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View Full Version : Powder Poach - you make the call...



arc1
02-26-2009, 08:55 PM
Last Saturday we head straight up North Lynx to hit our favorite SB run. A friend got there first and dropped in the traverse too low, understandable with all the snow and no tracks. We all follow, and end up having to do some serious trail breaking to get to and through the traverse. It's really hard work in all that snow, we had a pretty big group, maybe 8 in all, some faster than others. Early in the traverse 2 late 20ish, 30 ish guys fell in at at the back of the posse and follow us to the end of the traverse. In all it's probably 15 minutes of hard slogging - ther're in the back the whole way, chatting away, which at that point was fine.

UNTIL. We got to the opening and as we were rezipping, etc they scooted around us and poached the untracked run. We called bs, but they went on and skied what we'd worked so hard to reach. Now there was still plenty of untracked, and it may have been the best run I've ever skied here, but it was a really offensive move on thier part we thought. We were really looking forward to having a conversation with them at the bus stop but they got a lift before we got out. Quite honestly it was very lucky for them they did, because my bud who broke trail most of the way is very large and was very steamed, as were the other 3 guys.

As fate would have it, the Mrs and I headed to Ellen, and who do we end up in line next to other than these 2 dicks. I lit in to them a bit and suprisingly they elected not to ride the lift with us. One of the guys said 'what were we supposed to do, wait?'. I told him since we were a big group all he needed to do was ask to play through or go find somewhere else back there since we were the first group into Slide Brook that day and there was plenty of other untracked, all of it in fact.

So, folks, righteous poach or bad karma inducing dick - head move?

By the way, one of the gents wore a lime green jacket and his bro sports a blue coat and has a beard.


ps. Maybe the best part of this is that later in the day I heard not one, but 2 regulars around here say they 'were first in and it was awesome, etc...' I admire skiers who leave no tracks.

HowieT2
02-26-2009, 09:46 PM
Last Saturday we head straight up North Lynx to hit our favorite SB run. A friend got there first and dropped in the traverse too low, understandable with all the snow and no tracks. We all follow, and end up having to do some serious trail breaking to get to and through the traverse. It's really hard work in all that snow, we had a pretty big group, maybe 8 in all, some faster than others. Early in the traverse 2 late 20ish, 30 ish guys fell in at at the back of the posse and follow us to the end of the traverse. In all it's probably 15 minutes of hard slogging - ther're in the back the whole way, chatting away, which at that point was fine.

UNTIL. We got to the opening and as we were rezipping, etc they scooted around us and poached the untracked run. We called bs, but they went on and skied what we'd worked so hard to reach. Now there was still plenty of untracked, and it may have been the best run I've ever skied here, but it was a really offensive move on thier part we thought. We were really looking forward to having a conversation with them at the bus stop but they got a lift before we got out. Quite honestly it was very lucky for them they did, because my bud who broke trail most of the way is very large and was very steamed, as were the other 3 guys.

As fate would have it, the Mrs and I headed to Ellen, and who do we end up in line next to other than these 2 dicks. I lit in to them a bit and suprisingly they elected not to ride the lift with us. One of the guys said 'what were we supposed to do, wait?'. I told him since we were a big group all he needed to do was ask to play through or go find somewhere else back there since we were the first group into Slide Brook that day and there was plenty of other untracked, all of it in fact.


So, folks, righteous poach or bad karma inducing dick - head move?

By the way, one of the gents wore a lime green jacket and his bro sports a blue coat and has a beard.


ps. Maybe the best part of this is that later in the day I heard not one, but 2 regulars around here say they 'were first in and it was awesome, etc...' I admire skiers who leave no tracks.

I'm confused. Did they scoot around you under the SBX lift or at the entrance to one of the lines?

Lostone
02-26-2009, 09:47 PM
Hate to say it, but I'm with them.

You got to the goods and you stopped? And they were supposed to wait? For 8 people? Who were stopped?

Think I'd have done the same thing.

I'd have felt a small twang of guilt... until I hit the powder. :wink:



I've been on both sides of the issue, and have to say the "He who hesitates" rule applies.

arc1
02-26-2009, 09:55 PM
Last Saturday we head straight up North Lynx to hit our favorite SB run. A friend got there first and dropped in the traverse too low, understandable with all the snow and no tracks. We all follow, and end up having to do some serious trail breaking to get to and through the traverse. It's really hard work in all that snow, we had a pretty big group, maybe 8 in all, some faster than others. Early in the traverse 2 late 20ish, 30 ish guys fell in at at the back of the posse and follow us to the end of the traverse. In all it's probably 15 minutes of hard slogging - ther're in the back the whole way, chatting away, which at that point was fine.

