What makes a Snow Day
Epic?
For the second time in TEN years the Vail school district has called a
snow day. Our child is
grown and in College (at CU Boulder, which also called school), so we don’t
need this excuse to take an opportunistic Snow Day of our own!!
But what makes this day BETTER than any other so far this
year? One word, powder. LOTS and LOTS of powder! Other than the ‘white love from above’ there
are a few more things you can do every day to make ANY day on the snow EPIC.
1.
Wake up and have a BIG glass of water! Most Ski
resorts sit above about 30% of the atmospheric oxygen; along with making you
breathe harder this also dehydrates you because at altitude a lot of the moisture
is below you. Remember to stay hydrated throughout your day!!
2.
Take
a stretch! This is one of
the most important yet oft missed parts of the pre-ski routine. Give a quick ‘around the world’: with feet
shoulder length part, stretch hands over the head, stretch to the left, hang
between your legs with your hands on the ground, stretch to the right and back
up over the head, the whole move should take about two minutes (BEST stretch
for Snowboarders), stretch those quads, calves and give the ankles a few good
rolls. Now you are ready to GEAR UP!!
3.
Put
on your layers! The
base layer should usually be some ‘unnatural’ fiber (or wool, we like Icebreaker from New Zealand), think polypropylene or just about anything by Under
Armour. Cotton will keep you cool when
you want to be HOT!! A lined jacket or fleece vest can go a long way to keeping
you warm on a snowy day or on a quick chairlift too!
4.
Don’t
forget your hands and feet!! Tight
boots and big gloves can cause a world of misery! Be sure to wear wool or synthetic socks that
have some thermal quality. The thicker
the sock, the tighter the boot, we like Smart Wool’s variety of socks to find
the best for your foot and boot. Toe
wiggle is important, so wiggle on!! Hand-wear
that is too loose will stay cold as there is too much space between the fingers
and lining. If your gloves or mittens
fit well, are tons of thermal (we like Swany and Gordini) but you are still
cold DON’T be too proud to try hand-warmers, they work.
5.
Head
Gear,
it’s not a naughty word anymore!! Don’t
think orthodontia, think cranial safety!
Helmets are more and more popular (some shops won’t rent without them),
more stylish and innovative as the ski seasons pass. If yours includes ‘head speakers’ please make
sure you can hear the world around you AND listen to your favorite Phat Beats
at the same time. A good helmet fits the
head well and does not leave a gap between the top of the helmet ‘face’ and the
goggles (gaper gap, oh no!). Try a few
friends’ helmets on at Après Ski or go see what your favorite shop has. Brain safety is worth it!!
6.
Have
a Plan. Know where you
are going to ski (front side, back side, laps on Chair 4, etc) and have a time
and place to meet up. Not only does this
give you piece of mind if someone is running late or patrol needs to be called
it also gives you the opportunity to brag about all your amazing runs over
lunch in the lodge!! If you do not know the mountain, carry a trail map (no one
has to see you use it).
7.
And
speaking of lunch, or food in general; a granola bar from the
lift ticket office and a banana before the first chair makes a filling and FREE
(minus the cost of your banana) breakfast, which is virtually unheard of at a
ski resort, anywhere!! For lunch, split
it or bring a sammy in your pocket (and a bag of course). Most Lodges have public microwaves in special
areas for ‘brown baggers’ to sit and enjoy their food in cozy, warmth. If it is a sunny, spring day why not find an
on mountain deck with picnic tables to satiate your hunger in nature’s fine
surroundings (just watch out for the squirrels, they love lunch too).
8. Listen to your body and End the day
STRONG. When
the legs start to shake take a break!
This is a mantra to ski by; did you know that a large percentage of the
injuries sustained on the hill happen late in the day when the body starts to
fatigue? You owe it to yourself to get
the absolute MOST from your Snow Day or Snow Sport Vacation, this does not
necessarily mean riding first chair to last.
It can mean getting the best benefit day after day, consistently by
skiing hard in the morning and taking a more mellow approach to your
afternoons, groomers, short mogul fields or nice, open gladed tree runs are
some of our favorites from 2pm on.
9. Après with people you don’t
know! That cool couple, dude or chick
you met skiing by themselves on the chair, ask them to get a drink with you
after skiing (Après Ski). Share stories
about your EPIC day, make new friends and find out who really has the
BEST wings in town! Many lasting friendships
have been forged over Après drinks and food.
All the people on your chairs goobers?
Make friends with the table next to you (buying a round of shots usually
breaks the ice pretty well).
10. Take a load off. Has
that hot tub been calling your name since you got off the hill? Take another ‘around
the world’ stretch, feel those muscles you used and abused! Get into a hot tub or bath and give those
thighs and calves a rub!! Five minutes
on each leg can do wonders to your recovery and good feeling on day two (or
three, or four…..). Drink a BIG glass of
water, replenish those fluids before retiring.
Count sheep in a comfy, supportive bed and dream of another Epic Snow
Day tomorrow!!
We hope you have found these tips
entertaining and helpful! If you want
your next Snow Day to be EPIC give Snow Sport Vacations a call, we can get you
THERE!! 866-981-SNOW
#icebreakernz #underarmour #smartwool #swanygloves #gordiniusa #epicsnowday #snowsportseason
Have a blast powder hounds!!!!!! Love, Irish =)
