Angus

The Carrabassett Valley/Kingfield area was very, very concerned about Covid outbreak last Spring. There are minimal medical facilities in the area - Farmington and Skowhegan are the closest hospitals and neither of them are not equipped to treat high acuity patients. I have worn a mask all winter - usually double masked and it has not bothered me one bit. My observation based upon on visits to Crotched, Burke, Ragged, Sunapee, Wildcat, Stowe, Okemo, Jack Frost, & Bretton Woods. My theory is the more family oriented the place is, the better mask wearing compliance has been. Ragged was by far the best with staff monitoring/reminding proactively. Wildcat the worse with Jack Frost not far behind - which contradicts my family theory.

skied Cannon essentially top to bottom the morning of May 20, if I recall correctly that was the beginning of the real warm up. Snow was gone from the lower slopes within days. What was funny was how long snow held on in Tuckerman Ravine last summer even with that June heat.

In 2007, the ski season was done in late March. I believe during the second week of April it started snowing in the mountains and didn't stop. My son remembers skiing at BW Easter weekend with feet and feet of new snow on the ground when only the week before there had been discussions about not bothering to go due to lack of snow. We skied at Wildcat around Patriot's Day and the snow was the deepest I've ever seen there...silly amounts. There wasn't much in Jackson though.

just have to echo @Ginx snewx recommendation re: SR versus Wildcat, your experience at wildcat this season will be representative of what you find next year. My gripe hasn't been about the grooming but rather commitment to snowmaking so that more terrain was open earlier and the season lasting until late April. Wildcat has a liberal trail opening policy, they leave lots of terrain ungroomed and bumped up, et cetera. One of my observations over the years, chatting to skiers on the lifts at Wildcat is how many Mainers who live in close relative proximity to SR come over and ski at Wildcat. I have only skied at SR once - May Day free skiing - so obviously my experience is nil but I think of it as a BW in terms of amenities, snowmaking and grooming but with Cannon terrain ( and less the vertical ;-)), a nod to my friends at Sugarloaf! Plus, western Maine could use your $$.

saw this posted on another board...wow! Had a stretch a few years back where I went up and skied Superstar all day long in early May, it was fun. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMZ16KQgc7s/

Today was a classic March day in the NH mountains, I was in the Waterville Valley area hiking and nordic skiing and the weather flipped between heavy snow to a warm, bright March sun in 15 minute intervals. I drove up to Welch Dickey in the AM with a friend and we hiked the loop. I've done this hike a # of times in the winter but never I believe in March. Today, although the views were limited to due to the snow squalls and clouds, the views of the surrounding mountains were spectacular. After we finished, we drove up to the WV nordic center and I skied for almost two hours. This season, I had not ventured north to nordic ski and the rolling terrain along with the fresh snow crushed me - I was skating. It was interesting that for what probably amounted to just a few hundred feet of elevation gain - from the village center up to the Tripoli road area, increased the amount of natural snow that has fallen in last day or two from a generous 1" to 3"+. A good day, I am ready for Spring bump skiing!

Down in S. Carolina this week but packed the skis in the car thinking I'd hit VT on way home but because of the freeze; instead, skied Jack Frost in Poconos today making 11 states I've skied (and 3 Canadian provinces). Nice little hill, approximately 600 vertical feet with a bunch of relatively steep, short pitches for expert slopes. I skied for 3 hours and things were softening nicely when I left at 1:15. It is an upside down hill with parking on the 'summit.' They have had a very good natural snow year according to a local I spoke to on the lift and they have made a lot of snow...unless they have a big warmup, I'm guessing they have no trouble going to the end of the month which is, I presume, their closing date.

Had to go back to remind myself of the year but I have photos from April 2016 in Tucks that look like May in terms of snowpack. One of my 'bucket list' things I'd like to do this year is ski top to bottom from summit to pinkham notch but think there will be only a limited # of days to do that...comfortably.

I saw it! Friend who was at Stowe texted me the reverse picture, washington was clear but couldn't make anything else. He said it a special day!

In his defense, the WSJ had an extensive article yesterday about the southwest US on-going drought situation and various economic impacts. I'm not too worried about the local drought...if it means I need to cut my lawn less, I'm all in!

Saw these announcements and I just laughed. Wildcat at least stays open until Patriot's Day (this year 4/18) every year...this was my expectation when I purchased the pass. I am suspect of whether there will be that much skiing terrain available at wildcat if we run into a stretch of warm, wet weather. EDIT: texting with a friend and he sent me a screen shot of the published close date, 4/11 for both Mt. Snow & Wildcat. So, I stand corrected. My statement is valid though re: expectation and from the feedback they are receiving on the post, folks aren't too impressed. I think this may be an interesting disconnect of corporate office not understanding the local market. Another friend sent me an email today from SLoaf saying Reggaefest will be held 3 consecutive weeks April 3, 10 and 17. Interesting to see if Cannon decides to push to Patriot's Day - would be good strategy IMO.

