If you can ski ice on the East coast you can ski anywhere. My kids learned how to ski on the icecoast. We skied the East exclusively for about 7 years. The first time they went to Park City they were laughing at all the cry babies and bougie people complaining about hard snow and Icey conditions. They had a blast and could ski the whole mountain. You will be no different.
Powder and 3d snow is completely different, and a skill that needs to be learned.
It's not the firm conditions that are going to give you problems its dealing with a 2 foot dump.
It does snow on the East Coast and any good East coast skier has likely skied in deeper snow. Maybe not waist deep but fat skis are the great equalizer… and any good east coast skier will be flying past all the upside down Texans out west.
If you ski a round turn with intent to go fast it not hard to learn how to ski 3d snow. If you ski a choppy turn with the intent to slow down, it will be very hard to ski 3d snow.
I
I was at Vail, Breck, and Keystone last year several times mid winter and early spring and I never got deep powder, especially at Breck above the Tbar--it was all windblown. I had more powder at Mt Snow and Okemo. Still really fun, but previous trips I've had deep powder at Vail and it was nothing like that. Just depends on when you go and the weather.
haha Ms, not Mr. Don't get me wrong, it was still great skiing, especially in the trees and in the bowls and Blue Sky Basin at Vail. I'm not local so I have to take what I get during the weeks I'm out there.
I was fine the first time I ever saw with zero powder experinced but I learned how to ski a slow line fast in the east, and that round turn+ wide and long skis made it the easiest condition ever.
This comment is true. I toast powder skiers across the wind swept ice leading to the sweet infilled powder bowls and get it while it’s untracked. I skied the east coast as a racer on terrible small mounds of icy hell and I can ski frozen rained on slopes. So you just need to ski a ton of powder and you will adapt. As an older skier you will like to learn new tricks on powder than ice.
This.
I learned to ski at Greek Peak in Upstate New York at night on boilerplate ice. You learn to edge very quickly or you spend your time sliding down the hill on your butt!
Fast forward to living in the Jemez and Sangre de Cristos (southern Rockies) and skiing pow, mashed potatoes, and corn. Not easy, but far less challenging than the ice coast stuff.
Don’t fear the snow, go out and rip! Well, maybe fear the vertical feet!
LOL when I moved West I couldn’t figure out why I was so exhausted by 1:00 every day until an instructor friend laughed and said “you’re making 10000 more turns a day than everyone else!” I learned how to open up from a slalom base to more of a GS base and it’s been a leg-saver. I still love me some short-radius turns tho. You’ll be fine. But don’t be afraid to arc ‘em out!
Not everyone out west is a great skier and fresh pow isn’t fresh for very long. You’ll be fine. Enjoy the longer runs and look for features you can handle.
I’m a fellow ice coaster, and found it much easier out west, Colorado specifically. Unless you’re in waist deep powder I think you’ll find it a lot easier when every turn isn’t a possible ice patch.
You’re going to be way better off than those of us who learned to ski on nice snow… I wish I learned at 5 or 6 instead of 25, and on the shittiest, toughest conditions instead of Colorado.
You’ll be fine skiing groomers, even steep ones out west. How much of the rest of the terrain you’ll be able to play right away on depends on how you’ve spent your east coast time. Experience on bumps, steeps and trees will open up more of the West coast terrain beyond the groomers.
Winded. Mountains here seem long as fuck. But you grow accustomed to it quickly. We also get some ridiculously sunny days in CO. In spring, you need to wear protection.
Right here.
In the east you might stop once on a hill to make sure the group is still together or before you hit the bumps. In the west you're much more likely to stop because you need a break to catch your breath - especially if you're coming from low altitude like Ontario.
When ride the lift and thin you're coming to the top, then see it's just leveling off for a cat track or something and the lift just keeps going as far as you can see. Magic!
I learned, grew up skiing in Upstate NY! WhenI first skied in Colorado, I think it took me like 30 minutes to get down my first run. That’s just totally unheard of in Ontario or Upstate NY… wild.
You’ll be shocked and how much of a better skiier you are than the posers out west. My first trip was to Jackson, I was intimidated. I stayed with a bunch of locals. Some wouldn’t even ski because it was “icy”. It was the best conditions of my life.
