Why Spring Skiing makes you a better skier !

pavelski wrote:Verbier Ski Bum,

Spring skiing is so short and is so wonderful that most "good skiers" want to get most from "Spring Experience" ! They can tan any time during Summer !

Those "slushy bumps" do not exist higher up !

Why you ask ?

There is a pattern to how skiers at various levels ski! Those "slushy bumps" are created by skiers who want to slow down, who want to make quick "windshield wiper"turns! Thus pushing snow to side! If you look to the sides,,,the edges of the trail, no "bumps" there !

Now go higher up,,to steeper runs and look at the "lines" of the skiers who passed by ! Very different !

Why pay for a lift ticket to get a sun tan near a resto ?

Still skiing Spring snow and at 3 pm few skiers on slopes!

Short???? We had spring skiing as early as December this season. Brief period in January of "normal" skiing followed by 2-3 freezing weeks in February and it's been spring skiing since and will continue for another month. I love spring skiing but not enough to ski first lift to last one for 10 weeks running:)

Spring skiing can be a lottery in my view, one day the snow is super, soft from mid morning until the lift closes. The next by 1 pm it is like a water park, then there are the days when it stays hard.

I hate the lower bits that have the snow scraped away and your ice skiing

The best skiing in my view in spring is from 10am when the sun has got to the snow and softened it up until 13.00 or so when the snow starts breaking up a turning to water

Which if you think about it, the cheaper lift passes are not really that good value

FallingDown wrote:Spring skiing can be a lottery in my view, one day the snow is super, soft from mid morning until the lift closes. The next by 1 pm it is like a water park, then there are the days when it stays hard.

I hate the lower bits that have the snow scraped away and your ice skiing

The best skiing in my view in spring is from 10am when the sun has got to the snow and softened it up until 13.00 or so when the snow starts breaking up a turning to water

Which if you think about it, the cheaper lift passes are not really that good value

I agree.
I'm going to try and focus on Jan and Feb or even december if conditions look good early season. March this year proved to be quite good in St Anton but we got lucky and I have had weeks like you describe. I dont like having to do as much as possible in a short window, much prefer to be out first lift to last.

Tony_H wrote:
much prefer to be out first lift to last.

Ditto....

Just finished my last Spring skiing.

As I skied down thought about how skiers missed this great chance to ski in sun, +15 c weather, shorts, T-shirt and yes no hat/helmet/scarf, etc,,,, Just free ! No skiers to hit you. Alone in a huge huge ski resort, The silence is "moving" .

Yes I had to climb up for 2 hours a ski center which still had lots of snow,,but was "closed" due to lack of skiers.

You must try it. It is a great way to say goodbye to skiing and leaves a "glow" all summer long.

Now to dream of skiing in my hammock.

Its alright for the likes of you who live it daily Pav. My week on the snow is hard earned and something of a treat and I dont get to choose what conditions to ski in.

Tony H

You are right. You can however dream for,,,,,
You can decide to take "some time off" and just take 2 months of,,,

It is possible.

Tony, my freedom is also "hard earned". When I was in +60c weather with sand blowing all around what did you think I thought about.

Yes getting out!

I have discovered another reason why spring skiing makes you a better skier.

Many skiers focus so much on "technique".

Must have legs this way. Arms must be that way. Knees must be up ( or is it down) slope.

In spring skiing you free yourself of winter jackets.
In spring skiing you let your hair flow in wind.
In spring skiing you know it will only last a few more days , so you forget those technical issues. You want to soar.

It is when you soar away from the technical aspects mentally that you become a better skier. It comes from within by itself. You never knew you had it but you do.
All winter you practiced , now in spring it comes all together.
Let it happen.
Free yourself.
Just enjoy those last few days of warm (hot) skiing on the slopes.

You will learn so much more when you are relaxed, happy and in T-shirt and shorts.

It will happen.