As our ski season winds down and our unpredictable weather pattern rises and falls, warms and cools, rains and snows, I wonder what lies in store for us during the last weeks of March and the month of April.  

Our most affordable ski experience, Rumford’s Black Mountain, is planning its end of season celebratory bash on the weekend of March 28 and 29. As always, an all day and night lift ticket at Black Mountain is only $25 for both adults and youngsters ”“ a mere fraction of the cost of our other resorts.

Its end of season party, Family Fun Weekend, begins early on Saturday morning with a kickoff breakfast of “Muffins and Mimosas” at the Last Run Pub at 9 a.m. Following this early morning toast, the kids start racing down the novice trail in a timed 10 a.m. Balloon Race.  For this event, an inflated balloon must be held between the knees for the entire run. At he conclusion of the event the balloon must be popped all to the tune of a stop watch.  

The grills at the lodge deck get fired up for a “Barbecue Brunch” of dogs and burgers as participants below rustle in a tug of war game. After lunch, the annual relay races begin. In this bit of recreational competition, teams of four try to make it down the mountain as they pass between them a cup of water. If temps are in their Arctic phase, this may be an easier feat if the water in the cup of water quickly turns to ice.

Throughout the day a snow sculpture competition is hosted with prizes in a variety of categories.

The live music begins to crank from 2 to 5 p.m., this year’s afternoon tunes are provided by Jo Jo of the Jo Jo Bros. band. Night skiing and riding continues on the Mountain under the lights until 9 p.m., but the live music and the party continue.  

At 8:15 on Saturday night, the lights on the mountain are turned off and the Torch Light Parade begins its illuminated trek down the mountain. This is a fun event to participate in and a grand spectacle to witness from the deck of the lodge.  

The Easter Bunny joins in the fun on Sunday. The day begins early at the Last Run Pub with early morning tomato juice cocktails. Virgin Mary’s for the kids and Bloody Mary’s for the adults.  

At 10 a.m., an unnamed mystery skier will wind his way down the mountain at his fastest speed. His time is duly recorded. Anyone who bests his time is rewarded with an Egg McMogul sandwich at the snack bar. The Egg McMogul challenge is a much anticipated event. Last year, the Head Snow Groomer, Jeff Knight, was the mystery skier. However this year Jeff will not repeat, as he claims he’s too old and is retiring this year.

A costume parade lead by the Easter Bunny takes place at at 11 a.m. followed by another barbecue lunch. The party concludes with a Pond Skim at 3 p.m.  

Skiing on Sunday is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no night skiing on Sunday. Lift tickets at Black Mountain are $25 for all ages. Black Mountain anticipates its final ski day as April 12.  

Black Mountain features 35 alpine trails, five glades, and is serviced by two zipping chair lifts that climb to just under 1,400 vertical feet. Their new lodge is well designed, spacious, and features a ski museum recounting the exploits of their celebrity skier, Chummy Broomhall, a two-time Olympic Champion and a member of WWII’s 10th Mountain Division.  

In addition to their midsize mountain alpine skiing and boarding, Black Mountain features a world class 25 kilometer Nordic network. Cross country skiing is a big part of this mountain’s history and hosts several national competitions. Most recently, the mountain hosted the Eastern High School XC Championship which featured ski racers from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts.  

For more information visit the web site at www.skiblackmountain.org or call 207-364-8977.

— Greg Morell’s Snow Business column seeks to encourage winter adventure, you can reach him at Morell.Gregory@gmail.com