Karmic retribution spots

In the spirit of reminiscing about favorite spots, I'd like to throw out a listing of those resorts that you just did not get along with....

For me, it was the Canyons. That is the resort that I broke my ankle one year and dislocated my shoulder the next year. That return visit was to give the resort "another chance" My husband doesn't want to go back to Utah to ski at all, in fact.

Okay, I'll be the first to say..... Vail.  I don't even mind that it doesn't have much in the way of steeps; I can live with that.  It even has some of the best bump runs outside of Mary Jane.  What rubs me the wrong way is the attitude I encountered the one and only time I visited and the hoops you must jump through (parking, prices) to ski there.  Not to mention the crowds.

The true story I tell that to me sums up my experience:  stopped in front of a big trail map sign with about thirty other peeps, I'm studying the map planning my next couple of runs and I feel the tails of my skis being skied on.  Now this sort of thing doesn't bother me much as long as it comes with some sort of apology.  I turn around looking for an embarrassed face and a meek wave or some such and all I see is the back of a jacket skiing away.  An instructor's jacket.

Copper. I don't know, but I didn;t like ANYTHING about the place. It's probably fine, but it was on the 7th day of a 7 day trip, and I was with a guy I didn't care much for, and the whole thing was just yuck.

All the times I've been back on I-70, I always just pass it by remembering a dreadful day.

Have had bad days at areas, but none that would keep me from going back.  Bad experiences are normally caused by people, sometimes equipment, not mountains. 

Was roped off a chair at Alyeska, after sitting there by myself for 2 hours at below 0 conditions in the wind.  Skied that same mt later with 3' of fresh and bluebird weather.

Got hit by a snowmobile at Vail on Giant Steps; saw J. C. Killy fly off the face of Riva Ridge (by accident), amazing.

Got pushed off a chair at Monarch by a Texas snow bunny (I probably had that one coming); had to lay down 1st tracks in a closed area in deep powder, fair trade.

Broke an ankle on the nub of a broken off piece of bamboo at a little speed bump in Alaska called Hillburg;  saw Mt. McKinley in the alpinglow from the same place (it is so big it literally turns pastel red white and blue at the same time).

The list is endless but the point remains the same.  People make for bad moments, mountains make for a lifetime of magical memories.

Agreed.  My day at Vail was actually a very good one.  About 10" of fresh and a good local guide for half the day.  I wouldn't rule out going back, there are just so many better options imho.

+1.  Permanently damaged tendon, scratched cornea, marginal lessons.  "just yuck" sums Copper up for me too.

I've had unfriendly experiences in lots of places where I'd otherwise enjoy skiing.  The only place I'd never go back to is one that's long out of business.  It was called Irish Hills, and all the slopes ended in one spot where lines for three lifts formed.  Continuous collision time when busy.

Funny this thread came up because I planning on new boots and number of folks on this forum have recommended someone near Hutah.  However, i have such bad vibes about the place that im actually thinking about driving to Vermont (an extra few hours both ways) rather then check out boots at a shop that's in the vicinity of this place.  Paranoia, on my part but i thou gt it might amuse someone on this thread. 


FYI: having grown up skiing at huntah, there are too many examples to mention on why there is such bad karma for me. Ranging from crappy manmade, dealing with yahoos, too many SUI for their own alleged skills, and an attempted return visit some 15 years later- resulting in a fractured clavicle, separated shoulder and waiting hours in pain for a broken down bus. This from a first run, warm up bunny slope no less.

OTOH hand i needed a shoulder surgery anyway, so maybes its not all bad.   


Edited by kbuzz - 8/9/2009 at 11:46 pm GMT

Copper

(and it's not because I have to agree with SC)

Freaq.......you and I need to do a Vail day this season.

I might be up for that =)

 I can't say any Mt has bad Karma for me.  Sure, there are some I enjoy more than others, but really, bad karmic-ish experiences have more to do with people than anything.
Fortunately, I hang with a pretty mellow folks who know how to make any mountain magical......even if the snow is like snowcones and the mountain is less than 400 vert. 

