Alpine / downhill skiing
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Spring skiing, Sugarbush
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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Stowe
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
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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
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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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing, Mad River Glen
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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
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
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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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
The sun was supposed to show itself this morning, but it didn't and I didn't care. I was skiing in powder and packed powder at Bolton Valley Resort!
They were reporting that the mountain had received 10 inches of snow in the last two days and 16 inches in the last three. I had to work Thursday (don't you hate how work gets in the way of skiing?) so I wanted to be sure to hit the trails today.
I found nice, light powder stashes on the sides of the trails and in the woods. The depth...[Read more]
Friday, February 22, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
I'm happy to report that we're picking up some snow this week! This morning Vermont ski resorts were reporting between 3 and 6 inches of new snow. Now the National Weather Service is saying:
"A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect for portions of northern and central Vermont for 4 - 8" of upslope snow from this afternoon through Thursday."
The ski areas in the Green Mountains are pleased with this news. And I bet you are, too!
Check out the NWS Burlington's snow info page,...[Read more]
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
On Valentine's Day (which is this Thursday, guys!) you'll find a few deals at Vermont ski resorts. They include Mad River Glen, Bromley Mountain, Burke Mountain, Smugglers' Notch and Sugarbush.
Some resorts offer two-for-one deals, but not all. Some don't require a second person to cash in on the discount.
Check out our list of Vermont lift ticket deals for the...[Read more]
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Ticket discounts
Skiers and weather forecasters are all in a tizzy about the impending snowstorm! As of Thursday evening, it looked like Vermont could get anywhere between 4 inches and 14 inches of snow. Things may change, of course, but it looks like southern Vermont will win the prize on this one. Because of the strong coastal storm, southern Vermont should get more snow than northern Vermont.
We'll see what happens. We'll take as much snow as Mother Nature feels like dumping on us!
Please...[Read more]
Thursday, February 7, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing
After another thaw that closed out January — this time hitting us on Wednesday and into Thursday — we're now heading back into winter weather. A couple of ski areas closed on Thursday to help retain the snow they had on their trails. As temperatures dropped on Thursday, the ski resorts were turning their snowmaking guns back on and planning their grooming attack on the trails.
Rain turned to snow, as well. A few resorts are reporting 2 - 3 inches of new snow...[Read more]
Friday, February 1, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing
I keep an eye on the forecast, so I was able to rearrange my schedule to get out to Bolton Valley this morning. Area ski resorts were reporting 4 - 6 inches of snow and I wanted to play in it!
I took runs off the Vista Quad and Timberline chairs and my skis were like powder-seeking missiles. I typically ventured to the sides of the trails to make powder turns. Many runs were groomed, but they left a powdery swath on most trails. I just had to make my mark!
I loved the feeling...[Read more]
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
It’s been darn cold this week in Vermont. In fact, I’m scared to see my heating bill!
During this cold snap, why not cozy up with hot chocolate and these short videos related to snow and skiing in Vermont?
Snow Rollers
Over the windy weekend, a rare phenomenon occurred in some Vermont fields. The fields became full of “snow rollers.” It happens when the snow is sticky and there are powerful winds. Check it out on this TV news report. (Photo of snow rollers in...[Read more]
Thursday, January 24, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cochran's, Sugarbush
As luck would have it, after compiling a nice depth of powdery snow over the last couple of weeks, we are now in a warming pattern. Call it a January Thaw if you'd like.
The Skimeister and I took a quick cross-country ski today to get some exercise in the bright sunshine. Here in the Champlain Valley the sun was warm and the snow was soft.
Friday or Sunday may provide unpleasant precipitation; it may be warm enough for rain up in the hills. Aargh. But hopefully it...[Read more]
Thursday, January 10, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing
“Ski it if you can?” Well, OK, I will! Especially since Mad River Glen has a bunch of snow right now!
Today the groomers at Mad River Glen featured wonderful packed powder (yes, the ski area does groom some of its easier runs). The ungroomed trails were typically bumped up, and the glades and woods were quite snowy with some natural obstacles here a there to avoid. I'm pretty good at picking my way down while avoiding most rock and grass...[Read more]
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Mad River Glen
The snow continues to be great thanks to Mother Nature serving up frequent “refresher” snows overnight. Today was a cold one (a good day to get work done), but the temperatures will warm up for tomorrow and the weekend so you can be sure we'll be playing in the snow!
