A flatlander's guide to skiing the Colorado Rockies

I’ve been in Colorado visiting my family this past week. I really miss KC and the house of prayer! For this year’s visit, my younger brother flew in from New Hampshire.  It’s awesome to have him here! It’s his first visit to Leadville and the Rocky Mountains. We’ve been skiing a lot this week, and I’ve learned several new terms that you need to know if you’re a flatlander or have never skied in the Rockies before. Don’t leave home without this guide!

“flatlander” – any living entity not native to the Rockies. I am a flatlander being from Missouri.

“freshies” – fresh powder snow on ski trails.

“pow” – another term for fresh powder on ski trails.

“crud” – choppy powder snow.

“liftie” – a ski lift operator.

“lunch legs” – the burning sensation skiers feel in their thighs on the first few runs after lunch.

“cat” – a motorized vehicle that grooms snow on ski trails or carries skiers up backcountry hills.

“snow bombs” – when backcountry skiing, a “snow bomb” is when snow falls on you from the trees above while skiing in the woods. 

“tele” – also known as “free heel skiing”.  Nordic downhill skiing using a different type of turn, ski, and binding than traditional Alpine downhill skiing.

“the couch” – the 6-passenger high speed chair lift at Copper Mountain and other local resorts.

“Buney” – (pronounced “byoo-nee”) – slang for Buena Vista, CO.

“fourteener” – the short name for Colorado’s 54 peaks that are above 14,000 feet in elevation.

“chain law” – 18-wheeler and tractor trailer trucks are required to put chains on their tires in the state of Colorado when road conditions deteriorate.  

Are you a Coloradan, or are you already an experienced Rockies skier/snowboarder? Do you know any more?  Leave a comment if I've left any out...