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Best approach for first two ski days of the season?

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Do you leave your poles at the base?
Great question. I usually leave them at the bottom of the lift that I plan on riding for the pole free laps. You could of course hold them in front of you tray like, but sometimes it is nice to go completely pole free. Of course, the assumption is, that the skier has skills to manage getting on and off the lift safely without poles.

I rarely crank the boot buckles too tight, unless it's deep powder on day one. This is definitely not something I encourage as there is a risk involved by not being securely in the boot. That being said, don't go too loose on the top buckle or early season shin bang is almost guaranteed...ouch, been there, done that, still don't always learn.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
For day four, in an unexpected 10 inches of snow, I went for a yard sale! I was heading in (two hours), coaching myself with cues I've been given, and trying to let the skis run a little. I guess I buried a tip, or wh0 knows! So fast I was rolling down with a sense of something going by me. Ah ... that would be the ski that let go! Thank god for that, since it's the side where I recently had an MRI on the knee!! The good news is falling on powder is pretty gentle!
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't go up until Chipmunk (that tells you every thing you need to know about the trail) is open. Only when I feel comfortable on that do I go to the top of the mountain. That might be two to three days. Really. And I've been skiing 45 years. Day four this year I'm thrilled to have done four runs on a green trail on the back. Next week I might add a blue.

Since I live only 16 minutes from the ski hill I see no sense in rushing things. I've got all winter.
 

SkiGAP

Angel Diva
I had my season opener today in Andorra. After a snowstorm yesterday, we had bluebird conditions today. And downright sweltering temperatures by east coast standards...

I generally took it easy, though I rang my bell in a fall when I got a little too aggressive telemarking backwards. Was not too crowded today despite it being the holiday season and Saturday to boot.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I start my ski season at my home mountain where I have a season pass, which is a small hill in northern VA. The advantage is that it's pretty hard to overdo it. Massanutten often only had 2-3 blue/black trails open even the first week of January. Even so, for the first day I usually don't plan on skiing all day long. Always like to be on the slopes first thing. May only ski for an hour or so after lunch. I just have fun on Day 1. Not thinking about technique or drills at all. Mostly trying to get my feet used to being in ski boots.

When my second day is immediately after the first day, I'll do a few basic drills like side slipping.

For those who don't know me, I'm an older advanced skier who was an adventurous intermediate 15 years ago. My approach to starting the season has changed over the last decade, partially because of taking lessons so that now I know more drills related to fundamentals. Getting good boots and my own skis also made a bit of a difference.
Well, the start for my season this year wasn't at Massanutten. I spent a day at Killington and a day at Wachusett (near Boston) during Thanksgiving week. The early snowstorms and cold weather meant there was more than enough terrain open, and not just groomers at Killington.

I skied 10:00am-1:30pm at Killington. Since I was skiing solo, that meant I could do wherever I wanted. Took the easiest way down off the Snowdon triple the first run. It's an easy blue and was empty. After that I started exploring blue groomers. Mid-morning I was feeling pretty good so went down a bump run. Wasn't trying to go fast. Doing what I call "pre-run" since I'd never done that trail before. Since the snow was pretty good, it was fun. I ended up checking out all the open trails at least once. Did a couple of the bumps runs a second time. Where the snow was good, I was making turns. Where is was thin, I side slipped to avoid the exposed little rocks. I found the best bumps on the last run, all natural but harder to access so fewer people had skied it and so coverage was better. Still only skied perhaps 5-6 turns before stopping for the view.

I did do some drills on the groomers. Was doing RR tracks on the runouts. Did some 1-leg skiing on easy blue groomers. For instance, alternate picking up a ski and holding for 5 sec. That was a drill my Taos instructor had the group do a few times on the run out to a lift.

At Wachusett, I was doing more drills. Only one trail open off each lift (blue, green). Was with my daughter and a Diva. We skied leisurely off all three lifts 10:00-1:00. The snow was good on the long green, so I did some drills there after lunch when skiing solo.

