Check in with yourself and pause for a clear head. Take this cozy season to reflect on where you were at last winter...where do you want to push yourself? New terrain, finessed technique, new tricks, more time committed, bigger stories...here's where you create your goals or 'bucket list' if you so prefer. Set your sights so another season doesn't pass within the blurs of tedium and mediocracy. Without hesitation, add the trek to Journeyman Lodge to that list ;)
Build the knowledge base. Scour the internet for relevant insights and tips. There's a plethora of good information out there that can really help you boost your game...for instance, if you were struggling with the initial goal-setting suggestion mentioned earlier you might find this Winter Goals article helpful. If you're planning any backcountry adventures it's always a good idea to eat up as much avalanche safety, risk assessment, and pre-planning content as possible...ground yourself in reality. The Wayne Flann Avalanche blog sits as a top read for Sea to Sky adventurers. Be sure to supplement the reading with tactical education and sign yourself up for some early season refresher ski lessons and targeted clinics such as Wilderness First Aid or Avalanche Skills Training.
BODY
Develop a dryland training regime and settle into it with some sense of humility. Local blog Doglotion comically illustrates that falling out of step is pretty much par for the course with recent post The Logical Fallacies of Preseason Training...rest assured, you're not alone.
Locally there are some specific pre-season programs to get you out of the house to focus on readying those ski legs before it really starts snowing...check out: Meadow Park, Helly Hansen's Circuit Training, and The Core's Mountain fit classes. Of course, you can always pick and choose from some of the top recommended regimes online like: the Whistler Procrastinator’s Guide to Ski Season Fitness or WildSnow's Pre-season fitness training for mountaineering
Finally, if the training has done you well and you're feel top of your game with plenty pep-in-your-step, PLEASE use restraint. No pushing too hard, too soon...we all know, or have already been, 'that skier' who just couldn't wait and ended up stumbling on some surprise roots, rocks, or stumps that you just can't see under a tantalizing layer of fresh snow. This is not kind to your gear or body...early season terrain surprises tend to have a tight relationship with season-debilitating injuries.
This is the fun part...it's about building the passion and participating in community. Why are you stoked? Who's stoked with you? Where are you planning to be this winter? Whether it's Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing, or Backcountry Touring... if you reside in the Sea to Sky region, there's resonance. Here at Callaghan Country, we'll be getting our #Winterstoke on with our Season Kick-off event the Praise Ullr Party. It's a bonfire, people who love snow, the mountains, and good vibes...all are welcome!