HIT THE SLOPES!
Photo: istockphoto.com
Spring has come early to the slopes of the Northeast. Beautiful mild weather is great to ski in, especially up north where the snowpack on the slopes is still deep.
If you plan to hit the slopes this week, you won't need to bring layers of ski gear. It's going to be a very mild ski week with highs in the 40s in northern New York and central and northern New England. 50s in the Berkshires and Connecticut hills. A chance of rain moves in late in the week.
Conditions at northern areas are holding up the best. Southern New England ski spots are more springy, with corn snow showing up in spots. Make sure you bring the shades and sunscreen!
March is a great time for deals and specials on season passes for next season. A number of ski areas will let you ski for free for the rest of this season if you purchase next season's season pass. Reporter Tim Jones has details in this New Haven Register article.
CLICK ON STATE TO SEE REPORT
CONNECTICUT MAINE MASSACHUSETTS NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY NEW YORK RHODE ISLAND VERMONT
Connecticut
Wow! What happened to winter? You'll find spring conditions at Connecticut ski areas all this week. Highs in the 40s...maybe even 50s! Wear sunscreen and enjoy.
Mount Southington has gone to its spring schedule. Southington is closed on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, hours are 3 to 9 p.m. On Friday, hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday, 9 to 9 and on Sunday 9 to 6.
Mohawk, Ski Sundown and Woodbury are all open day and night and are 100 percent open.
Mohawk offers a $20 half-day lift ticket. Ski Sundown has its 2010-11 season pass on sale with a convenient 4-payment plan.
Ski Watch Reporter Paul skied at Mohawk on Monday, March 8. Paul said the word for the day at Mohawk is "no." No lift lines, no bare spots, no wind, no lack of sunshine. No crowds. A great day of spring skiing at Mohawk.
DID YOU SNOW? The birth of snowmaking, now a major player in the ski industry, started at Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall, CT in 1948-49. Walt Schoenknecht created the system to combat the snow drought during winter.
BACK TO TOP
Maine
Spring skiing is the operative word in Maine. Some places are closed for most of the week before reopening for weekend fun on the slopes, but the great spring temps are going to take their toll.
Saddleback has 66 trails and 5 lifts in operation with packed powder and loose granular conditions. Sunday River has 132 open trails and 10 lifts spring like conditions White Cap to Barber and North Peak. Higher elevation maintaining winter conditions for now.
Sugarloaf U.S.A. has 138 trails and 9 lifts and nearly 5 foot base depth. Mt. Abram is closed until Thursday. Black Mountain of Maine has all 22 trails and 4 of 5 lifts with a machine groomed spring surface. Tentative closing date is March 28. Titcomb Mountain opens today 3pm-5pm with 10 of 17 trails and 2 of 3 lifts and a loose granular surface. University of Maine-Farmington Snowcats program will be held.
Big Rock Ski Area reopens Wednesday.
Camden Snow Bowl is closed until Wednesday and that begins the last 5 days of skiing at Camden. Saturday there’s an Obstacle Race at 1 p.m. and Sunday the Annual Uphill Race is at noon. Lost Valley reopens Thursday and will close for the season on Sunday, March 14. Spruce Mountain has closed for the season.
Mt. Jefferson Ski Area will reopen Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Quoggy Jo Ski Center is closed until the weekend . Big Squaw Mountain reopens this weekend. Hermon Mountain is now back on the trails. Lonesome Pine Trails is open weekends only with $20 lift tickets.
Click on Maine on the upper right of this page to link to ski area websites for the latest conditions and more.
BACK TO TOP
Massachusetts
The word for the week is the warmth, then rain. For better part of the week temps will be in the 50 degree range and maybe higher and then by the end of the week a potential major rain storm that might push some ski areas over the edge as far as staying open.
Berkshire East is 100 percent open with 5 lifts going. Be prepared or some icy patches and bare spots, but you will have spring like turns and they are open till 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. remember helmets are required in the terrain park. Blandford Ski Area is now open weekends only, but there are bonus nights of skiing this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3 to 9 p.m. Blue Hills is open with 8 of 12 trails and 3 of 4 lifts from 2 to 9 p.m. The terrain park is open with a machine groomed, frozen granular surface. If you donate a non-perishable item you get a $10 all day snow pass.