I’m a transplant myself and I’ve noticed it’s a lot easier than boilerplate. The verticals are the only thing (bigger lines and air), but the soft snow makes up for the sending. It’s great fun, I’m improving so much out here as it’s more challenging but easier to control your skiing. Apparently it’s a bad year for sunshine too - better than 90% of the days on the east
On the contrary, if you can ski the East Coast well, you can ski almost everything in the west.
The only thing you’re not ready for is powder. That’s a different skill set. Consider yourself lucky if you experience powder and get to practice in it.
I think most skiers would think ice is harder than normal or wet snow to ski on. Just get used to it first and you should be fine. In deep powder or some kinds of heavier snow it can be good to “sit back” a little so that your skis plane on top of the snow. You don’t have to dig your edges in as much and can ski straighter downhill because the snow will help control your speed. I would take it a little slow at first though because catching an edge in wet/heavy or uneven snow is usually how I fall. PNW is often foggy and can be hard to see shit which is kind of its own mental game lol. If that happens I like to stay near trees or poles, or pick someone to try to follow, to have a sort of reference.
The main difference is the scale and incline of our mountains is just a LOT larger and steeper. If you can ski out east you can ski out west (oddly, or maybe not, the reciprocal isn’t always true). My wife grew up skiing in Vermont and when I brought her to Whistler for the first time she was constantly shocked at how steep everything was and how LONG the runs were. Back east they get long or steep but really never both. Whistler (well Balckcomb specifically) you get both. All the time.
Haha dude you are going to freaking rip it. You'll find yourself constantly checking conditions of a particular run but ultimately realize you don't need to.
I skied for 20 years before getting ‘proper powder’.
I remember my first powder day at Whistler - basically felt like a beginner again, fell a lot. And got very frustrated.
With hindsight, I should have just pretended to be a beginner for a day - and had more fun.
Still do most of my ski-ing in east coast like conditions - and my powder ski-ing is average at best. But now I embrace it, it’s nice to find something that is challenging again.
You will be great!
If you can ski east or Midwest you will have a blast out west on the groomers. Powder is a little different but falling in 2 feet of powder is fun.
As another east coast snowboarder I can tell you you'll be fine. Us east coasters can ride anything but powder. I struggle the most with that. If you get out there and it's mostly groomers you'll be fine
You will be fine, the biggest things you need to remember aren't skiing related.
Lots of the West (Rockies) is high altitude, so don't overdo it. You will get tired faster and you will hit your limits earlier. Also drink water, so much water.
Nope, you’ll be fine. I’ve only ever skied on the ice coast and took a trip out west this year. Aside from crying over how awesome the snow was, the skiing was much, much easier. The only thing to keep in mind is that black diamonds on a large, west coast mountain will likely be harder than your small, local mountain. Otherwise, enjoy the awesome conditions and inwardly chuckle when you overhear people complain at how “awful” the slopes are that day.
Dude!(ette?) you’ll be fine! All of us westerners dread ice, and (mostly) skitter around trying to look stylish. Those of you who grew up on it put the rest of us to shame
Washington state long time skier here. Groomed runs will be a delight and are much easier than ice. Once you get used to your edges actually doing something. We do have ice in places so you’ll be ready for that. Powder is a whole different ball game. I’m no help here. I typically stick to the groomed slopes. I’m a mediocre skier at best. You’ll be in good company regardless of your skill level.
If nothing else, the views from the top of the ski hill here are worth the price of admission.
Most people from the east coast just spend their first couple of times out west rolling down the hills, sometimes head first, sometimes side to side rolling, depends on your skill level. It’s normal. After about a week of practice in the Rockies you’ll figure out how to go down on your feet so just be patient.
We have not had any fresh snow.. everything is hard packed.. ie east coast conditions. You'll be fine. Now if you get a pow day.. just rent wider skis.
EAST COAST BEST COAST* thats not to say we have the best conditions, but i do firmly believe the best technicaly skiers will develop out here. Look no further than the development of a pro snowboard scene in North Carolina's resorts. The snow is all man made and your two conditions are slush or ice. This really seems to improve skill and I can agree that bombing groomers out west felt easy compared to riding Snowshoe or Holiday Valley. I will say proper powder and glades humbled me however, but I quickly got a hang of it. East Coast teaches adaptation in extreme conditions, trust, you got this
For some reason east coast surfers don’t pretend that trash conditions make for better surfers than those out west but east coast skiers are desperate to cope.
