# Whistler Experience / What to do next?



## CauseNAffect (Feb 1, 2016)

*The background:* 
I've been snowboarding east coast since I could walk. I didn't have a ton of money growing up, and my parents didn't care too much for me sending it big, considering they wanted to see me survive childhood (in their minds). After years of living in NYC, with the mountains far away, and the urge to go somewhere, I jumped on my first out-west trip to Utah last year. I did snowbird for 3 days, Park city for 1, and Snowbasin for 1. It was an incredibly eye opening experience as to what I could actually do with the right terrain and opportunity. Day one of snowbird I was feeling comfortable and had rode the more difficult double blacks with relative ease. By day two we had done (2) hour-long hikes on some seriously steep terrain / sketchy chutes with fresh pow, and got dumped out on the rode afterward where we hitch-hiked back to the resort. Really couldn't have asked for anything better. I discovered that I liked hiking, exploring, and finding fresh tracks with sketchy terrain the most enjoyable.... and riding longggg pillowy glade runs was a close second. 

*Whistler*
THIS YEAR, I hit a few local resorts and then my friends invited me out to Whistler, BC. After looking at the photos, the terrain, the hype.... I was really excited to go and take my riding even further. I had 3 days of riding planned for the long presidents day weekend. 

There were basically 3 different weather patterns consistently changing; the bottom (raining), middle (crusty/mild weathered), top alpine (snowing/windy/overcast) The weather conditions shifted in mere minutes to a completely different experience multiple times throughout the day. You'd be having a great bluebird day, then a mist would roll in that would make visibility near impossible. A visibility so tough that if you looked down, you could barely see your feet to know what you were riding on, which made letting it loose a death wish. The snow conditions were mostly dust on crust, and in the steeps it got very icy. This Resort would be great on a pow day, but if you don't get freshies then the entire Resort feels like a constant frustration / struggle. this experience made me reconsider how I plan my trips, rather doing them a few weeks out, planning a trip the weekend of or around storms to make sure I don't get there and I'm riding pure garbage. not sure if there is a perfected strategy to doing this or a resource that can help.

I also didn't realize how important hiking and the ability to choose my line really meant to me, after being somewhat spoiled in park city and snowbird. The freedom I had there didn't translate over to my Blackcomb. When you come up to the top of the mountain, you see all these gnarly peaks, and then you find out that these areas are all permanently closed, with passes revoked if you are caught riding them. Whereas snowbird was just "rider discretion or open/closed dependant on avey danger." I found this a real bummer that there was such a vast amount of inbounds territory that was completely off limits to me. There was extreme couloir and spankeys ladder and few bowls that I lapped all three days. However, the total ALPINE experience seemed really small for me personally, despite there being so much visible space to ride. There just wasn't that much trouble I could get into, it felt very self contained, safe, and kind of castrated the mountainous hard-on I had when I looked around. I hired a private guide for day3 to take us to the gnarly spots, and find us cool shit, which was a 6/10 experience considering I had already found all the stuff he showed me the prior days, and the conditions weren't complying in the new spots. Not to say you can't push the limits inside bounds, which I did, but there is something inside me that pushes me to the backcountry gates, and the literal boundary edges of what's safe or ridable, and that's simply where I prefer to be and all how I want to use my time.

*What's next?*
Day two after looking out on the horizon at the top of the mountain, and pointing across at some insane chutes and powdery terrain, I said "that's the shit I want to do." My friend chuckled and said, you'll need a splitboard, skins, and avey gear.

After having returned yesterday and feeling kind of blue-ballsed from the experience, I'm thinking that he's right, and that I should get a dedicated backcountry setup and search out trips that can satisfy me.
I'm now looking for some advice on what I should be doing. I don't want to ride with a ceiling, I want the option to go as big / steep / fast as I want. So the question is, what do I have to buy, and what can I rent? What do I have to do? and Where do I have to go? Any tips or help considering where I'm at now so that I can get to the next level would be much appreciated.


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

0) If you are still on the east coast, move. 
1) Take an avalanche course. This step is not optional. If you are serious, plan on taking a lot more. 
2) Find a friend who will go with you (preferably 2). 
3) Get a split/skins or snowshoes and avy gear, and go find some backcountry. Start small and keep working up. 

