snoWYmonkey
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
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.Do you leave your poles at the base?
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.