If the weather cooperates, we could still be riding lifts to ski until the first of May.

At least that’s the goal of both Sunday River and Sugarloaf. Unlike a year ago when both areas had abundant snow and were close to 100 percent open at the first of April, a number of trails and glades are closed this year.

But trail counts are deceiving. For example, last weekend Sunday River listed 86 of 129 trails open, but those trails had 33 miles of skiing and 469 acres — a higher percentage of their total terrain than indicated by the trail count. Sugarloaf had less than half their trails, but 29 miles of skiing on 373 acres. The reason is that all the major snowmaking trials are open. What’s missing are the shorter less used runs, so there is still plenty of skiing.

As usual this time of year, all reports are for spring conditions. Surface conditions vary with time of day and location on the mountain, from sun light to shadow and even from one run to the next as temperatures climb.

Years ago, when we rode a lot of T-bars, one of the biggest problems in spring skiing was picking up grease from the T-bar track as the melting snow concentrated it. Today, with almost all chair lifts, that’s not much of a problem, although on some runs the melting snow will expose pitch from fir trees that has built up in the snow.

For this reason, always clean your skis well before rewaxing for warmer temperatures. If you do run into this problem, do not use any petroleum based cleaner as it will deteriorate the ski base. Use a citrus based cleaner and carry some wax, either rub on or some of the packets of wipe on waxes. You can also take your skis into the shop where they should have the proper base cleaner and wax.

While we have a few more weeks of lift service, skiing this is the time of year when many skiers start thinking of a different ski adventure, and here in Western Maine we’re not far from Mount Washington and Tuckerman Ravine. I must admit that it has been many years since I made that annual pilgrimage, but I have great memories of days spent in that unique place.

In the 1970s, when I lived on Paris Hill, I could drive to the end of our street and look over at the Northeast’s tallest mountain. If the snowfields were gleaming in the sun, we headed out. Now, thanks to the internet, there are several sources for information on the Ravine and up-to-date weather reports. My favorite is www.friendsoftuckermanravine.org. There are links to the forest service and advice on dress and preparation for skiing in the Ravine and other places on Mount Washington.

If you have never skied on Mount Washington, I can relay the basics. The first requirement is a sturdy, properly fitted comfortable pair of hiking boots. Understand that you will likely start the hike up the fire trail on bare ground, As you climb, it will become wet from melting snow, and at some point you, will be hiking in snow. It’s 2½ miles and 3,000 vertical feet to the Hermit Lake shelter and another half mile over a rocky snow covered path to the floor of Tuckerman Ravine.

Don’t attempt this climb unless you are in good physical condition. My program in my climbing days was running two miles a day, and I made the climb in Limmer fitted hiking boots. A pack frame is the best way to carry skis and boots and you’re going to have to carry food, drinks and clothing. You might make the hike in a T-shirt, but in a single day in June we experienced, sunshine, rain, sleet and snow. I have skied in the snowfields when a flannel shirt was adequate, but if we stepped a few feet up into the wind, a parka was needed. Fortunately, the bowl is out of the wind and tends to warm nicely in the sun.

There is another aspect not experienced at our lift served areas here in the East, avalanches. Back in February, I noticed a headline, “Maine skier caught in Avalanche.”

I read on to see where out west he was skiing. He was one of those rare skiers who brave Tuckerman in winter instead of waiting for warmer weather and friendlier conditions. He was only buried to the waist and didn’t suffer serious injury, but his skis were still under the snow and he probably won’t see them until late May. The reason Tuckerman has so much snow is the same reason the avalanche danger is so high. The prevailing west winds scour the snow off the bare rocks of the snowfields and deposit it in the Ravine, often building cornices over the Left Gully, the Chute (This skier was below here), the Headwall and the Right Gully. Even a few inches of late spring snow can build one of these deadly cornices. The big bulletin board at the AMC HQ will advise of the conditions on the mountain. If this is the year you choose to experience Tuckerman for some of the most challenging skiing of your life, do the prep work. Visit the websites and know what’s up there.

Finally, a word on storing your gear for the summer. Most important are the boots. Take the liners out and make sure everything dries completely, buckle as you ski them and store in a cool dry place out of the sun. I tune my skis and iron in a coat of base prep wax, which I don’t scrape, leaving the full coat to protect the base. Like the boots they should be stored in a cool dry place, not touching a concrete floor.

Do this and you’ll be ready to go in the fall when I’ll be back. Have a great summer.

Copy the Story Link