Somehow it doesn’t seem as if we’ve had enough skiing this winter to be thinking about spring conditions, but St. Patrick’s Day is only four days away, and we’ve had some spring skiing weather almost once a week since the first of the year.

A year ago, we were buried in snow both in the mountains and at home, and we were thinking the ski season would continue into May. This year, with Easter coming early, the final day of the season will end for several areas March 27. There will be skiing into April, but the threat of an early end means we need to get out and ski every day we can this month. The good news, thanks to snowmaking, we still have plenty of skiing, and with freezing nights, we can count on some good conditions.

A number of areas are still making snow, which is almost unheard of in March. Most ski areas try to wrap up their snowmaking by February vacation, but this year, with all the thaw-freeze cycles, areas have been forced to make snow to resurface trails and cover bare spots whenever temperatures allow.

What everyone hopes for this time of year are warm days and freezing nights. I say everyone because that’s best for making the sap run and it’s best for spring skiing. It’s also best for keeping the spring runoff under control. If the snow melts gradually without a sudden thaw and heavy rain, we won’t have floods. That’s why cold nights and warm days are best for everyone, and for skiers, it means firm surfaces in the early morning, which will soften during the day.

If it doesn’t freeze overnight, the snow will be heavy and turn to slush during the day. So plan your days according to the temperatures. If you have to scrape your windshield before heading out, that’s a good sign.

When I watched the video on MPBN “1000 Feet and Below”, I couldn’t miss how many times Mt. Abram general manager Dave Scanlan appeared. Dave made a good case for the importance of smaller ski areas in the future of skiing and his area is an example of how that dynamic works. Last weekend, I visited Mt. Abram and was pleasantly surprised at how good the skiing was. With all the thaws and rain, it’s been a real challenge to maintain good skiing surfaces. I knew the area had made heavy investments in snowmaking, both in terms of capacity and new snow guns that produce higher quality snow. Their use was evident in the depth I observed on the trails and the surfaces. I also learned they had picked up about five inches of new snow before it turned to rain. Being open only on weekends allowed them to let the snow dry before grooming and the results were great.

As I do at most areas, I made my first run on an easy intermediate trail, in this case Dudley-Do-Right and found smooth packed powder. The conditions were the same on Boris, where gates were set for the Mountain Dew Race — the free race series that travels to areas all over New England and skiers can qualify for the finals later in the season. This is a race for all ages, with loads of prizes and giveaways that brings a big party to the host area, and Mt. Abram skiers were enthusiastically joining in.

After a few runs on the main mountain, I traversed over to West Side to get a look at the new Pavilion, a separate building built to ease the crowding in the base lodge. It was busy and warm with a roof and large windows that let in the sun. I also got a chance to talk with ski instructor Mario Furtado and watch as one group after another came in after the morning lessons. Other instructors were busy working with children riding the magic carpet in front of the lodge. West Side is as good a learning area as exists anywhere. The gentle pitch of no more than 10 degrees is perfect making it easy for new skiers to control their speed. Being completely separated from the trails on the main mountain, beginners aren’t intimidated by faster skiers flying by.

Another advantage of Mt. Abram is having some easy runs from the top. After learning to control their speed on West Side, new skiers can go to the top and make an easy transition to Dudley, with its wide slopes. This is the kind of area portrayed in documentary where skiers can enter the sport on terrain they can handle and on a reasonable budget.

I learned that with the increased capacity the mountain had had 52 snow guns operating at once. They also had their earliest opening day ever, Dec. 5. In the base lodge, I ran into Tim Hutchisen, a longtime race coach who works with Mt. Abram’s race program, and he told me about the new race trail which eventually will leave all of Boris for recreational skiers.

Summer plans call for expanding snow making on this trail and others while smoothing other new runs. A new base lodge to replace or expand on the giant steel framed tent now in use is being planned but no decision has been made as to timing. One thing that couldn’t be missed on arriving was the huge solar array just below the parking lot. This has provided a lot of the electricity for all that snow making, a key factor in keeping costs within limits. It was nice to see things moving along at Mt. Abram and they are planning on skiing until Easter.

See you on the slopes.

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