John E Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 I used to think that cord was cord. After this season, I've found that cord can be too hard or too soft. About two weeks ago at Loveland I experienced Goldilocks cord. Not too hard, not too soft, but just right. We were riding up the lift for first run and looking down at the slope. It had been pretty warm in the days previous. Groomed sometime after the slopes closed Friday afternoon and before sunrise Saturday. The wind had picked up. The snow looked really hard. Loose snow had partially filled in the grooves. When we got off the lift I was prepared for just trying to hang on. What we found was perfect cord. I could run wide open, just tilt the board up on edge and it would carve with ease. Absolute Hero snow. The best I've ever experienced. I now see that cord can be almost as varied as new-fallen snow (from "Champagne Powder" to "Sierra Cement"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xy9ine Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 now that i've been hooked on this carving thing i long for hero cord more than anything. it has been elusive, however. rode it last season in the (bc) interior - fresh pow dump the day before, then bluebird, cold & perfect grooming. the first time things really clicked on my new wrcm. just amazing. i've been chasing that ever since. have yet to see a hero day this year (either fresh, tracked, bumped, icy, slushy, or a combination of all of the above), but it's been a fun season regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 My best riding buddy and I live for the two or three days like this at the local hill - where you can literally toss anything at the slope, and it will stick. The last time we were out, we rode our fave run up the top of the hill, and the snow was epic. I was able to throw a perfect set of carves all the way down - no skids, no slides, just flip-catch-flow, rinse and repeat - and I've never managed that in three seasons of riding that run. I was pretty stoked. We usually get at least one of those days close to the end of the season. Always a bonus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Posted April 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 The other really cool thing about that day was that the wind was blowing down the hill. We were riding pretty fast and at times directly downwind. So, no wind in my ears. The only thing I could hear was the "singing" of my edge in the snow. Later that day the wind really picked up. The anemometer atop the top lift shack was really flyin'. I asked the lifty how fast it was blowing and he said "steady 60, gusts to 85". I think it was the windiest I have ever experienced on the slope. The only saving grace was that it was warm. The other positive side effect was it kept the riff-raff off the slopes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhD Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 I used to think that cord was cord. After this season, I've found that cord can be too hard or too soft. "And then there are those early spring mornings when the cord groomed out the night before has frozen into a giant mill file... Have another cuppa coffee and see if you can find the roll of duct tape. Stay out of the shade until well after lunch, except on the flat cat roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 My best riding buddy and I live for the two or three days like this at the local hill - where you can literally toss anything at the slope, and it will stick. - no skids, no slides, just flip-catch-flow, rinse and repeat -pretty stoked. The only thing I could hear was the "singing" of my edge in the snow. The other positive side effect was it kept the riff-raff off the slopes. Me3 :lol::ices_ange Had a ski clinic on bullet proof refrozen cord on Outback at Bachelor long ago and learned that you can ride the edge with minimal pressure but that's easier said than done. I prefer pushing real hard and getting a sweet rebound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecshredder Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Try riding in the east for awhile and you will be far less picky. To me CO is hero pretty much everytime I'm there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhD Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 We can have strings of days where it thaws out pretty mushy by late afternoon, gets groomed as the temperature drops, and freezes into hundreds of acres of the prettiest cheese grater you'd ever hope to see. It's rideable, but a light touch can get you locked into the grooves right as you hit the fall line. That's always a thrill. Too heavy a touch can bust through the crust (if it's thin or a little broken up from traffic). On the upside, there won't be a lot of traffic. But what traffic there is may well be out of control and struggling to control both their skis and their sphincters. That said, I'd rather be there with a cuppa, watching the snow soften than in my office with a cuppa, watching my quads soften. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
two_ravens Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 The last time we were out, we rode our fave run up the top of the hill, and the snow was epic. I was able to throw a perfect set of carves all the way down - no skids, no slides, just flip-catch-flow, rinse and repeat - and I've never managed that in three seasons of riding that run. I was pretty stoked. Sweet!!! :biggthump:biggthump Had a few hero days at Kelly Canyon this year, and two mornings like that at the King. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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