Late March, April and May are often called skiing’s “secret season” because late season snow conditions, sunny weather and, best of all, diminished crowds make a few choice North American and European resorts prime destinations for carving turns.
Last spring I had some of my best days of skiing and snowboarding on the slopes at Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain resorts in California’s Sierra, in the northern Rockies at Big Sky Resort, Montana, and in Europe’s Alps at the renowned Swiss resort town of Zermatt.
Spring skiing is a very curious sensation: You ride the slopes when most outdoor enthusiasts are golfing, hiking, biking or heading to the beach. It’s a little weird, but that’s a big part of the fun.
Some die-hard skiers and snowboarders get in the mood for spring skiing by donning Hawaiian shirts, goofy helmets and colorful bikini tops and celebrate the season with sweeping top-to- bottom runs on nearly empty slopes. Springtime brings also lively outdoor events at some resorts, such popular “pond skimming” contests, swag giveaways and outdoor live music concerts. Lift tickets and lodging are typically less expensive in spring and resort ski shops often run end-of-the season sales for big savings on new and used ski and snowboarding gear.
North America
Mt. Bachelor, Bend, Oregon
Thanks to its high elevation and unique geography, Mt. Bachelor has a long season that often extends into late May and even June, with a high snowpack and frequent powder days in the spring. The spring season offers unique conditions like corn snow and summit days, alongside events, festivals, and the chance to ski the whole mountain. Events and festivals liven the après-ski scene, featuring various events, live music, and festivals.
Mt. Bachelor’s “Pond Skim” is an iconic, annual end-of-season event where skiers and snowboarders dressed in costumes try to skim across a 100-foot man-made pond of cold water, competing for prizes like season passes and bragging rights in categories like Best Overall, Best Trick, and Best Dressed, marking a fun, splashy finale to the ski season. Details: mtbachelor.com
Big Sky, Montana
One of the top resorts in North America, Montana’s sprawling Big Sky resort (5,850 acres of ski terrain) typically produces great skiing and snowboarding conditions into April.
In the crisp morning air, the corduroy snow on Andesite Mountain and the lower slopes of Lone Mountain rapidly warms up and, closer to midday, the sun softens the top inch of the snow into buttery corn snow. Midday is a great time to head to the Lone Peak Tram, which transports you to 11,166 feet, the summit of Lone Mountain.
Whether you ski down via the steep runs of Liberty Bowl from the top or just ride up for the panoramic view of the northern Rockies, this aerie of jagged rock and ice is a bucket list item for many skiers and snowboarders.
By afternoon at Big Sky, the conditions on the lower mountain typically transform into slushy “mashed potato” snow but the vibe is pure joy and the soft conditions can be especially fun, I’ve found, for snowboarding. In April the resorts features on the mountain outdoor music performances and a popular pond skim event. Details: bigskyresort.com
Palisades Tahoe, Olympic Valley, California
The view from Palisade’s High Camp and the Granite Chief is simply spectacular: the vast expanse of Lake Tahoe shimmers like a gem dropped into a bowl of powdered sugar. Much of the resort’s 6,000 skiable acres are still open in late March and usually into April.
By midday, the sun had softened the snow and spring afternoons can be spent cruising the wide-open bowls of Shirley Lake and dodging through the glades of Granite Chief where the snow remains soft and chalky long after the groomed runs had turned to “Sierra cement.” In early May the resort will host its 34th annual pond skim near the base of KT-22. Details: palisadestahoe.com
Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth Lakes, California
For skiers and riders at Mammoth (3,500 acres), spring is not only a secret season, it’s the beginning of a “second season” that can run into late June. Mammoth outdoor enthusiasts often combine ski trips with mountain biking in summer, which seems crazy, but is true.
Unless it’s snowed the night before, Mammoth’s spring snow can be bulletproof in the morning, so it’s best to wait a bit to hit the slopes. Once the snow turns into “corn” (usually mid-morning when the surface snow turns into tiny, frictionless ball bearings), it’s time to hit the slopes and enjoy the butter-smooth consistency of the melt.
.Ride the gondola to the top of the ridge (11,053 feet), for wide views on bluebird days then drop into Cornice Bowl for epic runs on soft “hero snow” down the mountain. Details: mammothmountain.com
Europe
Switzerland’s Zermatt
Spring in Zermatt brings the scent of damp earth and blooming crocuses to the narrow streets to this charming, nearly car-free village overlooked by the iconic, mystical Matterhorn. Higher up, in the surrounding Alpine peaks, it’s still deep winter and skiing is possible into mid-April and even on the glacier in summer. Ride the gondola high in the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, surrounded by 4,000 meter peaks and the massive Theodul Glacier, and you’ll enter an otherworldly winter wonderland and enjoy some of the best spring skiing and winter scenery on the planet.
At the summit station, nearly 3,883 meters high, the the skies can be brilliant blue and the air thin, biting, and crystalline. Long sweeping runs bring you to the Trockener Steg and Schwarzsee mid-mountain stations or a long run down the Italian side of the Alps to the charming town of Cervinia, a perfect place for a pasta lunch. Details: zermatt.swiss/en