Hello Everyone –
Looking back at this time last year, there was some doubt if there was going to be a Spring Skiing that was worth a darn. Well to be honest it was nothing to write home about, when the melt began the coverage on the slopes went quick and with it anything that resembled a Spring Skiing season. Well my friends, “Welcome To Spring Skiing”. This is when temperatures become milder, the days are longer and the bases start to drop (for the most part). Unless you have been under a rock lately, everyone knows this is shaping up to be a very nice Spring Skiing season, unlike last season.
For the most part, resorts from Tennessee to Maryland a nice amount of natural snow and some cold temperatures have come this season just at the right time. Those chilly conditions meant excellent snowmaking conditions when it really counted. What that means is that there is a very nice base on the slopes at those mountains at this time. Conditions at all resorts don’t usually continue to improve this time of year but it would take a hurricane to make them unskiable through the next few weeks. Shame on any skier, snowboarder or snowtuber who hasn’t made it to their favorite resort yet this season. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize just how good the conditions have been from north to south.
Last year, if your memory serves you (unlike mine according to my wife, it pains her that I am getting old), there was a lot snow on only a few slopes this time of the season. This also traditionally is a time when yours truly and Mike Doble, the site’s Managing Editor (Grand Pooh-Pa) are on the phone early in the morning talking about the slope bases and why the totals weren’t dropping. (By the way those talks haven’t occurred much this year) I really don’t know if that should be happening that much this season. We will just have to see what happens this week especially. You see there is snow in the forecast, but that forecast is over 48 hours out and you know how II feel about that scenario. Again if you haven’t noticed the temperatures for the most part through at least the middle of last week have been below freezing, keeping the snow from going anywhere.
Along those lines, I really think the snow reporters at the resorts have done an extremely credible job this season. As far as I can tell they have been on target all season long. If anything I think they have been on the conservative side. It is the opinion of this writer that a lot of that paying attention to snow reporting detail can be credited to this website. When you can see it firsthand (webcams) it’s tough pull the knit cap over the eyes of most skiers and snowboarders. The skisoutheast.com staff provide a bird eye’s view of just about every resort in the region so if you don’t know what you are getting into, let me say you are just not trying to find out. So this is another case that technology has helped your experience on the slopes. Due to those webcams the resort’s snow reporters are playing by the rules, so to speak.
Now of course we have made it clear this week there is a lot of snow of the slopes as Spring Skiing season gets underway. With that thought in mind, when things do start going south (melting), can you imagine how good the spring whitewater rafting conditions are going to be on the rivers in West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee. Whitewater rafting company owners need to make sure ski resort managers are on their Christmas card list again this year.
Now is the time for everyone to either make it out on the slopes for another day or two or finally get on the slopes for the first time this season. The word is the Mike and Kenny from skisoutheast.com will be at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia this coming weekend. Check out the details on the website this week as Mike and Kenny will be bring everyone of to date on what’s happening with them heading north to West Virginia.
That’s it for this week, just remember whether it be cold or whether it be hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather will be. Think about it! See you on the slopes.
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Joe Stevens, a member of the southeast ski industry since 1990 is a regular columnist for skisoutheast.com and serves as the Communications Director for the West Virginia Ski Areas Association.