Why We Ski: The Picker-Uppers

It is an Olympic year and with it come the commercials. Here is a great one honoring Moms and all they do to pick us up.

We owe a lot to our moms, dads, and teachers for helping us to get up and keep going, especially in our winter sports where there is a lot of falling down! I have always loved the thought that the person who wins gold in the Winter Olympics is the one who doesn't fall. Whether you end up an Olympian or not, and whether your parents teach you or sign you up for a lesson, thanks to them you have the skills for a sport that will last a lifetime! Falling makes us stronger!

Advice From the Purple Chair: Nights

Do you ever avoid heading to the ski hill on weekends or holidays because you think it will be too crowded? The answer is night skiing. At night hills are always quieter than during the day, and lift lines almost disappear. Another advantage is the slopes are freshly groomed. On weekends and holidays Nub's Nob shuts the lifts down at 4:30 and sends out the fleet of Pisten Bully snow cats. They groom all of the lit runs before the lifts reopen at 6:00, leaving a smooth, soft carpet of snow to ski on.

Advice From the Purple Chair: Mornings

Yesterday morning I had a lesson with a brother and sister. They commented how they liked skiing in the morning best, and I thought it would make a good blog entry. Mornings are the best time to ski, especially during the holidays and weekends. The hills are freshly groomed and smooth as carpet. There are no lift lines and you have the hill to yourself. I know it is hard to get up and get going, but my advice is to go out for the first couple hours each day. Your quality of skiing will be better and you will get more runs in. If you are up late having fun with friends and family, take a nap in the afternoon when the hills are crowded!

Signs of the Season: Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Purple Chair! Last week Nub's Nob received 15 inches of snow and has been making snow like crazy.  We will be 100% open on Wednesday. Over Christmas week I am available for lessons December 26-28, and 30-31. Call soon for reservations! You can even call Christmas day. During the new year I will be out there every Saturday through March 2, and then back again March 23, for Mardi Gras.

Advice from the Purple Chair: Loading Zone

At Nub's Nob, even if you don't have a locker, you don't have to schlep your equipment from the back of the parking lot. Right in front of the main lodge is a loading zone. Pull right up and unload your skis and snowboards. On holidays and weekend there are even some employees there to direct traffic and help you find a spot. At some resorts you have to have a special pass to pull up front, but not here!

Advice from the Purple Chair: Black Diamonds

At ski resorts, hills with a green circle on their signs are the easier hills, blue squares are more difficult, and black diamonds denote the hardest hills. Here is a six-year-old student I had yesterday just before skiing her first black diamond. She did great! Before we skied Smokey, I had her follow me on one of Nub's Nob's hardest blues, Southern Comfort. Although not as steep as Smokey, it is narrower and therefore a good test hill. If you can make it down Southern Comfort in control, you should be able to ski Smokey. On both hills we made turns that took us back and forth across the hill. On black diamonds, falling is okay, but losing control is not. My final advice for skiing black diamonds for the first time is to do it in the morning. Legs will be stronger, snow will be softer, and the hill will be less busy. Have fun!

In Your Pockets: Lip Stuff

Even with last week's mild weather, you should have something with you to protect your lips. They can become chapped from the cold and wind or burned by the sun. I like this type of Dermatone because you can use it on your skin as well. Put some on in the morning before you go out and reapply throughout the day.

Advice From the Purple Chair: Torchlight Parade

Are you looking for something for the whole family to do to celebrate the New Year that doesn't involve staying up to midnight? At 6:00 pm this evening will be the Nub's Nob New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade. Ski Patrol and instructors take two runs down the front hills holding road flares. It is a beautiful site!

I want to thank everyone for a great Christmas week, especially the snowmaking crew. Thanks to them we had the most hills with the best snow in Michigan to ski on! I will be back in the books January 14, and available for lessons each Saturday through March 3. Ski you then!

Signs of the Season: Christmas Week

Christmas week is off to a great start! There may not be snow at your house, but Nub's Nob had 29 hills open today. With a low tonight in the teens, you can bet they have the snowguns running on the remaining non-glade hills.

I had fun with four great lessons today. Time slots are filling up fast, so call if you want a lesson. I will be there through Friday.

Advice From the Purple Chair: Tips

Tipping an instructor is not expected, but always appreciated. This person just spent the last 90 minutes of making you or your child a better skier in a safe and hopefully fun way. If you feel there has been an improvement in ability and/or attitude, a $10 tip is a nice way to thank your instructor. If he has gone above and beyond, make it $20. If you are not sure or unable to give a tip at the end of a lesson, there are envelopes available at the ski school desk where you can leave something. The best "tip" though is to sign up for another lesson and request that instructor.

Signs of the Season: Contract

More preseason events keep happening! At the end of October the Winter Sports School had an instructor meeting, Tuesday was the start of snowmaking season (come on cold temperatures!), and I have handed in my contract for the year! You can now officially book lessons with me through ski school, and if you need a particular day or time it would be a good idea to do it right away. After thirteen years at my former "day job" of teaching elementary computers, I have been switched to teaching fourth grade. I love it, but it leaves me with a little less time. Until I see how things go, I had to cut a few days off of my usual ski teaching schedule. I hope this won't inconvenience people too much. I will be available December 23, 27-30, January 14, 21, and 28, February 4, 11, 18, and 25, and March 3 and 24. Ski you out there!

Dress for Success: Kids Equipment Plans

This is the time of year that the local ski shops run special programs for kids equipment. For a membership fee, you can purchase or rent new or slightly used equipment for the entire season. At the end of the season, you turn the equipment back in and get a credit towards next year's gear. It is a great deal and guarantees a good fit each year. No more buying skis too long so they can be skied on for a few seasons or trying to squeeze siblings into hand-me-down boots!

