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.
A couple more Vermont ski resorts closed this weekend, but not before skiers and riders hit the slopes for springtime fun under the sun. Here are a few shots from this weekend that we found on Facebook. You can still catch a lift this week at Jay Peak, Killington and Sugarbush in Vermont. [Read more]
Monday, April 22, 2013 1 Comment Filed in: Jay Peak, Killington, Mount Snow, Spring skiing, Stowe, Sugarbush
So this is what I've got on the topic of which Vermont ski resorts are still open now that it's mid-April... Many mountaintops were still looking white today. It's not too late to get some turns in! Still OPEN in Vermont: Jay PeakKillington (plans to be open daily through daily through Sunday, May 5)Stowe (plans to be open daily through this Sunday, April 21)Sugarbush (plans to be open daily through Sunday, April 28)Mt. Snow is closed this week, but will re-open for a final...[Read more]
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Mount Snow, Spring skiing, Stowe, Sugarbush
Years ago I taught skiing at “The Beav.” That's what the locals called Beaver Creek Resort back in the day. It’s a sunny Colorado ski area with about 1,800 skiable acres located 10 miles west of its sister resort, Vail Mountain. Early last week I was able to take a ski down memory lane on the slopes at Beaver Creek. My companion was a speedy 7-year-old; I like to call him SpeedMeister. We skied on a day when a spring storm was moving from the west into the Vail Valley. The clouds looked...[Read more]
Sunday, April 14, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Colorado skiing, Spring skiing, Western skiing
This week SkiMaven continued a Colorado skiing adventure by heading to Vail Resort and Beaver Creek Resort. (I think I've mentioned that I'm spoiled rotten, right!?!) Located on Interstate 70 about two hours west of Denver, these resorts are 10 miles apart and are operated by the same company. In this post, I'll recap my two days of skiing at the enormous Vail Resort—with fresh snow on both days! On my first day at Vail we skied in about five inches of fresh snow! The forecast called for...[Read more]
Friday, April 12, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Colorado skiing, Spring skiing, Western skiing
SkiMaven took a field trip this weekend to Copper Mountain in Colorado's Summit County! I've skied there two days before – many years ago – and I recalled that I enjoyed this sizeable ski resort, but I needed to jog my memory as to exactly why I liked it. I teamed up with a couple of friends to explore the ski area, which is conveniently set up to cluster many of its expert slopes on the eastern end and back bowls of the resort, while many intermediate runs are found in the center of the...[Read more]
Monday, April 8, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Colorado skiing, Spring skiing, Western skiing
Winter is resisting the change of seasons, and it’s alright with me! The last couple of days brought some fresh snow fall on northern Vermont mountains. The temperatures also stayed cool. Although this will be the first weekend of April, we should see some nice snow coverage! Check our Vermont ski conditions links on this page to see how the snow is at your favorite ski resorts. Visit this page for Vermont cross-country ski condition links. Also this weekend,...[Read more]
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing, Spring skiing
Had a great spring skiing day at Jay Peak today. The snow was soft and plentiful, and the weather turned out to be much better than predicted! We enjoyed a mix of sun, snowflakes and clouds. We skied in the glades as much as possible and we weren't disappointed. There was plenty of snow and bumps, and much fewer people to avoid than on the trails. Jay has a broad selection of tree runs — from Timbuktu off the Jet Triple Chair all the way to Beaver...[Read more]
Friday, March 29, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Spring skiing, Sugarbush
I took a short backcountry ski up at Bolton Valley on Wednesday. It was around lunch time and the sun was shining brightly. There is still a lot of snow up on the trails! I stuck my pole in the snow near Bryant Cabin and there was at least a foot. The only thing is that now we have spring conditions, so if it's cold at night, the snow is still going to be frozen in the morning. The higher daytime temperatures then soften things up. I mostly skied where others had made tracks to...[Read more]
Thursday, March 28, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Spring skiing
Easter is hopping closer! This year it falls on Sunday, March 31. Vermont ski resorts often have Easter-themed events to get families out on the snow. Some ski areas also hold mountain-top sunrise services, where you can get some first tracks after the service. Call or visit the ski resort websites to confirm that the details haven't changed! Stowe Mountain Resort: Easter Sunrise Service & Easter Egg Hunt A non-denominational service atop Mt. Mansfield. Free...[Read more]
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Bolton Valley, Bromley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Magic, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch
Here are a few shots of a great ski day at Stowe, Vermont, on Friday. I joined some friends at Stowe Mountain Resort for a half-sunny, half-snowy day. We enjoyed some great, light powder all around — especially in the woods, where it was quite deep. (The one place we did find heavier powder was in the woods next to Chin Clip, off the Gondola. That slope faces the sun more than the slopes on the Quad side of the mountain.) After a sunny morning, fat snowflakes...[Read more]
Saturday, March 23, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Stowe
Isn't life funny sometimes? Just as I started my climb up the Bryant trail on the Bolton Valley backcountry trail network today, an email was received and waiting on my iPhone in my backpack. The email announced that the Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic & Backcountry and the Vermont Land Trust had done it: we successfully completed the fundraising campaign! You'll be glad to know that because of the effort and generosity of many Vermonters, the Bolton Valley Nordic &...[Read more]
