Alpine skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Spring skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Mt. Mansfield
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Mad River Glen
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Burke, Cross-country skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Magic
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
I absolutely hate it when it rains in the middle of winter. It feels like we took two steps forward to only take one step back. Aargh!
It is indeed raining in Vermont today. The temperatures will drop through the week, however, and will be accompanied by some snow. In fact, the lows will be in the single digits in many places by Thursday evening. Go figure.
We'll see what Mother Nature has to offer over the next few days. Let's hope for a strong rebound in the snow department.[Read more]
Monday, January 25, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
What a great weekend it was to be a skier in Vermont!
Knowing that this weekend was going to be sunny and warm with good driving conditions, I schemed up a plan to ski at two areas that were new to me: the Middlebury Snow Bowl and the Rikert Ski Touring Center.
Have you heard of the Middlebury Snow Bowl? I knew it was small and owned by the college, which has a strong skiing program, but other than that I was not sure what to expect.
Turns out it was a bunch of fun and wasn't even...[Read more]
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Middlebury Snow Bowl
I had a couple of hours to ski with a friend this morning at Smugglers' Notch. I knew it would be a rather warm day and was hoping (naively) for some sun.
Well, no sun but we skied on some nice, soft snow. I enjoyed the runs that had bumped up, including Harvey's, Full Nelson, Lower Doc Dempsey's and the edges of FIS and Treasure Run.
And I felt like a hero arcing some turns on the groomed corduroy. Father Bob's and Lower Exhibition were some of the best places to do that.
The trees on the...[Read more]
Friday, January 15, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch
I skied this afternoon at Bolton Valley in some super-light snow that had fallen in the last 24 hours -- and it was as tasty a treat as a Fluffernutter sandwich.
In fact, light, fluffy snowflakes were falling the whole time I was skiing; it seemed to make each run a little better. On the less-traveled trails and in the glades off of the Timberline Chair, I was playing in some fun powder. I noticed at times that I wasn't able to see my skis as I made a small wake through the snow. I'd guess...[Read more]
Friday, January 8, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Food, coffee & après
Don't you hate how work gets in the way of skiing?
Well, we had to work the past couple of days — have to pay the bills — so we couldn't ski in this weekend's new snow until this morning. This was a monster storm in Burlington and the Champlain Valley, dropping about two feet of snow and breaking a record in Burlington with 33 inches! But strangely enough it was not quite as intense elsewhere.
The Skimeister and I were checking the snow reports and decided that Smugglers' Notch may have...[Read more]
Monday, January 4, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Ticket discounts
How many ways do you know how to say "snow"?
Perhaps la neige (French)?
la neve (Italian)
śnieg (Polish)
der Schnee (German)
снег (Russian)
sněhu (Czech)
la nieve (Spanish & Portuguese)
雪 名 (Japanese)
muruaneq (Yup'ik Eskimo - Specifically soft, deep fallen snow on the ground)
Or how about pow-pow (American skier dialect)?
Any way you say it, we are currently getting slammed with it in Vermont this weekend! Here's what the NWS had to...[Read more]
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
The Skimeister and I met up with friends Thursday night at Vermont's Bolton Valley Resort. We wanted to take in the ski resort's New Year's Eve festivities, which included a torchlight parade and fireworks.
The evening was rather warm and a pretty good crowd had gathered for night skiing. The tavern on the second floor of the base lodge was full of hungry and thirsty skiers and families. We were able to get a table and have a beer before the skiers schussed down the trail holding red flares --...[Read more]
Friday, January 1, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley
Several Vermont ski resorts are reporting about 10 inches or so of new snow over the last 24 hours. Yee-ha!
But with all this snow has come quite a bit of wind, so check with your favorite resort to see what lifts are open; many of the high lifts were on wind hold this morning. Visit my Vermont Ski Resorts page for links to snow and lift reports.
Here's a recap of snowfall from the National Weather Service/NOAA. Keep in mind that many of these observations are taken in towns, not in the...[Read more]
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
Geez, I go away for a couple of days and things go to hell in a handbasket.
OK, it isn't that bad, but we did see warm temperatures in Vermont on Sunday that brought some rain with them. Argh. So the stake atop Mt. Mansfield is now reporting three fewer inches of the white stuff. It now reads 27 inches.
But, just as quickly as the spring-like weather hit, we will plunge back down into a deep freeze by Tuesday, with snow on Monday. Weather forecasters are saying we might get 6 inches or so in...[Read more]
Sunday, December 27, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing, Mt. Mansfield
Somehow it seems appropriate to ride the Madonna chairlift on the day before Christmas.
Smugglers' Notch was running the Madonna I chair to the top of Madonna Mountain, so the Skimeister and I skied it all morning. It was our first time hitting the upper mountain this season.
If you were down in the town or valley today, you might not have realized how gorgeous it was ABOVE the clouds in the mountains today. We were fortunate to hit the slopes on one of those rare days when the skies clear as...[Read more]
Thursday, December 24, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch
Vermont ski resorts are reporting a couple of inches of new snow this morning — with the snow continuing today in many places.
At the stake at the top of Mt. Mansfield yesterday afternoon, there was a total of 26 inches of snow. I'd expect that there are a couple more inches this morning.
