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I haven't been this sore since the first day snowboarding...

2K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  annabananasplit 
#1 ·
Really excited to ride squaw one last time for the season, and I'm not sure if it's me or the weather or a combination, it was not a good day :(

It was really cold, windy, dumping (thought it would be a good thing, but people said because the wind was strong and blew all the newly dumped snow away), it was super icy. So icy that I'm losing control, and I was riding super cautiously. Any fall would NOT be a good thing.

I haven't had a bad fall since the super beginning stage of boarding, but I caught my heel side once and fell on my right cheek, ouch. My butt is so sore, and I was exhausted, felt like I got ran over by a truck.

I saw good boarders and even instructors wiping out left and right.

Dissapointed!

Oh another thing, my goggles! So I have the Oakley A frame, pink iridium lens. It was windy and snowing and top of the mountain was basically a whiteout. I can barely see a thing. Outside of my goggle's all wet. But what bothers me the most is, I have no depth perception at all. I don't remember it being like this when it's sunny. I can't tell if there are bumps and it's throwing me around!
What color lens are better for this condition? Is it annoying to change lens or should I just get another pair of goggles?
 
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#2 ·
Changing Oakley lenses is easy it's a pop and a pull and then lining up the new ones and a few snaps and your in.Little bit of practice and you're golden. My .02 though it's a little bit more expensive to get a second pair of Oakleys vs just getting another lens. Pink iridium is usually pretty good for snowing and flat light. But in a white out there's nothing you can do.

Ice and a heating pad become your friend.
 
#3 ·
The flat light was terrible on hood today. No goggle lens is going to help when its really bad and you just got to be ready for bumps you can't see. People were still hitting the jumps though and at least one guy paid for it and way over shot the second jump. Some times you just gotta say it isnt worth gettin yourself hurt and call it a day.
 
#4 ·
I have actually started sliding my goggles.to the side.of.my head that the wind is hitting me and keeping my back to the wind as much as posible when its flat light and blowing snow. I can see so much better without my goggles on in those conditions even if I am squinting. Its hard to recover from a stray mogul at speed in icy conditions. If your somplace that is big enough, go on the less windy side of the mtn. If you have trees then go on runs protected by them.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, perhaps no goggles will help in that situation.... On my last run, i got a bit dizzy just standing still, I thought that was really weird. I looked down onto the snow and cannot see any bumps, i just had to keep my knees super noodly, and of course, bumps were everywhere It was pretty traumatizing, but I think that's part of the learning process.
Argo, there was no way I can take off those goggles, it was so windy and the snow pellets were flying sidesways, it hurts my face!!
 
#6 ·
I've got the 2nd to lightest tint lenses for flat-light on my Oakley Splices, and while it certainly makes a difference, sometimes theres just nothing you can do. My mountain has terribad visibility like 70% of the time, so I've gotten really good at Jedi-Snowboarding. Also, if the visibility is really bad go hop in the trees or stick to a tree-line, it gives your eyes something to focus on and makes a big difference.
 
#8 ·
I remember my first time in whiteout. Runs seem to last forever. I distinctly remember not being able to tell what way was up. Bumps jostling you around. As snowwolf said. Ive fallen just standing up because you have no reference to anything. Or my favorite. You think your stopped and your actually traveling at a good rate of speed and sit down.. Thats fun stuff right there
 
#11 ·
The part where you can't tell that you're moving at all and certainly have no idea how fast you're actually going is the worst! I still don't like whiteout conditions, but I've gotten more used to them and if I'm in a place I'm familiar with I don't get *quite* as freaked out but I constantly hear people around me experiencing it for the first time commenting about how they can't tell they're moving or how it looks like they're going uphill when they're really moving at half- warp speed down the hill... It's disconcerting to say the least.


I've got the 2nd to lightest tint lenses for flat-light on my Oakley Splices, and while it certainly makes a difference, sometimes theres just nothing you can do. My mountain has terribad visibility like 70% of the time, so I've gotten really good at Jedi-Snowboarding. Also, if the visibility is really bad go hop in the trees or stick to a tree-line, it gives your eyes something to focus on and makes a big difference.
lol @ Jedi-Snowboarding



Fayewolf, congrats on making it through the day! Keeping your legs super noodly as you said helps, and throwing in speed checks frequently is a good idea on these kinds of days. Still, you never know when you'll hit a patch of ice or, like me on Hood this morning, the edge of the cat track and go flying in a very ungraceful sort of way. :rolleyes: These days are good for people-watching and hot-chocolate-drinking if you ask me :)
 
#9 ·
It's been said, but I'll say it again, flat light and whiteout conditions are the worst way to ride. It is absolutely no fun not being able to see where you are going. Living in Washington, I have spent too many days in shitty light conditions. Since I don't ride 100 days in a season, I tough it out usually, but if it's too bad I'll sit in the lodge for a while and see if it clears at all before calling it a day.
 
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