The art of spring skiing

While it's often dismissed as being just sunny, warm and slushy, spring skiing is much more than that, at least in Deer Valley. Of course, I'm not talking about this record-breaking April that has seen more snowfall than the entire season, but of late season skiing in general! For starters, spring skiing is a feast of light. Unlike the dead of winter, everything's bright and visibility seldom poses a problem, even on a snowy day like the ones we just experienced. The massive brightness always pierces the cloud cover to bring abundant light and crisp terrain definition for all skiers.

The snow quality may vary and, at times, can range from usual, Utah-perfect powder to smooth hard-pack groomer, corn and later in the day when it's about time to call it quit, to a tiny bit of slush. When it snows hard, like it just did this past week, it feels just like the best December or January days, but not nearly as cold and a lot much brighter. More stormy, overcast weather is what to look for to preserve that gift from heaven and make sure it lasts until our legs start crying for mercy...

When the sun makes its apparition, conditions evolve fast, and its precisely when the art of spring skiing requires some orienteering in spotting where the sun will first hit the mountain and make the snow “just right.” That's correct, if skiing corduroy is fun, a cold spring early morning can make it hard enough to generating big vibes as soon as you try to arc on it. While everything is always a matter of personal taste, I like to wait until a “groomer” begins to turn “creamy;” that's right, when the skis can effortlessly swoosh over the corduroy, leaving beautiful rounded tracks that all can see from afar and make you want to go for one more.

So without using a GPS, simply look for the runs that first receive the morning sun and ski them in priority. Make sure you begin with “groomers” and leave the bumps and the crud for later in the day. In the groomed run category “Jordanelle” is not just a perfect choice, it's a “must-do” to begin your day on the right... foot, and so is “Supreme” at Empire, on the opposite side of the mountain. As the sun begins hitting the other hills, it's time for moving to other runs that have become ripe for buttery skiing.

If you can't do without bumps, reserve these for late morning fun and if you choose to eat lunch a bit later, ski the moguls while there's still some energy left inside your legs. If you have the needed skills why not tackle something even more difficult and venture into crud. This is when steep, sunny slopes can, on certain warm days, offer incredible conditions by allowing you to ski into an almost liquified snow that will provide you yet another totally new gliding experience.

Of course, with light and sun turned up to the max at this time in the year, don't forget to carefully protect skin and eyes; again, it's springtime, so be liberal with a strong UV cream, wear good protective eye-wear and dress for the clement temperatures. From a technical standpoint, make sure the bases of your ski are kept clean as they will never fail to pick up grit, oil and other foreign body that always accumulate on the snow surface in late winter; make sure you require it when you get your skis waxed. Of course, don't forget to indulge into a lazy lunch on the deck and perhaps one more run before you call it a day... See you next season!