October turns used to be an expectation. Every other year seemed to bring a big October storm and manmade filled in the gap years. Some of my most memorable powder days were in October. But it has been years since I skied in October. It is no longer an expectation.

But October turns aren’t something to be treasured, either. They happen when they happen. One day changes to the next and suddenly there is snow on the ground where there had been none before, it is time to ski. I used to get anxious and excited before the season began. Now I am nonchalant.

I was not expecting much based on the mountain report. Snow had not been made since last weekend and this past week’s temperatures were above average. I assumed downloading would be required. The morning temperature was in the 20s promising frozen surfaces early in the day.

My normal MO for early season at Sunday River is to get first chair and leave ASAP once downloading begins two hours later. I flipped my strategy today and arrived after noon. By then, the sun had softened the snow and morning skiers had already left. It was an accurate read and the best approach.

But I should have arrived even earlier as the snow was already soft when I arrived and downloading was minimal since it wasn’t required. T2 was scratchy firm, Sunday Punch skied way better: irregular mounds and bumps from top to bottom with occasional sections of exciting turns. Excitement or not, I was having a ton of fun and wished I had more time than just four runs.

Snow on Sunday Punch extended down to the flats where the Barker Quad passes over Lower Sunday Punch. Four broken snow patches were easily linked by skiing short sections of fast grass and mud. The walk back to the chair from the last patch was a shorter walk than from my car to the lodge, which already was a short walk to begin with.

I went expecting scraped T2 laps with uploading and downloading. What I got instead was the full vertical of Locke Triple with variable and bumpy snow, a fun afternoon with interesting turns and terrain. The foliage was darn nice as well.