sometimes it's necessary to stand in a strategic spot to obscure the coloured markers from someone who is over-obsessed with the colours yet perfectly capable of doing the run otherwise. If they do spot the colours half-way down, then you need to remain at least a ski-pole whacking distance ahead of them
I did that to an entire class of kids back in my instructor days. They were more than capable of skiing easy blacks, but the sight of a black diamond on a trail sign scared them. I led them through some trees to avoid the trail sign and they skied the run beautifully but they kept asking why it was so steep. A few other skiers on the run helped me out by joining in with my assurances that "yes, it really is a blue run", until they finally realized that they were skiing quite well and enjoying themselves. After I showed them where they had been on a trail map, they were pretty pleased with themselves.
Mark,
I see your location is Frisco!
Clan Feanor are to be found in Breck every easter,and I know Frisco fairly well.
( We do a week in Breck, and a week in Aspen Snowmass usually ).
I've posted these before, but thought I'd re-post for your benefit.
This is Junior #1 on the Lake Chutes, an EX Double-black diamond run in Breckenridge, Co.
He's 12 at the time I filmed this ( last year ).
Normally, when I photo or film ski footage, you don't get any sense of steepness.
You do here.
All the action is in the first 10 seconds or so.
You need to look at him as he traverses over and sizes up the first ( committing ) turn.
It's worth pausing it and looking at it at this point.
He can reach out and touch the wall with his hand.
Observe the first turn: look at the rate he drops till he gets his edges set as he completes the turn, and drops out of view.
http://www.youtube.com/v/pcegfjNmv18&rel=1That's it, I'm afraid.
My camera-work is total crap, because I can't see the screen in the bright sun-light, so I'm just pointing it in the general direction.
It's not worth viewing beyond when he drops out-of-sight.
To those of you who have never tried such stuff, I can tell you this is *very* steep, at 50 degrees, and very committing.
Here's the sign at the top of the hike you need to make to get there: