Before you hit the slopes this season, making sure that your gear and you are prepared is vital to having a great skiing or snowboarding season.

Prepare yourself for a day outside by wearing the correct gear. Make sure to bring sunscreen, chapstick, and food to fuel yourself, REI recommends. When picking out your clothing, L.L. Bean suggests having items like a ski jacket, ski pants/bibs, base layers, ski socks, gloves, a hat and helmet, goggles and more. You can also check out Omer & Bob's Sportshop, Huberts, Eastern Mountain Sports. 

Making sure to stretch beforehand is a great way to warm up your muscles. Ski Magazine recommends three easy stretches to get your body ready to go: runner’s lunge, pyramid pose, and standing lunge.

You’ll also want to make sure to get your gear tuned up before heading out. In Lebanon, NH, Omer & Bob’s snow sport experts offer a variety of services.

“When you bring your equipment to us, we'll examine your edges and base structure and provide you with a free estimate of recommended work. We strive to complete your ski and board service quickly and accurately so that you can get back to the slopes with gear that is tuned to perform exceptionally in your preferred conditions,” the website said.

With the weather changing every day, it’s essential to double-check what the conditions are like before hitting the road for a day of fun. Many resorts and ski areas offer current condition reports, like Killington Resort. It shows how many ski lifts are open, open trails, groomed trails, miles of open terrain, uphill trails, and more.