By Dan EganEBS CONTRIBUTOR
We all want to wake up to the
perfect powder day – the “Holy Grail” of skiing – and if you’re at a resort on
that day, here are a few skills that will help you find powder paradise.
Early bird. It’s
a cliché, but if you think it’s going to snow all night, wake up and head to
the mountain to be there two hours prior to the chairlifts opening.
Be prepared. Call
the resort, find out if there’s a “first tracks” program that provides early
access to lift opening. It’s worth every dime to be on the first chair of the
day.
Have a plan. Most
decent powder days will see delays in lifts and trails opening. You’ll have to
move across the grain and be willing to risk being caught up in the herd. Think
hard about where you’ll go. It might be worth letting the first pack go and
pouncing on a delayed trail opening.
Keep a sharp eye on ski patrol. Ask
the patrollers lots of questions, watch their movements and listen to any radio
chatter that might give you the edge on conditions and locations. If possible,
grab a chairlift ride with a patroller and pepper them with questions, and most
importantly, respect.
Set expectations. Discuss
your plan with your ski pals and be clear about the “keep up and meet up”
policy. Discuss your plans and be honest about what your goals are. If you’re
showing people around the mountain, be patient. If you’re a selfish powder
hound, state the obvious and buy the first round of drinks at happy hour to
make up for any hurt feelings.
Breathe. Most
skiers burn out on powder days because they hold their breath while skiing.
Make breathing a priority as you “shred the pow” to ensure you’ll have some gas
in the tank to ski buzzer to buzzer.
Mind over matter. On
deep days the powder can often be wind blown, crusty or inconsistent. Don’t get
caught up in the quality of the snow, focus instead on the experience and go
for quality of runs.
Island hop. On
certain days cut-up powder snow is better than fresh tracks. You can find lots
of joy in skiing the islands of snow between the tracks. “Island hop” your way
from powder turn to powder turn.
One good powder day will drive
many skiers’ addiction to deep snow for years. Ask other skiers about their
best day ever and settle in for a good story that happened one glorious day in
the past.
During my skiing career I’ve seen
all types of snow, all over the world. In the past 30 years I’ve had my share
of perfect powder days and I allow that definition of “perfect” to be wide open.
Some days it’s the people I’m with, other days it’s the texture of the snow or
a beautiful location.
Keep an open mind, be prepared, be
patient, and stay focused on the weather patterns at your favorite ski area.
Extreme skiing pioneer Dan Egan
has appeared in 12 Warren Miller Ski films and countless others. Today he
teaches clinics and guides trips at locations around the world including Big
Sky, where he’ll be teaching Feb. 26-28, March 5-7 and March 12-14. Find more
ski tips from Dan Egan at skiclinics.com/education/skitips.
This installment of “Ski
Tips” was repurposed from an earlier version published in the Jan. 2, 2015
edition of EBS.
