Tell me about snow-skiing!

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m going to Wolf Creek Ski Area in Colorado, between South Fork and Pagosa Springs, in two days. Two days!!! I have never, ever snow-skiied; in fact I’ve only waterskiied like twice, and I’ve suddenly realized that I do not know the first thing about what to bring, what to buy, or how to do the whole thing in general. To make it worse, I can probably count on both hands the number of times I’ve seen snow, so I definitely don’t have a clue what to do in mounds and mounds of it.

Can anyone give some general ideas of what to do, what not to do, what to expect? Do I need lessons, or can I get my friend (who’s been about 10x) to give me a quick overview? Should I stay on the bunny slopes the whole time, or work my way up? What articles of clothing will I die/go crazy without? Should I pack lunches or suck it up and pay $15 a day for 'em at the lodge? Do I really neeeeeeed long underwear? (ugh.)

Thanks, Dopers-- here’s hoping I make it back with all my legs!

2

Wolf Creek is very high, I think over 10K at the base, so you will be susceptible to altitude sickness coming from lower altitudes. Drink lots of water, and keep drinking (water). It is probably the best thing to avoid altitude sickness. Dehydration is a big part of it.

Following up on that, it is going to be a warm week, so bring lots of sunscreen and good sunglasses/goggles. You won’t need longjohns unless you are going to be outside at night. You’ll be surprised how hot you can get on the slopes. You’ll probably see people skiing in t-shirts.

Best advise? Take a lesson. Don’t let your friend teach you.

3

Try not to get too caught up in the pitiful problems of those experienced skiers you see. It’s easy to do, of course, because there are so many of them…such sad, unfortunate people who will never have as much fun as a newbie like you.

It’s really sad to watch see all those experienced skiers, because it’s all such a predictable show: They start out with their skis straight and parallel, and by the time they get to the bottom of the slope, well…they are still straight and parallel.

Now on the other hand… a newbie gets the real fun! Every run down the slope is different…You start out on your feet, but soon put on a good educational show, demonstrating how to ski on your butt, on your back, on your face…

Rolling in the snow is as much fun as skiing on top of it :slight_smile:

Don’t bother with formal lessons–it ruins the fun.

4

I have been skiing three times in my life and they were all as an adult. I think you certainly need lessons. Skiing is hard and much of it isn’t intuitive. I should say that skiing isn’t that hard but turning and stopping can be a real bitch. You can hurt or kill yourself if you bomb down the mountain with straight skis. Ski resorts often offer package deals in which you get lessons bundled in with your equipment rental. Oddly enough, that often makes the lessons free.

5

I’m going to cast a vote for lessons. I’ve been skiing maybe five times (at the rate of once or twice a year) and I still like to take the lessons. My experience is that you get put in a group of other beginners, you all make a bunch of nervous jokes, and get to watch each other go splat. It’s nice. :slight_smile:

Stay on the bunny slopes all day.

Don’t eat a heavy lunch.

As a Florida girl, when I ski, I wear long johns, jeans, and snow pants (and other stuff), but I always have problems stuffing my jeans into my ski boots or stretching them over, or having them get all rucked up on my legs. During our last trip, my husband pointed out that I didn’t have to wear jeans, since I never take the snow pants off… :smack: Oh! So much better!

Do get good snow goggles or sunglasses.

Don’t walk any further in ski boots that is absolutely necessary. It sucks!

6

Not to mention, those experienced skiers hardly EVAH get the cool rides down the slope in those nifty baskets towed by snowmobiles! :mad:

More seriously, I would really recommend having a formal lesson at least at the beginning of the trip and possibly every day. The professional instructors know how to teach. The friend who has skiied a handful of times does not.

Some places include a group “this is what a ski is” lesson as part of the rental (at least, the 2 places I’ve been do though perhaps that’s because it was a group rental thing). However, it’s worth the 25 bucks or so for a group lesson for beginners, if it’s not included in the rental cost. Maybe even for an individual lesson though those are pricier.

