 Poster: A snowHead
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Physicsman, "OTOH, if you only sink in an inch or two with each step, and then hit a more firm sub-layer, to me, that only deserves being called something like "a soft top layer"
Well redefined! I don't like your "slush". With a decent gradient it can be fun, but often it isn't very entertaining (I find). Your soft top layer, IIRC, would have been described in the old Scottish phone reports as "soft snow on a firm base". & Very delightful indeed. Surely "Corn is corn" or when it's spring snow  , just some of the prior descriptions sounded like it rather than my concept of slush.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Some places do a passion fruit flavour one which is delicious on a hot day like today.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Physicsman, and excellent definition. I like skiing on them both. I'm sure that if it gets too slushy then I might not enjoy it so much, but I haven't got there yet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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easiski, But if its steep you would be going like a banshee before you start to slow down......and I would get scared 
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Frosty the Snowman, But the heavy slush is so slow that even quite steep runs won't let you go fast - try the Combe Valentin here down to town at the end of the day at the end of the season - well steep, but your speed will remain moderate! 
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brian
brian
Guest
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Mike Lawrie: "...Maybe the word Firngleiten should be added to English ski speak?..."
I like it! I really do, but there may be a bit of an acceptance problem. The next time I'm skiing in North Carolina, I'll be sure to tell my good-old-boy chairmate, "Der (das, die?) Firngleiten ist gud, Ya?" and see the reaction I get. 
Frosty - re the passion fruit variety - Are you talking about the state of the substance before or after the barman scoops up some from outside and puts it in a glass to be served? 
easiski : "... In very heavy slush that arc can sometimes be huge - but hang in there - they can't suddenly decide NOT to turn all on their own! ..."
Actually, they can. All it takes is someone with that deer-in-the-headlights look forgetting that in order to turn, whether on hardpack or in soft snow, the skis need to be rolled over by at least a few degrees, even if said skis currently happen to be a foot or two below the surface and the actual edge of the ski isn't doing a blessed thing. 
When introducing folks to soft snow skiing (ie, either powder, ordinary newly fallen snow, corn, or slush), after a bunch of straight line familiarization runs on as low angle a slope as possible, I then have them roll their ankles a few degrees to one side (while keeping their weighting 50-50), and much to their amazement, a turn begins. Unfortunately, at this point, old reflexes usually kick in, they try to weight their outside ski as they would on a groomer, and they wind up with skis heading off in two different directions. The rest of the lesson is usually working on maintaining a wt distribution a lot closer to 50-50 than most guests are used to. Fortunately, after a bit of experience, their speed will increase, and three good things happen: (a) their skis ride higher up in the snow, and (b) centrifugal force kicks in and the naturally resulting bank angle adds to their ankle rolling angle and helps tighten up their turns, and (c) the smiles begin. 
The above is not the progression traditionally used to introduce someone to soft snow skiing. That progression usually starts with bouncing traverses at progressively steeper angles down the hill. That works for fearless folks, but for more timid (ie, normal) people, starting directly in the fall line, but on a shallow slope (consistent with moving in the thick snow), and then giving them the skills to allow them to turn out of the fall line seems to work better for me, especially on modern equipment.
Cheers,
Tom / PM
Last edited by After all it is free  on Thu 23-06-05 17:28; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Physicsman,
| Quote: |
| "Der (das, die?) Firngleiten ist gud, Ya? |
chances are that if you try that in Vail you will get a positive response. I'm given to understand that Vail is overrun with Austrian emigrants. Might have to work on the spelling a bit first though. Lots of German words seem to be creeping into the English language in the last few years (e.g Angst, Gestalt..), so why not Firngleiten!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Physicsman,
[it]"Actually, they can. All it takes is someone with that deer-in-the-headlights look forgetting that in order to turn, whether on hardpack or in soft snow, the skis need to be rolled over by at least a few degrees, even if said skis currently happen to be a foot or two below the surface and the actual edge of the ski isn't doing a blessed thing. "[/it]
That's not the skis decision is it? That's the person on top stopping doing what they were doing (for whatever reason). So long as they continue the pressure the skli will eventually turn, although in very heavy slush it can feel as though it's not going to. The ski is an inanimate machine - it can't decide for itself - sorry!
ps: we don't have deers in headlights in the alpes - we're too far up for them to come in winter - right now there's one outside my window though!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Physicsman, Of course the haggis is a small furry animal with longer legs on the left side because they only run one way round the mountain ......... 
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You know it makes sense.
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easiski, and in their un-processed form and wrapped in tartan they can easily be made into bagpipes.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Kramer, Ah, reminds me of God's own country, bonnie Scotland, with the smell of Heather in my nose.
You must get bigger Haggi in the Midlands than we do in the South East. Here the poor crattur's get embalmed and used for some very strange game with no rules called cricket. Although it's maybe less cruel than the Scots; back home they have to kill the baby ones to get them small enough to make into gowf balls.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Sat 25-06-05 14:05; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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In Val Thorens we managed to ski a wide range of snow conditions; I have to say I didn't mind slush too much, I prefered it to the rutted re-frozen slush that I fell over on and the very hard surface which I thought I was going to fall over on. My preference though was for the foot of powder we found on piste on our last day...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Murdoch, I always assumed that the Haggis was only native to Scotland. I've certainly not spotted one in the wild in England. Do they have Haggis farming near you?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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In those occasional cases when a Haggis is spotted on this side of the pond, I've always thought they fled to the US to avoid the terrible persecution at home.
