Skiing : Hunting and Recreation

[BrentD]

Panda, Gus is 10 yrs 4 months and25 days old. This is his 11th season.

 

[Europe]

Panda, Gus is 10 yrs 4 months and25 days old. This is his 11th season.

Approximately LOL

 

[BrentD]

Approximately LOL

I rounded to the nearest day and it was getting late It is easy to calculate. He was born on the 4th of July 2009.

Think we might be out there this afternoon. High winds, but should be dried out a little. Might get lucky.

 

[Randi]

Brent A man and his dog love it, great

Brent, Harley, Gomer, Elkduds, April, Panda, others

I am assuming your talking about snowboarding. The last person I knew that used ski s was my grandfather

When in El Paso, Ski apache, Taos, Red River
in Alaska, Hilltop, Eaglecrest, Alyeska

I am working toward helicopter drop snowboarding, but have not gotten there yet.

Hunting : snow shoes more than skis,

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I am working toward helicopter drop snowboarding, but have not gotten there yet.

IMHO cat skiing is a better route to go if you’re going to drop the money on a ski/snowboard trip.

 

[Sytes]

Big Mountain, Now called Whitefish resort I believe may be worth looking into.
I’m sure it’s not cheap, but is likely less than Vail prices and they get some dang good snow.

Interesting you mention this...

Whitefish Mountain Resort, Mont.

This quaint, old-school Montana skier’s mountain has been attracting attention for all the right reasons

www.skimag.com

 

[Sytes]

On note of Europe's topic, I snowshoe... and often look like gumby walking through molasses with my arms flailing and balance wracked. haha! Not the best for hunting though the more I've shoed, the better I'm gaining in the balance dept. Now throw a 60+# pack and the shit show is renewed... though it's definitely assisted in my skills to get back on my feet... or snowshoes. Wolf hunting has been the use of the snowshoes.

I tried X country skis for a wolf hunt last year and well... that was a gumby event beyond the humor gumby would provide. I've not skied since my 2012 injury and - I'm off to Big Mountain to get the general ski thing going again. I have a feeling it's going to be a slow success, though success it will be (I hope).

 

[noharleyyet]

Brent A man and his dog love it, great

Brent, Harley, Gomer, Elkduds, April, Panda, others

I am assuming your talking about snowboarding. The last person I knew that used ski s was my grandfather

When in El Paso, Ski apache, Taos, Red River
in Alaska, Hilltop, Eaglecrest, Alyeska

I am working toward helicopter drop snowboarding, but have not gotten there yet.

Hunting : snow shoes more than skis,

“Skiers see snowboarders as a menace, snowboarders see skiers as Elmer Fudd.”
Dave Barry....a dated quote. They never bothered me, most were good athletes. I never thought they carved up the piste any worse than the advanced alpine guys.

 

[BAKPAKR]

On note of Europe's topic, I snowshoe... and often look like gumby walking through molasses with my arms flailing and balance wracked. haha! Not the best for hunting though the more I've shoed, the better I'm gaining in the balance dept. Now throw a 60+# pack and the shit show is renewed... though it's definitely assisted in my skills to get back on my feet... or snowshoes. Wolf hunting has been the use of the snowshoes.

I tried X country skis for a wolf hunt last year and well... that was a gumby event beyond the humor gumby would provide. I've not skied since my 2012 injury and - I'm off to Big Mountain to get the general ski thing going again. I have a feeling it's going to be a slow success, though success it will be (I hope).

You should be using ski poles or trekking poles with snow baskets if you are snowshoeing. That will really help with the balance and end the flailing arms.

I have hunted a little off of snowshoes and Altai Hok skis. The skis are short (125 cm) and wide. They have a permanent climbing skin and a universal binding that will fit my hunting boots. If the terrain is not too steep, I prefer the skis.

I am not a downhill skier but I have been on quite a few winter/early spring camping trips on backcountry skis.

 

[mtmuley]

Lost Trail and a burger at Nap's. Montana on a budget. Good stuff. mtmuley

 

[Ben Long]

I used to use cross country ski to bowhunt elk in the Idaho late season and coyotes in winter. Never had much luck but it got me into the elk where I could stalk them. Lots of fun. I still ski a lot and prefer it over snowshoes most of the time. Especially if you can ski on snowed over logging roads. You can just cover a lot of ground quietly when the conditions are good. Snowshoes are fine in steep, timbered country with deep snow.

