# What's it like skiing in the rain?



## BillyGoat (Dec 22, 2014)

I have never skied in the rain. Was going to go to Belleayre tomorrow....does it suck?


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## darent (Dec 22, 2014)

it is wet,fun but wet


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## DoublePlanker (Dec 22, 2014)

If you can deal with wetness, it usually skis pretty good.  The snow is usually soft.  Fog/visibility can sometimes an issue.


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## WoodCore (Dec 22, 2014)

Love skiing in the rain! Find yourself a place with covered uphill access (Gondola, Tram, Bubble) a decent set of water resistant clothing and go for it! The snow is hero like and you've got it all to yourself!


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## 180 (Dec 22, 2014)

its great.  Get a garbage bag and cut holes in it.  Bring a complete change of ski clothes so you can do 2 sessions.


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## BillyGoat (Dec 22, 2014)

Thanks 180, WoodCore, DoublePlanker and darent....I'm convinced and I'm going! cheers!


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## Cornhead (Dec 22, 2014)

WoodCore said:


> Love skiing in the rain! Find yourself a place with covered uphill access (Gondola, Tram, Bubble) a decent set of water resistant clothing and go for it! The snow is hero like and you've got it all to yourself!



This, love skiing in the rain, the chairlift rides on the other hand, suck. I have a fantasy of skiing Mt Snow in the rain, conducting safety meetings in the bubble chair. Have they come up with a cute pot related name yet for the bubble chair? In the vein of the ganjala.

Had a great day in the rain at Elk this year. Was looking forward to skiing my new skis all week. My home hill didn't open on a Saturday, so I headed to Elk. They sold 13 lift tickets that day. There were quite a few Elk employees on the hill, and ski patrol was performing rescue drills. They far outnumbered the regular customers on the hill.

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## WWF-VT (Dec 22, 2014)

Skking in the rain is why you wear Gore Tex.  Have extra gloves because cold and wet hands suck.


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## crank (Dec 22, 2014)

BS.  SKiing in the rain is wet and miserable.


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## St. Bear (Dec 22, 2014)

Huge difference between skiing in a drizzle or rain/snow and skiing in  driving rain. The former can be fun. The latter is miserable.


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## drjeff (Dec 22, 2014)

Cornhead said:


> This, love skiing in the rain, the chairlift rides on the other hand, suck. I have a fantasy of skiing Mt Snow in the rain, conducting safety meetings in the bubble chair. Have they come up with a cute pot related name yet for the bubble chair? In the vein of the ganjala.
> 
> Had a great day in the rain at Elk this year. Was looking forward to skiing my new skis all week. My home hill didn't open on a Saturday, so I headed to Elk. They sold 13 lift tickets that day. There were quite a few Elk employees on the hill, and ski patrol was performing rescue drills. They far outnumbered the regular customers on the hill.
> 
> Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2



Surprisingly enough, the Bluebird at Mount Snow has stayed relatively smoke free. Thew combo of some aggressive enforcement of the no smoking rule with video monitoring at both the base and summit and usually some ambassadors stationed at the summit or even issue a fine if damage to the bubble has occurred combined with the pride that many of us Mount Snow regulars have about keeping the Bluebird in as good a shape as possible has kept so many of the pre thought "vandalism" concerns that many thought would happen from doing so.

As for the Bluebird in the rain, I love it!  I can usually grab 25 runs on it on a Saturday or Sunday by 2PM or so, including taking an hour lunch break with my kids.  Just getting out of the rain for the 7 minute ride makes a huge difference.  On a rainy day, when there's often less than a 3 or 4 chair wait, I can usually grab 5 runs an hour, which has me under the bubble for about 35 minutes out of every hour!  That plus full gore-tex attire and what is usually some GREAT soft snow makes me actual enjoy rainy days on the mountain!


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## Cornhead (Dec 22, 2014)

crank said:


> BS.  SKiing in the rain is wet and miserable.





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## abc (Dec 22, 2014)

crank said:


> BS.  SKiing in the rain is wet and miserable.