In the lower U.S.: Jackson Hole; Colorado; Utah; Sierra are all prime backcountry areas. Alaska actually has quite a bit that is accessible without a helicopter so keep that on your radar. 

Here is a good book if you want to take your fitness to a different level and become a snowboard mountaineer. https://www.amazon.com/Training-New-Alpinism-Climber-Athlete/dp/193834023X


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Two things came to mind reading your post

1. Sounds like you got skunked for conditions. Sometimes its happens (especially when planning a trip in advance). Nothing much you can do about it other than being positive and finding ways to have fun regardless of conditions or being flexible enough to follow the snow (as you mentioned). 

2. While the backcountry may seem limitless in terms of terrain and possibilities, it is sometimes more restricted by weather / conditions. Some people wait years to ride lines they've scoped out for the perfect mix of snow-pack / wind / sun etc. You have to be willing to walkaway from a line if the stars don't align to ride a zone that you've done 100 times. 

And yeah ... move out West :wink:


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Yeah, generally you will NOT be riding chutes, cliffs, drops etc. in the backcountry, especially as a noobie. After AST1, the suggestion is to go ride simple terrain, in low hazard conditions. While I'm sure this is a lot of fun, I'm not sure it's what you're looking for.

I suggest looking at places with more dependable conditions than Whistler, that still have great cliffs/alpine terrain, with some hiking required. Lake Louise, Sunshine, Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, Fernie, etc.

Bottom line is all resorts have weather as an issue, if you can book trips last minute, that's the way to do it. Kicking Horse on a powder day is unreal, and yes I've been to Whistler/Blackcomb (which is also unreal given the right conditions).


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

This is a very good point about what you are looking for. There is a ton of extreme riding available at good resorts as you have seen with Snowbird. Don't be fooled by thinking that simply because it is backcountry it is more extreme. Most people in the back country are tiding relatively tame terrain. If what you want is just to improve your extreme chops, hit Snowbird, Squaw, Jackson Hole, or any other number of resorts with controlled extreme terrain. You will get much more bang for your buck riding a chairlift and having conditions monitored by professionals. 

You still need to move west so that you aren't just trying to get lucky and hitting one of these areas on a good day. You have to live there, man!

By the way, how old are you and what do you currently do for school/work?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Kenai said:


> You still need to move west so that you aren't just trying to get lucky and hitting one of these areas on a good day. You have to live there, man!


My wife and I did it 6 years ago, and we're staying! I went from riding a rocky mountain, to snowboard patrolling a rocky mountain, and all the fun that goes along with that. The west really is the best. Just not Seattle, no one likes Seattle. >

Disclaimer: I've never been to Seattle!


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

My wife went this past weekend and didnt even ride the whole day. Left early. It was horrible.

I didn't even go. I went elsewhere and rode lots of pow for 3 straight days instead  My legs are still sore hahaha

Backcountry is exactly what the guys have said..... it seems as if you'll always be riding endless bottomless popw anytime any day. But that's not the case. You may end up riding shitty windblown crust after hiking all day because that powdery face you went for is not rideable.

Agree with planning in advance. I dont do that. I prefer paying an extra % for arranging relatively last minute than wasting a whole trip for the sake of early-bird prices. If you like powder.... forget about booking early. That's the price.


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## jerklin (Jan 28, 2017)

poutanen said:


> My wife and I did it 6 years ago, and we're staying! I went from riding a rocky mountain, to snowboard patrolling a rocky mountain, and all the fun that goes along with that. The west really is the best. Just not Seattle, no one likes Seattle. >
> 
> Disclaimer: I've never been to Seattle!


What's wrong with Seattle (serious question)? I'm genuinely working on moving there from the east coast in next few months, and snowboarding is a big part of the reasoning.

P.S. I would move to Whistler if I were Canadian. It has basically everything I want. Some kind of town with decent food. Tons of nature. Sick mountain.

P.P.S To OP, if you can afford it watch the weather and go to places when you know conditions will be what you want. I know people who do this, and while they spend more on airfare but they get exactly what they want.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Seattle is an alright place. traffic sucks a dick. You will have a couple hour drive up from Seattle to the good mountains. Traffic sucks. Unless your getting up to the mountains on the mid week schedule, the mountains are fn crowded. It rains or is gloomy about 9 months a year. The other 3 months is incredibly beautiful. good seafood.

