Our family hit the slopes during the kids’ mid-April break to find every
trail open at Sugarloaf and
Sunday River, the only thing missing was the
skiers. While the snow is often soft and deep, the lodging deals and lift
tickets can be cheap. Resorts also give you reason to celebrate with fun
events, even freebies, on these late season ski days.
Easter is early this year, March 23, and ski resorts like Ascutney, Okemo,
Bretton Woods, Waterville Valley, Pats Peak, will host free egg hunts on the
slopes. If you are an early bird – Killington, Stowe, Smugglers, Waterville
Valley and Sugarloaf open their lifts before the dawn for Easter Sunrise
service. Your reward for getting out of bed is first tracks at the
conclusion of the non-denominational service. Many resorts also host Easter
costume parades with prizes.
Freebies
Bretton Woods Learning Center quad is always free, and a sunny spring day is
ideal to start your child skiing for the first time, versus freezing in
February. Bretton Wood also sells an interchangeable family ticket; mom and
dad can share one full-priced lift ticket – taking turns while the other
gets baselodge babysitting duty.
Smugglers offer free family fun races every Saturday and Sunday, you’ll need
a lift ticket however, the dual race course is free from 11am-2pm, and every
racer gets a prize. Whiz the course on March 16, and you can enjoy free
Cabot cheese samples too.
Downhill Deals
Cranapalooza is a financially feasible ski deal. At $22, you can ski, ride
and tube at Cranmore from 2-9pm on Saturday nights.The terrain park is lit
up, there’s a firepit for s'more roasting, magic shows, games with mascot
C-More the Penguin, and live music in Zip's Pub – for parents. Cranapalooza
will be extra celebratory on March 1 as Cranmore throws its own 70th
birthday party.
Jiminy Peak hosts Retro Day on March 16, wear vintage outfits from the 60’s,
70’s or 80’s and pay ticket prices from those decades. Groovy!
Show your kids the awesome 80’s hairstyle March 29 at Attitash’s Mullet
Mogul Jam. Watch the dual format mogul competition and dance to 80’s tunes
performed on an outdoor stage. The winning Mullet wins drum sticks, an
autographed air guitar and a $25 gift certificate to Kentucky Fried Chicken
(not bad for a bad hair day).
Wildcat is a spring sensation due to its high elevation. Check out their
“wild deals” like the $20 ticket for skiing 12 -4pm on Sundays, or ski free
on your birthday.
April Fools day is 2-for 1 at Bromely, no fooling. April 13, Sunapee
offers $25 lift tickets with a donation of 5 food cans to the local pantry.
Lodging for Less
Okemo offers “March Midweek Madness” lodging prices followed by “Spring
Fever” deals until their April closing. With Okemo’s stockpile of snowmaking
and some of the best prices of the season ($29 tickets on April 9), this
family-friendly resort is a good pick for a spring ski trip.
One of the most animated alpine weekends at Sunday River is Parrothead
weekend, April 4-5, now in year 21. Kids will get a kick out of watching the
pond-skimming and the Bust n’ Burn mogul competition, parents will like the
slopeside margarita samples and beach music.
Sugarloaf is prime in spring time, often the snowfields are soaked with snow
and sun, while they were bitter and blustery for bigger bucks in February.
While Sugarloaf’s perennial Reggaefest weekend (April 11-13) sells out, the
rest of April you’ll find few lines and plenty of lodging in the slopeside
condominiums or the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel.
Killington, historically hailed as the king of spring, is under new
ownership. Too soon to say if Peaks will see the point in staying open til
May – since they passed the “first to open” torch to Sunday River. But as
sure as the sunrise, Killington will host Sunshine Daydream Festival on
April 12, with free Ben & Jerry’s for sugar-hyper kids and Grateful Dead
tunes for latent hippy parents. April 13 is Killington’s pond-skimming.
Most New England resorts host ski suit soaking pond skimming in late March
and early April. The joy of observing pond skimming seems to span all ages,
so don’t discount the cheap thrill of watching spring skiers spill in icy
water. Similarly Downhill Dummies and cardboard box races are a rite of
spring that families should take in at resorts like Okemo, Sugarbush,
Sunapee, Jiminy Peak and Mt Abram.
If you have teens that love terrain parks, you will be a very cool parent by
taking them to Loon’s 9th annual hike and huck. Last year this event was in
May long after the lifts stopped, and the mayhem included huge jumps
constructed from the season’s leftover snow. Needless to say lodging deals
in Lincoln during May, aka mud season, will be at their lowest, and your
kids can launch higher than ever at this spring event.
Deal pop up like daisies in spring, so keep a watch on ski resort websites
for last minute lodging and lift ticket specials.
