Not sure what to make of this new development.
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Not sure what to make of this new development.
I blame the Colorado snowpack.
It's the snowpack, I have the same affliction. You just need a few good ol' fashioned pow days to bring you back around.
Holy shit no kidding. That 10 minute deep powder, so-easy-to-turn run I had yesterday brought much clarity.
I'm in the same boat as you. I think a lot of it has to do with accessibility from my new house and the fact I don't have to plan my whole day around driving to go ski... but I also enjoy a sweet 20-mile XC ride now just as much as a good powder day.
It's the last two years I keep hoping, but the snowpack doesn't seem to be bumming out the traffic piece.
NYE got deepest turns on Mirk rope drop in 18 months. They were sexy, but with the hike and the run out it was a little, eh. Rode my mtn bike on trails around Evergreen NYD from my house. Saturday it took me close to 1.5 hours to drive to LL, 37 miles from my driveway to the lot. Skied with my kids until about 2:00, came home and rode the cross bike. Sunday rode mtn bike...
The nice thing about biking is its never really conditions dependent. Certainly can't say that about skiing.
I might be in the same category these days as well.
Two things I like about biking - you can squeeze in a good ride without having to plan your entire day around it (as mentioned), yet you can also dedicate an entire road trip to biking and incorporate some sick camping adventure action into the day/night.
Yep. Instead of skiing last weekend went to Pueblo and rode at the reservoir. Dry and warm. Way more funnerer than ice+crowds+traffic.
You should have cut your travel time down to nothing and ridden the gnar of Niwot and Lafayette with me on Sunday. I got 15 miles of hardcore dirt trails mixed in with about two miles of singletrack, all from my driveway. (just the thought of driving I-70 these days is curdling my blood)
This thread sucks. Ya'll need to come to your senses
In each of the 18 months I've been on the front range I've ridden an appreciable amount. By far most recreational bang for buck/trouble. Still ski for pow but when conditions aren't favorable I don't stress and pine for deep snow, I just get the brown pow jones. ...want to buy my firebird?:biggrin:
The first ride I took on the Ironhorse Sunday I now own was at Winter Park this summer. Funny that my initial thought was "this is the first time biking has ever felt like skiing". Learning to jump a DH bike at on lift serve terrain is pretty damn fun, and while I'll never be as comfortable on a bike as I am on skis, I really prefer the bike when it comes to resorts.
Lucky for me I get to think of both when I wonder into my little shed to grab the BC boards and see the DH rig in the corner.
I'm starting to feel the same way, and we have good snow and terrain real close. For me it has a lot to do with my knees. They hurt when I ski and I'm always afraid anymore (bad decisions in my youth, as you can see). I'm afraid on the DH bike but I get more thrill out of less.
If you asked me five or ten years ago, I would have given up riding in a heartbeat for the endless winter. Between the way the new bikes go up and down, and mixing it up with DH and jumping, I feel like I could ride year round and not miss skiing much. Been kinda wanting to get into BMX again for the winter months. Am I crazy?
A good 20 inch pow day is still titties though.
i like skiing pow better than any biking but i do prefer not having to get up so damn early to get first lift. dirt doesn't get tracked out. that and the beer tastes a lot better after biking. :)
I hear you. Since living in NJ I have deluded myself into the belief that MTB is better than skiing. It gonna be 55 today and I am about to head out for a nice long ride.
BUT, I did have a dream last night about skiing epic blower. The snow was so good I almost cried lol.
As fun as biking is, I'm just better on a board. And having ridden a 22" day at Baker a few weeks ago, hucking cliffs, shredding pow, and blasting lines bell to bell, non stop, all in the presence of good company, I really like snowboarding. I had almost forgotten, what with our crappy back to back season situation. But honestly, getting good pow days on bottomless base where you can just let it rip and follow your own lines, rather than a predetermined singletrack is where it's at.
But riding a bike is fun too.
