Worst Ski Season Ever?

Jim,<br><br>As you guessed, I wouldn't trade my kids for anything, and certainly wouldn't call it blame for my situation affecting my freedom to get out whenever. But as was stated by a number of others here, each individual has a particular situation that impacts what it is they can accomplish under these or any other situation. There was a time when I could do as you do, and I would never begrudge you that. I appreciate your attitude in your responses and the understanding of most of the others in this thread. I think MW8...., seemed to take joy that others can't live his life, but my guess is he or his life ain't perfect either.<br><br>Regarding sharing stashes, there have been other heated threads on this site, but I think that there is much in what snoslut says, for me anyway. I do recognize that for others their human nature is to hoard and never share, and that teaching or sharing pains them greatly. I think that MW8... was not trying to inflict pain, just make a point, tell us to stop whining... I just think that the way he stated it made it sound self serving.<br><br>While my situation almost always means that I travel solo on my trips, I greatly appreciate meeting others on those trips. I try to be as safe and conservative as possible, but I always bring a transciever along just in case I bump into someone or a group that allows me to hook up. I do this even when I go to one of my "secret stashes".<br><br>Any case, in a few more years I will be travelling with my son and his shovel, and in that case I will gain the most possible satisfaction in teaching him about the Cascades. (If he is game of course!)<br><br>Alan

Alan - I hope he'll be game - that sounds like lots of fun ahead!<br><br>Wolfs - I recall part of my thinking in going to Baker during the holiday week was that they had reaped significantly more snow storm after storm, and were showing somewhat better stats than Paradise (including a vague memory of something like twice the snow in the most recent event) and of course way better stats than anywhere else. So I'm not sure that's it.<br><br>By the way, I'm not considering my exploration of this "blame." To me it's more of a potentially interesting social phenomenon that we're all part of. And my hypothesis won't change my posting behavior, which has always been a mix of "open but prudent."

Yes, Bigsnow, yes.  I do not use emoticoms (kind of a personal thing started by my brother - all this "wink-wink" stuff wasn't working for me) but read my post again: Hear the outcry - go out and enjoy yourself instead of sitting around and seeing the bad in this situation.<br><br>I grew up where a "bad snow year" meant there was no skiing at all - except at expensive ski areas filled with New Yorkers - ever tried it?  There are volcanoes up to 14,000' right next to you so go ski any time the urge hits you.  I only fear, like Lowell, that one of the reasons I moved here - year round skiing - may not be here for my children (and on a personal note I have a beautiful 1 1/2 year old in which I spend my days with - one of the pleasures of getting up at 4:30 am to go for a ski is that you're home by 9:30 am.  I work for my skiing, just like my job and other goodies)<br><br>About stash secrets on the internet - sorry, but there is nothing wrong with me not being exactly gregarious when it comes to going outside.  That's what makes us human and unique.  I like to go away from people on the weekends and free time - heck, I spend all week dealing with human horse crap.  It's the weekend and I don't want a crowd - you dig?  In a poor snow year it's harder and harder to find that free space, and it's precious to me.  And I'm sure others.<br><br>So, of course, if you wanted discussion on "the Worst Ski Season Ever", like it or not, you got it.  

MW8.... Ah yes Hunter Mtn. You just brought back memories that I would rather forget! I have been getting out, but I leave the pink jump suit at home. Since I do most of my bc skiing in the late winter/spring/summer I need to accept that I will have less trips this year.<br><br>You touched on something that others on the thread also did, and a year like this at least scares us with the potential that it shows us what it could be like if climate change is real and this year represents the future for the PNW. Is that true or not? Time will tell. No doubt even if it is fact, many good years of skiing ahead, if maybe a bit spotty now an then. But then that would only put us in a position of being more like 90% of the rest of the planet.<br><br>Alan

[quote author=MW88888888 <br>I grew up where a "bad snow year" meant there was no skiing at all - except at expensive ski areas filled with New Yorkers - ever tried it?  [/quote]<br><br><br>Ahhh, well that explains it. I grew up in the west, with big mountains like the ones you see out your window..And when a bad snow year looked even better than this one here.

Hey, enough with the Northeast skiing bashing! There IS good skiing there, even in a "bad" year, just like there is here. Case in point, this season has been one of their worst in well over a decade, and yet people have been skiing knee to chest deep pow for weeks. My brother called me yesterday to brag about his best ski day ever, at Sugarbush of all places. This from a kid that has seen his fair share of blower fluff in the Wasatch, Rockies, and Sierra. Sure, if you're a resort skier that only goes where you're told, you probably only knew boilerplate and crowds... but if you explored a bit, even at places like Hunter, you would have found some pretty damn cool sking. I've had hundreds of powder days in the east, and I'm not that old, so give it a rest.<br><br>Anyway, back to the issue at hand, this is the best question asked thus far in this thread:<br><br>

...a year like this at least scares us with the potential that it shows us what it could be like if climate change is real and this year represents the future for the PNW. Is that true or not?

<br><br>The really scary thing, for me, is the idea that snowpack in the Northwest is reaching some kind of tipping point as global temperatures rise. If average temps rise just a little bit, it doesnt seem so hard to believe that your average Cascade snowstorm (which is traditionally warm, compared to other snowy areas) could be rain more often than not. The same storm that used to add feet to the snowpack now subtracts feet from it. Whether it's anthropogenic or not, the earth IS warming, and most models I've seen predict warmer temps in the Northwest. With our wet climate and relatively low elevations, this could very quickly switch the PNW from a snow rich region to a snow poor one. <br><br>I've also seen models that predict colder temps overall in the Northeast as things heat up. The idea is that fresh water from melting ice in the Arctic dilutes the northern Gulf Stream and puts the kibosh on warm systems moving up the Atlantic seaboard. It wouldnt take a huge drop in temps in that region to support glaciers in the White Mtns or Chic Chocs ... <br><br><br>