, but I'm not complaining - I'd rather have a small hill than none at all. ~80 days/season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 To those who get 50+ day in. I would love to hear on how you do it. Any tips? Quiting my job is just not the option now :( Work for youself? Extrmely Flexiable schdule? How many of you are retire? Guess moving closer to the mountain help? Thanks David I live 30 min. from a small but fun ski hill with a four month season. In the past I've worked at the hill part time, which has allowed me to get on the hill a week or two before it opens for the season (limited coverage), and makes heading up for evenings worth while since I'm not buying a ticket to ride snow that's iced-up where the sun softened it during the day. Three to four nights a week plus weekends and it adds up pretty fast. I hit 50 days in about 2 1/2 - 3 months. I was layed-off from my real job last May, so this year I'll be at the hill full time. Unless something suddenly changes, I should rack 'em up pretty quickly this year. I know that sounds like a crap situation to be in, but I'll have to manage somehow. ;) As far as counting evenings as days goes, I figure riding 4 to 9 or 5 to 11 is just as much of a day as showing up for first chair and quitting at noon, if not more. The 13 1/2 hour Saturdays make up for some lost time too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted November 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 I'm jealous A lot of you have A great system. I do live near small hills (20 min) but its where i started very small place . So I chose to drive 90 min each way not to bad but its not very large ether. Not bad to start off the season but on the back side after 20+ days at heavenly its hard to go back and ride 500 vert. That's why I keep stretching my trips out West. I try and make first chair and do not miss a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crucible Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 For me, the real secret behind getting 50 plus days of riding in per season year after year comes down to commitment. You have to consciously commit to making it a priority in order for it to happen, because life just has a way of putting up roadblocks day to day- you're tired from working all day, the weather is crap, it's too cold, or too warm, or your gear is stinky and wet from your last outing and you'd rather just sit on the couch... Famous alpinist Mark Twight put it best when he stated, "Sometimes, it doesn't have to be fun to be fun". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 I'm jealous A lot of you have A great system.I do live near small hills (20 min) but its where i started very small place . So I chose to drive 90 min each way not to bad but its not very large ether. Not bad to start off the season but on the back side after 20+ days at heavenly its hard to go back and ride 500 vert. That's why I keep stretching my trips out West. I try and make first chair and do not miss a day. You don't have to milk everyday when you live nearby & buy a pass. Kram & I were chatting on the lift ride today, if you make it up to the mountain and make a minimum of 4 lift rides to give it the ol'college try even if it's crappy, it counts as a day:biggthump 1st day on alpine boards was a bit crappy; minimal coverage, brush & baby tree tops in the woopdeedoos with groomer bites(ground hits) made for on your toes plan ahead carving; but those few perfect cord turns:eplus2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil sunday Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 5 down so far. approx 90 to go. 5 days per week thru usasa nationals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ak_rider Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 i've gotten 100+ days a year since i was 18, except last season, too many injuries. will most likely get 100+ again this season, as long as el nino and the snowpack cooperate. i work at the resort, so it's easy to run out and ride whenever i want. as far as booked trips, um, i'm going to florida in a few weeks :) i could never live somewhere where i needed to book ski trips and travel to get snow. i'd be waaay pissed if the snow sucked. it's easier to accept crappy snow when my house is only 15 min away and i spent very little to get to the mtn. although a sunny day in Jan would be nice every now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dingbat Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 As far as the whole commitment thing goes (crapy weather etc.) I have a couple of tricks that help. First of all, all the gear that can, lives in the car or right by the front door. Yes the stuff in the car freezes, but I can warm it right back up on the way to the hill by placing it on the dash and the passenger footwell and blasting the heat. On my way to work in the morning I could grab my boots, board and bag. The boots and bag went in with me and I'd stash them someplace warm then change into my snow gear after I'd clock out. I make sure to have plenty of socks and base layers so I can go a few days in a row without doing laundry or wearing gross stuff next to my body. I spend the extra hundred bucks a year to swap real snow tires (studded or studless-Blizzaks etc.) onto my vehicles. Makes all the difference as to whether the road conditions are a minor nuisance, or a hazard to your well-being. Yes I have to buy a second set of tires but only use one at a time so they last twice as long. If you take this advice, you will find that the convenience of having a safe, capable vehicle all winter far out weighs the inconvenience of swaping them out in the spring and fall. Don't kid yorself that 4WD or your M+S rated all-seasons are just as good either. They are not. You will know this for a fact after spending a season on real snow tires. Invest in good ones- hakkapelittas or the like. I don't give to much credit to the weather I see in front of me. Ski hills are usualy where