Ski New England

Winter is my favorite season, and this year I've been able to truly experience it more than in any other year so far. Where I've been staying is within 10 miles of the birthplace of skiing within the USA. With all this tradition and history, I had to participate in the classic New England skiing experience.

My first foray into skiing New England style was at Cannon Mountain (seen above) in New Hampshire. This resort boasted one of the first gondolas in the country and hosts a museum dedicated to the history of skiing in the USA. The runs are known for their steep and narrow qualities. (Above is not a good example!) The snow was very fast and a little icy, quite different from what I was used to. Still I had lots of fun experiencing a classic.

In New England it seems that the quality of the skiing is much more dependent on timing of snow storms than out west. My timing was perfect at Burke Mountain (seen above) in Vermont. The snow was comparable to packed powder conditions and was deliciously groomed.

Burke Mountain also had many classic narrow New England style runs (as seen above). Being more isolated from the population centers of the east coast, the resort (thankfully) had minimal crowds even for a weekend. What with beautiful views and crisp air, my day was quite memorable.

Last weekend I went to one of the "big" resorts in the East, Sunday River in Maine (as seen above). Sunday River did have a good deal of terrain for a New England resort. The weather was gorgeous and complimented the beautiful scenery. However, my timing was off. The area had not had a significant snow for a couple of weeks. Worse yet, it had been raining heavily for several days just before my arrival (a common winter occurrence in New England). Consequently the "snow" was often actually grey sheets of ice with occasional dirt and rocks breaking its smooth surface (as seen below).

Overall, I enjoyed practicing holding an edge on New England "snow". Besides, despite the snow conditions, a bad day of skiing is still a day of skiing.

Though it is not on a par with Colorado skiing, I have enjoyed the opportunity to go skiing on any given weekend that I'm not on call. Additionally, I think my technique may have been forced to improve. I guess I'll see in another couple of weeks when I get back to more familiar territory and snow conditions.