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  • blank canvas
      • (Login Skibc)
      Posted Apr 16, 2012 11:54 AM

      One of the best things about spring skiing is that almost every day starts with a blank canvas, upon which a skier can leave their marks. This is partly because the freeze-thaw process that produces corn snow quickly erases old tracks, and partly because there simply aren't too many people skiing this time of year. Over this past weekend I was in the most popular b-c skiing area in SW Idaho and saw only one other group of skiers. This was two Italian guys, who oddly enough I saw last Sunday on Smoky Dome. I have to hand it to these Italians for getting after it when most Idaho skiers have hung up the skis for the season.

      I'm wondering if there is any other outdoor activity that leaves more of a mark on the landscape as skiing, which of course is fleeting one. Hiking leaves only footprints, boating leaves only a wake, climbing does not much to the rock. Perhaps trundling?

      A track left by a skier is their signature. You can tell a lot about a skier by simply looking at their tracks. For example, what type of gear are they using (fixed-heel, free-heel, or snowboard). The size and style of turns could probably be related to skill level, but also to some degree to the skier's personality. Do cautious folks tend to make small radius turns, while free-wheelers tend to open up the arcs?

      Probably the most telling thing about my tracks is that I like to go fast!

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