Riding motorcross is better than both.
The best days skiing are better than MTB, no question. You can float, fly, huck, and go so much bigger and faster than on a bike, it's insane.
But those days only come a few times a year.
Mtb is almost always awesome. I will always love skiing, but mtb is more reliably fun. It's always an 8" pow day on my DH bike.
Well said feel the same way.
I'm solidly in the mtb-ing more than skiing camp these days. The drive to Kirkwood over the years has killed my enthusiasm and there isn't that much I want to strive to accomplish on skis anymore. MTB however, I can ride from my front door all year, tons of my friends ride all year, and I have more motivation / reasons to ride these days.
We get older. We change. Life continues to be good regardless.
There is also the technical aspect of mtb that I don't get with skiing. I love cracking a beer and setting up in my garage for a few hours to wrench on my bike. I love geeking out over new tech and putting together mock builds of bikes that I can't afford.
Plus, the DH World Cup is pretty much my favorite sport. Love getting up on a Sunday morning, cooking a killer breakfast, and watching the race.
Bikes fucking rule.
I tell all the people that aren't around in the summer here how they are missing out. This winter I am working more so I can ride more next summer.
Have to say I'm getting to be more on the fence now myself (for many of the same reasons mentioned by others above). Having a good trail system five minutes from the door is a big factor in this. The one thing that is a negative with mtb'ing is that there is basicly no such thing as a minor fall on a mtb.
I've been more trashed from from crashes at 2mph on a mtb than from some huge whippers I've done on skis.
I think the Particle man nailed it. Although if I lived as close to a chairlift or a good place for a skin track as I do mtn bike trails, I might sing a different tune.
Skiing = the better I got the less I rode cause I now only want to go when it's perfect
Biking = the better I get the more I go whenever I can go
this is true
I am still improving on bikes, it seems. Makes me feel young again.
I have had some days that rival the best of powder daze. Big bikes floating downhill is pretty cool stuff.
Still, if I had my choice... steep, deep (safe) powder would win 4 out of 7 days of the week, and the other 3 days on bikes.
all followed by teh beerz
It's like getting a BJ vs beating it.
I can beat it every day for years, but a good BJ will be what stands out.
I think the following "graphic" should clear up any confusion -
seeing your mom naked < road biking < getting kicked in the nuts < crosscountry biking < groomers < crosscountry biking (with air) < bad sex < resort biking (DH/park) < freeride biking < good sex < powder < hucking shit into powder < your mind just got blown sex while melting face
Note that on the continuum these don't necessarily sit right next to each other. e.g. getting kicked in the nuts is only slightly better than road biking, but crosscountry biking is heaps better than said nut kicking, and might be better than most groomer days. You will see the lack of moguls, park (skis or board), and cycle touring on that list. That's cause I suck at the first, don't do the second, and dream about the third.
Also, there is something pow-like when you get that rear end whipping off a jump and land half sideways, punch a berm really well, or hit that point of hyper concentration while maching down Porcupine Rim. Shit, MTB might be winning...
Actually, Particle nailed it, carry on.
It's hard to beat a powder day but as I'm getting older I like warmer weather more than the cold. Biking seems so much more easier and simple and combining it with camping road trips is hard to beat. I love the whooped feeling I get from just three or four hour rides. This is why I made the move from Jackson to Flagstaff 10 years ago and even though I jones for deep snow this place is paradise for me.
Okay.......one of you guys finally admits this. I feel better now. For years I genuinely believed anyone who drove that much on a regular basis to ski was certifiably insane. Pretty sure casey still is because he drives even further.
Yeah that must nice. I've still got about 3 decades of practice to go before I'll ever feel that way :DQuote:
and there isn't that much I want to strive to accomplish on skis anymore.
I miss skiing.
You can't say you like MTB better until you've eaten dirt.
Glad I'm not the only one that this is happening to. I thought i was weird or something.