With a pattern of warm weather this week, the snow has been making some major transitions throughout the day.

The surface snow starts cold and firm, and as the day progresses, it loosens and softens until it reaches the saturation of creamy mashed potatoes.  In this cycle, the window of opportunity for some perfect Spring-like snow is often hard to judge.

A few ways to ensure the best bang at any time of day is to follow a simple process.

For your first few runs, look toward runs groomed that morning.  You can find this information on our snow report page’s grooming report. The reader board at the bottom of the Blue Bird Quad will give you current up-to-date reports, and you can pick up a printed grooming report (with a trail map!) at our ticket office each morning.

As the snow softens, look for the runs groomed the previous night.  These runs will start the morning more firm, but as the day warms so does the snow.

Another smooth move is to visit the pros at Fall Line Tune Shop located on the first floor of the lodge.  These friendly folks will put a fresh coat of temperature-appropriate wax on your boards, which will allow sliding on warmer snow surfaces to be more enjoyable through the end of the day.  While you are waiting for a fresh coat, present your receipt at Smoky’s Pub and indulge in a free Pabst Blue Ribbon (or a fountain drink).

Following these simple steps will help widen your window of opportunity for the ultimate Spring ski day.

One final note: Weather patterns are changing back to Winter snow conditions starting Saturday night.  So make sure YOUR window is wide open to let in all of the new snow.

-Cory