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The Official Michigan Winter Thread

490K views 8K replies 153 participants last post by  sabatoa 
#1 ·
Alright everyone since Summer is over, fall has just begun and we've already had our first rail jam of the year, it's time to start a new thread for the 10/11 winter.

Last year we had the "Southeast" michigan thread, but I think we should do all of Michigan. Sure, most of population lives in S/E michigan but we all ride the same resorts in the LP and even the UP if we get a chance, so we should have one thread to bring everyone together.

Cheers everyone we're probably only like 70 days from open resorts!
 
#1,661 ·
To make Leo happy I will post here....Caberfae does have minimal tree runs but, but you must be confusing Shanty Creek with some place else...from their site "Schuss Mountain has earned its reputation as the "Best Downhill Terrain in the Midwest." And with four terrain parks, a half pipe, more glade runs, and the best groomed snow, SCR offers the best lift ticket value in Michigan" <<< you know that it HAS to be true if they put it on their site.....but for real, they have a ton of tree runs especially if you hit up the red lift...I am talking about Schuss, never have bothered with Summit.
 
#1,662 ·
I went to Schuss once. Didn't get trees in though. So you've been to Crystal when it was 100% open I assume?

Anyway, I'll take any of the above over the local hills around me. I honestly prefer Crystal out of the hills I have tried.

Cab was fun, but it's very hard for me to ride Cab with Crystal only 20-30 mins further north.
 
#1,665 ·
Yeah, I'm in Grand Rapids and my wife is from Traverse City so I have been to Crystal plenty of times and just have always preferred Caberfae. My riding has been severly lacking though since we have a 3yr and just had twins that will be 1 soon. Haven't made it out at all this year, but need to at least once because me and a friend are going to Big Sky in March and I would like to get the rust off before we go. Got to find a day during the week to take off and go.
 
#1,669 ·
Definitely is. They have a super legit park setup going on this season. I'll probably miss out this season, but I expect similar for the next. I'd be hitting the beginner/intermediate sections, but even that is superior to anything local.

That takes care of my park side of riding.
 
#1,675 ·
nice vid. i went to schuss 3 seasons ago and i do remember them having a semi-legit park setup. for some reason i've stuck to crystal, cab and boyne everytime i've been up north since. might have to check it out again. we spent an hour at summit before we realized there was another mountain. wow that place sucked haha.

i'll be hitting up PK to ride after work tomorrow night (thursday).
 
#1,671 ·
That kid shreds.

Those tree lines look like Nubs. Better then no trees, but I prefer Crystal's layout. Their trees aren't so tight and the ground between them are better maintained so you can find good lines without worry about all the junk branches on the ground. There's several broken tree, downed logs to jib as well.

Schuss definitely has a better park from what I'm seeing. But I don't go into the park when I'm at Crystal.

Man, I hope I can get out there again this year. A group of us from here did a meet earlier in Dec. Only 4 runs were open though and none were in the backside unfortunately.
 
#1,679 ·
Live from Crystal!

Hey Fella's,

Well, NOW I know EXACTLY what guy's r talking about when referring to "Board Suck"!!! ...and Boy, does it EVER!!!!!

Mon. night, Tues. Morning, snow was nice! Not great, not perfect, but nice. Cold, Dry, nice layer of soft after being chopped all day. Yesterday sometime between takin' a lunch break 11:30 am, and hitting it again @ 1. Conditions turned to TOTAL SHIT!!! Temps hit 48+ yesterday.

First run after lunch, I head to the north face, start down and as soon as I come off an edge & flatten out the board to get some speed, I almost get pitched forward onto my face as the board literally sticks to the snow!! The rest of the afternoon, every run I did felt like someone was trying to push me off the board from the shoulders cuz the board kept slowing down . ( Saw a guy last week @ PK who was "Jumping" (popping?) from heel to toe edge & back to turn. All without transitioning thru the flat of the board to accomplish this. Now I can see why that would b good to learn to do!!! :) )

Finally after the sun went down and the "Chop" got cold enough that it didn't get packed smooth from riding over it, things got reasonably fast again!! I am somewhat encouraged by the fact that even though for me, all that "Unpredictable" snow & strange board reactions, I didn't fall from running into it. Although I could never really tell what I would run into, (..little before 6, I hit a few spots that switched from slow & sticky to FAST, cuz it had been shaded longer.) I tried to stay loose and not stiffen too much when things surprised me and keep some balance!)

BTW, I ache all over!!! :D ;). 11 1/2 - 12 hours actually riding in a day & half!!! Only 5 more to go!!! :D Thank GOD for Whirlpool tubs!!! :D

On my way to Boyne this afternoon. Will B there till Sunday Noon, If anyones heading up this weekend. Gonna hit Highlands & maybe Nub's while I'm there!

More later!
 