Bousquet offers 20 of 22 trails and 3 of 5 lifts on a 4 foot base depth and loose granular, spring surface. Catamount can get you on all of its 32 trails and 4 lifts with a loose granular, spring surface. Jiminy Peak has 45 day trails and 21 trails at night with 5 lifts available each session. There is a machine groomed, loose granular surface. Alex Trail closed for rebuilding. Jiminy is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nashoba Valley has 17 trails and 9 lifts plus the terrain park and tubing park with 17 lanes and 4 lifts.
Otis Ridge reopens Wednesday with 8 trails and 2 lifts. Sunday March 13 is Fun Day! Dress in your best 1960s outfit, with fringes and love beads and the skiing will be far out man! Ski Bradford has 15 trails and 6 lifts and a wet granular and spring time surface. Ski Butternut 22 trails are open over a machine groomed, loose granular surface and there is nearly a 4-foot base depth. Starting March 15 until the end of the season, all lift tickets will be $25. Weekend hours are 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ski Ward reopens Friday. Wachusett has 21 trails and 7 lifts. There is a 4 to 5 foot base depth machine groomed and loose granular surface. On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Senior Games take place and the Park Series at night. Thursday the Snowboard Clinic will be open.
There's plenty more going on at Mass ski areas. You can always link to ski area websites for more details by clicking on the Northeast Ski Info link on the upper right of this page.
BACK TO TOP
New Hampshire
A bluebird few days to skip out of work and hit the slopes. Lots of sunshine and mild temps with highs in the 40s. Spring skiing at its best.
Attitash offers 70 and 6 lifts and $39 lift tickets on Friday, March 12. You'll find a mix of groomed and ungroomed runs. Balsams Wilderness offers 16 open runs. Black Mountain features 44 of 45 trails and 2 of 4 lifts running. Bretton Woods is 100 percent open, with 101 open runs. All terrain parks are open as well.
Cannon with 70 trails and 5 lifts and a packed powder surface. Coming up April 3, it's BodeFest 2010! It's a chance to meet Olympic Gold Medalist Bode Miller, who will be at Cannon hosting his Turtle Ridge Foundation fundraiser. Click on "From the Slopes" on the upper left of this page and link to event details.
Cranmore has 50 trails and 7 lifts. Crotched Mountain will get you on 21 trails and 5 lifts and is 100 percent groomed. The terrain park is open as well. Dartmouth Skiway with 16 trails and 3 lifts. At Gunstock, there is corduroy everywhere and 100 percent of terrain is available.
King Pine features 17 trails and 5 lifts. Loon has 54 open trails and 5 terrain parks with tons of featueres and 2 pipes too. Mount Sunapee offers 64 open runs. There are also 63 features in 3 terrain parks and 8 gladed trails to enjoy.
Pats Peak with 22 trails and 10 lifts, that's 100 percent open. 3 terrain parks are open at Pats Peak as well. Ragged has 44 open runs and 4 lifts spinning. Tenney is 95 percent open and is now on a Saturday-Sunday only schedule through the rest of the season.
Waterville Valley has 45 trails and 7 lifts in action. Whaleback features 31 of 33 trails and 3 open lifts. Wildcat with 46 trails and 3 lifts.
DID YOU SNOW? The first ski resort-based ski school was started in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire in 1929. It was operated by Katherine “Kate” Peckett and her husband Sig Buchmayer, an Austrian ski instructor.
There's plenty more to ski in the Granite State. For details, click on Northeast Ski Area Info above to link to the ski area website of your choice.
BACK TO TOP
New Jersey
Mostly sunny and very mild on Jersey ski hills. Highs in the 40s...possibly 50s! Pack the shades and get out there before the ski season melts away.
Hidden Valley has 14 trails and 3 lifts going over a machine groomed, packed powder surface. Open hours are noon to 9 p.m. Mountain Creek has 41 trails and 8 lifts and terrain park is open. Campgaw will get you on 8 trails and 6 lifts.
