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#1
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Powder newbie....
After skiing for years in Northeast conditions (NY, Mass, VT), I'm finally
going out to Colorado for a ski weekend (Crested Butte). Any technique suggestions to help me not make a fool of myself in powder would be appreciated! I'm a pretty fair skiier-- not a hot-dogger, I just like cruising. In the NE I can handle most black diamonds, although I enjoy intermediate trails more-- the expert stuff is too much like work. ****************************** Got wood? Check out my exotic hardwood pennywhistles at fair prices...http://www.Busmanwhistles.com |
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#2
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Walt wrote:
5) Attach powder cords to your skis - about 20' of orange yarn tied to the ski and stuffed up your pantleg. That way if you lose a ski in the powder you'll be able to find it. Nothing looks more foolish than someone searching for a missing ski in the deep. Stress this. Prepare for this by bringing your own "yarn" (I prefer a length of brightly colored 1/8 nylon cord, since often I can reach the cord and pull the skis to me which is a great help in deep powder.) If you wait till you're on the slopes most on-slope shops will be happy to sell you 50 cents worth of ribbon or cord (or even yarn) for $12.95-$15.95. |
#3
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BREWERPAUL wrote: After skiing for years in Northeast conditions (NY, Mass, VT), I'm finally going out to Colorado for a ski weekend (Crested Butte). Any technique suggestions to help me not make a fool of myself in powder would be appreciated! Paul - Get over the worries about looking the fool; you *will* look the fool. This is pretty much inevitable if you ski a good powder day before you get your powder turns down. I would suggest taking a lesson, but that is not what I did to learn and powder lessons did not take with my east-coast brother, who skis very well, but not-so-good in pow. Best advice I could give you is to talk to a few good skiers, read a bit about it and visualize as much as you can before your debut. But here are a couple tid-bits noone told me about... - wear proper clothes and equipment. Getting sweaty and/or wet in the pow is not pleasant. It is easy to overdress. Don't forget something to wipe down your googles after they get filled with snow after a biff. You will need some sort of anti-fog. I recommend Cat Crap (partly cuz I like how it sounds when I recommend it). Get powder cords and use them if the snow is deeper than 18" and for god's sake, don't let them drag behind you like some idiot gapers do. - RELAX. This is hard, but crucial to good pow skiing. Relax also when you fall. Take your time getting up and collecting yourself. Your ass will be kicked before the end of the day anyhow, so why rush it? If you can link 3 or 4 good pow turns by the end of the day, consider it a success. Have fun! And don't be scared... the landings are soft. RAC |
#4
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BREWERPAUL wrote: After skiing for years in Northeast conditions (NY, Mass, VT), I'm finally going out to Colorado for a ski weekend (Crested Butte). Any technique suggestions to help me not make a fool of myself in powder would be appreciated! I'm a pretty fair skiier-- not a hot-dogger, I just like cruising. In the NE I can handle most black diamonds, although I enjoy intermediate trails more-- the expert stuff is too much like work. ****************************** Got wood? Check out my exotic hardwood pennywhistles at fair prices...http://www.Busmanwhistles.com I don't think it's possible to teach skiing on-line. Some can give you tips (like powder cords), but that ain't how to ski. I live and ski at CB and for some specific advice, if there is powder (like right now) start on the Red Lady Lift trails to see what it feels like. Bushwhacker Trail served by the pokey Teocali Lift is a good place to start powder skiing. Twister Lift has some good runs with nice pitch and less traffic which keeps powder longer. I think the ski hosts do daily tours so you can get a good look at the mountain. Or you could take a lesson. Fresh snow this morning and it's coming down pretty hard tonight. The High Lift and North Face are running now. Life is good. Jack |
#5
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lal_truckee wrote: Walt wrote: 5) Attach powder cords to your skis - about 20' of orange yarn tied to the ski and stuffed up your pantleg. That way if you lose a ski in the powder you'll be able to find it. Nothing looks more foolish than someone searching for a missing ski in the deep. Stress this. Prepare for this by bringing your own "yarn" (I prefer a length of brightly colored 1/8 nylon cord, since often I can reach the cord and pull the skis to me which is a great help in deep powder.) If you wait till you're on the slopes most on-slope shops will be happy to sell you 50 cents worth of ribbon or cord (or even yarn) for $12.95-$15.95. My powder cords are 10' of orange surveyor's tape with a large button attached to the end. RAC |
