Spring Has Sprung: Snow School Tips
How to make the most of spring days on the slopes
Posted by Grouse Mountain March 28, 2019
Spring weather has certainly arrived with warmer temperatures and softer snow on the Mountain. There is no such thing as a bad day of skiing, or at the very least a bad day to go skiing. However, spring skiing is not the same as winter skiing. Don’t get us wrong, winter skiing is great: the powder, the crisp air. Getting out on the Mountain is the best way to spend a day during the winter in our opinion. In the spring the days are longer, the temperature is higher, the snow is softer and everyone is just having a good time.
Spring skiing has some great health benefits too. Warm temperatures and extra sunlight are great mood enhancers to help treat the winter blues. It can also relieve stress and improve sleep. When it’s warm out and the sun is shining, everything is better!
You might be thinking… what about the snow? Well for starters, softer snow means it hurts less when you fall. But seriously, if you’ve been wanting to try out a new trick or check out one of our terrain parks, soft snow can be a little more forgiving.
We polled our instructors for some of their best tips for riding in spring conditions. The one that came up most frequently was to make sure your skis or board are waxed to prevent that base from sticking to the snow and slowing down.
Something for skiers to keep in mind is that a slightly narrower stance and weight shift to reduce edging combined with a wider turn shape will ensure a more stable ride.
Snowboarding in soft spring snow can be challenging. You can make it a little easier, by shifting your weight slightly to the back foot to keep the nose of your board up. Being less aggressive when turning will prevent your edges from sinking and give you a clean turn shape.
If your're looking for more tips on how to make the most of spring conditions, our Snow School instructors are here to help. We’ve still got some day lesson availability before the season ends.
For a few more words of encouragement, here are a few of our instructors’ favourite things about spring skiing and riding:
- Colin - Snow School Supervisor: one word…sunshine!
- Andrew - Snow School Manager: Après! Crowds are smaller and lift lines are shorter.
- Brooke - Ski Instructor: I love not having to wear a million layers.
- Sheldon - Snowboard Instructor: I love that I can rip around in t-shirt and soak up some rays.
