I don't have words

[Jackdaw]

Clay, that’s the weather you’re getting tonight aye? I’d be speechless too. Glad I’m on the hard and there’s no temptation to give it shot. Yikes!

While I skied all last weekend, yesterday morning it was 60F. By evening it dropped 40F and we had 45 knot winds and blinding snow. Winter is here.

While BlueJ is stored less that 100 yards from the shores of Lake Minnetonka, once she is in her warm heated nest I have NO temptations of pulling her out. Too complex, too much time. Too many things to go wrong if you mis-read the weather!

The S2 7.9 has a lifting keel that pulls fully into the bottom of the boat. Not needing the YC crane, she can be pulled from the ramp. And no diesel or water systems to worry about freezing. Her bottom job however.....

 

[Scott T-Bird]

While I skied all last weekend, yesterday morning it was 60F. By evening it dropped 40F and we had 45 knot winds and blinding snow. Winter is here.

Do you have a home base for skiing or do you go to a variety of ski areas? I've never been to Lutsen in winter and always wanted to ski there. Perhaps someday ... I like Duluth and used to like skiing at Spirit Mtn on occasion during my college years. I never made it to Mont Ripley, either (one of the few places in Midwest that I've never skied).

 

[Jackdaw]

Do you have a home base for skiing or do you go to a variety of ski areas? I've never been to Lutsen in winter and always wanted to ski there. Perhaps someday ... I like Duluth and used to like skiing at Spirit Mtn on occasion during my college years. I never made it to Mont Ripley, either (one of the few places in Midwest that I've never skied).

Last weekend was the annual Train-the-Trainer (T3) session for the Courage Kenny Adaptive Ski program I instruct in. Its held every year at Trollhaugen, which is a bit of a bump but OK this this purpose. A perk of doing the adaptive (which I love anyway) is that I can buy a MN Ski Professionals season pass, which is cheap and good in all MN areas, along with Troll, Granite Ridge (Rib) and Indianhead in the UP. So I try and ski at as many places as I can. Welch is my fav in the metro. Spirit nicer but farther.

I went to MTU and grew up skiing at Mont Ripley. Awesome place to have within walking distance when you're a kid.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

That sounds like a fantastic program and very worthwhile! I've skied Trollhaugen, although my brother and I usually went to Wild Mtn for reliable snow during Thanksgiving weekend when he lived in River Falls. Welch was a favorite of mine, too. I first went there for MCSA ski racing in college. I'll never forget the guy who ran the organization back then, Holger Petersen. The events we went to were in the southern circuit, which usually included La Crosse as well. Our Iowa State team had no business skiing against the northern schools! I've skied every rope tow bump in Iowa, that's for sure. Few people know the dedication of a Midwestern skier!

 

[SoSound]

Few people know the dedication of a Midwestern skier!

Or the numbers of Midwestern skiers!

One of problems with living my double life; I always intend to post an invitation to anyone who skis to visit Montana, and to look me up when you come out... I think that I've only posted that invite once.

Thanks for veering onto other winter topics, and if you decide to visit Big Sky in Montana send me a message, I'm an instructor here in the winter and I'd love to show you around. No rope toes!

 

[Will Gilmore]

No rope toes!

yeah, here in the Northeast, when someone loses a toe to frostbite, we don't use rope for toe prosthetics either.
Really, I do that stuff all the time and almost no one calls me out on it.
Beautiful country.
Thanks for the invite.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[SoSound]

I never claimed that I could spell...

 

[Will Gilmore]

Here's a picture of my wife, my Rougarou, and me over-looking our local state ski mountain. The best skiing in the New England. 15 min. away.
Our mountains aren't as high as Montana's but very beautiful.
Everyone tells me that if you can ski Canon, you can ski anywhere.
Sorry, no powder.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Allowishish]

OMG Will, I didn't realize you guys were in the southern Hemisphere....

or maybe the pic just loaded upsidedown.

