Spring skiing blues

[bounceswoosh]

If we discuss this for long, @bounceswoosh or half a dozen others will recommend A Conversation with Fear, by Mermer Blakeslee. I haven't read it but when others quote it I am impressed with the science (and I'm usually very critical!).

LOL!

This is a good point, but I really do think instruction and "time on skis" are the factors here. Blakeslee's book is largely about gradually exposing yourself to what scares you, and finding ways to mimic those situations - like getting used to narrow runs by purposely skiing only 1/4 of an open run. I'm not sure how I would create that sort of scenario for slush.

For what it's worth, I only started getting comfortable with spring conditions a couple of years ago, and I ski a LOT. I also believe you need to engage a lot of core strength, and unless you are a pro, you benefit greatly from having built up your skiing skills all season long. If you ski a few times a season, I just am not convinced you're going to get there. ("You" = "one.")

 

[Robyn]

I find one of the keys with skiing spring conditions is staying loose and ready for anything. Conditions change quickly so if you're locked into a position it will cause joints to get beaten up. If you're loose your ankles/knees/hips can absorb the changes without feeling battered. The other thing is to think about which direction the slopes face to avoid (or find) the spring snow conditions. If it refroze overnight wait for some slight warming then head for the south facing slopes. Once it gets too warm try to head high and/or to north facing slopes so it doesn't get too soft. At Copper on Sunday Sierra lift skied beautifully because it hadn't gone through a thaw cycle so it was nice and chalky.

 

[bounceswoosh]

My takeaway from last season's injury: spring is not the time to go all out. Don't ski at the edge of your ability, even if you feel like you're skiing the best amd strongest you have all season. And be even more aware than usual of what's ahead of you and how/why conditions may be different there.

 

[SkiBam]

I'm in Trois Vallees, France at the moment. Have skied five days - sixth and last tomorrow. They got a ton of snow last week and this week has been non stop sun and warm temps. Lots of spring conditions as the day goes on. Totally gorgeous but some of our group struggle with the different types of snow, not to mention all the bumps that form. I personally LOVE spring conditions but I have skied a lot all season and my legs can take it - well, pretty much anyway. And now we can look forward to going home to great winter conditions!

 

[nopoleskier]

I love spring skiing.. comes from my Dad.. he also loved it.. I am always out until the closing bell.. Only part I don't like is the extra waxing needed to avoid the sticky skis.. and that it means I won't be skiing for months...

 

[Christy]

World Cup Finals are at Aspen Mt right now. The resort website says temps are 60-64 degrees this week. They're gonna need a lot of salt...

 

[EAVL]

An update for you ladies: Did my skis or my bike win in the warm temps this weekend? My skis! Not because I love them better than my bike. Trust me I LOVE my Mtn bike! Every time I pull into the garage and see it there my heart skips a beat and I long to go for a ride. Life happened this week and caused me to choose my skis. I have elderly parents. My dad has dementia and we moved him to memory care in Jan. My mom has crippling anxiety and OCD. I am the only child who lives in the same town/state so I have my hands full with them and my own family. I got no biking done in the couple of days I was home due to parent issues and because of that I decided to come back up and ski rather than stay home and bike. Need a little separation. Mom tends to fall apart when she knows I am home and is somehow able to keep it together when I am not and if she can't my sister takes over as a long-distance support for her. Also being at home makes both my husband and I feel like we need to catch up on chores. I really do not know how people staycation! We can't relax at all at home! Thus, I need these ski weekends more than ever! It is the only time I let go of everything on my mind, my to-do list and just be in the moment! Today was SO warm and slushy but again I loved my new Kenjas in that. It was a little sticky and I got more tired than the other day, but they can plow through mashed potatoe crud and bumps so I don't get thrown around and frustrated like I did on my old skis. Skiing at Copper tomorrow with friends and kid's friends and that is always a fun time. Heading home early Sunday to deal with reality at home and skiing and enjoying spring in the mountains will have me refreshed and ready to deal with whatever may happen next week.

 

[pinto]

Base structure and wax are also things that help in spring. A coarse structure and nice warm weather wax go a long way to lessening that herky jerky stuff in wet slushy snow.

 

[santacruz skier]

I'm in Trois Vallees, France at the moment. Have skied five days - sixth and last tomorrow. They got a ton of snow last week and this week has been non stop sun and warm temps. Lots of spring conditions as the day goes on. Totally gorgeous but some of our group struggle with the different types of snow, not to mention all the bumps that form. I personally LOVE spring conditions but I have skied a lot all season and my legs can take it - well, pretty much anyway. And now we can look forward to going home to great winter conditions!

Sounds great. I skied Kitzbuehl and Portes du Soleil for two weeks . Just got back Tuesday night.... we got some decent snow which was awesome. What are you skiing on? Think you're about my size... I demoed the Black Crow Camox Birdie for a week in Austria and the Head Great Joy for the week in Switzerland.... hmm hurt my knee and was snowmobiled out on the second to last day (skied 10 days instead of 11)... Still have swollen knee and don't know what's going on... Stupid fall I was barely moving after getting off a lift and getting tangled with 2 other skiers. Binding didn't release.... never good.

