Fatigued easily in Powder...

Yes, skiing powder is more fatiguing than hardpack.  I don't know if there is any easy way "to cope with it."  You just have to improve your conditioning. Also make sure you're not skiing "in the back seat."

Generally, powder shouldn't be more tiring than any other kind of skiing. In fact, I find ice the most tiring surface because of the greater pressure you have to exert.  WC skiers get those thighs skiing ice, y'know, not pow. Bumps are a close second from the shocks you absorb, and the constant edge changes. In pow, you can just bank or smear your turns if you want. OTOH, given that the ski is a modern design, I suspect OP is sitting back before he's aware of it, that'll make the quads scream pretty fast. Suggest a lesson or two the next time you've got that much underfoot. 

I agree with beyond.

 

My wife had the same problem on the Atomic's (women's version) last year.  She is working hard to eliminate the rotating habit this year and now she loves them.

 

Tip those skis and let em run, DON'T muscle them into a "turn".  If you are stopping every other turn, that too is a problem.  It is half mental and half technique.

 

It takes practice and commitment (to break the habit and to the fall line) but it can be relaxing.   Lessons will be money very well spent.

 

I wish I had 15" of new snow to complain about!

 

No. Skiing in smooth powder is about as easy as it gets. If you're in the back seat, then you will be easily fatigued.  And what beyond and nwjg said.

Rockered skis.

Skiing in untracked is one thing but most of my powder days turn to crud fairly quick. Now you're skiing bumps in a sense. Skiing chopped up powder is fatiguing. Stopping every few turns is too much but at the end of a powder day, man I'm wiped.

You don't complete your turns in powder, you steer thru it. 

Powder shouldn't be fatiguing and you don't need fat skis to have fun.

 

Get out of the back seat and stay centered.

That's been my experience too, especially when it turns wet and heavy.  It's not exactly Utah blower snow around here.

 

Ski faster and go down the hill more and across the fall line less.  You'll have more fun and less fatigue.  And, if you crash, it's powder - you'll be fine. That's my "little kid" method to have fun. 

-wider skis
-rocker
-ski thru the burn, legs will warm up and last longer
-conditioning:

Skiers edge with powder platform, biking, strength trainig, hill running, stair climber, "sit" against a wall with no chair for as long as possible,
Get more ski days in.

It's all about balance.  If you're balanced, particularly fore and aft, then it's pretty easy.  If you're fighting for balance, then the legs do the tighten up very quickly.  Strength is somewhat important, but no one has the leg power to fight it all the way down the hill by muscle alone.  Do some balance drills, have the courage to keep to the fall line and carry some speed, have patience and trust your skis to do what they are designed to do.  Untracked, consistent powder is a breeze.  When the powder and/or the layer beneath the powder is inconsistent and the powder turns to chowder, then you have to fight harder for your balance and you become more fatigued. Also, make sure your bases are flat and the edges are beveled.  Any kind of hookiness doesn't help in inconsistent snow.

Actually, once you start skiing above a certain speed, crashes in powder are worse than on groomers. On hard snow, you just slide. In powder, you rag doll.

 

That said, you have to be going reasonably fast for that to happen.

 

 

Guys, the OP was asking about 15" of powder where he's skiing, not 'crud' where you're skiing.

RELAX! its powder, most folks when new to pow skiing tense up and dont flow.

I would say a likely reason to get more tired skiing powder is if you're over-steering your skis, which is pretty common.

 

Really?  Hey folkfan, where were you skiing in 15" of powder?  Was it Mt. Hood Meadows?

 

 

Do lunges in the off season!

Yep, relax and enjoy the ride. no need to be so active with rockered powder skis'; part of the advantage.

 

Lot's of good instruction at Meadows. Maybe time for a lesson?

try to relax as much as possible between turns the first third of the run or section, that way when your aerobic starts peaking you have that much more leg strength and focus

I've just recently started skiing powder, and I find that my natural reaction is to try to keep the tips up, resulting in me skiing from the back seat (as everyone has mentioned above). This results in my quads burning halfway through the run, and me having to stop and rest. I also find I tense up and feel like I'm fighting the skis a lot of the time (which is probably exactly the opposite from what I should be doing...last season once I got used to it I was able to relax and enjoy the ride, and it felt great).

From watching a few ski videos I've seen guys skiing powder sinking in up to their waists, so I'm guessing I shouldn't be worrying as much about floating on top of the powder as I am? Unfortunately I'm not really sure what the depth was. Top mountain base, where the best powder was, is currently 102cm (40 inches) and the last big snowfall was the day we were skiing, last Saturday. The snow that day was probably 20 cm or so (8 inches).

If it helps, I'm 5' 4", around 155lbs, and skiing on Rossignol Phantom SC 80's. From what I've been reading a 90mm ski might be better for my size for powder.

(p.s. thanks Folkfan for starting this thread!)

Edit: Not in the best of shape at the moment either, which doesn't help, but based on what you guys have said above I shouldn't be working much harder to ski powder vs. groomers.

start a rhythm, as you start off, keep your legs close together (doesn't need to be touching but I prefer less than hips) start by gently bouncing (flex and extend) up and down as you pole plant, the idea is to get the ski's moving 3d through the snow, very lightly shift weight from foot to foot (45/55 to start), (think gently pressing on each foot as you plant) this will start an easy rhythm and from there you can become more dynamic as you feel comfortable. Keep the plants coming and don't stop!  If you let your hands/arms drop down or get behind, you need to get them up and forward (not like Frankenstein) but just like you would on the groomed.  If you are experiencing tip dive, it can be a number of issues. Get some skis that have good float (100 or so) and some rocker.  This won't make you a instant pow skier but its an easy way to start on gentle terrain. 

 

Yep, our local snow can be dense, wet and heavy even when it's pristine, untouched powder.  It's a lot more viscous than other places and can really work you over.  After the first run and you have to start cutting across other peoples' tracks, it really starts pounding your legs and back.  When the snow gets deep I like to imagine myself a boxer, fists up and on the balls of my feet ready to pounce forward.  It helps keep my balance centered, plus I'm ready to kidney punch any old straight-ski codgers if they carve too close to me...

 

Yoga helps a lot with balance and flexibility.  Have you tried it?  Even doing some basic poses from YouTube seems to help.  I do a little bit every morning.

 

LMAO...  

 

Well, skiing is an athletic activity, but if your thighs get a lot more tired in powder than on typical groomed conditions, there is very likely something going on in your technique. We've had a few good discussions of powder technique and tactics over the years at EpicSki. Click on the following link for one of the best: Reluctance in Powder?

And you might find a solution--or at least an inspiration--in this video clip that I put together a few seasons back. It features some top instructors from around the country, as well as a number of EpicSki's own Bears filmed at various EpicSki Academies. Some of the video is a bit grainy. (But what do you expect? It's hard to get good video of a powder day, because it's just too much fun to stop and shoot video!) Brief instructional tips appear at the end of the clip:



Relax. (Relax Hard!) Float. Glide. Guide, don't twist. Balance--don't lean back (or forward). Move a lot, and move always. Speed is your friend--to a point.

To get a good taste for powder... you've got to eat some!

Best regards,
Bob Barnes

wax. All snow is easier when you can haul ass. Non-waxed bases are the most exhausting thing in the world to me. 

My s7's ate stupid easy. Tip rocker helps you float, tail rocker sinks which helps you you float, pin tail helps with shedding speed which helps you maintain enough speed to avoid stopping.

 

+1.  

 

A proper wax job is especially important on the wet, heavy PNW snow.  Otherwise your skis get sticky and it becomes more work to keep moving.