UNTIL. We got to the opening and as we were rezipping, etc they scooted around us and poached the untracked run. We called bs, but they went on and skied what we'd worked so hard to reach. Now there was still plenty of untracked, and it may have been the best run I've ever skied here, but it was a really offensive move on thier part we thought. We were really looking forward to having a conversation with them at the bus stop but they got a lift before we got out. Quite honestly it was very lucky for them they did, because my bud who broke trail most of the way is very large and was very steamed, as were the other 3 guys.

As fate would have it, the Mrs and I headed to Ellen, and who do we end up in line next to other than these 2 dicks. I lit in to them a bit and suprisingly they elected not to ride the lift with us. One of the guys said 'what were we supposed to do, wait?'. I told him since we were a big group all he needed to do was ask to play through or go find somewhere else back there since we were the first group into Slide Brook that day and there was plenty of other untracked, all of it in fact.


So, folks, righteous poach or bad karma inducing dick - head move?

By the way, one of the gents wore a lime green jacket and his bro sports a blue coat and has a beard.


ps. Maybe the best part of this is that later in the day I heard not one, but 2 regulars around here say they 'were first in and it was awesome, etc...' I admire skiers who leave no tracks.

I'm confused. Did they scoot around you under the SBX lift or at the entrance to one of the lines?


We made the left to go under sbx and they went around us, pay attention here lostone , while we regrouped after breaking trail for them.

I made the point that if they pulled a move like that in a surf break they'd spend the rest of the day in a hospital.

Tin Woodsman
02-26-2009, 10:09 PM
Dick move.

madhavok
02-27-2009, 06:49 AM
You got to the goods and you stopped? And they were supposed to wait? For 8 people? Who were stopped?


I agree. If you stopped what do you expect?

Hawk
02-27-2009, 07:15 AM
If it were me, I would have thanked you for breaking trail arc1. Then I would have went another way like VR (door # 1) because I am not a big fan of sking the lift line. That would have been the the polite thing to do. With all the Pow out there why rush to cut some one off.

The other side of the coin is that there are no friends on the powder day. If I really wanted that particular line I would have seen those guys coming and bombed down in front of them. You can always wait for your friends at the traverse. :wink:

This happens all the time to me. But usually it's my friends. The comment is "What's the best way to ski powder? .....First!" and then they are gone. :lol:

HowieT2
02-27-2009, 07:27 AM
If it were me, I would have thanked you for breaking trail arc1. Then I would have went another way like VR (door # 1) because I am not a big fan of sking the lift line. That would have been the the polite thing to do. With all the Pow out there why rush to cut some one off.

The other side of the coin is that there are no friends on the powder day. If I really wanted that particular line I would have seen those guys coming and bombed down in front of them. You can always wait for your friends at the traverse. :wink:

This happens all the time to me. But usually it's my friends. The comment is "What's the best way to ski powder? .....First!" and then they are gone. :lol:

Agreed. The right thing would have been for them to thank you and ask which way you're going. So IMHO it was uncool, but not worthy of scorn and opprobrium.

arc1
02-27-2009, 07:40 AM
Agreed. The right thing would have been for them to thank you and ask which way you're going. So IMHO it was uncool, but not worthy of scorn and opprobrium.[/quote]

I'm stilll going with opprobium, at this point mainly because it's a great word.

freeheel_skier
02-27-2009, 07:55 AM
Dick move....however,

I think they should have asked....then when you said no. Poached. Don't forget it's a pow day. Gotta move fast. Its not like you were breaking trail or setting a skin track for an hour. If that were the case I'd say bs. Large groups move slower. I wouldn't want be stuck behind one. :wink:

arc1
02-27-2009, 07:58 AM
Dick move....however,

I think they should have asked....then when you said no. Poached. Don't forget it's a pow day. Gotta move fast. Its not like you were breaking trail or setting a skin track for an hour. If that were the case I'd say bs. Large groups move slower. I wouldn't want be stuck behind one. :wink:

Agreed- there was no one behind them and if they'd asked we'd have said sure. Gotta respect the code.

John Walden
02-27-2009, 08:09 AM
Last Saturday I had a group riding SB to ME who decided to jump off the lift as it started down before the turntable. Real dumb move; probably your two guys from SB.

