Black Diamond Traverse Pro

“You're not losing your mind, but powder does two things: first, it magnifies every balance mistake you make, and second, it lets you \*know\*, because the surface isn't quite as predictable. So you're a little more off balance, and you're working more to get back, and you're noticing it in a way you don't do on a groomed black. Moreover, you're not in powder. You're in heavy snow. If there was a lot of it -- look, that stuff is legit hard. It's heavy, so you need to unweight the skis when you turn. It's heavy, so it's harder to get up enough speed to turn. The good news is, that if you can get over the nerves and turn less, it's also the case that you don't get going nearly as fast. Wider skis will help. Don't think back, but think centered and bouncy, and for me, the cue that work is thinking of stepping each foot in the snow. By weighting one foot more you'll turn gently. Step step step down the hill. You cannot throw your tails sideways in powder without hooking into a traverse, so slow down that turn. But heavy snow is hard. We had a wet snowstorm recently that left a foot of heavy snow and I was heading down a moderate blue without turning and I came to a complete stop. I felt like I'd forgotten how to ski, but \*everyone\* on the mountain felt like that. It was a good day to call it after two runs and get a beer.”