If I had to pick between Bay Area, Seattle and Portland, I would pick Seattle. I would hate to live there though, I am not a city person. I live full time in Bend but work half the year in the Bay Area so I spend about 4 months of time a year there since I have long weekends every other weekend and drive back to Bend so I am not stuck with those Californians.


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## jerklin (Jan 28, 2017)

Argo said:


> Seattle is an alright place. traffic sucks a dick. You will have a couple hour drive up from Seattle to the good mountains. Traffic sucks. Unless your getting up to the mountains on the mid week schedule, the mountains are fn crowded. It rains or is gloomy about 9 months a year. The other 3 months is incredibly beautiful. good seafood.
> 
> If I had to pick between Bay Area, Seattle and Portland, I would pick Seattle. I would hate to live there though, I am not a city person. I live full time in Bend but work half the year in the Bay Area so I spend about 4 months of time a year there since I have long weekends every other weekend and drive back to Bend so I am not stuck with those Californians.


Thanks for the feedback. Snowboarding gave me the motivation to quit my job and get a remote position and it's been great motivation to travel as well. I live in a major east coast city now and always feel like the traffic on the west coast is so much tamer than it is over here. 

Bend was on my list, but I thought it might be a little too small. I'm hoping to visit it next year, it seems beautiful.


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## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

CauseNAffect said:


> *Whistler*
> THIS YEAR, I hit a few local resorts and then my friends invited me out to Whistler, BC. After looking at the photos, the terrain, the hype.... I was really excited to go and take my riding even further. I had 3 days of riding planned for the long presidents day weekend.
> 
> There were basically 3 different weather patterns consistently changing; the bottom (raining), middle (crusty/mild weathered), top alpine (snowing/windy/overcast) The weather conditions shifted in mere minutes to a completely different experience multiple times throughout the day. You'd be having a great bluebird day, then a mist would roll in that would make visibility near impossible. A visibility so tough that if you looked down, you could barely see your feet to know what you were riding on, which made letting it loose a death wish. The snow conditions were mostly dust on crust, and in the steeps it got very icy. This Resort would be great on a pow day, but if you don't get freshies then the entire Resort feels like a constant frustration / struggle. this experience made me reconsider how I plan my trips, rather doing them a few weeks out, planning a trip the weekend of or around storms to make sure I don't get there and I'm riding pure garbage. not sure if there is a perfected strategy to doing this or a resource that can help.
> ...


A guide is a great idea if you want to hit some "extreme spots", however they are limited by the potential liability they could face by taking you to the mega extreme, so they won't take you to the absolute gnarliest spots on the hill.

To hit world freeride tour terrain, you have to ride with a local and not just any local, one that knows you and trusts your abilities. However, that's obv not easy to do.

The pics whis posts on their promo stuff are 80% back country that's accessed via heli or snowmobile. Since the areas they hit are technically whistler, they aren't lying on their advertising.

The true magic of whis is the overall terrain and opportunities to improve your overall riding. And I'm talking about inbounds or side country where you don't need skins and a splity. Regardless of weather there is always something to ride, which obv means your not riding STD's (steeps, trees and drops) all the time. 

When weather isn't cooperating, you could hit the terrain park(s), which whis/black have some of the best in the world, or if there isn't any snow you can crush groomers and side hits. If the resort is crowded, you can use those days to explore different zones, so you know how to get in and out of them when the snow comes. I could go on and on. 

Just like any big resort, it's impossible to reveal all the mountain secrets in a few days, weeks or whatever. You need to have a pass and ride there all the time. 

Obv you can tell I drink the whis kool-aid and to put it into a bit of perspective, I've been riding there the past 5-6 seasons, with each year my riding has improved and I've learnt more of the mountain year by year as well. This year, I feel that I've unlocked more of the whistler magic than ever before and it makes me realize how much more there is to uncover.


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## Noreaster (Oct 7, 2012)

CauseNAffect said:


> After having returned yesterday and feeling kind of blue-ballsed from the experience, I'm thinking that he's right, and that I should get a dedicated backcountry setup and search out trips that can satisfy me.
> I'm now looking for some advice on what I should be doing. I don't want to ride with a ceiling, I want the option to go as big / steep / fast as I want. So the question is, what do I have to buy, and what can I rent? What do I have to do? and Where do I have to go? Any tips or help considering where I'm at now so that I can get to the next level would be much appreciated.


