Nearly ideal snow conditions exist at Whitetail right now for this area. Stop what you are doing, make sure everyone else is doing something else, and then go ski at WT!
So short of some nice fluffy powder, I'm hard pressed to come up with better snow. Light, dry, very little ice and even less hard-scrap than normal. Loosened packed powder coated most runs, on top of firm packed powder. Exhibition has bumps, milder than BD which was unfortunately flattened. I have to say I have never skied down the thing without bumps so that was interesting! Actually here's a run I'd really like to just bomb, but I do not like how it funnels at the end & there's no real run out. it's really better with bumps! The crowds were manageable overall but longer lines starting kicking in around noon. By 3pm, the lines at the front quad stretched back down the hill a bit. That was nearing my last run and it probably took me 10+ (20?) minutes to get through, and I was in the single line at that point. The black side lines also curled around a bit and took several minutes to get through. Exhibition ended the day for me but I thought the moguls were a nice addition -- I wish they'd leave at least 1/3 of that trail bumped up all the time! So it was crowded but I though that for rest of the day most of the lines seemed to be a very manageable 5 min (either that or I've been well conditioned!)
In short, I'd go again tomorrow if I were able! Ah, and lest I forget, brilliant blue skies all day!!!

The conditions on Sunday were equally as nice! Was on the Express a little before 8:30 and skied non-stop until 12:45. First hour saw a low crowd volume bit it picked up from there. Sticking to the "black side" was the best bet and having the moguls on Exhibition was worth some entertainment while riding the quad. Brilliant blue skies might be putting it lightly!! What a beautiful sight.

Yep, could be the high water mark for the season!

Later on Sunday, conditions were a lot more scraped-off and slicker. I was @ Whitetail from 3:30 to 7:45 (got home in time to watch most of the 4th quarter!) When I arrived, the crowds were surprisingly large for a Super Bowl Sunday. I heard that the early afternoon crowds were very bad. When there's snow on the ground in the city, everyone thinks about skiing.

Exhibition sucked! (And I was raving about Bold Decision last Sunday.) Whitetail needs to hire some skiers and boarders who actually know how to turn so that semi-adequate bumps are formed. (Note: I seriously doubt any DCSki posters fall into the don't know how to turn category.) Exhibition didn't have bumps, it was mostly a series of ridges, some extending up to twenty feet down the hill. I have no idea what sort of turns/skids/slides/falls could cause those shapes. Made it very difficult to get any sort of turn flow. I'd hate to have to learn to ski moguls on terrain like that.

Bold Decision is a lot steeper than Exhibition, and the bumps are always better formed. Better sliders = better bumps.

Bold Decision was not bumped up as of late Sunday. Looked like the groomers had removed those fun drop-offs.

[This message has been edited by JohnL (edited 02-02-2004).]

I was at Whitetail Super Sunday also, from 2:30 to 6:30. The crowds were suprisingly thick until about 4:00, then it began to thin out. I also found that the centers of the trails were scraped down to some moderate ice. This was my first time at Whitetail, and I must say I was impressed - even when the crowds were thick the lift attendants kept the lines moving well enough that I don't think I waited longer than maybe 10 minutes max.

The lifts have been moving nicely this year and I noticed that even when starting from the end of the ropes traveling through the line *seems* to take but a few (5?) minutes. I should actually time it sometime but I think I'd rather live in a delusional world of thinking it is 5 or less minutes!! ;-)
Anyway, on Saturday the line got as far back as the snow gun in the main lodge area and then slightly crested the hill their towards the lodge. I was in the singles line at this point and it took quite some time to get through to the lift. And yet, I have either been thoroughly conditioned to think nothing of this or it just didn't really take that long to get through it, as I did not feel that I spent that much time in the line. However, I only went through the line like this ONCE before going over to the black side, and then home.
As for Exhibition -- on Saturday it had some nice bumps on top, then a little gap, then some more nice bumps before the drop off, then a little gap, then some more down to the bottom. Under the lift the trail was not bumped up at all. I noticed some of those long ridges forming also and tried to ski through them and cut turns where (i thought) they should be but probably with little real effect. But It did seem like many people were enjoying themselves and giving the moguls a shot. As such I'd like to see them being more of a regular feature on Exhibition. Having said that I didn't see really anyone who seemed to really know what they were doing compared to the sort of skiing you might find on BD when it is in full bloom. Well perhaps by Sunday the primo snow was kaput. It seems likely that the weather, while remaining relatively cold overall, will yield to more variable weather patterns and the snow will get progressively less than primo... ;-(

I know there was one guy who was giving it his all to create some good moguls (not I!). This dude was on Exhibition every time I was on the lift so I'm guessing he ran it at least 20 times. That's dedication. I couldn't figure out why there were long ridges instead of bumps either. Doing some short little hops through the trees along the skiers left on Farside was some good stuff too. On my last run around 12:45, the "mogul maniac" was on his back at the top of Exhibition appearing to be stretching and massaging his legs. Anyone here wear a muted yellow jacket, off white pants and a silver helmet? If so, you're a damn warrior!

If that was on saturday I don't think that was me. I went down -- oh heck I dunno, 5 times or so. I was with a friend and she doesn't much care for moguls, plus she's a boarder. Can you actually 'board moguls without just sliding over them? Moguls are hard enough with skis to ski well. I have NEVER seen a 'board actually carve through them kinda as a skier would. Is it even done?

Anyway, I think the guy you might be referring to had tight reddish pants? He just went up and down the thing. I was in the area 3 seperate times at least and he was always there going up and down the the run.