I avoid the resort scene. Not my tea. But I live between Blacktail Mountain and Whitefish (Big Mountain) and have skied both. Blacktail is very quiet, family-friendly, lots of intermediate terrain and no lift lines. Big Mountain used to be that way is going more upscale, more expensive, more exclusive. Many of my friends still love it, nonetheless.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I have been asked several times and the problem is all my knowledge/information is dated.

Hunting : the two ski hunts were Caribou in Alaska and Capercaillie in Sweden. The Capercaillie hunt was different and if you ever want to do something out of the ordinary, it was enjoyable, but not OMG, you have to do this one, in my opinion. On the other hand hunting Caribou on skis was enjoyable and I would recommend it. It was a lot easier bringing it out on the sled, except when going down hill, or around a corner or both at the same time LOL

Recreation: Again this is dated and may not be true today. We preferred The 3 vallees in France as our favorite in Europe and Vail, Colorado, in the States --at that time.

I remember Park City before it became famous. We were there years ago when we were visiting Salt Lake City and rented a car and visited the city when we were driving around. Years later we visited again, and everybody we spoke with, loved it. The slopes, the city and the accommodations .

We visited Mt Hood once in Oregon but was not impressed as well as other ski areas in other states and at that time we preferred Vail in the states

I know Panda Bear uses skis and snow shoes all the time but I think it is more just a part of her life ( which of course involves hunting )

Please help : Where are the good ski resorts today ? I know this is or could be a tough question, "good" ---- Slopes,? Accommodations ?, etc etc --but for those of you who enjoy the sport --where do you/would you , go today ?

Who hunts on skis , what do you hunt, where ?

and I thank you

@Europe, I've never hunted on skis...well successfully... tried spring bear a bit on skis, would love to find a spot that's really conducive to that kind of hunting and give it another go. I saw a pretty cool video of some guys chasing goats late season in MT on skis, would love to draw that tag and hunt a goat with skis.

I'm will you Vail is my favorite, I grew up down valley so I guess I'm pretty biased. I've skied most of the CO resorts; Crested, Aspen, Steamboat, Breck, Keystone, A-basin, Copper, Beaver Creek, Winter Park... some in MT: Big Sky and Bridger... some in VT: Stowe, Mad River, Killington, Okemo, Sugarbush, Midd Snowbowl and then Mammoth in CA... Cannonsburg in MI... Whister in BC. I'm probably leaving out some, I've had some amazing days at various mountains and if I was planning a ski vacation I might pick a different mountain... but as a local Vail is really really hard to beat.

If I was planning a ski vacation I'd probably pick Big Sky, Steamboat, Vail, or Crested. If I was doing the trip with kids hands down Beaver Creek, it's the most family friendly ski area in North American.

Best skiing... depends on what you're looking for... pow/steeps/groomers etc. I'm obviously jaded from growing up at Vail but I would much rather ski at a resort with new fast lifts than one with slow doubles.

Mad River Glen, sucks... sorry not sorry...

My preference for a ski vacation, I'd rather stay in a motel 6 and cat ski then stay at the ritz and ski Vail.

 

[SFC B]

I have never skied while hunting and the only snow snowing I have done was in Cold Weather Mountain Warfare Training around the Taylor Reservoir area while towing sleds......not really "fun". I have skied a fair bit and here are my favorites and NOTs

Midwest- Boyne and Boyne Highlands. For the Midwest there is decent terrain (even a bit of steep), it is a fairly well run resort and I love the area around Petoskey. Being on that side of Lake Michigan snow can come in big bunches but the one thing that folks who have never skied the Midwest can't understand is that it can be BRUTALLY....let me say it again....BRUTALLY cold. Not only temps but howling winds off the lake and humidity. Cold that penetrates.

NW- While stationed at JBLW is skied Baker, Steven's Pass, Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal and Mission Ridge. The only one I could recommend with a straight face would be Baker. I dig the remoteness and the fact that they get snow by the ton. That being said I found the weather and snow in WA unpleasant to ski in. You never knew when the day would be nothing more than fog or rain and the snow was so wet and heavy.

