Spring skiing has its benchmark dates, but this year they come too close together. Most years we consider St. Patrick’s Day as the official kickoff for the spring skiing season. We may have spring conditions before March 17, but that day sets the tone for the continual party that constitutes spring skiing.

The following three weeks are normally filled with various spring events, and the climax is Easter weekend. This year, with Easter coming just six days after the Irish celebration, everything is thrown off. And skiers who consider Easter the closing of the season could be off by a month.

The snow that has been piling up since the beginning of the season has changed plans for a number of ski areas. Connie King at Lost Valley told me that instead of wrapping up the season in mid-March as usual, the area will operate daily until March 16 and weekends until March 30. The usual Snodeo celebration will take place on March 16 with a mechanical bull, pond skimming and other events. The extended season means Lost Valley will be able to celebrate Easter with an egg hunt and Bonnet Parade.

Sunday River has a big day planned for Easter, starting with a Sunrise Service at the top of the Barker lift at 6:45 a.m. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for an egg hunt, and there will be other activities.

Saddleback has a family fun day planned for the 15, with an egg hunt and other activities scheduled for Easter Sunday.

Shawnee Peak has a full weekend with Slush Cup and BBQ Saturday and an egg hunt Easter Sunday along with other activities, and the deck and patio are expected to be filled with revelers.

At Sugarloaf, the activity plate is especially full. Along with the usual Easter festivities, including a costume parade with prizes in a number of categories with the snazziest Easter bonnet at the top of the list, the resort is hosting the U.S. National Alpine Championships March 19-26. Next week, we’ll have a preview of the event with a look at Maine skiers involved.

At Mt. Abram, Eric Anderson said, “If the snow stays here, we’ll stay open as long as the people keep coming.” That echoes the unspoken word of most ski area operators. We can expect the snow to last well into April, but if there aren’t enough skiers around to make it pay, the areas will close. There is one thing that could keep skiers coming longer than usual. Most years we see the snow cover gone in southern regions and along the coast well before the end of March, but this year the golf courses are still well-covered and no one’s saying it’s time to rake the yard. With all this snow still in the backyard, we might as well keep skiing.

And this is a great time of year to ski. Not only is the snow deep on and off the trails, but the sun is high, the light is good all day, and we can shed those heavy clothes. It’s time for sunscreen and sunglasses and time to enjoy the celebration that is spring skiing.

It’s also a time for a lot of special events as ski areas entertain deck loungers with activities such as pond skimming. For a calendar, check www.skimaine.com.

Remembering Paul Robbins

Planning trips for events such as the National Championships always involves anticipating getting together with old friends who cover these competitions for other publications, and one whose presence was always certain was Paul Robbins. As chief correspondent for the U.S. Ski Team, Robbins covered events all over the world, and his presence in the newsroom was reassuring. He could answer any questions about any athletes saving the rest of us a lot of time. I was looking forward to seeing him once again when I received an e-mail from Tom Kelly, VP with the team.

While working at his home in Vermont writing releases on the team’s results in events all over the world, Robbins died of an apparent heart attack Feb. 23. You may not have heard of Paul Robbins, but if you follow skiing at all, you have surely read his words. He started writing about ski racing in the late 70s and served as the primary writer for the team for more than two decades.

Even if you didn’t read the ski magazines or Ski Racing, it would have been difficult to avoid his reports right here in these pages. That’s because the Sun Journal picks up reports from the Associated Press, and those coming from the team were written by Robbins. While the rest of us at a race would wrap things up quickly, he would write up the race he was at, then go to work gathering results from other teams in different time zones. While we were off to dinner, he would continue working.

I last saw Robbins at the press conference in Portland when Kirsten Clark announced her retirement. He was wearing his trademark rainbow colored Scottish Tam and his words of praise for “Clarky” were high indeed. And it was a two-way street. Robbins adored the athletes, and they loved him in return. Tom Kelly has a blog and the praise for Robbins has come from athletes, coaches and fellow writers from around the world. Paul Robbins set the standard for covering ski racing, and the press room at Sugarloaf will seem empty without him.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.