Still Spring Skiing

PHOTO: Black Mountain, Jackson NH, held its 90th Birthday celebration on May 3rd. Black Mountain was the last ski area open this spring in New Hampshire. The only other ski areas still spinning their lifts in New England are Killington, Jay Peak and Sugarbush. Who will be the last to close

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

I skied in May! I went to Killington today and skied the whole morning. I plan to ski at Black Mountain again on Saturday, even if it rains. There is a good chance after Saturday I will be putting my skis away for the season. But if it snows again this month…
Spring skiing this year at Killington is different this year. The Superstar chairlift has been removed and is going to be replaced right away. The new lift will be a six-pack and plans are for it to open in December.
Sadly Killington’s World Cup Races that are held on Thanksgiving weekend will not take place at Killington next November. Instead Copper Mountain in Colorado will step up to host the women’s World Cup events. Happily the plan is for the World Cup to return to Killington the following year in 2026.
Spring skiing at Killington has been traditionally held on the steep Superstar Trail. Killington would make tons of deep snow and build the Superstar Glacier and in recent years the ski season lasted until June First. The Superstar lift towers and snowmaking equipment have already been removed from the slopes. Today there were only a few small patches of snow remaining on Superstar.

Spring operations have been moved to Killington Peak and the Canyon Area. I rode the Gondola from the K1 Lodge to the summit and then did laps on the Canyon Quad. The lifts opened at 9 am and at elevation 4000 feet the temperature dropped to freezing the previous night. Ungroomed snow in the shade was firm but in the sunny areas the snow had already become nice soft corn for my first run.
The trails open for spring skiing and snowboarding are expert trails that are steep and have some of the biggest moguls (bumps) you’ll ever see. There is no easy way down the mountain.
Double Dipper is the trail where Killington focused on making their glacier. The snow is deep on this double black diamond trail and they groomed it well. But after just an hour it bumped up big time. East Fall and Downdraft had moguls that weren’t groomed out so it was bump time all the time.
The last time I went skiing at Killington the fun Canyon Quad lift attendants were cooking hot dogs on a barbeque. I asked where the barbeque was today and I was told they had to remove it because a bear was interested in joining the cookout.
People were skiing and snowboarding in shorts and wild shirts. By 10 am it was 60 degrees and the sun felt hot. The snow was getting too soft fast. Bumps and soft snow tired my legs out. I tried to make it to noon but my legs were crying Uncle and I had to quit at 11:30.
I had a fun time and was glad I remembered to put sunscreen on.

The previous Sunday I skied at Black Mountain in Jackson. They were the only ski area still to open in New Hampshire. It was raining like crazy when I left home but when I arrived the rain had stopped. The summit double chair was running and there was one continuous way from top to bottom–Maple Slalom, Chute to Jackson Standard was the route. The snow conditions were great.I met a friend and we had a great morning skiing at Black. From the summit we couldn’t see Mount Washington, it was hidden behind clouds. But the mountain views of the Mount Washington Valley were splendid and they were beneath the clouds.

On Saturday, May 3, at Black they’ll be having their 90th birthday celebration. Lift tickets are just $9. The forecast is calling for some rain but I am hoping it won’t rain. I am looking forward to going! I know by the time you read this, this day will be history. It’s time to get the bicycles and the golf clubs out so I am told.
Have Fun.