Dismal Season

[Steeps]

dont mean to brag but im on day 86

You ride Whistler, don't you? Didn't your hill shut down right after this brag? They all seemed to show up at the Horse the next weekend.

The season closed out with MORE powder... nothing super epic but a series of decent dumps and full coverage everywhere. After missing mid-season, I hit the hill Sat/Sun for the last few weeks and feel like the season was redeemed. Crossed off one goal for the season on the first run of closing day: Drop from gondola top to base in under 5 min. Made it in 4:10 like a shotgun! Not sure if I'll post the video publicly, I have a feeling patrol might not like it so much, especially since you can almost make out the SLOW signs near the bottom of the hill. Will have to break 4 minutes next season. Speed lapped Coffin Trees near the end of the day in 7:14, which is way more technical, starts from a higher point and involves a short hike... I really don't think it would be possible to do it that fast on anything except skiboards.

Finished the season sitting in the sun at the top after the hill closed until patrol gave us a polite 'leave in the next 20 min', then mob lapped down with a good crew of friends (and found more fresh powder). I'm satisfied enough with this dismal season, and counting the days till the next (hopefully more normal) one.

Anyways, there's always the 7 in a month or so. Didn't have time to hit it last year, and am damn well getting it this time!

[slow]

I know your pain. I've had two episodes of blood clots in my legs and lungs. The first time I came as close to death as it gets and was put on blood thinners for six months. Five years later, I had my second episode. The second time wasn't as bad, but now I'm on thinners for life. Not fun!

Hang in there!

You are very lucky fella!


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[slow]

Hi Slow, nice to hear from you, and sorry your season was less than stellar.

I tore my ACL right at the start of the season. I'm post surgery now and rehabbing to get back to the activities I enjoy,

If there was a season to miss, this was the one.

I hope your recovery is going well and you can enjoy the outdoors soon.


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[shortydude]

I know your pain. I've had two episodes of blood clots in my legs and lungs. The first time I came as close to death as it gets and was put on blood thinners for six months. Five years later, I had my second episode. The second time wasn't as bad, but now I'm on thinners for life. Not fun!

Hang in there!

Make sure you have a couple packs of blood clotting powder in your first aid kit.
I keep a severe bleeding trauma kit fastened to the outside of my first aid kits,
consisting of:

EMT scissors
2 tourniquets (folded for single hand use)
curved & straight 5" hemostats
2 packs clotting powder
2 sets of chest seals
gauze, wrap & tape.

The idea is that if the victim is conscience and not in further danger to stabilize severe bleeding first. The rest of the first aid kit can be used without the same time pressure.

Clotting powder can be purchased over the counter at just about any drug store. They carry it for hemophiliacs and people on blood thinners.

[Bad Wolf]

Hi Slow, nice to hear from you, and sorry your season was less than stellar.

I tore my ACL right at the start of the season. I'm post surgery now and rehabbing to get back to the activities I enjoy,

If there was a season to miss, this was the one.

[sempai]

I came down with COVID at the end of November, which put me out of commission for two weeks. A week after that, feeling very tired, I was admitted to the hospital were they said I had pneumonia and blood clots in my lungs! The doctor put me on a blood thinner for 3-6 months and said, "No skiing." This all happened before ski season started locally. So yeah...

I know your pain. I've had two episodes of blood clots in my legs and lungs. The first time I came as close to death as it gets and was put on blood thinners for six months. Five years later, I had my second episode. The second time wasn't as bad, but now I'm on thinners for life. Not fun!

Hang in there!

[Ukuvox]

dont mean to brag...

Proceeds to brag. LOL!

[Roussel]

dont mean to brag but im on day 86

[slow]

Glad to read that you were able to pull out of a serious situation. Next season will be better.


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[Ukuvox]

I came down with COVID at the end of November, which put me out of commission for two weeks. A week after that, feeling very tired, I was admitted to the hospital were they said I had pneumonia and blood clots in my lungs! The doctor put me on a blood thinner for 3-6 months and said, "No skiing." This all happened before ski season started locally. So yeah...

Big Picture: It's weird to think about, but I'm fortunate to not only be alive, but to be doing as well as I am.

Small Picture: Man, what I wouldn't give to have a dismal season rather than no season at all.

[Steeps]

I hope everyone's season was better than mine.

My only day riding this season was yesterday and the local resorts are closing after today. With only online ticket sales in limited quantities, it was near impossible to get out. And with a two week quarantine upon return if travelling outside our province, we had to cancel our Banff trip last month.

Hmph, the Albertans have been popping out here constantly for day trips with no concern for quarantine... more day tickets than passholders in the lineup most days.

I've had a dismal season, but not that dismal. It's mostly been due to being overly busy with the new house (had a 6 week gap where I didn't go at all). The gondola lines have been terrible even when it's not particularly busy, as it's only cohorts or a maximum of 2 if you're not with a group. It's a pain when you don't have a full day to ride.

I've been trying to get in a few more partial days lately - season is ending April 4 - but it's hard to get many runs in, and rare to run into friends on the weekends. I'll probably bag 20 'days' this season, but many of those have been 2 gondy days (managed a 13 gondy-ride day last season). I'm estimating that I've done 20% or less of my typical vertical for the season, and never managed to get my core fitness up to snuff.


At least my pass photo was sweet this year... screw 2020, I let the 'stache buck for a month and took the Spliffs back to the 70's:




The good news? I've got a sweet new skiboard shack with room for guests next season, and my next door neighbour has two cabins for rent right beside it if necessary. So, if travel restrictions are gone and anyone wants to come ride the Horse, a big mountain meetup would be quite doable. Would also be up for a Powder Highway trip (Red, Whitewater, Revy, Kicking Horse) if anyone's interested... Red's convenient from Spokane for Americans flying in, the Horse is a similar distance from Calgary.

[ysb33r]

Sounds like you tried to make the most of it sempai. Hopefully we will be able to meet up next season.

There are a number of us hoping for a better 2021/22 season and that Shredfest can happen again. If so, I suspect it would be well attended.

[slow]

Sounds like you tried to make the most of it sempai. Hopefully we will be able to meet up next season.

[sempai]

Hey Slow,

Glad you were able to have a great day yesterday. We got out for the first time last week. We took a trip up to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. We went to four different hills, Nubs Nob, Crystal Mountain, Boyne Mountain, and Boyne Highlands. We had never been to any of these places before. Conditions were pretty dismal because they had just had a couple weeks of warm weather. There were a lot of bare spots and some runs were no longer open. Day one at Nubs was sunny and warm so the snow was slushy and slow, but at night it hardened and was faster. Day two at Crystal was sunny and even warmer and slushier. Day three at Boyne Mt. was cloudy, and it rained lightly off and on during the day. The runs at night got pretty hard and slick. Day four at Boyne Highlands it was cloudy and super windy. The snow was variable in spots, bare, slush, hard, and pools of water here and there. We even had to ski around fallen branches and different debris that had blown onto the runs. One run had a tree blown over on it. Later in the day, the skies cleared and the wind calmed down. Night conditions were horrendous as the snow became rock-solid. Even though conditions were far from ideal, we still had a good time. It was just nice to get away and ski again.

Next season we all need to get back on the slopes together.

[slow]

That is our hope. It would be fun to ride with everyone again.
Enjoy the rest of your season Jack (and Liz).


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