How to Ride Glades With a Snowboard
Snowboarding through the glades (woods or trees) is a thrilling experience that provides more challenge, freedom and reward than simply riding slopes. The glades are also the place to head if all the runs are tracked out and you're looking to ride some powder. However, glade riding is significantly more challenging and dangerous than riding open slopes. Once you develop the skills for glade riding, and the conditions are right, there's nothing like it.
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Instructions
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Practice snowboarding first. You need to be an advanced snowboarder, able to make tight turns and stop quickly, before attempting to ride in the glades. The glades are not the place to learn how to ride or practice the basics.
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Choose the right time. The glades should be open and have a snow base of 2 feet, or enough to cover rocks, logs and other debris that could damage your board or trip you up. Riding in the glades is best after a snowstorm. Depending on the resort, you may find fresh powder for several days after a storm, but if it hasn't snowed in a while, glades get hard-packed and full of bumps and moguls, making them difficult and unpleasant to navigate, not to mention hazardous.
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Enter a designated glades area. Your best bet to practicing in the glades is a designated resort glade area, preferably graded for intermediates. Resorts clear out brush and space out trees in a navigable arrangement, allowing you to focus on skills before attempting more difficult glades.
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Keep your knees bent and weight planted toward the back. Unlike riding slopes, you don't want weight on your front foot, especially in deep powder. Keeping your weight back will allow you to glide across powder without nose-diving and possibly endoing (falling head first) into a tree.
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Focus about 10 to 15 feet ahead. Visualize your line between trees and let your eyes lead your body. Make tight turns as needed to navigate between trees.
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Maintain control. Always check your speed and stay in control. Stop if you need to. Losing control is much more dangerous in the glades than on open terrain.
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Build up your stamina gradually. The intense turning and carving involved in glade riding makes it more physically exerting. Your legs can tire out quicker than on the slopes. If you get tired, take a break or do some easier riding for a while.
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Tips & Warnings
Glades are a good option if it's foggy on the slopes and difficult to see. Fog thins out in the trees, so glades provide better visibility than the main slopes.
Resort policies vary for unmarked glades (some are completely closed, while others have an open out-of-bounds policy). Check with resort management. Riding in unmarked glades may present additional obstacles including brush, rocks and ravines.
Wear a helmet to protect your head in a tree collision.
Do not ride too close to trees with low-hanging branches, especially if it's deep snow. These trees can have a tree well underneath branches, which could trap you. People have died from accidents in tree wells.
Beware of unseen obstacles like bent over saplings, rocks and logs under snow cover.
Do not attempt glades that are too steep or have trees that are too tightly spaced for your ability.
Watch out for other riders and steer clear of them. Unlike slopes, glades are often non-directional and riders choose their own line/direction.
Some resorts may rescind your lift ticket for riding in closed glades.
