We would all love to have 10″ of fresh powder to pique our alpine interest every day, but that’s not the only way to enjoy your time on the slopes.

Here at Brundage, we’re always looking for ways to keep the experience fresh and fun.

Whether you’re an employee adding a creative new twist to the way you do your job, or a regular visitor looking to break out of your routine, there’s no excuse to be bored in such a beautiful place. Here are some suggestions on how to “Keep it Fresh” even when there’s no fresh powder:

Keep it Fresh Suggestion #1 – Try a New Route

It’s easy for frequent visitors to develop ‘favorites’ when it comes to getting around the mountain. In fact, we get a lot of feedback whenever we make a safety change that upsets those routines. But it can also be fun to change course and find a new route. Here are a couple you may not be aware of:

This location is at the bottom of Engen, just under the Centennial Chairlift. The arrow points to a new trail, Lower Engen. It cuts over to 45th Parallel and allows return access to the Centennial and Bear Chairs without crossing into any beginner runs.

It does have a bit of a dip to it, but it’s not hard to carry enough speed to make it all the way over to 45th.

This shot shows where you merge with lower 45th (looking uphill). As always, be sure to look out for cross traffic as you merge.

For another fresh experience, take a couple runs down Skid Row. This isn’t a new run, per se, but it is now groomed regularly and is a really fun way to get from Engen over to the lower pitch of Alpine. I like the fall-line a LOT and this does open up a nice connector on the front side.

Keep it Fresh Suggestion #2 – Learn a New Skill

The snowboarders in this photo are taking part in a Divisional Snowboarding Clinic to sharpen their teaching and boarding skills. This is a great way to keep things exciting on the slopes. Remember, lessons aren’t JUST for beginners. Our certified instructors can teach you advanced carving skills and techniques to rule the slopes whether they’re covered in crud or deep powder. Another little-known benefit: advanced skiers and riders who take lessons are often guided toward those ‘secret stashes’ you wish you could sniff out on your own.

Keep it Fresh Suggestion #3 – Change Your Approach

Our terrain park crew is doing an amazing job of keeping the features on Rodeo fresh and fun. They’ve added new features every week since we’ve been open, and we now have 5 good-sized jumps and 4 really well crafted rail features.

You can see how the park ‘flows’ in the photo above.

On a side note, I also like the way this c-rail mimics the shape of the valley in the distance, which brings us to our next tip…

Keep it Fresh Suggestion #4 – Seek Out Surprises

The more you mix things up on the mountain, the more likely you are to be pleasantly surprised by your experience here. You may stumble across a sweet new line, or just be surprised to find two twin snow statues standing guard at the top of a slope.

(That’s what I saw when I came across these two nearly-identical snow covered trees.)

I also got surprised by a red fox today as I paused to take a photo. He sprang out of his (her?) den and checked me out for just a second. Unfortunately, he/she/it was back underground before I could snap a picture. Regardless, it makes you feel sort of special to have a one-on-one wildlife experience.

Keep it Fresh Suggestion #5 – Don’t Count Out the Corduroy

Don’t forget that an untouched powder line isn’t the only slope worth ‘hitting first’. Let’s face it – when it comes to forgiving turns, it doesn’t get much better than fresh corduroy.

I love that ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ sound it makes when you angle right across it and the gentle vibration it sends through my ski boots.

Keep it Fresh Suggestion #6 – Keep an Open Mind

You never know quite what the conditions are going to be until you actually get up here on the mountain. I’ll bet most of the people in the foggy valley in the background of this photo have NO IDEA it’s a gorgeous sunny day here at Brundage Mountain. They might have stayed home because there was no fresh snow and the forecast, as it so often does, failed to predict the sunshine.

So, those are six tips to keep it fresh until the fresh powder comes back. We’d love to hear some of your suggestions, too. Feel free to leave some comments on the blog, we love to hear your thoughts and fresh ideas. Until next time….

— April