#6
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Jack Nixon wrote:
I don't think it's possible to teach skiing on-line. What?! We've been doing it for a decade right here - why, I suspect there are untold thousands who learned to ski just reading our excellent explanations and discussions. Thousands, I tell you! Thousands! For original poster, powder lesson follows. Powder is slo-mo. Relax and let the turns happen on their own. Powder falls are a delight - make sure you fall a few times and see for yourself. If you don't make a fool of yourself, you haven't skied powder properly. Have fun. Actually forget everything else I and the rest of us have said (except the powder cord bit - that's important) and just have fun. Have fun! |
#7
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"lal_truckee" wrote in message ... Jack Nixon wrote: I don't think it's possible to teach skiing on-line. What?! We've been doing it for a decade right here - why, I suspect there are untold thousands who learned to ski just reading our excellent explanations and discussions. Thousands, I tell you! Thousands! For original poster, powder lesson follows. Powder is slo-mo. Relax and let the turns happen on their own. Powder falls are a delight - make sure you fall a few times and see for yourself. If you don't make a fool of yourself, you haven't skied powder properly. Have fun. My first time in DEEP powder (I grew up in Vermont, so give me a break) I fell on my first turn on a steep, but not very long pitch, that I usually just bomb down (the face below and left of the top of the old Chair 1 at Mammoth). I fell with my head below my feet, completely buried. I was wearing goggles, but all I could see was the translucent light filtering theough a couple of feet of disturbed. I eventually managed to work my feet and skis loose and swing them over my body and below me so I could stand up. Then I fell again. After getting up, the rest of the day was quite pleasant. |
#8
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Hmmm. When was that? I think I saw you in that predicament.
To the original poster: Great advice from all here. My tibit is to remember that skiing in powder is like water skiing downhill--if you can imagin. You need to let your skiis float--and get used to that "floating feeling". You may feel that you need to go a little faster to get them to float than you are used to (But there is more friction in pow so chances are you aren't really going much faster--it just feels that way). Don't attempt a turn until you feel them float. The balance is different. .--or at least feels different to me.I spead my arms more--since I cannot spread my feet more. Like everything start slow. Try it on "green" runs first if you can--then blue, then black--give yourself time to get used to the feel. You may want to concider fatter style skis. I like the wider platform in the pow--but there are plenty of skiers that don't. In any case let them float first. Then follow the advice on turns and having fun. Above all, have fun. Oh--watch out the difference between the groomers and the pow--especially when moving from one to the other. Hitting the pow from a groomer--at speed--will slow you down abruptly. Brace. Be centered. Knees ready. Wayne -- I ski, therefore I am "Richard Henry" wrote in message news:YRJCd.21633$CH5.21604@fed1read01... "lal_truckee" wrote in message ... Jack Nixon wrote: I don't think it's possible to teach skiing on-line. What?! We've been doing it for a decade right here - why, I suspect there are untold thousands who learned to ski just reading our excellent explanations and discussions. Thousands, I tell you! Thousands! For original poster, powder lesson follows. Powder is slo-mo. Relax and let the turns happen on their own. Powder falls are a delight - make sure you fall a few times and see for yourself. If you don't make a fool of yourself, you haven't skied powder properly. Have fun. My first time in DEEP powder (I grew up in Vermont, so give me a break) I fell on my first turn on a steep, but not very long pitch, that I usually just bomb down (the face below and left of the top of the old Chair 1 at Mammoth). I fell with my head below my feet, completely buried. I was wearing goggles, but all I could see was the translucent light filtering theough a couple of feet of disturbed. I eventually managed to work my feet and skis loose and swing them over my body and below me so I could stand up. Then I fell again. After getting up, the rest of the day was quite pleasant. |
#9
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"Walt" wrote in message news:cSBCd.756 5) Attach powder cords to your skis - about 20' of orange yarn tied to the ski and stuffed up your pantleg. Oh CRAP, that was what I forgot to get today... ant |
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