During Spring Break of March 2000, I ventured up to Maine for an afternoon of some great skiing at Sunday River. The race season with UMass Lowell Ski Team had concluded the previous month and college graduation was two months away. Having raced for several years, I wanted to get off the groomed terrain and try natural terrain and tree skiing. Thus, my second solo outing to a big mountain taught me some hard lessons about tree skiing and rope ducking.

This is TheSnowWay.com’s first trip report from a St. Patrick’s Day bus trip to Sunday River. The glorious afternoon sported fifty to sixty degree temperatures with little wind. The mountain had just received a good three feet of snow the previous week and it was the last day of the season that they would have all trails open.

My trip to Sunday River sparked a sudden shift in my skiing. No longer a terminal intermediate, my training with the UMass Lowell Ski Team provided a sound though still developing foundation of technical ability. This trip to Sunday River marked my first forays into natural snow and gladed terrain. It was also my first solo skiing outing. My development as a skier and my appreciation for trees and natural snow can be traced back to this afternoon at Sunday River.