As the leaves fall and brilliant autumn colors wash over the mountains, those of us who live for skiing know the wait for snow is nearly over. It’s hard to picture snow-covered peaks when the last warmth of summer still lingers, but when winter comes, it comes fast.
Being ready when it arrives is the difference between a season that starts smoothly and one that limps along. This is the time to set yourself up, not only with gear and fitness, but with the mindset that will carry you through a long, rewarding winter.
Plan Your Season
Trips don’t just magically happen in winter—they’re made. Between work schedules, family commitments, and the unpredictable dance of weather and avalanche conditions, relying on spontaneous getaways is a recipe for frustration. Now is the time to block out dates, contact your ski partners, and make concrete arrangements.
Be realistic about what your life will allow. If you only have weekends free, focus on short, sharp missions rather than chasing a two-week fantasy trip you’ll never actually take. Accommodation is cheaper and more plentiful before the season rush, so booking now can save money as well as stress. And remember to leave some “flex days” unplanned—when the storm of the season hits, you’ll be ready to drop everything and go.
Whether it’s leaving a couple of weekends open or reserving dates at a hut, the ski trips that happen are the ones you book.
Train Like a Skier
Ski fitness is unlike anything else—explosive yet sustained, graceful yet brutally demanding. While nothing can perfectly replicate the sensation of carving turns or skinning up a powdery slope, you can prepare your body so that the first few days don’t feel like an oxygen-deprived struggle.
Focus on building strong, stable legs and a solid core. Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts will pay off on the slopes, while single-leg movements develop balance and prevent injuries. Cardio from running, cycling, or hiking keeps your endurance up, and plyometric drills—jumping, bounding, quick directional changes—mimic the movements your body will soon be making on snow. Even short, consistent workouts now will transform those first runs from exhausting to exhilarating.
If you want to keep it really simple - ask your fittest ski partner what they do and copy them!
Check, Fix, and Upgrade Your Gear
There’s no worse feeling than clicking into your skis on opening day and realizing your skins won’t stick, your avalanche beacon won’t turn on, or your boot buckles are hanging on by a thread. Take the time now to go through every piece of equipment you own. Replace the batteries in your beacon. Wax and edge your skis. Check your bindings for loose screws or hairline cracks. Look for holes or tears in your pack and outerwear, and patch them before they get worse.
This is also the moment to invest in upgrades if you’ve been considering them. Pre-season sales are in full swing, and it’s easier to justify a purchase now than after you’ve already spent weeks suffering through with the wrong gear. Starting the season with clean, tuned, and organized equipment will set your tone for the months ahead.
Get Reading, Watching, and Learning
Skiing is as much mental as physical, and the long off-season can dull your instincts and erode your decision-making edge. A little time spent refreshing your knowledge can pay big dividends on the mountain. Pick up an avalanche safety manual and revisit the concepts you learned in your last course. Dive into a book on ski technique, or watch video breakdowns of expert runs to spot the subtleties of form and movement.
Even reading trip reports from seasoned backcountry skiers can be inspiring and instructive. The goal is to get your brain back into “ski mode” so that when the season starts, your mind is working in sync with your body.
Refresh Your Avalanche Skills
If you’re heading into the backcountry this winter, don’t wait until the first powder day to remember how to use your rescue gear. Take an afternoon to practice transceiver searches in the backyard or at a local park. Run through full rescue scenarios with your partners, including probing and digging, until the motions feel second nature. Inspect your shovel and probe for damage, and replace anything that looks worn or unreliable.
Better still, sign up for a pre-season avalanche refresher course. The first day you’re staring at a wind-loaded slope in early December is not the time to discover you’ve forgotten half your companion rescue sequence.
Set Your Mental Goals
The physical side of skiing is obvious, but the mental side is just as important. Ask yourself what kind of season you want to have. Is this the winter you finally learn to ski powder with confidence, nail that challenging couloir, or simply spend more time outside regardless of conditions? Setting clear, personal goals now shapes your decisions later, whether that means saying yes to a challenging objective or being content with an easy lap in the sun.
Write your goals down and keep them somewhere you’ll see them often. A little intention-setting now can give you something to work toward and keep your motivation high, even when the weather or your schedule isn’t cooperating.
Connect with Your Ski Community
Skiing might be an individual sport in some moments, but it thrives on community. Reaching out to your ski friends now can help solidify trip plans, spark new ideas, and rekindle the stoke. Join a local avalanche safety night, sign up for a club trip, or get involved with a ski swap or gear night.
Being connected also means you’ll have more partners when the right day comes, and you’ll hear about conditions, events, and opportunities you might otherwise miss. Plus, swapping stories over a preseason beer or coffee is one of the best ways to remind yourself that winter is coming.
Be Patient
When the lifts start turning, the pull to charge straight into the steepest, deepest terrain is almost irresistible. But early-season snowpacks are often shallow, and rocks, stumps, and buried hazards lie in wait just beneath the surface. Resist the urge to rush. Let the snow settle and deepen before you start pushing hard.
Easing into the season isn’t just about avoiding damage to your skis—it’s about building your body and sharpening your skills at a sustainable pace. By the time the best snow of the year arrives, you’ll be primed, confident, and ready to make the most of it.
Happy Trails!
