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SnoCountry SnoShots: The West Celebrates End Of Season

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SnoShots-Snowbird If you time it just right and find the perfect aspect, you get some of the softest, most luxurious snow of the season in the spring. (Snowbird/Facebook)

Pond skimming. Easter egg hunts. Crazy costume contests. Bands, BBQ and beer. And layers of sunscreen and lip balm.

That's springtime in the mountains at ski and snowboard resorts in the West. Many mark the end of the winter operations with celebrations and farewell parties. They take a month off before cranking up the scenic lift rides, ziplines, climbing walls, mountain biking and other summertime operations.

A handful of resorts will run into May – and a few beyond – but the memories of a great season will linger. Here's a few snapshots of what it's like when the sun gets higher in the sky and snow softens into butter.

The traditional pond-skimming end of the season is nothing if it's not whacky – like the kayak skim at Monarch. (Monarch/Facebook)

Pack away the parka, snow pants and all those winter layers and take a few runs in a T-shirt and shorts. (Squaw Valley/Facebook)

Mammoth continues a long tradition of running the gondola into Memorial Day weekend – a great time to test out those demos you bought at a discount. (Mammoth/Facebook)

If there's an Easter bunny skiing or riding on your mountain, that's a sure sign that the season has moved from winter to spring, and we all have permission to go a little nuts. (Loveland/Facebook)

Up on the volcanoes of the Pacific Northwest, the snow stays year-round, and you can find cornices to jump deep in the spring and summer. (Mt. Hood Meadows/Facebook)

Springtime in the Rockies a time to smile, laugh and howl – and to make springtime turns in the upper bowls like at Breckenridge. (Breckenridge/Facebook)

Carving a long, high-speed turn gets easier as the weather warms and the conditions begin to vary all over the mountain. (Steamboat/Facebook)

 

 

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Andy Dennison

Andy Dennison

Andy started skiing at about three years old. His father Jim held him between his legs and off they went down New England trails. Soon, Andy joined the Fourth Estate and moved to Colorado, thereupon finding work as a staff writer or editor for newspapers – including a stint as Ski Editor for the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph. In between, he designed and wrote public school curriculum, edited Concrete Pumping & Placing Magazine, and got a master’s degree in English. All the while, he skied. So, the marriage of snowsports and journalism has only been waiting for Andy to catch on. He’s glad he finally did.
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