28 February 2017 — Shout out to Terry Peak in the Black Hills of South Dakota, they’re hosting the South Dakota Special Olympics for their Annual Area Games Alpine Ski event today and tomorrow on the Stewart Slope. Photo above clearly shows the level of skill and competition these incredible athletes posess! Kudos in fact to all the resorts and local tows that host these events, and we’re especially grateful to the volunteers who make it happen…7″+ overnight means fresh tracks this morning in Steamboat, CO, especially with the thermometer hovering around ten, which tends to keep the crowds reduced a bit…World Telemark Day is coming up this Saturday, pinheads from around the globe will be celebrating something…northeast slowly but surely making recovery efforts. Stratton VT tells me that yesterday’s sunshine enabled their grooming fleet to resurface the frozen stuff; Hunter NY back up to some 40 trails although Hunter West/Z-Lift are on hold for now, probably until the weekend. Trust me you don’t want to be on Hunter West when it is solid ice…ice is definitely not the problem in Utah; Snowbird reporting another storm, another 16″, getting to be old news! Seriously this is the time to be at Alta or the Bird or anywhere in Utah for that matter…all-time great conditions up on Mt. Hood; Mt. Hood Ski Bowl dealing out terrific powder this morning. Same deal at Timberline Lodge, except they have so much snow the upper stuff (Magic Mile, Palmer snowcat) is shut down today. If you’re in the Portland area, this would be the day to call in sick…not so much in the Mid-Atlantic; Maryland’s Wisp Resort has shut down for the season. Neighbors Whitetail and Round Top in Pennsy are holding on, but are down to about 2/3 of their terrain. Wisp passholders are being provided tix to sister resort Ragged Mountain in NH, which we coincidentally featured yesterday.

Photo courtesy Special Olympics