11 replies to this topic

[DonaldMReif]

What I like about Vail Resorts is the Epicmix that you can put on your ski pass.

Epicmix works to calculate the vertical feet you descend in a day.

How it works is that there are RFID scanners at the entrances to the chairlifts, which log a "check-in" on an online EpicMix account. This "check-in" includes the altitude at the bottom of the lift, and also the altitude at the top of the lift. Vertical feet is calculated by subtracting the altitude of the lift's top terminal from the bottom terminal altitude of the next lift you check in at.

Now, I average around 25,000 vertical feet a day when I ski Vail, Breckenridge, or Keystone. For the record, I've only skied three times in the past week and a half, and I've done roughly 75,000 feet - more than 12 vertical miles.

Of these three times:

Breckenridge (12/22/12): Roughly 23,000 vertical feet.

Keystone (12/29/12): Same as above, just slightly higher.

Breckenridge (yesterday, 01/01/13): Came up to just under 30,000 vertical feet.

As yesterday, the slopes weren't too crowded at Breckenridge, lift lines were shorter so I was able to do more runs and laps in. I know by the end of this month I'll have broken 100,000 vertical feet, and probably will break 200,000 by the end of the season, just because I ski those slopes so frequently.


But, how many vertical feet do you average in a day? You can either guesstimate if you are not a person who goes to Vail Resorts owned ski areas, or you can post your EpicMix stats if you have them.

Other things I like about EpicMix are pins.

Some interesting pins I've found:

At Keystone, there's a certain "celebrity pin" that you get by having your photo taken at the top of Dercum Mountain. There's also a "Latin America" pin that you will get if you ride the Montezuma Express lift, the Santiago Express lift, and the Peru Express lift in the same day. There's a pin that rewards you for taking at least two rides on the Outback Express lift.

A "Resolved" pin is given to you for skiing on New Year's Day.

[Razvan]

Anything for "Carelessly sitting on a sewing kit" ?
That'll make some do about 3 vertical feet in a millisecond - and thus get the "Rocketeer" and/or "Wilhelm Screamer" pin, too.

[skierdude9450]

Looking at my epicmix, my average is around 22k, however if it's a good snow day and I ski the entire time I'll get up to 35k. I find though when I ski Whistler (which is where I ski most of the year) my average is usually around 30k.

[liftmech]

Couldn't tell you. Some of you may remember Crystal Mountain's 'Club Vertical' years back-- that was the last time I paid attention.

[DonaldMReif]

liftmech, on 02 January 2013 - 06:39 PM, said:

Couldn't tell you. Some of you may remember Crystal Mountain's 'Club Vertical' years back-- that was the last time I paid attention.

But if you could at least give some sort of a guess.....

[teachme]

When I go skiing, I ski - lots and hard. Over 25k for sure. Best ever day was at Revelstoke the year they opened. No lines, fast lifts, empty runs and the equivalent of 2 Everests (60 K +) between 8am and 4:30 pm ! (lucky on that though that the liftie was susceptible to begging and pleading to let me take that last ride up the gondola) On Whistler usually at least 10 trips up Harmony, and on Big White at least 10 on Gem Lake.

[missouriskier]

For me it just depends what trails I ski, but usually 15,000-20,000 with fixed grip lifts and ungroomed runs; and 30,000 with some high-speed lifts and grooming.

[Yooper Skier]

Depends on the venue. If I'm back home in Michigan, I'd estimate around 7-10K. Now that I'm in New England, more like 25-30K.

[yan lover14]

Here in New England, Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts has a 6-pack. 1,050 vertical feet. 5 minutes up. 3 minutes down. 4 minutes in line. 5 runs per hour X 8 hours X 1,000 = 40,000 vertical feet. The mountain is famous around here for being able to serve skiers/rides 5, or even 6 runs per hour. I don't need no western mountains!

[chasl]

Actually I don't care how many runs I make, I just enjoy the one I am on.

[CH3skier]

50 days on skis this year, average came out to 25,300 vertical ft a day.

[skier691]

Ive never counted or kept track of vert.....one day at Heavenly last season I was close to the 25,000' mark on the EPIC.... but a typical spring Boyne Mtn day, much like last and this coming weekend, its probably around 1800'-2400' (start at noon, make a run, stop, consume bev with the people at the Halfway, make a lap or 2, take another break, finish by making a quick few laps at 415pm off the Six..... my best day this year out of approx. 10 days on snow, would have been at Granite Peak....5 hours on a 650' vert. rock....Mount Bohemia is on my radar this weekend, big midwest vert and multiple feet of snow this month.