Hello fellow Snowsports Professionals!
Before we get to Tyler’s TOP 10 WINTER DRIVING TIPS I have a few more things to share….
Paid Trainings this Weekend
We have quite a few fun paid trainings this weekend like a Cross Over clinic – want to learn to teach skiing and get a bump in pay when you teach your non-primary discipline? Then come to a Cross Over clinic and learn a new sports and how to teach it. You will become acutely aware of what it’s like to be a beginner again and have some empathy for those first timers you teach so often. There is also a Creative Class Handling (Ski & Snowboard) Clinic, Connecting with Kids (Skiing) Clinic plus a Freestyle Accreditation Clinic (Ski & Snowboard).
See this: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/training/upcoming-paid-clinics
Check your Schedule from Home!
What? I can do that? Yes, you can check your schedule from home. Recall that your employee ID is not the one on your pass but is typically the last 4 digits of your SSN plus the year you started like 123417. This is the same number you use when signing in in the lounge. Just enter your employee ID # and hit enter! Boom! There’s your schedule!
See this: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/check-your-schedule
Level 1 Exams coming up!
The first alpine and snowboard Level 1 Exams are coming up. If you have not completed your required clinics, be sure to get those done between now and February 24. There will also be a Level 1 exam in March on the weekend, if you are not quite ready by the 24th. We are also planning to have a Level 1 Telemark exam on March 9.
See this: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/events/categories/level-1-exam
Top 10 Winter Driving Tips
( You can read the article below and a few other great articles at this link: http://www.psia-nw.org/wp-content/uploads/2010-11_Winter.pdf )
Winter conditions call for different driving tactics, just like different snow conditions and terrain require different skiing and riding tactics. Here are a few gentle reminders (some funny, some serious) as you prepare for your trip to the mountain this weekend or during anytime this winter season:
- Leave early! It’s not worth putting yourself and others in a dangerous situation just to save time. Plus, if you’re late to line-up your instructor peers will be more ticked off at you than management because they had to take your assigned class … boo!
- Chill with the road rage. If the conditions are challenging for you, just think how they are for everyone else. The multi-week busses and your 9am private will probably be late too, so relax!
- Don’t be overconfident with four/all-wheel drive. It won’t help you stop any faster, and the body panels dent just as easily as two-wheel drive when you hit the snow bank, making you even more late and your peers even more ticked off (see #1 above).
- The car behind you can’t stop. Winter road conditions result in longer stopping distances for you and the car behind you! Just because you have ABS does not mean the car behind does!
- Expect the unexpected. Slow down when approaching intersections, off-ramps, bridges or shady spots. These all have potential to develop black ice and people who are unfamiliar with the mountain do weird things here … like make unexpected u-turns, stop in the middle of the road when deciding whether to turn here or park there and etc. Be ready for the flat landers to surprise you!
- Think tray of food. Avoid abrupt actions while steering, braking or accelerating to reduce the chances of losing control of your vehicle!
- Look past the car ahead of you. Actions by other drivers (#5 above) will alert you to problems and give you extra time to react.
- Don’t use cruise control or overdrive. Don’t let your car make a bad decision for you like downshifting on ice. Been there, not cool!
- Watch for visual cues of temperature and snow condition changes. The transition zone from deep packed snow to deep slush can be the most treacherous, like on the way home when you are tired!
- Pass with courtesy. If you pass another vehicle be sure you have adequate distance to travel way ahead them before you move back into the their lane (this is called a mountain pass opposed to a city pass). If you do a “city pass” the shower of sand, gravel and rocks you spray will damage the vehicle you just passed. And you may be parking right next to this person once at the mountain … and they may even be your Ski & ride School client! A ding in the windshield caused by your instructor is great way to insure no tip. Yes, true story.
See you at the mountain!
Tyler
p.s. If you haven’t carpooled with me before, don’t worry, I’ll tell you when you’re not driving right! Just ask anyone who has carpooled with me! Hahaha.