they are because it's the spot that gets the snow. I can't tell you how many times I've driven through rain to get to my local hill to have it turn to snow just as I get to the hill. I even see a few days a year where it's raining at the base but turns to snow one tower up the lift. The conditions are good enough to have fun far more often than they're not in these circumstances. I make it clear to my family and friends that I'll be at the hill during the winter, that I'd love to see them and spend time together, and they are welcome to come out any time they like. I found a friend of my kid whose dad wanted to start skiing again. Makes a world of difference on the weekend when everyone in the family want's to go the same place you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidad62 Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 The last 3 years have been tough to get my days in on slope due to coaching elite basketball. I usually get 55-60 days in but I`ve been down to 25-30 lately. It`s a 6 hr drive to my home mountain... I get a lot of my days in taking clients down to my condo and riding mid week. Weekends are with family on slope when basketball permits... It`s the weekend time that`s taken the big hit. My son is a great rider and skier - my wife and daughter love to ski... but the kids` basketball has become a big passion too. I`ll have lots of years to come back to my big days on slope... for now I`m enjoying spending huge hours with my family in the gym. Kids are only young once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Shooting for 100+ again. Need a partner for the Arapahoe Basin Enduro, any takers?Think Snow! What is the A Basin Enduro? And...I'm hoping for 500,000 feet so 25-30 days. Hopefully :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Thanks to all those who reply!!! I am truely inspired. I live on East End of LI NY. It take me about 75 minutes just to get off the island. Hunter/Windham is about 3.5 hours away from me. I could take the ferry however that's big $$$$. Commitment isn't the issue for me. However I am not going to drive 7 hours(round trip) for 2 hours day :) I guess I am not that commited.. I do however pack PB&J and usualy ride start to end. Yet I am still pretty bad @ snowboard lol.. I am also not a snow snob. Many time I had to board with garbage bag cause it's pouring rain... On the plus side the mountain is empty Closet mountain is Mountain Creek in NJ. I used to go right after work(my shift was 7pm - 7am); no traffic in the morning and leave the moutain @ 3PM and in time for my next shift. http://www.arapahoebasin.com/Abasin/mountain/calendar.aspx?id=1a1a33f7-65fc-4f0c-91a2-c38bf63b648c That does look interesting!!!! 1,329 vertical feet x 71 = 94359' in a single day Talk about legs of steel!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crucible Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Thanks to all those who reply!!! I am truely inspired.I live on East End of LI NY. It take me about 75 minutes just to get off the island. Hunter/Windham is about 3.5 hours away from me. I could take the ferry however that's big $$$$. Commitment isn't the issue for me. However I am not going to drive 7 hours(round trip) for 2 hours day :) I guess I am not that commited.. I do however pack PB&J and usualy ride start to end. Yet I am still pretty bad @ snowboard lol.. I am also not a snow snob. Many time I had to board with garbage bag cause it's pouring rain... On the plus side the mountain is empty Closet mountain is Mountain Creek in NJ. I used to go right after work(my shift was 7pm - 7am); no traffic in the morning and leave the moutain @ 3PM and in time for my next shift. http://www.arapahoebasin.com/Abasin/mountain/calendar.aspx?id=1a1a33f7-65fc-4f0c-91a2-c38bf63b648c That does look interesting!!!! 1,329 vertical feet x 71 = 94359' in a single day Talk about legs of steel!!! Distance from the hills is one of the reasons that I moved out West from Boston in 1986- After my first visit to Vancouver in 1985- I discovered that the ski hills were within the city limits and accessible by public transit, well that was the clincher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 We have our kids (7 and 4) in a ski program this year for the first time, vs. just paying for lessons as we go. So we are aiming for 3 out of every 4 weekends plus 2 weeks this year, maybe more, whereas the last few seasons we did 2 out of 4 plus a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Fatski-the Enduro is a all day top to bottom 2 man team race. Last year the snow was fantastic and I am still kicking myself for not entering. I also wanted to try and do it before my 40th but didn't make it. I think a top 10 placement is possible if I can find the right partner and can stay injury free this season. Make no mistakes, it is a burtal event. For your efforts you get a free t shirt and beer, they also feed you during the race. You should come out so that the Wisconsin boys can show em how its done! Think Snow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 Fatski-the Enduro is a all day top to bottom 2 man team race. Last year the snow was fantastic and I am still kicking myself for not entering. I also wanted to try and do it before my 40th but didn't make it. I think a top 10 placement is possible if I can find the right partner and can stay injury free this season. Make no mistakes, it is a burtal event. For your efforts you get a free t shirt and beer, they also feed you during the race. You should come out so that the Wisconsin boys can show em how its done!Think Snow! Do people run down a groomed run or down thru the bumps and chutes? I think it would be fatal for us sea-level guys.