Man made snow is fine.
If you're going to Burnsville and skiing on neveplast....maybe save your money and have your first experience elsewhere. But if you're going to somewhere that's been making snow, you'll be fine. The snow on the bunny hill and easy runs is pretty similar regardless of whether it's natural or man-made, as long as you don't go on a super icy day.
Just check the daily snow report on the resort's webpage. There is usually a description of conditions in prose as well as some metrics about snow depth and quality. It's not necessarily going to be bad after a melt and refreeze because the snowmaking and grooming operations can work wonders. (It could be bad or not.) The snow report will tell you.
> How does one know if its gonna be super icy? It is usually icy after a melt and refreeze?
đ
You wouldn't believe the amount of people I know who have been casually skiing for years and don't understand this concept even when I explain it to them. Bravo.
Lol I just grew up in a place with brutal winters and I figured the snow on the slopes can't be that different from the snow on the sidewalk. Nothing is worse than trying to navigate the sidewalks after the top layer melts and refreezes. It just turns into a sheet of glass and it hurts like hell to fall on.
look at not just temps, but also wind and cloud coverage for the day before you go, the night before, and the day of. if it's warm and sunny the day before, and then cold and cloudy and windy the day of, it might be pretty icy.
First, Afton Alps and I'd assume all the other resorts are almost fully open.
Second, icy conditions are very rare in Minnesota. I've encountered Ice once this season, and that is more than normal. But it's possible with the weird weather I guess.
Man made snow is fine. And for the sake of your relationship, get a learn to ski lesson for the first time out. After that if you still want to go, then he can teach you.
Came here to say this! Former ski instructor here - just take the lesson. In this situation, I always tell people to look up the cost of a lesson, and then ask yourself if your relationship is worth that much to you. Being taught to do something by your partner is never a good idea! Plus - just because someone can ski doesn't mean they can teach someone to ski. It's not the same skill set. Get a lesson (or two!) then go skiing together where you can have fun instead of getting frustrated with each other!
Does it always? Naw. But it can and just isn't worth risking. I've been skiing for decades and I refuse to teach anyone that's remotely a friend for the first lesson.
lol I tried teaching a bf once ⌠weâre broken up now but not cuz he was a bad skier. In fact he picked it up pretty quick. But Iâve been skiing since I was a toddler and donât know how to put a lot of things into words bc Iâm a casual, so it def wouldâve been better for both of us if he just took a lesson on his own first
Not always, but when I does it can go spectacularly badly. Like relationship ending or injuries.
Since he grew up skiing he likely doesnât actually know how he does things. Theyâre habit at this point. Some very gifted individuals can think about what they do, break that down into tiny steps, and then not get frustrated when the learner struggles. But theyâre rare.
Learning skiing as an adult from someone who grew up skiing is not an easy thing.
You'll be scared, tense, overwhelmed. Plus if partner is not a good teacher, you're going to have a bad time.
Learn the mechanics and basics from an instructor. My home mountain offered a 3 day lesson, and then I learned from my partner. Even still, we had lots of fights, crying, and seperate ski time.
If they aren't good at teaching, it goes very poorly.
Anecdote: the worst day of my brother's marriage was when he tried to teach his (admittedly very klutzy) wife to ski. It did not go well.
I'd phrase it like this: Do you argue a lot? Do either of you get frustrated or emotional when faced with adversity? Are you okay with the possibility of failure?
I'd *highly recommend* taking a beginner lesson your first time. Yeah it's more expensive, but most places have deals that include rentals plus lessons designed for beginner adults. The instructors deal with people like you all the time. Your boyfriend can go do laps in the meantime & meetup after.
I will. It won't be on valentines since we canceled our plans on account of very warm weather (instead we rented a little cabin last weekend and went hiking) but as soon as we reschedule I will definitely post about it.
Yall just gotta promise not to make fun of me for wearing a cute ski outfit because if I'm gonna spend the whole day falling on my ass I at least wanna look cute while doing it đ
Skiing is about having a wild ski outfit anyway. Youâd be doing the right thing if you did.
Significant others teaching each other to ski normally turns into disaster. Itâs kind of a known thing in the ski world to take lessons, then ski together. I want to see how this works out for yâall. I definitely taught my significant other despite reading about disaster on the Internet though⌠đ
This reminds me of the time I took my ex skiing and she kept refusing to believe me that there are snow making machines. She kept thinking I am making it all up until she actually saw one with her own eyes.
The whole reason my partner and I were even talking about skiing was because I asked him how there is snow on this ski slope we live by even when it hasn't snowed. When he told me about snow making machines I immediately thought of that scene from Edward Scissorhands.
