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How do you spend your time at the resort?

4K views 43 replies 28 participants last post by  Honey Badger 
#1 ·
Just curious how do people usually spend their day at the slopes.

I know there is people who just try to squeeze in as many runs as possible, then there are the ones that take their time, do a run and go hangout in the village, then their are the ones that study the terrain, and look for cool features to hit on, then you got the park riders.

What is your definition of a good day on the slopes?
 
#3 ·
I'm on the hill trying to get first chair. Take a couple warmup laps through whatever looks good (medium groomers, park, etc.) then it's off in search of the good stuff!

We usually break at 11:00-11:30 or so to avoid the lunch rush, and to get back out when everyone else is coming in for lunch.

Then it's into the good stuff all afternoon, only breaks are to fix part of your gear, or to catch your breath for 20 seconds on the way down, maybe snap a pic or two.

The lifts are the time to plan your next run, and if we're going to heat a new feature or run we haven't been on, while usually stake it out a little the first time.

Go as long as your legs hold out. Lately that's only been until 3:00 or so as my GF and I are both getting over boarding injuries...

I hate to say it but if I just "hung out" at the hill I'd feel like I wasted my day. My goal is to find the goods and then consume them en masse! :yahoo:
 
#4 ·
Bong&beer (in that order) in the car and frequent stops if we stay around the lift where we park :D

Ususally start with a few easy groomer laps and then it depends on the conditions.

Fresh snow = no groomers
decent groomed snow but no fresh = stick to groomers & park
no new snow & Pure shit groomers = park
 
#8 ·
I usually start early, first lift if I can. If it snowed I hike a bowl straight away on certain hills, others have lift access and get some fresh tracks before its chopped. If it didn't snow I warm up on groomers and ride as much of the hill as I can, trees, bowls and whatevers good. If I'm with my gf we stop alot, if I'm alone or with buddies I rarely stop. Quick lunch break and then I like to spend the afternoon riding greens/blues and hitting the park or if it's still good I'll continue in the trees for a bit and end in the park. I go until the guy at the bottom won't let me back on the chair... mope around for a bit and then head to the hot tub with some beers.
 
#11 ·
I go until the guy at the bottom won't let me back on the chair... mope around for a bit and then head to the hot tub with some beers.
:eusa_clap::eusa_clap::eusa_clap:

I remember a couple days last season racing to get last chair as they were closing. The days where you can hardly walk back to the truck are the best of them!

Now spring riding is different. Once the snow's gone for shit, those are the days to have a been on a Muskoka chair outside the lodge, then go out for some runs, back for another beer, repeat! I had some of my best riding days last year in May!!!
 
#9 ·
I go all the time so it really depends on the conditions and crowd I'm with. Yesterday I was with a bunch of Long Islanders out to visit, so we pretty much rode hard until they dropped.

Some days we are only up there for like 4 hours and may spend 1.5 of em in the bar - no biggie.

I'll hike to fresh when its possible, have been finding stashes and nice big lines 3-5 days after storms with some hiking at Loveland the last few weeks.
 
#10 ·
When i'm by myself i try to get there for first chair or close to it. Do a warmup on a blue, then im lapping blacks trying to get as many runs in as possible until it gets crowded and the snow is pushed off the trails. i usually try to scope out new lines from the lift or think about how i could do my previous line better if im not satisfied with it. take a lunch break around 11:00 then ride until my legs or back start to give out. im definitely pretty focused on pushing myself and getting better unless im having an off day, in that case i'll just relax and ride instead of challenging myself

when im riding with friends i like to just chill and have fun and go at whatever pace everyone is comfortable with.
 
#15 ·
Used to save the potentially edge catching drills like switch riding to the afternoons because a bad nasty edge catching plant could mean an early day retirement for me.
Now I am glad switch riding is no longer a drill for me and I could be doing primary to switch and vice versa eve
n during my first runs in the morning. Indeed took me a while to get there haha.
Now I tend to practice nose/tail presses and buttered rotations in the afternoons for similar reasons stated above. That's just me.
Yes like Poutanen I also try to catch an early lunch around 11:30 to avoid the crowd and to secure a table to unwind a little if need be, then going out to practice again even before the food reaches the small intestines (I think).
 
#16 ·
During lunch I'd like to catch a little sun out in the deck just outside the restaurant too. But there is just too much second hand smoke there. Hence decided against it everytime no matter how inviting the sun is. (Non smoker here and I take my kid to the resort with me.)
 
#17 ·
10 years ago we've been the first ones at the lift and did as many runs as possible. This changed over the years more to "quality instead of quantity". Now I prefer to do less runs but to ride them very intensely. As soon as the muscles get too tired to carve with proper aggression, we hit the snow bar now, get some beer and tan. Don't like forceless cruising anymore.
BUT as soon as there's fresh pow, we'll be the first ones up the hill again and do run after run :)
that's a perfect day for me
 
#18 · (Edited)
I start the day off by hauling ass down some blues (greens too) and enjoying the early morning conditions before it gets too slushy. Then ill start to scope out some new park lines. I break, on average, I guess once every 4-5 runs to refuel or piss etc. A pow day is different, and ill usually try to scope out some fun off-trail stuff and focus less on park.

To answer your last question, a good day for me is one where I learn a new trick or learn how to hit a new type of feature consistently. Also, any pow day.
 
#19 ·
Totally depends on the weather conditions.

Good conditions = Lapping the big park.
Bad conditions/tired/stressed = Lapping mini park.
Pow day = Head up early, run into some friends eventually and go hit epic tree runs and powder bowls all day. Usually no real plan besides ride a lot of powder and tree runs and probably stop for lunch at some point before heading back up.
Rain/whiteout fog = do 1-3 laps before giving up and going home.

I've definitely mellowed out in recent years though. It used to be a lot of heading to the park every single day and throwing down as hard as I could, but nowadays I'm happy to throw mellow 3s and 5s all day and work on new grabs and improve tweaks/style on existing tricks.

I still have some big tricks I want to check off my list, but that's more a personal goal and something to aim for on perfect park condition days.
 
#23 ·
Seeing as the vast majority of my days on the mountain are the result of day trips I usually ride till I drop. Sometimes I stop for a quick lunch but more often than not I just hit run after run after run till time is up and I have to jump back on the bus.
 
#24 ·
I like to arrive a little late to avoid all of the triple A personality types rushing for first chair. They are all pretty much over aggressive pricks who fuck up the drive to the mountain and are assholes pushing and shoving to grab first chair. Not me, I show up an hour after opening and have a super mellow day and stay till closing at 9:00 PM usually get last chair. I get way too much good fresh tracks with a splitboard to deal with a bunch of assholes at a resort fighting over first tracks.
Trouble is with some of the mountains I usually go to, if you're not there at 9:00 you're going to be walking a long way!

What is this 9:00 pm closing you speak of?!? :blink: I think there's one mountain for night boarding in Alberta, and they've got one run open...
 
#27 ·
My definition of a good day is getting there as early as possible, then going all day 'till about 10:30 for an early lunch where I avoid the crowds while cramming as much food down in as little as possible, then enjoying the hour from 12-1 where everyone's in the lodge for lunch. If the conditions are crappy, I hit the park and hurt myself as much as possible so I can rest up during the week and do it all again next weekend. :yahoo:
 
#35 ·
Yup, its possible.



Thats 80mph.
NOT ME!
My silly husband, when I'm not around.
 
#31 ·
Normally try to get to the hill around when the lift starts spinning. Warm up on a long blue of some sort (unless its a pow day out west) then lap a few blacks/double blacks. Once I have my legs warmed up I'll hit a bunch of mogul runs, unless it's super icey out. Grab lunch around 1:30 w/ a tallboy of some sort. Ride half assed the rest of the day until about 3:30-4pm due to bloated belly.
 
#32 ·
Since I separated my shoulder and got a mild concussion I've , apprehensively, cut my days short.

I'm there at first chair. Warm up with a couple of green runs. Then it's blue runs looking for natural hits, practicing spins, butters, presses or whatever I've been thinking about working on for the last 12 or so days (I take weekend trips every 2 weeks). Then it's back to the truck around 11-11:30 for lunch (I'm a cheap bastard). After lunch, I take it to the park until the sun goes down, if it's sunny, or until 5-6. I'm on the east coast and ice is just not enjoyable to me for any type of riding. Then it's back to the hotel to recharge, repeat the next day, and head home.

My son is off to college this summer, so I'll be solo a lot now. Not sure how I feel about tho...
 
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