Tips To Help You Ski A New Resort Like A Local
Breaking out of your comfort zone every once in a while is healthy, fun and a little challenging.[slideshow:1229]
Trying new, more difficult trails helps improve your skills and renews your love of the sport, but there's only so much terrain at your home mountain—sometimes you need to ski something new. Skiing and travel make a perfect pair and trips can turn out to be amazing experiences, but no one enjoys looking like a tourist.
Even when far from our local mountain, we all like to look and feel like we're right at home skiing a new place. Nobody likes to be the one anxiously studying a trail map, or worse, lost somewhere on an unfamiliar mountain.
There are a few things skiers can do to offset the learning curve of a new mountain. We've highlighted a few tips to help you break with your visitor vibe and begin mixing with the local crowd. Just remember, even though it sounds cheesy, a smile and friendly attitude will go a very long way in helping you fit in and enjoy your time on the slopes.
Map It Out
The first step to learning new terrain is pretty simple, study the map. While a map certainly won't outline all the nuances, it will give you an idea of where to start, what lifts you'll be riding most and the areas you might want to avoid. Getting familiar with the names of lifts and major trails will help too, especially when you start chatting up the locals about their favorite spots.
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Ski During the Week
When you can manage to ski your home mountain during the week it is simply blissful. The powder hasn't been pounded to bits and it can feel like you own the mountain, what's better? Well, skiing a new mountain under the same uncrowded conditions can be just as rewarding. It's far easier to learn a new ski area when you're not waiting forever in lift lines or worried about tons of other skiers and boarders swarming the same slope.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com
Click here to see 5 other Tips to Help You Ski a New Resort like a Local