10 things to do while you wait for the snow

So this week my Facebook feed has been showing pictures of snow in Colorado which is very exciting, but November in the Northeast is usually a waiting game. I get so excited for the season that I get a little bit restless, I figure I must not be the only one so I created this list to share with you. Here are some fun things you can do while you wait for snow.

1. Get crafty! Make a beanie or a tutu. If you start now, you’ll be stylin’ this winter and might even get some of your holiday gifting out of the way.

2. Plan a fun winter event. Get The Girls Out or International Women’s Ski Day event. SheJumps is getting ready for winter and looking for volunteers to host or help host Get the Girls Out events at ski areas all over the world. Contact your Regional Coordinator if you want to get involved. K2 is encouraging all women on any kind of ski’s to get together on December 14th for skiing, or if you are still waiting for snow, organize a group of your friends to do something on this list. Check the website and add your event on the map.

3. Attend a clinic. Check with your local outfitter to see if they are offering any winter skills clinics or talks. If you have goals to do more backcountry skiing a first aid training and avalanche safety clinic are a must. Education=Empowered!

4. Start your dry land training. Read Leah’s post on hamstring exercises. I’ve been combining those exercises with the winter ready article from Women’s Adventure magazine.

5. Keep mountain biking, hiking and running with night lights and good layers. I think it’s kind of funny, but I’ve been doing more mountain biking now that it’s gotten cold. Some of us really do prefer exercising in cooler weather. All you need is the right base layer combined with light insulation and you’ll be comfortable. The Patagonia Capilene 4 is a favorite.

6. Go to yoga and do sequences that target your core, balance and lower body. Try doing some “snow salutations” to please the snow gods! Stay tuned for my next post for my favorite winter yoga poses.

7. Get inspired and go see a ski/snowboard movie. With so many great mountain films to choose from you can get inspired, Telluruide Film Festival, Teton Gravity, Banff Mountain Film Festival and Meathead Films—to name a few— all travel around the country and it’s so inspiring! I can’t wait until next year when Pretty Faces comes out, the first all women’s mountain film.

8. Go away. Take a beach vacation. Last year I spent the last two weeks of December in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica on the beach, surfed and SUPed, and flew home to ski on Christmas Day. I have an awesome tan in my pass picture.

9. Read gear reviews on WGG. Check out the latest in powder ski’s and big mountain ski’s.

10. Make a winter vision board. Think about your goals for the season and start cutting up all those catalogs and magazines. Post it over your work space or on you refrigerator. Here’s mine!