A few months back when you mentioned driving up to some hunting cabin and earning the respect of your future father-in-law?? made me think of it...hadn't thought about it in years! Yeah, those ruts were deep!

Gosh probably 10+ years ago, my kids and I were on our way to MRG during late March and I decided to try the Warren Mountain Road which takes you from Roxbury to Warren and is substantially unpaved...big mistake. I got about half way up and had to go back in reverse, lucky we didn't get stuck up there.

IMO, with gulf of slides, tuckerman and Huntington Ravine in the forefront; the views from Wildcat can't be beat. Best view at Cannon is Vista Way which I guess in many ways is my favorite trail there too. Both Wildcat and Cannon's views are rugged. BW expansive views are what I'd describe as majestic! I am less familiar with the glade skiing on the upper half of Cannon but what I've sampled I haven't really liked, I find it suffers from steep, tight lines with lots of low branches...so you are skiing, ducking and avoiding roots and rocks because folks basically have "slip, slided" their way thru previously. Great thing about BW's glades are they are all cleaned up, there aren't any stumps, roots and other stuff sticking out...they can generally be skied with a minimum of natural snow. The canopy is high and trees are generously spaced. I kind of remember and don't know the specifics but there use to be a MWV pass available to residents that gave them access to all 5 areas, don't know if it even existed but the nice thing about Wildcat, BW, Cranmore, Black and Attitash, they are all very different areas with different charms. I was talking to a Epic skier who lives in Bartlett this weekend on the chairlift and he was saying the lines have been so insane at Attitash and Wildcat that they have been skiing at Black this season and love it.

@tamarack My bro-in-law who works for a MA-based contractor was up in your neck of the woods last April, said the damage was fairly extensive. It gets mentioned frequently but the '98 ice storm for Maine was easily a hundred year event. For the first decade, the evidence of tree devastation was obvious whenever I drove between 95 and the coast, not so much anymore. I was working with a Montreal based telco at the time and recall the high voltage transmission towers collapses up in Quebec.

Nice day at wildcat yesterday. The mountain has adequate snow to have everything open although a few select trails, i.e. hairball is a bit sketch which I skied and someone told me not to bother with feline - isn't worth it. Anyway, the usual runs are all bumped up and were a ton of fun to ski. I was thinking about the conditions between BW a few weeks ago and Wildcat today. Just totally different, the groomers don't ski as nice whether it's the trails twists and turns, double fall lines or grooming/snowmaking and the natural terrain/ungroomed stuff is just more difficult terrain. With that said, they stayed all snow on saturday and snow was good. I am concerned that without snowmaking on some trails, i.e. upper wildcat; one good rain event will finish it for the season. fun time, definitely a feel of early spring. met a guy in line who came over from stowe due to stowe, he said he already had 75 days there this season. the mask wearing in the lift line was atrocious.

I've been watching the mwobs autoroad temp profile, 1,600' is now 37 but 2,300' is 33. It looks like Wildcat survived. Departure at 6am if all works out. Hoping for a fun day.

Friend just sent me a text that Jay shut down today due to winds and raining at moment.

I've never seen Katahdin in the winter in person but there is something striking about it as you drive in from south. if you are arriving via 95, the terrain is essentially flat most of the ride. I guess there is a bit of undulation thru Millinocket and then...there it is. Kind of like the OMG Corner on 27 as you drive into Sugarloaf...

I saw PF's post this morning and went to the webcams - it was dumping at both MRG and Wildcat sometime after 5am, I rechecked the wildcat webcam after the sun came up and before I walked the dog - 630ish and the the snow had temporarily stopped at Wildcat. Snowing hard there now via webcam. I've got a reservation at wildcat sunday so hoping for the best between now and then. My local metrowest nordic skiing is vanishing quickly :-((((

Heading out for a xc ski and think it may be heaviest snow of the event in the 01742

& that right there summarizes why being a winter weenie in NE is hard business!

Saw a video of a couple of guys skiing down 2222 in Austin this afternoon on twitter. This is Blizzard of '78 like stuff for Texas right now.

@wxeyeNH I meant to mention this but until yesterday, never realized what a good look you have from the top of ragged mountain over to your house. You can clearly see a # of large open fields above Newfound. Not sure how much open acreage is on your property. Looking from the west rather than from along 93 gives you a much better ideà of the elevation gain.

A nice day at BW on Saturday. Primarily stuck to West chair and Stickney tbar to minimize wait times. At ragged yesterday and was very impressed by their operation. They have made lots of snow and whole mountain was open but could certainly use snow in woods and non-snowmaking trails. My nephew made great strides this weekend, he's a typical 10 year old, won't acknowledge any advice regarding skiing (or anything) but is quietly listening. I just started taking him down the most advance terrain both mountains had - steeps, bumps, and trees and all of sudden it clicks! Also, he thought walking out onto the lake was a hoot and was very curious about the fishing houses on the lake. Meredith Bay was a small city given the fishing tournament.