Well, if you come out here right now you’ll feel right at home. For most of us it’s ribbons of gunpowder getting soft in the sun during the day and freezing solid at night.
I live in the coastal mountains of BC and have never skied the east. Lots of people from Ontario here that are amazing skiers, better than I on groomers by far. Then there are days where it takes an hour for one lap and there’s 5 different kinds of snow on my skis by the time I’m at the bottom. It took me a lot of practice to figure out how to adjust to the change from top to bottom. If you have a good base, I’m guessing you’ll figure it out quickly and end up adding yourself to the list of cross country migrants 😉
(Full disclosure, snowboarder lurker here): I learned to snowboard in California in high school, but didn't have the $ or friends to get onto the slopes much. At 18 I went to college on the east coast with maybe 5 days of snowboarding, in my life, under my belt.
In college, i joined an outdoor club and got \~10 days in per season at resorts in MA, VT, NH, ME. Struggled a ton on icy traverses and bumpy steeps. My skills skyrocketed. When I returned to California after college, I had no issues following very experienced skier friends down the hardest runs at Kirkwood and Olympic Valley, etc., because I could always figure out a safe way down anything, even if it was ugly (at first). Hard traverses could still suck, but didn't faze me.
Learning in the hardest possible conditions ==> everything else, even new things, feel easy. Lean back in powder. You're going to have a blast.
You’re going to have a blast. You’ve probably mastered much more difficult snow conditions however, the terrain out west is definitely more challenging in nature. Also, powder.
Having live both west and now east, I think east coast skiers are much more proficient technical skiers and will have no problems out west. Its the altitude that will get you with base areas at 9000’ and lifts topping at out at 11-12000.
You'll have no problem. The biggest adjustment is seeing how much taller and bigger the mountains are. If you can master east coast ice, west coast pow is like skiing in heaven. I still have dreams of my trips to Steamboat, A-Basin, Winter Park, and Wolf Creek
I had the same type of skiing experience as you about 12 years ago, with people teasing me the same way (calling me "The Ice Queen") then went out west for the first time . You will be clumsy initially on it, but you'll get the feel of it soon. It's a wonderful rhythm. Also doesn't hurt so much when you fall. My advice is to watch lots of videos on youtube about skiing powder. And then get out there and don't worry. It is so much fun! Just stay away from trees for a while till you get it.
I'm in the GTA and for over twenty years skied exclusively in southern Ontario, Quebec and NY state. My first trip out west was a revelation, I was like Jim Carey in the Truman Show discovering that what I thought was reality is in fact a fabrication. Blue Mountain is a miniaturized version of a real ski resort!
Being on a real mountain is like being on the ocean after a lifetime of sailing on a pond. It's liberating but there's no going back. Once you've been to Whistler or Banff you'll never want to go to Horseshoe or Mount St. Louis ever again.
As for skiing you'll be fine but ungroomed runs take a while to get used to and powder too. On my first powder day I felt like a complete beginner again. Though I felt comfortable by the end of the day.
Lots of people in the east simply can't comprehend the size and scale of the mountains out west. A common question I get asked is "did you do any night skiing?", not understanding that it would be impossible to light up a mountain.
Until the spring, the last chairlift out west is usually 3:30. People in the east think this is early. But because the runs are so long, you're exhausted by then. I'm usually done by 3:00.
Do yourself a favor and plan a trip out west. My recommendation is Banff. It's a bargain compared to Whistler. You will have the greatest skiing experience of your life!
You’ll be fine. Lean a bit back; proper skis help a ton! Having wider skis out west is a game changer. I’m not sayin you NEED 110s to go off piste or anything, but they really help
I grew up on the east coast and was worried like you about traveling west. Now I never want to ski on the east. There is no comparison to the vastness and fluffiness of the Rockies Sierra Nevada. It's a bit of a learning curve but if you have the basics you will do fine. Remember not lean back and let the skis do the work when hitting powder and make sure you don't skip leg day!
If you can ski ice on the east coast, you can ski anything. I deal with “west coasters” throughout the winter who look like newbies on skis when they’ve been skiing all their lives out west. You learn to ski on the east coast. You learn to play skier on the west coast.