The key is the wet part. If you can stay dry, the snow is great!

Granted, not even Gore-tex can keep you dry for a whole day. But it does a much better job at keeping you dry the longest. With the right gear, you get to enjoy the skiing long enough to appreciate it!


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## Quietman (Dec 22, 2014)

Thank you for the laugh, that was good!!  Just got home from working in the rain/snow.


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## steamboat1 (Dec 22, 2014)

I'm not a fan of skiing in the rain. If it's raining before I buy a lift ticket that ticket won't be purchased. If I already purchased a ticket & it starts raining I'll try to tolerate it for as long as possible but once my jacket or pants get soaked through my day is over. I lose a few days skiing while up in ski country every year because of rain. Already lost one this year.


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## Bumpsis (Dec 22, 2014)

I'm not a fan of skiing in the rain. Yeah, the snow feel is fine but the chair ride really sucks. I did the garbage bag session once and it's just no for me. You really do get wet and cold, no matter what. I just really don't like rain and just about any outdoor activity. Couple of exceptions: surfing and kayaking. You're wet either way so the rain doesn't matter.


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## joshua segal (Dec 23, 2014)

In my younger days, rain was often a plus:
1. It eliminated lift-lines in an era where weekend liftlines were between 15 and 45 minutes.
2. In a "minimal grooming era", any iciness became edgeable.

Today, I routinely ski at my home area if the lifts are spinning on a daily basis regardless of the weather - but I tend to cherry pick my travels away from my home area.


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## KevinF (Dec 23, 2014)

I've found skiing in the rain to be ok; the snow is soft, but you are getting wet and cold.

My gloves get soaked through first and once my hands start being miserable, well, the rest of me follows shortly.  I've seen some people skiing in kitchen dishwashing gloves -- those will keep your hands dry for sure.  Might have to try that next time.


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## VTKilarney (Dec 23, 2014)

The problem for me is visibility.   Specifically, rain on the goggles.


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## drjeff (Dec 23, 2014)

KevinF said:


> I've found skiing in the rain to be ok; the snow is soft, but you are getting wet and cold.
> 
> My gloves get soaked through first and once my hands start being miserable, well, the rest of me follows shortly.  I've seen some people skiing in kitchen dishwashing gloves -- those will keep your hands dry for sure.  Might have to try that next time.



Skiing in the rain has taught me that there IS a significant difference in articles of ski clothing that are listed as water RESISTANT verses articles of clothing that are listed as WATERPROOF!

With water resistant fabrics its only a question of how long it takes for water to permeate through the fabric and you start getting damp/wet 

With waterproof fabrics, generally speaking unless its a total long duration monsoon or YOU give the water a path of ingress (such as not fully securing a cuff) you're staying dry.  

There is a difference!


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## skiNEwhere (Dec 23, 2014)

The good thing about it is if you are skiing during a peak period, the rain will keep the crowds WAY down.


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## Tin (Dec 23, 2014)

Bumping in the rain is great, nice soft moguls all around and no slick troughs.


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## BenedictGomez (Dec 23, 2014)

crank said:


> *BS.  SKiing in the rain is wet and miserable.*



Thank you. 

Honestly is refreshing.   For every poster who genuinely likes skiing in the rain, there are five who simply wish to be viewed as hardcore.


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## MadMadWorld (Dec 23, 2014)

When you work at the mountain for a few seasons you end up skiing in crazy conditions. You'd be amazed no matter what the weather is someone will always show up for a lesson.


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## abc (Dec 23, 2014)

drjeff said:


> Skiing in the rain has taught me that there IS a significant difference in articles of ski clothing that are listed as water RESISTANT verses articles of clothing that are listed as WATERPROOF!
> 
> With water resistant fabrics its only a question of how long it takes for water to permeate through the fabric and you start getting damp/wet
> 
> ...


Yep

And it takes a few tries before one figure out the best way to stay dry.

