Out-of-season ski stories

New England skiing is a mid-winter passion ... except, of course, when the snow gods deliver snow during one of the region's dozen or so other seasons.

And that's just what happened during the magical autumn of 2005.

A bluebird autumn day in the White Mountains: Oct. 29, 2005, from the Middle Wildcat trail on Wildcat Mountain.

Twice during October that year, the remnants of Florida hurricanes clashed over northern New England with cold air from Canada. The result was a pair of fierce Northeasters that  blanketed the region's higher mountains with deep layers of snow.

The first storm rolled into the region on October 23rd. Wildcat in New Hampshire's Mount Washington valley received four inches at its base, and up to 30 inches at its peak.

A second storm hit October 26th. It dumped 18 inches in Wildcat's parking lot -- and another three feet or more up top.

This was thick, dense Northeaster snow -- the stuff that isn't really powder but is mighty fine for skiing. By the time the second storm eased, a base of snow nearly five feet deep blanketed Wildcat's upper trails.

Wildcat's owners typically try to open the mountain for lift-serviced skiing the day after Thanksgiving. Indeed, the mountain had never opened earlier than mid-November during its half-century history.

But with deep snow in the parking lot ... and with word quickly getting out on the Internet that Wildcat had lots of snow .... the resort's operators made a quick midweek decision to spin the lifts.

And thus the mountain opened for lift-serviced skiing on Friday, Oct. 28, 2005, and by mid-day Saturday, ski patrollers had dropped the ropes on every trail on the mountain -- even glade runs that seldom open before mid-January, and some years not at all.

Skiing over still-open streams was a bit of a challenge on some of the ungroomed trails. But even rocks that typically see sunlight all winter were covered with snow.

Thousands of skiers and riders from all over the Northeast showed up to ski, board, snap photos, drink beer and enjoy a Halloween weekend to remember.

Alas, good things must end.

By the following weekend, sunny weather and warm temperatures had melted much of the snow. The ski area closed  as the snow melted -- and then struggled to open in early December ... this time on man-made snow.

At the base of the mountain, these birch trees still hadn't lost their leaves when the snow hit. (Yes, those are green leaves.)

Nine miles north in Gorham, New Hampshire, the golf course was open for business on Oct. 29, 2005. Here in Pinkham Notch,  my sons and I were enjoying winter.

Here's a bump run beneath the big triple at Wildcat. This trail has one ledge after another. It's generally one of the least friendly trails on the mountain because there are always exposed rocks. Today those rocks were covered - the first and only time I've seen this much snow in the half-dozen years I've skiied at Wildcat.

The author in his Halloween costume, circa 2005.

Friday, Oct. 28, 2005, on the Lynx trail at Wildcat.

I have no idea who this guy is, but he was gracious enough to pose for shots I'd agreed to take for Tim Jones, editor of Easternslopes.com.

This is on the lower end of the Lynx trail, shot on Oct. 28th, 2005. This too is a shot taken by Irene, Wildcat's marketing director.

Mid winter on the Lynx. Ok, actually it is late October. Just seems like mid-winter.