With spring in the air and more afternoon light, many people are starting to think about golf, biking and other fair weather sports. I think now is the best time of year to hit the slopes. The bitter cold is all but gone, the wind has lost its frigidness and the sun warms your face in this in between season.

As of this writing all alpine member resorts of Ski Maine are still open with most reporting excellent conditions and enough base to last several more weeks. Of course there is certainly a possibility of additional snowfall too; March can be the snowiest month of the season! The western mountain areas, Shawnee Peak, Saddleback, Sugarloaf and Sunday River are all reporting 40-50 inches of base, which should let them extend their season well past Easter.

Saddleback has all trails open, including the Casablanca Glades and if you haven’t been there lately now is the time. They are offering one more Maine ski day for only $29.  In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, you can get the deal by wearing green on Sunday, April 7. Call for more information.

Checking in with the Nordic areas finds most of them still open with plenty of terrain to ski.  If you are planning to venture out during the week, I would call ahead to your favorite Nordic center to make sure they are running on weekdays.

As the days warm and you like venturing out on foot keep in mind that the snow depth is still hefty in many of the wooded areas. Be warned that you may find yourself up to your knees in some spots if you fail to don snowshoes.

Don’t put away your winter sports gear just yet. We still have the sweetest part of the season to embrace. See you out there.

Thomas Porter, a life-long skier and outdoor enthusiast, has been writing about his experiences for more than 25 years. Porter competed for his high school and college ski teams, racing at many of the ski areas throughout New England. He continued his engagement with downhill racing by coaching at Windham College in Vermont and the Brattleboro Vermont high school team. Porter has written articles for Explore New England magazine and was the winter sport columnist for The Brattleboro Reformer for more than 25 years before moving to Maine. Porter has contributed to The Maine Outdoor Journal and The Times Record. He is a 26-year member of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and The National Ski Journalist Association. Porter can be reached at tport1950@hotmail.com.