CO- I have skied all of the resorts along I70, Monarch, Crested Butte, Steamboat and Winter Park. If I had to make picks they would go like this: Skiing for the day- Monarch due to low key vibe, generally less crowds (especially during the week) and traffic. Skiing at an actual resort- Crested Butte due to the terrain, good accommodations and a town that balances convenience/touristy crap with local flavor. I have to say that I stay away from the Vail/Aspen/Keystone/Breck/Beaver Creek mess if at all possible for 2 main reasons. First, the traffic is brutal, especially when you mix in people who have no idea how to drive in snow (I can sneak in the back way to Breck if necessary). Second, the overwhelming degree of douchey-ness that permeates during high season. I just can't stomach the crowds from the coasts and Texas (sorry HTer Texans) that show up and believe that have money allows them the privilege of being rude, demanding a$$es everywhere they go. When I ski I like to be mellow and enjoy being out on the mountain....not trying to listen to that. This is purely personal experience but I think a LOT of CO folks would say something similar.

East- I have only been to Snowshoe in WV and found it decent. Nothing spectacular but it is nice that it is off the beaten path.

Canada- The only place I have been in Canada is Whistler. We went on an Outdoor Rec trip from JBLM over a Thanksgiving (so it was early season). We stayed in Vancouver due to cost of accommodation and I found it to be a great city to have fun in. The actual resort was very nice. Well planned, big and beautiful. We had to get up pretty high to get good snow and I would love to go back in prime time. The added fun was a ton of Aussies working there.

Europe- In Italy I skied the area around Folgaria as it was close to Vicenza https://www.theguardian.com/travel/...aly-lavarone-fiorentini-beginner-intermediate . There are a few interconnected ski areas so you can quite a bit of terrain and the prices were pretty good. If you are in the Trentino/Alto Adige search out a regional drink called parampampoli, it will warm you up!!
In Germany I skied the Hausberg area just outside Garmisch and the Zugspitze itself. Again it was early season so the Hausberg was mediocre at best and the only area of the Zugspitze that was open was the very top Glacier area accessible by the cable car. It was frigid the day we were up there and can't really give a good opinion as the time and area were so limited. View was gorgeous anyway

pics are 2 at the Zugspitze, CWMWT and the Family at Winter Park

That is my 2 cents worth

 

[Phaseolus]

RE skiing for hunting, say vs snowshoes, that largely depends on your level of comfort on skis. Because they slide. I'd choose skis over snowshoes for almost any terrain/conditions, including towing a sled. Regular cross country gear is not built for bushwhacking, it is made for groomed trails. My telemark setup is better suited for hunting: skis are basically downhill skis, wide w metal edges. Bindings are cables w fixed toepieces, loose @ the heel. Boots are plastic, have a rocker sole rather than flat, and have kletter-type tread for hiking. I have heard it alleged that cross country skiers can approach game more closely than hikers, relating to poles looking like front legs. That has NOT been my experience. There are skis and snowshoes in this truck-dump pic from my 2019 elk hunt.
View attachment 121378

Ski areas: I have only sked @ resorts outside of CO twice: Schweitzer basin on the ID/CAN border, and an instructor exam @ Ski Santa Fe, not surprisingly in NM. I am far better informed about CO resorts. I skied Crested Butte almost daily from 1976-1989. 1st as a student @ Western State College, then as instructor when I graduated. So I'm biased toward the Butte. It has expanded a lot since my time there. The best terrain @ CB was mostly double black, not much for intermediates and below. Steamboat rivals the Butte for tree skiing, otherwise it is a bumpfest. As is Winter Park, with a limited selection of good double blacks on the Jane side, even those get huge moguls.

View attachment 121379
I'm the happy guy in the back row of this 1989 CBMR brochure pic.

The biggest and best reason to ski Vail is the back side: the bowls. Nothing in bounds in CO can compare w the quality, variety and expanse of that terrain. And it is below timberline, meaning milder temps, less wind, and more oxygen. For groomed trails, I choose Beaver Creek over Vail. Other ski areas get their wide open spaces by going above timberline: Breck, A Basin, Loveland, Copper, etc. Snowmass has the Big Burn, which is also wide open and below timberline, as well as a huge variety of blues and blacks. Snowmass has the broadest terrain assortment of any of the Aspen areas. Experts gravitate to Ajax/Aspen Mtn, and Hlghlands, which has great extreme terrain in Highlands Bowl.

