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Steamboat Springs — March came in like the proverbial lamb and local skiers were out in force Saturday, slicing and dicing the considerable leftovers from the 5 feet of snow that fell during the preceding seven days.

February got a late start in the snow department. However, the 61 inches that fell from the sky ranked among the top seven Februarys in the past 24 years.

When the clouds broke over the valley Friday afternoon, the accumulated snow depth at mid-mountain was 71 inches and there were 89 inches at the top of Storm Peak.

Local skiers arrived early and filled the overflow parking at the Meadows lot.

Despite the fact that 11,000 visitors were in town for the first weekend in March, there wasn't a single skier waiting in the maze at the Four Points chairlift at 11 a.m., and skiers who were out to get maximum vertical were in for a test.

The sun umbrellas were out on the deck at the Four Points Hut, and the Clark's jays were working the crowd for lunch scraps.

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club freestyle team was busily exploding off every bump in sight on Nelson's run.

Over on the Bashor racecourse, former World Pro ski racers Stein and Jarle Halsnes were working the gates for some young Alpine stars. Locals weren't the only ones groovin' on the fresh snow this weekend.

Ron Hertog of suburban Minneapolis was leading a group of skiers down Rudi's Run while wearing a fish on his head. One would think if a Minnesotan was going to wear a fish on his head, it would be a walleye, eh. However, Hertog's fish hat was patterned with orange and black tiger stripes.

Jessika Scallion and Stephanie Howell of Baton Rouge, La., were hiding from the craziness of Mardi Gras back home in a canvas tepee pitched next to the picnic tables on the saddle of Vagabond. They said it was their first trip to Steamboat and they've decided to spend Mardi Gras here every year.

Mount Werner has entered the home stretch on the 2002-03 ski season with the best March ski conditions in perhaps five years.