Official retirement from 'ski bumming it'.

Drail

Drail

Active member
I'm 38, been living the ski life my whole life. Been in ski towns in BC since I was 18 - never working a winter job (besides a night time dishwasher in Fernie back in 2005).

Life obligations has my wife and I moving to Vancouver Island so she can be closer to family. Sold my sled, permanently moving away from the Kootenays. Sure, Mount Washington is only 30min and Cain is 2.5 hours, but I'm not gonna be committed to that.

Buying a dirt bike and a sailboat and starting a new chapter of my life. Obviously I am not quitting skiing and still an on getting around 25± days in - very much curious as to the ski touring potential on the north island but my winters dedicated to the shred are over.

It's been a good run. From the start of winter in 2002 to the spring of 2022, I definitely put in the time. I wonder where I'll be after the next 20 years.
 
In other words he must have ran out of WEST SYSTEMS G/flex 650 EPOXY, is a toughened, versatile, liquid epoxy for permanent waterproof bonding of fiberglass, ceramics, metals, plastics, damp and difficult-to-bond woods. With a modulus of elasticity of 150,000 PSI, it is a bit more flexible than standard epoxies and polyester, but much stiffer than adhesive sealants. This gives it the ability to make structural bonds that can absorb the stress of expansion, contraction, shock, and vibration. It is ideal for bonding dissimilar materials. It can be modified with WEST SYSTEM fillers and additives and used to wet-out fiberglass tapes and fabrics. Mixed at a 1:1 ratio, this 2-part epoxy gives you 46 minutes of pot life at 72°F and an open (working) time of 60-75 minutes. It reaches an initial cure in 3 to 4 hrs and a workable cure in 7-10 hours.

Can’t be skiing without that stuff.
 
I'm 38, been living the ski life my whole life. Been in ski towns in BC since I was 18 - never working a winter job (besides a night time dishwasher in Fernie back in 2005).

Life obligations has my wife and I moving to Vancouver Island so she can be closer to family. Sold my sled, permanently moving away as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that’ll be a home run. And so that’ll make it a 4-0 ballgame.
 
Try surfing man theres a ton of spots on Vancouver Island. It's a super rewarding and addicting sport that goes just as hard and the community is super similar/just as dedicated to their craft. Not sure whats going on over there but I saw 8-14ft @14s which is fucking nuking. There's no passes which is sweet so once you have boards/wetsuits its very cheap and a great way to integrate yourself into a new community. If you've ever skated you will just pop up and take a wave the transition is so easy. Sailing is a nice upside as well.

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Dude you never worked a winter job? Holy fucking jealous. How did you pull that one off for so long. Welcome to the real world I guess, nice run you had.
 
That’s a life well lived my friend.

Where in the kootenays? I really wanna visit sometime, Nelson looks like a great town too.
 
14473850:mynameisgiovanni said:
Who ski bums for 20 years with no job and ‘retires’ to a dirt bike and a boat? Genuinely curious
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14473850:mynameisgiovanni said:
Who ski bums for 20 years with no job and ‘retires’ to a dirt bike and a boat? Genuinely curious
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I've been in Silvicultural since 18. Late April to early July I run planting crews (foreman/supervisor). July I run brushing crews. August I am viewing work to bid on. September/October I brush. November I burn slash piles. Late November till Christmas I help out with fuel management as a bucker. January to April off.

Sold my sled and putting that money towards the dirt bike. And I'm getting a small sailboat - something to learn with cause I have no idea how to sail, but want to eventually buy a big one when I retire and sail around the world - or at least to thr Mediterranean.
 
14473877:PsychicMigration said:
Try surfing man theres a ton of spots on Vancouver Island. It's a super rewarding and addicting sport that goes just as hard and the community is super similar/just as dedicated to their craft. Not sure whats going on over there but I saw 8-14ft @14s which is fucking nuking. There's no passes which is sweet so once you have boards/wetsuits its very cheap and a great way to integrate yourself into a new community. If you've ever skated you will just pop up and take a wave the transition is so easy. Sailing is a nice upside as well.

