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Other stories in "Skiing, alpine"

• Downhill in Thunder Bay
  For a ski weekend, this friendly city belongs on the Eh list.
• Winter in Wausau
  There's skiing, dining and sightseeing right in this modest paper town.
• King of the hills
  On Minnesota's Iron Range, Giants Ridge offers first-class skiing at great prices.
• A jumpin' joint
  A Norwegian village in southwest Wisconsin has a longtime love affair with ski jumping.
• Ski the UP
  At snow-blessed Michigan resorts, skiers and boarders get the drift.
• Cruising at Whitecap
  In corner of Wisconsin, the ski resort has the woodsy charm of the mountains.
• A lift from Duluth
  Good deals at Spirit Mountain get skiers' blood racing.

Class on the slopes

Alpine skiing is more fun when you learn how to do it better.

When you live in the frozen north, you may as well embrace winter.

My idea of fun is to cross-country ski, but for that, Mother Nature needs to bring snow. But alpine skiing, which I also like, requires only some big snow guns.

After one wimpy winter, I bought alpine skis. They cost a lot, but I can actually use them, unlike my Nordic skis, all winter long.

After another wimpy winter, I decided I might be using them a lot. So I called the ski school at Lutsen Mountains, on Minnesota's North Shore, and asked instructor Marcela Perez-Abreu how I could get over the “intermediate hump.’’

“That’s a tough plateau to break,’’ she said. “But you’re going to break it a lot easier and faster with some instruction.’’

That’s how I ended up sitting on a Lutsen chairlift with Arnie Wright, a ski instructor on loan from Cascade Mountain in Wisconsin, discussing black-diamond runs. Already, I could ski them ugly: crouching, making wide turns, wedging to slow down.

But how could I be like other skiers I’d seen, making those tidy little turns, knees together, swish-swish-swish down a sheer drop? How could I look cool?

Wright, who spends every March skiing at Vail, sighed and thought about it.

“Lots of practice,’’ he finally said. “The average Midwesterner is lucky to ski 10 or 15 days a year, okay? People who get very good ski a lot more.’’

I knew to push my shins against the tops of my boots and to pull my butt in rather than sit back as if water-skiing. I knew not to turn with my shoulders, and to keep my upper body pointed downhill.

 But tidily carved turns? Hardly.

The key, Wright said, is the little toe. Roll the little toe left to turn left, and right to turn right; the other leg will follow. Tip, and then tip some more. If you do it right, you’ll see two pencil-thin arcs carved in the snow behind you.

Near the top of an easy run, we did exercises, carving figure-eights with boots only, then one ski, then two. We did them in garlands, putting our weight on one ski and swishing the other one in and out. We practiced briefly releasing edges before quickly tipping into the next turn.

“Carving turns is a blast,’’ Wright said. “When skis hook up with snow, it’s really, really fun.’’

A wicked wind was blasting away at Eagle Mountain, slowing skiers in the middle of Bridge Run, and the snow was icy; Wright called it “sugar,’’ but it was more like kosher salt. It lay in loose piles on the narrow Catwalk, where I caught an edge and crashed —  a “learning experience,’’ my instructor said.

Watching me, he told me to maintain balance by rolling my pelvis slightly forward and keeping my arms in front of me, and he demonstrated by wedging his poles horizontally between his chest and elbows, hands sticking straight out. I tried it, and it worked.

At the end of the hour, he took me past the “Experts Only’’ banner to the black-diamond Koo-Koo and I followed him down, too focused to be afraid. I took another lesson the next day, when a 13-year-old from Lakeville joined us.

We did some more figure eights and practiced the same techniques as the day before — but then he took us to a double-black diamond, the Cliff Run.

He took off, and there was nothing to do but follow him. It was steep, it was icy, and there was a pack of wild snowboarders crunching down behind us.  But we suspended fear — all thought, in fact — and did it.

It was a Cowardly Lion moment, since my “courage’’ consisted mainly of Wright’s assurance that I could do it. Still, I’m now officially a double-black diamond skier. The next trick will be to make it look easy.

