Highlands Ski Report by Patti 2026 Update

3/4/26

Skiers,

I know it’s hard to imagine looking at the landscape, but spring skiing is alive and well at Highlands Nordic. I went up Whitetail mid-morning yesterday. There was ice at the gate, but by the time I reached the snow mobiles there was reasonable skiing, with any small patches of ice held to the shadows of the trees. The track was still in good shape and the skating lane unmarred. To the north, I could see Sitzmark, Brown, and State School Mountains standing bare and brown against a slate sky, and claiming that it is not so unusual to be naked in early March.

Past the hut, the snow was very thin, then disappeared altogether before the bottom of the hill. I walked over the bare spot and continued to the top. It was lovely. I was skiing over something that was not crusty and not slushy, that allowed kick and glide, and that held my skis in the track. What are all those words for different snow that we should know but don’t?

At the top there was an illusion of blue behind the clouds, but the grey subdued the light. Coming down was a little slow, and when I stepped into the skating lane for the steeper parts, I was able to easily control my skis. At the hut I went up Windsong, again finding thin snow until the lower junction with the Telemark Trail, then the cover was fine. I didn’t go too far past the corner where Stinger goes downhill, but even in that distance the snow kept getting better.

Perhaps some of you have already put your skis away, hoping for a better season next year. But for those who just love gliding over something white, it’s still possible.

Come ski!

2/28/26

Skiers,

True to his word, Jack and his crew groomed this morning, and the skiing is unbelievably fantastic! I started by going to the hut on the off chance Pomme de Pin was groomed. No luck there, but even out of the parking lot the skate lane was smooth and wide, and Whitetail and Windsong looked beautiful. I turned back and skated out Antoine going clockwise. The groomers had magically textured the snow to perfection and the glide was great. The Mill Creek pond, smooth and pristine under its snow white layer, was webbed with tree shadows and the sky overhead was a brilliant blue without a cloud to be seen. Hello Kitty looked like it had been groomed, as did both entrances to Aavas Draw, but I stayed on the main trail so it will take more exploring to know for sure.

At the cattleguard, I was obliged to take off my skis and walk over bare ground, but it was only three or four steps. While I was adjusting my equipment I took a moment to consult my Cornell app and verified I was indeed hearing pine siskins’ sweet song. On I went, and once out of range of the birds heard nothing but my own skis. There was lots of bare ground on the sides of the trails, especially near the junction with Ranger’s Run, but the cover was good and got better the higher I went. The snow, glittering in the bright light, seeming to have energy of its own and I did my best to absorb it. Turning the corner past the creek crossing I found climbing, as hard as it was, to be exhilarating on the smooth surface and the surround was beautiful. Past the junction with the hiking trail there was a group of chickadees flitting from one side of the trail to the other, and the sun shone right through their wings, while just up ahead a snowshoe hare bounded across in front of me.

Time called me back before I got to the top. Knowing that the snow was so smooth that I could control my speed whenever I needed to made the descent thrilling. After days of tiptoeing downhill it was wonderful to let go and ski. Predictably, the snow was a little slow in the sunshine around 1:00pm. Still, what a day!

2/14/26

Skiers,

Yesterday’s snowfall gave me courage to take my chances at Highlands Nordic for the first time this season. I was away when the early snows allowed for some grooming, and by the time I got back that was only a dream. Today though, in spite of scant coverage and no grooming, I had a lovely ski.

There is only a skiff of snow over ice at the beginning of Whitetail, but it was surprisingly easy to ski on and I never hit the gravel. The fog made me feel like I was breathing liquid air and the trees were lightly coated in frost and snow, all lovely. Before I reached the hut, I ran into a friend who said her fishtails were clumping and she was calling it a day, but my twin-skins performed perfectly. I went up Windsong, hoping for better snow and I was not disappointed. Even before the junction the snow grew deeper and the sun began to shoulder its way through the fog, scattering the clouds until they formed a white web under a blue sky. To the west, the little larch trees were still in the mist and made a visual silver wall, and at the junction with Stinger, there was a bright patch of sun on snow. From there to the top, the climb approached a true winter ski. The trees gathered the sounds of cross-bills, and there were many snowshoe hare tracks and lots of deer trails down at my level. All I could think of was how great it was to be skiing in the Highlands again!

I worried that I might not be able to control my descent on the ungroomed snow but it wasn’t a problem. As I came down, so did the fog, and as the depth of the snow decreased, so did its speed. Still I skied into the parking lot full of gratitude for the earlier work that supported what I could do today. So, if you don’t mind ski touring conditions…

Come ski!

Patti