Advice From the Purple Chair: Ski Swaps

Do you want to get some cash from your old equipment? Do you want some of your own equipment but don't really need top of the line new? Then a ski swap may be your answer. Local ski teams hold ski swaps each fall as fundraisers. It is a great way to sell and find gently used equipment. Equipment reps and sales people from the pro shops are often there to help you find the right item, as well as coaches and experienced ski parents. I think it is a great opportunity for adults who have tried skiing on rental equipment and are ready for their own gear. The Harbor Springs sale will be during the Nubs Nob Open House October 8, in the Guest Services building. The Petoskey sale will be at Central School October 29. Just remember, there are no warrantees on equipment you get at a swap, so shop at your own risk!

Dressed for Success: Season Pass

Here you can see my Merry Moose has his season pass and is ready for the season. Whether it is an unlimited, limited, or bargain pass, you are never fully dressed without your season pass. For a one time fee, an unlimited season pass allows you to go skiing whenever you want. The limited pass has certain blocked days, but on the other days you can ski as much as you want. With a bargain pass, you can only ski Saturdays at the beginning and end of the season. Otherwise you can ski two four-hour blocks each week. If you ski more than a few days a year, a season pass ends up paying for itself. Order yours before October 10, 2011, and get 10% off. If your family buys four or more, you can get another 5%! The Nub's Nob Open House October 8, is a great time to get your passes, but you can order them online or by phone up through the tenth.

Advice From the Purple Chair: Lockers

At most other ski resorts, prime real-estate has to do with condos. At Nub's Nob it has to do with lockers. Along side of the Purple Chair is the locker room. For $170 a season (10% less if you pay by October 10) you can rent a locker for your equipment. You can equip it with shelves and hooks, depending on your needs. My dad even has a hand crank machine in his that helps wind ace bandages. I am still waiting to see someone rig up a refrigerator! With a locker you don't have to schlep your skis from the car, and your boots are always warm, dry, and waiting for you. This works out especially well for families. When I was growing up we shared two lockers with my aunt and uncle. One had shelves for boots, etc. and the other was for skis. You can see here I have a modified version for myself: shelves just wide enough for my boots and helmet, but narrow enough so my skis and poles fit. The locker room itself is carpeted and has a special ventilation system to minimize humidity after those wet snowy days. There are rest rooms, a drinking fountain and pop machine, and even a wax room for all of you racers. It has come a long way from the days when the locker room used to be under the old pool! I have very little storage at my house, so I leave my equipment in my locker all year unless there is planned construction, which management will post before the end of the season. I even store my snowshoes and Sorels there during the off season. So whether you ski at Nub's Nob for a week or all season, go get yourself a locker!

Signs of the Season: Tent Sales!

Let the Preseason begin! The preseason runs until the slopes open, and is a great time to talk about skiing and think about equipment. I always feel that the new preseason starts when the tents go up at the Bahnhof and other pro shops. Tent sales are the best place for adults to get new equipment, and for kids to get new clothing. The shops mark down last year's gear and outerwear, and sometimes run specials on the new stuff. I got my boots at one two years ago! Even if you don't need anything, it is great fun to go hang out, see friends you haven't seen in a few months, and talk skiing. The Bahnhof's sale will run until July 31, and they will be open each day from 9 am to 8pm.

Why We Ski: Dads

People start skiing for different reasons, but usually it is because of the encouragement of someone who loves them. For many it may be a significant other or their mom, but for me it was my dad. As you can see from this picture I was exposed to skiing from an early age, and it looks like even back then I wasn't too thrilled. I resisted liking skiing kicking and screaming for many years, but Dad stuck with me. After a broken leg, a winter off, and a move "Up North," I skied Easy Mile for the first time at the age of seven. I remember thinking, "Hey, that wasn't so bad," and asking Dad if we could go do it again. I was hooked! On this Father's Day I would like to thank my dad for sticking with me and passing on his love of skiing, whether I wanted it or not!

In Your Pockets: Scraper

At the most I only use my scraper half a dozen days a year, but when I need it, I really need it. Usually I get it out to scrape the bottom of kids' boots on a day when there is new snow. Nothing gets that built up snow off their boots faster or easier. This weekend I had to use it for something else. Temperatures were above freezing, but luckily it kept snowing. Unfortunately for me, that snow was extremely wet and sticky. Any time I stopped moving, a mass of snow would accumulate on my bases. Sometimes I could get it off by sliding my ski back and forth. Sometimes the only thing that would work was to scrape the snow off. At times the snow would be over two inches thick! You can by plastic wax scrappers at the tune center or any ski shop. Instructors should ask JP if he has any more laminate samples to give away. They work just as well!

Dressed for Success: Goggles

Goggles are very important for skiing. They protect your eyes from snow, wind, and sun. They help keep your face warm, too. Goggles have a special coating inside to help prevent fogging. If you goggles get wet inside, don't wipe them out! The coating will become smeared and there is no way to fix it. Your only choice is to let them air dry. One of the best things about goggles occurs in the spring: goggle tan! I can't wait to get out in that sun and have a goggle tan line!

Signs of the Season: President Weekend

President Weekend is this weekend and it is going to be great! Most years I only work Saturdays after the New Year, but this weekend I will be working Sunday as well. If you are planning to take a lesson, remember to call ahead and make a reservation. President Weekend can be as busy as Christmas time, but there are usually less instructors. Ski you later!