Here are a few morning totals thus far:Bolton - 2 inchesBurke - 3 inches Jay Peak - 3 inchesKillington - 2 inchesSmugglers - 4 inchesStratton - 1 inchSugarbush - 1 inch
Check the snow reports links...[Read more]
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stratton, Sugarbush
We were on the lift at Smugglers' Notch this morning with some friends by about 8:30 a.m. An hour earlier the temperature had been a balmy 5 degrees at the top of Sterling Mountain. Luckily, the sun was out all morning and temperatures felt higher than they have in a couple of days.
I had come prepared with three layers of fleece and my shell jacket; liners in my mittens; and my balaklava pulled up high over my cheeks. Except for my toes later in the morning, I was really quite toasty.
We...[Read more]
Saturday, December 19, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cochran's, Magic, Smugglers' Notch
As if trying to make up for the tropical weather we experienced in November, Old Man Winter is really putting the chill on this week. It will be cold again tomorrow but I'm hoping to get out in the snow for a bit. I'll do some kind of nordic to keep the blood flowing; probably backcountry skiing.
The cold temperatures have made for light, fluffy overnight snowfalls. The kind of snow that you can blow off your car with sheer lung power. This morning Vermont ski areas were reporting between one...[Read more]
Thursday, December 17, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Okemo
The Skimeister and I hit the trails at Smugglers' Notch this morning. The Sterling Lift was open and it served trails both with and without snowmaking.
This was typical December skiing. Fast, hard-packed snow on the busy snowmaking trails, and better snow — along with grass and rocks — on the less-traveled natural snow trails. (We really need to find our edging tool to get our edges sharp!)
My favorite runs were on the natural snow trails where I could find some smooth snow and small moguls...[Read more]
Sunday, December 13, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch
The temperature is dropping. The snow has been falling. Things are looking up!
Vermont's ski resorts are continuing to open (six more on tap for the weekend) and those that have been open are opening up more terrain. This a good thing, since more people should be hitting the slopes this weekend and a crowded slope cramps my style.
We had a nice snowstorm blow through the state -- and I mean it was really blowing. But several resorts enjoyed a healthy addition to their base, and that's what we...[Read more]
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Mt. Mansfield
I had a snowy drive to Smugglers' Notch this morning to be among the first to ski there on opening day. It's been a long time coming, eh?
It was snowing this morning and the snowmaking crew seemed to be out in force. I saw them here and there around the base area and along the rather long run that was open for skiing. Several guns were pumping out snow on the mountain.
Sterling lift was running this morning, accessing a winding run made up of Upper Rumrunner to Crossover to Treasure Run.
It...[Read more]
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season, Smugglers' Notch
We're off and skiing in Vermont!
Have you hit the slopes yet? I plan to go on Tuesday; I'll be sure to let you know how it is. It's nice to see that occasional snow is in Vermont's forecast this week, as well.
This past weekend you could choose between Killington, Jay Peak, Okemo, Stowe and Sugarbush. Mount Snow opened today with a line of people waiting for their first lift ride, and Stratton and Smugglers' are opening Tuesday. More resorts are slated to open this coming weekend. Check my...[Read more]
Monday, December 7, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Catamount Trail, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Sugarbush
This has been a nerve-racking time for New England skiers. The weather has been like a yo-yo since the first snow fell on Vermont ski resorts on October 1. Yes, back in October! Then again on October 12. But since then, it hasn't been pretty. Changing temperatures have brought snowmaking crews on and off the mountains.
We had a nice mountain snow dump last weekend, followed by warm weather again. So, resorts have been setting and changing their opening dates almost as fast as Lindsey Vonn...[Read more]
Friday, December 4, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season
Now this is more like it.
I'd like to welcome winter to Vermont. Oh, how we've missed you!
This morning Vermont ski resorts are celebrating new snow and the return of seasonably cold temperatures on their peaks. The word is that the new snow is heavy and wet, but that sounds like the start of a great base to me.
The resorts are also reporting that snowmaking is underway again as temperatures have dropped. Several resorts are targeting to open their lifts by the weekend of December 5....[Read more]
Saturday, November 28, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
Have you got a coin nearby? Pick it up and toss it in the air. Heads = some Vermont ski resorts will open on Saturday or Sunday. Tails = they won't.
At this point, it's really up to Mother Nature to deliver some consistent cold temperatures for snowmaking. There is also some noise about the potential for natural snowfall on Friday night. It will probably hit while I'm driving home from my family's holiday gathering, no doubt.
I've updated the list of opening dates at this blog post called...[Read more]
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season
Despite being in a business where bigger is often considered better, cozy Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond, Vermont, continues to thrive as it serves skiing families. Just last week, The Boston Globe wrote about Cochran’s Ski Area. You can follow this link to the article.Eight trails spill from the top of Cochran’s three surface lifts — many of them offering thrills for beginners.The ski area staff reports that for this season, skiers will see improved snowmaking on all trails and on the T-bar...[Read more]
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cochran's, Resort improvements
This weekend's World Cup slalom race in Levi, Finland, features skiers with Vermont ties, as well as a famous neighbor to the east.
Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) is set to open his World Cup season this weekend along side Soelden podium finisher Ted Ligety (Park City, UT). And skiing with them are Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV), Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH) and Nolan Kasper (Warren, VT).
