Every year it's the same: There's snow in the hills, but interest begins to move toward golf and gardening and walks in the park.
So, there sit Alta and Snowbird with nearly 100 inches of snow and a forecast for still more, and lift lines are sometimes down to only the ticket checkers.
It's a great time to ski, but alas . . .
Skiing over the weekend was vintage spring . . . groomed corduroy in the morning, corn (pellets of snow that are much sought after by skiers) by mid-morning and spring-like conditions by noon. If skiers can follow the sun and pick the runs on good days, they can ski in T-shirts and still make turns on a solid surface all day long.
But the first sure sign of an ending came this past weekend. On Saturday, Sundance followed Beaver Mountain, Nordic Valley and Powder Mountain and closed its lifts for the season.
It was, said Jerry Warren, director of mountain operations at Sundance, a great season.
"It started with our second earliest opening," he said, "and then we had good snow all season. New snowmaking to the top of our runs this season only helped improve already great conditions."
Tentative closing dates for other Utah resorts are: Alta on April 22, Brian Head on April 22, Brighton on April 22, Deer Valley on April 15, Park City Mountain Resort on April 15, Snowbasin on April 15, Solitude on April 22 and Snowbird on May 6, conditions permitting.
If good skiing and warm temperatures aren't enough, this is also a time when many ski areas bring out the red-tag specials.
From now until the lifts close at Park City, for example, Utah skiers can get an adult all-day pass, not for the usual $59, but for $20.02 if they show a valid Utah driver's license and the label off a 20-ounce bottle of Sprite.
Even without the label, regular spring prices are $45 for an adult pass, $24 for kids 7 to 12, with those under 7 free.
Solitude is also offering a discounted ticket. Buy an Eagle Club membership for $29, which will automatically be renewed for the 2001-2002 season at no charge, and lift tickets until closing time will be $19 instead of the regular $39.
Spring is also a time for the unusual, a time when skiers break with tradition and try things like skimming over water on skis.
The Canyons will hold its fourth annual Pond Skimming Contest on Saturday.
The rules to this contest are simple — make it across a 100-foot pool of ice-cold water on a pair of skis or snowboard without getting wet. Simple? Fewer than half the field of 100 walks away warm and dry.
The event will take place south of the Red Pine Lodge, which is at the top of the gondola. The field is limited to 100 and all skimmers must be in costume.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. and skimming at noon. Awards go to such things as best splash, best costume and best crash.
E-MAIL: grass@desnews.com