View attachment 1053762
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Nah. Fuck cold water surfing.
 
14473938:Coleg55 said:
That’s a life well lived my friend.

Where in the kootenays? I really wanna visit sometime, Nelson looks like a great town too.
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1 year in Whistler (not the kootenays, I am aware).

1 year in Fernie

7 years in Rossland

2 years in Revelstoke

8 years in Nelson.
 
14473769:ASSholebomber22 said:
Trust fund run out or what
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No, but: my mother in law did help us with the down-payment on a house 6 years back. So we are in the real estate game which we wouldn't have been able to do ourselves.

Besides that though, no help. I manage to make $70,000 a year working from late April to mid December in Forestry (Silviculture) in BC.
 
14474081:Drail said:
1 year in Whistler (not the kootenays, I am aware).

1 year in Fernie

7 years in Rossland

2 years in Revelstoke

8 years in Nelson.
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Is there really a place in america called Rossland? old Norwegian word for a place with lots of horses. my last name is actually Rosseland
 
14474096:lil.Boye said:
Is there really a place in america called Rossland? old Norwegian word for a place with lots of horses. my last name is actually Rosseland
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Canada
 
Solid run dude that's impressive! Keep the dream alive, north Island and the pass towards tofino are sneaky hidden gems. Enjoy island vibes brotha!
 
14474106:soup said:
Solid run dude that's impressive! Keep the dream alive, north Island and the pass towards tofino are sneaky hidden gems. Enjoy island vibes brotha!
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Yeah, I'm curious about the range north of gold river/southwest of Vernon lake. Looks like some decent terrain with good logging road access.

From my conversations with my island ski friends it sounds like the island is all about long, steep approaches with Bushwacking on foot to reach snow.
 
14474096:lil.Boye said:
Is there really a place in america called Rossland? old Norwegian word for a place with lots of horses. my last name is actually Rosseland
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Rossland is the town Red Mountain is in.

Red is HUGE and has awesome terrain. Very spread out think Vail. You ski bell to bell and aren't even tired the lifts are so slow and shitty and you spend tons of time travelling between lifts.

I think if you live in Rossland and not down the hill in Trail BC you are typically a spoiled brat. Trail is my favorite city in North America its Charleston WV next to a world class ski resort.
 
14474118:PeppermillReno said:
Rossland is the town Red Mountain is in.

Red is HUGE and has awesome terrain. Very spread out think Vail. You ski bell to bell and aren't even tired the lifts are so slow and shitty and you spend tons of time travelling between lifts.

I think if you live in Rossland and not down the hill in Trail BC you are typically a spoiled brat. Trail is my favorite city in North America its Charleston WV next to a world class ski resort.
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interesting. wonder if the name come from Norwegian immigrants. lot's of people left their families to take the boat to America for a new beginning in the 1830-1920 period.

the Rosseland i grew up in is just a couple close by farms in the mountains.
 
Did living the True ski bum life ever get harder over the years? Never truly spent time in bc so idk how it compares to Montana but seems like cost of living just keeps going up and it's becoming harder and harder to maintain not haveing s job in the winter. How did you do it?

topic:Drail said:
I'm 38, been living the ski life my whole life. Been in ski towns in BC since I was 18 - never working a winter job (besides a night time dishwasher in Fernie back in 2005).

Life obligations has my wife and I moving to Vancouver Island so she can be closer to family. Sold my sled, permanently moving away from the Kootenays. Sure, Mount Washington is only 30min and Cain is 2.5 hours, but I'm not gonna be committed to that.

Buying a dirt bike and a sailboat and starting a new chapter of my life. Obviously I am not quitting skiing and still an on getting around 25± days in - very much curious as to the ski touring potential on the north island but my winters dedicated to the shred are over.

It's been a good run. From the start of winter in 2002 to the spring of 2022, I definitely put in the time. I wonder where I'll be after the next 20 years.
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Any idea on what you're looking for in a sail boat? If you're looking at anything with a keel or that needs a travel lift to haul be prepared to pay out the ass for haul and storage unless it can live in the water year round. I race Lasers and love it cause I can put it on the roof of my car and have as much fun ripping around in big breeze as a good day skiing. I also get on J70's or other big boats that I can't afford to own when possible. Would like to eventually get something I can race offshore.