Thursday, March 21, 2013 2 Comments Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing
March 20th is the first day of spring and we're in the midst of a snowstorm today, the 19th. While some folks are lamenting more shoveling, we skiers and riders are psyched! This morning Vermont ski resorts were reporting 2 to 9 inches of snow had fallen already. Today the snow continues. The National Weather Service is forecasting a foot or more of snow to fall in many Vermont mountain areas by Wednesday morning. I love seeing double digits on their snowfall...[Read more]
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Backcountry skiing, Bromley, Cross-country skiing
Occasional midday flurries made way for clearing skies this afternoon at Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont. My friend and I skied off all three main lifts and enjoyed fast groomers and challenging moguls and glades. The ski area received 2 - 3 inches of snow over the last day. It was light, fluffy stuff that helped the ski conditions. The trees were white with snow and the temperatures were cool. We sought out moguls, and they often had some soft snow on their crests. The bumps were...[Read more]
Saturday, March 16, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Smugglers' Notch
I think the snow that fell in the last day and a half was a bit of a surprise for Vermont ski areas. A welcome surprise, of course! Ski resorts are reporting a couple of inches of new snow to nearly 10 inches atop a couple northern Vermont peaks. Nice. Nordic ski centers also picked up snow in places like Stowe, where they report 2 - 5 inches. Check out our links to Vermont resort snow conditions. While it's sunny this morning, look for snow to move in this afternoon and evening. The...[Read more]
Friday, March 15, 2013 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing, Mad River Glen
Did you know Smugglers’ Notch has a Nordic trail network? Well they do, and it’s quite nice. On Sunday afternoon, after finishing some house chores, I took off for a warm, spring ski. I wanted a location that was rather high and not baked by the sun, so after getting a ticket and consulting the trail map, I set my sites on the highest trail in the network. It was mostly sunny and warm on Sunday, so I only needed a zip top on and I was not wearing gloves. I carried water and a snack,...[Read more]
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Smugglers' Notch
Congratulations to the ski racers at the 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships! The races were contested on the slopes of Middlebury Snow Bowl and trails of Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton, Vt. While things were looking very good for UVM to take another title this year, they finished on the podium in third place. U Colorado and U Utah beat them out on the last day. Sigh. The SkiMeister and I watched the last day of racing on Saturday. We saw the men's Nordic 20K freestyle and the...[Read more]
Sunday, March 10, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Rikert, Ski racing
The SkiMeister and I watched the last day of NCAA Skiing Championships racing on Saturday. Here' you'll find photos of the men's Nordic 20k freestyle at Rikert Nordic Center at Middlebury College's Bread Loaf campus. Top 10 finishers in the men's race. 1 HAVLICK, Miles /U Utah 2 OEDEGAARD, Rune /Colorado U 3 ULSUND, Einar /U Utah 4 SODERMAN, Erik /Northern Michigan U 5 PERSSON, Niklas /U Utah 6 RESALAND, Mats /U New...[Read more]
Sunday, March 10, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Rikert, Ski racing
Wow, it was a nice day to be on the slopes! I needed sunscreen, shades and just a few layers. It was so good to see the sun and the snow softened up to allow for sweet spring turns. At Bolton Valley, the glades that have been well-traveled were great, too. If you went into areas that hadn't been skied, the snow was heavy and harder to turn in. Check out our photos to see what we found on the slopes. If you get out tomorrow, bring your sunscreen. And enjoy![Read more]
Friday, March 8, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
I had a first today: I saw deer roaming in the forest while I did a cross-country ski tour at Trapp Family Lodge Nordic Center in Stowe, Vt.! We saw three of them in the woods between the Russel Knoll Trail and Sugar Road. They saw us, but didn't raise their tails and take off—we were quite a distance away. How cool is that?! As for the other animals I mention in the headline, they made up some of the trail names that we encountered today. Our rather long ski tour...[Read more]
Saturday, March 2, 2013 4 Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Trapp Family Lodge
I took to the slopes of Mad River Glen today after the mountains in the Mad River Valley—and in other high spots around the state—received up to 30 inches of new snow this week. (It just kept snowing!) Check out my photos from the day. The mountain was 100 percent open and it was stuck in a cloud with occasional light snow. I was amazed at what the dampness did to the trees — I saw some very cool rime formations on branches! The snow was not the light, fluffy...[Read more]
Friday, March 1, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Mad River Glen
Three to 14 inches of snow being reported this morning at Vermont ski areas! Amounts varied by location, with Burke Mountain reporting the three inches. Check out our Vermont ski resorts page for links to the snow reports at your favorite hill or cross-country center. Nice way to close out February, eh?[Read more]
Thursday, February 28, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
Here are a couple shots from our cross-country ski today in Stowe, Vt. Soon after we started out, big flakes began to fall. They continued through our midday ski. Thank goodness I brought sunglasses with me so my eyes weren't pelted by snow on the downhills! Hope you get out on the snow this weekend, too![Read more]
Saturday, February 23, 2013 No Comments Filed in: Cross-country skiing
Take a look through older blog posts by category or by month and year.
Home | Advertise on this site | Privacy | © 2013 SkiMaven. All rights reserved. | SkiMaven, Skimaven & skimaven are trademarks of Ecopixel, LLC