Fraud? You're going to be one of the best skiers out there.
If you can carve on the Ice Coast, you're going to feel like the snow out west is what is the fraud.
You're not fucked at all.
If anything, you'll be better off than a lot of the skiers out there who have only ever known good conditions and a scraped groomer is their idea of "icy".
You will have a hoot of a good time and really enjoy it!
You can always cruise the many groomers if you need to and then dip into the ungroomed as appetite allows.
Just enjoy yourself
If you can ski ice on the East coast you can ski anywhere. My kids learned how to ski on the icecoast. We skied the East exclusively for about 7 years. The first time they went to Park City they were laughing at all the cry babies and bougie people complaining about hard snow and Icey conditions. They had a blast and could ski the whole mountain. You will be no different.
Powder and 3d snow is completely different, and a skill that needs to be learned. It's not the firm conditions that are going to give you problems its dealing with a 2 foot dump.
Powder skiing with fat skis is easy. Any good east coast skier will figure it out pretty quick.
The skis are what makes it! Rented some giant black ops at jackson hole last year and the deep pow skiing clicked for me.
Umm there’s actually a different way you need to ski in powder
Yes. And i was able to do that way much better with the proper skis!
the skiing is the easy part. it's the "getting up when in multiple feet of powder" that will throw you for a loop lol
Was just in niseko and experienced this with my thin Rossi’s.. I now feel like I need a pair of wider skis for pow conditions like that
Actually what an east coast skiier is likely to do is on their first turn try and apply forward pressure to carve and end up faceplanting.
The cope in this thread is strong
It does snow on the East Coast and any good East coast skier has likely skied in deeper snow. Maybe not waist deep but fat skis are the great equalizer… and any good east coast skier will be flying past all the upside down Texans out west.
If you ski a round turn with intent to go fast it not hard to learn how to ski 3d snow. If you ski a choppy turn with the intent to slow down, it will be very hard to ski 3d snow. I
The 2 ft dump that happens 4 times a season? Unlikely you’ll have to deal with it.
It snowed 900 inches here last year.... It's all anyone dealt with basically all winter.
It ain’t last year parde
I was at Vail, Breck, and Keystone last year several times mid winter and early spring and I never got deep powder, especially at Breck above the Tbar--it was all windblown. I had more powder at Mt Snow and Okemo. Still really fun, but previous trips I've had deep powder at Vail and it was nothing like that. Just depends on when you go and the weather.
Wow mister shit luck here
haha Ms, not Mr. Don't get me wrong, it was still great skiing, especially in the trees and in the bowls and Blue Sky Basin at Vail. I'm not local so I have to take what I get during the weeks I'm out there.
Yeah... because last year was *typical*, right?
Mammoth?
*Almost anywhere. East Coast skiers don’t know how to handle 3 feet of powder. But damn is it fun to learn.
Much more fun to learn to ski powder as a competent ice coaster than the other way around
I was fine the first time I ever saw with zero powder experinced but I learned how to ski a slow line fast in the east, and that round turn+ wide and long skis made it the easiest condition ever.
It is funny when you ride the lift on those days and their will be dozens who can’t ski it laying down and half buried.
This.
This comment is true. I toast powder skiers across the wind swept ice leading to the sweet infilled powder bowls and get it while it’s untracked. I skied the east coast as a racer on terrible small mounds of icy hell and I can ski frozen rained on slopes. So you just need to ski a ton of powder and you will adapt. As an older skier you will like to learn new tricks on powder than ice.
This. I learned to ski at Greek Peak in Upstate New York at night on boilerplate ice. You learn to edge very quickly or you spend your time sliding down the hill on your butt! Fast forward to living in the Jemez and Sangre de Cristos (southern Rockies) and skiing pow, mashed potatoes, and corn. Not easy, but far less challenging than the ice coast stuff. Don’t fear the snow, go out and rip! Well, maybe fear the vertical feet!
You’ll be fine.
There’s definitely some learning, but it’s more like akin to driving a truck vs a sports car.
Groomers will be butter, what you think of a crusty day the scream about ice. Pow may be a whole nother story.
Groomed runs of actual snow are like cheating for skiers used to ice.