Anyone else have stories from their first couple days this season?
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My 1st day was a couple of weeks ago at Eldora. Only groomers open but very good conditions. Loved the new last year high speed quad from the base. For some reason the cuffs on my boots changed position and I was skiing on my outside edges. Boot fitter doesn't know if cuffs actually moved since there is no lock on the alignment screw or I had structural changes due to all the working out I did all summer.
Got the boots fixed in Vail the next weekend and spent the afternoon at Copper. Skied West Village because the runs at Center Village were closed due to construction of 2 new chair lifts. We warmed up on a green cruiser. However, early season this run is more like a blue run. Many dips and uneven terrain until snow fills them in. Then skied a non groomed blue run that had soft snow and bumps. Skied that run a couple of times. Then we tried a run called Jacques. Also non groomed. Wow! it was so much fun we skied it about 4 times. No one was skiing it because the terrain was uneven, had bumps on the faces and tree tops showing at the bottom. The next day we went back and skied it over and over. It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving so we left early to come back home.
Last week was pretty much the same. Warmup on the green, a couple of runs on Jacques. My favorite lift-Sierra-opened this week so we went up there on Tues. Really nice snow, no rocks, few tree tops, small bumps on the faces, no skiers. Weds. was cloudy and visibility was not good so we stayed low. Thurs we had to head back to Denver to pick up cat at vet. We got a couple of runs in on Sierra. Few inches of fresh powder, mostly chopped up by the time we got there but still really good skiing. All in all an awesome start to the season.

This week I'm demoing skis at Loveland. Best conditions I've ever had to demo skis in. Looking forward to it.
 

canannie

Certified Ski Diva
Meeting my young 14 year old niece at next week and decided first time out for her in a long time I booked a semi private lesson for 1.5 hours for the both of us ! I do not have the big mountains to ski where I live but the biggest hill in Ontario ! Blue Mountain !
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Meeting my young 14 year old niece at next week and decided first time out for her in a long time I booked a semi private lesson for 1.5 hours for the both of us ! I do not have the big mountains to ski where I live but the biggest hill in Ontario ! Blue Mountain !
Welcome! Did you get an Ikon pass?

I always made my daughter do a lesson on the first or second day of the season when she was a tween. By then she was a solid intermediate who had learned from ski instructors starting at age 4. But didn't ski many days a season since we live in the southeast and the nearest ski area is 3 hours drive away.
 

canannie

Certified Ski Diva
No IKON this year ! I have a 5x7 I might buy one next year because I do not think they will have the 5X7 anymore ! Im lucky I live 12 minutes away !
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I have little to add, about to start my second season. I’m a beginner-intermediate, or I was last year.

My big plan involves waiting for a few more trails to open, start my day (season) on green trails and don’t push it. Oh! And make my list of what to pack! I used the list all last year, big help!

Hah! The best-laid plans! There weren’t any green trails open at Killington except Snowshed, where I did start my day. But we didn’t want to wait longer. 2 feet last week! So I skied on blues and made it home in one piece!
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So, every year I've feared Day 1 more, it seems. But I got thru the day and exceeded my "stretch goal" (which wasn't much, believe me) and doubled last year's Day 1. I remember last year I even refused to ride the chair with anyone the first day. (It's a weekday, don't worry.). This year I rode with someone on run #6, so I was getting pretty confident.
I know, this is season #47, what's the big deal? But I'm getting more timid each year, it seems. I make myself go, though. Fingers crossed that I keep exceeding my daily goal for a change this year. Last year's "head problems" resulted in vert half of my average the prior fifteen. I'm hoping to do better this time.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So, every year I've feared Day 1 more, it seems. But I got thru the day and exceeded my "stretch goal" (which wasn't much, believe me) and doubled last year's Day 1. I remember last year I even refused to ride the chair with anyone the first day. (It's a weekday, don't worry.). This year I rode with someone on run #6, so I was getting pretty confident.
I know, this is season #47, what's the big deal? But I'm getting more timid each year, it seems. I make myself go, though. Fingers crossed that I keep exceeding my daily goal for a change this year. Last year's "head problems" resulted in vert half of my average the prior fifteen. I'm hoping to do better this time.


