2019/2020 Midwest Stoke Thread

[uglymoney]

Be here the next two days. Plenty of room to distance on the 6 pack.

I'm the same way with March but no shot and less hopefull than ever I will get one by then. Just too stressful without I think unless something changes.

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[The Tortoise]

It must be quieter without the people from Ontario visiting. I have a few friends in Thunder Bay who day tripped there quite a bit.

[uglymoney]

Lutsen night hike. Minus 6 F with wind. Superior Hiking trail runs right through here.

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[Beach Bum]

It's like the beach at the Basin except I know everyone. It can get to be wack o mole ducking away from the close talkers so I park a bit away to retreat if more than a couple three peeps distance and space is needed. They opened a roughed in outdoor bar across the river road with a fire pit and beers, bloodies, burgers. Grab a chair and a run if the 3 line fades.

Chestnut doesn't have covid mask enforcers but management believes in science and has good protos in place so that trickles down from the top. It seems like the once a years and occasional weekend warriors are the worst offenders so avoiding lines when it is busy is best.

Sundown, from what I see online, just plays lip service to protocols but sells tickets into oblivion and it looks to me what trickles down from the top is they don't give a shit about massive lines or masks and they have all the lodges and bars wide open. I'm not feeling like giving them my money this year. Caveat is I haven't actually skied there this year but I believe what I am hearing and seeing. On top of all that they are selling a super cheap weekend only pass again this year. The most ass backwards thing ever. So just a total clusterfuck of weekenders.

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I like that area at the base, great people watching on wipeouts coming down Apache. Everyone is praising it but I wonder if they can keep that concession and fire pit area long term.

The only thing I see preventing it could be the rail and the crude cars that come whizzing by every hour. There was a derailment not far from there like five years ago. It's almost too close for comfort, but at same time pretty sweet to be there drinking a beer watching a train and the river on one side and looking up at the face of Chestnut on the other.

Looking like several snow chances this upcoming week, hoping to spend much of the week up there skiing / working.

[yeahman]

Lutsen today FKNA. Daughter ripping a line down Moose. Cold as snot piss but 100 percent ski on chairs. Nobody breathing on us or poaching our fall line. Ski in ski out. No clusterfuck. Brought all of our food and drink from home. No hassle. So pretty.

Also my 77 yo hippy mom bought me a Whatvest for Xmas. Today was the first day I have needed it. Skis super nice.



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That looks sweet! Skied Lutsen many times growing up. Our friends had a condo near Tofte. Love that part of Minnesota.

[uglymoney]

Thanks YM. Beach Bum we are back home as of midnight last night after skiing to the bell at Lutsen yesterday. Plan is to get Nutty Friday night and Sunday morning this weekend.

Speaking of the Nut, JW makes some decent films in between spinning my brain freeze with wild chairlift tales of tinfoil laden pseudo science. This video on the other hand, is rooted in an actual measurable 475 feet of vertical reality, and it features our very own Yetiman.

https://vimeo.com/500069906




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[Beach Bum]

Great video. Love watching that stuff about Chestnut, and props for highlighting Warpath. His videos on Bohemia TV are awesome. The other year I was searching for stuff online on Warpath and just not that much there. But reality is it's easily top 3 in most difficult in the Midwest with vertical of 400+...maybe outside of Bohemia which I'm yet to ski.

Skied the Dragon at Whitecap last year and it was fun, much shorter, different. Warpath can be more difficult especially taking the line closer to the Apache quad. Still, that side of Whitecap from Dragon and left (facing it) is some of the hardest and best terrain in the Midwest.

Haven't skied the Lutsen plunge runs but they are super short. The rest of Lutsen is less difficult. Vertical Drop at Powderhorn is fun and hard but much shorter. West Winnebago at Indianhead isn't as steep and much shorter. Maybe Damnation at La Crosse comes close but the actual steep pitch has less vertical than Warpath.

Don't recall anything at Boyne hills or Nub's being as steep. Blackjack has some fun blacks but nothing close to as hard as Warpath.

