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Which do you prefer: early or late season skiing?

slyfox4

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hard question to answer. I love the excitement of the beginning of the season...fresh snow, all your friends are amped to be skiing. But I also love the warm sun on my face and the lighter days of spring skiing. By that time most of my friends are sick of the snow but I keep my fingers crossed for one more snow storm!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For a trip out west that has to be planned well in advance, I much prefer late season. Meaning after the middle of March and into April. Late season in the Mid-Atlantic or the northeast is based on a last minute decision so can be fun but usually only for a day or two. Catching one of the big storms at Jiminy Peak the first week of March this season was great fun. About 20 inches and I could get into ski in/out lodging making a decision about 24 hours before I arrived.

Early season days before Christmas week were great at Massanutten when my daughter was learning. Rates were low, slopes and the ski school classes were relatively empty and it wasn't really that cold. All we needed was a few green/blue groomers to be open.

I've been enjoying early season ski safaris in the northeast in recent years. Especially when I can meet up with Divas. In late Nov and early Dec, it's not about the skiing. I'm in tourist mode and mostly interested in checking out places I've read about but never been to before. Even the one day at Killington the Monday before Thanksgiving when only the gondola and one chair was open was worth the drive.

If my time were more limited, I would save days for late season skiing over early season in general.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hard question to answer. I love the excitement of the beginning of the season...fresh snow, all your friends are amped to be skiing. But I also love the warm sun on my face and the lighter days of spring skiing.

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newboots

Angel Diva
Agreed. . . Just Say No to the WROD. At Killington, the last trail in the spring is Superstar. I suppose if it's soft enough I could give it a try, but it's a challenging, long, bumpy black diamond. With mud patches in the spring!

But early spring (now) has plenty of mountain still open. I have to do some skiing in it before I can figure out if I like it. Last year I remember it as grabbing my skis, releasing my bindings, and getting me wet as I fell repeatedly. I'll bet I can do better this year!

I did sneak Sprocket into the Umbrella Bar at the lodge. He was fine in the car while I took a run, and then made everybody happy out in the sun. He stays in the dog carrier most of the time.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
Interestingly, I am probably way more excited about that first day out in the season - WROD and all. Yet, the skiing in late season is generally better because so much more is open. I think at the end of the season, skiing is a plus that I enjoy but I don't feel the need that I do for day one of the season.
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I tend to like later in the season than earlier in the season. There tends to be more still open later. I don't really do extreme early season or extreme late season though. This year was the first year I ever skied in November for example and that was only because we had such a cold snap early on, they were able to open a fair bit and I was able to go on a mid week day.
For me "late season" generally consists of mid-late april. Once it gets too soupy and wet it seems like a recipe to get injured.
Unfortunately I decided to be done a bit early this year, since it was supposed to be raining in VT this weekend and I'll be away the next 2 weekends, so that is it for me this year.
 

racetiger

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
All season? I did like the late season because of the nice warm sun shining on my face and making dark parts of my clothing nice and warm
 

skibum4ever

Angel Diva
IMHO early season = obstacles.

The coverage on the runs that are open seems to be better in late season.

So my vote is for late season ... Not that I don't look forward avidly to opening day.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
So my vote is for late season ... Not that I don't look forward avidly to opening day.
I should note that I adjusted my travel schedule in order to ski for a few hours on Opening Day at Massanutten, my little home mountain in northern VA. It didn't happen until Dec. 15, 2017 but they were able to open with a lot more terrain than usual because of cold weather and increased water supply. The bonus was that I met up with a friend.

Any day skiing with friends is a good day, regardless of snow conditions or limited terrain. :smile:
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
No question: late season. Warm temps, soft snow, and a laid-back atmosphere are just so enjoyable. I'm kind of bummed that New England had dead-of-winter conditions right up until yesterday, and now heavy rain so I sort of missed out on true spring skiing this year. Unless it's still to come!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
@SallyCat - Still to come!

Dear BF's brothers were skiing today, in the freezing rain. But you know how it is; they live in Connecticut. I think we will have a few great corn days coming up.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
We lucked out yesterday, no rain/ice here in NY But it's here this morning.
About 30 of us that came out skiing were rewarded with still cold temps but beautiful corn snow..

@SallyCat Spring skiing is still coming to Killington, I hope I can make some runs w/you in light clothes! The April forecast doesn't look to warm though! Maybe May it will be Spring????
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
We lucked out yesterday, no rain/ice here in NY But it's here this morning.
About 30 of us that came out skiing were rewarded with still cold temps but beautiful corn snow..

@SallyCat Spring skiing is still coming to Killington, I hope I can make some runs w/you in light clothes! The April forecast doesn't look to warm though! Maybe May it will be Spring????

I'm hoping for May skiing for sure!
 

SkiBam

Angel Diva
Early season is fun because it's great to be back on skis, but late season can be excellent. Spring season is great and so far this season, we've had one whole day of it - last Friday when it was glorious. Since then, temps have dropped and now we're "enjoying" an ice storm! Yay. Tremblant is opening for an extra two days next weekend and the forecast looks promising for some warmer temps.
 

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