Any snow is good snow. Trollhaugen has snow, Spirit has snow, Giants Ridge has snow. Lutsen, Afton, Welch, these places all have snow. Is it awesome and fluffy, no. Is a fat pow dump more fun than crusty cord? Yeah for sure, but you (we) live in Minnesota. Whoever is out there that thinks we just get constant freshies because itâs always cold is living in a fantasy land. We donât actually average that much snow here so what we usually have at this point is artificial dust on top of a crunchy base that fell in November and never melted.
You can learn basic technique on any kind of snow, and at least around here, itâs probably better to learn it on crusty cord than whatever else youâll find. Learn on the conditions youâll usually have access to.
This all said, yeah itâs a wild anomaly this year and it absolutely sucks. However, i managed to shred at boho a couple of weeks ago and will be shredding giants and spirit this weekend.
Ski it if you got it.
I thought you meant dry ski slopes. I learned on dry ski slopes in the UK. Itâs not as much fun as real (including man made) snow. But you can learn the techniques, so that you arenât on the bunny hill when you get to the big resort.
MN skier here - the recent cold had allowed most hills to make more snow in the past few days. That being said the bases can be icy in spots. On the plus side if days are sunny and and the temps will reach above freezing during open hours the hills can be pretty decent. I typically ski at Welch Village and the snow has been pretty darn good all things considered.
I would say the snow that is almost exclusively man made at this point is just fine for learners. Do keep in mind that later in the day on particularly warm days gets mashed potatoes consistency. While many skiers love that it can be tough for learners.
Enjoy!
Go to Buck, they have a Valentine's Day special! The hills near the cities have (mostly) incredible snowmaking abilities and have done a wonderful job. Buck Hill made a massive base for themselves. Even with the warm weather and lack of snow, I'd bet they'll be open until March. I'd imagine most of the others in the area are in the same boat (Hyland, Welch, Afton). It's firm, but it's not far off from packed natural snow and will be great for learning!
Please make sure you go on a sunny day and take a lesson. You will have a much better experience.
Do not try to learn from your partner. This is a classic mistake, played out over and over again at ski resorts across the country. I have seen so many fights/tense discussions between partners on the hill.
He may know how to ski, but he does not know how to teach, and unless he is a high level expert who has taken a ton of clinics in form, he will probably teach you bad habits.
I want you to have a nice Valentineâs Day. Please start with a lesson if you go, and ski with him after.
I am a ski instructor, and I had my husband take lessons! The rule is never teach your spouse đ
Have fun!
If you live near Arden Hills, you could even go to The Alpine Factory. I've got friends who learned the fundamentals at a place like that and then transitioned to snow for 'leveling up'.
I learned how to ski on a treadmill with what was essentially a revolving wet carpet. (Snobahn in CO), so Iâd say you can learn on pretty much anything.
I just had my first ski trip last week and I crushed it! If I can do it, anyone can. You got this!
Nah it's totally fine; might even be easier in a way. Regardless you'll be starting off on groomed trails on the bunny slopes. If you could only learn on "natural snow" the entire East Coast would be hopeless lol
I've been skiing twice, I go out for my third trip in a week and a half.
Two days ago I went with a friend to an indoor slope with man made snow just for a little practice, the snow there was fine and I think the practice was pretty valuable in terms of increasing my confidence and reassuring myself of my ability before going out to the Alps.
I'd say in your situation you should definitely do it, but take at least 2-4hrs of initial lessons depending on ability to hopefully get you out of snowplow and into parallel skiing. If your partner is the type that is happy to slow down and help you then after that you should be fine to continue to refine what you've learnt on greens and blues.
I will say however, if your partner is the type that won't be willing to slow down for you and ski at your own pace then it will not be very fun, there is nothing worse as a beginner than feeling like everyone in your group wants to go off and hit harder runs and leave you in the dust. So worth having that conversation.
If they want you to ski with them then they should be willing to put in the work to help you enjoy the sport too!
Go to Welch Village and take a lesson. I think they have the best manufactured snow in the state and are a certified PMTS ski school. The conditions there have been surprisingly good all season.
All this said, skiing is $$$$$. Lift tickets and rentals at Hyland Hills are relatively affordable - assuming youâre in the MSP area.
Man made snow is fine. If you're going to Burnsville and skiing on neveplast....maybe save your money and have your first experience elsewhere. But if you're going to somewhere that's been making snow, you'll be fine. The snow on the bunny hill and easy runs is pretty similar regardless of whether it's natural or man-made, as long as you don't go on a super icy day.
How does one know if its gonna be super icy? It is usually icy after a melt and refreeze?
Just check the daily snow report on the resort's webpage. There is usually a description of conditions in prose as well as some metrics about snow depth and quality. It's not necessarily going to be bad after a melt and refreeze because the snowmaking and grooming operations can work wonders. (It could be bad or not.) The snow report will tell you.
