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Ski tips -- a wide array of advice from OutThereColorado.com members

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Created on Thursday, 17 February 2011 17:45

Written by Nathan

LEAN forward!

Hydrate! A bottle of Powerade will easily fit in a coat pocket so you don't have to leave the mountain. A little trail mix in a Ziploc bag  will help get you through the day. Carry snacks to enjoy the fact that the slopes tend to empty out during the lunch hour. End of day: ramen noodles in the hotel microwave with vegetables added that you carried in yet another Ziploc bag. Bananas for potassium.

When skiing at resorts where the base/lodge ski racks are close to the parking lot (i.e. Loveland, A-Basin, Monarch, etc.), be sure to lock up your gear. If you find it to be uncomfortable to carry the lock with you, keep it locked to a rack at the bottom.

Always buy individual lift tickets on the Front Range or online.

For well into two-plus decades, I have always packed my ski boots (and extra goggles, gloves, neck gaiter, various needful sundries, etc.) in a tight-fitting and compressible rucksack both to and from the base lift. In other words, I never am walking to or from the base lift in my boots. It's so much easier to walk to the lifts this way, above all at the end of the day. Further, your boots stay perfectly clean (and the fit intact) and the critically important sole interface is not abraded, which does very much indeed impact release values. At the base lift, I easily get into my boots, place my shoes in the rucksack, compress it down and away I go for the day. When I'm finished skiing, into my shoes I go, with the boots back into the rucksack/backpack. Remember to get the boots out of the backpack once back at the house, hotel or back home and expose them to open air, placing numerous pages of crumpled newspaper inside the boots for a good three hours and then pulling it out to extract a great percentage of built-up moisture.

1. Get in shape before you ski. 2. Wear sunscreen no matter what and reapply at least once. 3. Be careful in the afternoon when the shadows are on the slopes and your legs are tired. The last run should be your best. If you are getting sloppy, it's time to stop before an injury occurs. 4. Wear a HELMET. I am a green-blue skiier and I do not go fast. I wear a helmet to protect me from other skiiers/boarders. Seriously... 5. Take care of your feet. If they hurt, you will be miserable. Must have good ski socks. Rental boots stink. If you ski more than four times a year, invest in boots. Your feet will love you for many seasons to come.

Be safe and aware of people skiing around you!

For every $75 you spend in Manitou Springs, take your receipts to the Manitou Chamber and you get a buy one, get one lift ticket to Monarch!

Ski with people who are good and experienced skiers and watch their technique.

Rent your ski gear in Colorado Springs before you go. It's much cheaper that way, plus you support local businesses. Some businesses even let you rent gear for the entire season for a reasonable price.

Ski at Monarch if you are a young family and your kids are learning to ski. Good ski school. The mountain is small enough that a family can stay connected throughout the day and not feel like someone will get lost. Price is right, too.

To save time in the morning, make an egg sandwich to eat in the car on the way up along with some small bottles of OJ. We make our lunch sandwiches the night before skiing.

Telluride Ski Trip: 1. Stay at Ridgway State Park in one of the few good-sized yurts. You can cross-country ski all around the park as nobody is there in winter. 2. Ski Telluride using a discount T-Card. 3. After skiing, soak at The Orvis Hot Springs. 4. Eat in Ouray at one of the best Mexican and margarita restaurants called Buen Tiempo.

We skied into the Lost Wonder Hut off Monarch Pass this Winter, packed in our own food and shared the cabin with friends for an affordable Christmas vacation. It is a simple, well-appointed cabin in a spectacular setting.

1. Car pool and split the gas. 2. Call 45 minutes ahead and order the most awesome breakfast burritos from Costello Street Cafe in Florissant and eat on the way (719-748-3567). 3. Don't ski until the lifts close if you are tired; instead get a cup of hot chocolate and go home.

The best way to save is to take "shared day trips." Living in Colorado Springs, it's an easy day trip to Monarch Mountain, which eliminates the expense of lodging. By saving a night or two of lodging, it's more affordable to drive to Monarch Mountain for three or four days of skiing. It's also more fun to go with friends who share with carpooling and gas. We also take lunches and have a "winter picnic" on the deck.

NEVER EVER ski on Holidays or weekends. You severely limit your time on the slopes and greatly increase your frustration. Whenever possible, go on Monday or Tuesday. The average skier will be at work and you, the above-average skier or the beginner who needs his or her room, will have a most excellent day. If you are over 40, don't do jumps or aerial movement.

Never ski faster than your ability to stop. You should also stay calm when you get scared. Just relax and get your skiing under control. If all fails just sit down.

1. Take healthy snacks and lunches for the day. 2. Buy gas in the middle of the week for the trip. 3. Go to places that allow a one-day trip to avoid lodging such as Monarch or Breckenridge. 4. Try and buy season packages, they-re cheaper.

After a day on the slopes of Monarch or Ski Cooper,I love traveling down to the Mount Princeton Hot Springs and laying in the river or going to the sauna or hot pools.  Also, if you are a guest there, you have full access to the hot springs on the day you arrive as well as all day the day you check out. My family does this several times each season and we always have a good affordable time.

Stay on the trails (lesson learned the hard way).