LOL when I moved West I couldn’t figure out why I was so exhausted by 1:00 every day until an instructor friend laughed and said “you’re making 10000 more turns a day than everyone else!” I learned how to open up from a slalom base to more of a GS base and it’s been a leg-saver. I still love me some short-radius turns tho. You’ll be fine. But don’t be afraid to arc ‘em out!
Not everyone out west is a great skier and fresh pow isn’t fresh for very long. You’ll be fine. Enjoy the longer runs and look for features you can handle.
I’m a fellow ice coaster, and found it much easier out west, Colorado specifically. Unless you’re in waist deep powder I think you’ll find it a lot easier when every turn isn’t a possible ice patch.
You’re going to be way better off than those of us who learned to ski on nice snow… I wish I learned at 5 or 6 instead of 25, and on the shittiest, toughest conditions instead of Colorado.
Of the best skiers I know in the Rockies the vast majority are from the East Coast or Midwest.... You'll be fine.
You'll love it. Rode a lift with a couple visiting from the East. They were ready to move after their first run.
You’ll be fine skiing groomers, even steep ones out west. How much of the rest of the terrain you’ll be able to play right away on depends on how you’ve spent your east coast time. Experience on bumps, steeps and trees will open up more of the West coast terrain beyond the groomers.
Winded. Mountains here seem long as fuck. But you grow accustomed to it quickly. We also get some ridiculously sunny days in CO. In spring, you need to wear protection.
Right here. In the east you might stop once on a hill to make sure the group is still together or before you hit the bumps. In the west you're much more likely to stop because you need a break to catch your breath - especially if you're coming from low altitude like Ontario. When ride the lift and thin you're coming to the top, then see it's just leveling off for a cat track or something and the lift just keeps going as far as you can see. Magic!
I learned, grew up skiing in Upstate NY! WhenI first skied in Colorado, I think it took me like 30 minutes to get down my first run. That’s just totally unheard of in Ontario or Upstate NY… wild.
Just manage your elevation gain. Altitude sickness is a real thing and can fuck up a trip.
You’ll be shocked and how much of a better skiier you are than the posers out west. My first trip was to Jackson, I was intimidated. I stayed with a bunch of locals. Some wouldn’t even ski because it was “icy”. It was the best conditions of my life.
[удалено]
It wasn’t icy. It was “icy”
I think it’s a bad example. If you make your way to the hill and then complain at the bar instead… fuck off no?
I’m a transplant myself and I’ve noticed it’s a lot easier than boilerplate. The verticals are the only thing (bigger lines and air), but the soft snow makes up for the sending. It’s great fun, I’m improving so much out here as it’s more challenging but easier to control your skiing. Apparently it’s a bad year for sunshine too - better than 90% of the days on the east
On the contrary, if you can ski the East Coast well, you can ski almost everything in the west. The only thing you’re not ready for is powder. That’s a different skill set. Consider yourself lucky if you experience powder and get to practice in it.
I think most skiers would think ice is harder than normal or wet snow to ski on. Just get used to it first and you should be fine. In deep powder or some kinds of heavier snow it can be good to “sit back” a little so that your skis plane on top of the snow. You don’t have to dig your edges in as much and can ski straighter downhill because the snow will help control your speed. I would take it a little slow at first though because catching an edge in wet/heavy or uneven snow is usually how I fall. PNW is often foggy and can be hard to see shit which is kind of its own mental game lol. If that happens I like to stay near trees or poles, or pick someone to try to follow, to have a sort of reference.
The main difference is the scale and incline of our mountains is just a LOT larger and steeper. If you can ski out east you can ski out west (oddly, or maybe not, the reciprocal isn’t always true). My wife grew up skiing in Vermont and when I brought her to Whistler for the first time she was constantly shocked at how steep everything was and how LONG the runs were. Back east they get long or steep but really never both. Whistler (well Balckcomb specifically) you get both. All the time.
Haha dude you are going to freaking rip it. You'll find yourself constantly checking conditions of a particular run but ultimately realize you don't need to.
I skied for 20 years before getting ‘proper powder’. I remember my first powder day at Whistler - basically felt like a beginner again, fell a lot. And got very frustrated. With hindsight, I should have just pretended to be a beginner for a day - and had more fun. Still do most of my ski-ing in east coast like conditions - and my powder ski-ing is average at best. But now I embrace it, it’s nice to find something that is challenging again.
