every once in a while...the realization that I will not be riding HYAK this year hits me...total bummer dude and dudettes

Come hike the hill with us this year. I bought a night pass, but plan to hike on weekends using the nordic trails when possible. The "PIT" should be very fun this year to hit on the ride down.

Hyak Ski and Snowboard Adventure
On the World-Wide-Web since 1997

Do I look like a hiker to you...if anything I am going to buy a snowmobile to run it up the hill

We should plan a mid-week powder day assault on the mtn using sleds to haul up the riders. Could be fun.

Hyak Ski and Snowboard Adventure
On the World-Wide-Web since 1997

The week after Christmas Daryl and I will be there (with the girls)! Along with almost every weekend!

same with us...planning to be up there for the annual New Years Eve bonfire and fireworks

For those of you out there in HYAK.NET land who have used this forum to complain about TAS taking up the face...well at least we wont have to deal with that this year

no. They won't be at Hyak. Now they will invade Alpental. Bummer.

Alpental is where they belong, they say they are an Alpental team, so ski at Alental. I wont miss them

Hyak needs to get its own team and kick Alpental's butt.

Hey guys get over the TAS phobia. They have every right to be at Hyak as they pay a sizeable fee to be there. Both my kids went through the program and really learned how to ski as well as deal with challenging life situations where mom and dad were not on hand to wipe their noses. Yes some of the kids can be a pain, but some of the Hyak residents are just as bad and supposedly they are adults. If I understand you all any ski school is not welcome at Hyak, just want the whole thing to yourselves, did you not learn how to share in pre-school? Its a big mountain that hopefully will be bigger in the near future so take a deep breath and accept the reality that TAS is a positive part of the skiing community at Hyak.

I don't mind ski schools and such on the mountain. But when they are cutting in line and on the slope, it can get annoying. Not every ski school is like this. But year after year TAS seems to hold the same pattern.

Tas is a huge pain in the ass. Hyak is only open on weekends and the face is the most popular run on the mountain and Tas takes up nearly or more than two thirds of the groomed runs when they are there. They shouldn't have more right than the public to use the run. If Tas continues to train there in the future the area needs to cut the trees down and double the size of the face that is groomable. That is the biggest issue.

The ski area needs to reopen Hyak on Fri-Sun when the lift returns.

Hyak residents cause no problems to anyone. I would challenge the person who says Hyak residents are trouble makers on the slopes.

Hyak Ski and Snowboard Adventure
On the World-Wide-Web since 1997

Hyak seems to have the most friendly people there as well as lifties. The person who said hyak residents are unfriendly was just mad at us saying to opposite.

WOW! you Hyakers are a sensitive lot. But it seems that we got to the root of the problem, its not TAS you are necessarily upset with its the fact that management will not groom enough of the face to accomodate the public and the race team and that the area is not open enough for any of us. I agree completely with that. And as I said not all kids are a pain and not all Hyakers are angels either. I have personally witnessed Hyak residents being rude to the lift manager (who did a great job containing his anger), throwing garbage on the trails including food wrappers and beer cans, yeah you know who you are, and other random acts of less than acceptable behavior. I also know most of you are great people on and off the ski hill and guess what so are the TAS kids and their coaches. So maybe the lesson here is to be a little more tolerant of people on the hill, politely talk with the coaches and or management if there is a problem and continue to lobby management for better grooming and extended hours of operation.

I am not over sensitive but I've also been around Hyak long enough to know what your saying is a bunch of BS. REAL Hyak LOCALS do not throw trash out on the hill or harass the area mgr. The problems with TAS go much further then grooming...just go through the 7 yrs of message threads on this forum and you can read about the issues (hit SEARCH and put in TAS). As a real full-time Hyak local I know for a fact that myself and many others actually clean up much of the cr@p left behind by winter riders and the ski area (they do a horrible job of picking up after themselves). You will NEVER see TAS up here helping do any work around the area, ever!

