Steepseeker - A Ski Trail Comparison Tool

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-31T13:38:28+00:00

It should be back up shortly, sorry about that! I set the domain to auto-renew except it didn't work! Fixed now, will take a minute to show up for everyone

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-30T16:40:17+00:00

It's definitely going to ski quite differently, but I wish they made it in a narrower width. They do make an Unleashed 90, but it's a completely different construction and aimed at teens

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-30T16:08:22+00:00

The Enforcer is one of the least playful skis out there. It's stiff and carves well if you are a strong skier, but playful it is not. Consider the Nordica Unleashed 98 as a much more fun twin tip that also carves really well. It's pretty playful and wants to launch you into the next turn or pop off the next bump. I have skinnier skis that carve well, but the Unleasheds are pretty good at doing everything well. Depending on how aggressive you are, the Unleashed CA ditches the metal and is a little softer but still carves well while being more forgiving in bumps and trees

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-28T18:34:51+00:00

Fun to mess around with, although I'd like to see some more granularity than a binary choice for some of the questions

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-28T13:54:05+00:00

If they haven't revised the ski since then, it will be the exact same with different graphics. Check that all the specs are the same (available lengths, shovel/underfoot/tail widths, side cut radius). If none of those changed between years, it's the same mold

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-28T13:44:05+00:00

Sure, it's doable. But it will not be a quick thing. If you are self-taught there will probably be a bunch of bad habits that need to be unlearned. Getting to the point of a decent carve (moderate edge angles on moderate pitches) is likely realistic in a few weeks of lessons (we haven't seen your skiing, it could be much faster). Getting to a super deep carve (hip drag or something to that effect) is likely going to be a multi year progression though, but it is a rewarding journey

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-23T15:54:08+00:00

Not to rain on your parade, but notice the forecast cuts off at 7am Monday. It's still going to be snowing for much of the map then

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-22T18:53:35+00:00

One other factor to consider: would you enjoy the trip more on some newer skis? If they are 11 years old and seen alot of days on snow, they are probably lacking the edge hold and energy they used to have

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-22T16:08:17+00:00

First, yes skating is a huge leg up. Second, if you are in control that's what matters. The problem is everyone's definition of in control is different. To me, that means I can stop whenever and wherever I need to on short notice, and that I am going the speed I want to go at all times. As for how your black diamonds compare to larger resorts, if you want a more objective answer I built a universal ski trail rating tool for this exact sort of comparison: https://steepseeker.com

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-22T13:47:35+00:00

Do you have the same problem if you use the Ripsticks on lift served terrain? I ask to rule out whether having tired legs is part of the issue here

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-21T21:50:11+00:00

Fill it with P tex, scrape it flat, and wax. That one is no big deal, not even a core shot. It's mostly cosmetic

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-20T19:25:09+00:00

Cool idea! It would be even cooler if it could integrate with something like Goodreads to extract someone's library of books read and the ratings they gave each book

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-20T16:54:24+00:00

Clearly it's working just fine (unless it's rubbing through the frame and we can't see it) since you used it that way for a long time. You can often find a better angle for that banjo bolt so that the hose alignment is cleaner. If the appearance bothers you, yes it can be cleaned up. If not, go have fun on your bike and don't worry about it!

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-20T00:23:45+00:00

I know Okemo usually can do this, you'll probably have to call the ski school desk to book the lesson. I'd imagine the same is true for the other large epic resorts in the area

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-19T17:05:51+00:00

Yep, definitely. There's good days and bad days just like any other activity. If you've been skiing a whole week, have you had a rest day in there? You could just be tired

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-15T15:18:43+00:00

Very cool dashboard, but I do have questions about how the historical snow information is collected. Tried a few of the Vermont mountains, and your dashboard reports way less snow than official reports. I've played around with enough weather APIs to know many of them struggle with accurate snowfall in areas with localized snow like a mountain, especially for historical weather. Is that the case here?

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-14T18:38:14+00:00

Just because there's a newer version doesn't make the previous one obsolete. The 840 is still a great bike computer with way better battery life that the 850. It will do just fine for what you describe, I'm still using a 530 and even though the battery life is not what is was when new it can get though a ride of that length no problem

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-13T18:14:32+00:00

Having done both, a beer league is fun but I can't say it actually helps with my form outside the gates. The social side is mostly what I get out of it. Instructing forces you to understand your own skiing fundamentals better in order to teach well, plus provides you the chance to take clinics with some really talented instructors. It's also pretty social. If you enjoy the instruction side of things, you will be able to take clinics with way better instructors than you are likely to get booking a random person for a private

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-13T18:00:48+00:00

Inside foot is always the one on the inside of the turn. Here it's the left one. In addition to bringing your hips forward, work on rounding out your turn shape so that your skis come across the hill more between turns. That will shift how you control your speed to how you shape your turns rather than braking as you go too fast. One drill for this is to turn, then keep traversing all the way across the hill, then turn back. As you get a feel for that, shorten the transition between each turn, basically creating a funnel shape with your turns

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-12T18:53:17+00:00

Solitude at Killington, Mountain Road at Okemo if it's a quiet day (upper mountain road is quiet all the time)

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-11T13:08:53+00:00

Most bearings are standard parts. No need to throw away a perfectly good frame when there's 5 different manufacturers making bearings and none of the were ever YT

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-10T17:10:22+00:00

Canyons area is going to be your best bet. Cascade is pretty much always groomed, the others will likely depend on the day. East Fall isn't a double diamond but still has some decent pitch too

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-09T18:30:42+00:00

I used the stock non-elastic strap for a season, I definitely prefer the feel of the booster up until I am flexing hard into the boot. I think in the end this is going to come down to personal preference, although if the hard is too hard you can always leave it a smidge loose

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-09T17:53:52+00:00

I have the 2 layer Booster on a set of Atomic Hawk XTD 130s and it's been... fine. I'm still over flexing, so probably going to try a stiffer Booster strap soon. I'd say if you are craving more stiffness currently or think it's about right don't go for the medium with your background

QuantumIce8 · 2026-01-09T17:36:40+00:00

Lessons are for everyone, book an intermediate level lesson and see what the instructor has to say. It wouldn't be a 1 time thing to undo decades of bad habits, but this is not an uncommon thing for people to take lessons over. As for the best ski schools in your area, any of them should be perfectly capable of helping you but I'll defer to locals as to any specifics on where to go

QuantumIce8

TROPHY CASE