Ski season is here! Two decent storms have left up to five feet of snow on Mammoth Mountain. The air is cold the sun is low and the skiing is great, but is it time to shred and charge? maybe not.
It’s not quite Winter and things aren’t exactly the same as they were when we hung up our skis last Spring or, if you ski Mammoth, last Summer. The Fall season can be tricky and needs to be handled a little bit differently.
Fall, including the holidays and the beginning of winter, is a good time to be a patient, observant and deliberate skier. The thinner snow pack makes it easier to read the natural fall lines of the the runs. Take time to notice the difference between the fall line and the path cut through the trees to make the run. Can we come up with a better way to ski a section, one that keeps us in the fall line and out of traffic? Which way does Stump Alley twist?
Holiday crowds and fewer open runs will force us to be more aware other skiers. There is a flow to skier traffic; bottlenecks, busy intersections, place where folks generally ski to fast, places there are beginners. Can we find places to stop where we can be seen from above and avoided? Which shoulder should you be looking over when starting off the top of 2 heading to the bottom of 3?
Fitness and equipment can change over the summer. Often we start the season not quite where we need to be to show our best skiing. Skiing in to top form takes time and shouldn’t be rushed. Skiing tired can lead to bad habits and injuries. Taking a lesson at the start of the season can help get the cob webs off our form and getting bindings checked, by a certified shop, every year is even more important. What should binding DIN be set to? Are there snow conditions or parts of the mountain we avoid instead of learning to ski them better?
Fall is the time to lay the ground work for the rest of the season. Come up to Mammoth, get strong, get savvy, get tuned in and get ready to charge winter!
- Mike, your host
