Snowsports Are Great in March

PHOTO: Winter is going to tell Spring that there is plenty of winter left to enjoy in March. Charlie Gunn is cross country skate skiing at Bretton Woods Nordic with Mount Eisenhower’s snow capped summit seen in the distance. The skiing felt like Spring but it looked like Winter! Check out BrettonWoods.com for their latest snow conditions report.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

March is the month where Winter meets Spring and they fight it out. Surely there is one more big snowstorm coming.
Right?
This Saturday, March 20 at 5:37 am is when calendar Winter officially ends and Spring begins with the arrival of the vernal equinox.
Thankfully the trails are still covered with snow. Spring snow is fun and it is fun that the days are longer and the sun feels warmer. Even if your lawn is bare there is plenty of snowsport action to be had in New Hampshire.
March is the ideal time to learn to ski or snowboard. The warmer weather and softer snow of spring is most welcoming for novices. The resorts’ snowsport schools would love to see you take a lesson.

Cross country skiing is still going strong. Charlie and I went for a big loop at Bretton Woods Nordic and it still felt like mid winter. There is lots of snow in the woods and the big views of the Presidential Mountains are still white capped.
Congratulations to UNH! Last week the University of New Hampshire hosted colleges from across the country for the NCAA Ski Championships. The last time UNH hosted the championships was in 2017 and they stepped up to do it again this year. Middlebury College was originally scheduled to be the host school but chose not to participate in athletics this season due to the virus. Other notable schools that did not race this season included Dartmouth College.

The Nordic events were held at Jackson XC and skiers kicked and glided up and over the hills of The Wave Trail near the Eagle Mountain House. These college athletes are fast and strong and most happy to be able to have had the championships. The races were held without spectators but we did watch the races on-line. While the racing went on at Jackson XC other cross country skiers enjoyed the tracks along the Ellis River and beyond probably unaware the elite race was being held.

UNH hosted the alpine events at Cannon Mountain. The Giant Slalom and Slalom events were held on the Mittersill slopes also without spectators. The NCAA provided live on-line coverage of all the events. Cannon’s has over 70 trails open so like at Jackson most people probably went about their ski and snowboard day without knowing about the racing.
Bria and I decided we would spring for the INDY SPRING PASS and hit the slopes hard this month. The Indy Spring Pass, purchased at IndySkiPass.com, is just $149 and provides two days at 63 resorts nationwide plus 25% off a third day. Since most of us aren’t traveling out of state it is still a great deal for New Hampshire skiers and riders. Pats Peak, Waterville Valley and Black Mountain have no blackout days for the rest of the season. Cannon Mountain is also included but is weekday only and requires reservations. Hint – Indy Pass reservations for Cannon are made by going to their website and clicking on MENU.

I am not even going to mention Vermont Indy pass resorts and boy there are some good ones (yah like Jay Peak and Magic Mountain) but their restrictive Covid Q rules prevent most NH and ME residents from day tripping there.
Maine welcomes NH residents for day trips and the Indy Pass includes Saddleback Mountain.
We hope to get there too sometime this spring.
Winter is too short. Ski now, work later.
Have Fun.