The Official Michigan Winter Thread

[boardaddicktd]

Originally Posted by david_z

expect crowds in the beginner park kids in the way, kids snaking, kids sitting in the landings of the top feature, etc.. bring shitty gloves since the two rope will eat them up. Or just take the chairlift instead.

yea i love when boxes and rails are used as benches

[sabatoa]

So I hiked over to Pine Knob last night. Distance wasn't really an issue, it's only 15 minutes past Mt Holly, took me an hour fifteen to get there.

I went with the intention to play on Pinery in the beginner park and to session one of the kickers, I ended up doing neither.

The place was crawling with kids, like roller rinks from back in the day. The summit was just a zoo and every park had a gathering of the peanut gallery sitting in the drop zone just sitting there. (see attached but that wasn't taken at its worst).

The park, IMO, wasn't well maintained. Some of the lips were sketchy but my main issue was the landing zone of the boxes. Each box unloaded into a 4 foot deep dadtrap. A dadtrap is a crater that little kids fall into, luring the dad to come out to rescue them.

So I dunno if that is normal for them to let it get that bombed out or what but I wasn't going to hit it, especially if I was going to work on boardslides and the like.

My wife liked PK overall, she had fun on the natural terrain. The mini-rollers and the quarter pipe-like wall on Quick Silver (I think).

I need to get new goggles soon because I can't see the contours of the snow at night wearing red solex lenses and I feel super sketched out on easy terrain.

It sucks bombing blacks with Leo on Sunday to getting caught up in my head on Thursday and feeling sketchy on a blue (that felt like a green) even though the snow was good. No crashing or stupid shit, it was just in my head.

Some days you're just off, if it happens once for every ten good times out then so be it.

[chomps1211]

WOW!!! Man that sucks!! Sorry to hear that! There was nowhere NEAR that kind of crowded shit out there Mon. or Wed.!! I hate having to thread my way 20-30 ft. down the start of the run just to get a clear place to strap & GO!!!!

There's always a few kids sitting around at the top of that particular run, but that's the first time I've seen anything like that so far this season! (...it was like that most weekends last year!) That run's the one where the little pink missile took me out near the bottom!

The wall you're referring to is off to the right of Quicksilver, technically I think it's part of the "Timberline" run.

Last year, I liked using that wall for climbing up it some & getting spun around switch, then riding it out to the bottom of Quicksilver!

So I'm guessing that PK is NOT going to be on your Top 5 little locals??

[sabatoa]

Originally Posted by chomps1211

WOW!!!
So I'm guessing that PK is NOT going to be on your Top 5 little locals??

I wouldn't say that. I can tell that PK is fun for freestyle and popping air a lot here and there. On another day I could see myself having a blast there. I just really need new night goggles so that I don't psych myself out again. Even if it's all in my head.

My wife still put Holly above PK even though she had fun. Both are higher than Brighton and I don't think I'll ever be at Alpine Valley.

My #1 local for now;

Freeride; Holly
Freestyle; Cannonsburg

I think when I'm riding the way I normally do, PK is a nice blend of the two.

[chomps1211]

Well, I'm glad to hear you didn't Totally Hate It!! Means we can probably hook up there sometime in the future for a ride! I like Holly, I like their longer runs & such, but for before/after work rides, it's just too far for anything but maybe a Fri. night, 11 pm. close! Even PK won't be worth the trip if I can't get there before 7-7:30 pm.

I am going to bite the bullet tonight & take a ride out to Mt. Brighton. Just to see if it's got anything worth riding now that I can. I hope it's not too freakin' awful, cuz the gas alone for running out to PK after work is gonna be fiercely expensive!

I'll let you guy's know what the deal is with Brighton later tonight!

I will be hitting PK or Holly, (...probably Holly for a change.) this weekend if anybody want's to catch a few laps with me!! Sat. Sun., doesn't matter to me!

[sabatoa]

I went to Brighton last year for my first run of the season. It was spur of the moment and I just wanted board on snow before the big meetup we did at Crystal last year. That was the last time I was there.

I've never really explored it to be honest. I learned on the bunny and later on the rope tow green, then last year played on the blue to the far right and that's it.

If I do any riding this weekend (I prolly won't) then it will be at Hawk Island.

[david_z]

Sam keep in mind Hawk has a comp going on tomorrow so plan accordingly.

I might be out at PK tomorrow with the wife and some friends, also I think Leo is going to be there with his wife tomorrow during the day, too.

[sabatoa]

dammit, you're right. I forgot about the comp. Good for them though, it's really coming together over there.

It sounds like Leo might be bringing his kids. If that's the case then we might just get out there too then. I'll bring mine, she can play with Dylan and Leo and I can trade off with the womens on baby sitting duty while the others ride.

Lori has been wanting to ride with his wife for awhile now.

[david_z]

yeah he mentioned that I should bring Zoey. Jackie said "cool, she doesn't have any Asian friends" LOL. But then we started thinkiing about it and the logistics don't work too well, she's super active and wouldn't be thrilled to be in that lodge where she can't really run around or explore or whatever, so moms is gonna come down and babysit for us I think.

[sabatoa]

Originally Posted by david_z

Jackie said "cool, she doesn't have any Asian friends" LOL.

That is so freaking hilarious.