Haha maybe I'm biased but I've skied it 100+ times and skiing up to it where you just see the river because the drop off is so steep is heart pumping every time.

Uglymoney - how's your daughter on Warpath, can she ski it no problem? My third grader isn't as good based on videos I recall seeing from last season, but she skis diamonds and double diamonds any other place we've been to of late in the Midwest. She's yet to ski Warpath apart from one time and falling and yelling at me last year. My goal is to get her on it, she's skied Eagle a ton and Mineshaft some. Just need the right conditions.

[uglymoney]

She hauls ass down Warpath. She is in 5th grade now with a bunch of years on race team and pretty solid everywhere. I wish Chestnut had a winch cat. They can't groom it if it is too warm or too cold.

The shots on the backside of Moose weren't open. I skied on one of them years ago. They are legit.

I'm in Brahma 82's. Green pants and either a yellow coat or a blue green down coat. Alltrack at base with black out plates. Come bum a beer off of me. Just no close talking

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[Harry]

Hey axebiker & uglymoney,
Mind if I post some MIDWEST STOKE ?

I’m in northern Wisconsin this season instead of Big Sky. My mom is 93 and needed help getting through the COVID lockdown. I got out of the house today and went to Christie Mountain in Bruce WI. Fun little area, 350 ft vertical. Only one chairlift was running, and there were at least 3 rope tows. They must have a winch cat because there were several fairly steep runs that were flawless corduroy. I had a blast. I am a beater by Big Sky standards so it was fun to be the legit Best Skier On The Mountain for a day. I do have to say, the place has a great terrain park and there were some really talented people sending it in there.

Temp was +10F, I got cold around 1pm so I headed over to the Blue Hills Nordic trail for 2 hours of aerobic work. All in all, a fun day in the Midwest.

https://www.christiemountain.com






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[ill-advised strategy]

Harry if you get up north let me know, I’d love to meet up.

Couldn’t deal with wrod anymore.
Went for tiny itty bitty turns on the little mqt bc skis.

[Harry]

Harry if you get up north let me know, I’d love to meet up.

Hell yeah. I would love to meet up with you.



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[yeahman]

Hell yeah. I would love to meet up with you.



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Yah go visit IAS while you're in the neighborhood. Good on ya Harry for looking after your ma. I have been to Christie. Looks nice. I think you brought the snow to the midwest with you, mayor. Your constituents are not pleased. [emoji3]

[uglymoney]

Harry glad to see you are making the best of your stay up there. Beautiful country either way. Turns are turns.

Flagged down Beach Bum and his friend at the Nut today. They were working hard putting some laps in. A couple fresh overnight so it was soft and fun today and much needed for the wife and I. Had to bump up from the 82's to the 88's.

Could be the place to be Tuesday. I'll be slaving at work though almost certainly.



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[skuff]

Non vertical... skiing(?)




Colder than a witches boob in a brass bra out there

[Mustonen]

Great video. Love watching that stuff about Chestnut, and props for highlighting Warpath. His videos on Bohemia TV are awesome. The other year I was searching for stuff online on Warpath and just not that much there. But reality is it's easily top 3 in most difficult in the Midwest with vertical of 400+...maybe outside of Bohemia which I'm yet to ski.

Skied the Dragon at Whitecap last year and it was fun, much shorter, different. Warpath can be more difficult especially taking the line closer to the Apache quad. Still, that side of Whitecap from Dragon and left (facing it) is some of the hardest and best terrain in the Midwest.

Haven't skied the Lutsen plunge runs but they are super short. The rest of Lutsen is less difficult. Vertical Drop at Powderhorn is fun and hard but much shorter. West Winnebago at Indianhead isn't as steep and much shorter. Maybe Damnation at La Crosse comes close but the actual steep pitch has less vertical than Warpath.

Don't recall anything at Boyne hills or Nub's being as steep. Blackjack has some fun blacks but nothing close to as hard as Warpath.

If we’re listing up Midwest resorts with challenging (albeit short) terrain, Ripley should be on your list. I haven’t skied Chestnut, though it’s on MY list.... but compared to blackjack or nub’s...

