Puddy Tat Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 I'm going to be out at Kicking Horse January 21,22 (the weekend following NES). For some weird reason I've never been there before. I've heard there is some great gnarly AM terrain; IIRC Riceball broke an Coiler AMT (sob) when he stuffed it in a mogul last year. Question is, hows the mountain for carving? Should I bother bringing my Schtub or should I just stick with my AM stick which doesn't carve as well as I would like? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 Unless they've changed things considerably since I was there a few years ago, you can safely leave the Schtubby at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ti_knee Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 AM for sure... Get those calves ready for the cat tracks. Lots of moguls too so a softie wouldnt be a terrible idea if you have one. Try Cedar House for a fancy dinner with the wife. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Looks like AM then. I'm on a bus trip with a bunch of MBA students so Les and the kids aren't coming along. I guess I'll be taking he opportunity to go ride some really stupid terrain. It'll give me a chance to give my new UPZ ATBs a good workout anyway. I should be able to finish writing my review on them after that weekend. Hopefully someone on the ski trip can actually ride/ski the last couple of people I talked to had only ridden a few times. My thing is that I'm only there for two days, my Schtub carves great but I'm not so wild about the 65/60 angles in the trees. My custom Donek AMs great. But because I asked for a slightly softer nose on it, for doing butters and stuff, it doesn't carve as well. And at 50/45 angles I find I can really easily overpower the nose in HB. This board is more like a softboot freeride board than a HB AM board, if I was to buy it again I'd look at a 23cm waist instead of the 25cm it currently is. OT here but I'm thinking I want a Coiler AMT around 171 with a 23cm waist as my future AM board. Then maybe upgrade the Schtubby to a Monster/VSR. It's one of those things where I hate to show up with the wrong deck. And my space might be a bit limited with it being a bus trip. Oh well at least I'll be getti my carve on the previous weekend.:D. BTW if anyone wants to come out and ride AM for that weekend post where you want to meet. Cheers, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 Dave, I rode that whole hill on my Coiler AM 172 and Raichle 224s - same setup you saw me with last year at Nakiska. I think your ATBs are even softer than my Raichles so you should be fine there. KHMR is a hoot. An equivalent might be riding Goat's Eye at Sunshine and *not* doing the groomers. If that's your idea of a good time, you will like KHMR. I'd love to go back sometime - we haven't been mainly because it's too much hill for the rest of my family. I won't be able to get there on that weekend, but if you're going to NES I'm totally up for ducking out on Sunday to do AM riding at Sunshine or Louise. 2 days of Nakiska is about enough for me, unless the conditions are as epic as they were last year again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted November 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 ...but if you're going to NES I'm totally up for ducking out on Sunday to do AM riding at Sunshine or Louise. I'm driving Les, my two daughters and a couple of other people. If everyone wants to take it elsewhere I'll go, otherwise I'll probably stay at Nakiska. If we stay at Nakiska I might pull out my AM board and go hit the glades on Sunday because I'm not sure my legs will be able to take three days of carving this early in the season. Perhaps Steve will be up for taking the Expression Session to another hill on Sunday? I'd be up for Sunshine, but then I have seasons passes there this season. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 If you're leaving the family at home, then take the AM setup for sure. In fact, if you have a decent softie setup, I'd take that for preference. KH is big, steep, often deep, gnarly, and has no grooming if you avoid the Catamount side. You'll love it. The high speed pow turns in Crystal Bowl are amazing, and then you can take the cat track only as far as you need to drop off the next trail. Drop, rejoin the cat track, drop, rejoin, rinse and repeat for huge vert. Super fun. I'm pretty sure it was Revy that ate Riceball's Coiler, but KH would do just as good a job. Re NES - I'd be up for Sunday at another hill as well. Louise would be fun, or the other option if the snow's good is Castle Mountain. I've never been there, it's supposed to be a ball off piste. Even KH is do-able, and especailly if we decided to stay in Banff/K Country for the evening on Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 OK it is definately an AM only weekend then. If anyone wants to join me for some AM riding at KH Jan 21,22 feel free and post below where you would like to meet. As the family will be at home I've got no plans to ride anything either groomed or less than a black that weekend. That said I might need a run or two to get my old AM form back. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Re NES - I'd be up for Sunday at another hill as well. Louise would be fun, or the other option if the snow's good is Castle Mountain. I've never been there, it's supposed to be a ball off piste. Even KH is do-able, and especailly if we decided to stay in Banff/K Country for the evening on Saturday. Anything except KH as I'm driving people who have to make the airport on Sunday evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 This discussion should be in the NES thread. But I'm lazy so I'll continue it here. Isn't Louise crazy busy on Sundays? I remember huge lift lines the one time I was there on a Sunday. That said, I had lots of fun there so maybe it's worth it! I don't even own an AM board any more, I'll likely stay on the groom. Dave, we can always arrange to meet up at a specified time if the crew splits up to go to two different resorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 This discussion should be in the NES thread. Moved over the NES thread. Further discussion of Kicking Horses AM riding can follow, as well if anyone wants to join me there Jan 21,22, drop a note here. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Isn't Louise crazy busy on Sundays? I remember huge lift lines the one time I was there on a Sunday. That said, I had lots of fun there so maybe it's worth it! Louise can be busy, but it's also a big hill that swallows a lot of people.You can expect lift lines pretty much anywhere around Banff on the weekend, unless it's freezing or storming. What about of we made the Saturday freeride day? So we did Nakiska Friday, wherever else Sat, and back to Nakiska on Sunday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riceball Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm going to be out at Kicking Horse January 21,22 (the weekend following NES). For some weird reason I've never been there before.I've heard there is some great gnarly AM terrain; IIRC Riceball broke an Coiler AMT (sob) when he stuffed it in a mogul last year. Question is, hows the mountain for carving? Should I bother bringing my Schtub or should I just stick with my AM stick which doesn't carve as well as I would like? Dave Actually, I broke my Coiler in Revelstoke last year. I'm still in mourning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2012 Ok I'm at KHMR this weekend. Jan 21-22. If anyone is up for riding some really stupid terrain with me this weekend drop me a line. From the looks of the forecast there's going to be lots of fresh on Saturday. :D Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I spoke to someone who was there last weekend, and said it was great. You'll have a blast at the Horse- enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 I brought my Custom Donek AM stick with TD3s set to 50/45 and my UPZ ATBs. I hooked up with a local who works here on my second ride up the gondola. Clarke's a really great guy who carves a softboot board really nicely. He took me down blacks and double blacks from 9:30 until 1:30 at which point I had to cry uncle because my legs were totally giving out. I basically said I was holding him up. I think I made one more run which amounted to 3 minutes of riding and five minutes of laying in the snow repeating ad nauseum from peak to base. Legs are completely cooked right now. Amazing hill had a blast riding here. So many steeps. Haven't ridden anything like that in at least 15 years. Going to go pass out on a couch somewhere. At the gondola for 9AM to do it again. They're going to need the jaws of life to seat me out of my bus seat after the 6 hour drive to Edmonton tomorrow evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Wow another amazing day. Definately worth a trip to this place if you like rockin' the steeps off piste. Hiked T1 this morning and then dropped through knee deep into super bowl. Couple of more runs and then a hike into Super Bowl again. Legs gave out while I was sitting at the top of a black diamond mogul pitch with 3/4 of the mountain left to go... From that point it was basically a controlled fall until I hit the greenish blue groom at 1/4 height, at which point I took a break before finishing off an epic weekend with some nice carving. I can't say as I would ever bring a pure carving deck here. Pretty much AM or softies (if softies are your thing) Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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