# Have any of you East Coast guys given up on East Coast mountains?



## njfastlfie (Dec 24, 2013)

and just save up for a trip or two out west?

if so, what is the best way to do so _relatively _affordably? 

i am so sick of riding corduroy, ice and hard pack.


----------



## cookiedog (Mar 3, 2014)

I just came from my 2nd trip to Jay Peak yesterday. And I'm so fkn disappointed I was really hoping for some powder. but fuck no! there was some loose snow blown by the wind on top of the damn ice. I learned to carve because it was the only safe way down, but fuck! 
I was at Whiteface(iceface) twice this year and it had better snow then Jay peak....
Powder doesn't exist on East Coast, but I heard some legends about it.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

central park looks to be getting some pow


----------



## larrytbull (Oct 30, 2013)

pow coming tomorrow!


----------



## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

Try to get in on epic pass, mountain collective or something like that next year and shop for cheap plane tickets. The problem is you may still end up with corduroy, ice and hard pack depending on when you go, just a lot more of it and much longer trails. When you plan ahead and try to get best deals on plane tickets, rental cars...etc, you can't pick the weather. My last trip to Colorado was awesome, but no pow the whole time we were there. However, more often than not, I get lucky and get at least some pow when I go out west. I will not give up on east coast riding, it is not the best but I still enjoy it.

East coast pow is not a myth...rare, but it does happen and I have experienced some pretty sweet pow conditions out here on occasion.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

maybe not that affordable...but...get a gf/tundrawookie from idaho


----------



## cookiedog (Mar 3, 2014)

I'll call in sick Tomorrow. Want to hit Camelback


----------



## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

just bad timing for Jay....on cold blown off days though, usually means good conditions in the trees.

You are not guaranteed anything out west if you are planning in advance, just keep that in mind, because you may be sorely disappointed. Just ask the guys in Tahoe how great the conditions are...


----------



## larrytbull (Oct 30, 2013)

thinking about going to blue


----------



## cookiedog (Mar 3, 2014)

Psi-Man said:


> just bad timing for Jay....on cold blown off days though, usually means good conditions in the trees.


I don't have a board for trees. 169cm Wide is not a good option for tide turns there IMHO


----------



## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

If you want to enjoy the east just stop reading the CO forum. 

Plenty of fun to be had out here. Yesterday was a great day. The first of the year for me that you didn't cringe at the scraping sound all around you as you rode the lift up.


----------



## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

cookiedog said:


> I don't have a board for trees. 169cm Wide is not a good option for tide turns there IMHO


You can do it, but probably not advisable unless you are used to it. I do ride my custom x 168 in the trees.


----------



## Altephor (Feb 4, 2010)

I had almost given up, HUGE snowstorm coming tomorrow! Everyone else is out buying gallons of water, I'm waxing my board.


----------



## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

I-70 mountains are a guaranteed good time. Not guaranteed powder but late febuary is your best bet for powder and decent temps.

Find a cheap round trip flight months ahead.
Buy an epic pass in the summer/ or a combo pass if its too late.
Find a cheap rental car or take the summit shuttle for $65.
Find a cheap motel or look on VRBO, look for a place near a bus stop.

Easiest I've found is Breckenridge and Keystone. Even if it doesn't snow while you are here you can't beat the fun terrain and endless amount of trails.


----------



## ekb18c (Mar 11, 2013)

Was going to try out my hovercraft in a upcoming trip to Mt. Bachlor but I think I might use the Hovey tomorrow at one of the catskills mountain.


----------



## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

The winds tomorrow are going to be brutal, Wednesday or perhaps Thursday is the day to get out.


----------



## ekb18c (Mar 11, 2013)

That's true! We don't even know if any of the mountains will be opened.


----------



## Extazy (Feb 27, 2014)

This monday (today) going to central park 

Wednesday - Windham
Thursday - Mount snow!


----------



## cookiedog (Mar 3, 2014)

Winds will be crazy indeed. So i think I'll aim for Wed instead. Is Windham a lot bigger then Camelback hill?


----------



## totalsiib (Oct 9, 2014)

Windham is bigger. I'm aiming for plattekill Wed; they have skiers appreciation day ($20 lift ticket). Although I'm very tempted to make the extra hour drive to mount snow. They will receive almost 2 feet of snow in 2 days.