I always say "the first day doesn't count" the first run doesn't count, (lol I say that first run doesn't count every day I go skiing) we need less stress! The only pressure should be on ski edges.

Sometimes it does seem like it's 99% concentration and 1% perspiration! Where do you ski? do you have a diva or 2 or ski with, I find skiing alone can get me into my head vs skiing w/someone seems easier and is more fun.. I Hope you have a great season.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So, every year I've feared Day 1 more, it seems. But I got thru the day and exceeded my "stretch goal" (which wasn't much, believe me) and doubled last year's Day 1. I remember last year I even refused to ride the chair with anyone the first day. (It's a weekday, don't worry.). This year I rode with someone on run #6, so I was getting pretty confident.
I know, this is season #47, what's the big deal? But I'm getting more timid each year, it seems. I make myself go, though. Fingers crossed that I keep exceeding my daily goal for a change this year. Last year's "head problems" resulted in vert half of my average the prior fifteen. I'm hoping to do better this time.
I can relate. I am eager for my first day, yet dreading the guaranteed crowds and yahoos that will be there. So I am thinking, I must go on a weekday. I'm lucky* my ski buddy beau is equally tentative on Day 1, even though he is an excellent skier. Our strategy: ease back into it, don't push too hard, make it a shorter day. *Lucky in the sense that we're on the same page when it comes to this.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I always say "the first day doesn't count" the first run doesn't count, (lol I say that first run doesn't count every day I go skiing) we need less stress! The only pressure should be on ski edges.

Sometimes it does seem like it's 99% concentration and 1% perspiration! Where do you ski? do you have a diva or 2 or ski with, I find skiing alone can get me into my head vs skiing w/someone seems easier and is more fun.. I Hope you have a great season.
I refuse to ski with ANYONE until about mid January.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I had a pretty good day 1, but day 2 we started out the day with some of Mr. Blizzard’s family. They headed out to a challenging blue trail, but he helpfully detoured via a green trail to avoid the headwall. No such luck on the second run, when we all headed to Panic Button, a black trail. I pitched a fit and embarrassed myself and my beloved, whose excuse was “you’ve skied this trail before!”
That was last year, late season.

I am afraid for the first day that I won’t remember how to ski. I do remember, but I forget that I have to be assertive about skiing easier trails until I relearn what I forgot.

@sibhusky - I feel your fear. It’s scary! Maybe think back to the best times you’ve had over the years, and let those memories crowd out the fear, if you can.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had a pretty good day 1, but day 2 we started out the day with some of Mr. Blizzard’s family. They headed out to a challenging blue trail, but he helpfully detoured via a green trail to avoid the headwall. No such luck on the second run, when we all headed to Panic Button, a black trail. I pitched a fit and embarrassed myself and my beloved, whose excuse was “you’ve skied this trail before!”
That was last year, late season.

I am afraid for the first day that I won’t remember how to ski. I do remember, but I forget that I have to be assertive about skiing easier trails until I relearn what I forgot.

@sibhusky - I feel your fear. It’s scary! Maybe think back to the best times you’ve had over the years, and let those memories crowd out the fear, if you can.

I ran into some of my ski buddies the morning of the second day and said I would NOT ski with them until I felt more confident. I'm slow mid-season ... having me fly around after them before I have my balance and nerve back would be no fun for anyone. What I could do last year has nothing to do with what I want to do this year!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I ran into some of my ski buddies the morning of the second day and said I would NOT ski with them until I felt more confident. I'm slow mid-season ... having me fly around after them before I have my balance and nerve back would be no fun for anyone. What I could do last year has nothing to do with what I want to do this year!

Thank you! I guess while I’m feeling nervous and tentative is the time I have to be more assertive! Sigh. Life isn’t easy!
 

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