Which brings me to the niche ski areas in CO. These are my favorites, now that I don't need a busy ski school to earn my living. Wolf Creek is up @ timberline, and it snows...…. Monarch is up near timberline, farther from the Denver crowds, historic and funky. It also has a backside. I prefer it in the spring, because it can really be cold there. Any holiday has some crowds from down south on bus tours. Sunlight is west of the Aspen complex, kind of a local-to-Glenwood area, w consistent snow and a much calmer vibe than Pitkin County. Powderhorn is to Grand Junction as Sunlight is to Glenwood: locally flavored, vacant during the week, w slow lifts, friendly people and a surprising variety of terrain. It was the highlight of my instructing career to spend 16 winters teaching on weekends there. I'd book a 4 or 5 day trip there any time the snow depth is above 40". This year I am looking forward to returning to Ski Cooper, which is the local area outside Leadville. They expanded, w a new lift and more terrain including some glades. A Basin and Loveland are smaller areas near Denver, each is half above and half below timberline. Eldora is above Boulder, another local sized area.

View attachment 121380
1990/91 was a deep season.

Powderhorn now has one high speed lift. The $270 early season ski pass is hard to beat, I’ll be up there tomorrow. I grew up skiing Steamboat, as far back as when it was called Mt Werner. High speed lifts have dramatically changed the ski demographics, the people are now on the runs instead of the lift lines. It’s not always a good thing. I used to hunt ducks along the Yampa river on my XC gear as well as hares. The and there is fragmented and owned by non ranchers now, it would be hard to get permission to do that now.

 

[Europe]

I was told there were new posts made on this thread and low and behold

Sytes, best of luck, hope it goes well for you

harley, what is a snowboard (-;

mtmuley, thank you

Ben long, ski's and snowshoes for me. Once in Canada we ice skated a river, that was fun

wil1313 and SFC B Damn, you guys have done some serious skiing. I have ask for this information to be given to my Granddaughter thank you

thank you all

SFC B funny story. We were in Innsbruck , Austria and I forget which slope it was, but it was waaaay past anything I had done. I want up-and rode down. decided I had to try so went up===and rode down. finally on the third ride up, I skied down---very slowiy (-;

phaseolus. sorry we were typing at the same time--thank you

 

[Phaseolus]

And...snowshoes are second class transportation compared to xc skis. I spent a lot of time on showshoes as a kid in Steamboat Springs but when I got my first pair of xc skis I rarely shoed again. Being able to ski or snowshoe out your back door was a great way to grow up.

 

[elkduds]

The years and variety of experience you all share continue to make me smile, BIG (like a foot of freshies). I wonder if I ever rode a lift w you in the past. I hope we might share some turns in the future. Skol!

Enjoy the video, disregard the audio...

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I wonder if I ever rode a lift w you in the past.

If you ski Vail, I’m the dude trolling his wife with his sophomoric antics...

Babe... get out your phone this is gonna be so epic...

 

[Phaseolus]

The years and variety of experience you all share continue to make me smile, BIG (like a foot of freshies). I wonder if I ever rode a lift w you in the past. I hope we might share some turns in the future. Skol!

Enjoy the video, disregard the audio...

I went 20 years without locking my heels down from about age 20 to 40. Norona to Vasque Telemarks to Asolo Extremes to plastic. I mostly alpine these days as my knees aren’t quite what they were. I’m happy to share turns any day, as long as it is west of the Divide.

 

[Sytes]

You should be using ski poles or trekking poles with snow baskets if you are snowshoeing. That will really help with the balance and end the flailing arms.

I have hunted a little off of snowshoes and Altai Hok skis. The skis are short (125 cm) and wide. They have a permanent climbing skin and a universal binding that will fit my hunting boots. If the terrain is not too steep, I prefer the skis.

I am not a downhill skier but I have been on quite a few winter/early spring camping trips on backcountry skis.

Needless to say the rifle was disassembled and oiled after this "adventure"... No wolves though tracks. This was a couple years ago. I need to find some of those snow baskets you mentioned. Fat x country skis sound like something I may work into.