2013 EpicSki Gathering: Big Sky Montana! - Page 8

Just curious as someone new to this site:

• Are the gatherings a group of old friends skiing together, or do newcomers with no prior involvement come too?
• What is the general range of skiing ability of people on the gatherings? 
• Many of you seem to know one another.  Is that from ES gatherings? Old friends/ski buddies who keep in touch with this site? Geographic proximity?  Work?  Ski industry events?
• Is there a range of ages/genders on these trips?

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

Just curious as someone new to this site:

 

• Are the gatherings a group of old friends skiing together, or do newcomers with no prior involvement come too?
• What is the general range of skiing ability of people on the gatherings? 
• Many of you seem to know one another.  Is that from ES gatherings? Old friends/ski buddies who keep in touch with this site? Geographic proximity?  Work?  Ski industry events?
• Is there a range of ages/genders on these trips?

 

Thanks!

A lot of Epic bears know each other as we've been on this site for many years.  I've been participating here for, well, a long time.    I attended my first Gathering a few weeks ago in Tahoe.  While I knew a good number of attendees (from other informal get-togethers / events), I also met a good number of people I hadn't skied with before.  We don't bite.    New people are always welcome.

A lot of Bears are really good skiers, but there's everything from intermediates on up. 

I have no idea what most people's ages are, but I'd guess most attendees in Tahoe were in the 30's --> 50's range.
 

Regarding the mind-numbing weather / best-time-of-year discussions.

Holy God people!

I have many years of ski data as well, from skiing all over the place for quite a few years now.  I've experienced weather that shouldn't statistically happen, but it does.  (4 feet of snow in Vermont in October.  50-some degree temps in Big Sky in January).  Trying to determine if the weather is going to be "more perfect" during the first week of March or the last week of March is insane.  You don't know and you can't know.

It's the mountains!  Weird shit happens!  If you don't want to take the chance, don't come!  If you take the chance and the weather sucks -- you're in Montana!  They make Moose Drool there!  As in, "don't worry, they'll make more".  If you can't find wildlife or drop-dead gorgeous scenery in Montana, well, maybe it's time to stop drinking

Wax the bottoms, sharpen the edges, say "they're tools, not jewels", and either STFU and come or STFU and don't come.

End rant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

Just curious as someone new to this site:

 

• Are the gatherings a group of old friends skiing together, or do newcomers with no prior involvement come too?
• What is the general range of skiing ability of people on the gatherings? 
• Many of you seem to know one another.  Is that from ES gatherings? Old friends/ski buddies who keep in touch with this site? Geographic proximity?  Work?  Ski industry events?
• Is there a range of ages/genders on these trips?

 

Thanks!

Haven't been to a Gathering yet but have read recent Gathering threads with interest.  Here are my impressions until others with Gathering experience see your questions.

* Newcomers show up because a Gathering fits in their schedule and is somewhere they have on their bucket list.  Some are not really that "new" but have not met any Bears in person before.  Everyone is welcome.

*  Intermediates and aspiring advanced skiers/boarders are welcome.  There is usually a guide for those not ready for expert/advanced areas.  Great way to learn from more experienced folks.

*  Not many kids at Gatherings, unless the families are local.  Not scheduled with school vacations in mind.  So mainly adults of various ages.

*  Those who post regularly for more than a season get to "know" each other one way or another.  Like most open online forums, that's a very small percentage of the "membership."

*  Attendance at Gatherings seems to be about 50-75 people over the course of all days.  Some folks arrive earlier, some drop in for a day or two, some stay later.

Having attended gatherings of other online forums, I highly encourage you to make it to one sooner or later.  Especially fun for someone who is starting to ski more complicated runs that require a ski buddy for safety and encouragement.  I can ski a lot better after three seasons of meeting up with better skiers at big mountains in the Rockies.  Plus with gatherings, lodging can be quite economical as well as more likely to find someone to share the cost of a rental car.  Not to mention discounts on lift tickets.

Thanks for saying this so I didn't have to.  At the end of the day you either book a trip and take your chances or wait until the last second based on the weather.  There's no in-between.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinF 

Regarding the mind-numbing weather / best-time-of-year discussions.

 

Holy God people!

 

I have many years of ski data as well, from skiing all over the place for quite a few years now.  I've experienced weather that shouldn't statistically happen, but it does.  (4 feet of snow in Vermont in October.  50-some degree temps in Big Sky in January).  Trying to determine if the weather is going to be "more perfect" during the first week of March or the last week of March is insane.  You don't know and you can't know.

 

It's the mountains!  Weird shit happens!  If you don't want to take the chance, don't come!  If you take the chance and the weather sucks -- you're in Montana!  They make Moose Drool there!  As in, "don't worry, they'll make more".  If you can't find wildlife or drop-dead gorgeous scenery in Montana, well, maybe it's time to stop drinking

 

Wax the bottoms, sharpen the edges, say "they're tools, not jewels", and either STFU and come or STFU and don't come.

 

End rant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayT 

At the end of the day you either book a trip and take your chances or wait until the last second based on the weather.  There's no in-between.
 