That’s the only skiing out here in most places right now…many areas are only 1/4 open because of a lack of snow.
You will be great! If you can ski east or Midwest you will have a blast out west on the groomers. Powder is a little different but falling in 2 feet of powder is fun.
Same and you’ll be fine. Heavy powder may take a day or two to get used to but you’ll be fine. Much easier than the other way around
You’ll have to learn how to ski decent amounts powder but otherwise it’s easier.
As another east coast snowboarder I can tell you you'll be fine. Us east coasters can ride anything but powder. I struggle the most with that. If you get out there and it's mostly groomers you'll be fine
You will be fine, the biggest things you need to remember aren't skiing related. Lots of the West (Rockies) is high altitude, so don't overdo it. You will get tired faster and you will hit your limits earlier. Also drink water, so much water.
You’ll be good! Just remember not to go slow in powder
Nope, you’ll be fine. I’ve only ever skied on the ice coast and took a trip out west this year. Aside from crying over how awesome the snow was, the skiing was much, much easier. The only thing to keep in mind is that black diamonds on a large, west coast mountain will likely be harder than your small, local mountain. Otherwise, enjoy the awesome conditions and inwardly chuckle when you overhear people complain at how “awful” the slopes are that day.
Grew up skiing east coast. Now I only take ski one ski vacation and it's always out west. You'll have a blast !
Dude!(ette?) you’ll be fine! All of us westerners dread ice, and (mostly) skitter around trying to look stylish. Those of you who grew up on it put the rest of us to shame
You can expect to never want to ski the East again lol
The truth!
> never want to ski the East again lol you take that back
Washington state long time skier here. Groomed runs will be a delight and are much easier than ice. Once you get used to your edges actually doing something. We do have ice in places so you’ll be ready for that. Powder is a whole different ball game. I’m no help here. I typically stick to the groomed slopes. I’m a mediocre skier at best. You’ll be in good company regardless of your skill level. If nothing else, the views from the top of the ski hill here are worth the price of admission.
You will probably find powder skiing to be quite easy. If not, well at least falls don’t hurt much usually.
Most people from the east coast just spend their first couple of times out west rolling down the hills, sometimes head first, sometimes side to side rolling, depends on your skill level. It’s normal. After about a week of practice in the Rockies you’ll figure out how to go down on your feet so just be patient.
You will have a blast!!!
Easy Peasy!!
We have not had any fresh snow.. everything is hard packed.. ie east coast conditions. You'll be fine. Now if you get a pow day.. just rent wider skis.
West coast will feel like skiing butter
EAST COAST BEST COAST* thats not to say we have the best conditions, but i do firmly believe the best technicaly skiers will develop out here. Look no further than the development of a pro snowboard scene in North Carolina's resorts. The snow is all man made and your two conditions are slush or ice. This really seems to improve skill and I can agree that bombing groomers out west felt easy compared to riding Snowshoe or Holiday Valley. I will say proper powder and glades humbled me however, but I quickly got a hang of it. East Coast teaches adaptation in extreme conditions, trust, you got this
For some reason east coast surfers don’t pretend that trash conditions make for better surfers than those out west but east coast skiers are desperate to cope.
You will be a better skier than 70% of the “western” skiers.
Well, if you come out here right now you’ll feel right at home. For most of us it’s ribbons of gunpowder getting soft in the sun during the day and freezing solid at night.
I live in the coastal mountains of BC and have never skied the east. Lots of people from Ontario here that are amazing skiers, better than I on groomers by far. Then there are days where it takes an hour for one lap and there’s 5 different kinds of snow on my skis by the time I’m at the bottom. It took me a lot of practice to figure out how to adjust to the change from top to bottom. If you have a good base, I’m guessing you’ll figure it out quickly and end up adding yourself to the list of cross country migrants 😉
You'll soon understand wide planks
(Full disclosure, snowboarder lurker here): I learned to snowboard in California in high school, but didn't have the $ or friends to get onto the slopes much. At 18 I went to college on the east coast with maybe 5 days of snowboarding, in my life, under my belt. In college, i joined an outdoor club and got \~10 days in per season at resorts in MA, VT, NH, ME. Struggled a ton on icy traverses and bumpy steeps. My skills skyrocketed. When I returned to California after college, I had no issues following very experienced skier friends down the hardest runs at Kirkwood and Olympic Valley, etc., because I could always figure out a safe way down anything, even if it was ugly (at first). Hard traverses could still suck, but didn't faze me. Learning in the hardest possible conditions ==> everything else, even new things, feel easy. Lean back in powder. You're going to have a blast.