----------



## mdc (Sep 23, 2008)

East Coast, West Coast doesn't really matter. If you are a weekend warrior you're going to miss powder days. If you want powder move your ass to a mountain and ride when it snows!


----------



## njfastlfie (Dec 24, 2013)

totalsiib said:


> Windham is bigger. I'm aiming for plattekill Wed; they have skiers appreciation day ($20 lift ticket). Although I'm very tempted to make the extra hour drive to mount snow. They will receive almost 2 feet of snow in 2 days.


had a great time there sunday. say hi to dennis and hailey


----------



## Altephor (Feb 4, 2010)

Went out to Nashoba Valley tonight for 2.5 hrs or so. Not the biggest hill in the world (or even the state), but had a blast tonight working on my toeside carves! It's only 15 min from my apartment so it'll do in a pinch. Not good enough for the big resorts anyway, too much money to justify riding the greens. Felt like I really made progress and the 4-5 inches of nice fresh snow was a dream after weeks of rain and temps in the 40s. Felt so great to get out there in nice conditions!


----------



## Soul06 (Dec 18, 2010)

Give up on the East? NEVER!!!
Riding can be rough and slopes can get icy but that just forces me to be more on my game. Means I can't get lazy because lazy riding means painful falls. Plus it adds a bit more of a thrill.

However I am looking forward to my planned trip out to Utah this year.


----------



## trippinsoul (Dec 17, 2014)

East Coast conditions can be good, I know last year was pretty epic for my region and there were days when I was hip-deep in snow...the pow isnt always that cold-formed dry fluffy stuff thats ideal but its snow and its deep and thats all I really need...biggest flaw I see in the East vs West is the pathetic size of most "mountains" around here.


----------



## Soul06 (Dec 18, 2010)

trippinsoul said:


> East Coast conditions can be good, I know last year was pretty epic for my region and there were days when I was hip-deep in snow...the pow isnt always that cold-formed dry fluffy stuff thats ideal but its snow and its deep and thats all I really need...biggest flaw I see in the East vs West is the pathetic size of most "mountains" around here.


Pathetic size of mountains? We don't have the 3500-4000ft mountains like Jackson Hole or the Rockies but we have some decent size. At least 8 over 2000ft of true vertical. Plus Whiteface is 3200+


----------



## trippinsoul (Dec 17, 2014)

Soul06 said:


> Pathetic size of mountains? We don't have the 3500-4000ft mountains like Jackson Hole or the Rockies but we have some decent size. At least 8 over 2000ft of true vertical. Plus Whiteface is 3200+


yeah I'm not hating theres some nice peaks but the reality is they're few and far beween and theres not the abundance of nice BIG mountains like they have running up and down the West Coast, we lost out in the geography department. I was out in northern BC last year and I went to Shames mountain and it was fucking pure magnificence..and thats not even a big mountain to them out there. To get there I flew over hundreds of kilometres of gigantic snowcapped peaks as far as the eye could see, sooo....

Here our local "big" hill is like 1200ft and the place I ride regularly is barely a pimple on a gnats ass, to get to a 'mountain' I have to drive 2 or 3 hours to Tremblant or Jay...but whatever, beast coast still shreds! If only I could get some of that snowstorm action...


----------



## SkullAndXbones (Feb 24, 2014)

one of these days, i'm just gonna pack up and move to oregon.


----------



## SnowRock (Feb 28, 2011)

Flights to denver are always cheap but I could never get as much riding as I want in with simply western trips.

Like others said.. if you are a weekend warrior you are at mother nature's mercy. For me a day on the snow is a better than a day off the snow. I have some flexibility with working remotely so can sometimes chase a storm here or there on the east coast. 

Had one of my best days ever last year driving up to Burlington through the teeth of a bad storm a day before my trip was officially supposed to start. Got a Thursday powder day at Stowe that was a top 5 day for me.

When conditions suck I work on technique or form or something to make it feel worthwhile.


----------



## Deimus85 (Dec 3, 2012)

mdc said:


> East Coast, West Coast doesn't really matter. If you are a weekend warrior you're going to miss powder days. If you want powder move your ass to a mountain and ride when it snows!


This.

If you really like snowboarding, you will ride what you have. Just buy lift tickets early in the season and in bulk to make it affordable to ride the shit.

