Thursday, February 24, 2011

Willard Mountain: 02/24/2011

Willard's side-by-side double chairs in operation

Since it's the February vacation week, we take a break from our usual Wednesday telemark nights at West Mountain, but I had promised Daniel that the two of us would go night skiing this week, so he and I headed over to Willard Mountain for a few hours this afternoon and evening.

Willard made snow on Joe's Run earlier in the week

Having a local ski hill like Willard nearby is a great resource for snow days, school breaks and even weekend days when you don't have the time or inclination to head to the larger resorts. The mountain was busy with families and kids this afternoon, but not to the point of being crowded. Both double chairs running, eliminating any lift lines. Snow surfaces were a bit slick and scratchy, but to Willard's credit they fired up their snowmaking plant on both Monday and Tuesday nights this week, making snow on Joe's Run and The Colonel.

Skiing at night adds an element of adventure for kids

Daniel has only skied at night a handful of times, and he considers the adventure of skiing under the lights to be a real treat. I told him we could ski until the lifts closed (6pm), and he was genuinely disappointed when caught our last chair up. He declared the skiing "awesome," and that Willard is now his "second favorite" ski mountain. That kind of fun and enthusiasm is exactly what a local ski hill like Willard is all about.

Campfire in front of the lodge adds to the friendly vibe

2 comments:

  1. Daniel is growing up - how long are those boards he's on? It's a good sign when kids start to rank their favorite anything.

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  2. The skis are 100s. He seems to think the "100" refers to miles per hour, not length, which is pretty funny.

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