Mr TC, on the other hand, hated Copper mostly because he had altitude sickness from hell on his first day there(not to mention attitude sickness).  But.....thanks to some amazing Bears and a pushy wife, MrTC gave Copper another chance and he managed to embrace it with a grin.

I don't really get the title of this thread but I'll go ahead and spit out the worst thing that ever happened to me on skis, or the time I was having the least amount of fun.

I was taking the very first run on my first pair of real skis.  Everything else I had skied up to that point was very old and cut down to make them shorter.  The did have metal edges and new bindings halfhazardly mounted on them though.  Anyway, I had just gotten  my NEW hart Gremlins back from having the Salomon 202s mounted up in late October of about 77.  Buck Hill opened early that season for a couple of weeks with night skiing, but had to close again until mid Niovember.  I went there about 5:30 for the night skiing session and I'm taking the first run on the longest skis I've ever skied on.  They were 160s and pretty long for my  4' something intermediate self.  Halfway down I hit sume crud and crossed the tips and went over head first tumbling.  One safety strap nun chucked a ski around to whack the back of my head.  As I was sitting there holding a bloody glove on my head I see one of my brand new skis running down the hill towarcs the lift corral area at the bottom.  To add insult to injury the safety strap popped off or slipped off my leg somehow.  I limp on down the rest of the way on one ski and spent an hour at the bottom looking for the other ski.  I'm balling and still holding snow on the back of my head.  A patrol saw me and organized some other folks to help look for the ski.  By the time we found it the lifts were closing so I only got to take one more run before my mom picked me up.
That's the closest thing I ever had to a really bad day/evening skiing.

I get the title of the thread I just don't believe in Karmic Retribution. Good Karma is good, Bad Karma is bad, cause and effect is cause and effect, Grasshopper.

That being sayed I just never got along with Park City MR, can't really put my finger on it, must be Karma, but I'd probably go back. I've been to Camelback once, never again.

Lookout/Tenney mountain.  Many years ago.  It was so icy that the Ski Patrol were unable to ski it, we watched a couple trying to get down a blue run with great difficulty.  Basically your classic blue ice, but edge to edge on all the trails.  Worst conditions I've ever seen.

Went to get our money back and there was a line of people they were still selling lift tix to.  When they refused the refund we told them we'd just walk down the line and tell everyone what the conditions were like if they didn't give us our money back.  They did.

Then drove to Loon, not too far away, and the conditions were great.

A basin.

+1...surprised by all the Copper bashing.  I too got sick my 1st day skiing at Copper- hadn't skied in 6 years, came up from FL, got put in a Club Med group that was on their last day so the instructor wanted them to do something special- lift to top, then Cat, then 45 minute hike- I was very winded but it seemed worth it until I got a killer headache (among other things) at dinner.  Felt fine the rest of the week and enjoyed it so much that we returned the next year (the last year before the Club Med was converted to employee housing). 

High Noon at A-Basin was my achilles heel this past season- all 3 of my falls- simple "hip checks" except that I blew my ACL out on the second one.  Still had some good days at the Basin and plan to be there opening week in October.

Ski Liberty in PA (near the Maryland border) was my worst ski experience (not counting the ACL).  First time skiing the East Coast- rain the whole drive up from DC.  Didn't see a spec of snow, even in the parking lot because the "mountain" was blocked by the lodge.  Probably 6 inches of man made on the runs that had to be groomed like a putting green during the summer to allow for minimal coverage.  Not a spec of snow off the runs or even under the lifts.  About 40 degrees and pouring rain the whole day.  Haven't even thought of returning in 20+ years. 

After 5 failed (some spectacularly) attempts to even get to A-basin, I no longer expect to ever ski there.

I've skied at places like Snowbird and Aspen with with a gang called Epicski academy.

I've been to Breckenridge with some guy called Uncle Louie.

I've been to Copper with a couple guys called Bong and SSH.

I've been to Bridger with some jokers called RidgeHippie, Nolo and Rio.

I've been to Jackson Hole with supposed experts like Bob Peters, TetownpowderJunkie and skiing in Jackson.

I've been to Targhee with used up 80's hacks like Harkinbanks.