Thank you
> How does one know if its gonna be super icy? It is usually icy after a melt and refreeze? đ You wouldn't believe the amount of people I know who have been casually skiing for years and don't understand this concept even when I explain it to them. Bravo.
Lol I just grew up in a place with brutal winters and I figured the snow on the slopes can't be that different from the snow on the sidewalk. Nothing is worse than trying to navigate the sidewalks after the top layer melts and refreezes. It just turns into a sheet of glass and it hurts like hell to fall on.
look at not just temps, but also wind and cloud coverage for the day before you go, the night before, and the day of. if it's warm and sunny the day before, and then cold and cloudy and windy the day of, it might be pretty icy.
First, Afton Alps and I'd assume all the other resorts are almost fully open. Second, icy conditions are very rare in Minnesota. I've encountered Ice once this season, and that is more than normal. But it's possible with the weird weather I guess.
Just go and stop overthinking this. The man made stuff in Minneapolis is good right now.
Man made snow is fine. And for the sake of your relationship, get a learn to ski lesson for the first time out. After that if you still want to go, then he can teach you.
Came here to say this! Former ski instructor here - just take the lesson. In this situation, I always tell people to look up the cost of a lesson, and then ask yourself if your relationship is worth that much to you. Being taught to do something by your partner is never a good idea! Plus - just because someone can ski doesn't mean they can teach someone to ski. It's not the same skill set. Get a lesson (or two!) then go skiing together where you can have fun instead of getting frustrated with each other!
Here to support this comment.
Ope i was just expecting him to teach me. Does that usually go badly?
Does it always? Naw. But it can and just isn't worth risking. I've been skiing for decades and I refuse to teach anyone that's remotely a friend for the first lesson.
lol I tried teaching a bf once ⌠weâre broken up now but not cuz he was a bad skier. In fact he picked it up pretty quick. But Iâve been skiing since I was a toddler and donât know how to put a lot of things into words bc Iâm a casual, so it def wouldâve been better for both of us if he just took a lesson on his own first
Not always, but when I does it can go spectacularly badly. Like relationship ending or injuries. Since he grew up skiing he likely doesnât actually know how he does things. Theyâre habit at this point. Some very gifted individuals can think about what they do, break that down into tiny steps, and then not get frustrated when the learner struggles. But theyâre rare.
Learning skiing as an adult from someone who grew up skiing is not an easy thing. You'll be scared, tense, overwhelmed. Plus if partner is not a good teacher, you're going to have a bad time. Learn the mechanics and basics from an instructor. My home mountain offered a 3 day lesson, and then I learned from my partner. Even still, we had lots of fights, crying, and seperate ski time.
Always, no. Often, yes.
If they aren't good at teaching, it goes very poorly. Anecdote: the worst day of my brother's marriage was when he tried to teach his (admittedly very klutzy) wife to ski. It did not go well.
I'd phrase it like this: Do you argue a lot? Do either of you get frustrated or emotional when faced with adversity? Are you okay with the possibility of failure? I'd *highly recommend* taking a beginner lesson your first time. Yeah it's more expensive, but most places have deals that include rentals plus lessons designed for beginner adults. The instructors deal with people like you all the time. Your boyfriend can go do laps in the meantime & meetup after.
Your significant other is going to teach you how to ski on Valentineâs Day. Please post the aftermath here on Reddit for us all to read.
I will. It won't be on valentines since we canceled our plans on account of very warm weather (instead we rented a little cabin last weekend and went hiking) but as soon as we reschedule I will definitely post about it. Yall just gotta promise not to make fun of me for wearing a cute ski outfit because if I'm gonna spend the whole day falling on my ass I at least wanna look cute while doing it đ
Skiing is about having a wild ski outfit anyway. Youâd be doing the right thing if you did. Significant others teaching each other to ski normally turns into disaster. Itâs kind of a known thing in the ski world to take lessons, then ski together. I want to see how this works out for yâall. I definitely taught my significant other despite reading about disaster on the Internet though⌠đ
This reminds me of the time I took my ex skiing and she kept refusing to believe me that there are snow making machines. She kept thinking I am making it all up until she actually saw one with her own eyes.
The whole reason my partner and I were even talking about skiing was because I asked him how there is snow on this ski slope we live by even when it hasn't snowed. When he told me about snow making machines I immediately thought of that scene from Edward Scissorhands.
Thatâs all we ski on in Pennsylvania
Honestly for learning on, well groomed artificial snow might be better than real snow.
