bigwavedave Posted March 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 4-5 inches of wet snow fell Saturday, Sunday looked crowded, so Monday should be good, right? Oh yeah! Started out on the 171 XC on gorgeous plush groom just above freezing. I think this was the first time this year that conditions were good enough for me to manage to carve Sarajevo from top to bottom. The 1st 3.... After I finished up with Sarajevo the temps were approaching 40°, so I switched to the 185 8rw and went over to carve up Squaw/Helsinki/Grenoble/Cortina. Wide open slopes with untouched groom! and no traffic... ^^^The 8rw is a slush slarving machine!^^^ Rode for 3 hours, had a good crash on my last run going end over end after hitting a large divot hiding in the shadows. No lasting harm done (I hope), but I'm looking forward to my next adjustment. ps, soup update and GR trivia: the Burnt onion soup will be back on the menu soon. Also learned that the Burnt Onion was named as an homage to the Red Onion in Aspen, but they called it "Burnt" after they had a fire. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trent Posted March 29, 2021 Report Share Posted March 29, 2021 On 3/27/2021 at 3:09 PM, bigwavedave said: Keep your eyes peeled, word is that Jim moved to Hudson, WI. all the cool kids live here! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 Conditions are still really good at GR, some of the best of the season. They've had more than a foot of snow in the past few weeks and there's snowflakes flying across the webcam today. I'm meeting Russ up there tomorrow (Thurs). Lift tickets are $27 purchased online in advance. Sunday, April 4th is their last day. (Not an April fool's joke) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted April 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2021 Well, we got down to 2°F last night and the groom set up hard, typical Minnesota firm with icy spots. Took it easy doing laps on easy runs in the morning, took a couple of breaks to kill time and save the legs for afternoon when temps would get well above freezing. A couple of April fools... Our patience paid off as the snow softened up enough for some nice carving, though there was some rugged, hard frozen slush about 2-3" under the surface. Ended up riding the 166 Contra "ice" most of the day. It's a nice little board and dampens the harshness of riding ice. It was a nice cap to the end of a so-so season. Talk turned to bikes, boats and summer travels, and hopes for a more normal season next year. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted November 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2021 2021-22 Looks like Race To the Cup has moved from Buck Hill to Giants Ridge this winter. Scheduled for Jan 21 & 22 and will include both PGS & PSL. Organized by Jessica Zalusky of the GTeam. This is one of 2 stops in the US for the North American championship series for alpine snowboard racing. Whereas Buck Hill only had enough hill for a PSL course, GR's race hill is big enough to accomodate a PGS course as well. And they've got the snow! https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=SB&eventid=50979&seasoncode=2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted November 29, 2021 Report Share Posted November 29, 2021 2 hours ago, bigwavedave said: 2021-22 Looks like Race To the Cup has moved from Buck Hill to Giants Ridge this winter. Scheduled for Jan 21 & 22 and will include both PGS & PSL. Organized by Jessica Zalusky of the GTeam. This is one of 2 stops in the US for the North American championship series for alpine snowboard racing. Whereas Buck Hill only had enough hill for a PSL course, GR's race hill is big enough to accomodate a PGS course as well. And they've got the snow! https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=SB&eventid=50979&seasoncode=2022 buck always seemed like a weird choice. to host RTTC. was it the abundance of Lindsey Vonn posters all over the place that made them change locations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted November 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2021 On 11/29/2021 at 12:20 PM, bobble said: buck always seemed like a weird choice. to host RTTC. was it the abundance of Lindsey Vonn posters all over the place that made them change locations? I'm sure that was it Who does she think she is, anyway? Actually, I don't know the reason, but I suspect it was so they could add the GS event. Since there is no PSL in the Beijing Olympics, this may draw more competitors looking for PGS points. The 1st year Jessica brought RTTC to MN, they held it at GR. After that, they moved it to Buck because it was more convenient for racers traveling to the race. It was close to the airport, no need to rent a van and drive 3½ hrs, plus the added benefit of traveling light, not having to lug both GS and SL boards. Racers are so lazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted November 29, 2021 Report Share Posted November 29, 2021 1 hour ago, bigwavedave said: I'm sure that was it Who does she think she is, anyway? she probably thinks she's Lyndsey? makes sense to move to GR but couldn't they fly into Duluth? wouldn't that be shorter drive? (i'm geographically challenged, among other things) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted November 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2021 When ever I've looked into flights in & out of Duluth they often have a layover at MSP anyway, which negates much of the convenience with fewer fights to choose from and more $. 