Where to Ski: New England

This winter many recreational skiers and riders have not taken the time to dust off their equipment. Rather, they choose to thrive on discussions relating to the lack of accumulation on the ground. So do you think this season is over? I will be the first to admit, No one at The Ski Monster does.

In the last week the riders of TSM racked up over 30 days combined. That’s a months worth of riding in one week! From the northeast corner of New Hampshire’s White Mountains to the southwest corner of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, We have encountered fog so thick you could slice it with a butter knife and natural snow so sticky you felt like you where going to fall out of your boots. We found blue bird skies and 30-degree weather with grippy snow, groomed to perfection. There’s perfectly lit handrails in the dark hours of the morning to be had. Massive step up’s are out there, waiting for you to stake a claim.

Tuesday I ran into George and Craig up at Waterville Valley, NH totally unplanned. It had been dumping snow all morning and continued to do so for the remainder of the afternoon. The temperature at the summit reached a high of 13 degrees. I never would have guessed the next day to hit 45 degrees, start out pouring and end up sunny.

Yesterday was one of the best days I have had all year, playing in the rain at Okemo, VT. Watching my dad lay trenches into the corn snow with his Never Summer on a hill with no one else on it, Paradise? I’d say so. I watched my buddy Steve master the art of the nollie tail tap with his Line Prophets, as he did it off just about every whale he could at Mach 1. These days scare away the timid ones and even make us think twice about heading to the hill but the serenity of this warm winter day had a profound affect on my recently abolished mellow mood, We were shredding.

Another chance run in, this time with The Ski Monsters, Zach who was mobbing around the park with some of his Keene State buddies. The point I’m getting at with all these chance encounters is that we’re all just going as much as possible which means we’re getting what everyone else isn’t, a piece of gravities ass, some fresh air, and taking in some of mother nature, even if she is acting like an old hag.