Twenty-year-old Kasper, of Vermont's Burke Mountain Academy, was named to the C team this summer, but has moved up to...[Read more]
Friday, November 13, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke
Just received these shots of the new Doppelmayr CTEC fixed-grip triple chair going in at Middlebury Snow Bowl. It's the only new chairlift project in Vermont this season.
The lift replaces the 40-year-old Worth Mountain chair, which was a double chair, at a cost of about $1.7 million. The old chair either had to be refurbished or replaced—and Middlebury College decided to invest in a replacement lift.
Thanks to the crew at the Snow Bowl for sharing these images![Read more]
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Resort improvements
Been in your basement or barn lately? Trying to figure out what to do with all that old ski equipment?
Two small companies in Vermont can help you turn some of your skis into some very cool furniture, like this Adirondack style chair made out of nordic skis. It's beautiful!
Based in Morrisville and Waterbury, Vermont — towns that bookend Stowe — these companies will take your old gear and suggest ways to create a ski chair, table, CD rack, coffeetable, or whatever the...[Read more]
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing, Ski gear
Are you old enough to remember the 1970s TV ads featuring a dynamic, blond skier pronouncing: "I'm Suzy Chapstick!"? Well her real name is Suzy Chaffee and this famous skier hails from Rutland, Vermont.
Chaffee skied on the US Women’s Ski Team in the 1960s, competing in the downhill, before launching into modeling, film, designer clothing, and ski equipment made for women. She joined the US Freestyle Ski Team as professional in 1971 and competed with the men since there was no...[Read more]
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing
Mount Snow is open this weekend with some rails and boxes in its Launch Pad beginner area. The mini-park is served by the novice triple chair.
Even with very limited terrain, about 400 skiers and riders came out on Saturday to start their season of sliding on the snow.
Unseasonably cold temperatures this month have allowed Vermont ski resorts to take the snowmaking guns and fans out of storage and make snow.
Mount Snow is not expected to remain open during the week. We'll see if they open...[Read more]
Sunday, October 18, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season, Mt. Snow
I received a list of Vermont ski resort opening dates in my email, as reported by Ski Vermont. Of course, these may change, depending on the weather.
As you may know, Colorado's Loveland Ski Area was the first to open in the country. They loaded their lifts with skiers for the first time on Wednesday, October 7. (Can you believe it?) It was their earliest opening in 40 years. We're closing in on the 2009/2010 ski season, folks!
Updated 12/19/09 - Check resort Web sites for the very...[Read more]
Friday, October 9, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bromley, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Magic, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch
In the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont — the corner of the state nestled next to the New Hampshire and Canadian borders and easily accessed by Interstate 91 — one small ski town has found a winning solution for maintaining tourism throughout the year.
In East Burke, Vermont, home of Burke Mountain ski resort, landowners and business people have teamed up over the years to create an incredible network of mountain biking trails. They call them Kingdom Trails and they attract bikers from...[Read more]
Sunday, August 23, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke, Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après
We skiers have got it made, don’t you think? During the summer months while we are hitting the beach, having BBQs or enjoying the cool comfort of air conditioning, the crews at Vermont ski resorts are using some elbow grease to prepare for the coming ski season.
Two smaller Vermont ski areas are adding lifts this year: Middlebury Snow Bowl and Northeast Slopes. Both ski areas have been in operation for more than 70 years. It’s wonderful that they have the means to continue to upgrade their...[Read more]
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Northeast Slopes, Resort improvements
For Killington ski resort in Vermont, last year is a hard act to follow. That’s when the resort introduced the Skye Peak Express – an express quad that more than halved the time that an older lift took to bring skiers to the top of Skye Peak.
As Killington’s communications manager put it: “There’s not a lot of sexy stuff going on here this summer, especially after spending close to $9 million last year on improvements.”
Even still, the mountain ops crews are investing $2.5 million this...[Read more]
Monday, August 3, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Killington, Pico, Resort improvements
I keep checking the Marshall family blog to see if US Ski Team skier Cody Marshall is awake and joking around with his siblings. He's not there yet, but he is making slow progress after sustaining a major head injury last week in Utah.
Hailing from Pittsfield, Vermont, near Killington, Marshall was with friends when he slid down the rail of a closed escalator in a Park City, Utah, mall. Unfortunately, he fell backwards and landed about 25 feet below on the floor. He's been in critical...[Read more]
Friday, July 24, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing
Have I told you how much I love Efficiency Vermont? I personally have benefited from their energy efficiency programs and rebates (yes, rebates!). Now Vermont ski resorts can get into the act by testing the efficiency of their snowmaking systems.
Efficiency Vermont offers free testing so resort managers can see which snowmaking technologies are the biggest energy hogs. Then, hopefully, they will upgrade to systems that use less energy and still churn out the snow.
George Lawrence of...[Read more]
Thursday, July 16, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Mt. Snow
Vermont is well represented on the US Ski Team alpine roster this year. While the A Team comprises well-known talents such as Ted Ligety, Scott Macartney, Julia Mancuso and superstar Lindsey Vonn, skiers with Vermont ties are found on the B and C Teams, readying for their steps onto the podium.
VERMONT SKIERS ON B TEAM / MEN
Tim Kelley (5/20/86; Starksboro, VT; Cochran's/Mount Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club)Cody Marshall (11/15/82; Pittsfield, VT; Burke Mountain Academy)Jimmy Cochran...[Read more]
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing
THE DEAL
What: Magic Mountain Ski Resort is being converted into a limited liability corporation and will sell shares in the company
Where: Londonderry, Vermont
How much: A share costs $3,000.Heck, that's like bringing your family to Stowe for a long weekend!
Small, family friendly, rugged, steep. These are all words used to describe the southern Vermont ski area that is being sold share by share.
Magic Mountain president James Sullivan is working out the details with the Nelson...[Read more]
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Magic
Vermont skiers are one fast bunch.This month, University of Vermont freshman David Donaldson of Toronto was named the Male Collegiate Skier of the Year by Ski Racing Magazine. Donaldson is the 21st Catamount to earn male or female collegiate skier of the year honors in the 31-year history of the award. The last Vermont skier to take the title was Greg Hardy ‘08 in 2006.Donaldson won the giant slalom at the 2009 NCAA Ski Championships hosted by Bates College in Maine. He also earned First-Team...[Read more]
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe
The recent extraordinarily warm weather in Vermont has been great for biking and yard work, but not so good for skiing. This past weekend I packed up my gear and headed to Stowe. No, not for skiing, but for a wonderful bike tour around town.
Stowe's got a scenic recreation path (about 7 miles long with 11 bridges!) and rather quiet dirt roads. I like to plan out a loop up and down hills and around town so I can take in all the views.
Mt. Mansfield still was snowy near the summit and on...[Read more]
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Spring skiing, Stowe
Although official skier visit numbers won't come until June or so, reporters are already getting the scoop on how Vermont ski resorts fared this winter.
Challenges included a nasty economy, up-and-down gas prices, and several thaws that seemed to work hard to spoil the effects of healthy snowfalls.
Here's a Times-Argus (Barre, Vermont) article about skier numbers. It features several prominent Vermont ski...[Read more]
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing
Here's the latest on late-spring skiing in Vermont. The resorts are the usual suspects at this time of year...
Killington is still open. They hope to ski into May.
Stowe is open until Sunday, April 19, which is the Stowe - Vermont Food Bank day. Bring at least two non-perishable food items and ski for $35.
Jay Peak is still in operation. They have pond skimming this weekend.
Sugarbush plans to stay open through Sunday, April 26. Depending on snow and weather, they may re-open for May 2-3....[Read more]
Thursday, April 16, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Spring skiing, Stowe, Sugarbush
We did it. We were out the door on Easter Sunday by 5:15 a.m.
The Skimeister and I wanted to attend our first-ever Easter Sunrise Service, and it would be atop Sterling Mountain at Smugglers' Notch.
At 6-ish, we loaded the lift with about 70 other people. The light was faint, but it wasn't dark at this hour. People had skis, snowshoes and plain old boots. The lift crept along because they had to extract the non-skiers from their chairs at the top of the lift.
I dressed for winter conditions...[Read more]
Monday, April 13, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
You know it's April in Vermont when on the way to skiing you stop in to look at a lawn mower.
The Skimeister and I saw a used reel mower (you know, the human-powered kind that your grandparents may have had) in Craigslist so we arranged for a look-see. We were lukewarm on the mower, but we really enjoyed our late-afternoon runs at Smugglers' Notch today.
The highest parts of the mountains in northern Vermont have continued to receive some snow. At the very top of Sterling Peak (the only lift...[Read more]
Thursday, April 9, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
Mother Nature is not ready to let go of winter yet here in Vermont. On Saturday night and Sunday morning, northern and central Vermont ski resorts reported about 7 inches of new snow. For some resorts, such as Bolton Valley, this snow came in time for their final day of operation for this ski season.
Stowe, Jay Peak and Sugarbush ski resorts all reported about 7 inches in the last 48 hours. This morning Sugarbush encouraged skiers to hit the trails early today because "immature snow" (aka...[Read more]
Monday, April 6, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Spring skiing, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush
Believe it or not, many Vermont resorts picked up a few inches of snow early this week. I skied in it a bit late Thursday afternoon in the Bolton Valley backcountry trails.
With the warm temperatures and sunshine we have been having it was like skiing through sticky mashed potatoes. But there continues to be a lot of snow in the woods at this higher elevation and we had fun making the most of it. Although, we had to cross a stream to finish our descent on Gardner's Lane. There's a lot of...[Read more]
Friday, April 3, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Ascutney, Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
Our Wednesday afternoon ski at Smugglers' Notch, Vermont, turned out to be terrific.
It's that strange time of year when it remains cold at night—setting up the snow so it's very firm in the morning—yet it gradually softens to corn snow and even gets a little slushy in the afternoon. We worked through lunchtime and then headed up to the ski resort to ski in some of that springtime corn snow that can be so much fun.
Every once in a while I'd come upon some slick, hard-packed surfaces. These...[Read more]
Thursday, March 26, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
Today may usher in springtime, but I'm still planning on some time on the snow!
The weather has been lovely and will continue to be for much of the next five days or so. The National Weather Service is calling for increasing clouds on Saturday evening and a chance of rain or snow on Sunday morning (20 percent chance, they say). Otherwise, we're looking at sunshine on the ski slopes of northern Vermont!
It is really nice to be able to ski in light layers and slather on the sunscreen at this...[Read more]
Friday, March 20, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Spring skiing
Must be the luck of the Irish. We had a beautiful day of spring skiing at Stowe today!
Stowe had special $35 lift tickets for St. Patrick's Day, so the Skimeister and I — and several hundred other people — made tracks for Mt. Mansfield.
Blue skies ruled the day. We loaded the gondola about 9 a.m. We didn't think the runs off the quad were soft, and we didn't see anyone skiing Liftline or National until late morning.
Gondolier and Perry Merrill were already quite soft. We took a number of...[Read more]
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Mt. Mansfield, Spring skiing, Stowe
On Sunday I went to see if there was any snow at the Smugglers' Notch cross-country center. Nope. None. Nada. The sun had melted many areas and what little was left was all ice.
For some reason the attendant at the nordic center didn't realize that there wasn't enough snow to cross-country ski on. They were renting snowshoes, which weren't really needed either; you could just walk the trails in some decent boots. The Smuggs Web site also made it seem like there was plenty of skiing there. I...[Read more]
Monday, March 16, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après, Mad River Glen, Spring skiing, Stowe, Ticket discounts
Well this looks like it will be a lovely spring skiing weekend here in Vermont. If you look at the weather report, you see a bright sun smiling back at you day after day. Very nice.
We'll probably go to Stowe, Vt., to do some nordic skiing at one of their cross-country ski centers. (There are a handful to choose from!) I'll be sure to pack sunglasses and sunscreen, and some snacks to enjoy in the sunshine somewhere. Doesn't that sound great?
Have you noticed that sleds have become more...[Read more]
Friday, March 13, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Spring skiing
I enjoyed the rare treat of skiing above the clouds today. This doesn't happen too often in Vermont. It is very impressive!
We arrived at Smugglers' Notch for a morning of some skiing and thought it was going to be a cloudy day. The weather report had called for partly sunny skies, but it didn't look like it from the base lodge.
About two-thirds of the way up the Madonna I chair, the sun started breaking through the foggy clouds. We broke through to bright sunshine and we could look down over...[Read more]
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing, Winter photography
Ah, March. It can be an amazing snow month both here in Vermont and in the West. (I'm typically out for a western ski week at this time, but not this year, unfortunately. We're keeping to a budget!)
But with the recent cycles of cold and snow followed by warm weather and rain, Vermont's snowpack is now shrinking. On Saturday, the warm temperatures made for some terrific spring skiing at Smugglers' Notch. I just hope that we can get some more snow and cold weather to keep us skiing in corn snow...[Read more]
Sunday, March 8, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
Today was a gorgeous day to be on the slopes in Vermont. The Skimeister and I bought the Bash Badge Plus at Smugglers' Notch this season, which gives you free early- and late-season skiing (and $25 tickets in between), so we rearranged our work to hit the mountain for part of the day—sans credit card.
There is still a lot of snow up there. The snowfall from a couple of days ago still clung to the shady side of trees, and the snow was still rather soft to ski through in glades that do not get...[Read more]
Thursday, March 5, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Mad River Glen, Smugglers' Notch, Ticket discounts
The sun shone brightly today on northern Vermont, so the Skimeister and I burned off some steam by taking a lunchtime nordic ski at Catamount Cross-Country Center in Williston, Vermont.
What a gorgeous afternoon it was. The blue skies and the warmth of the sun were fantastic. The snow coverage—not so good. Unfortunately Catamount is at a lower elevation here in the Champlain Valley so it got a few inches of that fluffy snow yesterday, but there was nothing underneath it. The previous warm,...[Read more]
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Catamount, Cross-country skiing
I just had a lovely, blustery walk for some Vietnamese pho (a delicious noodle soup). It's snowing again in Vermont!
I discovered another great page on the NOAA/National Weather Service site. It gives estimated snowstorm totals:
www.erh.noaa.gov/btv/html/StormTotalSnow/StormTotalSnow.shtml
They also report:
TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 9 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHERAMOUNTS IS EXPECTED BY TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL ANDNORTHERN VERMONT...INCLUDING THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE...[Read more]
Monday, March 2, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Catamount Trail, Cross-country skiing
The weather highs and lows are affecting my mood. Tuesday I was thrilled with an amazing powder day here in Vermont, but now it's likely to rain tomorrow—even at higher elevations—before it turns back to snow in the mountains.
Argh!
Well at least we have a substantial snowpack. Check out this NOAA page for the latest snow depths, which includes 87 inches at the stake on top of Mt. Mansfield! (Let's see: 87 divided by 12...hey, that's over 7 feet!)
After Friday's rain, the temperatures will...[Read more]
Thursday, February 26, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing, Mt. Mansfield
Today I had the best powder day EVER in the East.
Sugarbush is among the Vermont resorts that were hammered by snowstorms and mountain snow showers over the last several days. Yet, on the heels of the major storm on Sunday came wild winds on Monday. The wind closed the lifts at Sugarbush by 10 a.m. on Monday. Bottom line: We would have fresh tracks and nicer weather to enjoy today. The Skimeister and I could not pass it up.
We got to Sugarbush's Lincoln Peak area about 8:30 a.m. and picked up...[Read more]
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Sugarbush
-- MONDAY PM UPDATE: Lots of snow. Lots of wind. Mad River Glen says they've received nearly five feet in five days. Their single chair was closed today due to high winds which shut down many lifts around the area. Stowe had its major lifts on wind hold today and Sugarbush actually closed down all the lifts by 10 a.m. because the wind was howling so badly. With not many skiers making it to the higher slopes, Tuesday will offer some amazing fresh tracks. --
The Skimeister and I got out on...[Read more]
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing
Wow—along with some amazing new snow (it kept snowing yesterday in the mountains of Vermont), there are some hot skiing competitions happening here and abroad, as well.
As for the snow, Bolton Valley is reporting an overnight total of just over a foot, on top of the 6 inches from yesterday! Sugarbush is also reporting 17 inches in the last 48 hours. Yeow! I'm going to have to go out for a "business meeting" in the backcountry this afternoon.
Check this NOAA site for details on additional...[Read more]
Friday, February 20, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing, Sugarbush, Trapp Family Lodge
Yay, fresh powder!
Which ski resorts got the most snow in Vermont? It looks like the storm benefited southern and eastern Vermont ski areas the most overnight. It's continuing to snow today at higher elevations, while it will rain or sleet a bit in many towns.
Here's the scoop from the National Weather Service as of 7 this morning. Visit this NWS site to see maps of new snowfall and current snow depths in Vermont. Check my Vermont ski resorts page for direct links to ski area snow...[Read more]
Thursday, February 19, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
Thank goodness! Winter has returned to northern Vermont after several days of early springtime.
Last night the rain turned over to snow as the temperatures dropped to be seasonal once again. Ski resorts picked up about 3 inches of snow overnight. This morning it was 5 degrees at the top of the mountain at Smugglers' Notch. Welcome back, Old Man Winter!
To see the snow for yourself, check out these Web cams.
Smugglers' Notch Web cam
Killington Web cams
Also visit the snow report links on my...[Read more]
Friday, February 13, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Killington, Smugglers' Notch
The snow remains in great shape here in Vermont. Yesterday the Skimeister and I took a quick cross-country ski nearby and the coverage was excellent. It was very chilly, however, so we retreated to the warmth of our home rather quickly.
The weather will warm up by Saturday, when we expect to watch nordic ski racing in Stowe at the UVM Winter Carnival and ski around Trapp Family Lodge's cross-country trails.
With Valentine's Day coming up next week, I thought I'd share this article about...[Read more]
Thursday, February 5, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Okemo, Stowe, Sugarbush, Trapp Family Lodge
This is cool. I didn't know there was such a long history of international ski jumping in Brattleboro, Vermont. And now a community effort has brought an aged ski jump back to life.
On February 14 and 15, action returns to Harris Hill, the only 90-meter ski jump in New England and one of only six in the U.S. The 85th(!) annual competition comes after a half-million-dollar reconstruction of the original 1922 jump.
This is a United States Ski Association (USSA) sanctioned event, where you can...[Read more]
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing
Snowstorm totals as of Thursday:
Ascutney - 14"Bolton - 17 - 19"Bromley - 10 - 12"Burke - 15"Jay Peak - 12 - 16"Killington - 21"Mad River Glen - 10 - 12"Magic - 12 - 16"Middlebury - 14"Mount Snow - 10 - 14"Okemo - 17 - 24"Pico - 21"Smugglers' Notch - 14"Stowe - 16 - 20"Stratton - 13"Sugarbush - 21"Suicide Six - 12"Source: Ski Vermont
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
OK, it wasn't that dramatic, but it was an interesting day of skiing at Smugglers' Notch today. The...[Read more]
Thursday, January 29, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch
Friday afternoon update: The Skimeister and I took a longish lunch and did some cross-country skiing at Catamount nordic center in Williston, Vt. The coverage was good. My poles punched through about five inches of snow on the side of the trails. So, the higher elevations should have even better snow conditions!
Bundle up and have fun this weekend. Many Vermont ski resorts are nearly 100 percent open now.
Now onto winter carnivals, which take on two forms in Vermont. The first is a collegiate...[Read more]
Friday, January 23, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Burke, Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après, Okemo, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge
OK folks, while our economic recession is still trying to find its bottom, here in Vermont we're in a rebound of sorts. After a warm-up around Christmas time, we've cooled off and enjoyed some significant snowfall. The base is growing and that makes me forget about the year-end retirement account report I received in the mail today. Well, mostly anyways.The word on the street points toward a bullish recovery:
51 inches of snow at the stake near the top of Mt. MansfieldAt Killington: 12 inches...[Read more]
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Stowe
The Skimeister and I were on the road at 7 a.m. today. Our mission: to make some powder turns and to be at Smuggler's Notch when the lifts opened. We only had the morning to ski, and we were going to make the most of the second snowstorm of the weekend.
Some Vermont ski areas have now surpassed the 100-inch mark for snowfall this season! That is pretty darn good for December.
I got a "Powder Alert" from Burke Mountain this morning that reported more than 17 inches of snow fell on the mountain...[Read more]
Monday, December 22, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke, Smugglers' Notch
OK, we weren't choking on the powder like they do sometimes out west, but it was light and fluffy like you'd find in Utah or Colorado.
The Skimeister and I awoke early to hit the lifts at Smuggler's Notch as soon as they opened. We knew it was going to be cold, but it had been snowing a lot at home last night and we just had to find the powder today.
We took our first runs off of the Madonna chair, enjoying powdery turns on Upper FIS, lower Doc Dempsey's Glades, Freefall and Robin's Run—the...[Read more]
Saturday, December 20, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch
Check out this weather forecast for Stowe, Vermont. It's a thing of beauty. Flakes, flakes and more flakes!
Yes, snow is on its way again after a weird week where we lost a bunch of snow on one day (we were looking at the grass again here in the Burlington area), and we woke up to a couple of inches of snow the next day.
Jeffersonville, Vt., near Smuggler's Notch, picked up 7 inches and Waitsfield, near Sugarbush, picked up 6 inches from that storm. Up at the mountain at Sugarbush, they are...[Read more]
Thursday, December 18, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
The world is looking pretty white today. Ain't it grand?
Jay Peak ski resort is reporting 24 inches of snow in the last two days. Exaggeration? Not sure. I plan on hitting the snow tomorrow, when it will be downright chilly!
Down at Okemo, they reported that they lost power during the “Great Sleet Storm of 2008.” I hear it's a real mess in parts of New Hampshire. Lots of people without power because of ice.
Here's a timely snow video from a Vermonter who was on Church Street in Burlington...[Read more]
Friday, December 12, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Okemo
Phew! I just snuck in under the wire. I'm happy to report that I took my first turns for the season in November — just as I did last year — even if it was the very last day of the month.
The Skimeister and I headed up to Smugglers' Notch, Vermont, today to take some early season runs and we were not disappointed. There was plenty of snow on the few snowmaking trails that were open. Natural-snow trails even had some coverage, but rocks, grass and dirt was still showing here and there so skiing...[Read more]
Sunday, November 30, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season, Smugglers' Notch
Since temperatures did a swan dive on Sunday evening, we've been enjoying steady, cold temperatures here in Vermont.
Snowmaking crews are working hard to lay down a good base, and Mother Nature even helped out with up to a handful of inches of fresh snow in the mountains. We even received about an inch of snow here in town this week.
Check out this Web-cam picture from Killington from this morning. The gondola is chugging skiers safely through the blowing snowguns. How luxurious — I usually...[Read more]
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season, Killington
It's raining here in northern Vermont and it's in the 50s. Yeah, it isn't a pretty picture.
But, hey, it's still early in November and we have some time for the weather to turn cold and for snowmaking to do its thing before Thanksgiving. And wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a dump of snow in the mountains that weekend like we did last year? (See last year's First Freshies post.)
The three ski areas that were going to run the lifts this weekend are not open.
Mt. Snow's Web site reports:...[Read more]
Saturday, November 15, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season
I got an e-mail from Ski Vermont and it included a run-down of opening dates for Vermont ski resorts. Yay!
These are listed in chronological order. Please visit my Vermont Ski Resorts page and double check that they are open before you go—you just never know...
The temperatures here in northern Vermont are nice and cool through Thursday, but then it may warm up a bit, says NWS.
Vermont Ski Resorts — Projected Dates to Open
Mt. Snow: Projected re-opening weekend of November 14...[Read more]
Monday, November 10, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Fall & Early season
Your first chairlift ride as a beginner can be frightening. I remember as a ski instructor that adults tend to need a little coaxing to feel confident that they can survive it, while novice kids look at it longingly and ask when they can ride it.
Really it's all in the timing and coordination. We've all seen it—a bunch of unseasoned skiers stepping all over one another's skis as they negotiate a turn in the lift line four abreast and then try to sprint to catch the next chair. Or, god forbid,...[Read more]
Monday, November 10, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Okemo
Did you know Vermont has more colleges per capita than any other state? It's true. And all those students are now cramming for one of the most important assignments they will have this year: selecting a season pass from a range of college ski pass deals.
Here in northern Vermont, St. Michael's College students actually receive season passes to Smugglers' Notch as part of their tuition packages. Regularly Smuggs sells its college passes for $319.Champlain College provides full-time students "in...[Read more]
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
This is an interesting development. Vermont's Burlington Free Press reports that Sugarbush has purchased a 12-passenger snowcat so that it can sell snowcat skiing tickets this winter.
Apparently the cat would take skiers into the Slide Brook section of their resort area—an undeveloped section that lies between Castlerock and Mount Ellen peaks.
Off-piste skiers and riders have been making use of this area, and now the snowcat service will open that terrain up to those who want a guided...[Read more]
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Sugarbush
What's the most common mistake out-of-state visitors make when planning ski trips to Vermont?
This is the question that Budget Travel magazine put to a Vermont guidebook author this month, and I have to say he had a decent answer.
"The biggest mistake people make is the head right to the 'biggest' mountains with the biggest names—especially Killington, Sugarbush, and Mount Snow. While those mountains have earned their reputation for some of the most exciting and difficult terrain in the...[Read more]
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Ascutney, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Smugglers' Notch, Sugarbush
Thinking about skiing Stowe this winter? Don't want to pay the full $80-something day ticket price? Then you may want to check out this promotion if you are planning on hitting Burlington, Vt., this month.
