LOOKING FOR SNOW?

Well, you've come to the right place. Here you'll find information and views about Vermont skiing and riding, powder dumps, Vermont ski resort reviews, ski travel tidbits and all-around snow culture from a Vermont skiing enthusiast. I don't work in the ski industry, so what you read in this ski blog is from someone who just loves to get out on the snow! This Vermont skiing blog covers alpine, backcountry and cross-country skiing.

Bolton Valley, Vermont, spring skiing slideshow

I'm going to let the photos do the bulk of the talking on this post.

Basically:

- I skied Bolton Valley Wednesday afternoon.

- My friends and I skied mostly in the Timberline area.

- I had to slather on sunscreen.

- I was carving sweet turns in the corn snow.

- The snow coverage was still very, very good.

- The views were tremendous.

- I was sad when it was over.[Read more]

Thursday, March 11, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Spring skiing

Sunshine-y nordic skiing in Vermont, in the Mad River Valley

Can it get any better than this?

The Skimeister and I hit Ole's cross-country center in Warren, Vermont, this afternoon for a ski tour. It was absolutely gorgeous out. No clouds. Warm temperatures. And the snow was still firm in many places because of our cold evenings and excellent grooming at Ole's.

I was on skating skis while the Skimeister took to the trails in a sit-ski. He rented it recently so he could get out skiing despite a major knee injury that he sustained last month. Yup, he...[Read more]

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 1 Comment Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après, Ole's, Spring skiing

Spring skiing and clear blue skies

This week I've seen sap buckets collecting their precious liquid. I've seen a ski technician working on his motor boat. And I've driven through mud to skate through corn snow. It must be spring skiing time in Vermont!

This weekend has been absolutely gorgeous. I was supposed to be in Colorado, but the clear blue skies and warm sun made me feel like I was there anyways!

The Skimeister and I loaded up the car on Saturday and went to check out Blueberry Hill Inn cross-country center in Goshen,...[Read more]

Sunday, March 7, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Blueberry Hill, Cross-country skiing, Spring skiing

Sierra Trading Post

 

Cross-country ski at an airport — at Ole's in Vermont

When you arrive at Ole's nordic center in Warren, Vermont, you can't help but notice the ski lodge looks a bit like an air traffic tower. And the orange windsocks make you really start to suspect something.

Ole's is in fact a small airport during the summer months. But to those who don't know any better, this cross-country center just seems to have a big, wide, snowy field right out its back door.

When I arrived on Wednesday afternoon, local children were wrapping up their school skiing...[Read more]

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Ole's, Spring skiing

102 inches of snow atop Mt. Mansfield

Yes, that is one - zero - two. 102 inches at the stake on Mansfield. Check out the graph: www.uvm.edu/skivt-l/

That's all. Just wanted you to know.[Read more]

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Mt. Mansfield

Soft snow for nordic today: Stowe Derby & Trapps XC

What a gorgeous day it turned out to be in Stowe, Vermont, today. I headed to Stowe with two goals in mind: check out some of the 2010 Stowe Derby race action and then take a ski myself.

The 16km race course starts atop Mt. Mansfield and wends its way down into town to follow the recreation path all the way to the church in Stowe Village. Just think — most skiers do all this on skinny skis.

It was fun to see how they actually got people through the course — having to cross a couple busy...[Read more]

Sunday, February 28, 2010 2 Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge

 

Bumped up and singled out at Mad River Glen

Bumps were the order of the day at Mad River Glen today. Soft bumps and smushed snow in between them. It was a fun day to play in the moguls.

There was great coverage at Mad River today after the big storm this week. But it wasn't light Utah snow — more like Sierra cement. You really had to ski where others had skied. In order to ski the crud on the sides of the trail you had to do jumping turns. So I was not skiing in the woods today, that's for sure.

The sun was out when my friends and I...[Read more]

Friday, February 26, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Mad River Glen

Two feet of snow or more: great for skiing, and sled dogs?

