“Spring?? You want to talk about spring snowboarding?!”
While the snow is pummeling New England harder than The Patriots pummeled anyone all season… It seems a little ridiculous to already be talking about postseason snowboarding. It feels like we are not even halfway through this winter. However, all good things, and all good times, must come to an end at some point. The Spring Equinox is just around the corner, which means rising temps and melting snow. With the occasional surprise powder day still foreseeable on the horizon, your daily conditions will be more slush and sun; a welcome reprieve from our winter of freezing wind and ice (they don’t call East Coast the Ice Coast for no reason!). Don’t think that no snow is a bad thing – if you’ve never experienced the joys of spring boarding, let me lay it out for you!
*** Some words from your Rock and Roll legend, Bruce Spring-skiing. ***
“It was a warm afternoon, the sun was shinin’ , the morning clouds rolled off in the distance… In the parking lots you could hear the sounds of hot dogs sizzling, beer cans crackin’… It was springtime in the mountains of New England.” Thank you, Bruce. The spring up here truly is enchanting and magical. Anybody who has survived at least one New England winter and seen it through knows the feeling. There’s nothing quite like shedding the layers off, swapping the goggles for sunglasses, and digging your edges into some freshly softened snow…
With current snowfall reports, it looks like Northern Vermont will have some great spring riding ahead at any resort, especially Jay Peak. Some resorts close earlier than others, due to bears and other national forest requirements. But there are mountains, like Killington in Vermont, which try to stay open until June. Sunday River in Maine usually remains open late into the spring, alongside my favorite New England destination any time of year, Sugarloaf.
Almost every mountain has some type of spring event if you are looking to party – there’s ’80s Day at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire or the 37th annual Reggae Fest at Sugarloaf. Even if you don’t like Reggae music, it is worth going for what is probably the biggest party on snow in the East. If you can’t make it up north to the big dogs, check out Yawgoo Valley in Exeter. The season is usually a bit shorter in RI, so their spring boarding starts earlier. You know the rule, if we’re getting rain here, it’s snowing everywhere else! (This winter being the exception). Check out their popular party, Winterfest, on March 3 to watch the nationally known, locally made snowboarding group, Yawgoons (insta: @yawgoons) do their thing!
Lastly, a spring in New England wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Mount Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine. Among local skiers and riders, hiking up Tuckerman Ravine is a religious pilgrimage. May is just about the perfect time to go, however getting a sunny day with not much wind is rare any time of the year. This place is extreme, so don’t be an idiot! Watch out for crevasses and falling ice and snow. If all this sounds too intimidating, it is still worth hiking up to the bottom of the bowl to spectate as many skiers and riders push their limits on one of the gnarliest mountains in the world. •
Illustration by Sophie Foulkes.