I purchased two triple plays for Mountain Creek for $70 each, four 50% off ($26.50 each) tickets for JFBB, and a Triple play for Windam for $140. So for $386 (the cost of one weekend plane ticket and luggage alone) I have 13 lift tickets. I'd rather have 13 days of riding on the East Coast throughout the whole season than 2 days of riding on one weekend in the West.

Ideally it would be rad to just move out to Denver, but that isn't an option at this point.


----------



## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

What I find funny is that the last thing all the people who say 'come west where it's awesome' is for a couple 10s of thousands of Easterners to actually take that advice and make lines even worse!


----------



## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

ekb18c said:


> Was going to try out my hovercraft in a upcoming trip to Mt. Bachlor but I think I might use the Hovey tomorrow at one of the catskills mountain.


Make sure to bring the cold weather and precip when you come.


----------



## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

f00bar said:


> What I find funny is that the last thing all the people who say 'come west where it's awesome' is for a couple 10s of thousands of Easterners to actually take that advice and make lines even worse!


Yup, I'm sure BA would love a couple thousand New Englanders settling in Breckenridge....might be good for business though.


----------



## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Let's face it. East or West, your only solid chance of riding powder with any regularity is to live on the mountain. For the majority of us that is not reality. I am an ice coast rider where my local hill is about 500 ft of vertical and I hit the hill every chance I get. I treat every day as the best day of my life and make the very most of it.

Have I given up on east coast riding, not a chance. I have been to Whistler, saw a little powder and don't get me wrong, it was the time of my life. But I have also ridden Jay Peak, Smuggs, Whiteface, Sugarbush and Killington and they are all capable of putting a smile on my face. Unless you have the ability to drop everything on a moments notice and the finances to support last minute air tickets, we are in a book ahead and hope mode. "You can book your vacation, but you cannot book your weather" is what most of us have to live by.

No matter where you ride, if you ride each day like it's your last, you will never have a disappointing day


----------



## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Talking with my brother last week and he starts talking about how 'since my trips out west I can't ski in the east anymore' blah blah blah.

Since getting married, kid, etc he's been sitting inside all winter for the last 15 years. That sounds wicked fun. Hibernating for 4+ months a year is just stupid.


----------



## njfastlfie (Dec 24, 2013)

SnowRock said:


> Flights to denver are always cheap but I could never get as much riding as I want in with simply western trips.
> 
> Like others said.. if you are a weekend warrior you are at mother nature's mercy. For me a day on the snow is a better than a day off the snow. I have some flexibility with working remotely so can sometimes chase a storm here or there on the east coast.
> 
> ...


if this was that storm that dumped around 2" of snow last year, i did the same. drove from NY to VT right as it was starting and rode the deepest powder i have ever ridden.


----------



## Deimus85 (Dec 3, 2012)

Oldman said:


> Let's face it. East or West, your only solid chance of riding powder with any regularity is to live on the mountain. For the majority of us that is not reality. I am an ice coast rider where my local hill is about 500 ft of vertical and I hit the hill every chance I get. I treat every day as the best day of my life and make the very most of it.
> 
> Have I given up on east coast riding, not a chance. I have been to Whistler, saw a little powder and don't get me wrong, it was the time of my life. But I have also ridden Jay Peak, Smuggs, Whiteface, Sugarbush and Killington and they are all capable of putting a smile on my face. Unless you have the ability to drop everything on a moments notice and the finances to support last minute air tickets, we are in a book ahead and hope mode. "You can book your vacation, but you cannot book your weather" is what most of us have to live by.
> 
> No matter where you ride, if you ride each day like it's your last, you will never have a disappointing day


Love this post.


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Too bad I wasn't up riding all this week! The last couple of days probably had some pretty awesome powder all over the East Coast and especially New England.

Hopefully some of the good snow/powder is left on Saturday when I head up to Mount Snow. I doubt it. But, if nothing else, hopefully there should be minimal ice and hopefully the snow will ride well.

In all of my riding in New England, I have had 2-3 actual powder days. One was a random trip to Wachusett during a snow storm and one was a weekend while up at Killington - both afternoons and evenings it snowed so each morning we had power (Sat & Sun). Other than that, its all groomers and avoiding ice, but hopefully not too much ice.

