How do I stop this thing?
Larry Venick
PA. The local university has a recreational area with (like most state parks)
well marked, but ungroomed trails for skiing, although most trails are well
tracked.
So I find myself going downhill on a narrow trail, 1-1/2 to 2 feet deep,
with a turn coming up ahead. At a touring center, with groomed trails
and set tracks, I would put a ski outside the track and make a wedge to slow
down, but in this situation this is not possible. What is the best way to
ski this type of trail?
Terje Mathisen
That's fun!
The only way I've found to handle those conditions, is to balance on one ski, lift the
other one out of the deep track, and then _slowly_and_carefully_ press it down in the
powder, with the back end first.
Sometimes this works, if it doesn't I usually end up with a spectacular face-plant. :-)
--
-Terje Mathisen (include std disclaimer) <Terje.M...@hda.hydro.com>
"almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching"
Jay Wenner
So I find myself going downhill on a narrow trail, 1-1/2 to 2 feet deep,
with a turn coming up ahead. At a touring center, with groomed trails
and set tracks, I would put a ski outside the track and make a wedge to
slow down, but in this situation this is not possible. What is the best
way to ski this type of trail?
John Morton showed a stopping method in his book that might work.
Basically it involves dragging the poles and pulling up on the grips
in front to force the baskets dowm in back. The pivot point (as I
remember it) didn't really make sense. I think they showed the forearms
(rather than the armpits) as the pivot point. Of course this might
make perfect sense once I try it.
Jay Wenner
Lisa Shertz
The pole drag is a good method. Take both poles off of your wrists. With
one hand grab both poles together just under the grips. Hold both poles
between your legs, skis a little apart. With the other hand grab the
poles half-way down the poles or further. Go down the hill dragging the
poles between the legs. This will help slow you down.
Even on a narrow trail I have found that I can execute some sort of a
snowplow/ wedge. It does not have to be very wide, especially in deep
snow. A half-wedge (one ski straight and the other in a wedge position)
will work too if the trail is quite narrow. Combine a narrow wedge and
the pole-drag and you'll almost stand still!
--
Lisa Shertz , Graphics Dept.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO