I’ve been raving about the beauty of Steamboat’s trees, aspen glades that are universally considered to offer the finest tree skiing in Colorado. But I know that not everyone feels at home among these tall, slender, white trunks. When compared with the middle of a large, well-groomed run, tree skiing--even friendly, Steamboat-style tree skiing--can seem cramped, restrictive, and, with so many arboreal obstacles, downright intimidating. Here are a few tips to help you make peace with these noble trees.
True, you need good short turns to ski among trees. You also need an anticipated style, a quiet upper body aimed more or less down the hill while legs and skis turn from side to side beneath you, and, above all, a rapid decisive pole plant. Your pole plant is the trigger that launches a good short turn, and if you hesitate with your pole, you’ll probably hesitate to turn your skis too, and, whoops! Here comes that tree trunk.
To ski well among trees, whether tight trees or widely spaced Steamboat trees, you have to plan ahead and you have to get rid of that "what if" anxiety. What if I don’t make the next turn? What if I hit a tree? You won’t. Because if you’re about to hit a tree you can just sit down in the snow. Not very elegant to be sure, but very safe. You certainly won’t be skiing at high speeds among trees, so you can always "save yourself" from disaster by just bailing out and sitting down. Once you realize this, and maybe do it once or twice, you just won’t worry about hitting trees anymore. As I’ve said, Steamboat has some of the friendliest, most widely spaced aspen groves in the West. Tree skiing is almost too easy.
Like a chess player, you’ll want to plot your strategy several moves or turns in advance. Look up, look ahead, and keep adjusting your line to take you toward the widest gaps between tree trunks. If you look at your ski tips, you’re lost.
Any time you’re skiing through or near trees, you should also make a point of taking the straps of your ski poles off your wrists. If you snag a pole on a twig or branch, this will keep you from spraining your wrist, or worse.
Finally, at an area where tree skiing is as popular as it is at Steamboat, you’ll often find moguls between the trees. What then? No big deal; simply use these moguls--incipient or fully formed--to ski with less effort than you might otherwise. By always initiating your turns on the high spot or crest of the bump, which serves as a free pivot point for your skis, you can turn with far less speed than you usually use. While you’re getting used to navigating through trees, less speed is definitely a blessing. It gives you that much more time to look ahead and plan your route through these giant, inviting, but inflexible slalom poles.