Spring skiing!

Believe it or not, April can be a great time for skiing in Vermont. Killington makes so much snow that it typically lasts well into May! And good sugaring weather = good spring skiing weather. That is, the same conditions that make the sweet sap begin to rise in the maples -- freezing temperatures at night, with warm days -- make the snow corn up. But there's no point getting up super-early to catch the first run, because the slopes will be frozen solid until 10 or so. Peak hours for optimal spring conditions are roughly 11 to 3, depending on the weather. Before 11, the snow's too icy; after 3, it's too sloppy. (Once it gets into the 60s during the day and you can ski in shorts and a T-shirt, all bets are off -- except that you need really strong knees and ankles!)

I went to the Middlebury College Snow Bowl today because I knew it wouldn't be crowded. Got there early, to find midwinter conditions: lots of snow!