I disagree.

The "in between" you think that doesn't exist, is exactly what many people actually DO: book a trip in the period of the winter when it's historically showing good condition (or good potential for snow).

You still take your chances. But you're bettering your odds. Book a trip in October in Mountain Creek, NJ, your odds of getting to ski at all is ... well documented. ;-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by at_nyc 

 

You still take your chances. But you're bettering your odds. Book a trip in October in Mountain Creek, NJ, your odds of getting to ski at all is ... well documented. ;-)

 

That's why we don't have gatherings in Jersey, nor in October. The rest is a crapshoot, no matter where you go.  If you're planning ahead, you have to pick a date. Then you live with it.

Been to Big Sky twice at this time period.  First time was really good, second incredible.  Who knows what'll be this time, but it won't be bad.  It certainly will be better than Jersey, New York, or Vermont.
 

Well... duh.  No one said to book a ski trip in July and hope for the best.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by at_nyc 

I disagree.

 

The "in between" you think that doesn't exist, is exactly what many people actually DO: book a trip in the period of the winter when it's historically showing good condition (or good potential for snow).

 

You still take your chances. But you're bettering your odds. Book a trip in October in Mountain Creek, NJ, your odds of getting to ski at all is ... well documented. ;-)

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

Just curious as someone new to this site:

 

• Are the gatherings a group of old friends skiing together,

Yes.

Yes.   And have been known to have a far better time than they ever expected.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

What is the general range of skiing ability of people on the gatherings?

 

Sunday tourist to Holy Cr@P! I need to change pants and I'm just watching  wow!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

• Many of you seem to know one another.  Is that from ES gatherings?

Mostly that and forum participation.   There are some of the others you list.

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

• Is there a range of ages/genders on these trips?

 

 

Range of ages yes.     The range of genders is not quite so broad.        I reckon female participation is probably better on Epic trips than on most ski hols, guesstimate ~2/5 or thereabouts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantunamunch 

 

Range of ages yes.     The range of genders is not quite so broad.       

I thought the range of gender was pretty good: male and female.

What's outside the range that we didn't have?    
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantunamunch 
Range of ages yes.     The range of genders is not quite so broad.        I reckon female participation is probably better on Epic trips than on most ski hols, guesstimate ~2/5 or thereabouts.

Guess you haven't been invited to the ski gatherings that are mostly women. 

Are there many over age 50?  60?

That was my recollection for this year at Tahoe.  The date chosen was historically optimal for snow conditions, which I presume entered into Trekchick and Philpug's call.

I thought the poll for next year was somewhat of a red herring as the Gatherings had good attendance both mid-season this year and late season last year. So I would have preferred the date be chosen based upon local knowledge/expertise as in those years.

This is the first occasion that I have heard of an issue with room availability in early March, and the guide availability issue was also raised quite recently.  Both of these are valid reasons IMHO, and I would not have persisted with the questions had they been known earlier.

OMG, isn't this supposed to be fun?  WTF, I couldn't care less if there were bare spots and I have to wear shorts; I am coming.  I missed this entire season and the only part that I really missed was not getting to see and ski with everyone. If it wasn't for the Gathering this season (graciously hosted by the Pugleise's) I wouldn't have seen anyone. So I don't give a shit about the speculation about the hypotenuse of the delta of the triangle; its a social event first,then skiing......  

A red herring, huh? No local knowledge, huh? 

April 11, at 9 a.m., after I got off the phone with my contact at Big Sky, I posted the following:

I have been organizing ski events at Big Sky since (gasp!) 1988, when NRM did their first Fall Festival there, an event that occurs the first week in December (gasp!) that continues in that timeframe today and is the division's major general education event. We also do our exams at Big Sky in late March - early April, every year. The conditions are always amenable -- and can be counted on to be better than anywhere in the region because of the elevation. I hope this gives you confidence in my experience with planning and conducting events at Big Sky. 

Full confidence.....  proceed on please. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finndog 

 WTF, I couldn't care less if there were bare spots and I have to wear shorts; I am coming.  I missed this entire season and the only part that I really missed was not getting to see and ski with everyone. If it wasn't for the Gathering this season (graciously hosted by the Pugleise's) I wouldn't have seen anyone. So I don't give a shit about the speculation about the hypotenuse of the delta of the triangle; its a social event first,then skiing......  

Dude, you're so off here. You've forgotten about Newton's Model of Cooling:

Quote: http://www.math.montana.edu/frankw/ccp/modeling/continuous/monthlytemp/learn.htm

So far we've looked at three examples where the variation of one quantity -- air temperature, or the water level in a creek, is driven by the variation of another quantity -- the energy arriving from the sun or the tides in the ocean. In all three examples, the variation of the driven quantity lags behind the variation of the driving quantity. This is an extremely common phenomenon. We can gain some insight into this phenomenon by taking another look at Newton's model of cooling. In our first look at Newton's model of cooling we looked at the discrete dynamical system

 

where A is the constant ambient temperature and k is a positive constant that is less than one and whose value depends on the object that is cooling (or warming).

