A previous post discussed the potential for health hazards associated with the use of polycarbonate plastic bottles, including some Nalgene products. While there appears to be no conclusive information on risk, there are a number of products which could be used as alternatives to Nalgene bottles.
A recent comment on our May 21, 2007 post regarding Nalgene bottles got us to do some research on Nalgene bottles about potential health hazards. By chance, we’d recently seen a posting in the Lake of the Clouds Hut on Mt. Washington about the use of #7 plastic in bottles can mean exposure to bisphenol-A, which may impact the human endocrine system.
The Winter Solstice isn’t for another 82 days (December 22, 2007), but it doesn’t feel like summer anymore in New England. With Fall’s full arrival, winter isn’t far behind. It’s time to kick off the Snowskills.net posting season with a welcome to winter message.
The Snowskills.net staff took a brief break this summer and early fall to hike 400 miles on the Appalachian Trail through Vermont, New Hampshire, and parts of Maine. Our first tip for this season is one about outdoor fitness: want to get ready for winter activities? Get out and do some hiking!
Stay tuned for another winter of helpful tips and information on winter recreation right here on Snowskills.net!
The arrival of spring brings the end of the lift-serviced skiing: so what’s stopping you from going unlift-serviced skiing?!? Probably the absence of a backpack capable of hauling your gear and the day’s necessities up the hill under your own power. Try the Gregory Zulu Pack to address your needs and you’ll be able to extend your season.
Half your day of skiing and riding is spent on the lifts. While safety is an issue all day long, riding the lifts represents a time to be more vigilant, especially if you’re riding with the lift with a child.
In outdoor pursuits, hydration is essential at any time of the year. Winter conditions make this tough due to the that water-freezing-in-below-freezing-temperatures situation: a bottle of ice is going to make drinking difficult. Stay hydrated by keeping your water flowing in winter conditions:
Your skiing stance is essential to your success in keeping your balance on the move oven uneven terrain. Improve your stance through an awareness of the width of your feet:
One of the keys to good balance in skiing and riding is to understand that your balance is not built on the base of the skis, but on the edges:
Unless you’re in the lift line, you’re almost never standing on the flats of your skis/board; a skiing turn occurs only because the skis are on edge. If the ski/board is flat, it has no grip. You can put your gear on and stand in your living room all day long, but practicing your stance on the bases on a firm, flat, and stationary surface is basically worthless.
A mental image of a stance at a standstill has only limited value and the sensation of a stationary posture doesn’t equal what you feel on the slopes. Building good balance must happen on the hill and is most effective if you work on it while moving.
Try some easy turns on easy, groomed terrain. Focus on balancing your weight on the sides of your feet (skiers) or toes and heels (riders) and use that image to concentrate your energy into the snow through the edges, not the base(s). Skiers will feel their balance along their boots on the little toe/big toe, alternating from side to side. Focus on tipping the boot back and forth without twisting it. Riders will feel the balance at the ball of their foot and heel by moving their ankle, similar to the way you push toward and pull away from the gas pedal while driving.
One of the toughest factors in skiing moguls is to know where to find a path through them. At first glance, a mogul field may look like chaos, but it can be made more manageable. There are always many paths through any mogul field, and some are more desirable than others; make it easier by taking a trip to the refrigerator!
There’s few sensations as satisfying in skiing as letting a pair of shaped skis carve their way down the mountain. That’s a great image, letting the skis do the work and you just mostly going for the ride. You can create great carved skiing turns if you steer your legs just a little.