Palmetto Proving Grounds

I plan on making a lot of yellow snow

The courses are color coded.

Black is for Beginner.

Take a 1 on 1 lesson. It's worth it. And be patient. You're probably gonna suck at first. Don't give up.

Your first time will be cold because you will fall a lot. It gets easier though. I love it. Make sure your gloves can tuck under your sleeve somehow to keep snow away from your hands. Good luck.

Went for the first time over new years. It's pretty tough and I felt like I'd done about 10 rounds in a UFC fight for a couple days after. Get ready to feel as uncoordinated as a new born giraffe with skates on.

Get wrist guards. You will fall...a lot

Stay forward when you are skiing. Imagine there is a penny between your shin and the boot and keep your shins pressed forward so as to keep the penny from falling. This makes it much easier to initiate turns and you'll have better balance. Also, try to keep your shoulders pointed downhill. Turning is all about transferring your weight; the skis will pretty much turn themselves after that. Have fun. Where are you going?

Forget skiing. Go for the snowboard.

Ask a beginner if the double blacks are super easy. You might get a different answer.

If you don't have ski clothes, rent a bib along with your equipment. Wet, frozen jeans are miserable. You want shorter, softer skis with a wide shovel. Take a lesson. You'll learn to turn out of the snowplow position. If you put weight on the left ski, you'll turn right and vice versa. I don't care how strong your legs are, they aren't stronger than gravity, so learn to let the skis do the work they are designed for. You can't overpower the mountain. Its like learning to let your golf clubs do their work, instead of trying to smash the ball 300 yards every time. You have no friction and the way to create it is by turning and using the edges of the skis. Its not like water skiing, either. If you're going somewhere in the east you'll have to deal with eastern boilerplate ice. Its not that bad. Glide over it on the flats of your skis until you learn how to set an edge. I hope you're going to the Rockies. Great snow and the lift lines aren't interminable. Have fun. You'll get hooked.

You made me laugh on a Friday morning. Many thanks.

Best advice is have fun. It is really not a difficult thing to enjoy even for beginners. I have not been in a long time but I used to go alot. Took alot of friends on their first trip. If you have decent balance and coordination you will be ok. I had one friend who was the can't-walk-and-chew-gum typ and he was the only one that struggled. The rest were hitting the top of the mountain by the end of their first trip. Now it may not be the prettiest skiing anyone has ever seen but it will be fun. Just keep standing up.