By Kris at SkiMaven.com, the Vermont skiing blog
Die-hard skiers were truly tested this winter in Vermont. While snowmaking saved the day for alpine skiing, times were tough for backcountry and cross-country skiing. We just didn't get great storms and if we did get snow it was often followed by melting temperatures or rain.
My husband, the Skimeister, and I do all forms of skiing in different settings (trails in the woods, Nordic centers, alpine ski resorts) , so we were definitely hurting at times. We love variety and this winter we couldn't mix things up as much because the snow didn't pile up consistently. The base of natural snow refused to grow.
We tried to rearrange our work schedule to capitalize on fresh snow. In many cases we needed to get out on new snow before it disappeared.
We rejoiced in any fluff we found.
Then — suddenly — it turned to winter at the end of March and into April. Old Man Winter was late, but we were glad to see him!
We wanted to make the most of the fresh snow, so we skinned and skied on closed ski area trails. Why? Because they had a bit of a base underneath the new, soft snow. And we craved more of the un-rushed experience of earning our turns.
So was this ski season challenging? Yes, especially for Nordic and backcountry skiing which rely heavily on natural snow.
Was it a disaster? We can't say that. With some dogged determination, and the benefit of snowmaking at the downhill ski resorts, we found ourselves some great turns and beautiful winter days for playing outside.
And next year is bound to be snowier!
Credits:
© 2016 SkiMaven.com. The Vermont skiing blog.