According to the calendar, spring will arrive March 19, which tells us absolutely nothing about when spring-skiing conditions will appear 

We have had some spring-skiing moments and we might get more snow.  Obviously, ski conditions vary with temperatures, but its other ways that demand our attention.

Typical March weather gives us freezing nights and warm days, which means we start the day on frozen surfaces and make our last runs in heavy wet snow. In between we can have some fine skiing with loose wet granular surfaces.  Of course, this doesn’t describe the inconsistent conditions we find throughout the day.  

With today’s power tillers, we can count on plenty of corduroy surfaces as we start the day.  Start skiing in the sun and follow it around the mountain.  Be aware that surfaces change from sun to shade and bare spots can appear in the time it takes to get back up the lift There is no way such obstacles can be marked by the ski patrol, which doesn’t know where they are going to appear next.

Spring conditions certainly arrived this past week when daytime highs hit the 60s. Temperatures this high demand we get out as early as possible to find soft surfaces but not the three or four inches of heavy, wet snow.

Now that spring conditions are here, are your skis ready?  Most of my runs this season have been on good snow with plenty of cover, and the skis have held up well.  That being said, I did hit one trail without a man-made base, and when I checked my skis later, I found the edges were burred in places.  I fixed this with a diamond stone and polished them with a gummy stone. I cleaned the base of the old wax and applied a fresh coat of universal wax with a wide temperature range suitable for warmer conditions. 

Check your skis for spring.

Your skis may need only a tune up. At the very least, the bases should be cleaned of old wax and a fresh coat for higher temperatures applied. Your shop should have an appropriate wax ready for each day. Hope for freezing nights so it doesn’t get too soft and heavy too early in the day.

TEST RESULTS ARE IN

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the PSPA (Professional Ski Patrol Association) test at Sunday River following a pre-course there. I returned for the exam, curious about the results and interested in comparing the current exam with the one I passed years ago.  Unfortunately, the skiing portion of the test was mostly blown away by high winds, which prevented operation of many lifts. The first-aid portion went on as scheduled and I got to sit in on the examiners evaluation of the results. I didn’t expect to be introduced as a patroller, who passed the test in 1977.  One of the examiners called me a rookie. He had passed the test in 1976.  The rest of the 18 examiners, except for a few in the 80s, joined PSPA in the 90s or after 2000. They obviously represented a significant depth of experience and training.

Listening to a problem facing the candidates at their station from a pair of examiners from Killington, I was glad I took the exam years ago.  It also helped me understand why only one of the 10 candidates passed.  Tucker Brown, a veteran patrolman at Sunday River, will go on to take the ski and toboggan portion in hopes of becoming fully certified.  The NSP (National Ski Patrol) version of this exam will take place at Sugarloaf 3/19/21. This is something that stood out to me. I saw as many NSP badges as PSPA badges among the examiners and several wearing both.  This level of cooperation didn’t exist when I was involved, although I was certified by both.  This has developed over the years as NSP has an officer in charge of working with the professionals.

The exam includes a 100-question written section, which requires an 85 to pass.  The exam is tough and demanding as it should be.  Each candidate, who failed, was able to see his or her score and discuss which scenarios they needed to work on with their examiners.  This not only means they will have a better chance at passing another time, but they will take their experience back to their patrols and improve that patrol’s performance. It was good to see that the exam was a learning process, not just a test. Congratulations to Tucker Brown.

I also congratulate the team and skiers at Shawnee Peak. An employee, Mark Burch, has been diagnosed and is being treated for cancer.  The area put on a benefit spaghetti dinner to help with medical and other expenses. Over 500 dinners were served and $8,000 raised. This is an example of the closeness of the Shawnee Peak team and its skiers.

The next big event is the 70th birthday party for the Sugarloaf Ski Club next Saturday night in the King Pine Room in the Base Lodge.  Reservations are required with details at www.sugarloaf.com.  

The latest forecast I saw was calling for freezing nights next week,  which means we could have some very good skiing conditions. 

See you on the slopes.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer and columnist who hails from Westbrook. He has been contributing to the Sun Journal for many years and is among the most respected ski writers in the Northeast. He also is a member of the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. Write to him at DaveiSkiGolf@aol.com. 

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