Splitboarding or backcountry touring is the kind of a separate discipline that involves a lot of training, time, dedication and ton of expensive gear. It's a whole different thing unto itself. At the very minimum you should have a basic avy training, obtain and learn how to operate your avy and bc split, touring or basic climbing gear, and get with people a lot more experienced in bc setting than you to at least show you the ropes. 

Honestly, it's a steep learning curve for someone who's never really been away from EC hills and has only seen real mountains for what, 6 days so far? Relax for now. Breathe. Like the others said plenty of gnarly resort terrain to be had. You don't even have to go too far to find it - Tuck's is right on the East Coast. And if you still believe that bc is the thing for you then do a good research and do it right. The "going as steep, as fast as I want" is the exact attitude that gets inexperienced noobs maimed and killed out there.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

If you work remotely, do not move to Seattle. Move closer to the mountains. I moved from San Antonio, TX to Vail, CO with my wife and then 10 year old son to live slopeside and snowboard everyday. I lived there for 5 years and now we are in Bend. 

Vail was def to small but way overcrowded with year round tourism. It was nice to live slopeside but damn, the crowds were crazy. 

Bend is still small but there is more to it. Going from a big east coast city would be ridiculous. There would def be culture shock..... I would shoot for being closer to the mountains if your not having to drive to work. Go visit the city when you miss it. Some place like bend has cheap flights to Seattle, Portland, San Fran.... 

If you need a city then do something on the outskirts like Bellevue....


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

If you can work remotely, places of a decent size I would pick before Seattle if snowboarding was a priority: Bend, Spokane, Bellingham, Bozeman, Durango, Albuquerque. There are a TON of better places if you don't need a city, and I love Seattle as a city!


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Albuquerque, no..... major cesspool
Sante Fe for sure over AQ.... 

Leavenworth WA is pretty sick too... still small town though.


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## jerklin (Jan 28, 2017)

Thanks! Sounds like I really need to check out Bend. I don't mind small towns if they have a local feel. For example Hood River, OR is great IMO, but Summit Valley felt like a suburb in Ohio once I was off the mountain.

What would be the closest to a Whistler like town in the US?


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Vail, Aspen or Breckenridge.


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

Argo said:


> Vail, Aspen or Breckenridge.


I'd throw in Jackson. 

There would be great remote options in the Tahoe area, but you were mentioning larger towns. If Hood River floats your boat then the possibilities are endless. Leavenworth, WA is a great example.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

If I ever moved to the states, it would probably be to Bozeman... Spent a week there in June and loved it! Would like to check out Big Sky one day. Whitefish was nice, but probably too small to call home.

I love the little town I live in. 25,000 people, 20 minutes to Calgary (1.4 million people), 45 minutes to rocky mountain ski hills...

If I were to move to a mountain town in Canada, it'd be Fernie, hands down.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Canada > U.S. 

:storm:


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

poutanen said:


> If I were to move to a mountain town in Canada, it'd be Fernie, hands down.


~36 hours...


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Kenai said:


> ~36 hours...


Enjoy! Nakiska seems to be getting more than the rest in the next few days. Looks like a storm cycle is coming in Sat-Mon though, light dusting at KH and Fernie, although I've been there when 5 cm is forecast and 20+ falls in the alpine! I've also been there for the opposite.

I'm at Nakiska Saturday and then Monday to Sunday next week if you wanted to do any laps...


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## jerry gnarcia (Feb 11, 2017)

Argo said:


> If you work remotely, do not move to Seattle. Move closer to the mountains. I moved from San Antonio, TX to Vail, CO with my wife and then 10 year old son to live slopeside and snowboard everyday. I lived there for 5 years and now we are in Bend.
> 
> Vail was def to small but way overcrowded with year round tourism. It was nice to live slopeside but damn, the crowds were crazy.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I agree with most of this. If you have a remote gig, stay the hell away from Seattle. Housing and traffic are exploding because of the tech boom and the flood of Chinese investment in real estate (Seattle is the next Vancouver for foreign investors), and the resorts are overcrowded and not expanding any time soon. They're also relatively small - not big enough to support any sort of village or on-hill lodging (although one is trying hard). Even in the last 4 years it's become way worse.