Beginner skiers should not wedge on hard ice. Tilt to tight angle parallel and increase pressure with forward motion. Shave the ice.

Shell gas station has a great deal. If you fill up with at least 10 gallons of gas and take your receipt into the store, they will give you a buy-one, get-one coupon that can be used at several ski resorts in Colorado. You can also go to Kings Soopers or Loaf N Jug to get discounted lift tickets.

When skiing at Monarch, we like to ski two days. The Super 8 in Salida is a great place to stay. They have an indoor pool and jacuzzi, which is nice to loosen those legs after skiiing all day. We like to have breakfast on our way home in Salida at Laughing Ladies Cafe. Their Sunday brunch menu is amazing! The eggs benedict is absolutely wonderful!

1. Be on the first 10 chairs on the lower lift. 2. Break at 10:30 for a quick snack and readjust your boots. 3. Quick quesadilla at 12:30 in the bar with a cold Fat Tire. 4. 1:30 hit the parking lot after 14 runs for a 2:15 tee time in Salida. Colorado is great.

Ski Cooper -- Stay at the Silver King Inn for as low as $59 a night and purchase lift tickets at $35 (adult price). A couple can ski and stay for as little as $130.00.

When I go snowboarding at Monarch, a great place to rent is at the bottom of the mountain at a place called Mt. Shavanoh. Rentals for everything you need is only $25.
If you lose your cell phone while skiing. (drop from chairlift into powder/open pocket zipper etc.), have a friend start calling your cell every several minutes ASAP. Hopefully another skier will hear the ringing while battery is still charged,  retrieve the phone and call you, or turn it into lost and found. Once battery is DEAD, kiss your phone goodbye!

Stay warm and eat plenty of carbs the night before, and you'll have the energy you need. We like pasta at night and pancakes in the morning

Point your skis down the mountain.

I think the most important thing up on the mountain whether skiing or snowboarding is being comfortable. Take your time acquiring the proper gear. Dress to the weather. It's no fun being too hot or too cold or wet. It's all about the good polyester thermals! Boots, boots, boots! If you are renting, make sure you have good fitting boots. They will make or break your day. Helmet! you never know what is going to happen.
Having well-tuned and up-to-date ski gear will make your day much easier and enjoyable!

Remember to stay hydrated (with water) while skiing. Even though it may be below freezing temps, your body needs the fluids replaced that are used up.

Try the smaller resorts for great skiing at great prices with none of the crowds.

Force your skis down the back side of the mogul in order to maintain your weight forward.

Look out toward a distant point that you want to go toward and just stay focused on it and your body will automatically take care of the turns appropriately.

Salt Lake City has a sweet deal on a ski-and-stay package. It's $99 per person per night for lodging and ski pass at the Ramada downtown. There is a free shuttle that will take you to the resorts. And also fyi the day you fly in, you can ski free at any of the Park City resorts by showing your boarding pass and ID.

If you are in the Frisco area and very hungry after a day of snowriding, the best place to eat is Hacienda Real, which is right between Safeway and Walmart on Summit Blvd. They immediately serve you chips and salsa, the margs are great, the food good and it is actually reasonably priced!

My ski tip is this: Take up snowboarding!

The cheapest place I've found for lodging in Keystone (not in Dillon or Frisco) is the Arapahoe Inn. (970-513-9009). It's a little ghetto, but it's located right across the street from the Goat, has a decent hot tub and you can usually get a rate under $100 a night. Not sure if they still do this, but they used to give you a little goodie bag with granola bars, ibuprofen, lotion, toothpaste, etc.

Pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and water. They fit well in ski jackets, provide good energy and save money and time.

If you're a beginner, remember to stay positive. There may be times when you feel defeated and you just want to give up, but if you stay with it, skiing will be something that you will enjoy for a lifetime!

Don't pizza when you can french fry.

Stay at the Woodland Inn in Salida when skiing at Monarch. It's inexpensive and within walking distance of downtown Salida so you can take in some live music at nearby Salida Cafe or grab dinner and a beer at the Boathouse, The Fitz or Benson's. Make sure you take in the "Vic" while downtown too! Fun!

Loveland has a microwave in the lodge that you can use to warm your lunch. We like to bring up chili and cornbread that I make the day before - it's nice to have a hot lunch and not have to spend an arm and a leg to get it!

Be sure the ski or snowboard pants you purchase have plenty of pockets. It's a great way to keep your sun screen, extra hand warmers and other essentials quickly accessible. It also keeps your spouse happy so they don't have to carry it all.

Free lunch on the mountain. Pack it in and haul it back to Blue Sky Basin in Vail where they have free grills on which to cook. If you don't feel like being a mule, just head back there to take advantage of all the other mules on the mountain who pack way too much food and then give it away. Free burgers, brats, beer ... you name it.

Best advice I ever got for improving my skiing is, "Look 10-15 feet in front of you." We are conditioned to look right in front of us (3-5 feet), but if you shift your gaze, trust your feet and look ahead, you can better plot your line and look like a pro.

Buy yourself a rugged looking pair of sunglasses/goggles at Wal-Mart before you go. If you break them, you're only out 10-20 bucks vs mountain prices.