Monday, February 1, 2010

Writeoffs

It’s tax season. Every year when I enter the information from my W-2, I panic at the “amount due” totals. Little by little, as I enter my itemized deductions the numbers go down. Not sure if they’ll turn green or not this year, but if you see a new wheelset on my MTB, you’ll know they did.

Unfortunately, I’ve written something else off that has nothing to do with taxes: this year’s ski season. So far I have skied my go-to dawn patrol lines in Days Fork exactly zero times and Scotties Bowl exactly once (but even then, not from the top).

Many of the lines I’d like to ski have a six inch base. Not because only six inches of snow has fallen, but because everything keeps sliding off of the rotten six inches from October.

I don’t see it getting better anytime soon. The October facets aren’t going away, so the only way things will stabilize is if we get a good two meters of snow on top of it and things bridge. Unfortunately, anytime that facet layer gets loaded up, it slides again.

It would take at least a month of steady snowfall—just a little at a time—for snow to accumulate without sliding and start to bridge. It will be March at the soonest, so IF that happens, and it’s a huge if, we’ll get 4-6 weeks at most of good skiing this year. I’m not counting on it.

As if that news weren’t bad enough, I wore my heart rate monitor while on the spin bike yesterday and learned that despite the deluge of sweat that drips from my body, I’m not working that hard. So between lack of skiing and pathetic indoor workouts, I should enter the early season soft and weak.

Can’t wait to get dropped on the very first hill of the first race of the season, which I know is going to happen because Rick had his road bike in the back of his truck when we were dropping kids off at school this morning. At least somebody is training.

Posted by at 12:12 PM
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15 comments:

  1. Shhhh... That wasn't a bike in the truck. It just looked like a bike. Who rides in 35 degree temps? Not me.
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  2. First mistake, never wear your HR monitor while riding indoors. It is all about perceived exertion.:)

    I was at Solitude on Saturday and we spent some time checking out that Meadows slide. Scary stuff. I think my kids have a healthy fear of avalanches now. The skiing at Solitude was excellent (and safe). The road ride (on the mtb) in the waning light after a day of skiing was not so fun.
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  3. solitude is fun. it's just not much of a workout.
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  4. Like I said before, don't hate on the resorts or riding in bounds! I have gotten tons of powder in bounds this year and when you do 5-6 trams and a few Baldy hikes your body is definitely still getting a workout!
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  5. Yeah, that is what drove me to the bike ride when all I really wanted to do was sit on the couch. Although skiing the bumps and crud is certainly a good quad workout.
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  6. Yeah, I rode Brighton on Friday and Solitude on Saturday and I'm beat. It might not be an aerobic workout like skinning provides, but something is definitely getting worked.
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  7. I enjoyed some great powder skiing in the Wasatch BC over the weekend.

    Very safe solo missions. Long runs in great snow.

    The approach keeps the crowds away.
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  9. Hang on for March. March usually saves it all. I'm with you, however. So far it stinks. Not even worth the effort. (Get a load of the spoiled Utahn saying it stinks.)

    But is March scary for back country? With drastic temperature changes and stuff? I'm so not back country material...
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  10. What I meant to say is dont write off the resorts when avi danger is high. I love the backcountry, but I am not riding 40 degree steeps out of bounds right now and skinning for a low angle tree runs doesnt always do it for me. But I also am not worrying about race fitness anytime soon either. I like going down as much as going up. So I hate hiking for low angle stuff during times like this when the resorts are firing. I know everyone hates on resort riding and claims its crowded, but I got so much pow last week and this weekend its kinda funny to hear the crowded argument when I am getting faceshots. The north shore of Oahu is some of the most crowded surf out there, but the people catching waves are not complaining. Its about perspectives.
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  11. So let's be clear when I say I've written the season off, it doesn't mean I'm not still getting out and enjoying myself. It just means I'm not getting what I hoped to from the experience and don't expect to.

    Bart: when you say "long approach" I start thinking about what kind of tent to bring and whether a 0 degree bag will be warm enough.

    Forrest, UTR, JZ: I've had some good days in the resort as well. Not pow skiing, just socking a little away for the future days when my kids will be hitting the pow with me. The kids have progressed a bunch this year, so in that regard it's great.

    Rabid: March can be the very best month for BC skiing. Typically lots of snow and things have settled out pretty well by then so stability is good. Daytime warming can be an issue, but we usually go early so it doesn't make a difference.
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  12. Aaron and I had a similar conversation this morning.
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  13. It seems in the Wasatch anything over an hour before you are looking at your line is "long."
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  14. I don't mind long approaches. But I don't always have the time for them. But when I do, I find them enjoyable.
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