2 hours ago, bobble said: she probably thinks she's Lyndsey? makes sense to move to GR but couldn't they fly into Duluth? wouldn't that be shorter drive? (i'm geographically challenged, among other things) I like that it will be at GR. I will definitely go up there if I get the call to help out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 The snow at GR is great! Really nice groom, a bit softer than Spirit, but still firm enough to hold up on the race course. Wicked cold today with subzero temps and wind gusting 30. Got to ride for a couple of hours this morning before gate judge duty. Some early tracks before all the racers had at it... It was a long day on the hill. Have the sauna fired up. Back to GR in the morning for PSL. Oh, I almost forgot a most important detail, @Lurch The burnt onion soup is back on the menu and still pairs well with pint of CastleDanger stout on tap. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, bigwavedave said: First tracks = tick Great snow = tick Michelin star cuisine = tick Sub zero........ X You guys are made of stern stuff indeed. Edited January 22, 2022 by Lurch ANYTHING pairs well with a pint of CastleDanger stout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted January 22, 2022 Report Share Posted January 22, 2022 18 hours ago, bigwavedave said: The snow at GR is great! Really nice groom, a bit softer than Spirit, but still firm enough to hold up on the race course. Wicked cold today with subzero temps and wind gusting 30. Got to ride for a couple of hours this morning before gate judge duty. Some early tracks before all the racers had at it... It was a long day on the hill. Got the sauna is fired up. Back to GR in the morning for PSL. Oh, I almost forgot a most important detail, @Lurch The burnt onion soup is back on the menu and still pairs well with pint of CastleDanger stout on tap. someone is petting the snow. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2022 Yesterday morning was frigid but sunny. The afternoon was pretty brutal on the hill with near zero temps and winds gusting to 30kts ahead of an Alberta Clipper. So the light went flat and flakes started to fly. Maybe ½" last night and down below zero again, rising to slightly above zero during the day. Fortunately, sunny with no wind. The groom was even softer today, but I didn't get much time to carve it up as races started promptly. The soft groom was not ideal for the race course and soon was scraped down to the harder stuff they like. But before the races, it couldn't get much better for free carving... My phone/camera battery went dead pretty quick again today, so no race pics. It was too cold to take my fingers out of my mitts anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 @rwmaron and I are heading up to GR tomorrow. Hoping for conditions like in the above photo. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 29, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 I was really anticipating frozen groom or an ice base with surface groom today. It started out with flat light, but soon the clouds parted above us . Temps warmed to 38° softening an already very carvable, compact groom, 2-3" thick over an ice base. Deep hard carves would barely touch the ice. We rode for 4½ hrs, never a lift line. The trails over on the Helsinki side were spectacular carving. The pic below is where lower Squaw empties into Grenoble. A 200' wide undulating slope that feels like your windsurfing in large ocean swells. No 2 runs are the same. You'd swear the swell is moving. A couple of Thirsty old carvers... And, yes @Lurch we did not forget the onion soup and stout. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 31, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2022 Heading back up for more tomorrow. The slopes have been refreshed with a couple of inches since Tuesday. Sunny and warm in the forecast! Oh, thinking about Indianhead Sunday. They're still getting lake effect today. Waiting to hear from Al G. Underfoot on conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted April 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2022 Friday day76 Back at GR on April fools day again with @rwmaron. Nice firm groom for carving 2" deep trenches. As it warmed up into the 40's carves got down 3-4" to a hard ice base. Still good. The swell on Grenoble was a bit mellower today. @trentI ran into this smiling ¿octogenarian?...well, maybe he's not quite that old yet, but when you need to have your name on your helmet, one wonders. He's getting a new knee Monday, so why not trash the old one one last time? Heard from Al G...Indianhead got over 6" of snow. He said the last 3" were dry powder. Lake effect baby. P.S Thanks @D Dett for the pass today 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trent Posted April 8, 2022 Report Share Posted April 8, 2022 that's awesome! i've yet to see jim in town, but i did run into him in the parking lot at afton. can't belive he's that old, i hope we are all able to play at his age! