Glade skiing (also known as glading) is

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

through trees off-trail or on a defined woods trail. Glades are variously sought for their solitude, beauty, or caches of ungroomed

powder A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distin ...

. Woods also tend to hold better snow longer thanks to the shade and shelter trees provide. Vista Glades Sign

Glade skiing is inherently more dangerous than skiing on trails and usually reserved for experts, though moderate glade terrain exists. Hazards such as cliffs or streams may or may not be blocked off by

ski patrol Ski patrols are organizations that provide medical, rescue, and hazard prevention services to the injured in ski area boundaries, or sometimes beyond into backcountry settings. Many have technical-medical certifications, such as Outdoor Emergen ...

. Other dangers include

tree well A tree well, also known as a spruce trap, is the space around a tree under its branches that does not get the same amount of snow as the surrounding open space. This creates a void or area of loose snow below the branches and around the trunk th ...

s, logs, stumps, and the trees themselves. Equipment required includes a

ski helmet A ski helmet is a helmet specifically designed and constructed for winter sports. Use was rare until about 2000, but by about 2010 the great majority of skiers and snowboarders in the US and Europe wear helmets. Helmets are available in many styles ...

, ski

goggles Goggles, or safety glasses, are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and ...

, and gloves, all to protect against the trees and underbrush. Glade riders need to be fit and agile to negotiate trees and hidden obstacles such as

s or concealed root systems.

Ski resorts A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North ...

may have defined glade trails, ungroomed glade areas, or boundary-to-boundary policies.

History

The first glade skiing in the eastern United States was on

Mount Mansfield Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is located within the town of Underhill, Vermont, Underhill in Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County; the ridgeline, including som ...

, in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. Cut by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

in 1934, The Nose Dive, was a steep, narrow trail, and started with twisting turns. Below these difficult corners, to the left was a patch of skiable trees named the Slalom Glade, which appeared on the trail map in 1940.

References

{{Skiing Types of skiing 1930s introductions