I've been to Big Sky with some "hot" girl named Ursala.

I've been to Solitude with some Michigan loser named Si.

I've skied and with and kept quiet about the disgusting experience and lodges at Snowbasin with a couple of tools named Steelman and 4Ster.

I really got tired of the teaching all these folks how to ski and waiting around for them.

And then reality kicked in and the 60 or 70 people I've met and skied with from this site made me wake up and realize how cool it is:)

I'm with Treckchick in the sense that while I've truly liked EVERY ski area I've visited out west I just like some more than others.

If forced to pick least favorite it's Keystone.

And to keep with the Karma portion, I twisted my knee which eventually required surgery at Alta during ESA 2006 and upon my return to Alta at The Gathering 2008 I was greeted by 20 inches of fresh and a top five all time day!!!

There is no such thing as "good" or "bad" Karma. That's a Western invention. Karma just is and it's like the tide-sometimes you have a lot and sometimes you owe a lot

That's karma.....

Geez, if I quit skiing the places I got hurt, I wouldn't have anyplace to ski!  I hit a tree at Snowmass at ESA 2007, then dislocated a shoulder the next year there (2008).  I never told anyone, but I did strain my sacroliac joint at Snowmass this year, but finished skiing.  At Breckenridge, I tore my MCL, and dislocated the other shoulder.

Does that mean I won't ski Breck or Aspen again?  Not on your life.  Both are great resorts, but for different reasons.

As for those who don't like Copper, I'd love to show you the goods.  It is a very good ski mountain.  Too bad the management is so lousy.  One day they might wake up and realize what they are:  a great mountain primarily for Front Range traffic.  They'll never be a destination resort.  But that's ok, 'cuz those in the know will  always be able to find the goods, and might even invite some folk visiting the destination resorts (Breckridge/Vail) along.

Mike

What JGiddsmo failed to point out is that half those spots he mentioned above he has skied with me in tow and I always radiate good karma.

 

I know I've had sh!t days at many a resort, but honestly I've forgotten about most of 'em. I know I've skied with some serious tools over the years (and I'm sure many a person who has crossed my path might feel the same about me. touche, as the saying goes), but honestly, I've forgotten most of 'em. I generally have learned over the past several seasons that it's not so much the resort, mountain or terrain or weather conditions as it is the folks you're sharing the experience with. I've been fortunate to ski with a lot of the same folks repeatedly over the years and it makes even crappy days resonate with a vibe of glorious enchantment. it also helps to like yourself, so that when you find yourself skiing alone it's still a bucket full of monkeys.

 

Hey BF.
I'll be heading out that way a few times this year with my son, and would give blood and risk injury to a few minor limbs to share a day or two with you. I will not be able to make the Utah gathering, but if the stars align properly, we may be able to hook up on your way back eastward. A little insider information can eliminate your Vail parking woes, find ways to avoid crowds, and even hunt up a few steepish bits and put some hair on our heads.

If the stars do align I'll be there with a smile on my face and a shaving kit to take care of that nasty hair.

 Give Blood!
Risk injury to a few minor limbs!

AAACK!
Trust me, you don't have to go through all that to ski wit da Freaq!

If we should happen to meet up at the same time, its MR TC that will bring thoughts of giving blood and rising injury. 

Forbidden Plateau, now defunct.
Hard to put into words, but there's a reason it's forbidden; there's something there that goes a little beyond.
Evil place?  Bad mojo?, Evil Spirits?  Bad luck?  I can't say.
I did have a little mishap there, no permanent injuries and a lesson learned.  Fortunately I was the beneficiary of good fortune; someone or something was looking out for me, but it was close. 

Have had the pleasure of skiing with da Freaq only once. (Only day of sketchy conditions that I had all last season.) Am perhaps over-eager to do so again. To paraphrase dookie67, skiing alone is like a barrel of monkeys without the barrel. Skiing with da Freaq is like skiing with those same barrel liberated monkeys while wearing clown shoes and a euphoric, wide, and constant grin. BTW, would be my pleasure and privilege to meet you and MR TC too.
Sorry to mess with the bad Karma thread. Y'all can get back to the matter at hand.