Terrain Parks

[deepstroke]

I was wondering what people thought of the terrain parks this year. Myself, I'm all about the jumps, rails tend to punish me. I liked Vail's and Breck's parks last year, but was disappointed with Keystone's compared to the previous years when they had much more jumps spread out over at least 1500 feet of vert. And yeah, I know this year's been all about the pow in the central mountains, so the natural terrain is where it's at. But, I'm from another planet, and haven't been able to make it out this year and was curious as to the parks this year in case it isn't dumping when my spacecraft lands in a few weeks.

[RDNEK]

I was over in the snowmass park(s) a few days ago - they are still building some of the bigger stuff but overall it is just sic. If you skip the summit crowd and make the run to aspen you will not be disapointed.

Parks just keep gettin bigger - every year I find more and more of my laps are in the "kiddie park"

[jk]

Check out the Winter Park TP. So far they've gotten the Kendrick park (beginner/intermediate, rails and two lines of kickers, 5'-10' and 10'-20'), the new Dog Patch park (intermediate/advanced; 2 lines/2 kickers, 10'-20' and 15'-25'), Upper Railyard (expert rails, two lines, tall and taller), Superpipe (cut well and fast, but some problems with drifting snow), and section 3.1 of the lower Railyard (advanced/expert, 3 kickers, 25'-40') all opened. Still working on the rest of lower Railyard, aka Dark Territory (fka 4.1 and 4.2), for which a pass/video presentation will be required (liability; keeps some of the gapers out; money supports Park maintenance). These should be big, 50' to 65', is the guess, a little stepped down; not for the timid; but Oh! what a rush.

The TP at WP is very snowboard friendly, so the kickers do not have a lot of pop (woo tang). Some alpiners like the pop, but its absence is actually good for freeheelers, too, since you don't get that big forward kachang as you begin your spins and mctwists (or that helpless sliding-down-the-kicker backwards on-your-face-and-hands feeling).

Come check it on your teles; look me up if you do. I'm the old guy in the pipe, in Kendrick and Dog Patch on teles (Karhu Agent/Bishop Bombers); trying to translate what I know on Alpines to freeheels. Helmets and buttpads helpful if you're over 40 or 50.

[JRO]

Keystone has improved greatly this year! Vails jumps are much bigger than years past. THe vail park is all switched around if you are in the area check it out!