The XC Skiing thread

[j44ke]

Pine Cobble? I guess that's past Greylock.

I remember Greylock as a bump in a ridge.

But it is the biggest thing around so by elimination...

[vertical_doug]

Well I'll have to look at Greylock again the next time I am up there. I don't remember it having that shape.

You have to look at it from the southwest. The little grey peak to the left is Saddle Ball Mtn (3247) and the second slightly taller bump is Greylock (3491) as I see it.
Even in your photo you can see the two humps. The distance is just flattening perspective from catamount.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/mount-greyl...l-map/download

Since we are all getting stimi checks, what better way to stimulate the local economy than renting a helicopter to settle this. Loser pays with their check.
(I think this is a better use of the money than speculating in SPACS or bitcoin)

[j44ke]

My photo was of Monadnock, but yeah I usually see Greylock from the east or west. Usually in the fall for hawk migration but not since 2018.

[cny rider]

IMG_2216.jpgAttachment 118084Here's what's left of our ski trail on the sunny side of the property. The compression of the snow keeps it from melting.
In the woods we still have about 75% cover.

[lumpy]

You have to look at it from the southwest. The little grey peak to the left is Saddle Ball Mtn (3247) and the second slightly taller bump is Greylock (3491) as I see it.
Even in your photo you can see the two humps. The distance is just flattening perspective from catamount.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/mount-greyl...l-map/download

Since we are all getting stimi checks, what better way to stimulate the local economy than renting a helicopter to settle this. Loser pays with their check.
(I think this is a better use of the money than speculating in SPACS or bitcoin)

Don't squander your stimulus money on heli time. Spend it on a genuine Berkshire County woodchuck consultant. Look at Doug's original photo. See the long north-south ridge between Catamount and Greylock? over toward the right? That's Lenox Mountain/Mahanna Cobble. Bousquet ski area is on it's north nose, and the view from Bousquet's summit looking north over Pittsfield is as follows:



See the two sloping fields on the lower mountain? Stately Lumpy Manor is in the little valley just below and to looker's left of those fields, maybe a mile up the road. I can attest that the one on the left is Saddle Ball and the one on the right is Greylock, and when I was on top last week I could look south and see the top of Catamount sticking up. PM me for payment instructions. Selah.

[Bobonli]

Since we are all getting stimi checks, what better way to stimulate the local economy than renting a helicopter to settle this. Loser pays with their check.
(I think this is a better use of the money than speculating in SPACS or bitcoin)

Drone is cheaper!

[vertical_doug]

In an effort to rub salt in my wounds, my friend in Swtizerland sent me this from Melchsee Frutt Tannalp today. He says the ski conditions are still fine.

[ides1056]

I could tuck into that. Big ring skiing.

[spopepro]

This thread needs a bump!
8A254612-B120-4C3D-B74D-51AA7BE14401.jpg

[ides1056]

We had about a week of excellent conditions in Bennington County, VT, USA. But it's been kayaking weather since. No snow to speak of that isn't manmade.

[j44ke]

In biathlon, who sets the rifle scopes? Does a team technician set them to some kind of null value and then the skiers dial in the sights during practice and adjust during the race to the current conditions? Or is it all the skiers - dialing in the sights and then adjusting during the race?

Some of the shooting seems way off sometimes, even from the top skiers. Realize they are sucking great gulps of air into their lungs and their heart rate is way up, so that could be it. But even so, some shots look like a dial on the sight got turned several degrees off target.

[spopepro]

If you’re on a supported team I’m sure someone sights in your scope for you. The dial turns you see racers doing aren’t adjustments. They are moving the sight laterally to turn the barrel towards the next target. They will sight the same spot for all 5 shots.

I haven’t shot biathlon… but standing at the range in canmore that’s a challenging shot, and yes, skiing fast makes it a little tougher.

[j44ke]

If you’re on a supported team I’m sure someone sights in your scope for you. The dial turns you see racers doing aren’t adjustments. They are moving the sight laterally to turn the barrel towards the next target. They will sight the same spot for all 5 shots.

I haven’t shot biathlon… but standing at the range in canmore that’s a challenging shot, and yes, skiing fast makes it a little tougher.

Wait - that just blew my mind a little. Can you clarify? They don't have five targets, they are just moving the sight?

The presenters on Eurosport kept saying one competitor was shooting wide lower right, so they said she adjusted the sight by three clicks. She still missed wide lower right even with the adjustment, so they said the setup must have been off. Which is why I was wondering how the sights were setup and who would have done the setting up. The event was the most recent IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen Austria.

[cbiker]

I’m considering picking up some Rossignol Evo XT skis. I’m looking at the XT 55s for affordability - any reason to spring for the more expensive ones, e.g. XT 65s? Or look at a different brand entirely? These will be used around Pittsburgh, mainly at Frick when there’s snow cover, occasionally at Boyce or Laurel. I’ve used touring style skis before around Boston and liked them. Thanks for advice.

[spopepro]

Wait - that just blew my mind a little. Can you clarify? They don't have five targets, they are just moving the sight?

