WHITE & BROWN

I learned a lot about high elevation snow storms this week. Fully pre-occupied with keeping my family on its regular schedule without the help of heat or electricity due to a power outage from Thursday night's storm, I didn't pay much attention to the snow reports page on our website. I drove back home from the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge at Crotched Mtn in a fierce localized heavy snow squall on Friday, drove my son to his seasonal program at Cannon on Saturday morning just as more flakes were starting to fall, and skied with him that afternoon in a fresh accumulation of snow. I just didn't realize how it was adding up. Sunday morning, we drove up Rte. 49 on our way to my daughter's race at Waterville Valley. For that 10 mile stretch from I-93, there was some snow, but nothing extraordinary ... until we took the left turn up the access road. All of a sudden – the snowbanks on the sides of the road were enormous! At the ski area, snow was piled up deep everywhere; at the top of High Country, it looked like they had to shovel out the summit terminal, and the ski area trail signs were buried, with just the trail names dug out of the snow. And there was a new 4" on top of all this white stuff – unexpected freshies! I saw general manager Tom Day at the lift corral, headed up the lift with a videographer. He explained that, while the precipitation down in Campton (near the interstate) had been of the clear variety, it had snowed from 7pm Thursday right through Saturday morning from the access road and higher. 30" during that 36 hour period and another 4" overnight Saturday night! As of now, Waterville Valley is reporting 46" since last Wednesday – but you'd never believe it until you're at the ski area. So, when you're driving up this weekend – don't be fooled by the brown ground near the interstates or in the valleys. There's plenty of brown ground in Campton, and here at our office in Lincoln – but not up at Waterville Valley, or Loon, or Cannon. We've heard from locals it's the best skiing of the year right now. I suspect you'll hear the same in the Mount Washington Valley, where ski areas are reporting 3-4 feet of new snow since last Wednesday (depending on elevation), and all over New Hampshire, since last Wednesday's "storm 1" moved through New England. That gave us back our moguls, our glades – and most importantly, a great, heavy, deep base that's going to ensure some great spring skiing days to come. Enjoy! -Alice