Question for you West Coast guys - what is it like to fall and not have it hurt? Haha!

I'm having my wife try out snowboarding for the first time on Saturday. If she likes it, I plan to get her some cheap used stuff to get more practice in around here and hopefully take a nice vacation out West next winter.

As for "giving up on East Coast Mountains" - last I checked, I'm not independently wealthy with the money to fly wherever I want at the drop of a hat. East Coast Mountains is what we have, so East Coast Mountains is what I ride. I've never been out West to board, but I would love to. I've heard nothing but great things about CO and UT and I really want to visit.


----------



## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

This thread makes my brain hurt.

I've spent two weeks in Tahoe where it SUCKED. I've spent two days in Vermont where I got totally dumped on with freshies. You roll the dice, you play the game. We went to Tahoe once when they had just got a small 6" snow fall...everyone kept apologizing to us fro the horrible conditions. It was POWDER to us! Now, we're getting awesome snow in the Northeast, and Tahoe is already breaking out the trail bikes. Suck it up! It's weather.


----------



## Soul06 (Dec 18, 2010)

Oldman said:


> Unless you have the ability to drop everything on a moments notice and the finances to support last minute air tickets, *we are in a book ahead and hope mode. "You can book your vacation, but you cannot book your weather" is what most of us have to live by*.
> 
> No matter where you ride, if you ride each day like it's your last, you will never have a disappointing day


Truer words have not been spoken. Wish I could reach through the screen and shake your hand.

I've booked trips to Burlington to do a couple days at Stowe, Bush and Jay before. My first time was great. Snowstorm hit both days on was on the mountain. Almost whiteout conditions at the tops. Second time I got rained on and decided to cut the trip and left a day early. Its a roll of the dice.

I will always love riding the East. I feel like it will make me a better and far more confident rider for when I do get out West. Hell...tumbling down a steep in knee high pow can't be as bad as tumbling down on hardpack and ice lol.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Jcb890 said:


> Question for you West Coast guys - what is it like to fall and not have it hurt?


May not hurt...but you can die :hairy:


----------



## AgingPunk (Feb 18, 2014)

Like everything in life it depends on your time and your money. I've gotten direct flights from NYC to Denver for as low as $200, hell this Christmas my ticket was 350. Get an Epic Pass as mentioned, CME shuttle to Frisco is $100 RT and they have a frequent rider program. There's tons of options through Air BnB and VRBO. I'm a teacher and so I'm mostly relegated to school breaks, with the occasional 3 day weekend. But I start looking for plane tix in Aug for xmas, use kayak or expedia to do a fare tracker. Also look to maximize your time on the ground: LGA, EWR & JFK all have late flights to Denver and red eyes on the return, if you time it right you don't lose riding for travel days. This is only my 3rd season back riding, but I'm damn well riding on the east cause that's where I live and it includes shit trips to Mountain Creek and rainy days at killington. I got 13 days the 1st season, 20 days last year and aiming for 30 this season. Half of that will be out West, 1/4 at Creek and the rest Catskills and VT. I haven't yet said I wish I'd stayed home instead of spending the day riding. But I'm old, so what do I know. 
PS If you up and move out West expect us all to come stink up your couch


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

AgingPunk said:


> Like everything in life it depends on your time and your money. I've gotten direct flights from NYC to Denver for as low as $200, hell this Christmas my ticket was 350. Get an Epic Pass as mentioned, CME shuttle to Frisco is $100 RT and they have a frequent rider program. There's tons of options through Air BnB and VRBO. I'm a teacher and so I'm mostly relegated to school breaks, with the occasional 3 day weekend. But I start looking for plane tix in Aug for xmas, use kayak or expedia to do a fare tracker. Also look to maximize your time on the ground: LGA, EWR & JFK all have late flights to Denver and red eyes on the return, if you time it right you don't lose riding for travel days. This is only my 3rd season back riding, but I'm damn well riding on the east cause that's where I live and it includes shit trips to Mountain Creek and rainy days at killington. I got 13 days the 1st season, 20 days last year and aiming for 30 this season. Half of that will be out West, 1/4 at Creek and the rest Catskills and VT. *I haven't yet said I wish I'd stayed home instead of spending the day riding.* But I'm old, so what do I know.
> PS If you up and move out West expect us all to come stink up your couch


I'd rather be out boarding on crappy snow than not boarding on crappy snow.