Dawn Patrol
02-27-2009, 08:29 AM
Last Saturday we head straight up North Lynx to hit our favorite SB run. A friend got there first and dropped in the traverse too low, understandable with all the snow and no tracks. We all follow, and end up having to do some serious trail breaking to get to and through the traverse. It's really hard work in all that snow, we had a pretty big group, maybe 8 in all, some faster than others. Early in the traverse 2 late 20ish, 30 ish guys fell in at at the back of the posse and follow us to the end of the traverse. In all it's probably 15 minutes of hard slogging - ther're in the back the whole way, chatting away, which at that point was fine.

UNTIL. We got to the opening and as we were rezipping, etc they scooted around us and poached the untracked run. We called bs, but they went on and skied what we'd worked so hard to reach. Now there was still plenty of untracked, and it may have been the best run I've ever skied here, but it was a really offensive move on thier part we thought. We were really looking forward to having a conversation with them at the bus stop but they got a lift before we got out. Quite honestly it was very lucky for them they did, because my bud who broke trail most of the way is very large and was very steamed, as were the other 3 guys.

As fate would have it, the Mrs and I headed to Ellen, and who do we end up in line next to other than these 2 dicks. I lit in to them a bit and suprisingly they elected not to ride the lift with us. One of the guys said 'what were we supposed to do, wait?'. I told him since we were a big group all he needed to do was ask to play through or go find somewhere else back there since we were the first group into Slide Brook that day and there was plenty of other untracked, all of it in fact.


So, folks, righteous poach or bad karma inducing dick - head move?

By the way, one of the gents wore a lime green jacket and his bro sports a blue coat and has a beard.


ps. Maybe the best part of this is that later in the day I heard not one, but 2 regulars around here say they 'were first in and it was awesome, etc...' I admire skiers who leave no tracks.

I'm confused. Did they scoot around you under the SBX lift or at the entrance to one of the lines?


We made the left to go under sbx and they went around us, pay attention here lostone , while we regrouped after breaking trail for them.

I made the point that if they pulled a move like that in a surf break they'd spend the rest of the day in a hospital.

Skiing slackcountry is in no way like surfing.

But if you want to make a surfing comparison, they didn't drop in on you, cutting you off while skiing, causing a very unsafe situation, they didn't snake you. You let a wave go by, and they took it.

Also, you weren't breaking trail FOR them, you were traversing to a well known slackcountry line for yourself. The elevator is hardly even slackcountry, more like a run you have to take the bus back from.

This isn't golf, you didn't have a tee time for the line, they don't have to ask to play through. Would it have been polite of them to say thanks as they passed? Sure. Were they in any way obligated? No.

Seems to me like they waited until it was safe and easy to pass your group.

Nothing wrong with a smile and wave, but they didn't owe you anything... Sorry...

skiladi
02-27-2009, 09:27 AM
I think we don't get enough powder days. :roll: People act a little crazed about it. I love powder , too. Just ask Lostone. BTW , I haven't forgotten what you called me. But it was all in good fun. We just laugh and find another line. There were plenty of them from Thursday thru Wednesday. If I was in the traverse and capable of going faster and breaking trail I would have passed the group. If they protested I would ask where they were headed and picked another route. Those 2 guys may not have been intentionally being d-heads but just clueless when it comes to some kind of etiquette.

djd66
02-27-2009, 10:02 AM
Come on - quite your wining! 1) you should not have stopped if you wanted a certain line of freshies. 2) You snooze, you lose 3) There were only 2 of them, I have to believe they did not track out the whole section under the chair 4) There are 1000's or acres you could have skied in the same area - all untracked.


If they waited until you skied down and then followed you,... and you stopped 1/3 of they way down to catch your breath - would it have been OK for them to pass or is that not cool either???

skibum1321
02-27-2009, 10:13 AM
So you were "that guy" that went too low on the traverse. A lot of people followed those tracks and went too low because of it.

As for them waiting for you - hell no I wouldn't wait. If it was 1 or 2 guys then I would offer to share tracks with them as long as they could keep up. With any bigger group I would be gone too. And I absolutely agree with the others that said you should have just gone a different route.

Windshield Ski Bum
02-27-2009, 01:10 PM
I have to agree w/ DP. The way I see it, you were probably slowing them down. skiing in a large group is no way to score first tracks anyhow.

You really shouldn't let this sort of thing bum you out. It takes up space in your head and doesn't pay any rent

Lostone
02-27-2009, 07:16 PM
BTW , I haven't forgotten what you called me.

And you took it as it was meant. :wink:



You really shouldn't let this sort of thing bum you out. It takes up space in your head and doesn't pay any rent

And doesn't that say it all? :wink: