My brother John and I experienced a bit of spring followed by a whole lot of winter during a backcountry ski trip to the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, June 7-12, 2000. The corn snow yielded superb turning and the powder was even better, despite the determined efforts of the strong June sun to turn … Continue reading Selkirk Backcountry: Spring Back Into Winter
This lesson will help you learn to make short turns using low-effort, simple movements. n In ski turns, each of your feet plays a different role. One foot is the stance foot – you balance primarily on this foot, and it supports most of your weight. The other foot is the free foot – it … Continue reading Make Short Turns Using Low-Effort, Simple Movements
It’s a rite of spring for skiers everywhere. Long after the lifts have shut down for the season, even as the valleys fill with summer haze, we look for sheltered fingers of sun-cupped snow high up near some shady crag. We hike, sometimes for hours, for one last run. n Finally, atop a remote ridgeline … Continue reading The Perfect Last Run
The knee didn’t lock up. I didn’t feel a tear, or hear a pop. It was one of those mystery maladies that I started feeling eight hours after playing basketball. Still, there was definitely something wrong. And facing a week-long mogul skiing camp 30 days later, I would rather have dealt with a succession of … Continue reading The Skier’s Curse
This lesson will improve the finish of your ski turns. Your feet will come closer together, the stance ski (the downhill ski) will carve and grip more, and you’ll be able to ski on steeper terrain or firmer snow without sliding sideways or picking up speed. Starting in a shallow to medium traverse allows you … Continue reading Improve Your Carving, Edge Grip, and Speed Control
If you’d like to get rid of the wedge or snowplow, and finish your turns with your skis parallel, this lesson is for you. nIn ski turns, each of your feet plays a different role. One foot is the stance foot – you balance primarily on this foot, and it supports most of your weight. … Continue reading No More Plow: Learn a Strong, Parallel Turn Finish
Often referred to as “the poor man’s heli-skiing,” snowcat tours are by no means the neglected stepchildren of the backcountry skiing experience. Whether managed by ski areas or operated independently, cat outfits offer powder-hungry snow riders a heli-like backcountry experience—for as little as one-tenth the cost (anywhere from about $100 to $300 per day). Not … Continue reading Snowcat Tours Make Skiers Purr