 

[Will Gilmore]

It looks right side up to me. But it does load funny. I only see it if I click on it.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Allowishish]

same here.

All the talk of skiing (plus my friends giving me crap) are making me re-think selling all my avy gear.... might have to go out if we ever get snow here.
65 degrees on the lake this weekend was kinda nice though.

 

[TomY]

Here's a picture of my wife, my Rougarou, and me over-looking our local state ski mountain. The best skiing in the New England. 15 min. away.
Our mountains aren't as high as Montana's but very beautiful.
Everyone tells me that if you can ski Canon, you can ski anywhere.
Sorry, no powder.
- Will (Dragonfly)

We have a lot in common. We have a little ski area in town on the ocean. My wife and I grew up skiing in Vermont. The main reason she agreed to move to the coast of Maine, was the Camden Snowbowl. It's very pretty to look out over Penobscot Bay and the North Atlantic from the top.

But I was a little bored with skiing and the small mountain. So I went to dark side at 56, and took a snowboard lesson. Suddenly, the little mountain became the Matterhorn. After a few years on the tray, we visited some of our old areas in Vermont. We never could convert our daughter to the dark side. There's still time.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Thanks for veering onto other winter topics, and if you decide to visit Big Sky in Montana send me a message, I'm an instructor here in the winter and I'd love to show you around.

I'll take you up! We are skiing there this winter, but dates haven't been set yet. My daughter lives in Big Sky. I first skied there in December, 1973 when it originally opened. We stayed on the mountain at the Hostel X, and were pretty much among the first customers there! We also skied Bridger Bowl and I had one of my most unique skiing experiences ever, skiing powder runs under a full moon at a tiny area outside Bozeman. I don't remember the name of the place, but I think it had the word "Bear" in the name. The place had a chair lift with a single seat and a few dimly lit trails for night skiing. We skied all day & evening during a snow storm. When the moon came out later, we moved over to the unlit trails and had perfect vision at night without lights!

 

[kloudie1]

Will Gilmore said, "Here's a picture of my wife, my Rougarou, and me over-looking our local state ski mountain.."
She looks nicer than the Rougarou we have here!
https://rougaroufest.org/about-the-rougarou/

 

[Will Gilmore]

We had recently toured the New Orleans Zoo and seen the Rougarou display when we bought the Rougarou. I don't think the sellers had a clue as to what they sold us.
-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Sailavie1]

We never could convert our daughter to the dark side.

Be strong girl!! I’m the last one in my family not to convert. Two boards are better than one!

 

[LakeShark]

We never could convert our daughter to the dark side. There's still time.
View attachment 144521

Ahh she is better off it's just a fad and will never catch on!

 

[TomY]

Ahh she is better off it's just a fad and will never catch on!

She's always been a little stodgy.

I have to say, being your typical 'male', nothing I have ever done, has resulted in my being 'profiled', as snowboarding has.

When I'm away at ski areas, and in a lift line, with a helmet and googles (I'm not a small man), around strangers (skiers), I'm amazed at the looks and reaction I have gotten.

Often it's mom's that think I'm a -too big- kid. Then when they realize I'm an old guy,...they can get nervous and start gathering up their little kids and move away.

Put skis on me, and I'm not noticed (just another relic on slats).

 

[SoSound]

I'll take you up!

Excellent! I'll be looking forward to it!

 

[SoSound]

Often it's mom's that think I'm a -too big- kid. Then when they realize I'm an old guy,...they can get nervous and start gathering up their little kids and move away.

A quick lesson in diversity... sounds like their problem to me!
Out here, a practical reason to switch back to two boards is 'transit'. Skis (and poles) tend to be more efficient and more comfortable on long distance, low pitch, commutes between different areas. Not to mention accessing hidden or isolated stashes and back country. Which isn't to say that we don't have plenty of boarders out here, at all levels. Just that people tend to choose their snow tool based on personal preference rather than family or peer pressure.