To quote Stu Loewen, "Ride to ride tomorrow". I avoid woodwork around this time of year as it is unpredictable in grip and the trannies are usually soft. For me there is no need to ride crazy over the winter when the conditions are less than favorable. I know that come summer, these stunts and jumps will be there, waiting and ready for me. That is not to say that I don't ride anything over the winter, but I most definitely reduce the amount of chances that I take and I definitely spend more time assessing the stunt before I ride it. Be smart so you can enjoy the winter sports as well as ride. Healing vibes to the rider down.
On the other hand, I am a newbie to mountain biking as an "ex" trials rider, and when my friends and I are at Seymour, we view our riding in the rain as training. I know that if I can ride roots, rocks, drops, and skinnies when the ground is saturated and the grip level is low, I will be able to fly over this stuff when the ground is dry and the grip comes back. Riding downward sloping wooden elements in the pouring rain will teach you in a hurry about the important of smoothness, modulation, and above all maximizing grip - all things that are relevant in the dry too.
I come from a car racing background and it is a common school of thought that to be a really good racer, learning to drive a "momentum" car with very little power will make you learn to truly get 11/10 out of that car where as a guy who has a high performance car with grip and power will go out and attain 9/10 but never be willing to push it hard enough to find what 11/10 is like in something with that much potential.
Coles notes: IMHO riding in the rain is the fast-track to improving your dry riding.
2010 Transition TR450 - 34.56lbs - the lightest TR450 ever?
A custom build from the good guys @ North Shore Bike Shop