Ski conditions.  These are in the eye of the beholder.  I learned this on a ride up a chair lift on a recent February ski trip.

It was snowing – a lot – and there was gorgeous powdery snow covering the entire mountain.  The evergreen trees were caked in what looked like confectioner’s sugar.  My family and I couldn’t get over the still, quiet beauty of the mountain.  Every run had several inches of fresh powder.  Any skier would have been in heaven, right?  Well, not my family.  Having skied on the over-skied mountains of the East Coast for our whole lives, this powder was more than we could handle.  Our skis seemed to feel every bump in the snow, twisting and turning our skis in unexpected and not always controllable ways.  We wondered when they’d groom some of those intermediate and easier expert runs so that we could enjoy this blissful day without any broken ankles.

We were on our way up to the top of the mountain to give it another try.  A snowboarder sat with us on the lift.  Upon overhearing us talk about how much powder there was on our last run, he added, “Yeah, it’s perfect today, isn’t it?  I’m sure by tomorrow they’ll have groomed the whole mountain, and you can forget about these great conditions.”  As we’re lamenting the fact that the powder is giving us too bumpy a ride, this guy can’t get enough of it.  All we could do was laugh.  Ski conditions – in the eye of the beholder.

Spring skiing conditions are variable, of course, depending a great deal on temperature and the freeze-melt cycle.  Sometimes spring skiing mimics the well-groomed runs that I seek, sometimes it can be powdery, and most often the snow in spring takes on a great character all its own.  You certainly can’t beat the warm sunshine and skiing in sunglasses and a fleece.  Many mountains also have fun family events and music at the base, and lift tickets are often cheaper.  You can take nice long lunches on the deck of the lodge and ski for several hours after lunch, thanks to those longer spring days.

We have many vacation homes available for home exchange in spring skiing areas during the months of March, April, and May.  I have highlighted few below, but this list is by no means complete.  To browse through the vacation homes listed in our home exchange network, please visit us at www.thevacationexchange.com.

Custom waterfront home in South Lake Tahoe, CA available for home swap

Lake Tahoe, California boasts 7 ski mountains, and we have lots of vacation homes in both North Lake Tahoe and in South Lake Tahoe.

This home in South Lake Tahoe, CA has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths and sleeps 10.  It has a large boat dock, a hot tub, and a panoramic view of Heavenly Ski Resort.  Skiing is only 3 miles away.  For information about how to become a member of The Vacation Exchange Network and vacation in homes like this by traveling the home swap way, check out our discussion of how to arrange a home exchange.

Ski home in South Lake Tahoe, CA available for home swap March 21st - May 26th

This California ski home, also in South Lake Tahoe, CA has 3 bedrooms, a circular fireplace, redwood decks, and a hot tub.  It is located 11 miles from skiing.  It is available for home swap March 21st – May 26th.

We have a number of homes available for vacation exchange in Colorado, including homes close to Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Vail, Keystone, Steamboat, and Copper Mountain. Here’s just a sampling:

Ski-in/ski-out condo on Steamboat Mountain in Colorado available for home swap March - May

This ski-in/ski-out condo on Steamboat Mountain sleeps 8 and offers maid service.  It is available March through May for home exchange.

Mountain home in Crested Butte, CO available for home exchange in April.

This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home in Crested Butte, CO is on the mountain and boasts gorgeous panoramic views.  5 minutes from skiing, this vacation home is available for home exchange during the month of April.  Check out our many vacation homes in Crested Butte, CO at www.thevacationexchange.com.

Rustic yet elegant log home near Utah ski resorts available for home swap in April & May

This log home in Midway, Utah is secluded among the pines and aspens and yet is close to both Park City and Deer Valley ski resorts.  This stunning home boasts 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths.  It has all amenities, including both a gas fireplace inside and a log fireplace outside on the deck.  Read a great Utah ski blog at www.skiutah.com/winter/blog.

I’ve highlighted a few opportunities for spring skiing here.  Be sure to check out all of our vacation homes available for swap.  To learn more about what makes The Vacation Exchange Network a unique home exchange program or to join our network, please visit  www.thevacationexchange.com.

For great discussions of skiing in Colorado, Utah, and California, check out these blogs:  cosnow.com, www.skiutah.com/winter/blog, and skiing-blog.com.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on spring skiing and hear about your experiences.  Please add your comments below.