The Halfdayer

Your on-mountain guide, curated by Halfdays

Halfdays Guide to Spring Skiing 2023

Like winter skiing, but better.

The ski season stoke may be winding down by March, but we’re just getting started.

The springtime holds some of the best conditions for skiing and snowboarding. Especially for mountains susceptible to extreme temperatures and winter storms, this time of year leaves their slopes ideal with sunny skies and deep snowpack.

Some location in California and Colorado have received record snowfall this 2022-2023 season, so there’s plenty of powder to be carved well into the summer. Skiing on the fourth of July? Sign us up.

Switch out your goggles to the bright lenses, grab the bibs and base layers, and let’s plan your next ski trip with the girls – it’s not over yet.

St. Patrick’s Day

We hope you’re ready to whip out your Alpine Green jackets and pants because first up in spring time festivities is St. Patrick’s Day on and around March 17th. It’s no luck of the Irish that almost every resort out there isn’t passing up the chance to celebrate. No matter where you are, there’s a place to go jig… here’s our lucky 7 list of prime spots to visit on the week of St. Patrick’s Day:

Mount Snow, Vermont: they’re serving up green eggs and selling $17 dollar lift tickets
Grandby Ranch, Colorado: live music from 12-3, night skiing from 3:30-7, more live music from 3-6
Tahoe, California’s Homewood Resort: don’t ski too fast, a little leprechaun hides next year’s season pass for someone who finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (clues given on social media all day long)
Vail Colorado: come in the morning for the Shamrock Shuffle Snowshoe 5K, stay for the party that ensues all day long
Park City, Utah: ski right down to Main Street and step into Flanagan’s, an authentic IIrish Pub where Guinness goes down like water
Winter Park, Colorado:green beer, green cocktails, live music at the Beer Garden. No further comment needed.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming: don’t stop them… the celebration continues the weekend after at Hal’s St. Paddy’s Day Parade on March 25th, complete with a pet parade, kid’s parade, and live music

Music

No need to wait for the dry, hot days of Coachella and Lollapalooza… pop the skis off, leave them on the rack, and walk right into the most underrated music festivals of all time.

WinterWonderGrass takes place twice this year: in Steamboat Springs Colorado on March 3rd through March 5th, and in Tahoe California on March 31st through April 2nd. The festival features over 25 bands on 4 stages, heated beer hall tents, coffee depots, food trucks, and free mini-shows. If you can swing a three day weekend, get there early to take the Gondola to the top of the mountain to take part in the ranch-to-table dinner featuring the best of local Steamboat cuisine and breathtaking views of the Yampa Valley. The Tahoe twist on a mountain side farm-to-table dinner is the Tram-to-table, complete with complimentary wine, cider, and beer tasting at the top of Tahoe’s High Camp overlooking the Olympic Valley and Lake Tahoe.

If you haven’t heard Trampled by Turtles, cue them up for your next drive and let the rhythm of blues convince you of your new spring break plans.

Subaru’s Winterfest features artists with similar bluegrass vibes with a more family friendly atmosphere. Subaru sets up a Winterfest Village offering coffee, hot chocolate, and s’mores where you can chill out or have some fun with gear demos from all sorts of vendors. There’s even activities for DOGS!

It stops in quite a few places this spring… make sure to catch it when it swings by:

March 11-12: Copper Mountain, CO

March 18th: Park City, UT

March 24-26th:Snowbird, UT

April 1-2nd: Sierra at Tahoe, CA

April 8th: Boreal Mountain, CA

April 15-16th: Mt. Bachelor, OR

If you’re not ready for this kind of commitment (or bluegrass just isn’t your thing) check out your favorite resort’s websites for upcoming mini-shows, or just take a lap around the restaurants and bars at the base and let your ears be your guide. Lucky for us, live music isn’t hard to come by at a ski mountain in the springtime.

Ready to plug in and play your own tunes? Check out our Spring Skiing playlist for all of the upcoming bluebird days.

Night Skiing, etc.

The warmth of a sun-soaked spring day sticks around better than a foot of powder in February… so don’t rush home. Resorts all over the country light up the slopes after sunset for an experience unlike anything the daytime hours can offer… Think Friday night lights for big kids. You need to try it at least once: here’s some night skiing locations that might be near you…

Squaw Valley Ski Resort, CA

Palisades Tahoe, CA

Steamboat Resort, CO

Keystone Resort, CO

Whitefish Mountain Resort, MT

Mt. Hood Skibowl, OR (the largest night skiing terrain in the states!)