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnasmo Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Just checked the A-Basin event calendar. It's April 14th, 7 AM to 5 PM on the Pali lift. I recall that being pretty steep all the way down. Falling or skiing, if you can get back on and go again, you'd still be in the running. Snowman, how much vertical to the Pali lift? My local hill (Big Mountain, MT) is pretty good for piling on vertical, but I've never broke 100,000 in a day. I think my best day was 86,000 in Feb 2007 -- over 62,000 during the day (10,00 AM - 4:00 PM) on a high speed quad and then the rest at night ('til 9:00 PM) on a slow double chair. I was shut out for an hour while when they had a tourchlight parade and shot off fireworks for the Special Olympics, but I couldn't have broke 100,000 on that double anyway. They've since upgraded the night lift, but now that I ride with friends more, I think I only had a couple of days over 70,000 last season. By April 14th, won't there be plenty of locals with all-day legs? I bet the competition is pretty tough. Big Vertical day at A-Basin; though do like the sound of it, I won't commit to being there. That's a long way from here. Back on topic... Cuban, you know you need to move to the mountains. Are you just accumulating more evidence with this thread? The best season I had when I had to make trips to the mountains was 15 days -- 15 days! And only 1 powder day!! I didn't start snowboarding until about 2000, but it only took a few years to realize what was going to be necessary -- geography therapy. Now it's 100+ of lift assisted and whatever else I can hike for. Sure it's disruptive to your life, but if the life you want to be living is one where you can ride whenever there's an opportunity to ride, you've got to locate yourself close to a mountain. Shall I call you a Realtor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 http://www.arapahoebasin.com/Abasin/mountain/calendar.aspx?id=1a1a33f7-65fc-4f0c-91a2-c38bf63b648c That does look interesting!!!! 1,329 vertical feet x 71 = 94359' in a single day Talk about legs of steel!!! i actully look it up and did the math Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 100+:d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Back on topic... Cuban, you know you need to move to the mountains. Are you just accumulating more evidence with this thread? The best season I had when I had to make trips to the mountains was 15 days -- 15 days! And only 1 powder day!! I didn't start snowboarding until about 2000, but it only took a few years to realize what was going to be necessary -- geography therapy. Now it's 100+ of lift assisted and whatever else I can hike for. Sure it's disruptive to your life, but if the life you want to be living is one where you can ride whenever there's an opportunity to ride, you've got to locate yourself close to a mountain. Shall I call you a Realtor? Hi Johnasmo. I wish I could move. I looked a few years ago but No one hiring in my field. I think i do ok for a Cleveland boy i get a bunch of days and most out west. Johnasmo do you want a WTF T shirt (L)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnasmo Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 It's easy for me to talk big about throwing caution to the wind and moving west to live the dream; I was fortunate enough to find my career at a point where I could bring my job with me and telecommute. My only genius was recognizing that and seizing the opportunity. I don't know if I would have had the nerve to chuck it all and make the move if it would have meant starting over from scratch. After all, my pre-Montana life didn't exactly suck. It just felt like I was postponing something, keeping part of my life on hold while I kept going to the office every day. My sympathies; I recognize that a lot of people have the same dream, but never get the opportunity. I still gripe about work when it keeps me off the hill, but I should remember how fortunate I am to be at the hill at all. I'll take you up on the WTF shirt, size L. See you in January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 It's easy for me to talk big about throwing caution to the wind and moving west to live the dream; I was fortunate enough to find my career at a point where I could bring my job with me and telecommute. My only genius was recognizing that and seizing the opportunity. I don't know if I would have had the nerve to chuck it all and make the move if it would have meant starting over from scratch. After all, my pre-Montana life didn't exactly suck. It just felt like I was postponing something, keeping part of my life on hold while I kept going to the office every day.My sympathies; I recognize that a lot of people have the same dream, but never get the opportunity. I still gripe about work when it keeps me off the hill, but I should remember how fortunate I am to be at the hill at all. That's great point... I could have landed a job in cable/telco company out of Billing MT. Granted it there will be pay cut plus I will be away from family and friends. Only if I was a couple year younger. Venture toward the unfamiliar was my cup of tea. To the spring chicken on bomber. Go for it. A cubicle will always be there when you are ready. -- David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted December 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 Update My year just got better. I'm going to ECES. And we have cold and snow here in Ohio. My local hill is open but I'm waiting for more coverage. Shred and myself will go the day after Christmas. I have 7 riding days at Whitefish Mountain Jan 22-30. Then off to Heavenly Feb 4-28 23 riding days. When i get home I turn it around and go East ECES March 2,3,4-3 more riding days. That comes to 33 plus 3 or 4 in western NY. OK not a big change but 3 days is 3 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sultan Guy Posted December 20, 2009 Report Share Posted December 20, 2009 This season I am on track for 40-45 days. I agree that it does take commitment and you need to say NO to many other things in your life that will come up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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