re: Season long ski thread: tips and rules for you amateur coonass skiers

I skied day 20 Monday--so far all MT/ID (local-oriented areas).

It has been really a great season snow/weather-wise--lots of sun, never too cold, and still a terrific base (78 inches right now at the top of my local spot), lots of powder days (all but 2 days had good-to-great powder, especially in trees).

This has been one of my most improved seasons in a long time too, despite skiing on a 41-year-old meniscus that has almost certainly been torn since July. I've really gained confidence this year in tighter, steeper trees. I have a hard time skiing in the open now. I love the solitude. And I'm not going to do any super sweet jumps on a bum knee.

I'm resting, icing, compressing, elevating, and heating up the old knee for the season's swan song--we bought 4-day Keystone/A-Basin passes ($189--have to buy it before Dec 6 or so) and we're headed to stay with friends in Dillon for a long Good Friday/Easter weekend. Super cheap trip with those passes, free lodging, and a Delta companion pass! (ETA: you can get a Keystone/A-Basin season pass for next season for $299 if you buy before April 10! Does have holiday restrictions--T'givng, Xmas, NY, MLK Sat, and 2/18-19 whatever that is.)

That 4-day pass is perfect--only $47/day--the 4 of 6 day Keystone/Abasin tix are $520 now, and a ticket--ONE TICKET--at the Vail window is an absurd $175.

For reference, my season pass at one MT place was $289, and I bought a bunch of early-season lift tix for another for $37 each + hit some specials in the $20-25/day range. I get full-days at half-day rates everywhere in MT too. And literally have not stood in a single lift line or been anywhere near another skier on a run. No exaggeration.

My body doesn't like the high CO altitude, but I am in much better shape and have a better diet than the last time I skied there, so I'm not concerned.

Knee/wife-permitting, next season is going to be 40+ days.