People who eat or shop in participating establishments on the famous Church Street Marketplace in Burlington can earn a free Stowe Points Card. You just have to drop at least $25 at a store or café. If you are planning a Burlington outing anyways, might as well take advantage of this perk....[Read more]
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Season pass, Stowe, Ticket discounts
Ah, nearly Labor Day. It's about time to lock in to the best deals available on season passes and skiing discount cards in Vermont.
The Skimeister and I are planning to ski around Vermont resorts and the backcountry a lot this winter, but we also want to ski Smugglers' Notch at least eight times or so, so we looked into the the Bash Badge Plus. The best price is had when you bag the badge before Labor Day.
This discount card allows the holder to buy $25 ski tickets during the season. The...[Read more]
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Cochran's, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
Skiing marathons, ice harvesting and a Wassail Weekend are all on the list of Vermont's Top 10 Winter Events for 2008/2009. The list is issued by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce after judges comb through hundreds of snow-season festivities—big and small.
Take a moment to chill out this summer by perusing these Vermont winter events. Of note to skiers and riders: This year marks the 27th running of the Craftsbury cross-country skiing marathon; there's a nordic ski race benefit in Stowe; and the...[Read more]
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Killington, Trapp Family Lodge
Interesting news, eh?
The Canadian owners of Jay Peak ski resort in northern Vermont have sold the four-season resort to a group of American investors. The investors include longtime Jay Peak president Bill Stenger.
Mont St. Sauveur International Inc., based in Québec, has owned Vermont's northernmost resort since 1978. The ski area is known for its high annual tallies of snowfall, challenging glade skiing, and for having the state's only aerial tram.
Mont St. Sauveur International owns six...[Read more]
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak
Skiers who took the time to drive to Colorado's Arapahoe Basin on Sunday had a powder day to close out their ski season. Yes, it had snowed a couple of inches the night before at the higher elevations around the Continental Divide, which the ski area straddles.
A-Basin was the first to open for the 2007-2008 season on October 10, 2007, and the last to close.
Sounds like American ski resorts had a great year all around. The National Ski Areas Association reported earlier this month that...[Read more]
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Spring skiing, Western skiing
"It's not quite over yet." So says Sugarbush ski resort, which will open up on Saturday so they can say that they skied into May. The same goes for Jay Peak resort. Both Vermont ski areas are running a lift and a couple of trails for a spring-skiing ticket price of $25.
Sugarbush will run the Super Bravo lift for skiing on the Valley House Traverse, Stein's Run and Coffee Run. They say that skiers may need to walk a bit at the end of Coffee Run to get back to the lift. They'll be serving up a...[Read more]
Friday, May 2, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Jay Peak, Spring skiing, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
If you still haven't got your fill of skiing this season, this is your last weekend to hit the slopes in Vermont. Ski Vermont reports that these areas remain open:
• Jay Peak - Open Sat & Sunday, 4/26 - 4/27 for intermediate and advanced skiers
• Mount Snow - Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 4/25 - 4/27
• Sugarbush - Open through Sunday, 4/27
Check for links to their springy snow reports and driving directions on the Vermont Ski Resorts and Snow Conditions page.
In my inbox this morning,...[Read more]
Friday, April 25, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Mt. Snow, Spring skiing, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
Nothing like a cheap lift ticket to get people out on the slopes! Stowe Mountain Resort had a rare ticket deal yesterday: bring two cans of food for the Vermont Food Shelf and you could ski for $20. With yesterday being the last day of lift service at Stowe, the Skimeister and I just had to go.
I used to work and live in Stowe years and years ago, back when there actually was a guy named Perry Merrill. OK, not that long ago. Working for the mountain company was not as glamorous as it seems,...[Read more]
Monday, April 21, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Spring skiing, Stowe, Ticket discounts
Corn snow and creamees in one day—now that's what I call heaven.
The Skimeister and I and three friends hit the slopes of Jay Peak in the northern reaches of Vermont for a fabulous day of spring skiing yesterday. This week's weather is amazing, so we all decided to play hooky and make the most of the incredible late-season snow cover.
The high-speed quad wasn't open, so we took a handful of runs off the tram, which normally has a long liftline during the season. Not so this week.
The views...[Read more]
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Jay Peak, Spring skiing, Ticket discounts
A short list of things that are 30 feet tall or long:
1. A 30-foot-tall scale model of the Sears Tower built with Jenga blocks at Northern Michigan University: faculty.nmu.edu/ims/sears1.htm
2. The meat-eating dinosaur called Torvosaurus cf. tanneri, a "Savage Lizard" found in western Colorado; 30 feet long, standing 8.5 feet tall at the hips, and tipping the scale at about 5,000 pounds:...[Read more]
Monday, April 14, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Jay Peak, Spring skiing, Stowe, Ticket discounts
OK, you've got to check this out: NOAA reports there are 98 inches of snow still left on the summit of Mt. Mansfield, here in Vermont. 98 inches on April 7!
I got out on the trails at Bolton Valley yesterday and enjoyed some super spring skiing in the bright sunshine. And I wasn't alone. It was Bolton's last day of operation, despite having abundant snow, so everyone was getting their last rides on the lifts. They even kept the Vista Quad open until 5 p.m. for the die-hards.
The corn snow...[Read more]
Monday, April 7, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Spring skiing
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