A Midseason Day in March

What do you think of when you ski in late March?  I think of warm weather, slushy conditions, and skiing in a sweatshirt.  Well today was a throwback to January/February type weather.  It was cold and windy too.  But the sun was still shining and it looked like a spring day.  It just felt like it was January.  The people seemed to enjoy it though.  The crowds were in and the people were enjoying the snow.  As the morning went on, the winds died down and the temperatures began warming up little by little.   I started off the morning with a run down White Caps and I ended up cutting over to Tippecanoe and down to Lower Tippy.  With the wind and weather, I was a bit chilly but I went up for a few more runs.  I then took a run down Oblivion to Valley Run, which is one of my favorite runs on the mountain just for the view.  I then finished up with a run down Upper Bobby's and cut over to Upper Sel's Choice and then over to Exhibition.  The conditions varied but that is to be expected.  Hopefully the spring weather will return in the coming weeks and we can end the season on a nice warm note! -Mike

Spring Like Day

If you weren't able to make it out onto the snow today I am sorry. Spring like temps under bluebird skies a great respite from our normal February days. We spent some time doing toboggan training on True Grit this morning and every run reminded me of the great spring we had last year. Alas, more seasonal temps will be returning tomorrow night, so we will be waiting a few more weeks before tee shirt temps to arrive.

This weekend there are two big events happening at Waterville Valley; first starting tomorrow is the North Face Park and Pipe Open Series and on starting Saturday the Plymouth State Ski Team is hosting ECSC regional races. The North Face event is drawing a large group of talented rides who put on quite a show in the Exhibition park today. Exhibition received a face lift this week with a new arrangement of the rail garden and some maintenance of the airs. The regional races are bringing racers from all over the northeast to compete at Waterville, so that they may qualify for nationals. There should be some great skiing and riding to watch as well as great conditions this weekend. Hope to see you out there

b

Be Open Minded

Every Wednesday we help to chaperon the Waterville Valley Elementary School's ski program. I have to admit that I was feeling a little skeptical this week with how the temps had been drastically jumping up and down and the fact that we haven't had too much snow recently. To my surprise, it was some of the best snow I have seen, especially for being in the afternoon!
Usually I ski with the advanced group of kids, but this week we switched it up and I went with the beginner skiers. It was so much fun watching them get pointers from their instructor and to see how much they improved in just one afternoon! Their instructor asked if they wanted to go into the Valley Run woods, some were a little nervous, but they conquered it and by the end of the day we got them up to the top of the mountain to enjoy and nice long run down Oblivion.
The snow was great all afternoon, so never judge the conditions up there by the weather down below!!

-5 wont stop this crew!

This morning I woke up to a pretty chilly sight on our thermometer...-5! My Fiance, Eric, couldn't believe that I was actually going to meet up with other Rec. staff for some runs before work. Well, I'm glad we all went. It seems that Fridays have had quit the trend of giving us those nice blue skies! The snow was great, as it always is when you get there bright and early. After a few runs we stopped into the Schwendi Hutte for some hot chocolate and an amazing breakfast burrito! The temps were on the rise and its a beautiful day...so get out there!

Starry Night

Oh, what a night! First a gathering at the base lodge to explain the agenda of the evening - then to Quadzilla for a ride up Valley Run at dusk and a gentle ski down to Sunnyside Lodge. The excitement begins - ski jackets and boots come off and we're given some cozy ski socks to wear upstairs. The second floor of the lodge has been transformed from a mountain cafeteria into a dimly lit cocktail party. The wine is flowing - the violinist plays background music as the conversations grow animated and appetizers are passed. Then it's time to dine - the food is exceptional - rack of lamb, beef tenderloin, salmon, and a vegetarian dish. Servers continue to float through the room refilling wine glasses and Joe Jung tells stories about the high mountain farms in Austria. The atmosphere was so intimate, by the end of the evening everyone felt like family. Then it was time for the torchlight ski - we were all given battery lights to help us along as we skied down Valley Run making first tracks. An unforgettable night. There are two more "Starry Nights" planned, so sign up soon if you want to experience this special event.
Terry Roper

SUPER bowl Sunday!

After last night's "lightening and variable precipitation" storm, I was a bit nervous that I had left our 1 ski day this weekend for today. If I had made a bad decision, I was prepared to pay the consequence of unhappy kids and a lot of wasted time. Was I ever wrong! Even though we left behind a sunny, warm, and windless personal playground just 10 miles away, it was well worth it. Despite ample parking spaces and a short walk, we hopped on the trolley that was so conveniently waiting. Immediately, we were greeted by a variety of demo/info canopies set up in front of Sport Thoma for the kids to explore. We booted up quickly and got on the hill. It had been awhile since we skied due to sprained ankles, birthday parties, theatre, etc. So today was a great; and the kids were so excited to see that everything was open and skiable. We only stopped quickly at the Sunnyside Lodge for a quick bite to eat. My kids think they have the best hot dogs! The conditions were fantastic and the trees were loaded with soft, soft newly fallen snow. By noon, lift lines were non-existent. I love Super-bowl Sunday!