I was heading to Mad River Glen for the Annual Shareholders Meeting regardless of snow conditions so I might as well bring the skis and have at it. Snow conditions alone would not have justified the drive. While I was very happy to see Mad River make it into April with ample coverage, the lack of good spring skiing conditions have been disappointing. Mad River Glen is a great mountain for spring skiing since most trails are left natural and bumpy. But today was a poor day to sample even the groomers, let alone the bumps, at Mad River.

I got a late start but not late enough. I skied Fox to Bunny and then Antelope to Bunny before deciding that it was time for a lunch. After grabbing a bite to eat, I met up with MadPat and went up for a rerun of the groomers from each chair. I may have skied more top to bottom groomers today than I’ve ever skied at Mad River Glen in total. Not much had changed. But from the Single, MadPat and I both spied one of the Quackys lit up by sunshine. While the bumps were a touch abnormal, the snow condition was prime spring corn and the only bit of it on the mountain.

We went exploring and tried to find good snow elsewhere such as Snail, Lower Gazelle, and Slalom Hill (which nearly rattled my crown loose). Nothing really compared so we returned to a slightly more shaded Quacky for another hit of irregular corn bumps. I felt my legs getting sloppy and my energy failing, so I headed back to the Basebox while MadPat did some more runs.

After the skiing, we went upstairs to the Shareholders Meeting. After over half a dozen years, I’m always dumbfounded that MadPat is the only Shareholder that I know personally. If you are at all curious, check out the Coop’s page and read about buying a share. You don’t need to be a season pass holder to become a shareholder. I usually only ski Mad River Glen 4-6 times per year.

I bought my share because I wanted to help preserve and protect the mountain, to be part of an organization dedicated to preserving a unique ski experience and who’s vision of skiing I identify with. I bought my share during the Single Chair campaign, during a time when shareholder sales really helped the Coop. Another capital campaign to raise money to refurbish the base area seems like it may begin within the next few years. Now would be a great time to buy a share and be part of preserving one of skiing’s most authentic and important mountains.