Plus, you've forgotten basic math about how we calculate snowfall. First, pick a date you're tied to. Second, claim it's superior. Third, show graphs no one can read. Fourth, back it up with basic math that supports your claim.

Here's the fourth realm, Use Basic Math to Support One's Claim. (Insert Claim Here)

Claim: 13 x 7 = 28:

http://youtu.be/Lo4NCXOX0p8

I was out that day with cramps and a nasty case of diarrhea.  Not sure which would have been worse...    ( Too bad we don't have the really cool Imodicon of the smokin' pile of crap like they do at TGR)

(BTW- i love that Abbot and costello routine. classic.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tog 

 

Dude, you're so off here. You've forgotten about Newton's Model of Cooling:

 

 

 

Plus, you've forgotten basic math about how we calculate snowfall. First, pick a date you're tied to. Second, claim it's superior. Third, show graphs no one can read. Fourth, back it up with basic math that supports your claim.

Here's the fourth realm, Use Basic Math to Support One's Claim. (Insert Claim Here)

Claim: 13 x 7 = 28:

 

http://youtu.be/Lo4NCXOX0p8

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finndog 

I was out that day with cramps and a nasty case of diarrhea.  Not sure which would have been worse...    ( Too bad we don't have the really cool Imodicon of the smokin' pile of crap like they do at TGR)

 

 

Terribly appropriate for that post. Stop virtual diarrhea with Imodicon!

Big skiing at Big Sky. Late march/early april works well there.

Hope to make it. Funny, I was just talking about BS while skiing last week at Vail.

Top of A-Z chutes 2002.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 

 

• Are the gatherings a group of old friends skiing together, or do newcomers with no prior involvement come too?

Well, everyone was a newcomer at some point...

There's usually a mix of people who have been to a bunch of events, people who have been active on Epicski for a while but don't attend many RL events, and people who are totally new to Epic.

As mentioned above, largely from 'intermediate' to 'holy crap, how did he/she do that?'.  Just on personal observation, most attendees seem to be fairly avid skiers who get at least 15-20 days/season, but a few are full-time pros that skew WAY higher.

There are also usually a few people who are normally advanced/expert but have been gimped back to intermediate speed by recent injuries. 

Anyone is welcome, but if you are not able to ski most of the intermediate (blue) rated terrain at the resort being visited, you may not have anyone to show you around.  Typically there are 2-4 groups out exploring different parts of the mountain with volunteer guides, split by ability level and/or desire to push their limits.

Mostly a combination of attending gatherings or 'Epicski Academy' (ESA) camps and just getting to know people on the forums.  There are also sometimes regional or resort-specific meetups that are not as formal as the big annual 'Gathering' trip.

I teach part-time at a small resort in MA, and I know a couple other people from my resort who occasionally post on the forums, but AFAIK none of them have been on any of the trips.  Might be different for people in the West.

As mentioned above, few kids, because it's usually midweek during a non-holiday week for better pricing and fewer lift lines.

The crowd here tends to skew a bit older, but I've seen everything from 20s to at least 60s.  More guys than girls, maybe something like a 75/25 split overall, but it can vary substantially.

It's generally a lot more laid back than reading the threads might imply. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by marznc 

Guess you haven't been invited to the ski gatherings that are mostly women. 

To quote Westley:  "I don't think they exist."  

That's good to hear--I always wondered what happened when internet forum people have to actually interract face-to-face.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADKS 
That's good to hear--I always wondered what happened when internet forum people have to actually interract face-to-face.

hehe...

It's very odd actually in that a lot of times the online part is forgotten. Certainly a lot of the arguments are.

That, plus it takes awhile to put things together. There are two names to remember, then remember what the posts from that user name were like.

Some people are good at that and can remember all three.

The cat herding problem is more of an issue. Also, just finding people on the hill sometimes.
 

the gatherings are a lot of fun. All get along very well. The groups work very well so everyone can ski at a pace and level of difficulty to their choosing however it's not uncommon for folks to just want to hang out at the lodge and drink a few beers. You will get the opportunity to improve your game and push yourself if you choose.  After skiing, not everyone goes to dinner together and some just meet for apre'.  You will laugh a lot and will make some new friends. It's more about the comeraderie for me. Skiing is important but not the gatherings are more than that.

Yes, sometimes people just meet for the apres. 

 Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters      

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/17/11245919-discovery-space-shuttle-circles-the-sky-over-washington-on-last-voyage?lite

Quote:

Originally Posted by marznc 

Guess you haven't been invited to the ski gatherings that are mostly women. 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantunamunch 

To quote Westley:  "I don't think they exist."  

He he . . . don't you wish how you could find out when and where?  We had a great time at Big Sky this winter.  Another year was north Tahoe with major fresh powder at Alpine Meadows and Squaw.

wasn't that just after the Pugliese nuptials in N*?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tog 

Yes, sometimes people just meet for the apres. 

 

 Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters      

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/17/11245919-discovery-space-shuttle-circles-the-sky-over-washington-on-last-voyage?lite

 

Says the man.... 
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by segbrown 

Boys, boys, stop scaring away the girls!