----------



## AgingPunk (Feb 18, 2014)

Jcb890 said:


> I'd rather be out boarding on crappy snow than not boarding on crappy snow.


Couldn't agree more, 1st day of season was raining first two hours at Killington, finished the day with my feet in plastic bags inside my boot (thanks ski patrol) and a smile on my face.


----------



## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

Soul06 said:


> Give up on the East? NEVER!!!
> Riding can be rough and slopes can get icy but that just forces me to be more on my game. Means I can't get lazy because lazy riding means painful falls. Plus it adds a bit more of a thrill.
> 
> However I am looking forward to my planned trip out to Utah this year.


Funny. On our first trip to Tahoe they thought we were the warriors. "If you can ride Vemont, you can ride anywhere!" They were bummed when they only got 6" of fresh. We'd be waking up with a snow boner.


----------



## Rogue (Nov 29, 2014)

SnowRock said:


> When conditions suck I work on technique or form or something to make it feel worthwhile.


So true! It's been crummy especially lately, but ride or die! Time to dial in my switch riding, carving, and stop being a pansy and hit park. No pow, trees, off piste places to ride? Time to learn something new.


----------



## taco tuesday (Jul 26, 2014)

njfastlfie said:


> and just save up for a trip or two out west?
> 
> if so, what is the best way to do so _relatively _affordably?
> 
> i am so sick of riding corduroy, ice and hard pack.


Maybe I am being a dick here but....really? This is one of the dumbest things I ever heard. I love snowboarding. It is one of my favorite things to do. Am I going to stop because I live on the east coast? Hell no! I am going to ride as often as possible regardless of conditions and as an added bonus I will become a better rider for having dealt with the sometimes shitty conditions. My last three days have been at least 6" of fresh dry snow. 12"+ expected tomorrow. If you hate the east coast conditions so much maybe think about moving.


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

taco tuesday said:


> Maybe I am being a dick here but....really? This is one of the dumbest things I ever heard. I love snowboarding. It is one of my favorite things to do. Am I going to stop because I live on the east coast? Hell no! I am going to ride as often as possible regardless of conditions and as an added bonus I will become a better rider for having dealt with the sometimes shitty conditions. My last three days have been at least 6" of fresh dry snow. 12"+ expected tomorrow. If you hate the east coast conditions so much maybe think about moving.


:iagree:

I could see if you had a private jet or an insanely well-paying job that you needed to live here for, then sure, pick and choose where you want to ride. Otherwise, you can only use what you have access to.

I'm guessing its not usually 0* all day with wind chill around -15* in too many areas, but yesterday was still great and the snow conditions were awesome.

Would I love to go board in Utah, Colorado, etc.? Absolutely. But, why would I not ride what I can around here? Makes no sense.


----------



## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

cookiedog said:


> I just came from my 2nd trip to Jay Peak yesterday. And I'm so fkn disappointed I was really hoping for some powder. but fuck no! there was some loose snow blown by the wind on top of the damn ice. I learned to carve because it was the only safe way down, but fuck!
> I was at Whiteface(iceface) twice this year and it had better snow then Jay peak....
> Powder doesn't exist on East Coast, but I heard some legends about it.


That's ridiculous. You ride "Iceface" and complain about ice? Jay Peak often has great powder if you know where to look. It's been a slow start to the season, but you think they're doing better at Lake Tahoe? Please. I've had some great powder days already...Bolton Valley, even tiny little Sundown in Connecticut. But to say there is no powder on the East Coast is just absurd.


----------



## taco tuesday (Jul 26, 2014)

Woke up to another 8" on the east coast. As much as 16" in the current forecast. Yup no point riding these shitty conditions...


----------



## Deimus85 (Dec 3, 2012)

Where you at? It was about 4 inches that turned into straight slush when the rain started.


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

taco tuesday said:


> Woke up to another 8" on the east coast. As much as 16" in the current forecast. Yup no point riding these shitty conditions...


I was contemplating trying to go somewhere to board today, but the roads would be too bad on the way back and I have work tomorrow like everyone else.


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Deimus85 said:


> Where you at? It was about 4 inches that turned into straight slush when the rain started.


We've got at least 6-8" so far here in MA as well.