I'm surprised by so many people who say they are cold in the rain. In this day and age of hi-tech fabric, I've NEVER felt cold in the rain, even when wet. Rainy days are usually warm days, otherwise, the precip would have come down as snow.. My clothes, which can keep me warm at 0 degree, easily keeps me warm when it's above 32. 

The saying, about weather and appropriate clothes, has a lot more truth than many realise. You don't have to like skiing in the rain. But if you are cold in the rain, your choice of clothing is at fault.


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## Scruffy (Dec 23, 2014)

BenedictGomez said:


> Thank you.
> 
> Honestly is refreshing.   For every poster who genuinely likes skiing in the rain, there are five who simply wish to be viewed as hardcore.



 I'm skiing today in the rain because I scheduled it, and I want to work on things with my new skis. I hope not to be seen by anyone I know at the mountain, as not to be seen as core or a nut. That's honest. Not being argumentative, or trolling here. ;-)


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## Glenn (Dec 23, 2014)

Not a fan. I'll ski in any weather; but rain. Many times, it's accompanied by fog which makes reading the terrain a bit tough. With season passes, I'll skip a day and ski when the weather is better. 

Cliffs: I'm probably not skiing tomorrow.


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## C-Rex (Dec 23, 2014)

I'd rather ride a couple hours on a rainy, but soft day with no crowds than ride on scraped off boilerplate with bluebird skies and a million people.  I don't think I'd make a full day of it, unless i'm riding a gondola or bubble lift though.  The lift rides just get too miserable without cover.  If cover in the trees is good then it's a great time to get in there. Soft snow and keeps you dryer with better visablility.

Bringing a full change of ski clothes is preferred but you at least need a change of gloves, socks and maybe a fresh hat if you don't wear a helmet. (another +1 for wearing a helmet)  

Like others said, a drizzle or light on and off showers is doable but hard driving rain, just stay home and watch ski/snowboard videos with a sixer of good beer.


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## Skimaine (Dec 23, 2014)

Managing you gloves is a key part.  Bring an extra set and carefully consider how to keep the water out.


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## Smellytele (Dec 23, 2014)

I was going to ski today at Sugarbush with my 3 boys but none of them wanted to ski in the niar. I have many of times but I wimped out today as well and didn't want to drive the 2 hours to ski in it. As other have said the snow is usually soft but is often is accompanied by fog. Your goggles become a pain in the ass needing to be wiped off every few turns. the ass of your pants seem to always fail and your ass gets soaked. It isn't that bad if it is 50 and niaring but when it is 33 it starts to wear on you. I have skied wearing trash bags, with grocery bags in my pants covering my ass, and also with small bags in my mittens. All and all it can be fun but it can also just be miserable.


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## Cornhead (Dec 23, 2014)

Skimaine said:


> Managing you gloves is a key part.  Bring an extra set and carefully consider how to keep the water out.



True dat, I wore deerskin work gloves at Elk, sprayed them with Scotch guard prior, but it was futile. I was wringing them out in the lodge. I grabbed some latex gloves from work to wear over them for the next time I ski in the rain. As long as my hands don't sweat too much, should do the trick. I bought a cheap Frog Toggs rain suit last year. It was inadequate in a heavier rain at Greek, but worked pretty well in the light rain at Elk. I had the pants on at Platty, I was drying/warming my butt by the fire, I told a lady sitting at a nearby table to let me know if my ass burst into flames. Probably fire retardant, but I'm pretty sure Tyvek is a petroleum product.

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## andrec10 (Dec 23, 2014)

I don't need to ski in the NAIR, so I don't. Yes, the Snow is soft, but thats it. I would rather ski on bulletproof ice than in the rain. I know I am twisted...


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## Cannonball (Dec 23, 2014)

It's like standing in the rain. Only faster.


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## boofenstien (Dec 23, 2014)




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## SIKSKIER (Dec 23, 2014)

VTKilarney said:


> The problem for me is visibility.   Specifically, rain on the goggles.


I use these.They work great and can be used without stopping.