Fresh snow and sled dog racing, too!

This storm has dropped about two feet of snow on many Vermont ski resorts thus far — some are reporting more. The weather is affecting lift operations here and there today, so check my Vermont ski resorts snow conditions page. It has direct links to the resorts' ski report pages.

This stuff is really helping to beef up our base. So happy!

I'm planning on skiing on Friday, so I'll let you know where I end up and you can be sure I'll post some photos and a recap.

Meanwhile, this weekend also...[Read more]

Thursday, February 25, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Burke, Cross-country skiing

More than a foot of new snow in Vermont — and more falling

 

Well the winter storm warning has delivered. Several Vermont ski resorts from Okemo to Jay Peak are reporting a foot or more of new snow this morning. And it continues to snow today. Yippee!

Visit the snow report links on my Vermont Ski Resort page for the latest conditions.

And here's a link to National Weather Service snow reports from towns across the state. Note that these are often in-town measurements — not mountain-top...[Read more]

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 2 Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing

 

Really fun powder day at Smugglers' Notch

Nearly eight inches. That's my estimate of the depth of the fluffy powder we were skiing in at higher elevations this morning. And we found deeper pockets of powder in some places because it had snowed a couple of times in the last five days or so.

I sincerely thank my friends for making me wake up early this morning to ride some of the first chairs up at Smugglers' Notch!

Let's see...what trails did we have fun on... We hit FIS early because it can be windblown in the center and we wanted to...[Read more]

Sunday, February 21, 2010 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch

Got skis? Got a board? Head for the lake!

Today we went to the beach.

We were spectating at this weekend's Kitestorm event at Sand Bar State Park on the Causeway in Milton. The temperatures were comfortable for standing on the snow-covered and frozen Lake Champlain, and watching as skiers and snowboarders worked to get their kites aloft in light wind. The folks who made it out farther on the frozen lake were rewarded with decent wind and they were moving right along.

This is one of North America’s biggest and longest running...[Read more]

Saturday, February 20, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing

Vermonter Hannah Kearney revels in her gold medal

Hannah Kearney has quite a set of knees. Did you see her run? Holy cow.

There's a nice interview of her in the Post-Star. It mentions that she is very excited to bring the medal back to Vermont, her home state.

www.poststar.com/sports/article_27e5fe84-1c4f-11df-93f0-001cc4c03286.html

This native Vermonter brings her knitting projects along on the ski circuit as a "productive way to relax."

She also props her pigtails up on the back of her helmet to keep the wet hairs off her...[Read more]

Thursday, February 18, 2010 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine skiing

 

Cross-country skate on Sunday afternoon in the snow

Note to self: Bring a neckwarmer and glasses when you go cross-country skiing, even if you don't think you'll need them.

I had a nice cross-country skate ski at Bolton Valley this afternoon. The snow was falling and I was finally getting a workout after a week of back pain. It was great to be on the snow again!

There was up to an inch of fresh snow on the nordic trails (see my first tracks?) and probably more up in the backcountry trails and alpine area. I worked my way up the hills, but then...[Read more]

Sunday, February 14, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing

Vermont is well represented at the Olympic Games

Team USA at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies

I was glued to the TV last night to watch the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. It's really exciting to watch the Games, and even more so since we have such a strong American team.

Vermont is definitely a winter sport kind of state. And this bears true as we've sent a contingent of athletes to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Olympic athletes with Vermont ties include:

Cross-country skiers

Andy Newell (from Shaftsbury)Liz Stephen (from East Montpelier)Caitlin Compton (grew up in...[Read more]

Saturday, February 13, 2010 3 Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing

Stowe Derby recon mission, and race on February 28

On Friday, eager skiers will take a test run on the Toll Road of Stowe ski resort. It's a reconnaissance mission for those who will ski in the Stowe Derby later this month. Most will be wearing skinny skis as they board the chairlift.

