Hello Vertigo

Hello, Hello…

I’m in a place called Vertigo! (think of the U2 song Vertigo!)

That is the song in my head when the color of the sky and the land blend together on a snowy day to make skiing feel like a braille-induced exercise. Flat light and skiing in a snow cloud create poor visibility and will amplify any blue-square trial into a black diamond. So, how do we ski and ride enthusiasts still have fun on a day when the terrain and the air are one big monochromatic mess?

• Wear goggle lenses for low light conditions. A good low-light lens will pick up nuances of the terrain. Some people ski better using a clear lens so experiment to find one that best suits you. A good website to check is prolens.com They carry many lens replacements for lots of goggle manufacturers, and they are based in Vermont!
• Relax! Allow your knees to be rubbery to absorb moguls and rollers that are visually unseen. Focus on having your core facing down the hill to avoid getting thrown out of your line.
• Ski along a tree line. The edge of the trail will show the most definition of the terrain as opposed to making turns in the middle of a trail, especially ones like Superstar, Cruise Control, and lower Needles Eye.
• Ski the tree trails! Now that there is enough coverage, the tree trails will provide the best visual acuity. Pick your way down and look ahead for early-season hazards such as tree limbs, rocks, stumps, and streams.
• Avoid skiing trails you are not comfortable on in good light conditions. Do you really want to test your bump skills on lower Vertigo or Escapade when you can’t see two turns ahead of you?

Safety reminder: Please stay in control when skiing and riding. There have been many collisions in the past few weeks, and some were serious. Killington Locals FB is filled with such incidents. Maintain a speed to allow for quick turns or stops. Ride and turn a safe distance from other skiers and riders. Know your ability before attempting upper-level trails.