Snow softens up at Smugglers' Notch for afternoon spring skiing
Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 08:42 AM
Our Wednesday afternoon ski at Smugglers' Notch, Vermont, turned out to be terrific.
It's that strange time of year when it remains cold at night—setting up the snow so it's very firm in the morning—yet it gradually softens to corn snow and even gets a little slushy in the afternoon. We worked through lunchtime and then headed up to the ski resort to ski in some of that springtime corn snow that can be so much fun.
Every once in a while I'd come upon some slick, hard-packed surfaces. These were mostly in shady areas of the trail and on wider slopes that don't fully face the sun. Upper FIS, for example, was VERY firm and my edges felt so dull that I thought I was skiing on butter knives. But, that trail brought us to Lower Doc Dempsey's, a gladed trail that is still in good shape with bumps that soften up in the afternoon.
On Lower Drifter there are also some icy patches; these spots were icy a few weeks ago, too. You just have to keep looking ahead of you while you make your fast turns down the hill.
I was reveling in the warmth of the sun as we road up the lift, and in the soft snow that was fun to carve through. It was a light fleece and sunglasses kind of day.
The views were great, too. We could see Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast, quite well from the top of Madonna Mountain. You could also see quite a bit of the long and lanky Lake Champlain. And with Mt. Mansfield being so close, that mountain clearly dominated the views to the southwest.
The snow coverage continued to be strong on the mountain. You wouldn't guess it if you just stayed in the lower-elevation towns and villages. In fact, as we drive through Jeffersonville at the end of the day, we saw kids playing baseball in shorts.
Three cheers for spring skiing in Vermont!
Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
