A snowboard bum (or a ski bum) is someone that lives in (or near) a ski town for the purpose of hitting the slopes nearly every day. If you live near the mountains and you go up to the slopes every weekend, you’re not a snowboard bum, you’re just an enthusiastic rider. Being a bum implies a commitment to being on the slopes as often as possible, and that means near-daily.

The “process” is fairly simple — just drive or hitchhike up to a mountain and you’re set. The trick is surviving, not getting your gear stolen, and feeding yourself. Here’s some tips.

Step 1: pick a location. Chances are, you already have this decided. But picking a good location can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy your season on the slopes. A mountain with a short season means you’ve got to go back to normal life fairly quickly — but maybe you don’t want to be gone too long. Many smaller resorts are limited in their terrain and so you’d want to choose one to match your riding style. Tony Crocker has a bunch of great guides; his Powder Skiing article for Inside Tracks gives a great overview of resorts across North America. You could be an itinerant, car-bound snowboard bum. That fits the profile well. You get mobility, but at the cost of buying a lift ticket every day. You save on lodging, but lift tickets easily outweigh that cost.

Step 2: Find a place to live. If you’re only going to be up for a few months, you might find short-term lodging by crashing in someone’s loft. If you’ve got a bunch of friends on the slopes, you could couch surf. My route will be to find a room for rent, since I’m planning on staying through the season. Six-month (and longer) leases are easier to find than 3-month leases.

Places to check include the official forums for your target mountain, the local newspaper, craigslist, local property management companies, bulletin boards, and word of mouth.

For a longer stay, finding a place ahead of time makes sense if you’ve got the resources and inclination to stay for months. If you’re planning a short stay, you might be able to just get to town and then start looking. I don’t recommend the latter, but if you’re in town and need a place to stay desperation will drive you. If you stay in a cheap hotel or hostel, ask your fellow residents. Ask around on the slopes. Ask in the lift lines, at the local grocery store, and in parking lots. If you drove up, you can crash in your car for a couple days while trying to find a place, but definitely do some research on car-camping, since you’ll want to avoid getting towed, or killed by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Last time I went up, I found a couple that had moved into half of a 2-bedroom condo and were looking for a roommate. The situation was great; my own room, but shared utilities. Someone was nearly always in the unit, and rent was much cheaper than paying for a 1-bedroom apartment or condo by myself. I found them by sifting through ads in the local mountain forums.

Step 3: Save up some money. In addition to someplace to sleep, you’ll need to keep yourself fed, and bring equipment and clothes. Showing up broke and eeking out a living is possible, but not recommended. If you’ve got six months of savings, you’ll not only have enough to get to town and move right in to a place, but you’ll also have a bit of time to find a good job, plus enough saved up that will last you through an unexpected layoff or the end of season, and pull you through until the following season.

Rent will most likely be your biggest expense; make sure you include your cell phone and utility bills. It’s easy to eat cheap but it does require planning; a paleo diet (including grass-fed meats) can be expensive but it should still come in well under your rent. Don’t forget to budget for a season pass.

Step 4: find a job. If you don’t have a year of savings to rest on, having a job will be crucial. If you do have a year of savings, a job will let that money last much more than one season.

There are seasonal jobs available on the hill but they are, again, seasonal; they could disappear without notice. Even local jobs can disappear if snow is poor and tourists don’t show up. Finding a job ahead of time will give you a chance to hunt for a better wage, better hours, more reliable employment, and work that fits you. Again, check the mountain’s web site and the local paper for leads.

Step 5: plan the trip. When do you leave? Do you need to sell your car, or put stuff in storage? Are you going to visit friends and relatives along the way? Fly home for Christmas?

Step 6: go ride!