https://newenglandskiconditions.com/viewreport.php?reportid=3565
What started as a morning with difficult conditions and visibility turned into an awesome day of spring skiing at Pico! They received over 2 feet of snow last weekend and have retained it well thanks to their northern exposure, despite the warmer weather and rain over the last few days. The snow report showed 100% open, which was not entirely accurate as the headwall of A Slope and a few short crossovers near the summit were closed, but there was still more than enough terrain to explore.
The snow started out as a firm hardpack that was edgeable (more so on the groomed trails) but not exactly icy, making for loud and choppy skiing. The clouds hanging over the mountain gradually receded as the day went on, greatly improving the visibility while also making it warmer and turning the snow into fun, soft spring snow/wet packed powder. It did get a little sticky on the lower mountain, but I didn't mind. Base depths were still deep on many of the main routes although a few trails had avoidable bare spots, thin spots, rocks and/or snowcat ruts. The views from the summit were very nice once the clouds lifted.
Around midday I tried a run down Sidewinder, which had very nice snow and was particularly fun to ski, well worth the skate up That-a-Way. B Slope and Forty Niner were some other standout trails that come to mind. I honestly can’t think of any trails I took yesterday that I didn’t enjoy.
All lifts were running except the rope tow and the Outpost Double. I never waited more than a few chairs for a lift all day, apart from when the Golden Express had a wait of around 4 minutes just before it closed at 11:00 for a mechanical issue (it reopened after half an hour). There was youth racing on A Slope in the morning and on B Slope in the afternoon, as well as the Vertical Challenge race on Lower Pike.
It was a fantastic day for my first visit to Pico and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the assortment of wide open cruisers, bump runs, glades, and narrow winding runs through the forest that the mountain offers. Spring may have come on the early side this year, but there’s still good skiing to be had if you can be in the right place at the right time!
Lower Pike and the Golden Express
Upper KA
Lower KA
Exhibition
Riding up the Little Pico Triple
B Slope
Birch Glades
Summit Glades
Upper KA Glades
Upper Giant Killer
Looking uphill from the bottom of the old Summit Poma lift line
Poma Woods
Top of the Outpost Double
Sidewinder
Looking up the Outpost Double
Riding up the Knomes Knoll Triple
Triple Slope
The summit seen from the top of the Little Pico Triple
A Slope headwall
Sunset 71
Upper Pike Glades
Lower Giant Killer
Fool's Gold
Upper Pike
Forty Niner
Sunset Woods
Riding up the Summit Express
Last run on Lower Pike
