2012 Montana Conditions, Stoke and Whatev Thread

[Trackhead]

UAN…I was 100% backcountry from about 1996-2016. I’ve skied every major peak in the Tetons, most multiple times, I’ve done the Grand Traverse a couple times, climbed all the classics, etc etc. I first skied Jackson in 1986 and stayed at the hostel at the base. I imagine that place has been gone for 40+ years?

I’m over all that and enjoy Jackson regardless of the demographic. The skiing is amazing, modern, and nice. But I do find Botox, aesthetics, and people who value possessions/appearances more than experiences foreign.

Yup, skiing in general is turning into that. But yeah, fast lifts/quads/gondolas sure are nice and you kinda get what you pay for.

[upallnight]

UAN…I was 100% backcountry from about 1996-2016. I’ve skied every major peak in the Tetons, most multiple times, I’ve done the Grand Traverse a couple times, climbed all the classics, etc etc. I first skied Jackson in 1986 and stayed at the hostel at the base. I imagine that place has been gone for 40+ years?

Yes, I know you have a solid history here! The Hostel still exists, actually! That in itself is crazy... gotta imagine it's just a matter of time.

I'd say the rate of change has certainly increased, and while the "element" was always here, it was not nearly as evident and exclusionary as it was in the mid-2010s... say 2017/2018 & beyond. COVID made it even more extreme.

I'll put my money on that as the inflection point.

I know a few folks who settle here in the 50's and felt things were over when the ski resort went in. Sure.

I’m over all that and enjoy Jackson regardless of the demographic. The skiing is amazing, modern, and nice. But I do find Botox, aesthetics, and people who value possessions/appearances more than experiences foreign.

Yup, skiing in general is turning into that. But yeah, fast lifts/quads/gondolas sure are nice and you kinda get what you pay for.

Something worth noting is that you arrived on the 1st day of Spring Break. Many locals left town, and others weren't out due to the 'it's gonna get worse before it gets better' conditions — so that probably even further skewed the ratios. Still, I agree with you.

I'm sad that skiing has become SO about the money. Was never really meant that way. Ski schools were meant to offer services to help the public enjoy public lands — sure, with some profit thrown in, but not to become THE big money maker for these resorts... and without competition for all but 1 or 2 ski areas in the US that have multiple ski schools.

I care because the more skiing costs, the fewer people do it. While in the short term fewer people skiing is of benefit to ME, the fewer people grow up caring about it — which means less people caring about changes in weather patterns and similar offshoots. Our sport slowly dies.

Anyway..... skiing was good today! Hope everybody had fun (in MT or NW Wyo. ).

[Gnar_Shralp406]

Didn't see any fur coats, just young shredders clogging Jackson's Hole.

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[telefreewasatch]

I'm sad that skiing has become SO about the money. Was never really meant that way. Ski schools were meant to offer services to help the public enjoy public lands — sure, with some profit thrown in, but not to become THE big money maker for these resorts... and without competition for all but 1 or 2 ski areas in the US that have multiple ski schools.

I care because the more skiing costs, the fewer people do it. While in the short term fewer people skiing is of benefit to ME, the fewer people grow up caring about it — which means less people caring about changes in weather patterns and similar offshoots. Our sport slowly dies.

Well said, thanks.
Member when we were a dyin sport only a few years ago?
Now we're pricin out Joe.
Again.
And yeah, gettin folks out in nature is about the best way to try and preserve it...

[upallnight]

Well said, thanks.
Member when we were a dyin sport only a few years ago?
Now we're pricin out Joe.
Again.
And yeah, gettin folks out in nature is about the best way to try and preserve it...

It seems like with the airfare + lodging + lift tickets.+ rentals + lessons + meals, a ski vacation for a family is a MASSIVE investment for a week. Add in the fact that you have pretty decent odds of getting shitty conditions anywhere when you gamble on a single week, and it seems like a ticking time bomb for families to eventually decide to just go somewhere warm or less weather-dependent on vacation.

That means less people growing up with it, less people caring about it.

Yep, there will always be a fringe, and for the wealthy it doesn't matter. JHMR is really damn pricey, all-in, for MOST folks. Not everyone can or is willing to do the camper thing.

I mourn the loss of many grassroots spots. Oh well. Time marches on!

[swimmy]

Didn't see any fur coats, just young shredders clogging Jackson's Hole.

Gnar is one of my favorite posters here. The dude shreds and just brings humble stoke to the board.

Looks like endless winter at Big Sky. I'll be in tram line early...look for the dude in fur.

[toast2266]

It seems to me that the "big money in skiing" thing is less about there being more rich people skiing, and more about the death of the middle class.

Skiing always attracted plenty of rich people, and plenty of those rich people were classless gapers. But there was a more gradual divide between the rich and the middle, so plenty of people in the middle could afford to ski. These days, the middle class is shrinking; people are either rich or poor. The rich still ski like they always did, but there's less people in the middle to round things out. A lot of the middle has either become rich or can't afford to ski anymore.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Keep Bridger for Bozos!

I doubt getting on the Indy Pass would have any meaningful impact on Bridger.


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[Trackhead]

Family ski trips “out west” to new places were something my very average income parents could afford for me and my brother growing up once a year. Hard to imagine the same now. Some of those places (Jackson, Big Sky) were on the list of family viable skiing for us lowly average income midwestern folks dreaming of the mountains in the 80s/90s. That’s not anti-stoke, it’s reality.

