Tree Skiing - My experience

[Gary]

After a very up close and personal experiece with an Aspen tree 2 seasons ago...I lost, I was reluctant to re-live that awful momment. My good bud Ron deceided it was time for me to refamiliarize myself with the beauty and excitiment of tree skiing where the snow holds for many days after storms.
Last year I started with green glades thinking the evergreens offered me more protection...yup, I was starting to see the beauty of this kind of terrain. Then last week, I spent a week with Tree Rat Ron, (TRR) and he pushed me ( as much as anyone can) to go deeper, thicker into tree territory.
THings I learned:
Snow cover is critical if you venture into the trees.
Everthing beginners ski skill you tossed out to become that "better" skier...you need to use. The following are only a partial list..here goes:
? ? ?Stem turns, wedge turns, twisting, rotating, jumping, .....eek....I'm proud to say that using these resurrected ski skills made skiing trees workable, delightful and manageable. Not to say that some good powder, bump and carving techniques are not used too, just that, you have to amp up all your current and old ski skills to make skiing trees work. It may not always look pretty but it get's the job done.
By weeks end I was skiing pines and aspens in blue and some black terrain with confidnence...the key word. If you're not committed to the turn....it won't work. So while Ron looks deeper into tight trees, this past week has given me a comfort I thought I'd never have. Still at the end of day, I found a 2 inch talcom powder run to rip turns on and some soft bumps on Teds Run that were just delightful.

But with the encouragment of a close friend TRR, I amped up my ski skills by going RETRO with old ski skills and found great snow some, knee high, some great soft big ole bumps and truly a wonderful expereince.

Best, Gary

[Ron]

next stop is 2:30 upper and lower trees, Twister lower and lower shadows and closets, then onto Christmas tree and St. Pats...? Trees, yeah, trees are good. turn the mind off and ski, look ahead scanning the line- this is critical, Things will slow considerably. But if you focus on the feet and such, you will not ski trees well, there's not enough time.?

Ira and Phil are my mentors.  Much thanks to them.  Make nice round turns where you can, using weight shift when it gets tight, HUGE compression and extension driving hands forward, and of course, look at the openings and not the trees. Also, keep the body looking downhill, if you start traversing and not keeping the body down the fall line, it's much harder to make precise, clean turns.? many times you will have to shoot deeply rutted bank turns, use your pole plants to slow and balance yourself, Phil taught me to always use your body to lead into the new direction- pole plants never stop- the steeper, the more you need to be out front into the next turn. Use all the skills you have in the box, you will need them. wedging is a huge skill you better have for sure! and lastly, keep your hands in when it gets tight, don't flail them or put them out wide, if you are falling, don't try to grab a tree, and take your straps off!? all in all, trees are more fun and easier for me to ski than a big open bumped run- and much more fun too!

[LivingProof]

Gary,
Glad you re-found your tree mojo!

There is just something magical about skiing in trees, green, blue or black.

My sense is nobody can do the Boat with Ron and not spend mucho time in trees. An experience I really need to share.

[Ron]

Thanks Mike but there is much to learn still and although i don't mind jumping into tight steeps and trees, I have much to learn still. I need to follow Phil and ira around for another week or 3.. 

No way to learn this stuff without being in it. You can start off with flat tree'd terrain and then work your way up but its really hard to translate groomed or even bumped terrain to trees, especailly if you ski bumps by skiing off the tops, that would be a bad thing since the tops in the trees would be the tree!    I have started to ski bumps more in the troughs or on the sides into the troughs and not so much on the tops unless they are pillowed!

[Gary]

Mike....there's nothing like jumping into areas like that but crawling before one walks is always the best way I think....even more important is riding those areas with experienced riders to study how they attack their lines, what they look for, what ski skills these utilize in those areas.

Skiing with 3 riders, Ira, Dale and Ron...all three of them use different techniques in their approaches. I know Ron and I discussed their techniques and each of us use similar movements but in our own way.....tree skiing is uniquely yours...but it's something you have to hone and work on to become proficient....at least I know I do.

Was a wonderful week with exploring and playing in great conditions. Greg brought his A game and appetite to explore trees and glades as well.
Hey, it's all part of the mountain and feeling like a kid playing cat and mouse with your buds in the trees is a blast....

Ah yes....my ever changing skiing evolution....gotta love it!

One thing I did find was that rockers are a bit tricky to wedge in the woods.....with those big turned up tips...not to much to grab hold up front.
But they were a blast, quick, easy to wigggle through tight areas and just a blast in any snow above 2 inches....hard snow...NOT so much.

Best, g

[hozel]

I am finishing the first week in Vail and have skied the trees every day. Several runs in the Blue Sky basin in a whiteout today. More snow tonight and off to the races tomorrow. Using the Clendenin Method as well as every else I know and having a blast. Too bad there are no trees in Portillo.

[Gary]

Hey Joe...sounds like you're getting some great snow.....glad to hear you're making the most of it. How much snow are you finding in the tree areas?

Have you or are you planning on skiing Portillo?

BSB at Vail is remarkable and accessible...some great terrain....enjoy!


Gary

[hozel]

Gary,
We were finding a foot of untracked today with a major storm hitting tonight and all day tomorrow. Things should be good in the glades for a few days. I am going to Portillo this September with the ski doc. You going this year?

[Gary]

Morning Joe...My daughter was skiing at Vail on Saturday and said she had some great pow to ski at Blue Sky Basin....yup..they finally are getting their due! Glad you're there to enjoy it.

Yes Joe, I'll be there and my wife Alice is going too. Look forward to meeting you and skiing again in such a great environment. I know you'll enjoy it.

Send me an email and I'll foward you some pics from our Sept 09 outing there.

Best,
Gary

[SnowHot]

Thanks Mike but there is much to learn still and although i don't mind jumping into tight steeps and trees, I have much to learn still. I need to follow Phil and ira around for another week or 3..?

No way to learn this stuff without being in it. You can start off with flat tree'd terrain and then work your way up but its really hard to translate groomed or even bumped terrain to trees, especailly if you ski bumps by skiing off the tops, that would be a bad thing since the tops in the trees would be the tree!? ? I have started to ski bumps more in the troughs or on the sides into the troughs and not so much on the tops unless they are pillowed!

Tree Skiing Rocks!
Tree skiing with friends who really know how to do it and share their wealth of skill and info is phenomenal!

[Ron]

Lets go TC!  Time to smell some pine.....