Searching for the King of Spring

Skiing in May means traveling a little further when you’re based in downstate NY. For most of us, the ultimate late-season pilgrimage is to Mount Washington. Or if you have the money, I’m sure Mammoth, Mount Hood, or Alaska would provide a nice trip. With more limited finances and an oddball sense of fun, I decided to say goodbye to two more eastern resorts I really appreciate, Stowe and Sugarbush, both located in northern Vermont.

Both mountains provide some of the best experiences that the East Coast can offer. Deep light snow, endless trees, generous vertical and great views. I’d have to settle for the latter three, because although a few inches of fresh had fallen (you can see how clean it is in the troughs of the moguls at the Bush compared to the older snow), skiing last weekend basically meant riding the fake snow at the higher elevations.

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Closing Day at Hunter 2011

Closing day is a complicated event for most die-hard skiers. Every spring, when people start talking about sunny 70-degree weather, truly passionate skiers have trouble getting excited about it, in April or May, or even June.

Regardless of the weather, closing day always does offer some closure, like an outdoor group therapy session. It’s wishing away the upcoming warm weather, sharing beers with strangers, Chinese downhills to get a last chair before closing, and my personal favorite, cheap tickets.

Hunter was talking about closing April 10th, or possibly hanging on for another week if the rain didn’t hit. The party day was apparently on Saturday, with the annual pond skimming and true blue bird conditions, but most were hoping for another week.

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Plattekill Mountain, NY: 4/2/11

My first trip to Plattekill Mountain dates to the 2000 ski season. I was living in Dutchess County at the time, and they kept reporting astonishing totals.

Plattekill Mountain NY.

Finally, I decided to head over at the last minute to find that the snow was indeed bountiful, and even my late arrival didn’t preclude me from claiming fresh lines all over the place.

I rode until they turned the lifts off and after I left, I told everyone I could find about this gem in the Catskills with a consistent fall line and the most luxurious natural snow I had ever experienced in New York.

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