When do people find time to ski??

[bauerb]

how can anyone on this forum say "why bother" when I say that I can only get 5-6 days of skiing per year? I grew up in VT nordic racing and ski jumping. I taught myself to Tele ski on junk when I was 12. 38 years later I still love the sport. why bother? dropping into a bowl at Snowbird? fresh tracks in knee deep powder? why train on my stair master all year long for 6 days of skiing? if you have to ask "why bother" you would not understand the answer.

[Woodserson]

In college + 3 years after, (Bozeman Montana) I skied like crazy. Then I went into the Navy (no good skiing on aircraft carriers, as it turns out, but the flying! Holy shit, it's good!) and only got in 5 or 6 days a year, if I was lucky and always thought it was worth it. So I can definitely empathize with bauerb!

Thanks for great backstory, got any pics of carrier flying?

I worked my ass off for years, years, and for a few of them I had to give up skiing altogether. Sometimes life means not skiing or skiing a few days a winter. Now though I have a midweek pass at the local hill and try to get some turns in the morning or evening. I agree with MSU, I don't have a threshold of what counts or doesn't. A smile on my face works enough.

Actually I mostly go to see my ski hill friends and socialize. Great community where I ski.

[Landscraper]

I ski from 6:45 to 7:45 every morning, I’ve taken about 8 days off this season (started after Xmas for me).

I ski a large tour on Saturdays and a small one on Sunday. Usually totaling about 22-25mi a week.

I can ski out the back door, so it’s easiest, but trails are only 5mi. away or on the way home from work.

We have no children

[bauerb]

I'm good for about 5hrs in a day. at Snowbird that was 20 runs and about 20k vertical ( my sister was using an app called Slopes)l. after a day like that, my legs are jello and I'm basically sideslipping parallel turns the last run because my legs won't do what they are told.

btw, the app showed about 1:45 waiting in line, about 1:30 on the lift, and 2hrs going downhill. kind of interesting to see the stats.

[Woodserson]

Those are the kinds of stats that might make me cringe. Like tracking how much time I spend at red lights, or in lines at the grocery store.

[MSU Alum]

In college + 3 years after, (Bozeman Montana) I skied like crazy. Then I went into the Navy (no good skiing on aircraft carriers, as it turns out, but the flying! Holy shit, it's good!) and only got in 5 or 6 days a year, if I was lucky and always thought it was worth it. So I can definitely empathize with bauerb!

Thanks for great backstory, got any pics of carrier flying?

I worked my ass off for years, years, and for a few of them I had to give up skiing altogether. Sometimes life means not skiing or skiing a few days a winter. Now though I have a midweek pass at the local hill and try to get some turns in the morning or evening. I agree with MSU, I don't have a threshold of what counts or doesn't. A smile on my face works enough.

Actually I mostly go to see my ski hill friends and socialize. Great community where I ski.

I'll post some in the
"Off topic section"

I did have to eject out of an A-4 Skyhawk when it blew up (after someone ran into me) It's best told when we both are drunk, though!

Here's one for the road....when I was an adversary instructor in the F-16N and had some hair....and the obligatory 1980's mustache!

[fisheater]

I live in SE Mi. Back in the days when I was a concrete contractor I had time in the winter. Back then I skied mostly nights, and I bought a season pass in August. I used ski 3 nights a week minimum. Then I became a ski instructor, and skied for free about the same amount of time.
I kept skiing the same way the first year my son was born in mid November. However the next season I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pull myself away, my little buddy wanted me around. I had the next ten years off, as the big recession had me on the road for 1 1/2 years of a 3 year period.
In 2011 I took a low paying job just to be home. I had seen an early pair of waxless XCD skis in Marquette, Mi in the nineties. Without time to instruct, no money for season passes, I did some research and bought some 112’s and T4’s with bonus money.
I had a couple good winters for weekend skiing on God’s snow. I started making a little more money and started taking my son to the local hill a few weekends the next couple years. That advanced to weekend season passes ($99) at a northern Michigan ski hill for my son and myself. Then the last two winters have hit me hard. So far this year two weekends on God’s snow locally, and two weekends north with my son. We could have gone north more, but at 17 he isn’t super easy to schedule.
Weather man is calling for 4” Wednesday, it’s supposed to stay cold. Maybe I will be able to ski on the gravel trails at the local park this Saturday. Had not we had a melt the past two days 4” is all I would need to cover the layer of ice on those trails. If I’m fortunate and we get more I can ski my single track and my couple of single track accessed downhills. My favorite is “The Place Where Sleds and Toboggans Go to Die”. I didn’t ski it last year either. We had snow, however work and other responsibilities kept me away when the snow was there.
I am waiting for the snow, if not I will take a couple weekends north.
Life is good, my family and I are healthy. I really hope for snow, but it will or won’t no matter how hard I hope. My Mom used to say, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” I tell my son, “The secret to being happy, is being happy with what you have.”
I sure enjoy channeling a little skiing energy here. It’s kept the battery charged these past two winters.