 

[nopoleskier]

I don't like the getting hurt part...

 

[newboots]

I don't like the getting hurt part...

Me either. Keep us posted! Ice!

 

[SkiBam]

What are you skiing on? Think you're about my size... .

I was on my Salomon Bamboos. Hadn't skied on these much in the past couple of years but took them out earlier this season and realized that I LOVE them! They handled the ice, the hard pack, and even several inches of powder with no problem at all and were superb in the spring conditions we encountered in Trois Vallées. I guess they're about three years old now, but I truly felt like I had found a "new" ski.

 

[Jenny]

That's fun, and a lot less expensive if you find them in your closet than in the store!

 

[EAVL]

Another fun day on slush yesterday! Was at Copper with friends yesterday and it was HOT and slushy. After lunch it was sticky snow. I was out on my Kenjas and I feel they do better if I stay forward and carve. Less work than trying to smear down the hill. I mean I probably did a combo of both but noticed less sticking if I just let them carve. I was afraid to stick while going fast after reading a thread about a broken tibia from such an incident! Yikes!! My friends even talked me into the "back side" where there was a blue run. Was really fun back there! Couldn't talk my 11 year-old into going and then all the kids decided they would rather play in the snow so we left them nearby at a picnic bench and did adult-only runs! A nice treat!! My knees are so achy today especially sitting down and getting up from a chair. Is this just from skiing slush or because I have wider skis? I went from a waist of 76 to 90. Will I adjust? I often get a sore right knee (had a soccer related injury and surgery when I was 19) after a long day of skiing, but they both hurt today. If I were skiing today I would prob stick to some green cruisers just to let my knees recover. Hopefully, by next weekend try will be ready for some more skiing!!

 

[SkiBam]

That's fun, and a lot less expensive if you find them in your closet than in the store!

That's for sure! At the beginning of the season I told the guy at the ski shop that if I came in saying I wanted new skis this year, he was to say "NO - you're not allowed." And anyway, I doubt I would have found anything I liked more than the Bamboos. No promises about next season though...

 

[nopoleskier]

Another fun day on slush yesterday! Was at Copper with friends yesterday and it was HOT and slushy. After lunch it was sticky snow. I was out on my Kenjas and I feel they do better if I stay forward and carve. Less work than trying to smear down the hill. I mean I probably did a combo of both but noticed less sticking if I just let them carve. I was afraid to stick while going fast after reading a thread about a broken tibia from such an incident! Yikes!! My friends even talked me into the "back side" where there was a blue run. Was really fun back there! Couldn't talk my 11 year-old into going and then all the kids decided they would rather play in the snow so we left them nearby at a picnic bench and did adult-only runs! A nice treat!! My knees are so achy today especially sitting down and getting up from a chair. Is this just from skiing slush or because I have wider skis? I went from a waist of 76 to 90. Will I adjust? I often get a sore right knee (had a soccer related injury and surgery when I was 19) after a long day of skiing, but they both hurt today. If I were skiing today I would prob stick to some green cruisers just to let my knees recover. Hopefully, by next weekend try will be ready for some more skiing!!

With fat skis my knees hurt if I try to put them truly on edge..schmearing is how I was told to ski the fatties is sloppy skiing but saves the knees..

 

[bounceswoosh]

Smearing is only sloppy if it's not your intent. (Just had a long convo about this with my instructor. )

 

[luliski]

I just don't understand what smearing is. Or slarving? I guess I need to take a lesson!

 

[mustski]

The plus side of the extended drought in Cali - and an apparent season as Snow White last year (spring everywhere I went) is that I have become the "master of crud and slop." Seriously, not what I want to excel at ... but... my biggest take away is get on edge and stay on edge, even with the fatties. However more than a 98 waist in slop is just foolish. You can't gain speed. I still haven't found a ski that I love as much as my 2012 Auras! They ski everything well, but they excel in spring slop.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I just don't understand what smearing is. Or slarving? I guess I need to take a lesson!

https://www.skimag.com/ski-performance/powder-day-what-is-a-smear

A "slarve" is a sliding carve. It incorporates elements of carving and skidding/smearing. You'll also see the term "skarve." As near as I can tell, they mean the same thing.

My instructor said he and his wife (who is also a great instructor) were thinking of writing a book on why skidding is a valuable tool.

On truly steep slopes, unless you're a downhill racer, carving isn't much of an option. Carving generates speed. Skidding / smearing / slarving dumps speed. Again, it's all about intent. When you intend to ski fast, carve. When you intend to dump speed, skid. (I hate the word "skid" because it has negative connotations - if you put your car into a skid, it's not a good thing! - but that's accepted terminology.) My lesson yesterday was all about learning how to apply that skid effectively to produce a nicely rounded, controlled turn.