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## SIKSKIER (Dec 23, 2014)

*Hot buns*

Although I use these more for frozen seats they work for wet seats too.They are ugly so I usually wear them under my shell.


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## catskills (Dec 23, 2014)

Skiing in the rain is pretty frig-in awesome, under rated, and best kept secret. No lift lines and the snow quality is excellent.   Skiing on east coast hardpack steep moguls in the rain softens the snow that make it very edge-able.  Skiing west coast deep recent powder in the rain is probably thick mash potatoes and may not be as much fun.   As for getting wet, bring dry clothes to change into at the end of the day.    No worries.


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## KevinF (Dec 23, 2014)

drjeff said:


> Skiing in the rain has taught me that there IS a significant difference in articles of ski clothing that are listed as water RESISTANT verses articles of clothing that are listed as WATERPROOF!
> 
> With water resistant fabrics its only a question of how long it takes for water to permeate through the fabric and you start getting damp/wet
> 
> ...



Oh, I agree with you on water resistant vs. waterproof.  My jacket and ski pants keep me pretty dry throughout a rain skiing event.  I haven't found a pair of gloves yet that are anything close to "water proof".  I was saying that once my hands get "cold and wet" -- well, the fact that the other 90% of me is still "dry and warm" doesn't really compensate.

Thus my interest in trying kitchen dishwashing gloves for guaranteed dry hands, but I'm open to other suggestions.

My "summer activities" are cycling and hiking.  I won't start a ride or a hike in the rain, but if you're X miles from home and rain hits -- well, you've just got to suck it up and keep going.  It happens a few times a year; after a while you convince yourself that being outside in the rain isn't as bad as it's made out to be.  Positive attitudes help when you're looking at a "long time" of getting soaked.  I guess that attitude translates to skiing -- weather sucks, but I'm going anyway.  I understand that it's not everybody's cup of tea.


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## Cannonball (Dec 23, 2014)

This is what we wear working at sea in the winter (or year round in the arctic).  100% dry and very warm with a nice furry inside.  Though totally not breathable.  Cost ~$15.   Key is to get the glove under the sleeve, otherwise they just fill up with the water running down your coat.







http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Glove-SB460L-Resistant-Insulated/dp/B000GTZQ9K


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## KevinF (Dec 23, 2014)

Cannonball said:


> This is what we wear working at sea in the winter (or year round in the arctic).  100% dry and very warm with a nice furry inside.  Though totally not breathable.  Cost ~$15.   Key is to get the glove under the sleeve, otherwise they just fill up with the water running down your coat.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Those look awesome.  Price is right.  I'll have to try some out.


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## Savemeasammy (Dec 23, 2014)

Cannonball said:


> This is what we wear working at sea in the winter (or year round in the arctic).  100% dry and very warm with a nice furry inside.  Though totally not breathable.  Cost ~$15.   Key is to get the glove under the sleeve, otherwise they just fill up with the water running down your coat.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I use these for work sometimes, too.  The only issue is that they get damp on the inside from sweat, but they will keep you warm.  Drying them out can be a pita!


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## mister moose (Dec 23, 2014)

Savemeasammy said:


> The only issue is that they get damp on the inside from sweat, but they will keep you warm. Drying them out can be a pita!



This.  Waterproof usually means you sweat in it.  So you do last a little longer, but staying dry... not so much.  Once in a while I'll ski in the rain until soaked, and the skiing can be great.  My limiting factor is usually gloves.

And there is 2 kinds of skiing in the rain.  There's the light rain cream cheese everyone here has waxed on about.  That can be excellent skiing, although not so good aesthetics.  Then there's heavy rain.  Newsflash:  Snow floats.  Once you get enough water on the hill to start flowing, rivers of slush form.  Scouring starts to happen.  And then it gets ugly.  U-u-u-u-u-gly.