The weather sucks too. People here like to brag about the big dumps we get, but what they don't tell you is that it alternates between snow and rain throughout the season and the temps constantly go above freezing and ruin everything. And it isn't blower powder when it comes, it's heavy PNW stuff. We just don't have the altitude to keep temps low enough. I have no idea why anyone is suggesting Leavenworth though, unless they've only visited for a day or two, because that is a pretty terrible choice!

Montana is decent, but they don't get a ton of snow and have a very short season. Takes them a while to get going, and they close early-mid April. Basically looking at 4 months there.

Bend is a very cool town year round. I'd probably spend some time there if I could. The longest season you'll find in the US will probably be Oregon (Hood) or Colorado (A-Basin).


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

@CauseNAffect If you want to do extreme bc....you got to live in/on the hill...its a lifestyle that requires dedication, respect and patience. In theory I haz the access, gear, level 1 and experienced bc friends....but my shrunk'n geriatric body, brains & ballz...sez Oh Shit. Often times when the snow is great...the vis and avy are in the shitter (so ridin inbounds and slightly out of bounds with gear...gets my fix)...and the primo bc extreme days when everything lines up...are fairly rare for we work'n slobs.

edit If you want to check out the life style, up your game and get the nuance of extreme bc...dirt bag for a season at some extreme hill.


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## CauseNAffect (Feb 1, 2016)

@Kenai I'm 28 and I'm a graphic designer / art director living in Brooklyn, NY.
I want a bit more experience in the ad industry before I make the move and jump elsewhere, But it is a goal.

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. I seem to be hearing similar things from everyone.

A) BC is a lifestyle and I should ideally have regular access to a mountain to properly train and progress. 

B) After reading up on avalanches, it seems that judgement and education are the things that mean the difference between life and death regardless of the gear I have, so better to gradually work my way up, even if I can easily handle extreme terrain (which is hard to restrain myself, but necessary). 

C) I should be seeking in-bound extreme terrain at resorts like Jackson hole, etc. with monitored terrain (and others which I’d love to hear in regards to where I can send it)

D) I should prioritize booking trips sooner to the date rather than planning in advance so I’m not wasting time riding garbage

E) I should probably have a splitboard and skins and avy gear, so that I have at the very least, the opportunity to hire a guide, start learning, and get my shit together

F) I need more friends who are pro’s (which I guess will come once I commit to this in a more serious way). 

I’ve always dreamed of doing Alaska Heli and being able to have a monitored experience where I can get extreme terrain and have a support system close by. If you guys know of places where I can get my “extreme” fix for now, while I’m learning BC. Let me know. Jackson Hole is like number one on my hitlist. Snowbird was absolutely incredible. I would think that I should be prioritizing conditions, and location 2nd. After going to an awesome place (Whistler), and having a bad experience because of conditions, I think it's clear that I reversed the priority order.


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## raoul duke (Feb 23, 2017)

"Day one of snowbird I was feeling comfortable and had rode the more difficult double blacks with relative ease." wow, how impressive..

who are these folks that visit places and obsess over whether the run is double or triple black? who cares? are you having fun snowboarding? 
Can I watch your ultra extreme skills in a snowboard video somewhere?

whistler (the biggest resort in North America...) wasn't big enough for this guy..... really?

asking for tips on how to plans trips to access good conditions is one thing, humble bragging about being too extreme for whistler is another, gimme a fackin break


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

CauseNAffect said:


> @Kenai I'm 28 and I'm a graphic designer / art director living in Brooklyn, NY.
> I want a bit more experience in the ad industry before I make the move and jump elsewhere, But it is a goal.
> 
> Thanks so much for the replies everyone. I seem to be hearing similar things from everyone.
> ...


Yeah that's all in the Comprehensive Guide to being Awesome and riding Awesome terrain Vol. 1.

Comes with the Gnarly Runs Starter Pack as a bonus. Yours for $19.99.


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## Noreaster (Oct 7, 2012)

CauseNAffect said:


> B) After reading up on avalanches, it seems that judgement and education are the things that mean the difference between life and death regardless of the gear I have, so better to gradually work my way up, even if I can easily handle extreme terrain (which is hard to restrain myself, but necessary).


