Ski fever is highly contagious, especially among eager skiing families. The psychotic symptoms appear mid-autumn, as outdoor activities
are curtailed. Ski equipment comes out of storage. If your kids begin wearing their ski jackets to school in
mid-October, that’s another alpine indicator. Our family gets cranked up for
fall line fun at the first hint of frost. Actually, my son keeps his skis
in his room all summer, on display in an alpine shrine.
If your gang is like mine, and can’t wait for the calendar to proclaim
winter, there are several New England
ski resorts who flex their
snowmaking power in October in the battle for first ski resort in the East
to open for skiing.
Warning those early season ski days in the fall usually mean skiing on very limited
terrain, sometimes just a ribbon of snow on advanced upper mountain slopes.
Given the low trail count and sketchy snow conditions, this is not the best
time to bring your young skiers out, particularly if they are still
beginning or intermediate in their skills. The slopes can resemble a human
slalom, too many zealots on too few acres. You are best off to wait until
several trails and a few feet of coverage are being reported to take the
kids out.
In the annual rush to drop the first ropes, Sunday River and
Killington come
to mind. Sunday River is legendary when it comes to snowmaking,
opening before Halloween and often the first in the East with skiing. Our family has enjoyed
phenomenal November skiing at The River. Once Locke, Barker and South Ridge
at Sunday River are
open, that’s a good time to hit this Maine resort.
Killington blankets the
Killington Peak area with snow first and foremost,
catering to expert skiers (read: diehards) on Vermont’s highest lift served
terrain at 4,241'. The Big K, K-Mart or Beast of the East opened first in
New England in 2012 - Oct 14 for passholders, and then to the public Nov 5,
one day ahead of Sunday River.
In 2011, Killington opened on Oct 29 minutes before Sunday River.
Once Killington Peak is covered, early season snowmaking moves to Rams Head
to open for Thanksgiving skiing.
Okemo has never failed us for early season ski weekends. While the resort is
far quieter in pre-holiday December, the manmade blizzard is impressive.
Okemo blasts out snow with a goal of opening terrain for all abilities in
the early season (opening on Nov 8, 2012), and the majority of their terrain by the holiday week.
Once you see Jackson Gore open at Okemo, you know they have worthy snow.
Loon Mountain in New Hampshire since
becoming a Boyne Resort, like Sunday River and Sugarloaf, has entered the
big snowmaking game in the East. With lots of low-E snow guns, Loon blows
tons of snow to open early and stay open latest in NH.
Sugarloaf has a northern Maine location, elevation, and typically cold
temperatures – allowing it to open most seasons by mid to late November,
November 9 in this 2012 season. Snowmaking at the Loaf has been
ramped up, doubled in fact since Boyne was brought in. When
Mother Nature lends her hand, the Loaf can be in good ski shape for early
season skiing.
In New Hampshire,
Bretton Woods makes tons of snow and offers the most
terrain in the Granite State. Bretton Woods makes a plan of opening by
Thanksgiving weekend, with a goal of spinning the Learning Center Quad and
the Bethlehem Express Quad with enough green circles on their gently sloped
front side to placate moms and pops with tots.
Keep an eye to the forecast for chilly weather and check the daily snow
conditions, and our ski blog, to find the best snow for your family.
For the best
Eastern skiing for families, ski resorts need cold temps
and a boost of natural snow.
Getting the family out on the slopes prior to the busy holiday (and before
peak pricing) is a great way to get everyone’s ski legs in shape before the
big winter snow arrives (more wishful thinking here). A day trip to the
mountains or a ski weekend in early December is a better way to celebrate
the turn of the season than hectic holiday shopping in the crowded
materialistic malls.
More Family Ski Tips and our Family Ski Resort Guide
