A Challenge to SR "connaisseurs" !!!

 We do not appreciate how effective our brain is and how important the 'mind" is while we ski. I have skied for some time at SR and my mind has "registered" every turn, roll and dip of most of the runs. I can close my eyes and ski down a run and "feel" each; turn, curl, dip and crest ! In some places I even know where the soft snow will be!

I begin this challenge. In the coming weeks you will have 9 other runs to discover and the person who gets most runs FIRST will win a Swix waxing iron! To register first you must sent a private message to me via : skigypsy@gmail.com

I challenge you to find this run.

Be ready as you get off this chair, a flat spot , then skiers on the  right usually chatting. Narrow section there.In front of off section wide wide wide flat slope! To right,,,,ha,,a cozy cozy setting!

When you have turned right.. it opens up into a flat section easy skiing for 5 meters. Watch out for skiers going to a connecting narrow trail on right.They tend to cut of off if they come from left section! Again,,a conference zone for skiing committees who do not know where to go!

Here comes easy dip with a right soft turn,,,but watch out on righ since there is a rock ledge some boarders take to jump into slope!

Another soft dip with an easy left turn.  The it opens up a bit with a great left tight turn to another series of dips dips and dips. Wave like effect and if you are a "carver" you get great feelings! When you take that easy left easy, large turn watch out on right,,,again "extreme" boarders come out of woods!

The wave effect now is flattening out with in a hard fast, left turn. This is where you can pick up speed ( if few skiers), since slope widens and easy skiing.

Decision time. To left..... an narrow fast (very fast) dip and if you are early in morning  and  skiers have not ruined lip,,,,you can get some serious air here. Do Not lean back!

On powder days often this section is "virgin"!

That left  short "feeder" trail leads to a very wide steeper very popular slope since others can watch you coming down! Very fast very, very fast slope with great GS turns here! Lots of racers from Gould love to take this one with their 190 cm GS skis as a "warm up run"!

If you take this left short trail,,just be careful when it ends into the wide trail since there is another serious dip. narrow section AND a relic. Narrow section on left so lots of "tentative" skiers do the "birds on the  line " thing.  You know,,they  all lined up across lip,,looking where they will go down as they chirp!

If no one at lip,,do a fast fast edge set, visually check slope for freedom,,,,, then let skis go into free fall! Heaven !  Large large run with long rolls with safety on both sides! Just be quiet with body, soft with edges and soar!

Now,,, let us go back before that narrow fast dip. You can go to a slow right flat turn if you do not take that narrow short left trail. 5 meters past that narrow fast dip is a orange sign rigth in the middle of the run!! A serious 3-4 way intersection coming! Slow down !!!!

For some of you that have good memories some years ago a young lad was seriously hurt here at this intersection and he happened to be related to Les Otten! Do slow down since several runs are coming and many "want to be experts" are sliding, skidding down!

Decision time here! For some confusion time,,,so be careful here!!!! If it is some "Spring break" week you will find many confused skiers here!!!!

Stay to left near trees as you do a near 360 turn. Great G force feeling here!  This is a major inter-change so keep eyes on right. If you are close to woods on left,,you know that no skier will come from woods since there is a stream there. That is your safety zone! The right is your danger zone!!!

Hold back,,, hold back now as you finish that near 360 turn since that "bird on the wire"  grouping is coming! Yes you are joining that short narrow trail from before. The relic is there as a monument to old times, old friends that have moved!

Again be ready for a fast hard dip with ice just below crest ( most skiers are afraid and slide sideways)! Quick edge set at lip here. Look down for freedom,,space ! Let skis go in "auto missile mode" ! Soft,, long GS turns that brings heart into throat ! Keep weight well ahead since skis will go fast and just come along for ride! Trust those skis you tuned with soft edges and give soft gentle "suggestions" to skis on possible turns! Soaring  like Icarus.

A choice now,,,to left softer softer snow since few skiers want to go near trees and beveled inclined slope! Special skiers go there. By 2 PM shadows form here , thus great Spring snow. Fast!

Go right where 80% of skiers go,,but be careful there is a groomer trap there. Too close to edge and wham,,,,,snow breaks off. 1 meter drop into crud!

Danger point coming,,,,,look look to your left a major expert run coming !  Trouble is that some "experts" are "want to bees" ( bees that swarm together here and there)  who want others to see them! They are in the "admiration", ACL tearing slope ! At bottom of this run they are tired and careless as they merge into your run! Yes it is wide but traffic from left is dangerous.

Yes,,,,you see it , there is another wide wide orange sign there,,but this section is the very best for cruisers. Near bottom. Wide with soft rolling sections and the very best a slow wide right turn! Another fast run at left merges into this heaven run,,,then another near bottom  with many many "so so "skiers coming from another section, another peak known for its varied skier types! Really really slow down here. Release parachute or else you will hit water!

That is the beauty of this run. The end, water which makes you think to take a sip from your "hidden" water bottle!

If you can identify run,,,send private message ( so that others can wonder, have sleepless nights ) and of course win a SWIX  waxing iron !

I will have 10 such trails listed in the coming weeks. The person who gets most "hits" wins, gets this SWIX waxing iron for free!

Have fun!

The challenge is on!