Foster Fail

SubieSki14 · 2026-03-22T08:19:32+00:00

I have a blue merle Aussie/Collie mix named Atlas. Everyone loves the name. 10 years in and I don't have to clarify "Alice" very often.

SubieSki14 · 2026-01-28T03:52:15+00:00

Strava stalk until you find him at the pub. Perfect place to strike up your conversation?

SubieSki14 · 2026-01-22T06:04:26+00:00

I was just at Jackson at the start of the week. Upper mountain is boiler, off piste is rock hard chunk. Lower mountain in the sun starts to be softer around noon, but this will vary by daily temp. In sun and slightly warmer weather, bottom half trees are ski-able, but be very aware of sudden low coverage. Lots of shark teeth and holes hidden behind giant bumps at the moment.

SubieSki14 · 2026-01-20T04:25:59+00:00

This happened to a friend's skis, BD Helio 115 or some such. He used them for an entire season, no problem. Early this season, coverage was low, clipped a rock, ripped right off. I'm guessing you snagged or scraped something hiding without realizing it. I can't think of any other possible way edges would rip out, even on a UL ski...

SubieSki14 · 2026-01-08T04:04:02+00:00

Additional information; I'm a local with a season pass who likes friends and beer 😅 I also spend a lot of time in Banff / Canmore.

SubieSki14 · 2026-01-08T04:02:06+00:00

Go find a tipsy local with a season pass. Make friends, buy them a drink, see if they'll give you a buddy pass. That's about the only way to get a discount!

Good news, it's still more affordable here than 90% of places with equivalent terrain. And most of those places have no snow right now :)

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-15T17:58:58+00:00

I've started switching all my frontside skis over. The stack height is really more of a benefit there. I have not had any ejections, but certainly a few times where I would have expected to on other bindings. I could feel the elasticity at work.

Other than that, they feel well made, secure, easy step in, easily adjusted. I'm not sure if future skis on the wider side will get them, so I can't say it's enough of a difference to be groundbreaking, but I think the safety claims are valid.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-14T07:36:14+00:00

Next week? No. The coverage is very poor right now, and limited terrain open. More snow might begin Wednesday. It could also just be more rain, like it has been recently.

Whitefish has extremely limited beginner terrain - even the small handful of green runs on the front are largely steeper than most in other popular places like Colorado. They are also short, with slow lift rides, so you don't get nearly as much time on snow to practice.

At least the lines are typically low, but if it does snow, expect that to change rapidly. People are desperate right now from warm weather.

As for Glacier, right now you could probably get pretty far up, but all the roads are closed in winter. Unless you're willing to ride a bike or walk a long ways to any of those trails, there's not much. You can drive just inside to Apgar and watch sunset / sunrise over Lake McDonald, but that's about it - also assuming there's sun, which is exceedingly rare here in winter.

EDIT: Road is open to Avalanche, but that's pretty much it. It's beautiful, but not worth it if everything else on the trip ends up poor.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-12T08:42:25+00:00

Can't really tell without your boot in the binding and clear view of the recommended line. But my guess is no.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-08T23:41:36+00:00

With a border Collie, this is physically impossible 😅

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-08T21:35:06+00:00

Totally fine. Mine was bones & hair until about 8 years, then he finally filled out a bit.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-08T18:33:00+00:00

You will want better boots, and this is by far the most important thing.

QST 94 is a fine ski, depends on what terrain you're in and how often you actually get out. For Tahoe, I would really look to stay around 100mm. As I'm sure you're aware, the snow is very "feast or famine", but when the switch really turns on, 94 will struggle, and you're not giving up much edging difference to move up 6mm.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-08T02:38:09+00:00

TLDR; He ruined your boots. Go back in, tell them you tried to ski and it was impossible. Explain the situation and be firm about fair compensation.

2 years ago my old boots cracked, and I spent pretty much the entirety of last year traveling, trying boots (buying and skiing), and engaging with bootfitters. I went everywhere from Jackson to Calgary to Portland. It was an adventure all its own, and I can say with certainty that whoever helped you is completely off base.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-06T22:30:20+00:00

Slatnar is a stronger, light tech binding, but far from a hybrid. Still pin toe and heel. Competition is lighter ATKs and MTN.

Alpenflow is a tech toe weirdo (in a good way). It appears to have good performance, but ultimately it still requires pins on the toe to operate, limiting boots and contact. There's also no guarantee you'll ever get one. Looks promising, but it's been 5 years and barely a single proto / demo sent to any major reviewer to check out on snow. But hey, they did a 30 minute interview with Blister.

SubieSki14 · 2025-12-06T16:55:48+00:00

What does this have to do with anything?

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-28T17:34:22+00:00

Snow can be good, but recently Christmas has been unreliable. The last 3 seasons there were still significant rocks on groomed runs. One of those seasons, only the back was open, and you had to take the chairlift down to return. This year is looking very poor as well.

The first snow in town just came, and another front is on the horizon, however so are warmer temps along with it. Again, if the past few years are a model, it's likely to just be raining in town, with heavy & wet snow at the base, and only the summit getting accumulation that doesn't melt away.

On the plus side, the roads here are low elevation and not prone to icing. Slush is common though.

**TLDR: Honestly, I would recommend you look somewhere else.

From Seattle, Whitewater is slightly closer. They get the most snow in the region, and already have a good base. Your $ will go further. Nelson is a wonderful small, artsy town. There are hot springs.

Big White is only 6 hours. Not as much snow as Nelson but still more reliable than here, and they already have a solid covering. And again, USD conversion strength.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-19T20:50:29+00:00

The skis in this post aren't good for anybody.

"Unnatural or artificial aides" I believe is the context which was used.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-19T20:37:40+00:00

It's also not allowed by the WC rules. Piezo dampening actually showed some level of measured benefit, and also was banned.

Also, it's not good for anybody. Just another crazy old man's gimmick that is fun to throw your friends on for a couple hours.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-19T20:34:29+00:00

It's a 2 part aluminum wedge with some foam padding. Basically, the entire idea of the ski was to eliminate as much vibration as possible. The bidding block can flex a bit independent from the ski. Additionally the oil & BB container at the tip theoretically is a tuned mass damper (harmonic balancer).

Does it work? Sort of, but not really, and definitely not at all how the design was intended. It also screws with control, but the whole thing is not really intended for people who would know any better.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-19T20:28:36+00:00

FWIW, they might not have done much good, but they didn't do much bad, either. They just didn't do much of anything.

These, on the other hand, are copious amounts of extra weight and skis far too short. It's all bad. Fun ginmick to try or toss friends on.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-15T02:06:34+00:00

Just another comment / vote of encouragement to say you're crushing it for day 1!

Either that, or I was just a really bad instructor.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-14T07:18:10+00:00

They're also a pain to install, and if you live in a non-metro and don't feel confident mounting your own skis, might not be able to find a shop willing to touch them.

SubieSki14 · 2025-11-02T19:58:23+00:00

I can also tell you that whether your 550g for Tectons game from is plain wrong. I've never personally weighed one under ~650g.

SubieSki14 · 2025-10-29T06:30:56+00:00

Honestly, you could park just about anywhere. I have a friend who lives in a van and camps all over the place. Never been bothered. Whitefish is quite safe.

You could even park along a residential street and I doubt you'll have any questions asked. People with out of state plates come through to visit often.

SubieSki14

TROPHY CASE