It happens every year. I swipe the dust off my Black Crows and lug my boots up from my basement in anticipation of winter’s first ski session, jetting off to the Rockies, leaving behind my familiar Midwest flatlands.
And every year without fail, I find myself in the same predicament: After one day on the slopes my body feels as though it’s been hit by a school bus. The rest of the trip is spent gritting my teeth through moguls and limping up stairs, making it hard to fully enjoy it all because of the pain.
Which is why last September, when my dad announced that we would be going to Montana in February, I knew I had to get ahead of it. I promised myself that when we touched down in Bozeman and first glimpsed the snow-dusted peaks of Big Sky, there would be no powder days cut short from fatigue or nights spent icing sore muscles.
My preparation began as soon as I booked my flight and ordered my Ikon Pass. Already down about $900, I dragged myself to my corporate gym (which I never even knew existed before) everyday after work, for the next 4 months – save for a few days here and there during the Holidays.
And after those long, grueling 4 months, February came around, bringing with it my well-awaited Montana ski trip, and I felt ready. What followed was a blissful week of sunny days, inches of fresh powder, and nights dipped in whiskey and card games. It was perfect, and I like to attribute its perfection to my preparation process, which I’ll go into more detail about now.
Get active and stay active
This is one of those things that looks different for everyone. For me, I enjoyed running. For others, weights might be better. But the most crucial part of this first step is your timing. Waiting until the week before your trip to start building muscle won’t bring you any success. In fact, all it might do is give you a head start on your soreness. Start getting active and building those thighs at least a month before, and I mean a month at the very least.
Take advantage of post-season sales
Having cool gear doesn’t really matter… until it does. Trust me, I’m not here to convince you to go buy that $800 Arc’teryx jacket. What I am here to do is remind you of the most glorious part of the year – the post-winter sales. This time period typically takes place from the end of February until mid-April, and this is where you can score some bangin’ gear for a more reasonable price so that come next winter, you won’t have to worry about getting that new helmet while trying to afford dinner.
Rollerblade
This is one you probably weren’t expecting, but rollerblading is a fantastic way to maintain the muscle memory that comes with skiing. Whether it’s around the block, through your neighborhood, or even just in your basement, rollerblading will help you maintain the technical movements that are native to skiing so that when you put the real things on, it won’t be as much of a shock to the system.
Go climb some sh*t!
While this kind of coincides with #1, it’s still important enough to have its own spot on the list. Not only will climbing mountains keep you fit, it’ll also remind you why you do it, and it may help with that PSSD (post-ski-season-depression). But seriously, the Rockies are beautiful in the summers, and believe it or not, they don’t just sprout up as soon as the temperature hits below 40 degrees.
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