LOCALadk Magazine

Take home point: Comfortable linking tight turns on the mountain's toughest trails? Then partner up and get in there, already! Guide to Ride: Insider Tips on How to Nail the Slides Seldom do the Slides open first thing. To maximize your chances of untracked powder, do laps on the Summit Quad to be there once the rope drops. From the top of the quad, the goods are a five-minute scoot along 'Slide In,' the access traverse. Soon you'll be staring down the barrel of Slide 1: it's the widest of the Slides but beware, a frozen waterfall near the bottom can be seriously treacherous. Give it a wide berth by staying skiers' left, and feel no shame dipping into the trees between Slide 2 to avoid blue ice. Laurie Schulz, a Placid resident who regularly logs 100+ ski days a season, remembers one midweek storm years back when she was simply at the right place at the right time when Levenson and his team dropped the rope: "That was the only time I've been able to ski the waterfall straight down the middle, pillow topping the drops without having to plan or pick my way down. It was crazy good. The giggle factor was definitely high!" Levenson's foolish grin confirms that he, too, got some top-notch turns that day. When the Slides are good, they're really good. Keep traversing high from Slide In and you'll eventually come to four consecutive slides, all of which begin relatively narrow and fan out at the base, with the exception of the distant Slide 4. Forest Ledger, older brother of Van, adds that he heads straight for Slide 4's narrow chute once the major Slides are tracked out: "You can often find some really good snow in there, but heads up - the final turns aren't much more than a couple ski lengths wide." What to do once fresh snow is ancient history? Dropping in midway along Slide In will eventually bring you to a hidden snowfield, the unofficial Slide ".5," also called "Bottomless." Levenson hints it often lives up to its name, offering up plenty of fresh snow, even days after a storm. All Slides eventually funnel to a creek bed and a quick transition to your cat-track exit on skiers' right, affectionately named "Slide Out." Beware, the sharp uphill transition to the cattrack has seen many a full-on yard-sale— the Slides aren't over 'til they're over! Photo by Brian Mohr / Ember Photo Know Before You Go The Slides serve as a terrific transition between on-piste terrain and non-lift-serviced backcountry skiing in the Adirondacks and beyond. Interested in earning your turns? Education is key to a safe, enjoyable off-piste experience. Thankfully there are plenty of resources to help you broaden your backcountry skills and boost your avy savvy: The Adirondack International Mountainfest, hosted by the Mountaineer and held in mid-January, offers great clinics and courses of all kinds, including a yearly Avalanche Level-1 and bi-annual Level 2 course. Stop by the Mountaineer for more information. The National Ski Patrol hosts American Avalanche Association certified courses all across the globe. Visit their website for information on a course near you. The Whiteface Mountain Snowsports School will be offering a new Slides Discovery Package which includes a rental avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel - and instruction on how to use it effectively. Then join a seasoned Ski Instructor for a fully guided tour of the Slides! Visit their website or stop in at Whiteface for more information. 28 Winter 2014

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