In March of ‘12, DSJ got a call from Tom Tanner, manager at Ski Pro Mesa/Tempe, AZ asking whether myself and my wife Karen would like to be part of a promo trip to Red Mountain Resort, BC. After...
My biggest caution: I don't know how on earth they are measuring these things. A 183 barely measures 180. I would have purchased a longer pair online had I known this.
But this is the only...
I got these (184's) on the cheap from an experienced 6ft plus 190 lb. plus powderhound in his late 40's who was looking for a one ski quiver and this was not his ski. I think it might have been...
For dependable snow coverage, you can't beat Snow Summit. Summit is actually half of Big Bear Mountain Resorts so the pass includes Bear Mountain which makes the resort larger than it appears at...
THE
SILVERTON MOUNTAIN
EXPERIENCE
Where is this place? We must be getting close. Eyes anxiously scan the steep canyon walls for any sign of a ski lift. It’s...
"Just spoke to a friend who did this last week. He had a room at Crystal Mountain for two nights starting last Tuesday. For those who don't know, we had a nice dump last week and the only road in was closed from Wednesday night well into Friday day. I was all ready for tales of endless powder on their own private mountain...he tells me his girlfriend didn't like the weather...they left Wednesday without going up...
Who here wouldn't say "See Ya" and leave their girlfriend in the room?"
Bummer on that one. Must have left his manhood at home, too. Live and learn, I suppose.
1) Let friend borrow my snow pants since she didn't have any. Wore jeans, since I'm an advanced skier and never fall.
2) Agreed to rent snowboards for the day and try snowboarding instead of skiing. Who needs to rent helmets?
3) Decided to teach ourselves on long green trails, of course, rather than taking a lesson on the bunny hill.
It was the most painful 4 hours of my life. It was even more emberassing because I wore my volunteer ski patroller shell (which wasn't waterproof). I spent the majority of the time lying face first in the snow, or splayed out on my back. Every pro patroller there thought that I had stolen my ski patrol jacket (to be fair, on a snow board, I was in no position to actually help anyone). I seriously hurt my right wrist from falling on it, which took years to recover. And after hours of lying on the snow, my jeans, jacket, and fleece were soaked through, and I was experiencing mild hypothermia. And I had one fall that was so bad, I had to check myself for spinal injuries before I dared try to sit up.
Luckly, after 4 hours I had the wisdom to go inside, put on my waterproof jacket, warm up, return the snowboard, get back on my skis, and spend the next few hours safeguarding my friends who were still falling all over the place on their boards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthias99
I've literally taught the 'my boyfriend tried to teach me this morning and it didn't go so well' afternoon lesson. Trust me on this one -- leave teaching the SO to the pros.
What worked well for me was to have her take a lesson in the morning, and then have me teach her and help her understand what was taught in the lesson in the afternoon. Still, you need to be very patient, take breaks when it starts to get frustrating, be persistant, and forget everything you know about skiing to try to understand how she's viewing it and how to explain it. Watch the instructors teaching other lessons, and use that, since different instructors teach different things and eventually you find something that clicks.
After a terriffic day skiing at MRG, we took off our boots, threw our gear in the trunk of the car and headed back to General Starks pub for a cold brew. Upon returning to the car I realized that my keys were locked safely in the trunk in my parka pocket.
Ok your thinking whats so bad... had to call the wife to come get us. a two and a half hour drive from my house. At least my buddy got to drive the wifes car back alone.
I had a pair of goggles once and flew off so got some similar to them in lost and found but were like little kids haha. Then few months later about there and realized didnt have them but i had some 80's looking ones that dad gave me while back and wore those well I have like 4 now and just bought some tanner hall oakleys hope i dont loose theese or buy anymore. I also was taking a ski class at app state for my pe in college and got there it was last year when record year for snow and was great but wind was blowing good and alots of powder and no gloves so had to buy some in shop. well turn out i have had them 4 years now and some really good gloves.
That's why I keep the keys to my rack in my car at all times.. even in the summer!
CJ
Quote:
Originally Posted by BryaninNC
Christmas morning on our way to the slopes (first time our family skied on Christmas). Realized about 30 minutes into our hour and a half journey that we had locked the rack, but forgotten the key. My Dad was not happy (nor was I since I was missing out on skiing time), but I haven't forgotten my rack key in the 25 years since.
So my family and another decide to go skiing in Austria for a week (this was 2007 I think). My family's journey begins with a flight from Burlington, VT to LGA. At LGA, we have to switch terminals to get our International flight. We decide we can walk to the terminal since it is the next one over and the bus runs in the opposite direction. Easy enough, except for the construction that has removed the sidewalk. At the time, I thought this part of the trip was kind of sucky. From LGA we fly to Zurich. We are now 8 strong and have if I remember correctly 13 bags including two ski bags. In Zurich we haul everything down two levels to the Airport train station and hop the train to Zurich Central Station. In Zurich Central Station we move everything to the train to Langen am Arlberg. Perfect, we settle down for the ride. 3 hours later, we are nearing the station and start securing all of our stuff to be ready to get off the train. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12...... uh-oh..... 12 bags are on the train. We exit the train and begin weighing our options. I decide I am going back for the bag which apparently contain all of the kids' clothes and all of my wife's clothes. Everybody loads into the taxi van and heads to Lech except for me.
