Snow Much Fun!
PHOTO: Charlie enjoying the first day of the new ski season in Franconia, NH. The October snow has long melted but it will return soon. It isn’t too early to get your winter gear ready for winter. Season passes at the ski resorts and Nordic centers are on sale right now–don’t wait until the prices go up at the end of the month.
by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer
Getting ski-able snow in October is not that unusual. Most years in October there has been fast grass in our yard with just enough white stuff so we could kick and glide a little before the sun quickly melted it away.
But this snowstorm was unusual! It was unusual because the snow was ski-able for two days, not just one morning. There was also a lot of snow; from the valley floor to the top of the mountains the depth ranged from 3 inches to a foot.
Saturday we could barely believe our eyes. Charlie and I pulled our old no-wax skis out of the basement and dug our ski boots out of the closet and dressed quickly. It was cloudy and warm, well above freezing. When we stepped on the snow it compressed and compacted nicely.
Perfect conditions for cross-country skiing.
We kicked and gilded all over our yard, leaving behind nice tracks in the snow soft sticky snowman building snow. We headed out on our trails and skied all over our neighbors’ fields and yards. What a joy it was to have a strong kick and good glide.
Gliding on skis feels ageless. Letting gravity pull me down a slope has felt wonderfully the same every ski season. If you don’t ski, maybe you have the same feeling riding a bicycle down a hill. But skis are on my feet not something I sit on to ride. I feel fast and free.
I haven’t been on skis since last April. Charlie and I skied around for almost two hours and that was plenty for our legs.
Meanwhile the diehard downhill skiers flocked to the mountains. On social media I saw photo after photo of happy skiers on Cannon, Burke, Waterville and Wildcat. Many had skinned up the slopes and others just post-holed/walked up in the snow carrying their snowboards or skis up the mountain.
Sunday Morning there was still snow left and it was cold and it was firm. The sun was also bright in the sky. We decided to eat breakfast after skiing. We skied in our tracks and we skated all over on the hard smooth snow and the downhills were much faster. But we knew the snow wouldn’t last much longer.
As it warmed up the remaining snow in the trees had become falling big slush bombs. Anyone in the forest would be getting very wet. We stuck to the open fields and enjoyed another good hour of sliding around.
Later in the afternoon I decided to hike Cannon Mountain. I was surprised to see the Echo Lake parking lot completely full. I could see dozens of people standing on Artist’s Bluff’s open ledges.
Cannon’s front five ski trails were all tracked out. Big loopy figure 8’s and wide swirling S’ marked the snow and were the first places to melt down to the grass. I didn’t see anyone but imagined it must have been a sight to see all those skiers and snowboarders out there making turns on Saturday.
When I arrived at the Tramway parking area and the trailhead for the Kinsman Ridge Trail most of the parking spots were filled. I thought the wet conditions would keep more people at home.
I passed by dozens of people that were on their way up and many more making their way down. The slush bombs falling from the trees had pretty much stopped but the trail was covered with packed snow and running water. I wore my hiking boots with the studds in the soles and I used hiking poles to help propel me up the trail.
Nearly everyone I passed commented that the conditions didn’t seem to be slowing me down. I have to say I equally marveled at those people that were wearing sneakers and jeans and somehow slipping and sliding but still making it up and down the mountain in their summer outfits. Everyone was having a good time.
Higher up the wind was blowing hard, roaring loudly and strong. I enjoyed the clear view of the mountains as I picked my way through the rocky open area before reaching the summit. There were many people at the lookout tower so I decided to skip it and go to the top of the ski lift to enjoy the big vista.
The snow was wet and sloppy and squashed down to the ground. As I was hanging out at the top of the Cannonball Quad I spied a lone man carrying a snowboard walking up. He was late to the party but there was probably just enough snow that he’d still enjoy a rough ride.
Think Snow!
