Skiing isn't Casual*

There are some athletic recreational activities that just can't be done casually.
Want to go running?  Put on some decent footwear and go.
 Basketball? Basket, Ball: Done.
 Frisbee?  Find a friend and you're good.

Skiing?  Not so much.

Crappy Weather might mean that any
single planned day of skiing isn't exactly
perfect.

I took the 2009/2010 ski season completely off. I was busy. Really Busy. (and maybe my back was a little out-of-whack after the Baja 1000 debacle).  This year, I have a couple of opportunities to ski on the agenda, so I thought I'd get the first day of the season in last week... but I really didn't put much effort or energy into the plan. I had my boots & clothes shipped out to Nevada and I figured: Free Day, rent some sticks and go ski!  It was okay.... but it wasn't simple and it reminded me just how much goes into "going skiing" for most people.

You might have noticed the asterisk in the title? Well, a few years ago, I was living in the ski village of Telluride. I had put off the hobby for a couple of years while living in Colorado, but fell off the wagon at the end of the 2005 season. In '06/'07, I was on slopes (at least part of) 50 days and I had a permanent seat/office at Tracks Bar, right at the base of the main lift. That year, skiing became casual... send a few emails and make a few calls in the AM, head to the office and get some stuff done, get back to the village, jump into ski clothes, throw skis over shoulder and walk to the lift... get a couple of runs in and settle in at my other office for end of day emails. But, if you don't live in a ski village, skiing isn't casual. Here are the biggest Hurdles:

Location:

Getting there probably won't be easy.

You have to find a mountain. I've skied in just about every part of the country now, from the Southeast's "better than nothing" hills to the Mid-Atlantic's "Good if you don't know any better" (Growing up in Jersey, I first skied in the Poconos). I went to college in New England and my school had it's own ski hill (which I honestly spent more time running up in the non-snow months than I did skiing down for the couple of years that it was open... and (maybe) there was some drinking going on up there from time to time.). I did one of my honeymoon's at a ski resort in Vermont. I've even gotten some time on slopes in Switzerland and France. After last week, I can check off the Sierra's.... but nothing compares to the Rockies. Get there if you can. Telluride, Crested Butte, Vail and several lesser-known but very skiable resorts all around Colorado are my recommendation. Expect at least one connecting flight and if you aren't driving out of Denver or Salt Lake, you'll probably have at least one small plane involved (my daughter was scarred for life by a commuter flight over the Rockies...). If you do drive... expect snow & ice: Duh.

Clothing:

Don't try to fake it.

O'Niel makes a great pair of water repellant, insulated Ski-Jeans, the line is called "Freedom".  Only one problem: they really LOOK just like regular jeans... so if you wear them on the hill look like someone from Texas or Alabama who never skis... unless you ski really well or know everyone in the town (I banked on the latter), don't wear any jeans on the mountain... even ski-jeans.
You'll need layers. You'll need purpose made ski clothes for your outer layer. You might get away with sunglasses, but you should have goggles. Get a helmet (if nothing else, they are seriously warm). You'll need good socks. Expect your clothing to cost you at least as much as your plane flight. Get good clothes to stay warm, be flexible and be able to enjoy the trip. Get new ski clothes (at least) every year if you want to keep up with the social scene Après ski.

Equipment:

Skis, Boots, Poles, etc, etc....

More than most 'recreational' activities (exception: SCUBA Diving), skiing requires equipment. Renting is an option, but expect it to be about half the cost of your lift ticket, at least. If you're going to ski more than 6 or 8 days a year, buying skis probably makes sense. If you plan ahead and buy your skis in the Spring or Summer from last year's line, it definitely makes sense... as long as you are okay with paying to have them as extra luggage. Seriously, skiing isn't casual or cheap.
Listen to what the shop guys tell you... especially at the rental counter. Just because your buddy who lives in the ski town uses Volkl 210's doesn't mean that you should.
Boots are the trick. If you don't buy your own and have them custom fit you'll be lucky if you don't spend at least part of your day wishing you hadn't spent so much time and effort and money to get to the slopes because you'd rather just take the damn boots off and sit by a fake fire in your hotel room.

Lift Tickets:

Skiing isn't free.

$88/day-ish... maybe a little less, maybe a little more. That's for 6-8 good runs if the lines are long and you don't know your way around a new hill. If you can hook up with someone who knows the hill (and your actual ability!) you'll probably make the most of your time until you learn the routes and lifts you like.

Ability:


You can't buy this, but it isn't free.

You can get seriously hurt skiing... and you can hurt other people. Great skiers die every year... and not just in some fresh powder-filled shoot beyond the boundary line past the "no hiking" signs... like on blue runs and after being run into by other skiers. Get lessons. I skied off and on for 20 years before I actually took a lesson (thank you Kim!) and it made a world of difference in my enjoyment of the activity. I wasn't skiing by sheer force of will anymore (despite rumors... most of the time... sorta).
Expect your legs to be sore and don't be surprised if your feet and back hurt if you've been out of practice or never done it before. Even if you are experienced, there's nothing wrong with some blue or (gasp) even a green run to get warmed up.

With my daughter in Telluride, circa 2006.

So, do I recommend skiing?  Not if you want a casual weekend trip.

But, if you are looking for an awesome and challenging physical activity, have a fair amount of time and not-insignificant amount of money to spend on it, skiing can be a great sport. Great people, beautiful locations, towns built around hospitality, some fitness, cool gear and great bars & restaurants are what you can expect if you really get into it.... but, you have to commit.... skiing isn't causal.

After a shaky start and a fair amount of investment,
the day in Tahoe last week turned out pretty good!

-RJP