I take the next train back to Zurich. All I know is what time we got on the train at the airport and which track it came in on. I am hoping to find this train and our missing bag. 3 hours later I reach Zurich for the second time. I start exploring the station and find the lost and found. It isn't too hard to find someone who speaks English and he takes me to the lost and found. No dice. I find a schedule and determine which train we were actually on and ask them where that train goes and can we have someone check it. Well, we eventually find that the train went a few hours beyond Zurich to the city of Biel. It is now Friday afternoon, and if I hurry I can take the last train to Biel. If I don't intercept the bag (which may or may not have been taken off the train in Biel), it will be sent to the central lost and found in Geneva, and nobody will even be able to think about touching it until Monday and then it will be a few days to ship it back to Zurich, how it would get from there to Lech remained a mystery. So with minutes to spare I get on the train to Biel. I'm wearing boatshoes, khakis and a Marmot windstopper fleece. I have my wallet, some Swiss Francs, and a Motorola Razr phone that won't work unless I can get a new SIM card for it. From what I could gather, Biel is to Zurich as New Jersey is to NYC. I was riding the commuter train with everyone dressed in their business clothes and going home for the weekend.
After poking around Biel for a few minutes, I find the lost and found guy. He takes me back in the cage. Jackpot! There it is! So I now have this Samsonite wheeled bag. I take the next train back to Zurich, feeling like things are going pretty well. In Zurich I will be able to get the new SIM, and a Wienerschnitzel before hopping the next train back to Austria. I've been awake for about 30 hours now.
The train pulls into Zurich Central Station and I step out into what appears to be a rave! Pretty much everybody in the station looks like they came from a punk rock concert in Britain in 1985! OK, whatever, time to get my SIM card. Not so fast, all of the stores and kiosks are closed. I search and search and can't find anything. Nor can I find a money changer to give me any Euros. I do find some hot dogs that have been ingeniously stuffed inside pretzels. That's good since the last thing I ate was on the plane. It's all good though because I have the bag and a ticket to Langen and the next morning I will be skiing.
So now I hop on the train. I'm kind of expecting that there will be lots of other skiers on the train, but strangely, there are none. Whatever. Maybe I nod off a little. Soon enough, the train pulls into Langen am Arlberg. It's about 11:30 and it's been exactly 12 hours since I was last here. I jump off the train and look around. I am literally the only person here. Not one other soul got off the train, and there are no workers of any kind in the station. Whatever, I walk over to the taxi stand. There are no taxis. OK........... now what. The station is an open structure, and apart from the bathrooms, there is not a heated enclosed room that I can enter. The temperature is hovering somewhere around freezing. The roads are wet, so let's just say it's 33 degrees. I can't use my cell phone. There is a payphone, but I am now in the Eurozone and I have no Euros at all. There are three cards for taxi companies tacked up above the phone. I start desperately searching for a quarter to make a call with. I'm crawling around and looking everywhere. Jackpot again! I find a coin in the return slot in the luggage cart machine. Now I'll just call a taxi. Oh... it takes two quarters. Fuck.
So I guess I'll hitchhike. The train station is on the main road to the Arlberg Pass, but with the new tunnel, very little traffic passes by anymore. Like none. After about 15 minutes a car stops. Some seriously drunk guys get out to piss, they are going the wrong way, and as desperate as I am, I'm not sure I would have wanted a ride from them anyway. They either do not or cannot speak English, but I do manage to get another quarter from them. Back in business, it's now 12:30, so I call the first taxi company. It rings and rings and nobody ever picks up. I hang up, and my quarters go back to the return slot. I try the next company. It rings three times, then the answering machine picks up. Clink, clink, my quarters are gone. Noooooooo!!!!!!
Shivering, I sit down on the wet curb with my Samsonite bag and weigh my options. Sleep in the bathroom until morning? Keep hoping for a ride? Walk? It's only about 10 miles, I could make it by morning and at least I'd warm up. I extend the handle on the sacred Samsonite, turn right and start to walk up the glistening road toward the Arlberg Pass. From there it'll be left onto the Flexen Pass where I will probably be killed walking in the tunnel in my black jacket. I walk through Langen hoping that I'll find a bar or something that is open. There is nothing. I pass through the edge of town and into the darkness. It is a clear night and on both sides I can see the white peaks of the Austrian Alps looming above me. I hear another car coming, I turn and put out my thumb. I see a blue Mercedes-Benz Vito van slowing down. He stops and the door opens. I hear something like this blasting from his speakers.
