16 quick tips for a better ski day

By Wendy Clinch •  Updated: 11/07/17 •  6 min read

You know the story The Princess and the Pea? It’s about how one little thing — a pea under a mattress — ruined an entire night’s sleep for an aspiring princess. The takeaway: sometimes minor things can have a major impact. This can be true for your ski day, too. So with that in mind, I thought I’d share some little things you can do to make your ski day a whole lot better.

Plan ahead for lift ticket deals: I don’t need to tell you how expensive lift tickets are. The walk-up window rate at Vail last season was $175.  That’s nose bleed territory. Sure, you can save a lot with a season pass. But if you don’t have one, don’t despair. You can save a lot if you…..
• Buy though a discount site like Liftopia;
• Buy off mountain at a place like Costco, a grocery store, or a local ski shop. Every resort has different discount outlets, so check around;
• Belong to a ski club. These can be a great source for low price tickets;
• Buy in advance at the resort’s web site.

Make sure you have everything you need before you leave the house. Then check again. I used to work in a ski shop at a resort, and I can’t tell you how many times people came in because they’d left their jackets/pants/socks/gloves at home. Trust me, your life will be so much easier — and so much less expensive — if you check and check again before you leave your house (and the car, too).

Eat a good breakfast. This isn’t always easy, particularly if you’re pressed for time and anxious to get on the road. But trust me; it’ll pay off. According to Diana Sugiuchi of Vertical Drop Nutrition, breakfast provides the fuel you need for a good ski day. “Our blood sugar drops overnight, which means that muscles and brain don’t have the glucose they need to function optimally,” she explained. “The only way to get this fuel is to eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, combined with some protein for staying power and not a lot of fat, since that slows you down.” What makes a good ski breakfast? Diana recommends oatmeal with yogurt, raisins and nuts, or eggs and a few pieces of whole grain toast with jam. And as a follow up to this…..

Bring along some snacks. Stash some in your pocket. You’re going to need a boost during the day. Here, Diana recommends carbohydrates with a little bit of protein, like PB & J on whole grain. Cut it up, put it in a plastic bag in your pocket. Easy, peasy.

Dress in layers. I get cold pretty easily. And once I’m cold, well, that’s pretty much it for me. So I dress in layers. It’s much easier to take something off than to be caught without a layer to put on.

Change your socks when you put on your boots: Wet feet are cold feet. So don’t start out with socks that are already damp with sweat. Your feet will stay warmer if you put on your ski socks at the same time you put on your boots.

Check your zippers before you begin. Are they all done up? Are the vents in your helmet closed? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve inadvertently skied with my pit zips open, and I couldn’t figure out why I was so cold. As part of this, close your powder skirt, too. It’s not just for chest deep powder; it helps keep the cold out.

Carry a map. Say you want to be waaaaaaaay over here on the mountain, and you end up waaaaaaay over there. Or say you want to ski blues, and you end up in a spot where there are nothing but double blacks. Keep a map handy so you can get where you want to go.

Put the number for the ski patrol in your cell phone. Just in case. Because you never know. And as part of that….

Keep your cell phone warm. Your cell phone battery drains a lot faster when it’s cold. So carry it in an inner pocket, maybe even next to a small heat pack. Even better, keep a charger in the lodge so you can re-charge your phone at lunch.

Use sunscreen. And lip balm. You gotta protect your skin. According to the Skin Care Foundation, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in more than 2 million people are diagnosed annually. And it’s getting worse. According to the Foundation, a new study reveals an alarming rise in melanoma among people aged 18 to 39. Over the past 40 years, rates of this potentially deadly skin cancer grew by 800 percent among young women and 400 percent among young men.

Avoid the crowds. Timing can be everything, so plan your ski day accordingly. Eat lunch either very early or very late. The trick is to stay on the hill when everyone else is in the cafeteria for their mid-day break.

Carry hand warmers. Or glove liners. or both. My hands get cold really easily, so for me, these can make the difference between staying out and skiing or heading into the lodge.

Go on a mountain tour: Many resorts offer these for free, and and they’re a great way to get oriented and discover great places to ski. If you’re skiing somewhere new, go for it!

Don’t drink and drive. Apres ski is a great way to unwind. But think ahead. Don’t ruin the day by drinking too much and pulling a DUI on the way home. Or even worse, getting into an accident. Drink responsibly or don’t drink at all, if you have to drive.

Remember to have fun. Sometimes we forget the essential element in skiing: having a good time. So don’t let the little things — even a little annoyance — prevent you from enjoying the day. And if you get to the point that it’s not fun anymore, call it a day. Go home. There’s always tomorrow.

 

 

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