How To Ski Powder
Shredding waist-deep, blower powder is the most exalted experience in skiing. But for the uninitiated, skiing powder can feel like stirring cement. That’s because deep snow demands a distinct set of techniques.
Breathe, Submerge, Enjoy
The Boneyard never looked better. It was mid-April, a week after Steamboat’s closing day, but winter wasn’t heeding the shutdown: Three feet of fluff had just fallen on top of the 489 inches we’d gotten that season. So I hiked up at dawn—well before the springtime sun warmed the cold, dry snow into sludge—to stand atop the Boneyard, where a glittering white blanket hid the nest of fallen trees that gives this stash its nickname. I gazed around at the aspens’ pale, spidery branches, then tipped my skis over the ledge and dropped in.
And I kept dropping. Everything disappeared from view--the sky, the trees, and even my hands were hidden in a sea of white. The powder was deeper than I am tall, and for a second I couldn’t tell if I was moving or stalled in a snowdrift. But I felt my legs bobbing beneath me, my skis flying on autopilot while my eyes searched the fog for my intended line. Two turns, then three--all under the snow, until I gained enough speed for my head to broach the surface, like the periscope of a submarine. And not a moment too soon: The Boneyard is salted with trees, which I could now see in front of me. I gulped some air, mapped my next few turns, and savored waves of snow washing over my helmet.
Sure, I’d counted on powder that day. But I discovered something even wilder, a new type of deep snow that proved just how three-dimensional the white room really is. Pow isn’t a road you ride on top of but a sea you swim through. You’re in it, and it’s in you, stuffing your mouth as you hoot with giddiness. And when it’s really deep, the snow’s surface isn’t the earth beneath your feet--it’s your sky.
10 Things You Need to Know
1. Mt. Baker, Washington, averages 647 inches annually--the highest snowfall of any lift-served area in North America.
2. Fact: Rockered skis make skiing powder easier. Get yourself a pair for super-deep days. See page 45 for some good options. For more on rocker, go to skiingmag.com/rocker101.
3. The East’s deepest powder is at Jay Peak, Vermont, which receives an average annual snowfall of 376 inches—61 inches more than Mt. Washington, the Northeast’s highest summit.
4. Give trees a wide berth. Branches often prevent falling snow from piling up around a tree’s trunk, creating a hidden hole or “tree well” that can swallow unsuspecting skiers.
5. Getting up in deep snow is hard. Form an X with your poles on the powder to create a surface you can lean on to push yourself back up to standing.
6. Press your shins into the tongues of your boots. This will fight the tendency to lean back to keep your tips above the surface.
7. Storms that deposit light, cold snow on top of a denser bottom layer create the best powder skiing conditions. Storms that dump thick, heavy snow on a fluffy bottom layer elevate avalanche danger.
8. Pop out of your ski in powder? Jam the tail into the snow, to the heelpiece of the binding, so the tip is pointing up at a 30-degree angle. Press the toe of your boot in and then easily step back in.
9. Light powder is easier to ski than heavy powder. The BC interior and Utah are good for learners because both regions get quantity and quality.
10. Ski-area bars often celebrate big dumps with drink discounts. If the 24-hour report claims a certain amount of fresh, booze prices get slashed. Ask the bartender.
Powder Tips From the Pros
1. Don’t be afraid of speed. Go too slow and you end up mired in the snow, fighting it. Speed lets your skis float to the surface, where it’s easier to turn. Think of your skis as the wing of a plane: You need speed to get lift.
-- Aryeh Copa, pro photographer
2. Your stance should make you look like a boxer, not like you’re sitting on the toilet. With your weight forward, over the balls of your feet, you’ll have much better balance and stability than when you sit back on the tails of your skis.
-- Michelle Parker, pro skier
3. As you progress through a turn, exaggerate the weighting and unweighting your skis so you feel like you’re bouncing. Don’t work too hard steering your skis with your upper body—instead, focus on loading and unloading them.
-- Jessica Sobolowski, Alaskan heli-guide
4. Lengthen your turns. Instead of making short, thrashy movements, make smooth, long-radius turns that let you stay inside the white room for as long as possible. That way, your face shots last three times as long as they do with dainty little turns.
-- Shroder Baker, pro skier
Powder-Day Gear
1. Atomic Blog Ski
A brand-new ski for this year, Atomic’s Blog comes with a rockered tip and tail and traditional camber underfoot. It’s wide and planky enough (110 millimeters) to demolish powder, but it’ll also carve well on the cat tracks between pow laps. If you can afford just one new ski this year, this would be a good bet. [$749; atomicsnow.com]
2. Völkl Kuro
At 132 millimeters in the waist, the Kuro is Völkl’s widest ski. This isn’t an everyday board—a generously rockered tip and stiff wood core mean it’s built mainly for expert skiers and the deepest of days. But on those days, it’ll float like a surfboard. [$1,065; volkl.com]
3. The North Face Shugga Thatch
A one-piece keeps snow from getting stuffed down your pants or up your jacket when you take a digger on deep days. This waterproof women’s onesie does just that, with style. One flaw: Bathroom breaks become tricky. [$499; thenorthface.com]
4. Millet Great Day GTX Jacket
The aptly named Great Day is designed for deep snow. The Gore-Tex Soft Shell Fusion fabric keeps you dry, a high collar saves you from choking on face shots, and a powder skirt made of body-hugging Lycra seals out snow. ($450, milletusa.com)
5. Black Diamond Justice skis
With a rockered tip and 115 millimeters underfoot, the Justice skims atop the surface and is forgiving and nimble enough for newbie powder skiers or East Coasters heading West. [$729, blackdiamondequipment.com]
6. Smartwool Neck Gaiter
We don’t normally endorse neck gaiters, but when it’s absolutely puking and the wind is blowing sideways, you’re going to want one. This 100 percent merino wool model works well. [$25; smartwool.com]
7. Scott Powder Baskets
Little pole baskets sink in more than a few inches of fresh snow, throwing you off balance and making it difficult to pole your way out of a flat zone. Attach these hamburger-size powder baskets to the tips of your poles and problem solved. [$10; scottusa.com]
8. Mountain Hardwear Guajillo Glove
Featuring OutDry, a new waterproof-breathable membrane, the Guajillo has a patch of Cordura nylon that stops sharp ski edges from cutting during bootpacks, and the long gauntlet cinches tight to keep out snow. [$80, mountainhardwear.com]
Make A Powder Turn in Five Steps
1. Commit to the turn, weight your skis, and smear.
2. Reach your pole out, tap it, and stand up tall.
3. Breathe. Then gradually crouch out of the transition.
4. Sink into the belly of the turn. Lean forward.
5. Hold your breath and get ready to plant your pole again.
