Building your Ski Routine

I’ve rolled up to the mountain more times than I can count with nothing but my basic gear and the stoke to ride. And I’ve paid for it: missed powder, crawling traffic, and days that ended way earlier than I’d planned. Winging it feels great until you’re watching first chair load from the highway with 70 cars still waiting to park in front of you. A little planning goes a long way towards getting the most out of your lift pass. 

Whether you’re a local with a season pass or making the drive for a weekend trip, these are the habits that have saved my ski days, and they’ll help you spend more time on the snow and less time in line.

 

Wake Up Early 

I’ve been known for not following this rule myself at times, and it’s cost me plenty of fresh powder. There’s no feeling like dropping into your favorite run with an untracked blanket of snow out in front of you, and that only happens if you’re there early. 

Getting to the resort early comes with other advantages, too. Beating the dreaded red snake of brake lights up the canyon is a big one. Whether you’re chugging up I-70 from Denver or winding up the canyons from Salt Lake, an early start gets you ahead of the worst of it. At smaller resorts or those more out of the way, this may only be a minor issue, if one at all. Skipping traffic means smoother sailing and less stress to start off an epic powder day. 

Arriving earlier allows you to drive right up near one of the main lifts. So you’ll actually be willing to walk back to the car for supplies, to shed layers, or just to take a break. These things can reduce your chances of injury, keep you more comfortable when riding, and help save your cash for the good stuff, like a Hot Dawg Half-Zip, instead of splurging on $30 Vail Sysco chicken fingers.

 

Bring ALL of Your Gear 

The forecast can always be wrong. Even if you’ve been checking it every day all week and the projections seem to be coming true, go prepared. Prepared means bringing all of your gear to the mountain. Think long johns, liner gloves, a skull cap, an extra top layer, etc. The summit weather station can’t tell you what the wind is doing on an exposed slope halfway around the mountain. 

Growing up, I skied a lot at Big Sky, where you can ski nearly every side of Lone Peak and go from a wind-blasted ridge to a sunny, sheltered face in a single run. That meant I had to be careful with my gear choice, and on many days I’d head back to the rig to drop layers as the temperatures warmed up. The same thing happens at plenty of other resorts, so it’s always better to have that extra layer and not need it.

Pack Snacks 

When you’re dashing out of the house early, just remembering your gear and your coffee is a win, even for the most diligent early risers. If I don’t fuel up properly and think the coffee will get me through, I end up hungry by 9:30, right when I should be squeezing in laps before the runs get crowded. In that situation, I am very glad to have a snack or two in my pocket. 

Whether it's a half-frozen protein bar, a beef stick, trail mix, or a cosmic crisp apple, just those few calories can take the morning from great to near perfect. If you need a hot meal, resorts also have plenty of options, but a parking lot tailgate with a Coleman stove can be just as satisfying. The more little things you bring to make it feel like home, the better time you’ll have on the mountain. 

Check the Road, Not Just the Snow 

Look at road cams and traffic maps before you leave. For Colorado resorts, CDOT’s COtrip app shows road conditions and closures. In Utah, the UDOT Traffic app and the @UDOTcottonwoods account are the go-to sources for canyon updates. If you’re heading into Tahoe, Caltrans QuickMap has you covered. Check once the night before, then again right before you walk out the door. On storm mornings, conditions and closures can change by the hour. 

Also be aware of the area’s traction laws, and make sure you have the required equipment. By law, this usually means tire chains, four-wheel drive, or snow tires in some combination, but requirements vary, so check the specific rules for where you’re headed. In many areas, like I-80 heading into Lake Tahoe or the mouth of the Cottonwood Canyons, officers will be checking every vehicle’s tires with a flashlight before they let you up. Depending on the area, they may also check your tread depth, so worn tires can get you turned around even if they’re the right type.

Practically speaking, your rig should also have emergency food, water, sleeping bags or blankets, and maybe even a medical kit, snowbrush, and snow shovel if you’re driving especially far. Here in Utah, on a big storm morning, Little Cottonwood can stay closed for hours for avalanche control. The best snow in the world won’t help if your rig isn’t allowed up the canyon.

 

Before you Park

Check the lift and grooming reports the night before, and make sure your first lift will actually be running at opening. If it isn’t a total dumper of a morning, plan the start of your day around the best snow available. In midwinter, good snow is usually spread across more of the mountain. On sunny days, especially later in the season, ski the sun-exposed faces first, east and then south, before the sun ruins the powder. Save the north faces for later, since they stay cold and hold their snow all day.

On sunny spring days, the goal changes. Instead of racing the sun, follow it. Start on east faces as they soften in the morning, move to south faces around midday, and finish on west faces in the afternoon. That way you’ll hit each aspect right as the overnight ice softens, before it turns to slush.

Wind plays a part too. Back on Lone Peak, the wind was almost always moving snow somewhere, stripping one side of the mountain and loading another. Conditions could be wildly different from face to face on the same day, and the good side could flip when the wind shifts. Pay attention to which way it’s been blowing, because the side it’s loading is usually where the deeper snow ends up. A west wind, for example, piles snow onto east-facing slopes.

If it’s an overcast day without much heat from the sun, there isn’t much aspect strategy to work with. Put your nose to the ground and sniff out the powder stashes in the trees or the quieter parts of the resort where most folks don’t bother to go.

 

None of this means you can’t still wing it now and then. Some of my best days started that way. But a little planning the night before is usually the difference between chasing the crowds and having them chase your tracks.

See you in the lot. We’ll be the ones in the loud suits. Come say Howdy.