“It’s like you’re at the beach, but you’re on the snow,” a 10-year-old skier at Smugglers Notch in Vermont told us when we asked how she liked spring skiing. Skiers here and at other New England ski mountains take a laid-back approach to spring, with informal tailgate parties in the parking lot and ski-in picnics on sun-warmed rock outcrops.
For those who love to ski, but don’t love the cold, it’s the best of both worlds. The warmer weather makes it more fun for little kids, and teens love sunbathing in the snow and skiing in T-shirts. Longer days mean most ski areas stay open a little later in the afternoon.
New England ski areas do their best to make spring skiing fun — even a little crazy, with events like pond skimming, bikini skiing and cardboard box races. Throw in the season’s best bargains on lifts and lodging, and spring skiing is irresistible for families.
Pond skimming contests are the universal way to celebrate the spring meltdown. Skiers and boarders race downhill and across a pool of water at the bottom, judged on the distance they go before sinking into the icy water. Spectators love it. This annual rite begins in late March.
Bromley has a Spring Fling March 24, featuring pond skimming, a duct tape derby, live music, a barbecue,and free turns on the Summer Adventure Trampoline.
King Pine, in Madison, N.H., celebrates spring skiing with its annual Cardboard Box Derby, Sunday, March 25, featuring “cars” made of cardboard boxes. These are judged on appearance, speed and whether they actually hold together long enough to reach the bottom of the hill. Wildcat and Attitash, also in New Hampshire’s Mt Washington Valley, celebrate Youth Day on Sunday, March 25, with all-day tickets at $17 for ages 7 to 17.
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Spring skiing will be in full swing by Easter, which lands on April 1. New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain begins the day at the summit with a non-denominational sunrise service, and candy-filled eggs are hidden around the resort for kids to find. Stowe, in Vermont, also begins the day with mountaintop Easter services and the gondola ride to the summit is free from 5–6 a.m.
Vermont’s Okemo sweetens the egg hunt with a golden egg, good for a pair of skis or snowboard; their pond-skimming party, the Slush Cup and Splash for Cash, is the following Saturday, April 7. Wildcat Mountain has an Easter Egg Hunt and, in honor of April Fool’s Day, which coincides with Easter this year, tickets are priced as low as $11. Their Pond Skim party is Saturday, April 14.
Waterville Valley, in New Hampshire, celebrates spring skiing Saturday, April 7, with a Hawai’ian luau with live music, pond skimming and a beach party. Snow melts later at Sugarloaf, in northern Maine, where the East Coast Pond Skimming Championship will be held April 21.
All this fun and games is, of course, just the frosting. Skiing is expected to still be in full swing, with the warmer weather to make it more enjoyable.
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