The Stowe Derby will have its 65th running on February 28. This race is a true skimeister kind of race. You have a long downhill ski run and then cross-country terrain. So you must pick your equipment wisely and be a versatile skier.

It started in 1945 as a...[Read more]

Thursday, February 11, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe

Globe reports on Magic Mountain ski area trying to become a coop

Magic Mountain ski area in southern Vermont made the front page of today's Boston Globe.

This small ski area is selling shares in an attempt to become a cooperatively owned ski area, much like Mad River Glen. Magic's owner believes this is the only way that skiers will see the lifts turning beyond this ski season.

Here's a link to the article.

[Read more]

Monday, February 8, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Magic

Light powder stashes & sun found at Jay Peak

This morning I had the opportunity to enjoy a sunny ski morning at Jay Peak Resort.

When I got out of my car, the wind whipped through the parking lot and I decided it would be prudent to throw on an extra layer. This layer would come in handy on the Green Mountain Flyer, which always seems to be blasted with wind at the top.

But by the time I hit the entrance to the glades, I had been warmed up by playing in soft powder on the sides of the trails. Then, there were some very nice powder...[Read more]

Friday, February 5, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak

Fresh snow today & UVM Winter Carnival this weekend

Ski racing action this weekend.

Vermont ski resorts are reporting between one to 8 inches of fresh snow this morning — the farther north you go, the higher the total. Some resorts have been getting a little bit of snow every day this week.

This will be an exciting weekend around Stowe, Vermont. The University of Vermont Winter Carnival takes place Friday to Sunday with both alpine and nordic ski racing.

The alpine events are at Stowe Mountain Resort, while the cross-country races are at Trapp Family Lodge. We're planning...[Read more]

Thursday, February 4, 2010 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge

Very nice pre-sunset ski at Bolton Valley Nordic

I don't know if you call it cabin fever or just plain old work stress, but by mid-afternoon today I needed to get outside and exercise! I convinced the Skimeister to join me for an end-of-the-afternoon classic ski at Bolton Valley Nordic Center.

We arrived and saw that we would not be alone in our late-day ski. Ski team members from the University of Vermont and Colchester High School were on the trails, too. We set out for a nice loop out on Maple Loop and only passed a handful of kids.

An...[Read more]

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing

Cold, scenic ski tour in the woods in Stowe, Vermont

I'd say it was about 5 degrees (F) on Saturday when we clicked into our skis in the Sterling Valley area of Stowe, Vermont. Needless to say, it was not a day for dallying about. We selected a backcountry ski tour so that we'd keep moving and generate our own heat on this clear but cold day.

I had been eyeing a section of the Catamount Trail in Stowe ever since our summer hike up in the Upper Sterling Valley. The Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowshoe Waterproof Trail Map (you can buy it at the...[Read more]

Sunday, January 31, 2010 2 Comments Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Stowe

Surprise snowfall in northern Vermont mountains

New snow in northern Vermont, including Jay Peak

Well surprise, surprise! Northern Vermont ski resorts are reporting up to 12 inches of snow has fallen on their slopes in the last 24 hours. Yippee!

We knew there was going to be light snow this week, but this is much more than expected.

Thank you, Mother Nature, for exceeding our expectations on this one!

Check out Vermont ski resort conditions here.

Photo courtesy of Jay Peak Resort.[Read more]

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 4 Comments Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush

Great grooming & some surprises at Rikert cross-country center

The kids that go to Middlebury College have it good. They can ski at the Middlebury Snow Bowl and the Rikert Ski touring Center; both are owned and operated by the college.

To get to Rikert from Middlebury, we drove Route 125 up and along the Middlebury River, through the micro-village of Ripton, and then to the college's scenic Bread Loaf Campus. Rikert nordic center is based in one of the barns on this historic summer campus known for its writers' conference. The mustard-colored historic...[Read more]

Monday, January 25, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après, Rikert


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