Here are a couple of events that can help you try out a new sport, or get a friend introduced to your favorite snowsport.
Winter Trails Day
On January 12, some Vermont Nordic centers are offering special lessons or...[Read more]
Thursday, January 3, 2013
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing, Ticket discounts
We're going to be skiing into the New Year in style! The snow's great for all kinds of skiing and riding. Plus, there are torchlight parades and/or fireworks at resorts such as Burke Mountain, Jay Peak, Bolton Valley, Sugarbush Resort, Stowe Mountain and Stratton Mountain this evening.
On the “bummer” side of things on this New Year's Eve, however, Magic Mountain in southern Vermont is closed today and tomorrow because of lift maintenance issues. Really bad timing. At Bolton Valley,...[Read more]
Monday, December 31, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Catamount, Cross-country skiing, Magic
With about 18 inches of snow falling around the Green Mountains in Vermont in the last two days, it was clear that I had to do everything in my power to get some runs in today. I was able to take off for a half day of skiing at Smugglers' Notch Resort and found that I was not alone — many other people had the same idea on this day after the storm. I heard that Bolton Valley was bustling, as well.
I enjoyed runs on packed powder and broken powder, as well as some turns in the glades....[Read more]
Friday, December 28, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Smugglers' Notch
I love it when the National Weather Service forecast uses two-digit figures. As of Wednesday late-afternoon, we're looking at a storm from tonight to Friday morning to drop more than 10 inches of snow around Vermont. Likely more in the mountains.
Yippee!
Follow this link to keep track of NWS storm forecasts (like the image below) and snowfall totals in Vermont. You can probably guess that I'll be checking it often, too!
And if you are going to be driving sometime...[Read more]
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing
Well, elevation means everything this week in Vermont. While many towns and villages and base lodge areas have seen rain and sleet, there's been a mix of snow, sleet and rain up higher on the mountains.
Yesterday morning 2 to 5 inches of new snow were being reported at many Vermont ski areas. And this morning a couple more inches were being reported at the tops of some peaks. Middlebury Snow Bowl, Sugarbush, Stowe, Jay, Bolton, Burke and Killington were among those reporting snowflakes this...[Read more]
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bromley, Burke, Catamount Trail, Cross-country skiing, Killington, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Mount Snow, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
Today was a day to get out into the sunshine! Clear blue skies beckoned to me and I decided to head over to opening day at Bolton Valley Resort.
Bolton had its Vista Quad and Mid-Mountain chair serving essentially one long run from the top of the mountain. The path followed Sherman's Pass to Bear Run. At the very top you had a choice of Hard Luck Lane, Sherman's Pass or Spillway Lane to get started. Down in the base area, the Mitey Mite lift was running for...[Read more]
Saturday, December 15, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Cochran's, Fall & Early season, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Pico
A cold front has allowed snowmaking to resume across the state. Thank goodness! And a little bit of fresh snow has fallen over the last two days at higher elevations.
Inconsistent temperatures have forced a couple ski areas to push back their opening dates. Cochran's Ski Area is pushing its opening day back to December 22. Magic Mountain also changed its opening date; it's now December 21. Both ski areas are making snow now.
For an updated look at Vermont...[Read more]
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cochran's, Craftsbury, Fall & Early season, Grafton Ponds, Magic, Trapp Family Lodge
I think the Burlington weather bureau was caught a bit by surprise. Yesterday and last night, northern Vermont received more snow than expected in many places. Don't you love it when that happens?!
Here are some initial snow totals from the National Weather Service (check the date and times of the reports because it kept snowing into the night):
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/btv/spotterReports/
And they should update this graphic by around 10 a.m. this morning or so (check the date on the...[Read more]
Friday, November 30, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Fall & Early season
After nursing a cold all of this holiday weekend (great timing, huh?) I made time on Tuesday to get in my first turns of the season!
In the afternoon I hit up Sugarbush to get my legs and feet working. Turn left, turn right, and repeat.
We've been fortunate to have cold temperatures lately and snowmakers have been making the most of it at ski resorts around the state. I skied on manmade snow on Jester, Downspout and the lower portion of Organgrinder. I took a small cut-over trail off Jester...[Read more]
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Sugarbush
Killington is opening one run today (Rime) for passholders only! No grooming, just newly manmade snow for expert skiers.