We have a friend who let his friends teach him how to ski. Once. As a result, he had 3 of the 4 ligaments in one knee replaced by cadaver bits. And he (obviously) hasn’t gone back again. I’ve taken at least a beginner lesson every time I’ve gone (OK, all 4 times I’ve been) and I’ve never been seriously hurt. Admittedly part of that is my sheer terror - I’ve barely gotten off the bunny slope - but for someone as frighteningly clumsy as I am (broken bones walking on level ground), it’s pretty amazing that I’ve never been badly hurt.

As far as getting off the bunny slope - let your own comfort level guide you (along with feedback from the ski instructor). I’d suggest sticking to “green” slopes your first trip, anyhow. Though we brought a 13 year old along last year when our family went… and by the second day he was on the blue / black slopes (probably had no business being there, but as a teenage boy, he knew no fear!).

7

You’ll need lessons. They can put the way your stance should be and where you should be looking and concentrating on is such simple, easy to understand phrases. “Make a pizza!”

Dress in layers. You’ll work up a great sweat learning to ski and you’ll need to take a few layers off.

Don’t go up the lift until you feel really confident on the bunny hill. It will suck to spend 2 hours sliding back down to the lodge on your butt because you’re either worn out or lost your nerve.

I learned to ski at 22. Now I’ve been skiing for five years and am comfortable on blacks, but I remember clearly how DAMN FRUSTERATING it was that my stupid ski’s would not go where my mind was telling them to go! Why do my tips keep crossing? I can’t control these damn things! It’s too slippery, I’m going too fast! Now I’ve fallen over…how the HELL do I get back up?

Keep a sense of humor about it. Some people can just pick it up, but some people need to dedicate some time and laughter to the whole situation.

Have fun!

8

I’ve probably seen snow about five times. Don’t care for the stuff much. Last time I got dragged to the snowfields, the very first person I saw was a woman howling in pain and being helped along by two friends, to return her skis, and my sole “winter sport” activity was riding a toboggan down the kiddie slope with my eight year-old stepson having the crap scared outta me, so then I just stayed at the bottom and watched him do it.

So do what I did - stay indoors and drink schnapps.

9

Just remember, the beginners’ slopes are clearly marked with black diamonds.

10

Get lessons. I started skiing when I was two and I still take lessons every time I go.

11

Ha. Thanks for trying to kill me.

Great advice everyone! Keep it coming!

I guess I will suck it up and take a damn $50 lesson… I’m really, really clumsy and I would very much like not to die or be grievously injured.

12

And the sticks are for vaulting out of the lift chair!

I’m glad to see you know Dinsdale’s a big liar. :smiley:

13

  1. Lessons - definitely. Don’t have your friend show you how, you’ll both be miserable. Try for a few hours the first day, don’t over do it.

  2. Dress in layers - A big down jacket is lousy for skiing, try for layers of polypro or other synthetics, fleece if it’s cold, and a shell on top. Avoid cotton as it will get wet and won’t dry, leaving you cold can clammy. Shell pants over long underwear (again, not cotton) will be best for your legs.

  3. A helmet - buy one or see if they rent. I never ski lifts without a helmet.

  4. Have fun - don’t feel the need to push it beyond your abilities. Enjoy the spring skiing atmosphere. They may have outdoor BBQ, enjoy the sun.

14

I always carry my lunches with me, stuffed into various pockets, because I keep kosher and my only other option is leaving my packed lunch in a locker at the base. You have a bunch of pockets while skiing, and can easily pack a sandwich and some snacks in there. Bring along some money for a highly overpriced drink, and you’re good.

Try to buy/borrow your gear before getting to the mountain, as skiwear is insanely overpriced at the mountainside shops. I’d recommend borrowing for your first time, as you don’t know if snow sports are something you’ll want to do again, and if you won’t, why invest in snow pants? This time of year, sporting equipment stores ought to be running sales to get rid of their winter merchandise, so if you do opt to buy, it should be relatively cheap.

