Winter 2015-2016 Day 1: First Runs at Crystal Mt.

1 slope - 1 lift - no crowds

It's unbelievable that Crystal Mt is open. They must of made enough snow on the few cold nights that we had.
One slope and one lift open only, (Cheers). A few skiers and snowboarders show up for the mushy rutted 40 degree conditions.
Hey it was almost free to ride today, 3 cans of soup paid my way in.
Foggy to sunny spring conditions with 35-45 degrees.

Highlights: First runs
Temperatures:  35-45
Sky: partly sunny
Conditions:   spring conditions
Schooled: All the moves I know - with one bone jarring backside crash
Duration: 1.5 hours (about 16 runs)

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 16: Another 4 star spring day at Crystal Mt - Last of the 2014/2015 season

Last run thru the Crystal Mt Glades - POV from the board's perspective

Probably the last of the 2014/2015 season ending on a good note. Bluebird day,
near 40 degrees with softie conditions. Bittersweet for sure, hate to see the season end on one hand but the other hand says lets move forward to warmer weather.


Highlights: Another bluebird day- spring riding at its best
Temperatures:  Mid - 30s
Sky: Bluebird
Conditions:  A 4 Star Day - perfect spring conditions
Schooled: All the moves I know
Duration: 2.5 hours

TRACK Crystal Mt
MAX SPEED:  36.89 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 12.05 mph
SKI DISTANCE: 10.9 miles
SKI VERTICAL: Vertical 8116 ft
MAX STEEPNESS 36% / 20° / 1:3
Duration 02:43

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 15: Another excellent spring day at Crystal - Late start is the new rule

Highlights: Another bluebird day- spring riding at its best
Temperatures:  Mid - 30s
Sky: Bluebird
Conditions:  A 4 Star Day - started out as a cold hard pack and then the sunny side slopes softened up to perfect spring conditions
Schooled: working on nose press-ollie backside
Duration: 2.0 hours

Crystal Mt
Maximum Speed: 30.1 MPH
Distance: 8.8 mi.
Vertical: 6216 ft
SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 11.58 mph
Slope 20°
Duration 02:11:36

 

Front toeside 180, heelside 180, backside toeside180 and backside heelside 180

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 14: Excellent day at Crystal - Late start pays off

A late start pays off - a cold bluebird morning gave way to a mid-30s afternoon.
All the hard pack in the sun became soft pack and made the riding excellent.
Couldn't get myself to quit for the day  - rode till 4 logging over 5 hours of quality spring slope time.

Maximum Speed 33.6 MPH
Distance 16.4 mi.
Vertical 12363 ft
Slope 23°
Duration 04:58:19






A week ago I was riding the glades. Two 60 degree days in the past week
melted a lot of the sunny side glades.
 

Highlights: Bluebird spring riding at its best
Temperatures:  Mid - 30s
Sky: Bluebird
Conditions:  A 4 Star Day - started out as a cold hard pack and then the sunny side slopes softened up to perfect spring conditions
Schooled: working on nose press-ollie backside
Duration: 5.0 hours





As Bluebird as it gets

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 13: Boyne Highlands non-stop session

Another late start, 10:00 but did a non-stop session to 3:30. Got a little mushy by 3:30. Overall not a bad day. I'll rate it as a 2 star day.

Highlights: Long day with nearly 19.5 of vertical
Temperatures:  Upper - 30s
Sky: Mostly cloudy, some sun in the afternoon
Conditions:  A 2 Star Day - started out as a cold hard pack and then as temps rose enough the snow became softer
Schooled:   regressed with the backside 180s ollies
Duration: 5.50 hours

Maximum Speed 30.9 MPH
Distance 23.4 mi.
Vertical 19430 feet
Slope 22°
Duration 05:38:53

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 12: Boyne Highlands Beer sampler day

Happy beer samplers

Beer Sample Day - Had a chance to sample some locally made beers.
A cloudy, cool day, with a few snow showers. Temperature reaching  near 40 degrees if that.
Snow did soften up a bit in the afternoon and salvaged the day.

Highlights: Beer sampler day - got to sample some local brewskis - and still managed 17,739 vertical feet
Temperatures:  Mid - 30s
Sky: Mostly cloudy, some snow showers
Conditions:  A 2 Star Day - started out hard pack and then eventually temps rose enough and the snow became softer
Schooled: Some of my best backside 180s ollies
Duration: 4:45 hours



Happy beer samplers

TRACK Boyne Highlands
MAX SPEED 31.52 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED 11.30 mph
SKI DISTANCE 21.7 miles
SKI VERTICAL 17739 ft
MAX STEEPNESS 40% / 22° / 1:2




Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 11: Nub's Nob a 4 star spring day

4  star day at Nub's  - some sun and temperatures near 55 made for an excellent spring day. Forgiving softie conditions and any miscalculation with the board tricks didn't matter. The soft conditions gave a free pass to a mistake free day.