-ching!
Hopefully, the ones you have a better looking group than ours - over here, they are all stomach.
-kaBing!
The ones I've run into in the US are arrogant, overly nostalgic little twits as well - they keep talking about "the old days" when they used to be piped into formal gatherings and poetry used to be read to them.
-shaBoom!
Of all the gall, this IS America, you know. If they don't watch out, McDonalds could revert to their old ways and put them back on the menu.
-boom!
Thank you, thank you. Don't forget to tip the waitstaff on the way out.
Tom / PM
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Physicsman, I can just imagine you on stage in a powder blue tuxedo.
David Murdoch, as any Scot will tell you, farmed haggis is a poor substitute for the real thing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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To a Haggis
All hail your honest rounded face,
Great chieftain of the pudding race;
Above them all you take your place,
Beef, tripe, or lamb:
You're worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.
The groaning trencher there you fill,
Your sides are like a distant hill
Your pin would help to mend a mill,
In time of need,
While through your pores the dews distil,
Like amber bead.
His knife the rustic goodman wipes,
To cut you through with all his might,
Revealing your gushing entrails bright,
Like any ditch;
And then, what a glorious sight,
Warm, welcome, rich.
Then plate for plate they stretch and strive,
Devil take the hindmost, on they drive,
Till all the bloated stomachs by and by,
Are tight as drums.
The rustic goodman with a sigh,
His thanks he hums.
Let them that o'er his French ragout,
Or hotchpotch fit only for a sow,
Or fricassee that'll make you spew,
And with no wonder;
Look down with sneering scornful view,
On such a dinner.
Poor devil, see him eat his trash,
As feckless as a withered rush,
His spindly legs and good whip-lash,
His little feet
Through floods or over fields to dash,
O how unfit.
But, mark the rustic, haggis-fed;
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Grasp in his ample hands a flail
He'll make it whistle,
Stout legs and arms that never fail,
Proud as the thistle.
You powers that make mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill of fare.
Old Scotland wants no stinking ware,
That slops in dishes;
But if you grant her grateful prayer,
Give her a haggis.
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The original Burns...
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they strech an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethanket! ' hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis- fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An' legs, an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.
Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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kuwait_ian, good job Wiliam McGonagall didn't hit on the idea of writing poems about haggis!
By the way I think I've lost the thread here. What has Haggis got to do with Firngleiten?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kuwait_ian, I always thought that swede and turnip were the same thing, am I mistaken in this?
Champit neeps are great.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Kramer, they're different. I think 'swede' is actually short for 'Swedish turnip'. The American word for 'swede' is 'rutabaga'.
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Kramer, similar but not the same. Swedes tend to be bigger, sweeter and turn a nice orange colour when boiled. Turnips stay white.
| Quote: |
Historical Information:
Americans know it as "rutabaga". The Scottish call it "neeps" and serve it with haggis. The swede, a fairly recent root vegetable, is thought to have originated around the 17th century in Bohemia. In 1620 a Swiss botanist described the root vegetable, believed to be a hybrid of the cabbage and the turnip. By 1664 it was growing in England.
Popular in colder European countries, the Swede enjoyed staple status during World War II. A hardy, ruddy vegetable similar in texture to turnip, swede is readily available in many Australian greengroceries today. |
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You know it makes sense.
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kuwait_ian, "in the worng thread"? Are you suggesting this was a particularly serious one in the first place?
Back on topic then: what are the best skis for slush?
anyone?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I've always found Bandit XX and B2s to be good in slush.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I find my Fischer World Cup SCs pretty good as they're so stiff they go through anything! My Scratch FSs are different though, they float on top, but get easily knocked out of line (so soft).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Murdoch, depends how deep it is - anything from easiski's fischers up to waterskis!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Arno, ha ha ha
easiski, I used to love my 7Ss in slush (actually in anything). I'd go for stiff in slush anyday. Then again, my terribly common 9XOs are good in everything...
Kramer, I thought XXs and B2s were pretty much the same ski ????
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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David Murdoch, apparently not.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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David Murdoch, Kramer, As I understand it the Bandit XX was the earlier version of the B2. I don't know how much was changed under the skin between these two, although I do know that the next Bandit B2 (2006 model) is wider all around than the previous model!
I've never skied them in slush, but I should think the Zag would go quite well. Good sidecut for carving, soft tip and tail for floating, not too heavy...... Ise - any info?
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easiski, yes, just fine
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easiski, I thought the same thing, however when I stated as much on this site, I was corrected by those whose knowledge of skis is far greater than mine. It may well have been those two ski fetishists WTFH and SSH.
Apparently quite a difference under the skin. Not really an issue for me, I enjoyed skiing on XXs, I enjoy skiing on my B2s.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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easiski,
Funny that, I loved XX's but am not bowled over by B2's.
Back to the original thread, most people would meet slush on the 4 0'clock run so the terrian would be typically gentle.
In that situation, link the turns and take them with a bit of speed. Can't say I get it anywhere else but the last run of the day, I think.
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JT, I found the old XX a "more rounded performer" than the B2W. For me the B2W lacked grip on boiler plate, but on slush even though it was wider underfoot felt harder to steer. Both were rental pairs, so prep may have played a part.
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FAQ
