After a November to forget, it seems like a December to Remember has finally commenced. Thanks to significant Lake Effect snow bands reaching all the way into Vermont and across New England, Mad River Glen was able to open this weekend unexpectedly. With Jay Peak having lift issues and my ski bud Nhski going to Mad River Glen, it was a total no brainer!

Due to the unexpected opening, Mad River Glen had advertised a 10am opening but actually had us on the lift by 9:30am. Seeing the mountain covered in powder and without moguls was stunning, a sight rarely seen at Mad River Glen except during the very early season. Tracks from turn earners blanketed the mountain from the past two days and this morning. But there was more than enough to go around. And the silky smooth lake effect powder was a sublime treat.

We started on Fall Line which skied incredibly well! By far my best time on that trail. I was launching off rocks and cliffs landing in knee deep untracked. Marvelous! Glade was acceptable but thin and boney in some places. The difference between upper and middle mountain coverage was noticeable.

Next up we took Chute to Beaver. Without moguls on Chute, I really opened it up and charged hard launching off as many cliffs as I could find. After catching a rock halfway down Chute, I lost my pole during the resulting fall which took at least five minutes to recover from the boot to knee deep snow. Onto Beaver which was pretty chewed up by now but skied very nice with occasional pockets of untracked.

With most of the trails on the Single side being well tracked out, we headed over to the Sunnyside Double where we found an amazing amount of untracked on needlessly reserved trails. Not that I am complaining, but if they could have Chute and Fall Line open… some of the reserved trails actually had fewer thin coverage issues. We lapped the creamily smooth and sublime untracked numerous times before heading back over to the Single to mix it up.

We ventured down Paradise with mixed results. Sometimes thin. Sometimes deep. Sometimes VERY deep. One epic sequence of turns was above my knees which made the thin aspects well worth the effort. Back over at the reserved trails, we made two final runs and called it quits on very shaky legs! Today was as sensational an opening day as can be had at a ski area in New England.