Snow Business: Mount Southington Shows CT Is A Good Ski Option

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Mount Southington over the weekend showed that a Connecticut snow sports area is certainly a viable option in the coronavirus-influenced 2020-21 season.

Yes ... it was different, but is was also that good.

"We had a lot of questions, but I think we tried the best we could to get ready," Mount Southington general manager Jay Dougherty said.

The layout was well thought-out.

Let's set the stage. Mount Southington had made enough snow to open two weekends ago. The piles were made and were waiting for the grooming crews.

Dougherty said he decided to wait with the forecast of potentially heavy rain staring him in the face.

It turned out to be a good move. The rans came and went and the temperatures dropped. More snow was made and the piles were groomed. Mother Natured then blessed the area with a foot of dry, light powder. Two more days of cold temperatures meant more machine-made snow and Mount Southington opened last Friday.

More grooming and ... poof ... a ski area emerged.

"It was a good decision," Dougherty said.

Yes it was. The first glimpse of the mountain resembled mid-season conditions.

The skiing seemed like mid-January, at worse and dare we say as good as some Februaries. Green cruisers like Dom's way were soft and manageable and skiers and snowboarders of all abilities seemed to safely enjoy the track. Blue cruisers like Avalanche were quick but safe.

A few rails were even set up for the new-schoolers.

Several skiers and riders were overheard marveling at the conditions. Base depths were about 18 inches and all but two trails were open as of Tuesday of this week.

There are a few quirks to the season that the mountain must follow because of coronavirus protocols.

Keep in mind:

• It is recommended that tickets be purchased online in advance and social distancing is required for both ticket and pickup lanes. The rules are designed to monitor capacity limits imposed by the governor's office.
• Face coverings are required at the base area on while riding the lifts.
• There are no singles lines at the lifts and immediate groups and families stick together, even if one person is on the chair.
• Food services and restrooms have been moved outside.
• The ski school and rental shops are practicing social distancing.

"I think we were able to put out the best product possible together for opening weekend," Dougherty said. "We were very happy how it all turned out. It's certainly going to be an interesting season, but I think it's one in which we can stay close to home and have a lot of fun."

For schedules and ticketing information, click here.

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Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor. He has been writing abut skiing and snowboarding for more than two decades and is a past-president of the eastern Ski Writers Association and past board member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. The Snow Business column appears periodically during the season.