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.

Oh the weather outside is frightful

Last week saw the first few inches of snow many mountains have had in weeks, only to be followed by exceedingly warm temperatures Saturday then back to lower temps Sunday. This meant riding in t-shirts on hero snow one day and boiler plate the next. Although it was enjoyable while it lasted, the warm temps make me concerned for the longevity of this season.

That's green grass behind me...

I took a look at the base depths of most of the mountains in New England, comparing last season's  depths as of January 8th, 2011 and January 8th, 2012 and was surprised by what I found: many are reporting similar, if not higher base depths than last season despite the overwhelming lack of natural snow.

While we may have been spoiled by the exceptional amount of fresh snow we had last year, the snowmaking teams of each of these mountains have been working double time to deal with this crazy weather and give us something we can put an edge in. This means operating costs are also higher than usual, yet fewer people are going to the mountains.

In past years "Backyard Syndrome" has been very helpful for the ski industry. The idea is that if people see snow around their homes they have a greater urge to go ski. However, this also works in reverse: if there's no snow on the ground here, fewer people will head to the slopes.

Christmas vacation week at Wachusett saw pretty dismal turnouts compared to last year- about a third of the customers daily. School vacations are typically some of the busiest days of the season and the numbers they bring are critical for having a profitable winter. Wawa wasn't the only mountain to suffer these reduced numbers either, the impact is nearly unanimous. Seems the only place really getting any snow can't even make good use of it: a small town in Alaska received nearly 18 feet in a recent storm and needed emergency relief to help get rid of it (click here for more details). If only they could send some of it our way!!

In the meantime, the mountains are trying their best to draw attention to their snowmaking capabilities and any other activities they might offer as a way to entice customers. Many are offering discounts and promotions to lure people in, so if you just want to get out a ride and don't care if it came from a gun or the sky you're in luck because they really want your business. Remember: Occupy Chairlifts! 

Contest season begins! Transworld TransAM Comp

Stop 1 of the Transworld TransAM comp is tomorrow, Saturday January 7th, at Waterville Valley. Last year brought out some sick amateur riders so it's worth checking out just to watch what crazy moves they might throw down. Plus when they get famous you can brag to all your friends about how you saw them compete "back in the day" before they became the next Shaun White. Peep this video of last years comp:



Kids will flip over anything! The top 3 boys and girls will go on to the finals at Bear Mountain and qualifiers there will then be entered in the Ride Shakedown finals at Snoqualmie.

Occupy Chairlifts!

If you haven't already seen this campaign from Snowboarder Mag it's great, STE totally stands behind this!

Do your part!

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.

Hidden gems of New England

When your go-to mountains become overrun with college kids home on break and elementary school groups it might be time to check out some of these lesser known mountains. Many have a lot better prices than the big guys (Ktown is charging $86!) and fewer crowds means the trails will be less scraped-off... maybe you'll even find some sweet untouched snow stashes!

Bromley
Peru, Vt
Ever been riding gondola at Stratton bemoaning the flat light and icy conditions, looked out and saw a peak bathed in sunlight not too far away? Often over shadowed by the better-known resort, Bromley should not be overlooked. The mountain boasts 43 trails winding through 163 acres of state and national forest with glade runs and park features all serviced by ten lifts. The south-facing slopes get lots of sun and tickets are $65, $57 on Sundays as compared to $87 at Stratton.


Burke Mountain
East Burke, VT
Over 100 acres of glades and 50 New England-style tight and windy trails, just the way they should be. One of the coolest things about this mountain is that it naturally separates out the different levels: the bottom half of the mountain is green trails only, while the top half has a nice mix of blues, blacks and double blacks. This keeps the noobs in their own area and not side-slip scraping all the snow off your favorite trails. They also get an average annual snowfall of 200 inches, while they may fall a little short this year they did get 4 inches in the last 72 hours which is better than a lot of places around here.


Magic Mountain
Londonderry, VT

If you're into those New England style trails, natural bumps and cheap ticket prices this is definitely the place for you. Magic doesn't have a ton of trails- that's not what it's know for. This is the mountain you come to if you love powder stashed trees, bombing cliff drops, natural freestyle features and plenty of off-piste goodness. It had some of the most challenging terrain around and is low cost to boot: only open Fri-Monday and powder days (6" or more) peak ticket prices top out at $59.


Saddleback Mountain
Rangeley, ME
Awesome summit views of the beautiful Rangeley lakes are just an added bonus of checking out Saddleback. It's also one of the few mountains in New England to offer above tree-level riding, boasting some sweet snowfields only a short hike up from the summit lift. In addition to having some nice steep headwalls to drop down, they also recently expanded to include the stellar 44 acre Casablanca glade: only the first part of an on-going glade expansion that will be progressing in the next few years. Peak tickets are a mere $59.


Black Mountain
Jackson, NH

This is another old school mountain with tight trails, a few steeps,  and fun glades. It definitely doesn't have that posh resort feel of some of the other mountains in the area, all the chairs are fixies and the largest is a 3-seater. What it lacks in amenities it makes up for in charm, no lift lines, and cheap tickets: peak price of a whopping $45. It also happens to be the oldest ski mountain in NH.





Ps. Don't hate me for including your "secret spot", just trying to help out my fellow riders.

January is learn to Ski and Snowboard Month!

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2012 and the possible end of the world? I'm starting to think all the hype might be a little more valid as I look out my window at a snow-free and fairly warm January 1st. I can't remember the last time (if ever in my lifetime) there wasn't a single speck of the white stuff on the ground at this point in the season. Conditions at Wachusett yesterday were warm with the soft, wet snow I've grown to associate with spring riding. However, I remain optimistic that when it does come it will dump and we will have glorious heaps of powder like last year.

More please!

Although I am doubtful I will beat my past record of 87 days on snow, I still try to set goals for every season to improve my riding. In years past these have been things like improving my switch riding or learning how to do 360s. I find that giving myself something to strive for each season keeps me more engaged in my riding and on the days where conditions aren't stellar for cruising I can focus on trying to take little steps to get closer to my goal.

As an instructor it is a lot easier for me to acknowledge and be aware of my own weaknesses in my riding- I am trained to do movement analysis on my students so I can give feedback and help them improve. At the same time, I often struggle with knowing how to fix innate issues with my riding and it really helps to have an outsiders opinion. I love that I have easy access to my fellow instructors' assistance and try to take advantage of this to improve my personal riding as much as possible. It's amazing to me how much better my riding has become since I started teaching!

Click here for details

I encourage everyone to take a lesson or clinic this month and see what a difference it can make for you too. Throughout the month free or discounted lessons are available at many mountains in New England:

In NH “free week” is January 7 – 14. First timers receive a free lesson, rentals and beginner’s terrain lift ticket. You must register and print a coupon from Ski NH then reserve your spot at the mountain of your choice.

Maine ski areas will be offering free Learn to Ski or Ride packages for all of January as well. Register at Ski Maine.

Lastly,Vermont has $29 Learn to Ski or Ride packages including lesson, rentals, and lift ticket. Sign up at Ski Vermont.

Bring your friends as well and you could be eligible to win a a four day trip to Utah. During January, any current skiers or riders who sign up a friend for a beginner lesson could win a trip for two to Utah and the opportunity to ski/ride with a SKI magazine editor. Check out skiandsnowboardmonth.org for more details. Skis.com and Snowboard.net are also offering a gift card for up to $50 to anyone who takes a lesson from a professional instructor at any ski/snowboard area during January.