Best places to ride MLK weekend

fresh tracks before work

After that little bit of snow we got we were all reminded that this is actually winter (I was starting to question that) and if you got the opportunity to ride yesterday you were also reminded that pow days are awesome. More please Mother Nature? If you didn't fake some mysterious 24 hour bug to play hooky Thursday you missed out on some fun times!

However, there's still some snow left to slash this weekend and even the possibility that some places will be getting a few more inches. Beware though: the forecast calls for dropping temps Saturday night into Sunday (high of 10?) so bundle up good! On the plus side this may keep some of the usual holiday crowds off the slope so you can get at that small bit of fresh left on the side of that one trail you like...


Best bets for this weekend:

While most mountains received 6-8 inches, Jay could be getting up to another 4 tonight. However the forecast also calls for winds up to 40mph and extremely cold temps. There's a good amount of terrain open and hopefully some of that snow will get pushed into the trees where you can avoid the gusts and ride some of the steep, tight lines Jay is famous for. Jay is also offering great lodging deals to celebrate the opening of their new indoor water park so even if conditions suck you can have fun surfing some artificial waves.

Wildcat powder (from @skiwildcat)

If you don't want to make the long haul up to Jay, Killington is a always a good bet for a busy holiday weekend. Although the mountain will undoubtedly attract a lot more vacationers, it has the terrain capacity to handle the rush without feeling too crowded and with 7 inches of new snow there's even the possibility you'll find some untouched stuff to make pretty lines in.

Wildcat in NH is reporting 9 inches of snow yesterday and from the looks of the pics they posted it seems like it was a blast. Not a ton of trails open but they will have less crowds than some of the bigger mountains. Nearby, Attitash also got a fair amount of snow and has more trails to offer too.

In Maine the Loaf is definitely the way to go. Report says 7 inches but by some accounts they got nearly a foot of snow, at the least 10 inches. Forecast is also saying 4-6 inches of additional accumulation possible tonight, but it will definitely be a cold one up there with a windchill as cold as -13.

Hopefully by now you've packed up your gear an you're getting ready to hop in your car to have an awesome weekend of riding! Stay warm and go get some pow, you deserve it.

Cross your fingers and do your best snow dance...

A little snow coming tonight into tomorrow. Expect anywhere from 2-12 inches depending where you're at. Boston metro will be on the slushier side but hopefully the temps will be cold enough to produce some drier snow for the mountains. Maine will get the brunt of the storm so Sunday River and the Loaf will get some much needed coverage and hopefully the "King of Spring" will be able to build up their base so they can make it till may again!

Here's a map of the expected accumulation over the next 48 hours:

I will be out first thing tomorrow (hopefully) taking some fresh tracks, stay tuned for updates on where the best conditions will be this weekend.

Ladies: Take lessons tailored for you

Shredding Jay with the girls

To my fellow lady shredders: If you're like me you've realized that it's sometimes hard to find other women who can rip down the mountain and it's nice to have some chicks who can keep up or even push your riding further. There's a reason why there are womens' specific boards, boots, bindings, etc.- women ride differently than men. We also learn differently than men. Women are usually more social and perform well in cooperative learning situations.  All of these are good reasons why women's specific lessons or clinics are a great idea.  Take a look at some of these programs going on within the next few months:

Sugarloaf Women's Programs
2 day Women's Turn Clinics offered Jan 22-23 and Mar 4-5. Includes 5 hours of riding, video analysis and equipment demos.

Killington Women's Weekend Program
2 day program offered Jan 14-15 and Mar 17-18. Includes 2 day ticket and 4.5 hours daily coaching.

Mount Snow Girls Day Out
Freestyle focused day of riding and coaching Mar 10. GDO has their own private park set up for the day and lunch is included.

Okemo Women's Alpine Adventures
2, 3 or 5 day including tickets, breakfast and lunch, coaching and video analysis. Check the site for dates.

Stratton Women's Workshops
Workshop includes 2 on snow sessions per day, breakfast and lunch daily and one group dinner. 2 or 3 day programs available. Check site for dates.

Loon Droppin' In Camps
Another park-intensive camp, this 2 day program runs Mar 24-25 and also has guest coaching from pro riders Channelle Sladics and Marie-France Roy.

All of these programs encourage camaraderie, supportive, comfortable and fun learning environments with no pressure. Take some time to ride with some like-minded women and get some coaching from chicks who can relate to your personal needs. I'm hoping to get to at least one of these clinics this season and hopefully someday I'll be able to shred like this lady:



Rome Snowboards: MFR Full Part Re-Edit from KIDS ON SHRED PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.