#1,681 · (Edited)
Aww Man,
No way I'll make it to Nubs on Sunday. Id have to chk outta Boyne way too early Sun. & Leaving from Nubs wud add 45 min. To hour to my drive. If I ride at all Sun. I'll probly b takin' it easy as I xpect 2 b pretty wiped out. (Yeah, I know, I'm a Wuss!! Just remembr Im an OLDSTER!!) :D. B lucky 2 b in any shape to drive after 6 days fallin'!! ;) Rrr I mean Ridin'! :D

Would have loved to hook up 4 a cpl o runs tho.
 
#1,682 ·
no worries about the old man status 6 days of riding is a lot for ANYONE. I strung together 7 days once, and I've done 5 days back-to-back a few times definitely takes a toll on your body. Good thing is though, especially when you're learning, getting those back-to-back days in should help you develop better muscle memory as opposed to someone who only goes out to ride 3-4 times a winter :D
 
#1,686 ·
no worries about the old man status,..

... Good thing is though, especially when you're learning, getting those back-to-back days in should help you develop better muscle memory as opposed to someone who only goes out to ride 3-4 times a winter :D
Yup, I have managed to string a couple of sessions of back to back, all day riding trips together since I took my lesson late last season. I expect it might just be why I have progressed as quickly as I have. I have been more than a bit amazed at my progress myself especially when I compare my experience with some of the others I read here. (Not to discount or underestimate I may have a little "Natural" ability or Aptitude for it either!!)

I wasn't joking when I wrote in an earlier post back in Dec., that I was VERY surprised on my first time out this season to find that I was at least as good as I was @ end of last, If Not, maybe a bit better!! Didn't seem to "Lose" anything over the summer. I was REALLY Stoked about that!

I am most definitely,.. Totally, completely, happily, OBSESSED with this sport!!!! Wish I'd have discovered it 25-30 years ago!! I'd b working @ a "Starbucks" or something on some mountain just so I could ride every day!!!! :D :D !!!

Well, gonna get some quick chow and get out for first chair!

More later.
 
#1,685 ·
I think they're stripped...2 of the 3 screws on my back binding popped out, and I haven't had a chance to do any damage assessment on my own yet, so I don't know 100% if they're stripped. But I did buy new screws...I even bought the right size from the hardware store:rolleyes:
 
#1,689 ·
Rant time...Riding snowbird at pine knob. 3rd of four jumps a 10~ year old skier decides the landing in a good place to stop. I don't see him until im midair and I bail out..and land on my head. Wake up at Beaumont everything's okay but people really need to fuck away from the jumps or jibs this happens way too much.
E: Next person I see at the bottom of the jump sitting there is getting run into..
 
#1,693 · (Edited)
Vakay over,.. Back to the daily grind! :(

Back home after Five & 1/2 days of riding! Most of the trip had reasonably ridable snow conditions (...of course what's considered "reasonably ridable" is after factoring in the utterly CRAPPY snow season so far!) Even so, I had a BLAST!!!!

My speed & control is improving by leaps & bounds!!

I worked it to the point of "Complete" physical exhaustion this week!! I would have loved to hook up with Leo for a couple hours @ Nubs on Sun. but I honestly don't think my thighs would have held me up for even one more ride. I didn't want to get sloppy or make a stupid mistake due to extreme fatigue and risk ending my season! (...I figured if I was that physically tired it was probably NOT the time to push for "Just a couple more runs!")

Oh yeah,.. I accomplished one of the goals I set for the week!! I am now riding and linking turns,.. SWITCH!!! :D :D Woo Hooo!!!

I'll post more about that later, but briefly, I could easily & comfortably get & straight ride switch as long as I was pressuring my heel edge! I was OK with heel side turns while switch, but as soon as I went for a Toe-side turn,... Disaster!! ;)

Now don't mis-understand me,.. When I say "I'm riding switch, I mean I'm riding & linking turns "Switch" like I was riding "Regular" last year,.. Pretty darned slow, occasionally jerky and nowhere near in "complete" control, and looking more than a might "Unsteady" @ times!!

But, I AM Riding it!! :D Seriously,.. I LOVE THIS FREAKIN' SPORT!!!! :thumbsup: :D :D :D :thumbsup:
 
#1,695 ·
I always want to learn how to ride switch perfectly, but I only get out a few times a year so I don't want to spend that time falling on my ass all day so I say screw it. I can ride it good enough to ride switch out of a jump and 180 back to regular, so I'll just stick with that until I have to start going slow while my kids learn and figure I can dial it in then. If I could ride 10-20 times then I would. I'm not even a weekend warrior, I'm a "have to take a vacation day during the week to ride..warrior."
 
#1,702 ·
i've always stayed in petoskey when going to highlands. there are a lot of cheap hotels to choose from and some of them have sport packages if you tell them your up north for snowboarding. only a 10-15 minute drive to highlands. plus there are a lot of bars, etc. in petoskey to hang out at night.
 
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