Spring’s arrival doesn’t mean skiing’s end

Mother Nature may not be aware of it, but the first day of spring is Tuesday. This, of course, means that the spring skiing season, along with the beach-themed celebrations, will get under way starting this weekend.

The funny thing is, it’s still acting like winter out. Regardless, the time has come to get the Hawaiian and Caribbean ski fashions in place and get the equipment tuned appropriately for the imminent change in conditions.

Typically at this time of year, we would see the snowpacks at the ski areas beginning to recede, but that’s a different picture this year as we continue to accumulate snow, having received around 6-10 inches in the past week. According to Jonathan Fox, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, the snowpack is slightly higher than normal, at about 102 percent, but we were well higher than normal in February.

The outlook for the next 30 days, according to Fox, looks like cooler than normal temperatures with near normal precipitation expected.

Fox explained to me that the water content in the snow is still reaching its peak. It varies, but at about 6,000 feet of elevation in the Idaho Panhandle, the peak will occur the second week of April. As we get into spring, the more extreme fluctuation in temperature from night to day causes a melt and re-freeze which, in turn, causes the snow to lose its air pockets and it becomes more dense as it settles. This gives us our “corn snow.”

Because of these variable conditions, with ice in the morning and wetter, heavier snow midday, Terry McLeod, snowsports director at Schweitzer Mountain, recommends a different ski tuning technique than one might use midwinter. I found this particularly fascinating since I am guilty of neglecting my skis toward the end of the season. McLeod disagreed and said now is even more critical to get the most performance out of those variable conditions.

McLeod suggests that the sharper the edges, the better. Corn snow gets its name because it’s shaped like a kernel of corn and therefore rounder. You ski the sharp edges in order to cut into that snow. In midwinter, sharp edges tend to grab at the snow which is drier and therefore flakier. As for the bottom of the skis, instead of a smooth, glassy finish, McLeod recommends that you have a slightly coarse finish. The roughness breaks up the suction caused by the water content in the snow and prevents that jerky motion that stops us short and sends us over our feet.

Depending on the weather, the prime skiing time may be anywhere between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. after which it becomes too slow to ski which means it’s time to enjoy the spring festivals.

Now that we have our outfits and our properly prepared equipment, we can plan our ski schedule to take advantage of each area’s spring celebration. The first one of the season is coming up this weekend at 49 Degrees North. Hawaiian Daze started 25 years ago and is the primary fund-raiser for the ski patrol. This year the patrol, led by Gary Deaver, has a bit extra to celebrate since they were honored at the National Ski Patrol Division Convention as pro patrol of the year in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Deaver’s crew of 10 pro patrollers and more than 70 dedicated volunteers will be hosts with a party at the top of the hill, poker run and barbecue on the deck. The Slush Cup is the signature of the event and the costume contest is an ideal time to see some of the burliest guys wearing coconut bras and grass skirts.

Other spring festivals to look forward to include Hawaiian Days at Mt. Spokane on March 25, Oyster Feed at 49 Degrees North on April 1, and Hawaiian Shirt Day and Slush Cup at Lookout Pass on April 2. Schweitzer Mountain celebrates the end of the season with Caribbean Carnival April 8 and 9 with snow bars, mai tais, live reggae music and the hilarious dummy downhill.