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| Easter Turns... |
March can be a tough time to stay motivated to ski. Truth be told when the sun comes out they're are a lot of other fun things to do besides skiing.
For some, it is a time to accomplish some of those season long goals. Spring touring can be the most
rewarding skiing you will do all year.
March for me, is really like starting a second season. My job
is seasonally focused and I am traveling all over the USA for most of
the spring and summer. This makes it even more important to keep focused on my
missions. The lure of skiing while in-between work days is appealing but as
those who know the life on the road you can barely find time to answer emails,
sleep, and make it to the next town in a day let alone make time to ski.
Every year I set goals for most things in my life. Some
realistic, others are pipe dreams but with dedication can be accomplished. I
have found that writing your goals down makes you accountable
to them. Setting goals is actually the easy part of spring missions. The other
challenge is finding partners in crime that are equally as motivated.
How to kick off your spring skiing!
1. Set
goals for the second half of the ski season.
- At
least one should be a gimmie! Nothing like success to keep you going. e.g. Ski at least one day in March, April, and May.
2. Pick
areas that are ideal only in sunny and stable conditions.
- The high alpine areas that you can rarely ride in mid winter will keep you
trekking along.
3. Plan one more big trip
- Take a
3 or 4 day weekend and do something big (Spearhead, one more trip to the Interior do a heli drop somewhere)
4. Buy
gear!
- There is a funny thing about buying new gear.. you're motivated to use it right away. I recommend a light touring setup that is good for early
season/ late season for slaying corn rather than shredding powder.
When you head out in the spring you can be surprised. After
a last minute trip to the Duffey last Easter I was able to ski a glacier powder, and spring corn all in one run! Do not be scared to be adventurous. Nothing
beats skinning up in a T-shirt getting a wicked farmers tan.
My goals for 2012
- Ski
every month of the year (Ridden every month since November)
- Ski
50 days (Already at 30 days so
almost there!)
- Do
the Spearhead Traverse
- Ski
the Aussie Colouir and Slalok glacier in a day
- Ski
from the Summit
of Mt Baker
Set your own goals, get after it and have fun! But most of
all don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve all of them.
Labels: Tips and Tricks
