Advice from Skiers

blueeyes said:
@powderglut

I have no interest in a split board but if you all are more serious about being in the back country than a ski resort and don't know how to downhill definitely check that out. People tend to pick up snowboarding easier than skiing.

Avalanche class a must
Helmet wear it always
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Splitboarding is the answer! :D I am glad I learned to ski. It makes skinning, kick turns, and skating across the flats a breeze while touring.

I always wear a helmet. If I break my leg or arm they can fix that. If I break my brain its over. Not that mine is in that great of shape anyways. :giggle:

Yes, definitely get the training. This video is a great introduction to what you need to be thinking about if you are going to travel in avalanche terrain.
 
blueeyes said:
@powderglut you have skills and when you have skills you can ski anything on anything. A newbee or newbish to downhill skiing probably shouldn't try skiing on whatever where ever. Equipment has come a long way and should be picked for what you specifically intend to use it for the most.]

@blueeyes I will agree with you, that I have gained skills over many years of playing on all kinds of equipment. But..... When I first started out, I was completely clueless. All my buddies were pro patrol from Killington Vt. I had no skiing skills at all back then. I fell down a lot trying to follow them around, but had the attitude that I'd learn if I kept at it. We eventually did a little touring on skinny wood skis, and I said to the boys why don't we huff it up that one clean powdery hill and ski down? They said you don't do that on these skis. And I said,why not? They slide don't they? So we did and it was fun.....I guess that's when we decided that there really are no rules. Just do it.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, you don't have to get all the best AT gear or tele gear, to still go out and have fun. I'm sure the learning curve would probably happen a liitle faster with the newer fatter skis. But not completely necessary. Just like floating down a river, you can go inner tube, duckie, kayak or small and giant rafts. Even life preserver. Go out and have fun and have a good attitude. Yee haw!!
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Dr Nebz said:
Yes, definitely get the training. This video is a great introduction to what you need to be thinking about if you are going to travel in avalanche terrain.
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I watched CAIC skin up one of the slopes on Loveland Pass and dig a pit Sunday. For some reason I thought they relied on crowdsourced info, but apparently they have their own personnel/trucks/gear. Was neat to watch.

Meanwhile ABasin was lobbing mortars at the cliffs, lol.
 
@swmalone I'd like to make one more point. There are plenty of mellow and less steep pitches to find in the back country, where you can find untracked snow and do laps on. See my avatar. You do not need to venture into avalanche terrain to start off. Find some areas that are easy to ski into. Hills with a few hundred vertical feet (NE faces are usually best) and put a skin track up it and do laps. We have a lot of this terrain on Rabbit Ears Pass above Steamboat Springs. I'm sure you can find some in your area.
Don't get me wrong... Avalanche gear and safety are a huge part of the backcountry scene. But you really should stay away from those areas until you gain some skill. This is classic backcountry "earn your turns" Skiing. The best part is looking back up the slope and admiring your tracks, and then..... going back up to do another run. Once you start to go bigger and steeper, is when you will need to get a shovel, probe, beacon and as much avalanche knowledge as possible. Meantime find some easy hills and have fun.:twothumbs:
 
powderglut said:
I'd suggest renting the stuff to see how well you like it.
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Although I agree with this statement, just know that most places will not rent AT gear. At least, that's what I found last year when I was wanting to do the same thing. I asked a couple of places and was told it is too much of a liability to rent out the equipment, not knowing where you are going to take it. If you rent an AT setup and then get hurt in the backcountry, they don't want that liability. At least when you are renting "traditional" downhill skis they know you are most likely skiing in-bounds at the resort.

That said, rent some skis at the resort and decide if you like skiing in the first place. Maybe even give it a few seasons first, then decide if you want to take that leap to an AT ski package.
 
MikeM said:
Although I agree with this statement, just know that most places will not rent AT gear. At least, that's what I found last year when I was wanting to do the same thing. I asked a couple of places and was told it is too much of a liability to rent out the equipment, not knowing where you are going to take it. If you rent an AT setup and then get hurt in the backcountry, they don't want that liability. At least when you are renting "traditional" downhill skis they know you are most likely skiing in-bounds at the resort.

That said, rent some skis at the resort and decide if you like skiing in the first place. Maybe even give it a few seasons first, then decide if you want to take that leap to an AT ski package.
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We have at least 2 shops in our town that rent out AT gear. Maybe more. The trend is slowly moving away from tele gear. A shop like Steamboat Ski Haus has rented both types for years with no rules on where you take it. People use it for 10th Mt hut trips, backcountry skiing, even skinning up the ski area. Seriously.... I don't know of any liability for where you choose to go. That part is out of their hands.
AT is becoming a very big niche in the ski industry. Especially with all the accessories that go along with the gear for avalanche safety. I work in a shop 3 days a week and there are no rules for where you can go except sliding on bare pavement. Good luck finding gear.
 
In the Salt Lake valley, a lot of shops rent AT gear. I know for sure the University of Utah rents it, Desert Rose (RIP) rented it while still open. I'm pretty sure Wasatch Touring rents it as well.
 
I will say that it's probably significantly easier to learn to downhill ski (or snowboard) at a ski area than it is in the backcountry. Reason is just volume/reps. In a full day of touring, you'll maybe get three or four runs in. In a full day at a ski area, you can get 30-40 runs in. So, assuming you actually want to be able to ski downhill (either telemark or alpine), learn in-bounds for a season and then take it to the BC the next season.
 
Interesting to hear you all have so many options for AT gear to rent. Maybe it is just our little town, but when I asked around it seemed no one in this part of Montana rented anything but downhill or XC gear.

I went ahead and bought an AT package last year anyway, but it would have been nice to rent once or twice to get an idea of what I did or did not like before purchasing.
 
LarryBoy said:
Hmmm you're right; that seems like a lot unless you just lap the shortest chair over and over.
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I chain run for 3/3.5h usually, and my legs are destroyed. That usually nets me around twenty runs, though these aren’t the speediest lifts around for sure. 40’s probably doable with a lunch break and a twenty-something’s body.
 
Wanderlust073 said:
I chain run for 3/3.5h usually, and my legs are destroyed. That usually nets me around twenty runs, though these aren’t the speediest lifts around for sure. 40’s probably doable with a lunch break and a twenty-something’s body.
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But that leaves no time for a few beers at lunch time...
 
Wanderlust073 said:
I chain run for 3/3.5h usually, and my legs are destroyed. That usually nets me around twenty runs, though these aren’t the speediest lifts around for sure. 40’s probably doable with a lunch break and a twenty-something’s body.
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My first year on skis, I didn't properly appreciate just how tired skiing makes your legs. I skied a couple days open to close, all out, as hard as I could. That was... unpleasant by time closing time rolled around :)
 
LarryBoy said:
My first year on skis, I didn't properly appreciate just how tired skiing makes your legs. I skied a couple days open to close, all out, as hard as I could. That was... unpleasant by time closing time rolled around :)
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With lift tickets as much as they are, that's the only way to do it.
 
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