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted November 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2022 2022-23 Race-to-the-cup NorAm races are scheduled for Feb 18+19 2023 at Giants Ridge. 2xPGS and 2xPSL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 21, 2023 Report Share Posted March 21, 2023 Monday, March 20 Patroller Don and I made a late season pilgrimage to GR today; the term “bluebird” comes to mind…firm in the morning then softening a bit after lunch….I wish this place was 30 minutes closer to my house. Oh yeah, the grooming was seamless to boot! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2023 Thurs 5° at start and warmed to 20° There was a dusting of snow last night. The groom was classic Minnesota extra firm―¼" deep trenches becoming ½" deep when the sun softened the snow. Acres of wide open seamless groom, the best I've seen all season. Caught the 1st chair and made 1st tracks on Sarajevo, then over to the sunny south side to make 1st tracks on Olympic Valley, Helsinki and Grenoble. I must have made 25 runs over there with virtually no traffic. The snow was hard and fast, so it was nice to have lots of room to complete turns across the hill. Riding the Superconductor like it was a GS board. Big, strenuous turns. I could feel my mitts getting hot from the friction on the snow! Then back over to the express lift and some green runs to relax before lunch of onion soup and stout. After 4 hours my legs said enough even though my head wanted more. More snow tomorrow? P.S. A liftie riding the chair down passed me riding up and said, "man, you make that look sooo easy". A good compliment when each turn had me grunting with the effort to hold my edge. I had to pause for a breath before compressing into each turn. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 5 Author Report Share Posted March 5 2023-24 Tuesday overcast, giving way to sun. temps 25-35 Up to GR today since Spirit is closed M - T the rest of the season. Plus, I keep hearing that conditions have been good here. They still have a substantial base 2-3 ft thick, with no bare or thin spots. Looking like Spirit was 3-4 weeks ago. No snow in the woods. The hill was apparently groomed wet. It was a crusty, frozen groom over an ice base 1 inch below the surface. Almost all groomer passes had promenant seams that made carving across the hill pretty bumpy. Reminicent of Spirit grooming last winter. I took some breaks to kill time hoping that the sun and warmth would soften things. Onion soup, but no more stout on tap! Snow got marginally better in the afternoon, but not great carving. As the surface groom softened you were down on the ice base, which was pretty rough. At least it wasn't busy. I ran into a few Spirit Mt regulars. I'd wait for a day with temps into the 40's, or after some new snow. P.S. Rode all 5 carving boards I had with me, from 166 to 195. The funny thing was the most fun runs were on the 195 9sw down a wide green run. Screaming fast, big turns across the whole run, teetering on the edge. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 11 Author Report Share Posted March 11 Monday 28-48° sunny Giants Ridge is pretty good right now. Still has a meter thick base with 2-3" of soft groom on top. Hard carves found the underlying ice base and it was a rough ride on some slopes. Had to go easy. The carving got smoother in the afternoon as it warmed up. It was good, not awesome, but better than most days this winter. I think there will be some good carving days here before their season ends. April 1st? Rode for 4 hrs, so maybe it was pretty good after all. Yes, burnt onion soup was consumed with a glass of Voodoo Ranger. I don't think Spirit will make it past next weekend as conditions are already pretty sketchy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 25 Author Report Share Posted March 25 Sunday It's snowing and blowing pretty good now, 4" so far down by the river. The forecast says 12" by morning and several more inches tomorrow. With Spirit closed, I'm thinking of heading up to GR tomorrow. Kinda wish I didn't change out my winter tires before driving out west, but I'm pretty sure it's why we're getting all this snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 25 Author Report Share Posted March 25 Awesomeness Big storm, lots of snow. What a nice end of season gift. GR still has a 24-36" base, so I bought a 2024-25 pass on sale which can be used now through April 7th. 5-6" fresh over a soft groom this morning. Snowed all day and more through tomorrow. Rode the big board all day... Made it for 5 hrs including an obligatory burnt onion soup and beer break. Planning to go back tomorrow. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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