Whatever might be under the tree, those of us who ski already have the best possible present.
Having plenty of snow to try out those Christmas skis can be iffy, indeed. That’s why ski area operators run their snow guns whenever temperatures and conditions allow, starting in November or early December, all to insure skiing for the week ahead.
A busy vacation week can set the stage for a solid season, a poor week means making up for the lost business over the rest of the season and praying for a solid vacation week in February. The saying is that an old farmer stated of the ski business, “A man is a damn fool to go into partnership with Mother Nature.”
Snowmaking has alleviated a lot of that risk, but temperatures still must be cold.
This year’s early snow has taken a lot of the pressure off, especially for the big areas that have been open for weeks and had record business over Thanksgiving. That’s money in the bank, and we have enough snow to provide plenty of skiing for Christmas vacation.
Of course, this week’s warm-up and rain have hurt our present, but with all the money spent by ski areas in recent years, it’s possible to recover quickly after any thaw. Forecasts are for a return to colder temperatures that will stay low for at least the first half of this week — a good sign for a quick recovery.
Until this latest warm-up, all ski areas were set to be open from this weekend on. Most will take Christmas day off, but you can try out those new skis at Sunday River and Sugarloaf on the big day. The rest will be open Monday and again Wednesday for the rest of the vacation. Those hills with limited regular schedules will have weekend hours for the vacation.
How many trails we have will depend, of course, on temperatures the rest of the vacation period. If the weather cooperates, we can expect trail counts to increase through the week.
Where to get your snow fix
Years ago, we used to check the newspapers for ski reports. For years we listened to them on radio and television, and I have to admit that I was one of those who broadcast those reports. Today, we can go online and get the very latest conditions updated on a regular basis. I receive emails each day from a number of resorts. Some send out conditions while others include upcoming events. There are also a number of websites that email information.
One is SKI Magazine. I assume this goes to anyone who has furnished an email address when subscribing to the magazine. I’m sure many receive a subscription simply by attending the Boston Ski Show and others across the country. Often films, such as Warren Miller’s, offer free subscriptions to attendees who sign up. All I know is that I receive the magazine and its emails. One that comes weekly is Halley O’Brien’s ski reports. These are more about her humorous take than a serious look at conditions, but they are entertaining. Others from SKI include articles from the magazine. You can probably get them by going to www.skimag.com.
Another interesting website is www.realskiers.com. The force behind this one is one of the sport’s true veterans. Jackson Hogen calls himself the Pontiff of Powder, and his musings are always interesting.
Jackson has worked in almost every aspect of the ski industry, from instruction to product development, and understands the technical side of equipment better than most. He has also run some of the largest and most thorough equipment testing guides for magazines, including Snow Country when that magazine was at its peak.
This is one you can sign up for, and if you pay for a subscription Jackson will actually answer your questions. Having skied with Hogen at an equipment introduction for Atomic years back, I can attest to his skiing expertise. This is a website worth checking out.
Now in its fifth year, www.seniorsskiing.com is a source for a lot more than senior skiers. While that is their primary focus, many of their articles are interesting to all skiers.
This past week, the site published a list of 145 ski areas in the U.S. and Canada. Here in Maine, seven areas are listed. Unlike those AARP mailers that offer memberships to anyone older than 50, ski areas make us wait a bit longer. The youngest in Maine is at Camden, where 70 years is the age for free skiing. Big Rock and Black Mountain offer free skiing starting at 75; 80 and over ski free at Mount Abram, Sunday River and Sugarloaf.
Over in New Hampshire, state owned Cannon has free skiing at 65. Smell any politics there? At Bretton Woods, Cranmore, King Pine and Loon the age is 80. While I didn’t spend a lot of time with the Vermont list, I couldn’t miss Sugarbush, where the age for free skiing is 90-plus. I don’t know how many takers they have, but last winter at Shawnee Peak, I saw a skier with a patch on his parka “90-plus Club.” On its website I didn’t find any free skiing at Shawnee Peak, but “Super Seniors” 76-plus can buy a season pass for $200. Obviously, the Seniors Skiing website lists only those areas offering free skiing after a certain age. A check of ski areas’ websites will show many ways to save on lift tickets.
Returning to last week’s topic, you can get a preview of the Maine Olympic Skiers Exhibit at the Ski Museum on Bill Green’s Maine Christmas Eve. To see it in person, and perhaps talk with some of the Olympians, be at the Kingfield Museum next Friday from 6-8 p.m. when it will be unveiled.
Enjoy the week on the slopes and Merry Christmas.
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