ski resort vs backcountry

So far this year, it's been 28% lift skiing.<br>Last year, 13%.<br>The year before 17%.<br>

As the saying goes, "There's no disputing about taste." So every answer to this question is a good one.<br><br>I like lift skiing just as much as backcountry skiing.  For me, lift skiing is about performance, while backcountry skiing is about experience.  It's great to ski untracked snow in the backcountry, but I also like skiing moguls and cut-up snow at a ski area.  I like pushing myself technically at a resort, where the consequences of a mistake are small.  In the backcountry I ski more conservatively.<br><br>The toughest choice for me is in late winter and early spring, when the backcountry is becoming more accessible, but the lifts have great spring conditions.  Slushy moguls?  Backcountry corn? I love 'em both.<br><br>It's a great problem to have!

I'm at 90% backcountry and 10% piste, but that probably says more more about my financial situation than anything else. Being a weekender I have a hard time justifying a day pass at a crowded resort, and an even worse time justifying a season pass. HAving said that, I had an absolute blast at Stevens last weekend learning to Tele.

I can ski four days per week. Randonnee is best, 2 to 4 days per week- if it is not raining 4 days is likely. Early or if conditions are not worth randonnee, pattern-base leather boot tele tours and turns. For lifts, aside from going with my family, I would ski in WA about 3-4 days per season. On lifts now I ski about one afternoon per week with my daughter and wife. The problem is that I have had so many lift days in my life that it really needs to be good or have a social focus to do lifts in WA. I like one or 2 trips out of state per season, so there are about 6 or so more days on lifts out of state. Nordic skating has suffered with the acquisition of new randonnee gear, so I will skate only about 5 or so days per season now.<br><br>Any day spent ascending a ridge and sking down in the Wenatchee Mountains beats a day on the lifts.

Lowell, I like to ski at the resorts also, especially in the spring! As I get older and begin to make more money, I will likely move towards a 60/40 split. Right now the main thing that turns me away from the resorts other than cost, is the crowds. At alpental last weekend I spent more time in line than actually skiing. Still, the resorts are a fine way to tune your skills. I just need to get time off in the mid-week . I'll get that as soon as I lose my job which will be soon if I don't get back to work.

I have been getting into ever lighter gear for backcountry skiing, and am developing a "finesse" style of skiing to accomodate lighter skis and boots.  As a result, I am getting out of touch with the kind of "power" skiing required for area skiing and am starting to find skiing on piste annoying.<br><br>I use to be about 60% backcountry, but have now gotten near 85% BC and seem to be headed toward 100%. Part of that requires building a repretoire of BC runs safe and suitable for the different snowpacks that the Cascades can throw at you.