WOODBURY — As ski season approaches, so does the excitement of all surrounding skiers. New England is known for its lesser snowy conditions and more ice sheeted trails, but  winter sports are still a large attraction in New England. Vermont and upstate New York are often the secondary plan for a better skiing experience, and oftentimes are seen as the perks of skiing in New England. 

“The mountains are never good,” said Quinn Leonard,  Nonnewaug senior when discussing the disappointing winters of the past several years. “ [We get] one or two good snowstorms a year max.” 

In past years the weather has been inconsistent, good snow storms have been scarce in Connecticut, but in more northern regions of New England, a constant layer of fresh powder has been the backbone of New England skiing. 

 “They’re saying it’s going to be a really bad winter,” Deb Flaherty, Library Media Specialist and skier, said. “The amount of rainfall that we’ve seen [recently] makes me nervous.” 

A bad winter to non-skiers means shoveling sidewalks in extremely cold weather, scrapping car windows at 6:30 in the morning and bad road conditions, but to winter sport athletes, a weather replete with snow means a fantastic season is coming.

“Winter is my favorite season just due to the fact that I can snowboard,” Leonard said. “I’ve been snowboarding for eight years now.”’

“I prefer to ski out west,” said NHS senior and avid skier Sara Norton. “The trails are always covered and it’s honestly so pretty. New England skiing is nothing compared to places like Colorado or Utah.”

As the fall air quickly switches from a crisp 65 degrees and pumpkin spice lattes to below freezing temperature and thick winter coats are waiting to creep in. Soon the slopes of New England have high intentions of opening up very soon.

“The resorts out west have several more trails to choose from so you’re not going on the same three trails every time like you would at Mount Southington. Also going out west for skiing is a fun trip to take with family and friends, which gives the experience of skiing so much better,” says Norton. “Going for this trip just gives an overall better experience and is so much better than traveling 20 minutes to a basic low level of skiing.”