In late March and April when you look down "Widowmaker" or whatever other terror inducing name they tack on that traditionally bumped up trail - think pillows. The snow will be slower as it softens and you won't be racing into the bumps as on the hardpack of mid-winter. Remember, as Mark Elling says about spring skiing you have to "sun dial" your skiing to find the soft moguls. They do tend to set up overnight, and to be harder and the snow a little faster first thing in the morning until the sun and the warmer temperatures soften them up.
If you are still not convinced the spring bumps can be a lot of fun, I suggest you take a lesson. Either sign up for a "mogul clinic" or specifically request a mogul lesson because some instructors specialize in teaching mogul skiing techniques.
For example, I was attending one of the Mogul Clinics at Killington Resort in Vermont puts on each year. These clinics include video monitoring of the students and I watched the camera operator as he skied down ahead of the class to film each student. This cameraman effortlessly, and in complete control snaked his way down the steep, heavily bumped up trail carrying the rather large VHS camera. It turned out the cameraman was PSIA Level III Instructor Ken Marisseau.
Recently, when I wanted to improve my mogul skiing to better enjoy the spring bumps, I went back to Killington and sought out Ken for a couple of hours of instruction. Here are some tips and drills that I picked from Ken that will help make skiing in moguls easier and actually fun.
Don't Stop and Shop
A lot of skiers who still aren't sure of their ability to control their speed have a tendency to stop at the top, or in mid-trail, to try and plan a set route through the moguls. Ken explained it is much better to look 3 or 4 bumps ahead, and as each passes under you to keep your vision moving progressively down the run as you ski it.
Trying to stick to an exact planned route can easily send you into panic mode if you get to a spot and find your planned path isn't the nice route you thought it was when you studied it. You will find it much easier to stay in control when you are looking ahead and are ready to adjust to the terrain underfoot.
Along the same line, Ken showed me how a lot of skiers tend to look down at the tips of their skis and the mogul their skis are working. It's better to look up and down the hill - this will keep your speed in check relative to what's coming and not what's passing.
Fish Hook Your Turn
If you think of the shape of a fish hook and plan that shape off the front of the mogul, you will bleed off a lot of gravity speed that will keep you from going over the top of the bump unprepared.
Ken has found that when taking on a bump "accidently" - because it was approached too fast - is when most skiers begin to lose control and do the bump, bump, bump dance until hockey stopping - or bailing out. Bleeding off the speed before the mogul will help maintain control going either over or around the next one.
Groom the Bump
This is a drill Ken showed me that skis you around the mogul without really thinking about it. If you approach the bump in the trough and then ski around the bump and try scrape your boot buckle all the way around on the bump itself.
Follow this right around the next bump going the other direction and scrapping the opposite boot buckles. You will find yourself staying in control and continuing to move down the trail, bump by bump.
Pain In the "S" Turns
Obviously, skiing in moguls that are rising out of a trail descending downhill means serious terrain variations and weight shifting will be involved as you make your through. The Pain in the "S" Turns is a drill Ken showed me to help make a response to the changes second nature.
The best thing about this drill is you can do it out of the bumps, on a groomed blue or black trail. Start by traversing across then release, flatten the skis and roll toward the fall line. Right away edge back into a traverse on edge and again flatten into the fall line.
Do this crossing one way then the other. Until you get the hang of this it can be awkward, catching edges and getting stuck in the fall line. However, it teaches you the edging and flattening that makes for smooth skiing in the bumps.
There's not a better and more forgiving time to practice these mogul techniques than in the spring. Ken also told me to not let anyone say they are too old to do this. Because Ken, who skis the steep and irregular moguls with the grace and control of a mountain snow leopard, is a forty-something grandfather.
Bumps for Boomers
To add to that there are programs and mogul clinics specifically designed to teach older skiers to ski moguls with control and ease on the knees. Most notable of these is Joe Nevin's Bumps for Boomers program, an innovative Aspen-based ski lesson program that quickly teaches aging Baby Boomers how to confidently ski mogul and powder terrain previously considered beyond their capabilities. THis is one of the most popular adult specialty programs of the Aspen Skiing Company and the Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen/Snowmass. So, when in Aspen there's no excuse not to learn to ski the rest of the mountain.
