8 Spring Skiing Tips That Locals Swear By

So, you're interested in spring skiing? Who can blame you?

Spring is one of the best times to get outside and slide on snow, but the season's fluctuating temperatures and dynamic snow conditions can make it challenging for the uninitiated.

With that in mind, here are 8 tips that my friends and I swear by to make the most of a spring skiing day. TLDR: wear sunscreen, wax those skis, follow the sun, and have fun!

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1. Sleep in, first chair is overrated

Waking up to go skiing is exciting, I get it. On a powder day, I can't sleep past 5 a.m. due to my level of excitement, but on a spring day, the skiers who sleep come out on top.

Here's why: freeze/thaw cycles. Temperatures can reach the 50s or 60s during the daytime, which softens the snow to that perfect slushy, corn consistency, but then they plummet overnight. Snow surfaces freeze overnight, and it can take hours of morning daylight for them to soften up again.

With this in mind, don't feel like you need to rush to the resort first thing in the morning. I typically roll into the parking lot around 10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. at my local resort on a spring day. The extra time to make breakfast and drink coffee is much appreciated.

2. Follow the sun, or a local

As mentioned in Tip #1, the freeze/thaw cycles of spring can make conditions challenging. An easy way to combat this is to simply follow the sun.

Has the sun been beaming directly on a couloir for two hours? Odds are the snow has softened up quite nicely. Did you finish skiing a bullet-proof trail first thing in the morning? Come back in a few hours, and it will most likely be softer.

Another option is to befriend a local. Don't ask them for their secrets, but they may just lead you directly into the best-skiing snow on the mountain. Life is all about who you know, right?

3. Wax on, wax off

Spring snow can get so warm and sticky that wax won't matter, but for the majority of spring days, a fresh wax can make or break your entire experience on the hill.

I recommend going to your local ski shop and purchasing a wax that is rated for temperatures in the 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit range. Many of these waxes are yellow, but different brands use different formulas. Regardless, a warm-weather wax will perform better in slushy snow than a cold-weather wax.

As a bonus insurance, consider purchasing a rub-on wax stick or similar product to stash in your jacket during the day. I've whipped out mine on multiple occasions where I needed extra glide on a flat section of trail, in the terrain park, and even to descend the Palisades at Palisades Tahoe.

Don't listen to your jaded ski buddy. Wax makes a difference, especially in the spring.

4. Sunscreen is your friend

A fifth-grade classmate of mine once told me it was "impossible" to get sunburned while skiing. In hindsight, the statement was quite comical, considering I was sporting a fresh goggles tan/burn in the middle of February after a trip to Colorado.

It turns out that your skin can, and will, burn under the duress of the sun's UV rays reflecting off the snow. Hard to believe, I know.

I personally carry a small SPF 50 stick of sunscreen in my bibs pocket on spring days. I tend to sweat a lot, so I reapply to my face, nose, and neck every couple of hours.

Goggles tans are cool. Goggles burns, and skin cancer aren't. Wear sunscreen.

5. Leave the shorts and t-shirts at home; lightweight layers are the way to go

Similar to Tip #4, spring skiers must respect the sun! Exposing your forearms, legs, and other body parts that haven't seen the sun in months will undoubtedly result in lobster-red burns.

I get it, it's hot outside, but covering your skin with a thin, performance-material shirt or similar material is the best way to protect yourself.

There's also the risk of snow "burns" on bare skin when you crash or fall. Snow is soft, but refrozen ice crystals, rocks, and other debris can leave their marks.

With that said, skiing in a t-shirt and shorts on a 70-degree day in May was one of the most liberating experiences I've ever had on skis. I took the risk and got burned and scraped, but it was fun. Just saying.

6. Sunglasses, not goggles, are ideal

Managing your body heat is essential during spring skiing days. Many skiers have no issues with rocking goggles in 50+ degree temperatures, but as a heavy sweater, I can't stand it.

Instead, I opt for a pair of XL-frame sunglasses with lenses that wrap slightly around my eyes. They don't offer the same wind protection as goggles, but I find the extra breeze to be quite nice on the warmest days.

If you don't have fancy ski-specific sunglasses, just rock whatever you have in your car. Spring skiing is about having fun, not looking cool.

7. Aprés ski translates to "after skiing" not "while skiing"

There's nothing like the taste of a cold beer or cocktail in the spring sun, but I beg of you to wait until after you're done skiing to imbibe.

I can't tell you how many drunk-as-a-skunk skiers I've seen pin-balling their way down the mountain during the spring. It seems, at least from a distance, that the good weather, soft snow, and jovial vibe of a spring day can lead some folks to consume copious amounts of alcohol, against their better judgment.

Skiing sober is actually quite a lot of fun, and the enjoyment of "tying one on" at the après spot is better when you haven't been drinking all day.

Stay safe out there, friends. Save the drinks for après.

8. Have fun and don't fret about the conditions

The most confounding thing, at least in my book, is when I hear a skier say on a spring day, "This sucks. I wish it were winter and the snow was cold."

It's a fair sentiment, but it always stings when I hear it uttered on a chairlift or at the bar. I, too, wish that the snow were blower-pow and the temperatures were frigidly cold 365 days out of the year, but that's not the way this whole Earth thing works.

Instead of yearning for conditions that haven't been seen in months, I wish that these skiers could take a moment to appreciate the conditions in front of them.

Sure, the snow is a bit sticky, but would you rather be doing anything else? You're skiing. You're literally sliding down a snowy slope on pieces of wood and metal after a flying couch whisked you thousands of feet uphill in just a few minutes. Isn't that incredible?

I won't shame anybody for wishing it were winter, but spring skiing is awesome. Let's live in the present and make the most of it. How does that sound?