Taos Ski Week Feb 6-11, 2022: What did you learn?

[liquidfeet]

Since this trip to Taos Ski Valley included six days of group lessons, I'm wondering if participants might like to share what they learned or how they improved during the week.

 

[Susan L]

Just wondering if anyone got sick after their trip? I ran into one of the instructors that the divas used and apparently this instructor was exposed to covid before diva week and wasn’t feeling well for the last few weeks, but continued to teach. I hope everyone is well!

 

[santacruz skier]

Just wondering if anyone got sick after their trip? I ran into one of the instructors that the divas used and apparently this instructor was exposed to covid before diva week and wasn’t feeling well for the last few weeks, but continued to teach. I hope everyone is well!

Are you comfortable telling us who that instructor might be? Or pm me.
I have felt kind of crappy with head congestion, fatigue, runny nose for the last couple of days and tested negative twice so far. Had a PCR test today and results are coming in a lot faster as I was told I would know in 24 hours.
Thanks @Susan L .

 

[liquidfeet]

Nudging folks here....
Does anyone want to talk about what they learned or discovered or got better at???

 

[DebbieSue]

Nudging folks here....
Does anyone want to talk about what they learned or discovered or got better at???

I learned how to make mogul J turns, also called fishhook turns, by going over the crest then “smearing” around the gully to shed speed before the next turn. I used to be afraid of gullies, thinking they’d shoot me out, so I’d turn on the top and then edge down which only works when they are soft and not steep. And also I learned to look 2 turns ahead, not just the next one. This has helped me handle steeper terrain and larger moguls, and keep my weight fwd as I pole my way down. Who knows how this will translate from Taos to New England, but I definitely feel I have an expanded repertoire.

 

[MissySki]

I learned how to make mogul J turns, also called fishhook turns, by going over the crest then “smearing” around the gully to shed speed before the next turn. I used to be afraid of gullies, thinking they’d shoot me out, so I’d turn on the top and then edge down which only works when they are soft and not steep. And also I learned to look 2 turns ahead, not just the next one. This has helped me handle steeper terrain and larger moguls, and keep my weight fwd as I pole my way down. Who knows how this will translate from Taos to New England, but I definitely feel I have an expanded repertoire.

Hmm I’m interested in learning more about the fishhook turns. How far down into the gully do you go? I guess I’m imagining icy New England gullies that I also try to avoid by staying on top. However, yep I do find that very difficult to maintain in steep and weirdly formed moguls.

 

[liquidfeet]

I signed onto this trip because I wanted to learn to ski bumps better. I've skied bumps for years, but there's always been something missing. I've watched expert skiers smoothly and rhythmically make their way down the frontside bumps at Cannon, and longed to ski them the way those skiers did. I would get down the same bumps, but my skiing was not smooth nor rhythmic, and there were other mysterious things amiss that I just couldn't figure out. I hoped six days of lessons on bumps at Taos might help solve the mystery of what was missing in my mogul skiing.

During the week I discovered what my major problem was - I was not looking far enough ahead. This meant I often found myself in impossible bump situations, which caused me to make instantaneous decisions that were poorly informed since I didn't know what was beyond that bump. I fell repeatedly the first three days. I was the one that held my group back with all those falls. It became seriously obvious to me that I had to find a way to look ahead and choose a line with at least two turns in it to avoid this problem. Visually scanning the bumps ahead and choosing such a line through them required me to slow down or stop since this active searching took time, and since I was not familiar with looking ahead while actively skiing.

So my clarified goal for the week had three parts: find ways to slow down so I'd have time to consciously scan ahead - choose a line ahead with the next two turns in it - then successfully ski the line I'd just chosen. By the end of the week I was doing this, and I was no longer holding my group up with constant falls.

My group's leader focused us on several ways to slow down. She gave us permission to use traversing to shop for turns when we found the bumps intimidating, and she showed us how to use absorption to keep those traverses in control. She demonstrated how to complete each turn (make them J-turns) to slow our speed on each turn. She promoted side-slipping to slowly lose elevation when the formation of the bumps allowed side-slipping. And she showed us where to shape our turns - on the outside wall of the trough below us, or on a bump shoulder ahead of us. I used all of these to slow or stop myself on the tops of bumps where I could take time to look ahead and choose a line including the next two turns.

An unexpected thing happened when I started skiing this way. I got faster. Technical things appeared in my skiing that had been absent during the first two days that made my skiing more competent. By the end of the week I was able (intermittently, not always) to ski a line with confidence and speed through blue and sometimes black bumps.

Taos offers mogul runs of almost all difficulties for skiers to learn and play on - except unfortunately there are no really easy baby bumps.. Next season at Taos I hope to be ready to learn and "play" on more challenging bumps than the ones I skied this season. I found the steepest ones quite intimidating, and I'd like that to change. I'll be seeking out bumps at Cannon, Mad River Glen, and Killington to cement my advances into muscle memory for the rest of this season. Let's hope the snow keeps coming to New England.

