Ever just had a day where everything went wrong?

[givethepigeye]

for example:

• Late leaving hotel
• traffic to get to hill = horrendous (40 minutes from Kimball Jct to DV)
• Terrible visibility - could not see a thing (use Smith yellow sensor)
• most runs smashed before I made a single turn
• felt uncomfortable- kinda warm, so sweaty even w/ vents open

what did you do? Call it a day? Or grind it out?

Chose the later - got a nice trip down Empire bowl just as the sun popped out for a few minutes and I could see. Could have easily bailed. Not sure it was worth it though.

Maybe sometimes you just punt…..

 

[givethepigeye]

Forgot to mention busting my butt slipping on an oil/water mix in the parking garage. So, pretty solid day.

 

[Vestirse]

I think everyone has those days.

I take a "reset" run to a lodge and see if I can make myself feel better. It usually depends on the issue what the next steps are for me.

Terrible visibility? Collect yourself and try some tree runs.
Hot? Go to the bathroom, cool down and shed layers.
Cold? Add layers if you have or can buy some.
Regular runs tracked out? Stsy on groomed stuff, practice drills.

If I can't get to a better place after taking the next steps, yea, time to go home before I hurt myself. Skiing should be fun.

 

[scott43]

Grind it out. I mean unless you're skiing 100 days a year... Glory waits for nobody..

 

[Vestirse]

Forgot to mention busting my butt slipping on an oil/water mix in the parking garage. So, pretty solid day.

Yea, if I hurt myself (skiing or otherwise), I'm usually punting.

 

[Paul Lutes]

Contrary to popular belief, not every day on skis is a good day. I've yet to pull up, ponder the overall sitch and turn around, but if I'm not feeling it by the third run, I will definitely shut it down

 

[slowrider]

I've bailed but I never say this is my last run.....

 

[Bob Barnes]

I often tell people that I'd rather they wished they had taken one more run, than wish they hadn't....

Take a break. Drink a hot chocolate or coffee (or a blend of both--it's rocket fuel!). Reflect on Weems Westfeldt's Sports Diamond and ponder which corner--which of his four resources--holds the key to getting back into your Zone. I guarantee that even when you seem to be having a bad day, you did NOT become less skillful. It's something else! "In the pages that follow," says Weems, "I invite you to open up your awareness and expand your thinking about what you do to have a great day of skiing and, in contrast, what you do to sabotage your skiing on a bad day. No matter how bad the situation is, only I can crash my day. Likewise, only I can choose to make it brilliant."

Remember that when the visibility is bad, especially in a true whiteout, you may not be able to buy a perfect turn, but there's other things for sale. Savor the challenge, the weirdness of the sensory deprivation and the opportunity to strengthen your non-visual senses for balance. (And don't worry--remember, if you can't see it, you'll feel it!)

Not making your best turns? How many times have you actually made your best turn? The answer is ... once! It is not a bad thing, in fact it is a very good thing, that good skiers are never satisfied with their skiing. Proud, perhaps, but never satisfied.

Best regards,
Bob

 

[Tony Storaro]

Grind it out. I mean unless you're skiing 100 days a year... Glory waits for nobody..

Ehhh, I don’t know...sometimes it just feels that the Universe doesn’t want you out on the slopes. You’d better listen.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Contrary to popular belief, not every day on skis is a good day. I've yet to pull up, ponder the overall sitch and turn around, but if I'm not feeling it by the third run, I will definitely shut it down

Yeah, sometimes it is just feels that if you keep doing it against your better judgement something way way worse than lack of comfort is coming your way. Plus, skiing is supposed to be fun not a chore. If it isn’t fun no reason to do it.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I've 100% had those days, couldn't find parking, someone referred to non locals as rif raf, was kinda cranky by the time we got on the hill, then I managed to eat sh!t on some ice after I got off the chair... took a couple runs and then went to the bar. The beer was the best thing about that day. Everyone has one once in a while.

 

[givethepigeye]

Just a weird day. Glad it’s over. Took a long break, removed every bit of midlayer I had - so just a shell over baselayer - top and bottom. Fog all over which is particularly problematic for my eyes - could not see bumps well. Seemed pretty crowded too.