BACK TO TOP
New York
Like butter! That's how conditions shape up at ski areas in the Catskills and Adirondacks. After all the recent snowfall, sunny spring weather moves in through Thursday. Highs in the 40s. Ski Watch Reporter Terry skied at Hunter on Sunday, March 7 and said despite the resort being crowded, it was all good.
Hunter has 48 trails and 8 lifts open. Belleayre features 52 open runs and 5 lifts in operation. Every Friday at Belleayre is Customer Appreciate Day and lift tickets are $25. Windham is 100 percent open...that's 46 open runs.
Plattekill reopens Friday, March 12 with $20 lift tickets. The ski area picked up 98 inches of total new snow out of the "storm of the century" as they're calling it. Labrador Mountain has new hours for the remainder of the season: Monday through Saturday 9 to 9 and Sunday 9 to 4:30. 23 trails are open at Lab during the day and 12 at night. Windham has all 48 runs in action and calls conditions "amazing." Plattekill has all 35 runs open after picking up 98 inches (not a typo) of snow from the snowstorm a couple weeks ago.
Whiteface has 86 open runs and 9 lifts spinning. Ski Watch Reporters Bob & Mark skied at Whiteface on Wednesday, March 3. They both said their ski day was outstanding and they can't wait to return. To read all about their ski day, click on "From the Slopes" on the upper left of this page to link to their full Whiteface report.
Gore has 80 open trails and 8 lifts spinning with powder conditions. Check out "Big Air at Little Gore" on Saturday, March 13. At Thunder Ridge, you can choose from 28 open runs.
This season, check out the new Catskill Region Frequent Skier Card. It provides discounts for Belleayre, Hunter, Windham, Plattekill and Holiday Mountain.
BACK TO TOP
Rhode Island
Yawgoo Valley has new hours. The ski area is now open Thursday through Sunday only. On Thursday and Friday, hours are 2 to 10 p.m., on Saturday Yawgoo is open from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have plans to ski at Yawgoo this weekend, please check ahead, as the sunny mild week, along with rain at the end of the week, could knock the ski area out for the season.
BACK TO TOP
Vermont
It's spring on the slopes of Vermont. Highs into 40s with sunshine south, more clouds north. There is a chance of a snow shower or flurries at northern ski spots like Jay Peak. Ski it now, as the end of the week is looking soggy. And, wear sunscreen to avoid that "goggle tan".
Ski Watch Reporter Todd skied at Stowe on Monday, March 8. Todd said there is still plenty of snow cover on the mountain, but it got a bit heavy by the afternoon. Read all about Todd's ski day at Stowe when you click on "From the Slopes" on the upper left of this page.
Smugglers' Notch will get you on 77 open runs. Stowe is 100 percent open. Jay Peak has all 77 trails open. Bolton Valley has 56 trails and 6 lifts in operation. Mad River Glen is 100 percent open and is still rockin' a 5-foot base depth. The snow softens as you head down runs from summit to base.
Ascutney offers 57 trails with a mix of packed powder and corn snow. Mount Snow is 100 percent online, with 70 percent of the runs groomed. Okemo is jammin' all 119 trails! However, the Black Ridge and Sachem lifts are not running on Monday. Killington has 140 open runs, along with tons of parks and pipes. 16 lifts are spinning at the Big K. If you're looking for moguls, check out Outer Limits, North Star and Conclusion. Bromley has 45 open runs, 5 lifts. and spring conditions. Stratton will get you going on 92 open trails and 9 lifts. 83 of Stratton's runs have been groomed. Check out the Burton U.S. Open at Stratton March 15-21. Because of that event, the SuperPark at Stratton is closed, but the new park on Old Smoothie is now open with a new design. Sugarbush has all 111 runs open along with 4 terrain parks with 40 features. Burke has all 45 runs open. Magic is open through Monday with 40 runs and 2 lifts in operation.
DID YOU SNOW? Mad River Glen is one of two ski resorts in all of North America to still have a single operational chairlift. The
other is Mt. Eyak in Cordova, Alaska.
For complete details and ongoing trail openings, click on "Vermont" on the right side of the page for direct links to all Vermont ski areas.
BACK TO TOP