 

[santacruz skier]

I learned how to make mogul J turns, also called fishhook turns, by going over the crest then “smearing” around the gully to shed speed before the next turn. I used to be afraid of gullies, thinking they’d shoot me out, so I’d turn on the top and then edge down which only works when they are soft and not steep. And also I learned to look 2 turns ahead, not just the next one. This has helped me handle steeper terrain and larger moguls, and keep my weight fwd as I pole my way down. Who knows how this will translate from Taos to New England, but I definitely feel I have an expanded repertoire.

And @DebbieSue was looking good in those bumps! I had a blast skiing the last afternoon with her.... we have similar skills and skiing style !

 

[santacruz skier]

We learned similar tactics as described above, but I don't recall our instructor mentioning "J" turns....... I learned a lot and at times felt a bit intimidated and humbled (as expected)..... Taos is probably over 50% bump skiing and a lot of it is not easy...... A very steep mountain that makes many intermediate runs at other resorts appear green at Taos, etc etc.
We did ski Kachina Peak the second day in lesson group though.

 

[MissySki]

I signed onto this trip because I wanted to learn to ski bumps better. I've skied bumps for years, but there's always been something missing. I've watched expert skiers smoothly and rhythmically make their way down the frontside bumps at Cannon, and longed to ski them the way those skiers did. I would get down the same bumps, but my skiing was not smooth nor rhythmic, and there were other mysterious things amiss that I just couldn't figure out. I hoped six days of lessons on bumps at Taos might help solve the mystery of what was missing in my mogul skiing.

During the week I discovered what my major problem was - I was not looking far enough ahead. This meant I often found myself in impossible bump situations, which caused me to make instantaneous decisions that were poorly informed since I didn't know what was beyond that bump. I fell repeatedly the first three days. I was the one that held my group back with all those falls. It became seriously obvious to me that I had to find a way to look ahead and choose a line with at least two turns in it to avoid this problem. Visually scanning the bumps ahead and choosing such a line through them required me to slow down or stop since this active searching took time, and since I was not familiar with looking ahead while actively skiing.

So my clarified goal for the week had three parts: find ways to slow down so I'd have time to consciously scan ahead - choose a line ahead with the next two turns in it - then successfully ski the line I'd just chosen. By the end of the week I was doing this, and I was no longer holding my group up with constant falls.

My group's leader focused us on several ways to slow down. She gave us permission to use traversing to shop for turns when we found the bumps intimidating, and she showed us how to use absorption to keep those traverses in control. She demonstrated how to complete each turn (make them J-turns) to slow our speed on each turn. She promoted side-slipping to slowly lose elevation when the formation of the bumps allowed side-slipping. And she showed us where to shape our turns - on the outside wall of the trough below us, or on a bump shoulder ahead of us. I used all of these to slow or stop myself on the tops of bumps where I could take time to look ahead and choose a line including the next two turns.

An unexpected thing happened when I started skiing this way. I got faster. Technical things appeared in my skiing that had been absent during the first two days that made my skiing more competent. By the end of the week I was able (intermittently, not always) to ski a line with confidence and speed through blue and sometimes black bumps.

Taos offers mogul runs of almost all difficulties for skiers to learn and play on - except unfortunately there are no really easy baby bumps.. Next season at Taos I hope to be ready to learn and "play" on more challenging bumps than the ones I skied this season. I found the steepest ones quite intimidating, and I'd like that to change. I'll be seeking out bumps at Cannon, Mad River Glen, and Killington to cement my advances into muscle memory for the rest of this season. Let's hope the snow keeps coming to New England.

This sounds very familiar to me! I know I’m supposed to look ahead, but do I most of the time?? Nope.. I somehow forget that in the moment and then obviously become too reactionary as you mentioned. Great themes in here, thank you for sharing your experience. I often go back and forth at how I feel about my bump skiing, and have been feeling more down on it this year than last. There are times I feel great, and others (the majority) that I feel out of balance and reactionary as things get steeper especially. I obviously feel much better on bumps in good conditions and well shaped etc., but just think there is more margin for error that allows me to cheat on the looking ahead piece. It’s much easier to reactively turn when there are multiple good places to do so versus when things are sketchier and icy.

Gosh do I need to do a ski week in Taos!! How many times have I said that recently?? Haha

 

[santacruz skier]

One more thing I just remembered..... plant your poles constantly whether you turn or not. My problem was I would shop for turns, then plant, so basically I was planting my poles late (almost as I turned not before the turn). I made a huge list (very unlike me) of things to work on. They're in my notes on my phone !
Yes a ski week is great. Not only bump skiing but instructors evaluate your form on the groomers too (my skis too close together, I don't always stand tall when I should, to name a few)

 

[santacruz skier]

I found the steepest ones quite intimidating,

Me too !