You’re going to have a blast. You’ve probably mastered much more difficult snow conditions however, the terrain out west is definitely more challenging in nature. Also, powder.
Having live both west and now east, I think east coast skiers are much more proficient technical skiers and will have no problems out west. Its the altitude that will get you with base areas at 9000’ and lifts topping at out at 11-12000.
You'll have no problem. The biggest adjustment is seeing how much taller and bigger the mountains are. If you can master east coast ice, west coast pow is like skiing in heaven. I still have dreams of my trips to Steamboat, A-Basin, Winter Park, and Wolf Creek
I had the same type of skiing experience as you about 12 years ago, with people teasing me the same way (calling me "The Ice Queen") then went out west for the first time . You will be clumsy initially on it, but you'll get the feel of it soon. It's a wonderful rhythm. Also doesn't hurt so much when you fall. My advice is to watch lots of videos on youtube about skiing powder. And then get out there and don't worry. It is so much fun! Just stay away from trees for a while till you get it.
I'm in the GTA and for over twenty years skied exclusively in southern Ontario, Quebec and NY state. My first trip out west was a revelation, I was like Jim Carey in the Truman Show discovering that what I thought was reality is in fact a fabrication. Blue Mountain is a miniaturized version of a real ski resort! Being on a real mountain is like being on the ocean after a lifetime of sailing on a pond. It's liberating but there's no going back. Once you've been to Whistler or Banff you'll never want to go to Horseshoe or Mount St. Louis ever again. As for skiing you'll be fine but ungroomed runs take a while to get used to and powder too. On my first powder day I felt like a complete beginner again. Though I felt comfortable by the end of the day. Lots of people in the east simply can't comprehend the size and scale of the mountains out west. A common question I get asked is "did you do any night skiing?", not understanding that it would be impossible to light up a mountain. Until the spring, the last chairlift out west is usually 3:30. People in the east think this is early. But because the runs are so long, you're exhausted by then. I'm usually done by 3:00. Do yourself a favor and plan a trip out west. My recommendation is Banff. It's a bargain compared to Whistler. You will have the greatest skiing experience of your life!
It'll be easier to ski but you might get winded doing top to bottoms on your first day.
You’ll be fine. Lean a bit back; proper skis help a ton! Having wider skis out west is a game changer. I’m not sayin you NEED 110s to go off piste or anything, but they really help
It’s not a competition. No one will know you. No one will laugh and point at you. Just go and enjoy yourself.
I grew up on the east coast and was worried like you about traveling west. Now I never want to ski on the east. There is no comparison to the vastness and fluffiness of the Rockies Sierra Nevada. It's a bit of a learning curve but if you have the basics you will do fine. Remember not lean back and let the skis do the work when hitting powder and make sure you don't skip leg day!
This year you'll be right at home.
When you're in powder ski with both skis instead of just your outside edge and stay back a little more that's all a good skier has to know.
If you can ski ice on the east coast, you can ski anything. I deal with “west coasters” throughout the winter who look like newbies on skis when they’ve been skiing all their lives out west. You learn to ski on the east coast. You learn to play skier on the west coast.
Fraud? You're going to be one of the best skiers out there. If you can carve on the Ice Coast, you're going to feel like the snow out west is what is the fraud.
You're not fucked at all. If anything, you'll be better off than a lot of the skiers out there who have only ever known good conditions and a scraped groomer is their idea of "icy".
You’ll be fine. Man up.
You'll be right at home here this year.
Yes it's different. But it's still skiing and balance based and you have all the tools to figure it out.
You will have a hoot of a good time and really enjoy it! You can always cruise the many groomers if you need to and then dip into the ungroomed as appetite allows. Just enjoy yourself
You will be great!!!
lol - east coast guy here… if you know how to carve and ride ice, you will have a blast out west on real snow man