PRESEASON UNDERWAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS

SALES OFFER MIXED OVERALL DISCOUNTS UNLESS BUYING ANYWAY

By PETER THOMAS BUSCH

That preseason time, after those last warm days when people start thinking about the winter season in the mountains, can best be spent doing some deep physical conditioning and checking gear.

The last two seasons snowboarding have followed summers of road cycling, but that routine does not seem to be enough to physically prepare for those long hard days trying to get the most return for the cost of the season pass.

Even when Whistler Blackcomb opening season is limited to the upper parts of the runs, those thigh and calve muscles burn a bit too much for the first half dozen days of the season.

Opening day on Whistler Blackcomb has currently been scheduled for November 28, 2019, although if there is enough snow, the mountains might most definitely open a bit earlier. These next six weeks are an opportunity to get more out of the beginning of the season by completing some deep conditioning.

I have been thinking that some running might help with some repeat hills thrown in to at least increase the recovery time from the thigh burns. Running will also help increase the endurance so that I can ride the entire day from morning coffee to the last run of the day before the lifts close and the lights go out.

Last season at Whistler Blackcomb, I was not able to ride the entire day until several weeks into the season.

I also hope to return to the gym. I have purposely taken several years off from the gym to downsize a bit and let my joints recover as much as possible.

Preseason weight training would likely involve strengthening the core muscles and the quads. I have noticed that a strong upper body is also important, especially for the odd crash that does eventually occur.

I also have a bicycle trainer for those rainy Vancouver days so I can get some long rides on my road bicycle inside the home. I prefer cycling indoors to a tread mill, and I generally run in the rain unless a complete downpour makes running, particularly at night, not worth the risk.

Of course, the type of preseason training all depends on where your starting point is. I cycled for most of the Spring and Summer, and then I went on a couple of long hikes into the backcountry. I have taken about four weeks off now to let my legs recover from a bit of damage caused by about 30 hours of hiking over 7 days in August.

So I am going to ease back into physical conditioning over the first week, perhaps starting with some 30 minute runs without hills.

Preseason is also a good time to backcheck the gear and replace and add on to what got you through last season. I remember needing some added clothing for those -15 Celsius days.

Whistler Blackcomb also has at least three lifts where the wind can really bite at you all of a sudden.

The Big Red Chair has got to be the coldest lift on the mountain, especially for the first run in the morning after uploading from Creekside and climbing out of the Whistler Gondola. 

The Glacier Express usually gets hit with a gust of wind just over the hump before Horstman Glacier but after Dave’s Day Off.

And The Emerald 6 Express gets blasted at the Roundhouse from gusts of wind blowing in from Garibaldi Provincial Park to the south.

I have about 42 days to find the right piece of clothing with the right texture of fabric and colored decorative pattern to match my outerwear.

I have had the same outerwear for the last two seasons, and I am thinking of having an alternate outerwear just to be able to switch the mood up once in a while, but only if I find the right combination of pants and jacket on sale at the right price. 

A lot of gear is on sale, but still too expensive.

Likely though, I will spend as little money as possible and just pick up some small items, including a snowboard tool to adjust bindings during the riding day.

This season I may also experiment with different waxes. The Peak to Creek run and sections of the Dave Murray Downhill can be too fast on certain days, so I will try to slow the snowboard down with a thin layer of wax.

I also experienced some days, perhaps two days, where the snow was too slow. The day would have gone better if I would have made some quick adjustments to the wax.

I was at the Whistler Turkey sale yesterday to purchase a new helmet for the upcoming season. I wanted a different color and to also upgrade the safety features as I had hit hard a couple of times, which can compromise the overall safety of the helmet for future crashes.

I also caught an edge a couple of times, resulting in near catastrophic spills, and so, I will be taking my snowboard in to have the edges tuned before going back on the mountain with that particular snowboard.

I drive the Sea to Sky Highway to get to Whistler. So getting a winter maintenance check including safety inspection is a critical step. Obviously, you should not wait for the snow to fall before taking your car in as everyone else will be doing the same last minute thing.

I will also be replacing my winter tires this year after five years of use. The tires have lots of tread on them, but overall, the tires have lost stability, which was noticeable last year already in icy corners.