Pepin: Five New England ski runs I’ll be daydreaming about this summer

The view from Stratton features Bromley on the horizon. (Matt Pepin)

Ski season in New England is short and sweet.

It sure does leave a lasting impression, however. In the non-skiing months, I find myself thinking about skiing all the time, like when I ride my mountain bike or drive around or just let my mind wander.

With some beach time coming up this summer, I’m likely to spend a good amount of it daydreaming about the ski season that was. 

I enjoyed winter in New England at a variety of locations and with several different companions. Here are the five runs that were the most memorable for me in 2023: 

East Meadow and West Meadow, Stratton

My final ski day of the year in late March – a weekend getaway with my wife – started out a bit concerning. Some lifts were on wind hold, and the snow conditions ranged from mashed potatoes to cream cheese.

In the afternoon, the sun came out and the wind died down, but not before drying out the snow on the wide-open beginner fields near Stratton’s main summit, the perfect kind of slope for both of us to enjoy at our own pace. On top of that, a lot of other skiers and boarders had bailed out for the day, leaving East and West Meadow nearly empty.

What remained was a glorious playground where you could make giant slalom turns on your edges and carry a lot of speed side-to-side without endangering anyone, or you could just explore any number of routes at an easy pace through fluffy and powdery snow. The view from high up in the Green Mountains was stunning, featuring Bromley on the horizon.

We did not know for certain it would be the final day of the season for us – I always hold out hope that a late March/early April storm or two will keep the season going – but in retrospect, it’s hard to imagine a finer ending.

Tight Line, Saddleback

I’d argue there is only one way to ski the signature double black diamond run at Saddleback: top-to-bottom, nonstop.

The beginning, right below a headwall, is really steep, so it’s almost impossible to stop anyway. If you fall after dropping in, you may be in for a bit of a ride on your backside. Trust me, I found that out the hard way after losing an edge and sliding 30 to 40 feet.

But if you stay upright, as I did on subsequent attempts during an early March two-day trip, you’re in for one thrilling run. It’s wide enough to choose any number of lines, and you pick up speed in an instant. 

My heart was thumping, my smile was ear-to-ear, and I felt like a kid again, especially when I accidentally dusted another skier as I came to a stop. 

The apology was accepted with a knowing wink.

Slide of Hans, Magic Mountain

Conditions-wise, this was the worst run of my season. It started with a benign and enticing traverse that gave no indication it led to the top of a chute that resembled a graveyard of mangled cars covered in ice chunks, snow, and random debris.

Admittedly, moguls are not my thing and I tend to avoid them. In this case, the options were to ski them or walk down because there was no escape route, so I gave it a go on skis.

What made it so memorable was the challenge itself. I was acutely aware of the possibility of broken skis, broken bones, and a broken spirit, but I persevered and linked together a few turns at a time and then paused to catch my balance and reset. A few of those sequences boosted my confidence, and soon enough I neared the end of the disaster zone and more favorable terrain.

My son was considerably better equipped for the conditions with his snowboard and he led the way down, but making it unscathed on skis was immensely satisfying. Of all the great runs on a great father-son day trip, this short but demanding test was an exhilarating reminder of the benefits of taking a chance.

Backdraft to Zephyr to Blast, Pats Peak

On what may end up being the coldest day of 2023, I took a solo trip on a February weekday knowing the frigid temperature would likely give me the place mostly to myself.

That’s exactly what happened, and the cold certainly played a role in making this a memorable day. I thought I’d prepared as well as I could for the cold, but as I skied my first run, there was a chilly draft coming through my midsection that I’d never felt before.

It took a while to notice, given the general euphoria of the moment. My mind alternated between “Wow, this is about as good as it gets” and “What the heck is going on with my ski pants?”

I thought there must be a rip or something, but I also wasn’t about to stop, remove gloves, and do an inspection, so I sucked it up and continued. That was the right call, as it was an amazing run on squeaky and fast snow.

Then, safely back in the confines of the lodge, it all became so clear. Turns out, in my haste to hit the slopes, a certain zipper was not, shall we say, properly fastened.

High Country to Oblivion to Valley Run, Waterville Valley

If you challenged me to a top-to-bottom race anywhere in New England, this is the course I’d choose. High Country is a breathtaking place to start, especially on a bluebird day, and then it’s a classic downhill route through a valley that you can pretty much bomb the whole way when there’s no traffic.

Often that’s how it is toward the end of the day, and this year I had a little gentlemen’s race with my two boys to end an early January outing. I can’t remember how the race turned out, but man I sure do remember doing it.

Honorable mention runs of the 2023 winter

Peggy Dow’s to Old Turnpike to Lower Turnpike, Bolton Valley; Competition, Berkshire East; Red Devil, Saddleback (mostly for the eagle sighting, but this is also a fun zoomer).