My outfit while skiing: starting from the inside, working out, I wear undies, tights, thermal underwear, heavy socks that go practically to my knees, a turtleneck, a sweater if it’s going to be very cold (below 10 F), my ski jacket, ski pants, a gator (kind of like the neck part of a turtleneck, made of warm fleecy material, and used instead of a scarf), winter hat, goggles, glove liners, and mittens. I am prone to very cold hands and feet, and find the foot warmers in particular very helpful - they’re little sacks of wood shavings and activated charcoal that heat up for six hours when exposed to air, and stick onto the tops of your ski socks or into the toe of your boot. I think that you will absolutely need to get your hands on ski pants (don’t go in jeans or similar, as they’ll get wet, then very, very cold), a warm, water-resistant jacket, a warm hat or a helmet (the latter can usually be rented at the mountain), goggles, and good mittens. The rest can be improvised with lots of warm layers if you can’t get the real things, although I find that being cold can really ruin my skiing day, and long underwear really is warmer than a thin pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. If you’re not used to cold weather, I’d error on the side of wearing the extra layer, as you can always unzip a bit or take off a layer if you get hot. Also, put on your gator first, wearing it high up so that it kind of covers your ears and comes up higher on your head than you’d initially think it should be, then pull your hat on so it overlaps in the back, then put on your goggles to hold everything together, and you get a really nice seal keeping in all the warmth.

Nobody will be grading you at the end of the day and giving out prizes for degree of difficulty. If you are happy staying on the bunny slopes (the very short, relatively flat green runs intended for the newest beginners) all day, then you’re happy and can feel free to stay there. On the other hand, if you’re a skiing savant, head over to the blues on your second day. You aren’t on anybody else’s schedule, and don’t push yourself to ski with your more experienced friends.

Glad to hear you’ve opted for lessons.

Also, speaking from personal experience, don’t inadvertently hold your poles sideways under your brother’s butt as he’s attempting to sit down on a quick-picking-up lift, causing him to slide off the chair while attempting to hold on, eventually falling off while we’re about 13-15 feet in the air. While he may recover eventually, it could take a while before he trusts you again.

15

Yes, please DON’T wear jeans skiing!

If you do take a lift, poles in front of you, facing away from the ground when getting off! Same goes for the magic carpet. Lift up your poles when you get off the end.

Wear a touque.

It doesn’t really hurt that much when you fall (unless you run into a tree or you’re going REALLY fast). I remember wiping out at what could only have been Mach 8, straight onto my face. My goggles flew off and I had a nice yard sale (ski’s and poles scattered every which way) but it didn’t hurt. It just shocked me.

I second the advice to rent a helmet.

16

Ooh! Ooh! I got another one.

What kind of shoes does one wear in the snow…? My guess would be not tennis shoes or heels, which is pretty much all I have… well, I do have some (kinda short) Doc Martens I haven’t worn in 3 years. Are those OK?

17

Doc Martens are slippery, IME.

Do you have any hiking boots? Will you be strictly on the resort/hotel area/in the town on sidewalks? You could get away with the Doc Martens if you’re just hanging around there.

18

Nope, no hiking boots. :frowning:

But yeah, I’ll probably just be wherever is touristy and stuff. No hiking for me.

19

Get your friend to take you to the bunny bowl. Don’t feel stupid. If your friend is a snowboarder it’s even better because we have awesome boots for the task. If not, get your friend to wear tall boots.

Ski down the bunny bowl (to your friend and have your friend in boots push you back up) until you feel comfortable to go up to the bunny run, which usually requires little to no lift activity. Once you’re comfortable with the bunny slope, try the lift.

OR, get a lesson or two. Regardless, the bunny bowl is a great sea-leg overcomer.

Make sure you are outfitted properly. Nylon socks against your foot, wool or merino wool on top of that. Have several pairs available because your rental boot will get wet. Get $5 glove liners at REI or $10 in Pagosa.

Have fun! Remember, breathe through your eyelids.

20

You very likely won’t be going for walks in the snow if you’re going to a ski resort. I usually just wear normal tennis shoes for the brief times I’m outside and not in ski/snowboarding gear.

If you fall forward while getting off the lift the first time (don’t worry, it happens to almost everyone), DUCK!
There’s another chair coming right behind you. Army-crawl out of the way, then get back to your feet. If you fall backward or sideways, you can probably just stand up/scoot off out of the way in time.