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Tree Skiing

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aj5474
Posts: 134 - Karma: 10

I need some help. I was up in killington earlier this week and since it was my first time up in vermont and they had a tonn of snow, I decided to head into the trees. I was dooing fine until I hit a really tight part of the trail (I think its name was julio) and had to slow down. Once I tride to shed some speed I just sunk into the powder. Is  there any way to ski pow/trees with a park ski or do I need to pick up a pow/allmountain ski to ski trees right?   

Jan 9 2010 8:34PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
look far ahead and pick your line so that you don't have to dump speed, fat skis will help in super heavy snow on a flat slope but in general you shouldn't absolutely need them for skiing trees
Jan 9 2010 8:36PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
you just need to become a better skiier and dont shed speed. spot your line ahead of time and you'll be fine. always look ahead to see what your next move is gonna be.

dont take the becoming a better skiier to heart.
Jan 9 2010 8:36PM
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BootySpunk.
Posts: 8148 - Karma: 84
Pretty much what the other two guys have said...I try to look and pick my line at the beginning and than go from there and do little side slashes to cut speed if I am haulin' ass. Just keep your skis together and french fry!
Jan 9 2010 8:39PM
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vincepru
Posts: 5474 - Karma: 17
and wear a helmet... so many people die from trees
Jan 9 2010 8:41PM
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jimmer
Posts: 3586 - Karma: 80
i ski trees in park skis quite a bit. the key is speed. you were doing fine when you were going fast, but when you slowed down you sank down. so keep the speed up. always be planning a couple turns ahead, or at least have a general idea of where you want to go. that way you can avoid getting into anything too tight or gnarly, and make a really fun time for yourself. tree skiing is personally my favorite aspect of the sport. have fun!
Jan 9 2010 8:42PM
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Noss.
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 149
very important
Jan 9 2010 8:43PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
yep, i get hit in the head all the time by branches
Jan 9 2010 8:44PM
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aj5474
Posts: 134 - Karma: 10
does anyone use pole plants or taps? or is it more like slaloming?
Jan 9 2010 8:46PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14486 - Karma: 10,635
I often find myself hauling ass through the trees, and then it gets tight and I have absolutely nowhere to dump the speed.  It usually ends with me crashing where ever it is safest.  I find it hard to slow down in the trees.  There is just no where to turn to slow down or it is not wide enough.
Jan 9 2010 8:46PM
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EmperorKuzco
Posts: 6660 - Karma: 254

Julio is a nasty trail, really thin, relatively secret and gets powder, but if ure looking for any more woods at killington go to bear mountain and ski centerpice, its between Outer Limits and Devils Fiddle completely unskied

Jan 9 2010 8:51PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
a ski does not make the skier. the skier makes the ski. (you can ski trees on park skis) obviously  some skis are suited better than others for specific things. but ide say, in this case, you will be fine.

like others have said, try and have a plan, dont just react to whats happening in front of you. (look ahead and have a general idea on where you are going)

 maybe try and find someone who is better at tree skiing than you are and then follow them down some lines. just always have a backup plan on where you can deviate from the trail they are taking you on, (in case they fall)
Jan 9 2010 8:53PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
ill shred anyskis any condition. jk but really i take my walls in the trees and have no problems
Jan 9 2010 8:53PM
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s.bishop
Posts: 665 - Karma: 26
If theres a bump or mogul w/e, do an aggressive slash, like a hocky stop on the backside, use the force of the stop to pop you back to your path. most important keep your body going downhil and looking where youll be, not where you are, backseat doesnt work in woods. this also works if you are in the backseat and need to get your weight forward again
Jan 9 2010 8:54PM
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jamodeo
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 663
You definitely do not need another pair of skis to ski trees powder yeah... trees no. you absolutely need to look as many turns ahead as you feel comfortable progressively more as you go on and ski as aggressively as you can if you get caught backseat you are pretty likely to get into trouble esp with super tight trees if you find yourself going to fast slow down by doing some slashes or just stopping and most of all. Have Fun
Jan 9 2010 9:10PM
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Buzzell
Posts: 656 - Karma: 19
yes! bear mountain has great glades, especially on the left when looking at the mountain.
Jan 9 2010 10:50PM
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.brian
Posts: 1710 - Karma: 233
I do this all the time.

Another thing i do when it gets tight ski to the side of it and grab the tree and just spin around it. Fun and dumps speed.
Jan 9 2010 10:50PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
yes, it's exactly like slalom, just get your skis on one side of the tree, body on the other, and stick your arm out to crossblock the tree.......
Jan 10 2010 12:16AM
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