Other resorts are firing up snowmaking guns during this cold spell when we've seen some pretty "snowliage" — snow juxtaposed against colorful fall foliage.
Ski swaps continue this month throughout Vermont. Check the posting further down on this list. We keep it updated as new information comes in. This weekend you'll find one in Essex Junction.
It's getting to...[Read more]
Saturday, October 13, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Killington
The National Weather Services is reporting up to 3.5 inches of snow on Vermont's high peaks! They say snow was confined to above 3,000 feet of elevation or so.
Photos are coming in from Vermont's ski resorts — some showcasing a mix of colorful fall foliage and fresh snow.
Here are links to a few shots around the Web.
Anyone else feeling like winter is really just around the corner now?!?!
Photo courtesy of Mad River Glen ski area's Facebook page.
Some...[Read more]
Monday, October 8, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Killington, Mad River Glen, Stratton, Sugarbush
We’re having a mini-heatwave here in Vermont this week so it gets me looking for ways to cool off. As you might imagine, I'm not a fan of the heat.
Skiing photos to the rescue!
Here are shots, below, of some fresh tracks and fresh snow at Valle Nevado, Chile, and Las Leñas, Argentina. Valle Nevado opens this weekend. Down in the southern hemisphere, resorts in Argentina, New Zealand, Chile and Australia are now coming alive.
Here are links to a few...[Read more]
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing
You can’t win them all.
Two seasons ago, we had one of the snowiest ski seasons in recent memory here in Vermont. Last season, not so much.
So as expected, the skier visit numbers that were reported today weren’t all that surprising.
Ski Area Management magazine says Vermont ski resorts recorded 3,903,171 skier visits during the 2011/12 ski season. That’s 5% down from the 10-year average and 11% down from the 2010/11 ski season, which was the very snowy winter.[Read more]
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing
This news is just coming in. The owners of Jay Peak ski resort in northern Vermont have purchased Burke Mountain ski resort in northeastern Vermont. The sale happened earlier this week.
Interesting, eh?
Here's some of the news coverage of the sale so far:
VPR News WCAX News Burlington Free Press
And a press release:
Press release
Photo: Burke Mountain ski area in northern Vermont.[Read more]
Thursday, May 24, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Jay Peak
For the extreme die-hards out there: Killington and Jay Peak are still open. Sugarbush has been closed during this midweek and they said: “We will open for certain this Saturday with skiing and riding on Stein’s off the Valley House chair on Saturday from 10am to 5pm. We will assess midday to see if the snow is holding up so we can also open on Sunday.”
A couple of resorts are offering Easter sunrise services. They include Killington and Stowe, even though Stowe...[Read more]
Thursday, April 5, 2012
2 Comments
Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Spring skiing
Vermont has experienced summer-like temperatures over the last week. We've been wearing shorts and t-shirts. The sun has shone brightly as well, and while this makes for lovely weather to recreate in, it hasn't been kind to the snow.
Some ski resorts have thrown in the towel for the season, while some others will call it quits this weekend. Some mention that bare spots can be encountered any time and walking may be required at the top and bottom of trails.
Others mention that...[Read more]
Friday, March 23, 2012
2 Comments
Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Bromley, Burke, Mad River Glen, Mount Snow, Okemo, Pico, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
The Skimeister and I went skiing at Smugglers’ Notch this morning, and we were delighted to find that we’d start by skiing above the clouds!
The conditions were spring-like. It was very hard/frozen first thing in the morning, but then as the sun hit the trails things softened up quickly.
Check out some photos from our morning atop Madonna and Sterling peaks. And enjoy this sunny weather![Read more]
Saturday, March 17, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
My friend took the day off to score a $17 ticket at Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush. (It was a pre-St. Patrick’s Day deal). It would have been rude of me to let her go alone, so I joined her despite a dismal forecast.
We skied in occasional rain in clear, plastic ponchos (thanks for donating them to us, Sugarbush customer service!) and we had a ball. We did a lot of bumps. They were super-soft, corn snow bumps. And the snow coverage on the trails that were open was quite good considering recent...[Read more]
Friday, March 16, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Spring skiing, Sugarbush
