Photo provided by John Sherwood.

Timberline’s opening weekend turned out to be one of the best in many years. Cold weather, improved snowmaking capacity, and ample natural snow (36 inches so far) allowed the resort to open a surprising amount of terrain.

I arrived late on Saturday, picked up my season pass just as the business office was closing at 4 p.m., and went to bed dreaming of what awaited me the next day. I was not disappointed. Natural snow fell from the sky as I skied from my condo down to Thunderdraft triple to take my first lift ride of the season.

Not having checked the snow report, I had no idea that Salamander was open until I arrived on the summit. This 2.5 mile-long trail is the region’s best beginner trail and numerous skiers took advantage of its gentle grade to get their ski legs back in order. Not me. I headed straight for White Lightning - a trail defined as black by Timberline but in truth, more of a blue cruiser than a black diamond. I had White Lightning to myself for my first run of the season, not unusual for the early season Timberline skier. Conditions were ideal - a combination of machine groomed and natural snow. There’s nothing like starting out the season on “hero” snow.

It wouldn’t be a ski trip unless someone forgot something, and true to this adage, I forgot to pack my wife’s goggles. Rather than see her tortured by wind-blown snow, I decided to buy her a pair at the Timberline ski shop. The shop was well-stocked with Uvex models ranging in price from $35 to $45. Blowing money and skiing go hand in hand, so it’s good luck for me to waste some money on my first ski day.

With her new specs, Darina felt ready to ski Salamander, typically the windiest and coldest trail on the mountain. As we made our way down the trail, we noticed a distinct absence of ropes at the entrance to Off the Wall (OTW). “I’m skiing this and I’ll meet you at the bottom,” I yelled, but she followed anyway like a trooper. The conditions on OTW were very good - mostly powder and just a little ice here and there. A third of the width of the trail on the skier’s right was groomed. Snow whales, made from machine blown snow, dominated the rest of the trail. In short, OTW skied very similar to the way it did last season.

The terrain features create a lot of challenge, even for advanced skiers, and also a lot of possibilities. Before attempting air, be sure to scout your route beforehand and make sure the trail is clear below you. Some of the whales look like they could be good kickers but the landing zones are pretty sketchy, so caution is advised. Last year, I advised Timberline to groom the whales at least once and allow moguls to form naturally. This year, however, I don’t know. The whales can be a lot of fun and do create challenge - something often lacking in this region. I love natural moguls like the ones you find at Stowe, Vermont, but fake can be fine too.

Photo provided by John Sherwood.

After taking a couple of falls on OTW in the afternoon, I decided to downshift and return to easier terrain. Off and on snow showers improved conditions as the day progressed. As I file this report from the Timberline lodge’s new free WiFi system, the snow is coming down in heaping portions (5 inches overnight and 3 in the morning). I’m on a flex day tomorrow, so freshies will be the order of my day tomorrow. Life could be worse…

Photo provided by John Sherwood.