March 2026 / SPRING SKIING
With the snow long-gone in the valleys, Brian Mohr soaks up a few high elevation runs in early May along the rooftop of Vermont.
Emily Johnson and daughters Maiana (R) and Nori (L) get out for some fresh air and some human-powered skiing after school.
It’s Not Over Til It’s Over – Spring Skiing in Vermont
By Brian Mohr & Emily Johnson
It’s not often that Mad River Glen puts on a pond-skimming event, but when they do, Mike Riddell is there.
Are you ready for corn o’clock? One of the many wonderful things (albeit frustrating to some) about a ski season in Vermont is that spring skiing conditions can play out any time between November and April. Be it the Christmas Curse, January Thaw or simply a random kink in the late-February jet stream, we’ve learned to embrace these balmy episodes as a comfortable break from the cold, a good chance to catch up on chores, and ultimately, just really fun skiing. They also remind us that there’s more to winter than bluebird powder days, and with some luck, we will eventually get to enjoy a few good weeks of delectable spring skiing before it all melts away.
Corn o’clock, of course, is that magical time of day when the consolidated springtime snowpack, after freezing solid overnight – hopefully, softens into that smooth spring-corn snow surface we love. The clock usually chimes in the later morning hours, making for a very relaxing start to the ski day. Late starts. Warm air. Soft snow. And there’s so much more: apres-ski in the sun with friends; long days in the backcountry; afternoons back home boiling maple sap or starting on the garden. Or is it the ease of heading out with just some light gloves and a baseball cap? Or the fun challenge of keeping things flowing by hopping bare spots and even skimming across patches of grass on the way down? Or is it the simple joy of linking easy turns as the rush of a nearby stream fills the air?
No doubt, spring skiing is something special. And while it seems to linger for weeks and weeks some years – and Jay Peak, Sugarbush and Killington easily spin their lifts into May – there are other seasons that offer only a handful of prime spring days for us all to savor. Either way, spring eventually reminds us that it’s been a long winter, and that running the river, riding bikes or putting up some firewood are fun, too.
Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson are Moretown, VT-based photographers and storytellers who simply love to explore – although their two young daughters might have other ideas, too. They also capture people, families, and celebrations of all kinds. Their work is widely published: emberphoto.com. Or instagram.com/emberphotovt.
Emily Johnson takes advantage of the late season/March snowpack to descend a favorite line in the woods near Sugarbush.
With plenty of easy, spring-corn snow to work with, Dylan Dipentima soars off the Tower 10 ledge alongside Mad River Glen’s historic Single Chair.
“Dad, can we ski in shorts today?” Maiana Mohr, Ella Polubinski, Sadie Schroth, Sylvia Lehnhoff, Orin Twombly, and Nori Mohr gather before another spring season run at Mad River Glen. Photos by Brian Mohr & Emily Johnson / EmberPhoto
John Shultz, Gamal Buhaina, and Rob Bisbee keep things flowing between melting patches of snow on Porcupine trail at Mad River Glen.
Forrest Twombly enjoys some soft bumps on a classic spring day above the Mad River Valley.
While beginning to boil another 30+ gallons of collected maple sap, Brian Mohr takes a break from spring skiing in the backyard to stoke the fire in his family’s simple, homemade “maple cooker.”