Burt and I enjoying spring at it's best

Temperatures:  35 up to 55
Sky: Partly sunny
Conditions:  A 4 Star Day
Schooled: All the moves I know
Vertical:  7334 FT
Duration: 4:45
Distance: 12.9 miles

Did some hiking to the Pintail glade area

TRACK Nub's Nob 3-13-15, MAX SPEED: 36.06 mph, SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 10.81 mph, SKI DISTANCE: 12.9 miles. SKI VERTICAL: 7334 FT, MAX STEEPNESS 42% / 23° / 1:2

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 10: Crystal Mt - soft groomers - Bluebird Day

Warm, soft, deep carving groomers

Got a late start  - nevertheless still had a great day. Found some sticky spots around 2:30 so that's when I called it a day. Had the board tuned, edges sharpened and waxed before hand.
Warmest riding day of the year 52 degrees with bright sunshine. Number 50 spf sun screen applied to protect against the bright sun.

Mashed potatoes by 2:30

Temperatures:  45 - 52
Sky: Bluebird
Conditions:  A 4 Star Day
Schooled: All the moves I know
Vertical:  4600 FT
Duration: 2: (1:30 - 2:30)
Distance: 7.8 miles

 

 
 

Riding data

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 9: Mt Holly - soft groomers - Bluebird Day

Mt Holly - soft groomers - Bluebird Day.
Couldn't ask for a better day, warming temperatures, perfect groomers and plenty of sunshine.
A very forgiving day, a day in which I was able to perform all of my tricks without incurring any damage.
The day was topped off with a Snowkite session at Metro Beach.



Highest Point Vista



TRACK Mt Holly
MAX SPEED: 33.47 mph
SKI AVERAGE SPEED: 12.32 mph
SKI DISTANCE: 14.36 miles
SKI VERTICAL: 4123 ft
MAX STEEPNESS 33% / 18°

Temperatures: 35 - 45
Sky: Bluebird
Conditions: Perfect Groomers, A 5 Star Day
Schooled: All the moves I know
Vertical:  4123
Duration: 2:10 (10:00 - 12:10)

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 8: Boyne Highlands - soft groomers

Decent day at the Highlands. Met up with Craig and rode with him through out the day. Also Chris and family were there -  met them for lunch and dinner.
Mainly soft groomers with a tad of fresh snow. I got there to late for first fresh tracks.
Rode from 10:30 - 4:30 (tracker stopped at 3:10)

Temperatures: 20ish degrees
Sky: Mostly cloudy, lite winds
Conditions: Soft groomers/packed powder with a lite dusting of fresh snow last night
Schooled: Backside 180s
Vertical: 9475 ft.

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 7: Cyrstal Mt. Decent day of mostly soft groomers

 

Decent day with softie groomers and 2 hours worth of riding. The weekend crowds caused me to leave at noon.

 

Nice in the air with toe landing backside 180. Getting very confident at these...

 

Temperatures: 20ish degrees
Sky: Partly  On/off light snow showers
Conditions: Soft groomers/packed powder with a lite dusting of fresh snow
Schooled: Backside 180s
Vertical: 4074 ft.

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 6: Soft Groomers with 2-3 inches of new powder

After yesterday's disaster of rock  hard ice, today was just the opposite. Fresh snow, 2-3 inches over soft groomers and partly sunny skies. Made it an exceptional day, over 3 hours of downhill fun.

Temperatures: 10-13 degrees
Sky: Partly sunny with snow showers
Conditions: Soft groomers with 2-3 inches of powder
Schooled: Backside 180s
Vertical: 6625



 

View from top of the the high speed lift

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 5: Crystal Mt - Like riding on Diamond Plate

Todays snow conditions

Horrible day freezing rain over hard pack.  Felt like riding on diamond plate steel. Searched for an hour and never found any good runs.

Temperatures: 30ish degrees
Sky: Low grey overcast
Conditions: Diamond Plate -  1/4 inch freezing rain on top of hard packed groomed
Schooled: Ice Carving
Vertical: 3021 ft

Winter 2014-2015 season - Day 4: Perfect Groomers at Crystal Mt

Hitting the boxes in the lil' grom's park

Some of the best groomers in a long time, soft and easy.   
Edging some high Gs toe side carves. All kinds of spins, getting the infamous backside 108s down.
Even played in the lil' grom's terrain park.
Temperatures: 20-30 plus degrees
Sky: Bluebird till noon
Conditions: Groomed soft packed
Schooled: Spins, Carves, Glades, park and Backside 180s
Vertical: 5830 in 2.5 hours.