Even though the folks at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, Mass. have been making snow for a month, there's nothing like a natural snow drop (of around two feet) to encourage Rhode Islanders to make the one-hour drive northwest to ski there. I headed up on Friday, just ahead of the busy Martin Luther King weekend hordes, and enjoyed a great day on the slopes -- my first of the season. The whole mountain was open, with some deep powder pockets on the steeper west side and smoother going on the east side. As always, Wachusett does a great job of managing people: Even though there were lines of maybe 40 people at each of the two lifts, I never waited more than 5 minutes to get on. And miraculously, the slopes themselves were wide open. I never felt crowded going down.
Everyone I met just seemed delighted to be skiing on such a fine day. Good options if it's your first time this year: Ralph's Run and Challenger, then Conifer and Balance Rock to work your way up to Smith Walton and 10th Mountain. By the end of the day, you'll have it down cold. But don't wait too long to leave. Around 2:30 p.m., the big buses roll into the parking lot, disgorging hundreds of school kids and weekenders. Time to call it a day and head home.
Next time: NEW HAMPSHIRE