[uglymoney]

Chestnut holds up pretty well considering where it is at. Nobody argues it is the end all. We are a long way south and it more or less faces west so when the Sun moves north every spring or we get what have become ever more frequent rain events down here it can get pretty ice coasty. When you ski the circuit and then go back to Chestnut it just seems steeper. I can turn all the way to the bottom. Chair 3 all day long. The carnage watching on Warpath needs its own Instagram. Some days it just never ends but then you can still go ski it and be alone.

Also it is just far enough from a big city to keep from being overwhelmed with people but just close enough to stay in business and have decent infrastructure.

Blackjack looks like a blast. Never skied it but did stop by once after skiing Indianhead.

Also, powder day. Beach Bum?

[ill-advised strategy]

If we’re listing up Midwest resorts with challenging (albeit short) terrain, Ripley should be on your list. I haven’t skied Chestnut, though it’s on MY list.... but compared to blackjack or nub’s...

Sunday in Marquette:
Me: I've been considering just going full on Ripley next year.
Guy: I dunno. I’ve been there, I didn’t like it.
Me: really? Just the drive? What’s not to like?
Guy: Everything there is too steep.
Me: gotcha

[Mustonen]

Sunday in Marquette:
Me: I've been considering just going full on Ripley next year.
Guy: I dunno. I’ve been there, I didn’t like it.
Me: really? Just the drive? What’s not to like?
Guy: Everything there is too steep.
Me: gotcha

Hah. I hear that a lot. Yeah, it’s a steep little hill. Lots of off piste. And the snow is better. Small, though....

The long apron at the bottom of pretty much every run is nice for long fast turns after the steep spots, but messes me up when I go out west because I’m not used to having to control speed on the steep pitches.

[chicken feathers]

spring corn days were the best
afternoons were country club skiing
almost no lines
almost no one on the hill

[skuff]

~9" of snow fell yesterday and I went looking for leftovers today. Sunny and 19*

Obvious Chute was schralped





Bee's Trees were still holding the goods



bloom where you're planted

[Beach Bum]

Chestnut holds up pretty well considering where it is at. Nobody argues it is the end all. We are a long way south and it more or less faces west so when the Sun moves north every spring or we get what have become ever more frequent rain events down here it can get pretty ice coasty. When you ski the circuit and then go back to Chestnut it just seems steeper. I can turn all the way to the bottom. Chair 3 all day long. The carnage watching on Warpath needs its own Instagram. Some days it just never ends but then you can still go ski it and be alone.

Also it is just far enough from a big city to keep from being overwhelmed with people but just close enough to stay in business and have decent infrastructure.

Blackjack looks like a blast. Never skied it but did stop by once after skiing Indianhead.

Also, powder day. Beach Bum?

Yep, looked for you but assume you didn't make it there? Pics don't do justice but was there before lifts were running and easily an hour or two of fresh tracks. Warpath was skiing great and Crazy Horse had the deepest snow. I had a run down CH that I immediately texted the family saying it's the best run on it I've ever had. Legit powder, snow in your face, so fun.

Not as much snow on Apache towards Old Main, I assume they groomed later in night over there so was less snow plus was more wind packed.

Once it was all skied out the sun came out and rest of afternoon was solid bumpy leftover stash snow. Some good speed charging over the blues. Crazy Horse had way more bumps by the afternoon than rest of hill, goes to show how much more snow it took than elsewhere.

We'll catch up there again.

[axebiker]

Hell yeah. I would love to meet up with you.



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Hey Harry - Christie was where a few patrollers I work with were originally from. I haven't been there myself. The "snow base" here is still mostly man-made, so pretty much like sugar sand over boiler, but if you can ski here and embrace the suck, you'll be great anywhere else.

I'll actually be out in the MT in March this year!! We're going to Rock Dodge a couple days, and then Thin Sky after that, so I'll give you a shout. I have a couple MN peeps that will be there as well - I patrol with one of them.

[ill-advised strategy]

Rock ski fun at MQT today:

[axebiker]

That was pretty extreme stuff...

[ill-advised strategy]

You know how it is, just making the most of what we have.