Trip Tips: Where to ski and take lessons

All ski hills offers lessons, and some, especially Spirit Mountain in Duluth, offer Ski Free days for beginners. They don't publicize them much, so ask.

Always check websites for deals. Buy online and in advance to save money. Reserve lessons and children’s programs in advance.

Late winter and spring is a good time to learn, when snow is softer and more forgiving. Skiing can be good through April Fool’s Day at the resorts on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which also offers the best late-season deals.

Lutsen Mountains on Minnesota's North Shore. This popular resort has the region’s steepest vertical drop, the longest runs and the widest variety. It also has lovely views of Lake Superior, but skiers sometimes have pay for them by tolerating ice and wind generated by the lake.

There's a restaurant, live concerts on weekends and lodgings right on the hill — Eagle Ridge is closest, followed by Caribou Highlands Resort and the modest Mountain Inn. The resort also lists a huge array of lodging packages; if you know area accommodations well, you can find some good deals. 218-663-7281.

Giants Ridge near Biwabik, Minn. This Iron Range resort is an hour closer than Lutsen for Twin Citians and has superb grooming, a pleasant chalet with an espresso shop and good deals on lift tickets and accommodations.

Its own Lodge at Giants Ridge is the region’s best value for ski-in, ski-out lodgings. Skiers on a budget can stay at the Sports Dorm next door. There's not a lot to do at night, though. 800-688-7669.

For more, see King of the hills. And if you also like to cross-country ski, this is the place for you. For details, see A Giant advantage.

Spirit Mountain in Duluth: This resort in the hills above Duluth has the best view, the best midweek deal and the best variety of accommodations, restaurants and nightlife. Its vertical drop is second-highest, after Lutsen, and it has many nice intermediate runs.  If you stay at one of the local hotels midweek, you get two free half-day lift tickets — and everything else Duluth offers. 800-642-6377.

For more, see A lift from Duluth.

For natural snow and lots of it, the four resorts around Ironwood on Michigan’s mellow Upper Peninsula are the obvious choice. People in the Twin Cities, the closest metropolitan area, seem to think these resorts are on the other side of the moon, but it takes about 4½ hours to drive there, the same as Lutsen (from Duluth, take U.S. 2 across Wisconsin).

This is where you can count on snow; if they like, skiers also can cross-country ski or snowshoe to nearby waterfalls. Accommodations are inexpensive, deals are easy to find and the locals are friendly. There's a dearth of fine dining, however. For more, see Ski the UP.

Indianhead Mountain Resort near Wakefield, Mich. This resort has a sunny chalet atop the mountain and always has a fire crackling. It has many nice intermediate runs. 800-346-3426.

Big Powderhorn Resort near Ironwood, Mich. This resort is cheerful and open, and it has many lodgings options. 800-222-3131.

Blackjack Resort near Bessemer, Mich. This is snowboarder favorite, and it has a new terrain park and new owners. 906-229-5115.

Whitecap Mountains near Hurley, Wis. This resort, just across the border in Wisconsin, has the loveliest terrain on three hills rising from deep forest. The best lodgings are in the Whitecap Lodge, which has a pool, whirlpool and sauna, and in the newer condos and townhouses. 800-933-7669.

For more, see Cruising at Whitecap.

Granite Peak in Wausau, Wis. This ski hill in Wausau has 74 runs on a 700-foot mountain served by seven chairlifts, one high-speed. It offers live music on Saturdays and many family activities.

Like Spirit Mountain in Duluth, its runs have great views of the surrounding city, and skiers can choose from a wide variety of lodgings, restaurants and entertainment. A state park also is on the mountain and has popular snowshoeing trails.

For more, see Winter in Wausau.

Trollhaugen near Dresser, Wis. This friendly hill offers a lot of events and deals aimed at skiers from the Twin Cities, just half an hour to the west. It also attracts many cross-country skiers to a loop that boasts manmade snow. 651-433-5141 or 715-755-2955 or 800-826-7166 .

Welch Village near Red Wing, Minn. This is a very pretty, wooded hill in the Mississippi River bluffs, less than an hour south of the Twin Cities. It has many options for lessons out of its SkiLink Learning Center. 651-222-7079.

Last updated on January 21, 2010