Let’s face it: it’s been a lousy winter. One day it’s cold, the next three days it’s warm. Throw in an inch or so of rain, and the following conditions make it seem like we don’t exist at all. But so it goes, this is our busy time of season, and we offer our dearest apology for neglecting to write as we’ve been doing our best to take over where Mother Nature left off.

While it’s our policy to make snow at every available opportunity, the outcome consistency is not always the desired fluff. Forty degree days and rain showers have done a fine job at melting the powder, leaving current conditions of granulated sugar over a base of melted-and-refrozen ice. With temps just tipping cool enough to turn on the guns, warm air makes fresh snow wet and dense. Hence, we add wet snow to sugar for added moisture as we “knit” the snow back together by our own pattern up the trail. Knit 1, pearl 2. Groom 1, till 2.

Depending on the day— the temperature, the humidity, the sunshine— accounts for the daily conditions report on the slopes. During the Valentine’s Day single digits, guns were blowing across the mountain, and the quick stint for snow accumulated over six plus inches of fresh pow. On President’s Day, we played our guns hour-by-hour in an effort to keep trails covered and conditions prime.

It’s important to remember, we’re still second in charge. Mother Nature is always our go-to gal, and it’s our job to be ready when she gives the okay. So, it’s important to note that you should always be ready, too, with goggles, helmets, and dry gear in tow. The day might just be right for an impromptu homemade snowstorm.

Yes, we’re the makers, but we’re also the riders, and we see it as a blessing to have snow on the slopes at all this season. The harsh reality is that conditions are similar throughout the northeast. Vermont summits are icy, too, and some ski resorts have more trails closed than open due to a lack of fallen snow. If it’s not homemade, it’s not there— and we refuse to let the season end that simply.

Jarred takes a brief break in the pumphouse.

Jacob, Chris M., and Zach Fisher.

Keep on ridin’ on,

the snowmisers