Spring Skiing: Love it or hate it?

[Skisistah]

Am mixed - who doesn't love a perfect blue sky overlooking their run and a nice forgiving bump? Unfortunately, I'm an early morning skier (because of work) so its not reaching optimum mashed potato consistency until I'm doing my last run :-(

I'm a fan of cold temps that keep the snow nice for days on end, maintain the powder stashes in the trees, and keep the crowds away!

In the end - I'll ski whenver, wherever!

 

[ScottishGirlie]

I love it all!

Scottish ski-ing can be a bit hit and miss at times so I love it whatever, as slong as it is pretty much white and still slippy!!

Skied my birthday one year in Scotland towards the end of May. It was hard work on the legs but I loved every last minute of it!!

 

[Kiwi Ski Girl]

I love spring skiing! I like the varied conditions and even the slush. When the sun is out, it feels like being at the beach!

Same here! Nothing better than being able to ski in a tee shirt on a calm Spring day.

 

[oragejuice]

I love being able to ski in just a hoodie, or t-shirt. All the layers drive me nuts sometimes. And I love spring snow, as long as its not sticky, it's actually nice to my knees!

 

[ski now work later]

This is my first year doing any spring skiing, and the jury's still out for me. I love the warm temps and the relaxed vibe, but the sticky snow makes me uneasy and I'm afraid one ski will stick, another will go, and my knee will take the brunt, so I'm skiing more defensively (read "poorly") and getting tired out easily.

My Auras are definitely the ski of choice for me in these conditions. I skied my Pearls today and they weren't bad, but the Auras can handle the ice under slush really well and are powerful enough to plow though anything. I didn't know they would be so useful for Spring skiing so I'm grateful to have them in my quiver. Oddly enough I am more comfortable skiing switch in spring snow than forward, but only on the easier trails.

And it is so great to be warm and comfy on the lifts especially where I am this week (Smuggler's Notch with loooong doubles that are not high speed). I've never skied here in the Winter and bet it gets awful chilly on a cold and blustery day! I do have mud on my clothes though and it's funny to hear birds singing while I ski down a trail avoiding slush puddles and bare spots.

 

[Delawhere]

Any day that I am outside rather than inside doing housework etc. is a great day!!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Was a total party atmosphere at Sugarloaf today, the base area fondly referred to as "The Beach." Mixed feelings here, this is TOO EARLY FOR THIS!
BKH319, Mr B and I were reminiscing today while riding the Timberline lift to the summit of days of yore when it was 10 below zero on that lift and we didn't think we would survive the ride. I don't think we saw +20 for the entire month of January.
And now this....

 

[ZealouslyB]

This weekend a group of friends and I were at Sunday River for 80's day on Saturday. We had this same conversation. We agreed that the cool thing about spring skiing (at least in the East) is that the mentality is different. People are more about having fun than just getting runs in. It's warm so the layers come off, you're more likely to chat with people as you don't have to cover every square centimeter of your skin. People seem to enjoy the skiing more because maybe the conditions aren't super- so you find other ways to make it fun. And you know the season is winding down, so instead of taking advantage of the snow, you make the best of it 'cuz you don't know if it's the last day you'll get in.

I personally love spring skiing because it's the best time to ski bumps. Nice, soft bumps. I like being able to wear fun gear; I love the parties (Parrothead, Reggae Fest, pond skimming/Snodeos, Bust n' Burn, etc). And I love getting a tan on the deck...... it's a bit different out West where you can enjoy that kind of weather and skiing all year. In the East we savor it come March/April.

 

[badger]

spring

When the first Spring slush sucked me into a sudden HALT, I decided it was time to ski over to the tune shop and have the bases conditioned for the slurp. This slight textural difference allows the water to disperse more effectively and makes the skiing much easier!

Yeah, I enjoy the warmer days and the slalom-developing skills created with patchy, rocky terrain.
What I am not too crazy about is that crusty frozen slope where the "snow" looks like the primary "crumb layer" of frosting on a cake. I have difficulty getting those edges in, but there again, more skill development!

Yesterday I was riding the chairlift and glanced to the side over the trees and watched the top half of a skiier coming down; the spray from his turns was so laden with water it seemd as if he were skiing through a river of crystal...quite beautiful.

 

[mtnbikegirl]

It's good if I remember to pick the proper weapon of choice. I choose poorly today (Should I run the groomer ski or pull out the fat sticks? Fat sticks won and my knees lost. It was overkill.)

 

[nopoleskier]

I'm mixed. I love the warmer temps. And I love how the snow gets nice and soft in the bumps, so I can get in there and practice with NO ICE!

But I hate when the snow turns all gloppy and sticky and it's a mess to ski in. I hate seeing the bare patches emerge. And the prospect of the end of the season depresses me.

What about you?

Mixed feelings, Love the longer days, warm sun, it's so nice to wear sunglasses, light jackets, I love playing in the soft stuff, But once the dreaded sticky 'over the handle bars' snow happens, it hurts my old knees, as does bashing thru the 'seas of corn'. And seeing the snow melt and look dirty is verrrrry depressing to me.

 

[missyd]

I love skiing in warmer (spring) weather. But if the snow gets sticky its not that fun anymore ....

 

[pinto]

Love it. Also love fall skiing, winter skiing, and summer skiing.

 

[Christy]

Reading the Mother's Day A Basin thread, with everyone raving about soft snow, made me wonder, is this just something I will learn to like (or at least learn to ski better in) when I'm a better skier? I hate soft snow and ski so badly in it, but I'm not an expert either.

 

[kentish]

I love the warmer temps and less crowdy trails. As long the snow is still skiable, I'm down