The presenters on Eurosport kept saying one competitor was shooting wide lower right, so they said she adjusted the sight by three clicks. She still missed wide lower right even with the adjustment, so they said the setup must have been off. Which is why I was wondering how the sights were setup and who would have done the setting up. The event was the most recent IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen Austria.

Yeah, it’s possible that competitor just didn’t have things set up right and was trying to improvise.

The “move the sight” thing is really common. We even just used to do it at the range so we could put 5 or 9 groups into one target. It’s easier to just have one thing to focus on and to not move the body. So take a sighted rifle and a regular bullseye target and immediately turn 5 clicks up. Still aim at the bullseye but the group will be at the bottom of the target. Then reverse for 10 clicks, repeat each side to side and you still have a clean view of the center bullseye in your sight, but should have 4 groups on the sides. Finish in the center and you’ve only used one target and haven’t had to fuss with any tape or stickers.

I’m sure the athletes could just aim at the next target and I’m sure some do, but the folks I skied and shot with would pick one and try to keep their view the same for each shot, and move the sight.

[caleb]

@j44ke An acquaintance of mine was on the biathlon World Cup a decade ago, and was the alternate for the Vancouver Olympics. He has been shooting his whole life, and often shot 25/25.

Yes, it's really hard to shoot when you're gasping for air. But the open secret in biathlon is that lots of them don't have that much experience shooting, and aren't exactly world class shots. A fair number are folks who were on the bubble of making their national teams as pure nordic skiers, and transitioned to biathlon after learning to shoot just well enough to avoid getting destroyed by penalty laps.

Don't get me wrong, what they're doing is impressive, but the sport has evolved to be mostly a ski race with a little bit of shooting.

[DCT]

I’m considering picking up some Rossignol Evo XT skis. I’m looking at the XT 55s for affordability - any reason to spring for the more expensive ones, e.g. XT 65s? Or look at a different brand entirely? These will be used around Pittsburgh, mainly at Frick when there’s snow cover, occasionally at Boyce or Laurel. I’ve used touring style skis before around Boston and liked them. Thanks for advice.

Ya they look great for versatility. Get the correct size and you’re good to go.

[cbiker]

Ya they look great for versatility. Get the correct size and you’re good to go.

Sweet thanks! Now I’m looking at the Rossignol Evo OT 65s for even more versatility (metal edges!) and I’ll most likely get them. I’m not looking to go ultra fast, I’m more looking to have fun around local parks like I did in Boston. I’ve been to a Nordic center with proper tracks maybe twice (Weston), the rest of the time was having a blast breaking trail or riding hardpack on multi use trails (Cutler, Blue Hills, Noanet). The OT 65s will work at the Nordic center but allow more of the skiing I enjoy and have done most. And growing up skiing downhill I’ve always missed edges on XC skis. Now we just need some snow.

[j44ke]

Yeah, it’s possible that competitor just didn’t have things set up right and was trying to improvise.

The “move the sight” thing is really common. We even just used to do it at the range so we could put 5 or 9 groups into one target. It’s easier to just have one thing to focus on and to not move the body. So take a sighted rifle and a regular bullseye target and immediately turn 5 clicks up. Still aim at the bullseye but the group will be at the bottom of the target. Then reverse for 10 clicks, repeat each side to side and you still have a clean view of the center bullseye in your sight, but should have 4 groups on the sides. Finish in the center and you’ve only used one target and haven’t had to fuss with any tape or stickers.

I’m sure the athletes could just aim at the next target and I’m sure some do, but the folks I skied and shot with would pick one and try to keep their view the same for each shot, and move the sight.

If I am understanding this correctly, seems like the IBU World Cup level competitions use direct-to-target aiming. Occasional issues with shooting another lane's targets, but they try to prevent this by either placing a white field or a double row of black spots between each lane.



Anyway, seems like there is a heck-of-a-lot of science behind all this. Lots of technical papers, mostly from the Scandinavian countries!

[j44ke]

@j44ke An acquaintance of mine was on the biathlon World Cup a decade ago, and was the alternate for the Vancouver Olympics. He has been shooting his whole life, and often shot 25/25.

Yes, it's really hard to shoot when you're gasping for air. But the open secret in biathlon is that lots of them don't have that much experience shooting, and aren't exactly world class shots. A fair number are folks who were on the bubble of making their national teams as pure nordic skiers, and transitioned to biathlon after learning to shoot just well enough to avoid getting destroyed by penalty laps.

Don't get me wrong, what they're doing is impressive, but the sport has evolved to be mostly a ski race with a little bit of shooting.

I read that the fan base for biathlon has grown exponentially. In 1987 (according to the comments from one of the target makers) typical audience for a competition would be in the 100's. Now it is in the tens of thousands (pandemic aside.) I have no idea why the popularity, but I am going to guess there were some changes to the sport that made it particularly fan-friendly - like grandstands at the shooting range & skiing on giant screens so fans could party in-between shooting rounds. Or it is just all Norwegians.