He says he will give me a ride to Lech!!!! He is returning from alight of partying somewhere and doesn't seem really sober, but whatever, I'm cold and don't even know how long I've been awake. It turns out that he runs the gas station in Zurs, so he was going my way anyhow, and it's not a big detour to Lech. Twenty minutes later, we roll into Lech. Only thing is, we aren't staying in Lech itself, we are in Oberlech which is accessed only by a tram, and apparently, the tram closes at 11 PM. Well, I ask him, can we go up the service road. We try, but the way is blocked by a big gate. I give him all of my CHF and he drives home to Zurs. Only one thing to do now - get to that hotel. I can see the lights of Oberlech above me, so I step onto the piste (it must be below freezing now because they are making snow) and start walking in my tractionless boat shoes. The Samsonite bag immediately flips over and switches from a roller to a dragger. I alternately drag, carry and fall my way up the piste for 1,000 vertical feet or so until I reach the town. I am now facing my final problem. I have no idea of where the hotel is. None, and there is nothing open. It's about 2 or 3 in the morning. I begin a rudimentary sort of grid search trudging through the snow looking for the hotel and finally find some aid in the form of foreign (to Austria) kitchen workers who are knocking off for the night. After much consultation in a multitude of languages, they think they know where I should go. They point me in pretty much the right direction and in a few more minutes I find the hotel. The door is locked, but thankfully, my wife has propped open side door and I gain access. She has done the same with the door to our room.
Ski Trip not ruined, so maybe this is the wrong thread.
PS - there was no snow at all the whole week we were there, and it dumped at home.
Just a little tip. Never needed this, but I know I would when faced with the problem. I believe a large screwdriver or tire iron will release your skis from a locked rack or ski box. And, a roll of duct tape should secure them there again for the embarrassing trip home
So my family and another decide to go skiing in Austria for a week
What an "epic" tale! (Yes, that's right, an eye-rolling pun...) I also want that album!!!
Feb., 1995, found a killer deal to Innsbruck, and one of my buddies and I jumped on it. Arrived and went to Axamer Lizum ski area the next morning. Got to the top and started down a fairly mellow slope, and my buddy takes a low-speed and seemingly inconsequential spill on his very first turn and ends up with a wicked "boot-top" fracture of his leg.
His trip was over about 30 seconds into the 1st day of skiing.
FWIW and hopefully no one here will ever need to verify this, but the staff and Docs at Innsbruck Hospital were awesome, tho.....
ummm how do you check yourself for spine injuries? There is no way to do that. besides feeling okay to move your head/neck..
The same way you would check someone else for possible spinal neck injury, before moving their head which could potentially make it worse: check for sensation and movement in fingers and toes, then palpate the back of the neck to feel for any abnormalities.
Was camping up on Independence Pass and skiing some backcountry lines with group #1 of friends. That night I planned on leaving camp to sleep at a trailhead and ski a line on Lincoln (that you can only hit about once every 5 years) with a couple other friends. So I took off in my car, had dinner with group #2 in Leadville and when we arrive at the trailhead, I begin setting up my bed (sleeping bag/pad) in the back of my car. This is when I realize my skis aren't there! They're 2 hours away, back on Independence Pass with group #1, in the car that was doing shuttle runs. So at 11pm, I drove all the way back to Independence Pass (4 hours total) and ended up skiing with group #1 the next day, instead of snagging a line that's rarely in on Lincoln.
Not as interesting as an international lost baggage trip, but ...
We're at a close-to-home ski resort, my brother's driving the parent's car - my buddy needs to go to the car to get something and needs the keys - he borrows the keys but before he goes off ...
"DON'T LOCK THE KEYS IN THE CAR"
Buddy comes back. Duh. Locked the keys in the car. Brother gets pissed. Decides the best window to bust (of a '79 Honda Civic Hatchback, this was a long time ago) is the rear window that doesn't roll down. Turns out to be the most expensive one too.
Just remember. Don't warn someone to not do something especially if it's common sense anyway - it'll happen just as you ask for it not to!
(my buddy was the kind of kid who'd throw a baseball through the very window that's 45 degrees to the side, if you tell him not to ... )
been reading this tread on and off but could not heed the warnings. kids had early out and for our short day drip hit our first outing of season at mini midwest mountain (all 470 feet, but really a nice place) 1 1/2hr out.
planned everything including letting my eldest's daughters friend borrow my new unused ski boots size 27 still in a Lange box ... our feet match well (darn kids are growing bigger than my manly 5-9) and set her up with ski's and poles ... hark on my kids to get stuff ready day before and double check everything ....
of course, i hose up by grabbing the wrong box as I had bought my other daughter a new pair - Langes too - in box .. double checked everything but the actual boots in the box ...
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