Hyak Ski and Snowboard Adventure
On the World-Wide-Web since 1997

Jack, Two years ago the TAS racers, coaches and parents did voluntary trail grooming and cut the vegetation on the face wider to give everyone more room. They did a couple of days of this on hill work as a requirement to be in the program. Lets give them a little credit for trying to be good citizens. If you want a list of names of the LOCALS who are rude, boorish and leave garbage on the hill I would be glad to send it to you, and its not a short list. Actually all you have to do is look at the title of one of the early responses to this thread to prove my point. And I repeat there are bad apples in each group. Lets not judge everyone by the actions of a few. I too have been around Hyak for quite some time and witnessed a lot of good and some very bad behavior by locals and the weekend visitors alike. Look, I respect your point of view but calling mine BS does not get us anywhere, in fact it might be seen as validating the sensitivity issue I spoke of earlier. I guess the only other comment I have right now is in the words of that great American Rodney King, 'Can't we all just get along?'

jay...whoever you are...i would recommend you take a read through the archives as Jack mentioned. The problem is twofold, yes the ski area needs to groom more of the face to accomodate the public and TAS...but when it is obvious that this is not occuring why does TAS continue to take more of the face and actually at times put the skiing public at risk? I personally have witnessed several times where Ski Patrol has had to ask them to move the course to accomodate the public...not locals but public. To have the public forced to ski a 15' section with trees on one side and a tower on the other is hazardous to all. This could be alleviated by TAS movong there course..yet they never voluntarily did so despite personally talking with them as you have suggested. I have even witnessed the coaches racing with their kids on the back trails...not sure what this teaches them...oh yeah go like hell on crowded slopes...hmmmn great lesson. I have brought this up to the head coach as well as other issues like line cutting only to be met with a contemptuous attitude. So as I said in the beginning...there are some positives to the whole mess...the tower is now gone...as well as some of the trees and maybe Team Alpental will realize that Alpental is where they should train and not HYAK...either way they wont be on the face this year...

Other than the face being crowded by the training course, I have never felt crowded at Hyak.
I have no affiliation with TAS, and I lived in Hyak for 10 years. I think you are just bummed that you can't ski as fast as the kids do. Skiing is supposed to be fun! That is why we are all on the mountain. Ripping around the mountain is fun and that is what GOOD skiers do. By ripping around on other runs the kids get to have fun outside of regular training. I think it is just as important for them to do that, as it is to train. Most of these TAS kids may not end up in the Olympics, but when they are older I would hope that they look back on Hyak and remember how much fun they had.

THAT IS WHAT GROWS OUR SPORT, not a bunch of babies that complain about this or that. I'm sure TAS would love more room to train, and for the "public" to have more room as well. I'm sure the kids would love the chance to ski the face without their own race course in the way. Ultimately it just comes down to all of our frustration about the slow if not backward improvements that have taken place at Hyak.

Best thing I did as an Instructor?.....Just Shut up and ski.

Shut up and ski... works everytime!

I can't wait for improvements at the area, I'm sure it will help everybody's attitude.

Good Job TAS for trying to make a difference by cleaning up! We have a cleanup day at Crystal every summer too. There sure is a lot of stuff left behind. I have found a few things that might even have been my own... which I hate.

One day of cleaning and one day of brush cutting doesn't make up for the fact that they are a bunch of spoiled brats who think they can do what ever they damn well please. I can't tell you how many times I have been on the mountain when the TAS-Holes have cut in line, ran into people, swore at people, and never once bothered to say sorry.

The program needs to be re-evaluated. It clearly isn't making better citizens out of the racers. It's teaching them to be arrogant and rude.

As a CMAC coach, I can't speak to TAS issues directly but:

Yes, I've experienced a few issues in liftlines etc.
Yes, the TAS kids tend to come from higher-income families and sometimes have an attitude of entitlement.
Yes, when I was a young racer myself, I wasn't always the best citizen.
Yes, as I've aged, I've mellowed and become more patient.

I don't know for sure, but I'd be willing to bet these issues are discussed frequently and repeatedly with the racers, coaches, and parents. The kids upsetting the public is a continuous thorn in the side of MOST race programs, CMAC included.

If you want real action on these issues (assuming they are still current problems when Hyak re-boots), go to the ski area management. Put it in writing if you're REALLY concerned. I know it will get back to the TAS staff and they will have yet another discussion about it.

We coaches here about EVERYTHING that our kids do at Crystal- believe me... They are wearing the uniform, they often have their names on their helmets, and almost always their names are on their skis. We get reports, and we deal with the offenders.

But really- they are KIDS, and mostly really good kids. Can't you remember doing a few things at that age you are embarassed about now? I can! I try to extend to them the grace that many adults extended to me- because I know I'm going to see them on the hill for the next 20+ years and I'd like to have a good relationship with them.

Peace out.