No. Avy gear saves lives. That is not to say that a healthy doze of judgement, knowledge and experience are always the first resort of defense but gear is your fail safe because everybody makes mistakes, even pros. Obviously, nothing protects you absolutely but if something happens out there you *want* to have every last safeguard at your disposal. 



CauseNAffect said:


> D) I should prioritize booking trips sooner to the date rather than planning in advance *so I’m not wasting time riding garbage*


I will never understand people when they say stuff like that. If you're riding it's never garbage, just the lack of your imagination. You're from NYC, for fuck's sake. You've been riding shitty hills closer to the city and a slightly less shittier hills upstate or farther up the coast for all of your life. Now you go to the biggest resort in North America and just because conditions aren't perfect you can't find the most extremiest extreme steepest chute in existence to your liking? Oh, snap. Whistler has the best terrain parks in the world, by the way. Go to Nintendo and pop a few 360s, do a few grabs while you're at it, show your steez. Or find a few side hits to entertain yourself, there should be plenty. How's your flatground trick game? Or switch riding, for that matter? What about trees or moguls? Been doing many here on EC? 
I can only imagine you standing there with two huge mountains and all they have to offer at your disposal and you going "nah, I don't want any of that, I wanna go out of bounds". 



CauseNAffect said:


> E) I should probably have a splitboard and skins and avy gear, so that I have at the very least, the opportunity to hire a guide, start learning, and get my shit together


In so many words.



CauseNAffect said:


> I’ve always dreamed of doing Alaska Heli and being able to have a monitored experience where I can get extreme terrain and have a support system close by. .


If you believe you can book an Alaskan heli trip and just dictate to a guide which slopes you want to go down you're sorely mistaken. There won't be any Jeremy Jones lines because heli ops generally like their clients alive and in one piece (dead clients are bad for business, see). Obviously your level of skill should have to be assessed first but even if you turn out to be the next JJ, you'd never be put in a situation the guides would judge even moderately risky for you. They always err on the side of caution. So proceed accordingly. 

Alaskan heli trips are expensive, you can't book them at the 11th hour and you have no control over the conditions you might encounter during your trip. I would suggest plenty more resort trips out West and familiarizing yourself with big mountain terrain, weather conditions and... well, yourself before you book one of those. Otherwise it might turn out to be another disappointment like Whistler for you.


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## raffertyk2 (Dec 16, 2014)

Noreaster said:


> I will never understand people when they say stuff like that. If you're riding it's never garbage, just the lack of your imagination. You're from NYC, for fuck's sake. You've been riding shitty hills closer to the city and a slightly less shittier hills upstate or farther up the coast for all of your life.


This^ haha this is pretty much my mantra, I have ridden a hill with more dirt patches than snow before. I make it work, I love snowboarding I don't care if it is on a Local Golf Course when I was a kid hitting jumps we built from scratch or Baldface. If I am riding I am happy 

Every day is different that is what is so great you just need to be open to different ways to ride, progression, creativity and most of all fun if you are having fun it is time well spent in my book


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## Mig Fullbag (Apr 15, 2014)

To become a great BC snowboarder, you have to become a great snowboarder first. Riding garbage is not wasting time. It makes you a better rider and better prepared to face a greater range of conditions in the BC. Making a couple of runs a day once in a while on a splitboard in perfect pow won't turn you into a Jeremy Jones or Xavier De Le Rue. You need mileage and experience first. Both are obtained by riding on a regular basis in a lot of different conditions, inbounds, under controlled conditions.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Mig Fullbag said:


> To become a great BC snowboarder, you have to become a great snowboarder first. Riding garbage is not wasting time. It makes you a better rider and better prepared to face a greater range of conditions in the BC.


Good point. The Canadian Ski Patrol uses Kicking Horse for our annual ski/snowboard improvement week. They barely groom anything. There are massive mogul fields everywhere, hikes, wind scoured chutes, rivers, etc.

It's probably the toughest riding I do every year, and I always come back from it feeling like I've improved!

Powder whores can't keep up with us on a powder day... >


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## CauseNAffect (Feb 1, 2016)

This is going downhill fast with semantics. Let me respond a bit so that I can steer away from sounding like a cry-baby.

