Spring Skiing Reflection from Our Shared History

[Phil]

Ornulf Poulsen's observations from 100 y.a. 

"One thinks of midwinter, of January, as being the best season for skiing. But it is not so. March skiing is the finest of all particularly the weeks that are helped out with a moon for March offers the greater depth of snow and packed snow with firm surfaces which are unheard of in January; and the very fact that you must wrest your sport from apparently adverse circumstances gives it a greater zest."  

[Ron Gonzalez]

That's certainly true in the higher elevations and farther north than Albany and the MA/VT state line. 
But south of that, I don't know. Maybe that was accurate in 1925, but I'm not so sure about now. 

On the summit of Mt Mansfield, the record shows the deepest snow depth is usually from March 1 to about mid-April. This year its deepest was on March 2 (103 inches). 

I usually ski in the backcountry through most of March. That's usually in the Adirondack High Peaks or in the northern Green Mts, although some years there's better snow in southern VT. I remember not too long ago some excellent Nordic backcountry ski wandering in the Aiken Wilderness the first week of May. 

[Phil]

Since Poulsen's background included growing up in Norway and later emigrating to the U.S., where he was the winter sports director for the Lake Placid Club, before Erling Strom, I'm guessing his experience would have been with the Adirondacks and the mountains of his original home. I can tell things are getting pretty bare around home at 1500' elevation but just a bit north and closer to 3000' the snow is still incredibly deep. Tad and I went in to see what we could find at Basin Brook on Tuesday. There is still skiing up high in the Hoosac Range for a while yet.

[Ron Gonzalez]

Interesting, and very cool. A Norway-NE US connection? Like Jackrabbit Johannsen. 

Great to know that there's still deep snow in the higher elevations of southern VT. Is the same true for the northwestern corner of Mass, like Monroe State Forest?  

The Catskills was robbed this year! Not completely, but... not so great. 

- Ron Gonzalez 

- Ron Gonzalez 

On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 7:38 AM Phil <philipk...@gmail.com> wrote:

Since Poulsen's background included growing up in Norway and later emigrating to the U.S., where he was the winter sports director for the Lake Placid Club, before Erling Strom, I'm guessing his experience would have been with the Adirondacks and the mountains of his original home. I can tell things are getting pretty bare around home at 1500' elevation but just a bit north and closer to 3000' the snow is still incredibly deep. Tad and I went in to see what we could find at Basin Brook on Tuesday. There is still skiing up high in the Hoosac Range for a while yet.

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[Andy Mathey]

I just visited Monroe a few days ago.  Ascended from River Rd by Bear Swamp Visitor Center to check conditions of Smith Brook.  Lots of melt-out, stream crossing and seeps, makes downhill nearly impossible----Minimum snowpack at the lowest elevations, but increases significantly while climbing. Elevation is everything.  Up at Raycroft rd (and above) there is still plenty of base.  The summit of Spruce and Crum are probably similar to Basin Brook, though I didn't make it that far.  Light was fading and I skied down the power lines back to (and along) Smith to return.  Smith could be great, but it is a rock garden filled with boulders and needs A LOT of base...

[Phil]

Can't say for certain but the high ground, in Florida, around Crum Hill, etc. was in view as I drove to our meeting place in Readsboro. Certainly looks like adequate depth exists in the woods everywhere in that vicinity. We followed Andy M.'s route using the VAST trail labeled 9A to get close to the saddle that leads over to Basin Brook. The sun just didn't get around far enough and we were only able to stay until a bit after noon so the skiing in basin never really got soft enough. Better surface conditions were had by staying in the neighborhood of the snowmobile trail which winds up a ENE-facing slope and provides opportunities to pick on multiple lines where the trees have adequate spacing. 

[Phil]

Poulsen again (as a lead in to the previous statement) but seems appropriate to add it now:

"As spring approaches , the snow undergoes a regular routine of change. The snow surface in the open grows soft and sticky as the morning advances and skiing is almost impossible. During midday it is watery and with the temperature above freezing a slow skiing is possible but not much fun. All the while it has been settling, and as cooling takes place with the declining sun, the surface gets harder, until it will just about carry you without your skis breaking through. Night makes it glassy hard, giving a very fast but difficult skiing surface, as it is impossible to execute swings with any assurance. In the earliest morning, as the sun begins to have an effect again, the surface softens but remains firm for a few hours and you have the finest running surface of all. In the woods the going stays hard longer and hardens sooner, with the result that a skier with a forest at hand can obtain really glorious going after the fields are bare."

[Ron Gonzalez]

That's perfect. I can picture the scene, the feeling of all those variable conditions, just from his words. That's a keeper!

- Ron Gonzalez 

On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 9:40 AM Phil <philipk...@gmail.com> wrote:

Poulsen again (as a lead in to the previous statement) but seems appropriate to add it now:

"As spring approaches , the snow undergoes a regular routine of change. The snow surface in the open grows soft and sticky as the morning advances and skiing is almost impossible. During midday it is watery and with the temperature above freezing a slow skiing is possible but not much fun. All the while it has been settling, and as cooling takes place with the declining sun, the surface gets harder, until it will just about carry you without your skis breaking through. Night makes it glassy hard, giving a very fast but difficult skiing surface, as it is impossible to execute swings with any assurance. In the earliest morning, as the sun begins to have an effect again, the surface softens but remains firm for a few hours and you have the finest running surface of all. In the woods the going stays hard longer and hardens sooner, with the result that a skier with a forest at hand can obtain really glorious going after the fields are bare."

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