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## 180 (Dec 23, 2014)

I swear by these:
http://www.awsm.com/3504/hot-buns-butt-warmers/


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## dlague (Dec 23, 2014)

I have skied in freezing drizzle which is interesting to say the least - at least you get coated with ice in that case.  I have also skied in light rain which was OK, but heavier rain is terrible on visibiity and going sans goggles - well eyes get pelted.


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## steamboat1 (Dec 23, 2014)

dlague said:


> I have skied in freezing drizzle which is interesting to say the least - at least you get coated with ice in that case.


Skiing in freezing drizzle is OK. The key in that case is to stay on uncovered lifts. If you go inside a gondola or bubble chair your clothes will thaw out & you'll get soaked.


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## ss20 (Dec 23, 2014)

Is this thread about singing or skiing in the rain?


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## fluid164 (Dec 23, 2014)

Well, it was indeed a light drizzle today at Bell...fog at the summit...soft snow as many people relayed. I enjoyed it, the soft snow and empty mountain! It was a pain wiping the goggles constantly, but I survived. My waterproof pants, gloves and Gore tex  jacket did the trick till the gloves were sopping around 2. I gut there at 9. I did see a guy in a bag. Anyway, it was great as long as it didn't get heavier than a drizzle.


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## Not Sure (Dec 23, 2014)

Along the Rain theme....
Anyone Ski during a Frontal passage? Had 2 experiences,
K Mart. 12" dry powder in the morning with strong cross winds on outer limits, Moguls were awesome they looked like pyramids. tops were packed and troughs were filled in, face shots on every turn as the morning wore on the snow  changed manky and I saw the front come though the valley and felt the air warm and snow to rain , I had the wrong wax and counldn't keep up and bagged it.

Second time was at Cannon, saw the warm front blow through the Notch and wind changed direction , conditions changed quickly.


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## VTKilarney (Dec 23, 2014)

bigbog said:


> Anyone checked the predicted temps @Tremblant for the next few days???.!!!      20s...!!
> Argghh, have a few people holding parties and I have chores and a few things for repair on the truck...


I'm seeing upper thirties for Wednesday and Thursday.


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## Scruffy (Dec 23, 2014)

Skied all day in the rain and it was awesome. I thought I'd ski alone today, but ran into a couple of my ski buds, like minded ski nuts, and had blast. The snow and bumps were spring soft, no lift lines. Gore-Tex shell with hood and Gore-tex pants, dry as a bone. New Black Diamond gloves, my hands were dry also. Goggles, just ditched them and skied bare eyed, could see better and no constant wiping.


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## newskier (Dec 23, 2014)

Pretty much the only thing I enjoy about skiing in the rain is that quite often, there won't be a lot of other people there.


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## Abubob (Dec 23, 2014)

It's like skiing in the shower - with all your cloths on.


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## abc (Dec 23, 2014)

andrec10 said:


> I don't need to ski in the NAIR, so I don't. Yes, the Snow is soft, but thats it. I would rather ski on bulletproof ice than in the rain. I know I am twisted...


I'm not that good at ice, but I would still rather ski on empty slope of ice than on a slope with millions of out of control yahoos, whatever the condition!

Rain makes sure the yahoos are in the lodge/bar. That's why I'm skiing in the rain more than any other reason.


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## mightaswell (Dec 25, 2014)

Yes.  It sucks.


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## nolan_rourke (Feb 3, 2015)

I refuse to snowboard while its raining, too wet for me.


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## jacobgalvin (Feb 4, 2015)

Skiing in the rain sucks


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## BillyGoat (Feb 4, 2015)

When it's light, it's not so bad I've found. Although, the longer you stay out there, the worse it gets.


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## drjeff (Mar 14, 2015)

Light rain/freezing rain most of the day at Mount Snow today led to soft snow and LIGHT crowds that let me get 26 runs in off the Bluebird in 5.5 hours totalling just over 40k vertical feet! Gotta love skiing in the rain!


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## abc (Mar 14, 2015)

Yes, I've been wondering about how the skiing istoday. 