----------



## Altephor (Feb 4, 2010)

Went on Sunday with my girlfriend to ride the bunny slopes (she is just starting) at Wachusett. Great conditions as far as I'm concerned, even 4 days after the blizzard. We only got 4 runs done in about 3.5 hours of riding (she is so slow, my quads were burning from holding my board steady), and it was extremely crowded but we both had a good time. Other than when some idiot little girl dug both her poles into our boards (one into mine, one into hers). No damage thankfully but I seriously contemplated taking my helmet off and beaning her with it. Don't really hate skiers, but hate people with shitty rental gear that think it's fine to just slam their shit into mine, skiers and snowboarders alike.


----------



## Soul06 (Dec 18, 2010)

I don't know if its true but I heard Sunday River got around 30+ inches in the last week or so.


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Was just hearing on the news that the Boston area is looking at another 2 ft. of snowfall in the next 10 days. Wed-Thurs is just supposed to be a dusting to max of 2" or so. So, there must be another big storm coming.

I think if there is another big storm, I may chase it up North to get to ride a day on some fresh snow. We shall see!


----------



## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Jcb890 said:


> Was just hearing on the news that the Boston area is looking at another 2 ft. of snowfall in the next 10 days. Wed-Thurs is just supposed to be a dusting to max of 2" or so. So, there must be another big storm coming.
> 
> I think if there is another big storm, I may chase it up North to get to ride a day on some fresh snow. We shall see!


Eh, not until Monday. Way too early for them to really tell. They are just on the 'more snow' bandwagon at this point to get the clicks. See what they say come Saturday.


----------



## cookiedog (Mar 3, 2014)

Was at Hunter yesterday. Awesome conditions


----------



## M.C._Dub (Jan 18, 2013)

cookiedog said:


> I just came from my 2nd trip to Jay Peak yesterday. And I'm so fkn disappointed I was really hoping for some powder. but fuck no! there was some loose snow blown by the wind on top of the damn ice.
> 
> Powder doesn't exist on East Coast, but I heard some legends about it.


Either it's all been wind scoured or you're doing it wrong because Jay has the most snow of anyone in VT this season and we've been getting hammered by storm-after-storm the last month. My suggestion? Find a smaller resort that won't get tracked out by 10am and stay away from weekends. The snow is here, that's for damn sure.

Not sure what everyone in this thread is thinking by saying this is a slow or bad winter. Weather patterns always trend different directions every year. Colorado had a crappy time a few years back, Tahoe has been screwed lately and this year it's a Northeast snow kind of year. Everybody gets it at different times.

I work at Bolton Valley and we just had our snowiest January in 5 years. nearly 70". We're at 162" for the season and it's snowed 38" in the last week alone. Including 21" in the last 3 days! Last season we got 27" the whole month of January. You win some, you lose some. This year it seems to be the year of the Northeast.

Yeah, East coast never gets powder.


----------



## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

M.C._Dub said:


> Not sure what everyone in this thread is thinking by saying this is a slow or bad winter. Weather patterns always trend different directions every year. Colorado had a crappy time a few years back, Tahoe has been screwed lately and this year it's a Northeast snow kind of year. Everybody gets it at different times.


I think the problem is we end up reading the CO thread which starts getting dumped in Oct/Nov and realistically for us Winter doesn't really become reliable until Jan. While we had the snow this year early on we had an extremely bad start with 50F and 2" rain days every other week all the way through VT that was brutal to watch. My local place is Western MA and xmas break was horrendous.

Last year was great, this year up until 2 or 3 weeks ago was looking horrid. Now it's looking to be better than last year.


----------



## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

f00bar said:


> I think the problem is we end up reading the CO thread which starts getting dumped in Oct/Nov and realistically for us Winter doesn't really become reliable until Jan. While we had the snow this year early on we had an extremely bad start with 50F and 2" rain days every other week all the way through VT that was brutal to watch. My local place is Western MA and xmas break was horrendous.
> 
> Last year was great, this year up until 2 or 3 weeks ago was looking horrid. Now it's looking to be better than last year.


March/April will be the key for me as this is when I ride the most. We have not had one of those real snowy March winters in a while now, although last year the conditions were quite good for Spring.


----------



## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Anyone heading up North this weekend with the possible snowfalls on Sunday-Monday?


