Twenty!!!?
That’s all…all for East spinning areas and it feel like a bad joke. Normal temps have return since that heatwave, however the damage was done. Those that survived the heat still manage to hubble around. There is also the problem of public interest in skiing and perception that no skiing is left. There is always skiing in April, but this April is more like the new May like November 2011was the new October in term of the ever shrinking season.
So compared to last year, how bad is this year? Some people will mentioned that it’s always like this in early April. Here is a rundown of the previous seasons Eastern Closing posts.
What was in the previous season? Well Easter 2011 weekend had roughly same amount of ski areas, however Easter was three weekend later: Skiing toward Easter and May in the East
The first weekend of April 10-11, 2010 which was the weekend after Easter? About 40 ski areas still remained: Eastern closing thread – 2009-10
Also about double this year’s amount in 2009: Eastern closing dates thread 2008-2009
And I’m not even going to mentioned April 2008 when the East had 4 times the amount of ski areas still open: Eastern Closing dates 2007-08 – Part 2
And about three times in 2007: Eastern Closing dates 2006-07
So for this time of the year, we generally have skiing at somewhere between double to four times the amount of ski areas that we have this year. Quebec regions that have generally never closed in April, let alone March due to lack of snow. That is pathetic and it’s depressing with the scientific data out there about climate change and how it specifically affect us, the Eastern skiers longing for April turns or November turns. May was even an issue before, know its not even sure.
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The three are located in the Laurentians. After this weekend, MSS will be the only skiing east of Quebec City. No official word of the closing of it’s sister ski area, Mont Avila. One would suspect that they will focus on one hill after the Easter weekend.
Some regions in Eastern Quebec also got deeply affect by the heatwave. For example, in the Gaspe ski areas where skiing is April is generally not even second through has been wiped out the skiing in most ski regions. Regions north of the St.Lawrence river from Quebec City to Labrador have been less affected, although the snow level is lower than usual, the closure of the smaller areas far from Quebec City was more due to lack of skiers than snow. The Easter weekend will make the end of the season for all, but 3 ski areas in Quebec and Eastern Canada as Marble Mountain in Newfoundland close this Easter weekend. (St-Sauveur in the Laurentians, Ste-Anne near Quebec City and Le Valinouët in the Saguenay.
There are only a hand full of ski areas left in New England and a few will be done after this weekend. Confirmed last weekends for Loon and Sugarbush. A few others are hoping will some of more confident.
Here is the detail list:
Quebec: 11
Western Quebec (North and Townships) :
Avila (weekends)
St-Sauveur : TBD
Tremblant* : April 9
Eastern Quebec (Mauricie to Gaspe) :
Gallix (North Shore): April 8
Tibasse (N Shore)
Mont Edouard (Saguenay): April 8
Le Valinouët (Saguenay): April 15
Le Massif* (Charlevoix): April 9
Le Relais (QC): April 8
Sainte-Anne (QC): April 29
Stoneham (QC): April 8
Newfoundland & Labrador: 1
Marble : April 8
Vermont: 3
Jay* : TBD
Killington : TBD
Sugarbush* : April 7 (open Saturday – decision for Sunday will be made on Sat. pm)
New Hamsphire: 2
Loon* : April 8
Wildcat* : TBD
Maine : 3
Sunday River* : April 15
Saddleback* : open until monday, then maybe the following weekend
Sugarloaf* : TBD
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Previous week lists :
Eastern Closing thread 2011-2012 Part 2: Around the corner : Surviving the Heatwave or the End of the 2012 Eastern ski season?
Eastern Closing thread 2011-2012 Part 1:Eastern Ski Disaster and Winter Hating Heatwave
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