I'm surprised there are no skiers on-line. Well, let's see if there
are. This is for the beginners and the experts: places, experiences,
*apres ski*, what have you..

25 responses total.

We went skiing at Boyne Highlands over 1 and 2 Jan. Gray days. Snow
was mostly blown; some powder; mostly hardpack, some worn down to ice.
Very cold. Got rather sore, the first days out this winter. Had "fun"
getting home, when US 23 turned to an ice rink Sat night; cars and
trucks in ditches; saw a salt truck slide sideways and accordian a van
into a semi (no injuries, thankfully). We were glad to have 4-wheel
drive - and good luck - and CB.

It's 50 out, pouring and I have the flu.  Skiing is the last thing on
my... WAS the last thing on my mind.  Thanks for reminding me :-(

As a kid, I'd go downhill skiing every year at SE Mich "hills" all winter,
with the extremely occasional trip up north.  In my mid-teens I gave it up,
and went for cross-country, which I found much more enjoyable.  It's
been a few years since I've been on my skis, so I missed out on the
newfangled "skating" phenomenom.

I went skiing once.  My sisters belonged to the ski club at their Jr High.
One of them couldn't go on a trip that she had already paid for because of
a band rehearsal that was called at the last minute and I went in her place.
Spent the next 2-3 weeks in a sling (during midterms, no less; I was a Jr in
High School) because I pulled every muscle, ligament and tendon in my right
shoulder on the tow rope.  Made it very hard to take the writted exams
(fortunately I am somewhat ambidexterous) let alone the typing exam (she
flunked me and wouldn't let me take a make-up exam, said it was my own fault).

I never went again.  Not because of the arm, but because I have a trick knee
and everytime I fell I had to take the skis off, stand up and walk to the
bottom of the hill (or sometimes slide down on my rear if the knee was being
especially stubborn) and put them back on.  I had a problem getting to my
feet from the ground/floor normally at that time and doing it with skis on
was next to impossible.  I tried putting them back on while still on the
slope, but the silly knee would lock and send me back to the ground unless
it was on the flat.

By the time I started getting interested in trying again Michigan decided to
have snowless winters.

I recommend you take up something besides skiing. I tried it in College,
but kept spraining my ankle, so gave up. I took it up again in 1975 when
I met my wife (to be): only way I could see her, in winter. Now, our
daughter and Alice go off to the black diamonds, and I'm left with not
seeing them most of the day (well, it isn't that bad - in Michigan, you
can almost see everyone all the time, even if you are on different slopes).
I'm an "intermediate" - probably mostly because I'm not daring enough
(or crazy enough).

We (family) are just back from 6 days skiing at Winter Park, Colorado. 72
UM students went too, but they took the train. It snowed every day, with
only a few minutes of sunshine on two days! It also blew a gale for atwo
days. They have twice as much snow already this year as in a "normal"
year, and they get most of their snow in March! You probably heard about
the avalances, lost skiers, etc. The local news programs spent too much
time on both (which shows how unusual the conditions are). We had a good
time, but my knees wear out as the week progresses, but Alice's improve:
so we both start on the intermediate slopes, but then progress in different
directions (all downhill for me ;-)). 

I Cross-Country Ski, when there is enough snow in this city.  Seems that every
time I buy new Skis it stops snowing and all the snow melts.  Then I have to 
wait about 2 1/2 months before there's enough snow to ski on again.

Think Snow!

Water ski!

Yeah.  If it snows tomorrow, I think I will go skiing ;-)

I'll write my Will before I go Down-Hill Skiing.  Waterskiing?  well...
That's not really my style.

You should write your Will before you go to bed. In regard to waterskiing -
I tried it once. Took a couple of tries to "get up", then it was once
around the lake, and then I was *bored*, so gave it up. Maybe when you
can do headstands, etc, and impress everyone, there would be some
egotistical reward, but otherwise it is absolutely constraining.

Heh, you need to try waterskiing on the Mississippi backwaters sometime.
Lots of stumps and logs and stuff to avoid...good slalom territory.

That would be like snowboarding through the woods. You better get very
good, first. The problem is to get very good at something as boooooring
as water skiing.

Re #12:  I only get one hour of sleep a night.  What's the point in going
to bed.  Better yet, what's the point of sleeping if I can only get an
hour?

Sounds like a good starting point for a sleepING item. I don't know, vidar,
what is the point? Perhaps your brain only needs an hour to catch up on
its record keeping and filing. 

Perhaps.  Maybe I should start that sleepING item.

On Wednesday last, four people went skiing at Mt. Brighton; on Thursday,
six showed up. No lines!

Hmm.

I'm hoping to go for a day-trip for downhill.  I've done Mt. Brighton
before and it was not as good as I had hoped.  Are there places within
a couple hours drive on AA that rent downhill equipment with better
slopes?

I was in Colorado for Xmas vacation.  I did go downhill one day, and had a
blast.  I hadn't skied in something like 15-20 years, and did much better than
I had expected.  One tip for you online types:  Keep your thumbs wrapped
around the pole.  I fell once and realized that if my thumb had been sticking
out even a bit it probably would have been broken.  Busted thumbs are
supposedly a common ski injury.

The other close-ish ski areas are Alpine Valley on M59 just outside
(west) of Pontiac, and one up near Flint on I75 - Pine Mtn? You will
have to decide for yourself whether they are "better"!

I was run into by an out-of-control skier when I was in Colorado last
winter and I *probably* broke my thumb - even though I did not intentionally
expose it. It is still weaker than my other thumb. 

If we ever get enough snow base, the Potowatamie Trail north of Chelsea is
about as good as you can get for cross country.  They have several trail loops
of varying length.  Park at Silver Lake State Park and have fun.

OK, I will go ahead and call a trip to Mt. Brighton an grexpedition.
I plan to go Jan 18.  I'll go enter an agora item about it.

I'm planning another grexpedition to Mt. Brighton.  Wed Feb 5 at 3:00 pm. 
See agora.

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