I thought it went without saying that *I'm thankful for every moment I get on a board* or else I wouldn't be on here in the first place, and secondly I HAD A BLAST at Whistler and rode the fuck out of the place despite meeting some adversity. My comments and questions were more geared toward being able to get more of what it is I love and really want to do. I enjoy the park, but there's a great park at mt. snow on the east coast that doesn't require a plane ticket to get to, and yes whistler park was dope, and the slalom race course was f'n amazing. I was simply sharing what I felt was missing and want to find more of. It's not mutually exclusive where if I don't get EXACTLY what I want I'm a miserable prick, as I said I love glade runs, natural features, f'n around on side hits, and love practicing laying down on my carves on a groomer. It's ALL FUN to me. Even the icy moguls that were in abundance I took advantage of. I'm simply trying to get closer to what really gets me excited. And yes, Whistler let me down in that regard. What you do on your board is your business I'm not telling you what to love, I'm just trying to find more of what it is I love, give me a fucking break. I've been riding East Coast for 23 years, I've had my practice, hence this entire conversation. Telling me I should be thankful for bad snow and "be an optimist" is 2cents I don't need, but appreciate and would agree with the idea.

@Noreaster
_"You've been riding shitty hills closer to the city and a slightly less shittier hills upstate or farther up the coast for all of your life"
_ BINGO, which is exactly why I would ideally like to avoid it when paying for a cross country trip, that's pretty f'n reasonable if may say so, and completely my fault as pointed out in D. The conditions were very very bad considering I couldn't see what I was riding on 50% of my time on the mountain, but Whistler was a great mountain. And yes, 1000% it was a disappointment seeing such mountain glory in front of me that was restricted to such limited access, prompting the backcountry conversation. Again, it's not like my life ended cuz I didn't get exactly what I wanted, I'm not a child, but I also wanna learn and get what I want. And yes, I realize alaska is a pre-planned thing and is an exception to D of going closer to the date. Noted. And yes would love to get all the gear necessary, the point was moreso not getting a set of gear and having none of the knowledge required so I don't have to rely solely on the accessories. Your original post was quite helpful.

@raoul duke
Whistler was certainly big, but as I mentioned a lot of the hikable terrain was permanentely closed. Does that me me an ungrateful jerk for wanting more, sure F ME. I still enjoyed myself. Black / Double black are just labels, and not sure what gave you the Obsessed impression, it's the climbing and selecting a cool line that interests me, which I could only do further down in the glades on Whistler. I have every right to be seeking what it is I want out of my experience, as should you. It's not that it's "not good enough," I'm simply searching for something more specific.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

raoul duke said:


> "Day one of snowbird I was feeling comfortable and had rode the more difficult double blacks with relative ease." wow, how impressive..
> 
> who are these folks that visit places and obsess over whether the run is double or triple black? who cares? are you having fun snowboarding?
> Can I watch your ultra extreme skills in a snowboard video somewhere?
> ...


Whistler is tame compared to the last level in SSX3. I played it a few times and jumped a 700' gap, all while doing flips and spins and whatnot


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## jjj604 (Dec 16, 2015)

CauseNAffect said:


> @Noreaster
> _"You've been riding shitty hills closer to the city and a slightly less shittier hills upstate or farther up the coast for all of your life"
> _ BINGO, which is exactly why I would ideally like to avoid it when paying for a cross country trip, that's pretty f'n reasonable if may say so, and completely my fault as pointed out in D. The conditions were very very bad considering I couldn't see what I was riding on 50% of my time on the mountain, but Whistler was a great mountain. And yes, 1000% it was a disappointment seeing such mountain glory in front of me that was restricted to such limited access, prompting the backcountry conversation


wow this thread took off in such a hurry that i've kinda forgotten what i read at the beginning. that kinda is how whistler rolls weather-wise. bluebird, big dumps and low avy risk almost never line up. in all the years of riding there, i still have yet to hit those magical conditions on a regular basis so don't get too down about it. the best you can do when planning such a long-haul trip is to book during historically good times (which feb is), hope for the best and find something to ride as dictated by conditions. i think that part of what makes whistler locals such strong riders is their ability to ride in absolutely dogshit conditions visibility wise. you kinda get used to the gusting conditions with a white-out up in the alpine but there's an insane amount of trees all over mid mountain if you don't want to deal with that; the catch (as others mentioned) is that you need a local to show you the goods and they're not going to be readily offering it up unless you've got a smoking hot sister as trade.

