# Progressing from groomers to the GLADES...tips?



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

slow down

lower your hips (this will make you tired quicker)

learn to drive all 4 contact points with quads, toes, boot tongues, and highbacks.

successfully riding trees is all about technique.

front foot control.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

man that looks nasty. I would say take it slow and be prepared for the terrain.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

I remember in the mid 80s when I was like 14 going into what we thought was the glades at Stowe. I crashed and suddenly dropped like 5 feet down where there was snow covering a running ravine. It was like quicksand, the more I struggled to claw my way out the more I fell down and it was about 3:30 in Feb so the sun was going down. Took probably 15 minutes to get out. Good times now, but I remember really starting to freak out.


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## Jamesinvt (Jan 30, 2014)

I'm learning the same thing at Stowe, all my friends love the glades but they kinda freak me out so I go slow. 

To get better I've been riding moguls to get the motion down, and that has helped a lot. The trick is to kind of "rudder" the tail of your board and use turning to slow down, because going too fast in the woods is super dangerous. 

I would suggest trying the glades off of Toll Rd. and Sterling before going in the steeper stuff. When you're going down toll rd off of Sunrise, look to your left as you descend. Try and spot some tracks from other people. You can drop down in these and they're more mellow than Nosedive.


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## njfastlfie (Dec 24, 2013)

Jamesinvt said:


> I'm learning the same thing at Stowe, all my friends love the glades but they kinda freak me out so I go slow.
> 
> To get better I've been riding moguls to get the motion down, and that has helped a lot. The trick is to kind of "rudder" the tail of your board and use turning to slow down, because going too fast in the woods is super dangerous.
> 
> I would suggest trying the glades off of Toll Rd. and Sterling before going in the steeper stuff. When you're going down toll rd off of Sunrise, look to your left as you descend. Try and spot some tracks from other people. You can drop down in these and they're more mellow than Nosedive.


where do those nosedive glades rank in difficulty?


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

Go to Jay Peak. They have the best glades in the east ranging from easy to gnarly.

Go to the East Coast Meet at Jay Peak next year at the end of Feb and ride with people better than you. You'll will learn.

What makes glades on the east coast difficult is they they are far more moguled than in the west. Get your hop turns and mogul technique down and your tree riding will improve. Keep your body compressed and low and plan your turns so that you're setting your edge on the soft tops not the icy rutted backsides. When you get tired the tendency is for the front leg to lock up dead straight. Do back-squats and lunges and wall squats and box jumps to prep and you can hold that off longer. When your legs are smoked, stop and rest or pay the price with a broken femur as some people on this forum can attest. Tree > Femur.

Stay in the driver seat. Attack! Don't lean uphill.


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## Unowned (Feb 5, 2011)

I was at stowe maybe a month ago, in the same glades. It felt pretty steep even compared to some of the jay peak glades ive been in. You can clearly tell from the footage as well. Uhm, having fresh snow in the glades helps a lot. Riding them late afternoon with them trophed/rutted out by other riders/skiiers will make things very difficult, since that will force you to follow a path carved out by others, not to mention being unenjoyable. Stowe definitely has glade runs that are tamer than this, personally, I wouldn't be hitting anything this advance til I got the basics down.


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## Tatanka Head (Jan 13, 2014)

Speed checking is a bitch when you're in the trees, so if you can't slow down find your line and charge it. Reset and go again. Obviously, if it was your first run you can't expect much out of it. Which is why it is important to go back and repeat it over and over again, if possible.


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## Unowned (Feb 5, 2011)

Tatanka Head said:


> Speed checking is a bitch when you're in the trees, so if you can't slow down find your line and charge it. Reset and go again. Obviously, if it was your first run you can't expect much out of it. Which is why it is important to go back and repeat it over and over again, if possible.


speed checking and glades? What an odd practice, certainly not something that goes through my head since there's never any knuckle or landing I have to worry about. I go at whatever pace I'm comfortable with at the time. With glade riding, I find it more psychological than anything. Sometimes I feel like bringing my a-game, other times I feel like a pussy.


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## Mel M (Feb 2, 2012)

First of all, love Stowe. I'm sure you had a blast.

Nosedive's pretty intense for a first time tree run. I've only been to Stowe 3x, so not too familiar with the map, but try and find trees on the side of blue diamond trails that are spaced out.

Trees are definitely about technique, but for the first few times, it can really be a mental thing. Take it slow and easy.

Also, for challenging tree runs, always skate with a buddy and watch out for tree wells.