I think the longer ridges form when folks make longer sweeping turns (or slides). This pushes the snow up in one direction. With better skiers you are likely to have more turns in a given area to control speed which will make the ridge forming less likely.

But with lesser abilities you get sections of a run where a lot of people check their speed using a big slide turn and the snow will push up into a ridge in one direction.

AT LEAST that's MY THEORY and I'm stickin' to it!!!

:-)

>Can you actually 'board moguls without just sliding over them? Moguls are hard enough with skis to ski well. I have NEVER seen a 'board actually carve through them kinda as a skier would. Is it even done?

Boarding through moguls is definitely a challenge.

There's some good video of a snowboarder carving through moguls on the last part of this video. I haven't seen anyone actually go through moguls like that around here.

http://www.pureboarding.com/movies/pbmovie_dsl.wmv

Warning- video has some good carving shots, but it's to the tune of cheezy 80's glam rock. I guess that music is still popular in Europe. :-)

I was at the top of Lower Shay's revenge when I saw two boarders enter the mogul field and do an awesome job of carving turns (in unison!) Most of the time, there is more heel-siding down the front of them and some turns on a board....

-Warren-

I watched the vid, awesome carving and also going through the mogul field. Helps to have mounds of soft snow I think & the moguls didn't seem that tight really but of course it all changes when you are in them.

I love boarding moguls. I can't really say I look graceful doing it but I can do it as well as 90% of the skiers that try it. It will WEAR YOU OUT though. You pretty much just have to throw your whole body from side to side. I've had an awesome time on Shay, Knott bumper, and Choker. I remember the first time i did Shay i tried 2 turns, stopped, and looked over the trail. Not a single boarder on it but me. I thought for sure i'd either die that day or have to walk down the side. Main Street at Wisp has been bumped up over the last few years and is great. Devils Drop is probably one of the best little tree runs around here if you get a chance and its always bumps, usually powder, when its open. Its second only to a certain unnamed trail i did at Timberline last Thursday.

I just saw that part of the video where the guy rips up the moguls. Ok, so i don't do it anywhere near as smooth as that but like i said, hardly anyone around here, ski or board, can. I'm all for the intermediate bump runs some people mentioned earlier. They would probably be much easier on a boarder and would give you a chance to learn the technique without hucking yourself down an aggro crag or something like that (i tried).

JR, please come to WT and give some free lessons!!!

Moguls are definitely awkward for the skier, especially if you have grown up and are used to relatively even groomed terrain. It takes some adjustment to ski even in thicker slushier snow, and also a few inches deep of softer powder.

Moguls require good balance, agility and using the skis together.

It seems to me that better technique makes all of the above easier.

For borders, I mostly see them sliding over the tops of moguls which sortof defeats the whole idea behind them...

BUT then again I have been known to do the same on skis...

So, that's not a cut on borders, just an observation that more technique is better in that limited sense of skiing or bording moguls better.

I would but i can't justify it being just as close to Snowshoe and closer to Timberline The reason most boarders you see just slide over them is probably because its their first time. Judging by my first experience, I doubt most people ever try the second time. I was lucky in that the second time I tried was at Snowshoe with Powder moguls on both Knott Bumper and Shay. I probably wouldn't have even tried them if it wasn't ideal conditions. That allowed me to learn how to link turns in them.

Has anyone ever seen someone try moguls in those short ski blades? It looks like a piece of cake. Just looks like jumping down the stairs when you were a kid.

I probably have but it doesn't stick in my mind, and skis are so short these days relatively speaking, even I shouldn't have any problems! ;-)
If potentially boarding is better in deep powder, it does seem that skis are better for the mogs.

With all the crap moving in weather-wise, this might be a good local ski hill weekend, at least crowd wise. Have already planned to take the weekend off but anyone going up on Saturday? A good report might change that attitude...

Quote from Whitetail's homepage this morning (2/6): "WHITETAIL WILL BE CLOSED TODAY DUE TO DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS AND MIXED PRECIPITATION. ALSO IT IS SIMPLY NOT A VERY NICE DAY TO BE OUTSIDE."

The high speed quad is probably none too happy with ice accretion on it's gears, either.

No I am stuck going up to Hunter. Imagine driving 5+ hrs to ski slop? Well we still have that open slot, 3 of 4. Actually you'd need to bring a sleeping bag if you went as the condo just has a king and a queen pullout couch.

???

I am leaving at 3pm ...

I'm planning on going to Whitetail either tomorrow or Sunday...

-Warren-

Thanks for the invite but I'll pass... got family plans and Jiffy Lube (need to keep my truck happy) for the weekend. Have a blast!

Ok RZ, I survived! Hunter has some really nice double-blacks, the rest is unfortunately, somewhat forgetable. Icy as sh*t really...

a full report coming tomorrow I hope!

How was WT?

Glad to see you're back safe! Sometimes I feel like a glutton for punishment-- did not ski this weekend (had already planned to take it off regardless of the weather) and am planning on heading to WT this coming weekend (President's Day?!!?!?). Spent 2 hours in line at Jiffy Lube yesterday; yee haw. Anyway will probably get a four hour pass at WT either Sunday or Monday and then head back the following weekend as well. After that-- I'm heading to San Francisco to visit some friends and do some early spring skiing in Tahoe.

Went to WT yesterday. What a beautiful day!! They had done a good job grooming the ice in and had blown 4-6" of man-made snow. Exhibition had some nice soft man-made on the moguls (at least early in the day) and Bold Decision mostly groomed with man-made skiers left. The started to get a little heavy/sticky in the afternoon but not really slushy...

-Warren-

RZ -- not sure of the day but skiing at WT seems like a good idea.