 

[MissySki]

One more thing I just remembered..... plant your poles constantly whether you turn or not. My problem was I would shop for turns, then plant, so basically I was planting my poles late (almost as I turned not before the turn). I made a huge list (very unlike me) of things to work on. They're in my notes on my phone !
Yes a ski week is great. Not only bump skiing but instructors evaluate your form on the groomers too (my skis too close together, I don't always stand tall when I should, to name a few)

Oh that's very interesting on the pole plant piece! I know I do that some too because sometimes I feel like I pole plant too late and it totally throws me off. That definitely makes sense.

 

[santacruz skier]

Gosh do I need to do a ski week in Taos!!

YES !

 

[diymom]

Taos offers mogul runs of almost all difficulties for skiers to learn and play on - except unfortunately there are no really easy baby bumps..

There were some easier ones the first few days off lift 4, but unfortunately the easiest section got groomed over. By the end of the week I would say the easiest bumps left were in a tiny section between 2 traverses over near lower Hunziker- only about 4-5 bumps wide and 3-4 bumps long. In other words, my size of bump run

I'd say that a lot of what I got out of my ski week was stretching my comfort zone, and starting to learn how to ski bumps. Other years I would stand at the edge and shake my head, unwilling/unable to even try. This year I started the week giving it a go. Unfortunately my head got back in the way again by the end of the week. But it is still more than I have done in the past, so I'm happy with that. I think I'm also starting to be able to analyze when things don't go well for one reason or another. Not that it always helps short term, but I figure it is a starting point for ditching bad habits and creating better ones.

As my instructor often said to us "Look to your future." He meant further down the hill, but I'm also choosing to apply it to my future as a skier.

 

[liquidfeet]

The bumps at Taos were distant cousins to the bumps I'm familiar with in New England. In theory I knew this would be the case, but in reality the amount of difference surprised me. I think this also had some influence on how often I fell the first few days.

The snow was different in consistency from our thaw-freeze bumps, the depth of the snow was different (far less exposed rock in the troughs and fewer huge boulders sticking up out of the snow), the shapes of the bumps were different (deeper troughs as the week went on), the runs on which the bumps formed were different (wider, with more options available for choosing where to turn), and the steepness factor was different (steeeep).

That said, I expect the gains I made on the Taos bumps will transfer to New England bumps. It will be a while before I get back on snow here. Will report back.

 

[bsskier]

I too was told by my Taos instructor a few times during the week to keep my head up and look forward.

I had no idea I stopped doing this. If I look at my photos when I first started skiing, I'm looking ahead, smiling, in awful form but having a great time! The last few years my photos show me looking downward, serious face, much better form, but with a sense of too much seriousness. After some adjusting, I hope to look ahead, smile and have good form too!

It was encouraging when he said I ski "beautifully" when I'm looking ahead. He must have caught me in one of my rare angelic fluid movements.

 

[Susan L]

I didn’t participate in this year’s diva week but took a ski week the week before. I requested it to be a private race week to work on my carving technique but only got to work on it for 2 days because it snowed in the middle of the week, so we ended up doing steeps and moguls.
For the first 2 days, I worked on fixing my severe A-frame which is my natural stance, and learned to time turns better. We focused on speed and control. I definitely made progress in my carving after my lessons.
As for bumps, I find it easier to ski bumps on steeper pitch. What I remember is: face the fall line, stay flexed and drop my arms. I prefer to ski the outside of the troughs. The biggest improvement I have this year is I don’t shop for bumps anymore but ski them as the come.

 

[DebbieSue]

Hmm I’m interested in learning more about the fishhook turns. How far down into the gully do you go? I guess I’m imagining icy New England gullies that I also try to avoid by staying on top. However, yep I do find that very difficult to maintain in steep and weirdly formed moguls.

It’s harder to describe than to mimic. You turn into the gully but smear your tails on the further mogul. It end up the you cross the gully again after the turn and can absorb speed /bumps in a traverse if you wish not to turn again. Again, it remains to be seen how this will translate to New England !!

 

[liquidfeet]

It’s harder to describe than to mimic. You turn into the gully but smear your tails on the further mogul. It end up the you cross the gully again after the turn and can absorb speed /bumps in a traverse if you wish not to turn again. Again, it remains to be seen how this will translate to New England !!

@DebbieSue, I think the videos below demonstrate the line through the moguls that you are talking about. Take a look and see if you agree. The first video is a demonstration. The second is a diagram of what the demonstrator just did in the first video, with an explanation for the terms used.

These two videos explain what skiing the "Blue Line" through moguls means, and are from Aspen's "Bumps for Boomers" program. This program has extensive information online for all to see, including skiing what they call the Green Line, the Blue Line, and the Black Line.

Just wondering.... do the moguls in the video look easier than the ones we skied at Taos?