How to conquer the late season snow in New England

Okemo Mountain in central Vermont regularly provides solid spring turns well into April. (Okemo Mountain)

March arguably is the best time to ski with great snowfall, warmer weather and longer days.

Base depths and trail counts typically are higher than earlier in the season, so it’s easy to have a quality experience without the frigid temperatures. Thanks to a banner February with abundant snowfall, conditions in New England are better than they have been in years.

Spring skiing also has its challenges, with a variety of conditions from slush to crud to ice, so it’s good to think about a few ways to make your best turns on the variable terrain you might encounter. Perhaps you can up your game and take a lesson specifically for spring skiing tips.

“Skis are designed to slice through the snow regardless of the texture,” said Peter Novom, a National Alpine Team member for PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) and a longtime instructor in the East, who has done many lessons specifically geared to becoming better at spring skiing. “In wet, heavy spring snow, you want the tip to start the turn and the tail follows so turns can be round, not square or turning the ski sideways.”

The trick to do this is to be patient with your turns, with no sudden movements in order to execute smoother, rounder turns.

“The ‘how to do it’ component of this is to steer from the legs by patiently using tipping and turning movements,” Novom said.

He said this technique works in powder, slush, sugar or whatever else a spring day could throw at you. Novom offers three main tips to help conquer spring snow: round turns, pole plant down the hill and tension in the body to stay upright.

Round C-shaped turns vs. square turns

The overall goal is to make round turns, and there are a bunch of techniques to help accomplish this. One way to start is to back off the tip of the ski and stay more centered by feeling your whole foot in the boot. That’s a common habit in the East, with skiers being heavy on the ski tip when trying to ski hard-packed conditions. A better strategy in spring conditions is to have a more even weight distribution during the turns.

Balance is always key in skiing, and it’s especially important to stand in the middle of the foot for best results in softer snow.

“It’s a good place to be in general because it gives you the best ability to turn the legs,” Novom said. “You will be more likely to float and slice your turns if you are not too far forward.”

Another tip to get more centered: Try keeping some tension in the ankle joint to stabilize the connection between the skis and the body.

“This stability allows you to meter your flexing and extending motions in all of your joints (ankle, knees, hip and spine),” Novom said. “That means that you can absorb terrain changes and textures to stay upright regardless of what is underneath you.”

Having stability and tension in your body helps prepare you for unexpected snow changes that would normally jolt you off balance.

Adopt a strong pole tap and engage your body

Pole plants can change depending on the conditions one encounters. For spring skiing, Novom recommends a strong pole touch directed down the hill, which will also help steer skis to make those round turns.

“Use a pole tap down the hill with rhythm so legs can twist under a stable upper body,” he said.

As mentioned, when skiing through the chop and other challenging snow, it’s important to have tension in the body to stay upright.

“Spring skiing is a bit of a fight and you have to get ready for it,” Novom said. “You are a hero if you can ski all day in the different conditions you can encounter.”

Indeed, the best part of spring skiing is that it’s guilt free if you want to start your day at 10 a.m. and skip those earlier turns when it’s normally still a harder, icier surface. Pay attention to what part of the mountain softens first so you can head there to start the day.

“We’re all looking for that golden hour when it’s soft but not too slushy,” advised Novom.

For example, during spring’s typical thaw-freeze cycle, coral snow can form — these are slushy areas that freeze overnight, forming harder, jagged chunks that take some time to soften up in the morning. It is best to understand where the sun is positioned throughout the day so that you can more easily predict where and when to find the best snow.

Additionally, you have to be aware of the other types of snow you might encounter. For example, manky snow is rotten and wet. It might look like an opportunity to get into some fresh tracks, but once you get in it, is so thick and heavy that you can’t turn.

Tune up for spring conditions

Another factor for spring skiing is tuning and waxing skis for snow that has a different consistency from mid-winter snow. Sometimes a simple wax adjustment can help skis glide better, but other times a full tuneup might be necessary.

“If you are on a budget, the best thing to do is carry a pocket container of Swix F4 all-temperature glide wax,” said Parker Rice, owner of the Equipe Sports shops at Stratton and Mount Snow in Vermont. “It’s a really good glide wax, and you can do it as many times a day as you think you need it.”

But it might not be enough. It’s always important to adjust the tune to the weather and know that warmer snow generally has a lot more moisture. This can result in friction and resistance when gliding down the hill because the snow is filled with water.

“Sometimes a more aggressive structure is needed on the base because you have to find a way to get water not to stick to the bottom of the ski,” said Rice, adding that a deeper structure will result in less friction and resistance. “It makes a huge difference for glide.”

So treat your boards to a tune and don’t put them away just yet. This spring, there is plenty of snow left to get out and practice your technique and up your game.