Skiing and Riding in Early Season Conditions

Not every ski day can be full of deep powder and icy cold conditions. While warm, dry days might not seem ideal for skiing and riding, modern technology enables snowmaking that can run at night when it is cold, and advanced grooming smooths the man-made snow into an excellent ski slope to be enjoyed once the sun comes up. Here are some additional tips to make the most of your winter vacation on days when natural snow is still expected.

Get Your Equipment Tuned

The most important tip we can offer for skiing and riding on artificial snow is to get your skis and/or snowboard tuned. The edges on your gear get a little duller with every run that you take in a way that you probably won’t notice. Getting a tune-up, or even a full stone grind to the bases, can make them feel like new and give you a whole different experience on the hard-packed snow produced by warm, dry days. If you feel out of control and the conditions are too “icy,” the problem is likely your gear. Everyone’s gear can benefit from extra-sharp edges when the snow is hard and firm. Alpine racers often tune their equipment between runs to ensure their edges are razor-sharp and remain competitive on the race course.

Bring Out the Rock Boards

When the snow is thin and sparse, it might not be time to break out your brand-new boards as much as you might want to. Your old equipment can come in very handy when there are still rocks and grass poking through the snowpack. Just remember to get your old boards tuned up because they will need it. While they may have lost some of the snappiness they had when new, with some sharp edges and fresh wax, there is still some life left in most of our old gear.

Split Up Your Skiing and Riding Days

On warm, dry days, the conditions on the mountain can change a lot between the early morning and the mid-afternoon. Consider taking advantage of this by splitting up your days. Get an early start, check the grooming report to see which trails are freshly groomed, and then go tear it up for an hour or three. With the high-speed detachable ski lifts that abound nowadays, you should be able to get in quite a few runs before you take a break for a long lunch, a brief shopping excursion, or even a well-earned nap before returning to the ski area for a few afternoon runs. You may choose to dress a little lighter for the warmer afternoon temperatures and maybe bring out those rock boards to explore the ungroomed trails now that the snow has warmed up.

Do Something Different

This is a perfect time to try something different and change up your skiing and riding habits. If you are a lifelong skier, consider renting a snowboard and taking a lesson for a complete change of pace, or renting a pair of skis for those who have only ever snowboarded. For anyone proficient in their sport, it is a full reset that will make you look at the mountain in a whole new way and force you onto beginner trails you might have just zoomed past before.

Consider checking out parts of the mountain that you usually don’t go to. Whether it's beginner trails or the terrain park, consider sparse snow conditions an opportunity to step outside your usual ski-mountain habits and try something different on or off the slopes.

Reduce Your Expectations

Having high expectations is a recipe for disappointment. You have to make the best out of whatever is available. Not every day can be deep-powder skiing and soft, fluffy conditions; it is important to appreciate our modern snowmaking and grooming technologies that make skiing and riding possible when Mother Nature fails to provide.

A Time for Skiing and Riding Carefully

Be aware that the hard-packed snow is precisely that: hard. The kind of crashes that would be laughed off on a soft snow day can be a day-ending wreck when the snow is firm and unforgiving. Thin coverage can also expose rocks that can snag your boards and send you flying. The snow's consistency changes with afternoon sunlight, which can throw you off as you move from the sunny side of the trail, with its soft snow, to the shaded side, where it might still be rock-hard.

Limited snow coverage may mean fewer open trails, and those that are open may be more crowded than usual. A crowded trail is dangerous, and it is important to go with the flow, be ready to avoid other people, and stop only in places where you can be seen.

Don’t get hurt in early-season conditions, or you might miss out once the snow starts falling.