Off to Mt Patchouli tomorrow (w/ some visibility ) - so hopefully a win.

After 2 days skiing a foot of untracked blower powder run after run in Eden, UT was kind of disappointed. This was really the first time ive had such a crappy day and thought of just packing up, and calling it game over before noon.

 

[Bad Bob]

Nov 16th 2022. Got to the hill and just felt weak.1st run got worse; nauseous, weak, just bad.
Checked out at the SS office and went home. 2 days later was at the doctors office beginning of a trail that ended with open heart surgery.

PS TODAY WAS #26 for the season. Things got better.

 

[crosscountry]

for example:

• Late leaving hotel
• traffic to get to hill = horrendous (40 minutes from Kimball Jct to DV)
• Terrible visibility - could not see a thing (use Smith yellow sensor)
• most runs smashed before I made a single turn
• felt uncomfortable- kinda warm, so sweaty even w/ vents open

what did you do? Call it a day? Or grind it out?

Jeez, just about every other morning one of those things happened.

If I quit every time when those happened, I wouldn’t get much skiing done!

 

[Fuller]

Not as bad a day as this guy. Heard a rumor of trees and spinal chords being involved.

 

[COSkier87]

Ehhh, I don’t know...sometimes it just feels that the Universe doesn’t want you out on the slopes. You’d better listen.

Had that feeling haunting me today and decided not to push it. Always feels like a pretty certain, unnerving gut feeling of something bad coming your way.

 

[Bill Miles]

Got off the groom onto some refrozen crud, fell and cracked a rib, off snow for six weeks.

 

[Tricia]

I often tell people that I'd rather they wished they had taken one more run, than wish they hadn't....

Take a break. Drink a hot chocolate or coffee (or a blend of both--it's rocket fuel!). Reflect on Weems Westfeldt's Sports Diamond and ponder which corner--which of his four resources--holds the key to getting back into your Zone. I guarantee that even when you seem to be having a bad day, you did NOT become less skillful. It's something else! "In the pages that follow," says Weems, "I invite you to open up your awareness and expand your thinking about what you do to have a great day of skiing and, in contrast, what you do to sabotage your skiing on a bad day. No matter how bad the situation is, only I can crash my day. Likewise, only I can choose to make it brilliant."

Remember that when the visibility is bad, especially in a true whiteout, you may not be able to buy a perfect turn, but there's other things for sale. Savor the challenge, the weirdness of the sensory deprivation and the opportunity to strengthen your non-visual senses for balance. (And don't worry--remember, if you can't see it, you'll feel it!)

Not making your best turns? How many times have you actually made your best turn? The answer is ... once! It is not a bad thing, in fact it is a very good thing, that good skiers are never satisfied with their skiing. Proud, perhaps, but never satisfied.

Best regards,
Bob

Love that. Not making your best turns? How many times have you actually made your best turn? The answer is ... once!

Leave it to a @Bob Barnes -ism to greet me this morning.

I've actually bailed when things have gone sideways, but I've also pushed on and ended up having a most glorious day.
And I've actually reflected on Weems Westfeldt's Sports Diamond and let the universe find my purpose for the day.
Quite often its a reminder to go to my "touch" corner and let the mountain feed my soul.

 

[Tricia]

@givethepigeye True story...
One day we were staying at a condo with friends in Park City while skiing Deer Valley(we were in town for the WC Freestyle comps)
I woke up on the last day, which was going to be a free ski day after the comps were done and we had one last day before heading home.
I was drinking my coffee, got up from the sofa to refill and stubbed my toe on the coffee table, heard a crack. The crack wasn't the coffee table leg
my pinkie toe and the one next to it swelled and bruised almost immediately and there was no way I was getting my ski boots on.

I ended up being the shuttle service for @Philpug and @Andy Mink, dropping them off at the Empire lodge. Turns out it was a blower powder day and the folks staying at Empire were not rallying to "deal with all that snow"

My bad day turned out to be an amazing powder experience for those two, as they got fresh tracks for several laps before anyone coming from the main lodges could make their way to Empire.

 

[Primoz]

Ever just had a day where everything went wrong?​

On skis? Never. In everyday life? Every single day, except those days when I'm on skis