(ever since my adventure in the rain last year, I've changed my view about rain in terms of skiing)


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## WWF-VT (Mar 14, 2015)

Dry all day at Sugarbush.  Currently about 25 degrees and snow expected overnight.


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## Cornhead (Mar 14, 2015)

Had a great day at Greek Peak today in the drizzle, demo day, Blizzard Bonafide, and Rossi Soul 7 were the skis of the day for me, both loved to lay down fast, wide turns. Soul 7's were 188, but didn't feel that long, looked like they might even float my fat ass in powder. Hero snow, and hero ice, at GP today, fun day, bumps were yummy later in the day too, Spring conditions. Trouble seeing through the fog at times, but not terrible.


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## jrmagic (Mar 14, 2015)

abc said:


> Yes, I've been wondering about how the skiing istoday.
> 
> (ever since my adventure in the rain last year, I've changed my view about rain in terms of skiing)



What kind of adventure was that?


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## abc (Mar 14, 2015)

jrmagic said:


> What kind of adventure was that?


Nothing special, just another rainy day, alternating between downpour and drizzle. 

I've never skied in any kind of NCP (from above) before, believing it must be a miserable experience. But that day, it was kind of warmish, (also a free pass, nothing to lose) I got talked into skiing in that (what I thought) "wet cr@p"

To my utter surprise, the snow was fantastic and the skiing was amazingly good! 

What an eye opener!!!


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## jrmagic (Mar 14, 2015)

abc said:


> Nothing special, just another rainy day, alternating between downpour and drizzle.
> 
> I've never skied in any kind of NCP (from above) before, believing it must be a miserable experience. But that day, since it was kind of warmish, I got talked into skiing in that (what I thought) "wet cr@p"
> 
> ...



I misunderstood. I thought there may be a comical story buried in your adventure. The snow can be phenomenal when it's raining as long as it's not coming down in buckets. I certainly would prefer it not rain but it rarely keeps me off the snow.


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## abc (Mar 14, 2015)

jrmagic said:


> I misunderstood. I thought there may be a comical story buried in your adventure.


I felt comical enough, skiing in a garbage bag.  

But yeah, it's totally worth it. Now, I only buy gear that are waterproof, knowing I'll ski in the rain in the future.


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## jrmagic (Mar 14, 2015)

Lol I never resorted to a garbage bag but with the right gear, it makes it a much more palatable experience.


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## tekweezle (Mar 15, 2015)

Skiing in the rain provided there was good cover already is not as bad as skiing on rock hard death cookies after a freeze on a bluebird day. 

Sent from a Freedompop HTC Evo 4G


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## Savemeasammy (Mar 15, 2015)

At suicide six yesterday in the freezing drizzle, my wife and I wanted to head home before the roads got too icy.  I rode the lift with my 5 year old and told him it was our last run because it was raining.  He told me that he would like to keep skiing even though it was raining!  The only issue we were having was wet goggles.  Otherwise it was comfortable.  


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## jrmagic (Mar 15, 2015)

Savemeasammy said:


> At suicide six yesterday in the freezing drizzle, my wife and I wanted to head home before the roads got too icy.  I rode the lift with my 5 year old and told him it was our last run because it was raining.  He told me that he would like to keep skiing even though it was raining!  The only issue we were having was wet goggles.  Otherwise it was comfortable.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



That's awesome! When it rains mine look at me like I have 3 heads when I ask them if they are coming out to ski though one day earlier this season they were out before it started and did 5 or 6 runs with the intensity picking up each run until it was coming down pretty hard and we all bailed for the day.


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## abc (Mar 15, 2015)

Proper gear has a lot to do with the enjoyment of it. 

I've skied in rain briefly before, usually on days starting out dry and bailing after the rain got through my non-waterproof clothing. It's not a nice feeling of cold water next to the skin. The more waterproof my clothing gets, the longer I stay out...

Still, I never purposely plan to ski when the forecast called for steady rain, until that day in May last year. And it changed my impression of skiing in the rain so much now I'm taking steps to embrace it (aka, replacing my worn clothing with waterproof ones).


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