[MSU Alum]

I live in SE Mi. Back in the days when I was a concrete contractor I had time in the winter. Back then I skied mostly nights, and I bought a season pass in August. I used ski 3 nights a week minimum. Then I became a ski instructor, and skied for free about the same amount of time.
I kept skiing the same way the first year my son was born in mid November. However the next season I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pull myself away, my little buddy wanted me around. I had the next ten years off, as the big recession had me on the road for 1 1/2 years of a 3 year period.
In 2011 I took a low paying job just to be home. I had seen an early pair of waxless XCD skis in Marquette, Mi in the nineties. Without time to instruct, no money for season passes, I did some research and bought some 112’s and T4’s with bonus money.
I had a couple good winters for weekend skiing on God’s snow. I started making a little more money and started taking my son to the local hill a few weekends the next couple years. That advanced to weekend season passes ($99) at a northern Michigan ski hill for my son and myself. Then the last two winters have hit me hard. So far this year two weekends on God’s snow locally, and two weekends north with my son. We could have gone north more, but at 17 he isn’t super easy to schedule.
Weather man is calling for 4” Wednesday, it’s supposed to stay cold. Maybe I will be able to ski on the gravel trails at the local park this Saturday. Had not we had a melt the past two days 4” is all I would need to cover the layer of ice on those trails. If I’m fortunate and we get more I can ski my single track and my couple of single track accessed downhills. My favorite is “The Place Where Sleds and Toboggans Go to Die”. I didn’t ski it last year either. We had snow, however work and other responsibilities kept me away when the snow was there.
I am waiting for the snow, if not I will take a couple weekends north.
Life is good, my family and I are healthy. I really hope for snow, but it will or won’t no matter how hard I hope. My Mom used to say, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” I tell my son, “The secret to being happy, is being happy with what you have.”
I sure enjoy channeling a little skiing energy here. It’s kept the battery charged these past two winters.

This is what it's about!

[12gaugesage]

In college + 3 years after, (Bozeman Montana) I skied like crazy. Then I went into the Navy (no good skiing on aircraft carriers, as it turns out, but the flying! Holy shit, it's good!) and only got in 5 or 6 days a year, if I was lucky and always thought it was worth it. So I can definitely empathize with bauerb!

Thanks for great backstory, got any pics of carrier flying?

I worked my ass off for years, years, and for a few of them I had to give up skiing altogether. Sometimes life means not skiing or skiing a few days a winter. Now though I have a midweek pass at the local hill and try to get some turns in the morning or evening. I agree with MSU, I don't have a threshold of what counts or doesn't. A smile on my face works enough.

Actually I mostly go to see my ski hill friends and socialize. Great community where I ski.

I'll post some in the
"Off topic section"

I did have to eject out of an A-4 Skyhawk when it blew up (after someone ran into me) It's best told when we both are drunk, though!

Here's one for the road....when I was an adversary instructor in the F-16N and had some hair....and the obligatory 1980's mustache!

F-16 guy.jpg

Holy crap, your my hero! Thank you for your service! I had a big f16 poster on my wall growing up in the 80s/90s, love that plane. All I've ever flown is rc unfortunately, kiting and paragliding is in my future though.

[12gaugesage]

I live in a ski town, you can't go 5mi in any direction without encountering some sort of ski trail, be it DH, XC or BC, makes it easy. I usually get a few sessions after work with the headlamp, then something bigger on the weekends. Basically every chance I get.
Sometimes I lie to my friends, family or boss to get it done, fuckem, I'm going skiing.