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

baldylox said:


> What makes glades on the east coast difficult is they they are far more moguled than in the west. Get your hop turns and mogul technique down and your tree riding will improve.


+1

Mogul riding will definitely help. I think what a lot of "groomer" riders don't realize/have problems with is how accustomed you become to having time and space to plan your turns, ie shopping for turns. Riding moguls will help you learn to turn when you want versus when the terrain makes it easier.

Another learning technique is to ride steep groomers while counting 1,2,3. Turn on every 3 no matter what is going on under your feet: no shopping for turns.


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## globoat (Jan 28, 2013)

when I was at sunday river there were little kids going through crazy glades all over the place. mini shredders for sure


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

being able to ride switch will help, and as others said moguls.


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## stillz (Jan 5, 2010)

First, you should have short-radius dynamic skidded turns on groomers pretty dialed. It is THE prerequisite skill for enjoying bumps and glades.

As others have said, moguls are a great training ground for trees. Learn to use them to help you make turns. Get confident in moguls and trees will feel more natural. They can still be scary, so resist the urge to get in the back seat, or you'll be flailing. Lastly, take it as slow as you need to. Learning to read terrain is a skill and, like any other skill, will come with practice. Good luck and congratulations on getting off-piste.

As always, please consider a lesson with a good instructor if you can afford it. More advanced lessons like this are usually really productive and fun for both the student and the instructor.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Interesting read. We do not have any really decent "glade" runs where I ride. We have trees, and people go into them, but they aren't thinned or maintained as far as I can see. As a result there are very few options for picking your own line thru them.

The few times I've dared venture in, I've had to follow in the (...usually) hard packed and icy furrows of the previous riders. Picture a narrow, 12 to 20-24 inch deep, luge like trench snaking thru the trees.

What has happened to me in this situation is, I follow along riding in the ruts for a while and of course I'm forced to be making my turns where _ALL_ the other guys have turned. I even do alright for the first dozen turns or so. But then I start to pick up speed, or something happens that throws me off balance or I'm just not quite quick enough to make the next turn and since I can't just recover, adjust my line and go round the next tree instead of this one,... I get _Launched_ out of the side of the trench I'm riding in.

Fortunately, so far I haven't been launched straight into a tree or off into a valley, cliff, etc. on the side of the run! :dunno: :eusa_clap: I Just wound up stuck, ass or face first in knee/thigh deep fresh, sweating my ass off trying to get up and get going again. 

I would really love to have a chance to try a nicely thinned, gladded run in some deep fresh where I could pick my own line thru it and not be forced to try to follow in the furrows of All the previous riders! :dunno:


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## Tatanka Head (Jan 13, 2014)

Unowned said:


> speed checking and glades? What an odd practice, certainly not something that goes through my head since there's never any knuckle or landing I have to worry about.


Well, yeah, speed checking might not have been the right term. I meant reducing speed or maintaining a manageable speed for the rider. I meant that for the OP because side slipping isn't enjoyable and there is no reason to be in the glades if you are going slow and falling over.


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

Mogul riding definitely would help along with dynamic turns. speed checking thru that glade is not much of an option but you can still stop at the top of a bump with putting a lot of pressure on your front foot i.e braking(not sure if that is the right term) but you can see those snowboarders able to stop and go. Besides it is better to familiarize that terrain slowly until you can figure out the spacing and the safe speed you can go thru them.


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## stillz (Jan 5, 2010)

chomps, how narrow are we talking? Is it like a single track mountain bike trail? I'm picturing something around a board length wide, maybe a little less. If it's much narrower than that, I'm not sure what to tell you, other than be the first one through there.

If at all possible, I like to throw extra (rapid-fire) turns in wherever I can, especially the straightaways. Keep the board quickly crossing under you back and forth across the trench. Try to ride up the side walls and shmear off some speed near the apex of each turn. Actually, smear every turn as much as you can. You'll still end up going fast, but the more turns you can make, the more control you have.

This is a really challenging riding task, and that's all I have. I hope it helps.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

^^^^
++++ your post is Gold for any who are starting out doing any glades the rapid-fire on straigtaways and shmear every tern or side walls is soooo spot on Stillz great info :eusa_clap:


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

stillz said:


> chomps, how narrow are we talking? Is it like a single track mountain bike trail? I'm picturing something around a board length wide, maybe a little less....



Actually, i believe most of those runs going thru the trees _are_ Boyne's MTB trails in the summer. :blink:


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