Park City Mountain Resort, UT

Sundance Mountain Resort, UT

Brighton Mountain Resort, UT

… and this list is just off the top of our heads.

If you carve too hard during the day but are down to keep the good times rolling after hours, Winter Park Resort (Colorado) is the place for you- every weekend all spring long, Winter Park lights up their tubing hill forCosmic Tubing,the most colorful sledding experience you will ever have. Grab a group of friends and pile in or bring a partner for a night-skating dateunder the lights just below the tubing hill.

Pond Skimming

If you thought night skiing sounded a little off the beaten path, buckle up for this one. Seasoned skiers have all heard of a long standing spring tradition that happens on mountains across the country- pond skimming. Whether you spectate or participate, pond skimming is true entertainment at its finest. Skiers rocket down a slope to attempt skirting over some slushy pond water. We’re not sure what is more impressive: the successes, or the wipeouts.

Here’s another compilation of events we love (but check your local resort’s event calendar for a pond skim shindig near you):

Heavenly, Tahoe, CA- Pond Skim 2023: April 1-2nd (yes, the same weekend as Tahoe Winterwondergrass!)

Solitude, UT- Pond Skim Beach Party: April 8th

Steamboat Springs, CO- Splashdown Pond Skim: April 9th

Purgatory Resort, CO- Annual Pond Skim: April 9th

Winter Park, CO- Spring Bash and Splash: April 22nd-23rd

Palisades, Tahoe- The Cushings Crossing: May 13th

Closing Days

In true ski-life spirit, spring fun lasts until the very last second. Resorts everywhere say goodbye to the ski season with all kinds of antics and entertainment. Pick your favorite and mark your calendar for a rowdy, action packed way to end the most wonderful time of year on a good note.

Jackson Hole

Perhaps the most iconic closing day at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. If you thought penguins can’t fly and hotdogs can’t ski, think again. On the last day of every season, hundreds of skiers deck themselves out in hilarious costumes, tutus, onesies, bikinis, and everything in between. Join the fun on Sunday, April 9th- you will not be disappointed.

Blackcomb-Whistler

Blackcomb-Whistlers’s closing day on May 22nd is a close second best to Jackson’s. Recycle your halloween costume and pack lots of denim- the weirder, the better.

Palisades Tahoe

We don’t want to get your hopes up, but we just can’t NOT mention Freedom Fest at Palisades Tahoe. This “last day” might really be considered a “first day”... on July 1st-4th, Palisades Tahoe hosts the Freedom Fest, a summer skiing festival complete with grill-outs, live outdoor music, and a pool to hop in mid-mountain. The event is weather-permitting, so cross your fingers that the snow sticks and keep an eye out for updates on Tahoe’s website or our future summer blogs 😉

Summer Skiing?

This 2023 ski season has been one of the best yet in terms of record snowfall and closing date extensions well into the late spring and early summer. If you’re looking to catch some laps after spring break, you’re in luck. Passholders – get the most out of your Ikon or Epic than ever before!

Mt. Bachelor, Oregon

Oregon is renowned for having the latest ski seasons, year after year. Mt. Bachelor is a locally loved favorite for it’s unique cone shape, that leaves deep snowpack almost yearround on its trails.

Mammoth, California

We saved the best for last. The Mammoth logo doesn’t have a crown for just any reason, it truly reigns supreme for spring skiing and summer outdoor adventure. Located in central-east California, just south of the beautiful Yosemite National Park, Mammoth is one of the more remote resorts in the U.S., but that doesn’t stop plenty of travelers and weekend warriors from LA and San Diego. This is Mammoth’s biggest season EVER in their entire history of being open. They’ve received over 200 inches of snow at their base, and the powder keeps on coming. They will open well into June and July this season, so plan your first summer trip to this iconic mountain town before the best ski stays fill up.

Soak up the sun, make the most of spring, and don’t cry because it’s over- smile because hiking season is almost here.

Have fun out there Halfdayers!

Bailey Ness

Bailey Ness is the CEO and Creative Director at Nesscessity, a creative marketing agency based in Denver, Co. When she isn't busy running her business (#bossbabe), she loves to ski, run & brunch.

@baileynesss

Andie Jo Smith

Andie is the Content Manager at Halfdays. With a background in writing and photography, she bounces between Austin, Texas, California, and Colorado, creating and connecting with outdoor communities across the West.

@andiejosmith