I’m grateful I have the financial means to do the same with my kid a few times a year. Many can’t and are trapped in the Midwest.

Skiing is rapidly changing. It’s becoming out of reach for many. That’s why places like Showdown and other mom/pops seem to be keeping the sport alive for regular income folks.

[byates1]

Great thing about being 50+ yrs old is gnarly terrain is mainly out the window.

So all the showdown, lost trail, beaver, pebble etc places are right up my alley.

Still got the realness I need in life as well.

[singlesline]

Great thing about being 50+ yrs old is gnarly terrain is mainly out the window.

So all the showdown, lost trail, beaver, pebble etc places are right up my alley.

Still got the realness I need in life as well.

Not quite Montana, but I skied Kimberley BC for the first time this past weekend with my dad to give him a change of scenery from whitefish. Was quite fun with a bit of fresh snow on it even though the base was low and had frozen hard.

Could see how it would be a blast with a couple feet more base to cover up the undergrowth and slightly better conditions. No gnarly terrain, but still some fun runs and some interesting trees to explore. No crowds and lower prices on everything in the area.

Was delightful to keep ending up on runs in pure silence too, especially in the "Black Forest" area...out of earshot of the chairs, not a single other person in sight, still pockets of soft snow to be found.

edit: I should note that my dad's been having a great time skiing Whitefish too, but he's dealing with a torn meniscus (and just general aging)...at Big Mtn he feels more pressure to push himself past his current limits, while at Kimberley it was more like a playground.

[toast2266]

Kimberly area has some fun biking in the summer too. A little bit of everything.

[Bunion 2020]

Did not ski today, had to drive around the Billionaires club. The Summit looked great. At 11:00 BSSP was still throwing shots.

[Talisman]

Did not ski today, had to drive around the Billionaires club.

Some fresh snow, sun, spin drift refills and not many people getting after the goods made for a surprisingly good ski day, I am sorry you missed it. I am sure the Billionaires Club appreciated your sacrifice.

[anotherVTskibum]

So what is the problem with Indy Pass? It’s not Ikon or Epic. Look at the hills on Indy, these aren’t destination ski resorts and the people that would buy an Indy Pass would likely come to Bridger regardless if they purchased an Indy Pass.

Talking with the GM at Mission Ridge, the amount of people coming with an Indy Pass is pretty small compared to day tripping skiers and people from the immediate region paying for tickets.


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Well, there's this:
https://www.stormskiing.com/p/11-ski...ki-cooper-pass
I think it's been discussed in another thread around here.

I've talked with Erik Mogensen, prior to Entabeni taking over Indy, and he struck me as having some similarities to other well-known industry leaders: his passion for skiing, how his company could support certain segments of the industry, and his confidence in his plan to move forward. I suspect, although I'm not sure, that his willingness to push forward could also be polarizing in some scenarios.

I also find it an interesting situation for ski areas to be using an access control system provider that also controls a multi mountain pass. I don't know how many of their access control customers are or are not on the Indy pass.

[Bunion 2020]

Some fresh snow, sun, spin drift refills and not many people getting after the goods made for a surprisingly good ski day, I am sorry you missed it. I am sure the Billionaires Club appreciated your sacrifice.

Yeah? I'm sure you are right.

[Gnar_Shralp406]

Gnar is one of my favorite posters here. The dude shreds and just brings humble stoke to the board.

Looks like endless winter at Big Sky. I'll be in tram line early...look for the dude in fur.

Thanks! That means a lot!

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[byates1]

https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes...ce-1235556894/

Whatever

[Trackhead]

https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes...ce-1235556894/

Whatever

"I could not imagine a higher honor at this point in my career, to help create a place like this with clients who are sensitive to maintaining the spirit of a landscape and the spirit of a local culture.”

[byates1]

Cold empty insanely expensive structures. Just a vibrant scene

[yeahman]

Did not ski today, had to drive around the Billionaires club. The Summit looked great. At 11:00 BSSP was still throwing shots.

The Snowfield skied great. Did a couple nice laps back there. South face was kinda wind affected, but pretty good. I heard Dakota Bowl slid up high (maybe after they'd already sent a tramload of skiers up?) so that could have been the reason for some extra shots being tossed late.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

$8.8 million for sheetrock returns.

[Bunion 2020]

Cold empty insanely expensive structures. Just a vibrant scene

Built in what was a pretty nice wetland area.

The Snowfield skied great. Did a couple nice laps back there. South face was kinda wind affected, but pretty good. I heard Dakota Bowl slid up high (maybe after they'd already sent a tramload of skiers up?) so that could have been the reason for some extra shots being tossed late.

I was below the Dakota area and watched someone center punch the shot to the right/west of the boundary rope. It looked very good.

[swimmy]

[usdatele]

I would love to assume that that survey was supposed to be sent out at 12:01am April 1st. That woulda been a good fools day prank!

I've been an employee and dedicated bb skier for a very long time and can honestly say that Entabeni has been one of the worst things for our hill. And I see the progression into Indy because they are running the ticketing and boh payments.

It's a damn shame. I had hopes that the skipper and Gilligan (who frequently creep on these pages) woulda kicked out and we'd be independent of those fools. Turns out Mary Anne still has her toes in the soup and will continue to try and evolve bbowl in Entabenis best interest.

Become an ass member and come to the meetings. That's the only way we can help guide it into the future.

Place was rad the last 2 days. There's no place like ole bbowl.

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