Friday, Jan 25 - Gore
Afternoon Report
Gore was In great shape today. Lots of snowmaking on Rumors today. Coverage was very good on all slopes. There was a reasonable amount of traffic today, for a Friday. Some of the more popular runs did start to show hard pack with the traffic. Gore has made a major improvement on terrain. They put in an easy run off the top of the gondola (Rubys). That allows intermediates and novices to get from the top of th gondola without having to hit Fox. That one trail has really helped for all skills. The extra trails off the Straightbrook chair really in excellent shape today, best I've seen in years. Some hard pack, but very skiable. Lies all bumped up. They were also concentrating snowmaking on quicksilver (easier run). Very cold today. Maybe teens. It was great weather for snowmaking. The area has pretty much recovered from the January thaw.

Morning Report
Absolutely gorgeous today. The area had a few inches of snow overnight, so the trails are in beautiful shape. The surface is packed powder with a base that's a little scratchy. Absolutely no bare spots. Significant improvements have been made to mountain. It used to be that from top of gondola, traffic was always backed up. Now they've cut a novice trail around the outside to avoid the bottleneck. Really nice move. Chilly today. 5 degrees at the top now. The high is supposed to hit around 20. Still making snow on a number of trails; doesn't interfere with skiers though. -Reporter J.C.

Thursday, Jan 24 - Wildcat
Afternoon Report
A great day of skiing. The trails stayed in great condition all day. Almost had the mountain to myself.  On North side, beginner greens were fun and fast. A good ride for beginners and alright for intermediates, though not as challenging. Over here, Stray Cat was a little light on snow with brambles coming through and some ice. Blue square, Middle Wildcat provided a rush: some good drops and tight turns, as well as wide sweeping turns. All in all, very fast. Middle Catapult had snow guns on it all day. Great steep initial drop. My favorite was Upper Wildcat. The top was closed from the top, but accessible via other runs. It was the most challenging (ice, rocks) and rewarding. If your skill level allows (expert), there was great powder to be had: very, very nice snow right on the wood's edge.

Morning Report
Two times as cold at the top with light flurries. Surfaces groomed hard pack. Most corduroy Some with 1/2 inch of snow to top it off. Also good amount of windblown snow into the cord grooves. No ice really. Even though hard packed, it's pretty smooth riding. Quad to top is open. This is a quick lift to the top and slow when you need to unload. One of the best lifts going and others should be judged by. Easy riding. Warmed up on Pole Cat (longest beginner run in state). Well groomed, fast and fun. A long ride. Followed up with Catapult and Middle Wildcat (intermediates) and found a little thin cover, but they're well-marked and easily avoided. It's great to be up here.  -Reporter R.B.
 
Thursday, Jan 24 - Burke
Afternoon report

Grooming crews continued to work and a few more runs opened. Light skier traffic, conditions improved during the day including Willoughby. Easy carving. Temps barely go to mid-teens. Passholder appreciation time this weekend.

he mountain is in excellent shape with 90 percent of the terrain open. It's mainly a packed powder surface. Got an inch or two of new natural last night, so I made first tracks on the ungroomed. Doug's is good cruising, along with the Dipper trails.
-Reporter D.S.

Thursday, Jan 24 - Ski Butternut
Afternoon Report
Stayed in the 20s with a gray sky. On the east side, intermediate runs like Upper and Lower Applejack fared well much of the day with a little formica here and there. Stick to the edges for the best skiing late in the day. Applejack has great rolls and undulations - fun. Lucifer's stayed closed all day due to snowmaking. A good bet for Friday. Beginner terrain was well-covered and had had snowmaking overnight.  Off Whip, go left and take Main Street. You'll sink an edge into and it's well-covered. No terrain park pass for me today, but it looked and sounded up to snuff. Formica deck with minimal covering on top, but smooth and fast on west end Downspout.  All in all, a typical, real good day of January skiing: some hardpack on centerlines late in the day with plenty of fluff on trail edges.

Morning Report
A balmy 15 degrees this morning, hazy sun and a setting full-moon. Add that to overnight snowmaking and that explains my first runs of the day: blissful. First run on beginner Pied Piper and intermediate fiddler. Both had tight corduroy. Nice, fast and easy to carve into. Snow guns are on. Remember to approach these areas with caution, as the snow tends to grab your skis. 
-Reporter J.A.

Wednesday, Jan 23 -Ski Sundown
Afternoon Report
Surfaces got even nicer in the afternoon as light skier traffic tracked the morning corduroy into a fairly smooth packed and smooth powdery surface. Cover remained well distributed with hard packed base. Snow bases appear very healthy mountain-wide. Steep Gunbarrel got my vote for best surface on the day The texture a bit smoother there. The easy Tom's Treat were their usual cruise through the evergreens. Several stockpiled snow mounds have been put in place already for future distribution. Great weather kept the snow dry and fast. Snowmaking will take place here all week. Picture perfect here today, and Friday could be the best yet of the week.

Morning Report
Skiing is excellent this morning. All terrain is open and fully groomed to a firm, fast corduroy. Surfaces are a medium fine texture snow. Dry powder will result as the sun warms up surfaces. Stinger and Canyon are all edging equally well. Terrain park on Stinger has several impressive jumps and other elements. Sunday is the Winter Carnival with lots of family fun.  Weather, snow surfaces and conditions are all excellent. - Reporter P.J.

Wednesday, Jan 23 - Mount Snow
Afternoon Report
The snow just got better as snowmaking continued. No bare spots to be found and no ice either. I'd say it was a fast and packed cover with well-groomed surfaces. Pretty much perfect January conditions and well worth the ticket price.

Morning Report
Three inches new, fresh packed powder. Lots of packed powder and a firm base under, but "absolutely beautiful." It's cold, bone-chilling cold: 18 at the base, 14 at the summit. The new snow made skiing very fast on natural packed powder over a well-groomed snow. Both South Bowl and Snow dance were in excellent shape with no ice and full coverage. A beautiful day to ski.
-Reporter M.G.

Tuesday, Jan 22 - Okemo
Afternoon Report
By 11 am, the clear blue sky was replaced by snow and gray sky. A brisk biting wind developed at the summit and worked its way down to the base. This made gaitors and goggles a must. Surfaces held up most of the day with occasional formica here and there (Upper and Lower Arrow). Diamonds were in great shape with carve-friendly snow cover. Overall, a very good ski day (9 out of 10). I took a vacation day to come here today and I'm glad I did!

Morning Report
Got into single-digits last night and it's climbing to a brisk upper 20s today (maybe). Almost everything is open here. Skier traffic is extremely light. Good news for folks who don't wan lift lines. Conditions are quite good. I would describe it as fluffy confectionary sugar on a hardpacked base. Makes for quick straight-a-ways and very easy carving surfaces on easier terrain, as well as diamonds (like Blackout). Looks like today the diamonds will be everybody's best friend - that's how well they're skiing. This is nice stuff! -Reporter A.S.

Monday, Jan 21 - Southington

Night session
Excellent coverage on all open trails. Surfaces on Avalanche are hardpacked with slick spots. Steeplechase (before racing teams started) to Thunderbolt was the best ride with a looser surface that was easier to carve. No snowmaking until after 9:30 when the guns were fired up on Tester. Liftline is set up for terrain park with jumps, etc. No lift lines tonight. Temps were comfortable for me, about 17 or so. The warm weather has left them with a hard base, but as I said, no bare spots and no problem with coverage.
-Reporter B.S.

Monday, Jan 21 - Thunder Ridge, NY
Afternoon Report
Snowmaking and grooming on the upper mountain terrain earlier and the double to the top didn't open until 10:30 am. Competition Bowl provided the best overall ski experience for me today. Lover's Lane was best for novices and families with small children. Many more skiers are here for the afternoon discount ticket. So the lift lines and crowded slopes made for a combination of elements that were less desirable. That in combination with more boarders and small children made for a more cautious afternoon ski experience. In my opinion, for a great family experience, Thunder Ridge represents a good value with the old-time charm of a small, regional ski area.

Morning Report
It is very sunny. But it's also very cold. Very beautiful (sunny weather) conditions with micro-crunch conditions, and snowmaking is in full-operation here. All lifts are online. Lots of smiling faces here today. In general, crowds are beginning to build here for the holiday. This is a good family area. Variable conditions in terms of snow quality conditions, although they've corduroyed the main parts of the slopes. The runs I've taken, including Racing slope, have skied beautifully on the corduroy. Wind is not a factor right now. Bundle up.  -Reporter H.G.

Monday, Jan 21 - Belleayre
Afternoon Report
It stayed clear all day long... and cold. It warmed up to about 12 degrees with wind. Very good coverage over the entire mountain. The glades were closed. They need more snow to open those. Great grooming on Deer Run. Favorite run. Wannatuska had loose snow on form base as skier traffic worked it through the day. It was fast. Beginners had very good coverage and grooming. Most headline runs, like Belleayre, begin as double diamonds, then transition to lesser pitch. It did get busy today, but nothing like I've seen in the past. Maybe it was the cold that kept the big crowds away. Still, this is a great family mountain.

Morning Report
Cold is the word. 5 degrees. Crystal clear and breezy. I'm glad I have three layers on and my jacket and helmet. Where are the people? I skied Roaring Brook with no wait on the lift and no one is on the trails. Very good coverage. Machine groomed on a hard base. I'm also glad I have sharp edges. They are blowing snow on many runs. Winter Festival is coming up January 26 with $10.00 tickets. I'm waiting to see when and if the holiday skier traffic shows up. -Reporter M.D.

Sunday, Jan 20 - Wachusett
Afternoon Report
Temps never got out of the teens at the summit all day. We had sun in the morning and partial sun in the afternoon, with a snow squall, too. Nice touch. Loose powder prevailed on 10th Mountain and other steeper choices. Some areas did get scraped and shaved off in the afternoon. Connifer and Ralphs had really great packed powder for the intermediate skier. Ollie's Way and Sundowner were excellent, too. Feedback from other skiers I talked to (all skills) was that conditions were very good.

Morning Report
Temp is 15 at the summit, 20 or so at base and it's a very sunny day with a mild breeze. Conditions are excellent. It's not really firm. The trails are groomed and they made a little snow as well. They groomed everything. You can plant your pole to the basket. Beautiful edging. I predict that the skier traffic will help to make this surface powdery as the day goes on. Even novices will enjoy today's conditions. Gotta stay warm though: wear your layers ... and sunblock! -Reporter D.E.

Thursday, Jan 18 - Mohawk
Afternoon-Evening Report
Temps are falling, going for the upper 20s to low 30s at this time. I'm wearing a gaitor. Surfaces are confectionary sugar on packed sugar. Freezer frost. This is easy forgiving snow that makes for easily carveable turns. In some spots the loose sugar surfaces have been skied off to reveal formica. Slow machine made snow feel to it on diamond Liftline. Almost all runs online. Overall, it's very good skiing here. Well worth the trip. And it's just started to snow here! -Reporter A.S.

Thursday, Jan 18 - Butternut
Afternoon Report
Conditions changed from the morning. Butternut has opened some new lifts and closed others. We found good skiing throughout the day. Best in the morning with the four lifts two to the summit. Machine groomed powder early. Did get skied off in the afternoon with the heavier skier traffic, including racing teams (kids in buses). Lots of boarders, too.  Upper Applejack maintained well through the day. Good cruising on that. Twist was good for the afternoon intermediate level skier. A number of unmarked obstacles. Nevertheless, those were noted on the boards at the bottom of each lift and skiers urged to use caution. Pretty crowded in lower lodge in the afternoon (other lodge was closed). That was disappointing, because it was getting crowded. Overbrook Triple closed at 2 and Highland Quad opened at 2:30. All the traffic came down to the one lodge, so that made it busy. Overall a great afternoon of skiing. It should be a good weekend with all lifts and trails expected to be open.

Morning Report
Very cold and blustery this morning. Fairly good shape with most trails open. It is packed and groomed powder. Lots of good cord on main mountain. Top flight quad and Overbrook are good accesses to top. Trails off those are well groomed and in good conditions. You have to cover up and dress warm. Anticipate snowfall before the weekend. -Reporter H.G.

Thursday, Jan 18 - Shawnee Peak
Afternoon Report
The day started sunny, but that didn't last long. It got cloudy and stayed that way all day. A nice day of skiing (after the melt and subsequent snowfall). All trails are heavily groomed. A few bare and icy patches. Some cord lasted all day. Uncrowded. Quiet mountain. Snow was hardpacked and stiff, but not icy. A few lone powder patches here and there. Heavily manicured. Sunnyside Triple was closed to save money. That's unfortunate because it accesses a lot of glades, smaller secret trails, etc. From Summit Triple, there's black diamond Headwall (main drag, main slope) was pretty good: corduroy and packed snow, but one side was ungroomed, so there were some soft moguls to get into. Lower K (blue) was my favorite run of the mountain today. A mix of fast straight-a-ways, but can be quite curvy at times. My opinion Summit Triple is too slow. It's the main access to the top that people use. And for the size of this mountain (which is larger than most family type mountains) it could be faster. There's a good park. It's not giant, but it's got a massive half pipe that rivals the ones at bigger areas. That wasn't expected. All in all, it's a great family mountain and they're doing a great job of tending to their snow conditions. It's friendly, small, and only 45-minutes from larger areas. Thumbs Up! Best local ski area I've been to.

Morning Report
Very sunny.  Trails are heavily groomed cord, trying to hold new snow after a a pretty heavy melt. It's 20 degrees at summit. Backside is closed. There is a lot of snow coverage, but I think they just close it midweek for cost-cutting reasons. Skiing was great yesterday and so far we're enjoying it today, too. -Reporter R.B.

Wednesday, Jan 16 - Butternut
Snowguns were cranking all day and Butternut is in full bounce back mode. Expect 100 percent by the end of the weekend; Lucifer's Leap should open Saturday finishing up the main face; Freewheeler should open Sunday or Monday. Surfaces were fast and dry machine made and natural with a tight fine texture. Frozen base did appear in patches throughout the day, but cover was generally well distributed. While snowmaking did inhibit skiing on some runs, but there was plenty of uninhibited travel to be had on upper and lower terrain. -Reporter P.J.

Wednesday, January 16 - Smugglers' Notch
Afternoon Report
A perfect midwinter day. Grooming crews have done an excellent job and there was plenty of loose snow on top of the groomed. On ungroomed, there was 44-5 layer of snow, but it wasn't sticking to a frozen base that was full of water from recent January thaw. In all, a super day to be outside and ski the cruisers. Tip: ski Chilcoot on Madonna in the afternoon. It's a great way to catch late day rays. Hopefully  more diamonds will open for the weekend.

Morning Report
Weather is clear with a few clouds, temps in the teens with abundant sunshine. The mountain is still suffering from the effects of the January thaw; best to stick to groomed trails, where machine made snow is abundant. The area's about 2/3rds including most beginner and intermediate trails. On Sterling, good machine made snow runs include Treasure. On Madonna, Chilcoot is in good shape. This is a day for sun lotion. Storm expected Friday and should set things up for an excellent weekend. -Reporter D.S.

Wednesday, January 16 - Bromley
Afternoon Report
Conditions are great considering they had rain and it got iced up: they really brought it back. Upper and Lower Throughway are all real nice, held up well all day. No icy spots. Havoc, on westside, was my favorite, along with Corkscrew. A Blast! Snow wasn't groomed up as much so that was fun and there was plenty of snow. Most non-snowmaking runs are not open, in tough shape like Pushover, etc. Bromley is making snow. Perfect sunny day today. It stayed cold, too. Teens on the top. Getting some frostbite on my face.

Morning Report
Upper and lower Twister and snow conditions are really nice. The snow is so soft and you can carve beautiful turns. Temps in the mid-20s at base, 12 with a wind at the summit off the quad. Snow surfaces are great. About 85 percent open. They are blowing snow today at the summit, and in the middle of Twister. They also made last night. -Reporter C.G.

Wednesday, January 16 - Sunday River
Afternoon Report
Really good. Not exceptional. There was hard ice underneath. They are making lots of snow though. Everything was skiable, but a few runs I usually ski were roped off due to last week's rain and icing. By next week, SR should be back up there with trail counts.

 
Morning Report
I am privileged to be at lovely Sunday River. It's what they call here in Maine "just a might chilly." Temps are 12-15 degrees. Thankfully there's no big wind. The mountain has been rolled to Sunday River specifications. That means it's like I-95. It is, though, very knee-friendly skiing. Very little loose, since it's been rolled in. Maybe 4-6" of recent snowfall on top on what had been a very firm base. The mountain is skiing fast, firm and frigid. It's fine, too since the weather is so beautiful. It's nippy. I'm wearing mittens with heat packs and I still need to go in every few runs to warm up. -Reporter B.G.

Tuesday, January 15 - Greek Peak
Afternoon Report
Still snowing. It's been snowing all day. About 3 inches or so in the past 24 hours. East side remained closed. Mid-section, Chair 4, had one run, and intermediate. Nice, long trail with fresh blown snow. Nice scenery. Very good, but not as smooth and quick as the real stuff. The main area conditions were similar throughout in that it was great. Very positive comments from other skiers on conditions today, too. The area's conditions had really turned around from just a week or so ago. Negatives? 60 percent of the area not open. No terrain park. Upside? Great skiing conditions on the 40 percent that was open.  And beginner terrain park was open on lower Pollux. Newbie parks are a great idea to get kids into the sport.  Good day!

Morning Report
Kind of a gray day. Sun tried to peek through. Light enough with some very small snow flakes. Visibility is not hindered all. It's very pretty skiing. About 50 people here. From main section (original), Odyssey is a great run. Surfaces were medium firm styrofoam, covered with frictionless talcum powder. Just enough to smooth things out. That bottom layer, because of its firmer quality, it was quiet. No scratch. Very enjoyable. Ellysian Fields was pretty cool, cause it was half au natural, not groomed with very light powder clumps and half groomed medium-firm styrofoam. No formica associated with that, mind you. Very easy to maneuver the skis. They had snow last night ... and the day before ... and they've done a great job with grooming. Definitely the day to be here today. -Reporter R.O. 

Tuesday, January 15 - Belleayre
Afternoon
Sun never broke through and it snowed all day. Plenty of snow for everybody. But you did have to watch for skied off areas in the afternoon. Occasional boilerplate. Best upper mountain terrain were off Tomahawk lift, like Seneca and Dot Nebel with three inches of loose snow on top of a firm base. Gem of the day: Lower Widow had buttery snow on top of a groomed base. So good it energized me for a few more runs! Fabulous. Still untracked snow on it at the end of the day. Diamond Winnisook had lots of piles of soft snow. Lower mountain greens also held their snow all day: soft piles of it. They've also been making snow.

Morning Report
20 degrees and overcast. Blue Roaring Brook with layer of firm groomed that offered easy turning. Fast, firm carvable on most runs, including Wannatuska, which starts black and finishes up blue. Underneath was firm, but loosened up as your skis passed over it.  Skiing is very good so far and their making snow on top of the two inches they got last night. -Reporter D.A.

Sunday, January 13 - Mt. Snow
Afternoon Report
Surprisingly good! Better than other ski areas in the region, where the rain and mild weather took their toll.  Mt. Snow has recovered or at least, handled the recent rain and stretch of warm weather.  The base consisted of a sheet of solid material...either ice or packed snow...but how this differs from other ski areas in the region is that the surface, top to bottom, on all areas of the mountain, was consistent. There was a good layer of material, almost a sugar-like substance on top. Not overly grainy. Good skiing top to bottom. It was very fast, and did get a but mushy later in the day. The North Face, which is protected from the sun, held up all day. Avoid the ungroomed in conditions like this, you couldn't get an edge in it at all. That will all change with new snow coming in and after the groomers get on the ungroomed trails. But overall, a good ski day. Better than expected. -Reporter Dan C.

Sunday, January 13 - Gore Mountain
Afternoon Report
The best skiing was in the morning. Since there was more skier traffic, surfaces did get skied off: centerlines more than edges.

Morning Report
24 degrees this morning. Little wind at top. Clear skies, but cloud layer mid-mountain. Pretty. Big difference from yesterday. They were able to make snow last night. Sixty  percent open Saturday, back to 70 and more percent today. Still some bare spots, but not many and well-marked. A sold (icy) base with machine made on top that's powdery now. Very light skier traffic yesterday. Bottom line: Big difference from Saturday. And the forecast is for about a foot of snow coming in Monday. -Reporter T.C. 

Sunday, January 13 - Sunapee
Morning Report
Off Goosebumps and Upper Flying and Lower Flying Goose, it's in great shape with lots of material on top of a very, very firm base. Very good coverage. Off the summit, it's good coverage, side-to-side. Very firm, but it's very well groomed up. Looking for a foot of snow or better up here Monday. Excited about that!  Altogether, the mountain's in pretty good shape. -Reporter H.S.

Sunday, January 13 - Ascutney
Afternoon Report
Temps in the low 40s, and after the sun came out in the morning, it stayed out for the rest of the ski day. The upper part of Lower Exhibition was scratchy with some ice and moguls to the left. Heavier skier traffic than recently with free Learn To Ski Day going on. Honeybee was better, less scratchy. Lower Twister not so good, with ice and some dirt showing through.

Thursday, January 10 - Mohawk
Afternoon Report
Skiing much improved from late morning on. That's after mountain wide grooming and in some cases, re-groomed. Snow surfaces a little coarse in texture, but fairly fast and quiet as temps went into the 40s. Friday looks dicey as far as the weather goes. Looks better for Saturday skiing. Overall, a good call here to groom this morning. It was worth the wait.

Morning Report
Hey! No more pay phones here. They had to go light on grooming last night to let bases firm up. But grooming cats are out this morning. 90 percent of the area online. Surfaces are thin cover of groomed pebbly base snow, or skier tracked and now a little frozen over. Base snow is very firm, ranging from bullet-proof to gray ice. It was really soft Wednesday, so they had to wait for the freeze before using the heavy equipment. Passable corduroy grooming on Timbers for a pretty good ride. Some terrain is not at full skiing width, but close. Bases don't appear particularly deep, but there are very few thin or bare spots. As this morning warms up, changes are already happening with softer snow surfaces on the runs they are grooming this morning. Friday weather doesn't look great, but the weekend should bring colder weather.

Thursday, January 10 - Sundown
Afternoon Report
Conditions started to soften a bit, even though the sun didn't come out the temps warmed up. Lumpy on Gunbarrel. Nor'easter had lots of bumps. The top was soft and nice and the troughs weren't too bad. Nice rhythm at the top portion. They opened Stinger after doing work. It was in good shape. Nice corduroy. Tom's Treat had nice snow on it. Firm corduroy.

Morning Report
Top part of the mountain had nice soft cord and halfway down it turned into very firm corduroy. It seems as if the summit and top of the runs were groomed and the bottom was leftover from last night. Nor'easter and Temptor offered the same. Things haven't softened up yet. -Reporter B.C.

Thursday, January 10 - Mount Snow
Afternoon Report
Surfaces were groomed and remanufactured snow. Pretty good conditions. Some new machine made with snowmaking going on all day long. They did a great job at saving conditions here. No rocks here. Groomed good. Some icy bare spots, but you could ski around. Upper Canyon was best where they had been making snow. Weather was wonderful: sunny all day. Carinthia best trail was under the lift to Titanium. North face good news: making snow like crazy. but only one run Fallen Timbers open here today. Snow was very good on North Face today. Looks like everybody's gonna get rain Friday, but they've shown their colors today by really good grooming and snowmaking, so I'd expect them to bounce back without a problem. 

Morning Report
Temps in the 30s, and surprisingly, they are making snow! The weather's magnificent today. Not a cloud in the sky. It'll b ea great day for sun. The mountain is about 2/3rd open with reasonable snow coverage. Main mountain, Snowdance and Lower Canyon, are in good shape. you do have to stay on the groomed. The snow's been recycled, groomed up and they have done a good job at grooming everything. it's reasonably soft and you can hold a good edge. Some bare spots, some icy areas, but not many, not many at all. It looks pretty good. -Reporter J.M.

Wednesday, January 09 - Loon
Afternoon Report
Sporadic rain and downpours this morning. We were soaked by noon, soaked through. We broke for lunch to try and dry out. Mostly sunny skies for afternoon, but now high winds were a problem. So there was no gondola. It was sketchy operation of other lifts, they ran v-e-r-y slow. Access to the top was limited. We stayed in West Basin. Good choice. Here the clear light, Loon served up about one inch of soft cover on a solid base. Easy edging, pasty cover at the top of the runs, we cruised down all trails. No easy access to new South Mountain terrain, so we'll leave that for another day. In all, Loon's January version of spring skiing this afternoon was wonderful ... but only in West Basin.

Morning Report
A confusing start. We waited at the gondola ... and waited and waited ... it never loaded. While waiting, they then took us out of gondola area and put us over to take 7 Brothers double-chair lift area. Taking Walking Boss from the top (for experts), it was a good surface for experts. But overall, it's a global glaze on the upper mountain trails: skiddy and scratchy, but doable for experts. Halfway down the mountain, the cover gets pasty, and that was comfortable. Visibility is 6 to 300 feet due to the snow fog.  Need to use caution on ungroomed. No access to top of mountain or North Peak. We'd recommend Kank high speed for advanced skiers. Beginners should stay on 7 Brothers chair with smooth and soft snow on 7 Brothers. The gondola remains closed at late morning. -Reporter R.T.

Tuesday, January 08 - Ascutney
Afternoon Report
Ascutney is apparently putting very little into their mountain. I was surprised that with the amount of snow Vermont has received this year, that conditions here weren't better than they were. Although, admittedly, it's a very warm day today. Apparently, Ascutney has not made snow in many days. Not many people here, maybe two or three in the morning. Snowdance lift started late at 9:15 a.m. with loading and unloading at midstation. No skiing off the summit. No grooming overnight. Their concern was poor visibility and  multiple thin and bare spots. Lower Exhibition and the Plunge, skied well with firm surfaces early, loosening up with the day. Able to make good turns. By 11 a.m. thick fog was lifting, and surfaces got much looser. Face had good cover, except right at the top. The upper mountain is really hurting. I haven't had a good ski experience at Ascutney in years. I was hoping for a change today.

Morning Report
An awful experience at Ascutney today. I would not recommend anyone ski here today. The only lift running on time was Novice, which did present a smooth surface on the bottom of the run. Temperatures, by the way, are about 40 at the base and 60 at the summit and very foggy through midstation. The village had electrical problems. It opened late. Only open to the midstation due to big thinning above midstation. Nothing groomed here last night. Lots of thin and bare spots. Visibility is the main problem ... watching for bare spots. I didn't hit a very good day here. -Reporter B.S.

Tuesday, January 08 - Waterville
Afternoon Report
It kept getting warmer and warmer. The snow got heavier as the day wore on, but didn't get slushy, except at the top of the lift. True Grit had good cover, better than Ciao, but with the heavy snow, my legs wore out. True Grit usually has bumps, but everything was groomed smooth today. On North side, like Lower Tippy, were firmer and faster, being out of the sun.  The trail, Stillness, on the south side, an easy blue run, had the softest snow on the mountain. Not heavy though. Thin cover and bare spots were things you had to watch out for all day. All in all, pretty good skiing, but it's too warm really to ski. I'm afraid some trails may go offline with continued warmth, and any rain.

Morning Report
Much, much too warm for skiing today with temps in the 50s and sunshine. I don't think I've ever worn such light layering on the first run. I didn't even wear my ski jacket. Blue Tippy Canoe to Sel's Choice, had surfaces that are hard to describe. The surface is dried-out mashed potatoes. It's smooth, not slushy for the time being, dry, packed and very soft. Enjoyable run, but several thin spots to avoid.  Also found brownouts on other runs. Beginners would love the easy turning soft snow on the groomed. It's definitely spring skiing. The base is very thin in some places.
-Reporter D.A.

Monday, January 07 - Southington
Night Session
Overcast. 37-degrees. No rain. Overall conditions are loose mashed potatoes. Warm and soft soft snow for easy carving. Vast majority of the mountain is open with good cover. No rocks, no brown-outs. no obstacles. Terrain park with quite a bit of snow. Very favorable impression of the area on all types of terrain. Crowds were minimal, but lots of people around with racing starting now, but they weren't on the slopes.
-Reporter H.S.

Monday, January 07 - Catamount
Grooming and surface were a bit firm and uneven after the Sunday night freeze. It softened up to springlike by noon. There are some thin and bare spots and a few dirty patches, but most irregularities are easy enough to avoid. A few areas not open: Catapult, Junior Terrain Park and halfpipe. Some soft grey ice popped up. Unfortunately, these may worsen as the thaw continues.  Intermediate Mountainview stayed fast. Alleycat kept good cover through the afternoon. Terrain park with a half-dozen respectable jumps, and as many rail and box elements is in good early season shape. Overall, some decent "spring" cruising to be had here. Keep your rock skis with you when you travel,  in case things get worse due to the weather. 
-Reporter P.J.

Monday, January 07 - Crotched Mt.
Morning Report
Surprise! The mountain's just started it's 1-pm Monday opening schedule. I am looking forward to carving some firm corduroy, with overnight temps close to freezing. Highs around 40. Surfaces are tilled. I found tilled "custard" on Milky Way, Velocity and Meteor, among others. Get off the custard and you're on crust-on-crud needed attention to edging. Very light crowd with a mix of sun and clouds. This warming trend will continue for the next few days. 

Monday, January 07 - Bretton Woods
Afternoon Report
Although temps did rise to 35, the sun stayed behind the clouds all day. This caused the slow surface to go through a small change and do it slowly. Off Rosebrook, the entire upper third had firm zone. This firm zone covered everything in the highest third of the area. Slick and sliding with loud noises on every turn. Tricky to set a good edge on . Deception Bowl, lower on the mountain, was soft and pliable with good control. That soft, pliable zone, moved up the mountain, getting softer and softer, as the day warmed up. Sadly, the sun never showed up. Overall, not a bad day, but not the uusal looking good ski day at Bretton Woods.

Morning Report
Sun peeking out through the clouds before it went away ... for good this morning. A little light precip. The snowpack is still several feet deep. It is firm. It's easy to slip. It's just as easy to turn that slip into a slide as the temps warm up. On Rosebrook Summit skiing on Bode's Run, it was smooth groomed. We kept our skis flat so as not to slip on the firmer, scratchy cover. It seems as if ungroomed cover was pasty, but not slippery. But you could catch an edge easily. This is not typical for conditions at Bretton Woods.
-Reporter R.T.

Sunday, January 06 - Mount Sunapee
Morning Report
Overcast day with temps in the 30s. That resulted in softer snow. Didn't get slushy. It was uniform throughout the day. It was slow snow, but good coverage. Very few slick spots. Really no bad trails, although glades had some thin cover. Summit glades off Express quad were pretty good, manageable. For bumps, head to Liftline. Nice and soft. North Triple not online today.
-Reporter R.L.

Sunday, January 06 - Stowe
Afternoon Report
Surfaces held up extremely well despite warmer temps. Mid-mountain down, surfaces it was below freezing and 32 at summit. Fog lifted after lunch and breezes kept surfaces firm and fast. National had half-groom. Extremely carveable. Lots of snow on the bumps: hero snow. Nice, long run, too. North Slope had excellent coverage bottom to top and carve-a-licious. Chance of colder temps arriving mid-week. Stowe's reputation for its great grooming continues.
 
Morning Report
Completely open. Just a dusting overnight, but over the last week, about 21 inches. Base depths about 3 feet on natural runs. At the summit, it's 24 degrees, and the summit is shrouded in fog. No matter, because conditions are wonderful. Soft and smooth, like shaving cream, with consistent, side-to-side coverage. Liftline is in great shape! As for moguls, both on tops and in the troughs, very good coverage still. Hint of spring skiing here as temperatures warm up.
-Reporter M.A.

Sunday, January 06 - Bromley
Afternoon Report
Clouds never really left the summit all day. Overcast was a blessing in disguise. That kept the skiing fantastic. A lot of fun on packed, relatively dry, powder snow. Stargazer and Chute were good. Chute has a good drop off from the pile of snow they had. Favorite trail was Pushover. Havoc maintained its reputation. Not groomed, bumped up - and fun! Overall, an 8 day on a scale of 1 to 10.

Morning Report
Temp is 34 degrees and clear at base, 29 at top with fog. 100 foot visibility. Surfaces are spectacular. Seriously beautiful packed powder. Snow cover gains moisture as you go down the mountain. -Reporter D.E.

Sunday, January 06 - Mount Snow
Morning Report
Extensive fog on upper third of summit. That would make it difficult to negotiate trails, if it weren't for the fact that everything has been groomed out to a narrow-gauge, easy-carving corduroy. A little chatter under your skis. Upper Exhibition was fogged in, but nice and smooth grooming. Fog lifted relatively quickly. Corduroy softening up nicely on the lower mountain. Sundance, off the summit, nice and tilled. The lower third of the mountain features even softer creamy corduroy. - Reporter J.S.

Friday, January 04 - Jiminy Peak
Afternoon Report
Absolutely wonderful ski day. Snow was really good. And open trails were really in good shape and well-groomed. It started out chilly today, but by afternoon it warmed up into the low 20s at the bottom. The snow never really loosened up even with in and out sunshine and warmer temps. Making snow on all difficult trails today (Jericho, etc.), so most of those runs were closed for that. Wild Turkey was really good in the morning. The high speed quad (six pack) was online most of the day, until Widow White opened later in the day. Beginner and intermediate runs off that lift are in great shape. Grand Slam was in excellent shape. All in all, their snow is in great shape.
-Reporter J.C.


Friday, January 04 - Windham
Afternoon Report
Sun came out, warmed things up nicely. That didn't have as much of an affect on surfaces as skier traffic did. Bypass, Upper Wiseacres and others had been heavily skied out by early afternoon with the mix of heavy cut-up on edges and barely edgeable formica on the centers of those trails. Better skiing was on the trail edges, but you had to pay attention. Upper Wheelchair (black) featured bumps and stayed in shade most of the day.  Phenomenal edging on Wedgie and Wanderer off East Peak Express. it was firmer, but edgeable. A great sunny day.

Morning Report
Temps in the single-digits, full-on sunshine. Upper Wheelchair, among others, tilled to perfection. Lots of easy edging.  -Reporter J.S.
 
Thursday, January 03 - Hunter Mtn
Afternoon Report
Today is better than I thought it would be, although still cold. Low teens. But the sun and good conditions kept me going all day, with a few breaks to warm up, then back out to ski. Better on the east side (sunny). Didn't venture over to the west side, as it was shadier, colder and windy. Much better in the sunshine. Off the Quad, once you started back down, the mountain kept the wind off of you. Beautiful. Hell Gate was getting a bit shaved off because of all the traffic there. Better fun could be found on The Cliff, where there were big whalebacks with great powder. Really fun! Even the machine-made snow that was blowing all day was super velvety. -Reporter T.C.

Thursday, January 03 - Mount Sunapee
Afternoon Report
Surfaces soft packed and groomed, really powdered, really great snow. Found 1 trail with moguls, other than that, groomed with a broom and dust pan. A wonderful job. Hill is 85 to 90 percent open. Fabulous conditions. It was a cold day, so runs off the Sun Bowl lift were warmest. Upper, Middle and Lower Wing Ding all nice. You could do about 3 runs before having to go to the lodge to warm up in this area. Hansen Chase was a nice long cruiser. Excellent. Hardly anybody on the mountain in the afternoon when the wind picked up. Everybody was staying warm in the lodge. The weekend looks much milder. -Reporter J. Mc

Thursday, January 03 - Catamount
Afternoon Report
It's a good afternoon to be a sun worshipper with cold temps like this. The wind picked up too. Black diamonds Upper and Lower Glade were both power tilled with easy edging for high speed cruising. Same on Upper and Lower Alley Cat. Upper Sidewinder opened at 1 p.m., with new machine-made snow for good conditions. Mountain View was so nice and smooth. Colonel's Caper was a bit sketchy. Go for the sun-soaked trails when it's this cold! -Reporter Jeff S.

Thursday, January 03 - Mad River Glen
Morning Report
It's a pretty cold day, minus-8 at the base.  It is sunny, which is a big plus. There is some wind, which makes it really cold on the lift. On the lift, my eye froze. The snow is great. Good skiing on groomed cord off Bunny, Rockefeller (beginner and intermediate runs). Tons of fresh ungroomed to get into as well. The base on those beginner and intermediate runs is medium firm.  It'll be a "one-run, go in to warm-up" day. Don't know how anyone without a facemask could do this. Someone said it's -18 on the summit. Not complaining though and this is a great place to ski! -Reporter R.O.

Thursday, January 03 - Hunter Mtn
Morning Report
No way around it, it's a really cold day. It's about 4 degrees this morning and that's without the windchill. It is a sunny day. That's a good thing. It is a little windy. There's plenty of good snow here. Last couple of days, they've had storms, so they do have good cover. And they're still making snow now at the bottom of the hill. Basically, it's naturally groomed with some powder topped with machine made and natural leftovers. It is a firm base. Off the B Lift, down on Madison, the upper trail is in really good shape with a firm base. It is really cold though. Keep everything covered! -Reporter T.C.

Thursday, January 03 - Sunapee
Morning Report
Weather's the big thing today. Thank goodness it's a sunny day. Temps around 0 right now ... Little breeze at top. Very cold. Main mountain skied fine. Absolutely magnificent. No hardpack. It's well-groomed packed powder. I haven't seen this much natural snow in I don't know how long! There's hardly anyone here ... too cold, maybe? You do have to take a warm-up break after every two runs ... should be lots of hot chocolate consumption here today! - Reporter J. Mc

Thursday, January 03 - Catamount
Morning Report
Temps are 0 degrees F to begin with light base winds and the snow is rather squeaky ... that's the case whenever it's this cold. Not too many folks out here today. Groomed on Race Slope (blue) run with firm cord underfoot, pretty good vibrating cover. Reasonably good edge hold. Catamount getting some snowmaking going on. Lower portions of that, and on Holiday, were softer with gentler surfaces. To stay warm, stay on trails that get the sun's warmth.  Summit Quad just coming online now (11 a.m.).  -Reporter Jeff S.


Reporter Archive: December 25-30