it's too bad that the weather didn't cooperate with you. we've had a weird jan & feb with freak storms showing up and avy danger spiking all over the place. iirc, avy warning was high over that weekend because of the temperature jump + heavy precip that came and went really quickly. b/c is a long term plan that can only become long term with proper risk management. that was the #1 thing i took away from recently taking the ast1 course. it's good be realistic about what kind of terrain you'll be riding once you make the jump into bc because it takes time to build on that knowledge. getting up and down complex terrain like couloirs and chutes off the get-go seems like a very aggressive goal but then again, everybody has a different risk tolerance


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## Noreaster (Oct 7, 2012)

CauseNAffect said:


> Your original post was quite helpful.


The latter one is helpful too. You may not like what I say but in the end all information conveyed is designed to either help to get people out of harm's way or stir them in the direction they need to go, and all of it is borne out of decades of experience. 

Stick around and you'll get over it.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I ride when it is shit or great. The more you ride the better you are. The more time spent on a snowboard, the better you are. Ride steep terrain in shitty conditions regularly and when you get it in powder you make it look like a bunny hill run.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Imho, pnw is the hollowed grounds for developing solid big mtn riders...in part evidenced by the riders that come out of pnw. It is because of the often shit and highly varied conditions....conditions including snow amt, type, the terrain, vis and all that goes with it. It is not easy to ride shit conditions nor is it easy to walk away from wickedly seductive hound dog drool'n lines...and its too easy to inadvertently get yourself waaay too deep in the shit and get tore up. I have my bc bunny lines that I'll do...but beyond that I'll only go with some seasoned locals...to which some of these are folks consider pnw area as top shelf because of the varied challenges of the conditions of the steep/deep terrain...folks that have moved from Jackson, Tahoe, Utard, CO.

So OP just because you saw the land of milk and honey...you have not crossed the river...you don't know what you don't know...so get in the wading pool and start splashing...and yes, swimming is one of the noob skill sets required :wink:


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## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

jjj604 said:


> that kinda is how whistler rolls weather-wise. bluebird, big dumps and low avy risk almost never line up. in all the years of riding there, i still have yet to hit those magical conditions on a regular basis so don't get too down about it.


Yeah man, pretty hard to hit on a reg basis, multiple times in a season or even once in a season but when you get lucky enough to get a day or days like that. Boom :notworthy: (this is a family forum and there isn't an emoticon for busting a nut haha)


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## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

CauseNAffect said:


> This is going downhill fast with semantics. Let me respond a bit so that I can steer away from sounding like a cry-baby.
> 
> I thought it went without saying that *I'm thankful for every moment I get on a board* or else I wouldn't be on here in the first place, and secondly I HAD A BLAST at Whistler and rode the fuck out of the place despite meeting some adversity. My comments and questions were more geared toward being able to get more of what it is I love and really want to do. I enjoy the park, but there's a great park at mt. snow on the east coast that doesn't require a plane ticket to get to, and yes whistler park was dope, and the slalom race course was f'n amazing. I was simply sharing what I felt was missing and want to find more of. It's not mutually exclusive where if I don't get EXACTLY what I want I'm a miserable prick, as I said I love glade runs, natural features, f'n around on side hits, and love practicing laying down on my carves on a groomer. It's ALL FUN to me. Even the icy moguls that were in abundance I took advantage of. I'm simply trying to get closer to what really gets me excited. And yes, Whistler let me down in that regard. What you do on your board is your business I'm not telling you what to love, I'm just trying to find more of what it is I love, give me a fucking break. I've been riding East Coast for 23 years, I've had my practice, hence this entire conversation. Telling me I should be thankful for bad snow and "be an optimist" is 2cents I don't need, but appreciate and would agree with the idea.
> 
> ...


Hey man, I wouldn't take anybodies comments too seriously even if it seems like we're busting your balls.

If anything think of it like getting a big snow spray in your face when one of your buddies sees you waiting downhill and he wants to say hello haha

You like boarding, we all like boarding. All good


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