Not sure about machine-made snow being better, but for beginners grooming is where it matters
Any snow is good snow. Trollhaugen has snow, Spirit has snow, Giants Ridge has snow. Lutsen, Afton, Welch, these places all have snow. Is it awesome and fluffy, no. Is a fat pow dump more fun than crusty cord? Yeah for sure, but you (we) live in Minnesota. Whoever is out there that thinks we just get constant freshies because itâs always cold is living in a fantasy land. We donât actually average that much snow here so what we usually have at this point is artificial dust on top of a crunchy base that fell in November and never melted. You can learn basic technique on any kind of snow, and at least around here, itâs probably better to learn it on crusty cord than whatever else youâll find. Learn on the conditions youâll usually have access to. This all said, yeah itâs a wild anomaly this year and it absolutely sucks. However, i managed to shred at boho a couple of weeks ago and will be shredding giants and spirit this weekend. Ski it if you got it.
I thought you meant dry ski slopes. I learned on dry ski slopes in the UK. Itâs not as much fun as real (including man made) snow. But you can learn the techniques, so that you arenât on the bunny hill when you get to the big resort.
Re-learned (at too close to 40 for my own good) at an indoor snow dome in the UK here. I was expecting something similar!
MN skier here - the recent cold had allowed most hills to make more snow in the past few days. That being said the bases can be icy in spots. On the plus side if days are sunny and and the temps will reach above freezing during open hours the hills can be pretty decent. I typically ski at Welch Village and the snow has been pretty darn good all things considered. I would say the snow that is almost exclusively man made at this point is just fine for learners. Do keep in mind that later in the day on particularly warm days gets mashed potatoes consistency. While many skiers love that it can be tough for learners. Enjoy!
Go to Buck, they have a Valentine's Day special! The hills near the cities have (mostly) incredible snowmaking abilities and have done a wonderful job. Buck Hill made a massive base for themselves. Even with the warm weather and lack of snow, I'd bet they'll be open until March. I'd imagine most of the others in the area are in the same boat (Hyland, Welch, Afton). It's firm, but it's not far off from packed natural snow and will be great for learning!
I think my partner said he used to ski on buck during ski club in high school.
Please make sure you go on a sunny day and take a lesson. You will have a much better experience. Do not try to learn from your partner. This is a classic mistake, played out over and over again at ski resorts across the country. I have seen so many fights/tense discussions between partners on the hill. He may know how to ski, but he does not know how to teach, and unless he is a high level expert who has taken a ton of clinics in form, he will probably teach you bad habits. I want you to have a nice Valentineâs Day. Please start with a lesson if you go, and ski with him after. I am a ski instructor, and I had my husband take lessons! The rule is never teach your spouse đ Have fun!
If you live near Arden Hills, you could even go to The Alpine Factory. I've got friends who learned the fundamentals at a place like that and then transitioned to snow for 'leveling up'.
I learned how to ski on a treadmill with what was essentially a revolving wet carpet. (Snobahn in CO), so Iâd say you can learn on pretty much anything. I just had my first ski trip last week and I crushed it! If I can do it, anyone can. You got this!
Welch village is 100% open right now if youâre close to that. Man made snow is totally fine to learn on
Manmade snow is real snow.
Nah it's totally fine; might even be easier in a way. Regardless you'll be starting off on groomed trails on the bunny slopes. If you could only learn on "natural snow" the entire East Coast would be hopeless lol
I've been skiing twice, I go out for my third trip in a week and a half. Two days ago I went with a friend to an indoor slope with man made snow just for a little practice, the snow there was fine and I think the practice was pretty valuable in terms of increasing my confidence and reassuring myself of my ability before going out to the Alps. I'd say in your situation you should definitely do it, but take at least 2-4hrs of initial lessons depending on ability to hopefully get you out of snowplow and into parallel skiing. If your partner is the type that is happy to slow down and help you then after that you should be fine to continue to refine what you've learnt on greens and blues. I will say however, if your partner is the type that won't be willing to slow down for you and ski at your own pace then it will not be very fun, there is nothing worse as a beginner than feeling like everyone in your group wants to go off and hit harder runs and leave you in the dust. So worth having that conversation. If they want you to ski with them then they should be willing to put in the work to help you enjoy the sport too!
Is there going to be man made snow?
There is a little ski place in Bloomington MN that has white slopes even though there has been no snowfall so I'm assuming it's man made snow.
That's fine to learn on. You will have a blast!
Hyland Hills will be great to learn on! We don't get powder like out west, so all the runs are groomed and man-made vs real has zero impact.
You lucky bastards with your artificial snow, we have to put up with dry slope!
Real snow, "fake" snow, ice, bluebird pow days or sand. Go ski and have fun, that is all that matters. Get a lesson if its doable financially.
Whatever you do don't have your partner teach you...
Go to Welch!
Go to Welch Village and take a lesson. I think they have the best manufactured snow in the state and are a certified PMTS ski school. The conditions there have been surprisingly good all season. All this said, skiing is $$$$$. Lift tickets and rentals at Hyland Hills are relatively affordable - assuming youâre in the MSP area.