Learn in something small and cheap like a sunfish. They last forever and take almost no time to rig. Understanding boat handling in something small with immediate feedback will make understanding big boats so much easier.
 
Well played. Enjoy something different. Don't write off surfing out there. It's not actually cold. I mean it ain't Nica, but it's good times.
 
Mount Washington is only 30min and Cain is 2.5 hours, but I'm not gonna be committed to that.

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My local ski hill is Washy it has some pretty decent pow days but the park is kinda ass
 
14473774:Quaggy said:
And you managed to find a wife doing that?

God damn, I'm doing something wrong.
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I’m 10 years into this endeavor definitely curious as to when the wife comes along lol
 
14474088:Drail said:
No, but: my mother in law did help us with the down-payment on a house 6 years back. So we are in the real estate game which we wouldn't have been able to do ourselves.

Besides that though, no help. I manage to make $70,000 a year working from late April to mid December in Forestry (Silviculture) in BC.
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lmao at this point you were more pro skier then 90% of the rest of the self proclaimed pros. 70K of a side job. and full winter season. lfg dude. good for ya !
 
Im 35, never worked a winter job either. I work on a ship all summer to make just enough to get unemployement checks over winter. Im not married, or even have a girlfriend, no family… Im still ski bumming in Nelson and have no plans of stopping. Moved to the kootenays in 2012 and never looked back.

But hey, life is sacrifices and if you can live with your decisions, thats great. As long as you have plenty of good memories and footage, it wasnt all a waste.

I would have been interested in your sled though…
 
Trust me, 2 years and you’ll be making that 30 minute commute. It doesn’t die as easily as you think. You just won’t be full time.

topic:Drail said:
I'm 38, been living the ski life my whole life. Been in ski towns in BC since I was 18 - never working a winter job (besides a night time dishwasher in Fernie back in 2005).

Life obligations has my wife and I moving to Vancouver Island so she can be closer to family. Sold my sled, permanently moving away from the Kootenays. Sure, Mount Washington is only 30min and Cain is 2.5 hours, but I'm not gonna be committed to that.

Buying a dirt bike and a sailboat and starting a new chapter of my life. Obviously I am not quitting skiing and still an on getting around 25± days in - very much curious as to the ski touring potential on the north island but my winters dedicated to the shred are over.

It's been a good run. From the start of winter in 2002 to the spring of 2022, I definitely put in the time. I wonder where I'll be after the next 20 years.
Click to expand...
 
14474107:Drail said:
Yeah, I'm curious about the range north of gold river/southwest of Vernon lake. Looks like some decent terrain with good logging road access.

From my conversations with my island ski friends it sounds like the island is all about long, steep approaches with Bushwacking on foot to reach snow.
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No sled will make your adventures long. It's all about striking while you can.
 
14473920:SSteezle said:
Dude you never worked a winter job? Holy fucking jealous. How did you pull that one off for so long. Welcome to the real world I guess, nice run you had.
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also curious how you pulled not working winters off. I grind summer pretty hard to save for winter and even then im still working part time in winter to scrape by

if theres anything im missing please lmk. working while its snowing out sucks

*not willing to live in a van*
 
14474284:chumbawumba said:
also curious how you pulled not working winters off. I grind summer pretty hard to save for winter and even then im still working part time in winter to scrape by

if theres anything im missing please lmk. working while its snowing out sucks

*not willing to live in a van*
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Tbh I don't know what's so hard to understand about that and also having a winter job. I know so many people who career patrol all winter but grind all summer either doing trades, Wildland fire, working as EMTS/Firefighters, etc who also career patrol in the winters, some even year round.

It's still a winter job but you have a bit of breathing room coming into the winter. No shame in working all winter too if you're still around skiing a lot and still have the drive. But time does take it's toll I bet.

**This post was edited on Oct 29th 2022 at 12:39:20pm
 
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