----------



## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

M.C._Dub said:


> I work at Bolton Valley and we just had our snowiest January in 5 years. nearly 70". We're at 162" for the season and it's snowed 38" in the last week alone. Including 21" in the last 3 days! Last season we got 27" the whole month of January. You win some, you lose some. This year it seems to be the year of the Northeast.
> 
> Yeah, East coast never gets powder.


I was at BV a couple of weeks ago, and even before these massive storms it was great. Over on the Wilderness lift there was untracked powder even in the afternoon, and the lots of untouched stuff all day long...if you just looked for it. And best deal going, especially when you consider the price of BV's neighbor's, Stowe and Sugarbush! Bolton Valley must be kicking ass with this kind of fresh snow!


----------



## Guest (Feb 5, 2015)

Responding to the OP:



I have made my way, more out west and PNW/ British Columbia over the years. Been riding since 1990. I would rather do 3 trips out west then have a house and seasons pass in Vermont.


With that being said, I basically only chase storms on east coast. I don't just systematically go riding every single weekend, "just because." I rode 2 feet of powder freshies this past Monday in VT that was blower. You can get good snow on the east coast but you have to be versatile with your job, some people can't. But what I usually do is leave Thursday night, and ride Friday and Saturday. Saturday is usually a half day and always first chair, because you get a good hour and half before the crowds show up.


Over the years the snow has gotten worse on the east coast, year in and year out you see less consistent snow and warmer temps. Guess global warming is no joke. I remember early 2000's driving up to Vermont and you could barely see the homes from the snow piles lining the street. Vermont used to get consistently 1-3 inches every couple a day and then a big dump every 2 weeks it seemed like. Its not like that as much anymore, at least through the full season. Killington used to stay open into JUNE.


Overall east coast can still rock and can find great conditions but you also know how to look. I cant remember the last time I rode the middle of a trail on the east coast honestly lol. All in all don't give up on the East Coast, it makes you a better rider when you can ride variable conditions.


----------



## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

golfer1659 said:


> Responding to the OP:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


And used to rent a house in Tahoe City for two weeks every year. The last couple of seasons have been horrendous, but I've had some great riding in Vermont and New Hampshire. Again, you have to know where to look.

Unlike what you said, however, I try to ride every week and weekend. Weekday riding is great if you can tolerate snow making blowing in your face. If you hit different mountains and stay away from places like Killington and Okemo you'll usually find good conditions. Travel north, even to places like Sunapee, Ragged (you can rent a cheap room right between them, ride one each day), Cannon -- oh, god, Cannon! So many great places. The only ones I ever hear anyone talk about on this forum are Okemo, Mt. Snow, Killington, Stratton -- all the tourist places. Then they bitch about too many tourists.


----------



## Psi-Man (Aug 31, 2009)

Well, to anyone bitching and moaning about no pow in New England better look at the forecast over the next week because this is as good as it can get.


----------



## M.C._Dub (Jan 18, 2013)

surfinsnow said:


> I was at BV a couple of weeks ago, and even before these massive storms it was great. Over on the Wilderness lift there was untracked powder even in the afternoon, and the lots of untouched stuff all day long...if you just looked for it. And best deal going, especially when you consider the price of BV's neighbor's, Stowe and Sugarbush! Bolton Valley must be kicking ass with this kind of fresh snow!


You're not kidding. It helps that we never get any crowds during the middle of the week and Wilderness is only open 3 days a week. So when we get a midweek storm (or in the case of this week, 2) then all that snow sits there untouched for a week. By Friday it's super dry and fluffy. I can't wait to hit Wilderness tomorrow and ride 22" of untracked.


----------



## surfinsnow (Feb 4, 2010)

M.C._Dub said:


> You're not kidding. It helps that we never get any crowds during the middle of the week and Wilderness is only open 3 days a week. So when we get a midweek storm (or in the case of this week, 2) then all that snow sits there untouched for a week. By Friday it's super dry and fluffy. I can't wait to hit Wilderness tomorrow and ride 22" of untracked.


BV weekdays is the best deal going. I stayed at the Stowe/Waterbury Best Western, they gave me a $15 coupon for BV...$35 lift ticket. Even without the coupon it was cheap. Shh...don't tell anybody.


----------

