Resorts & Mountains > Burke

Google snowmobile comes to Vermont and gives you a virtual look at ski trails

Some fresh snow fell on ski areas in Vermont yesterday, most notably at the northern resorts, and today it is darn chilly and that is just fine with me! The ski resorts are reporting that they are cranking out the snow from their snowguns and snow fans.

In other news, I came across some interesting techie news recently ... I’ve learned of two Vermont ski resorts that are now viewable with the “street view” feature that is available on...[Read more]

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Stowe, Western skiing

New chairlifts at three Vermont ski resorts for 2011 - 2012

For the 2011 - 2012 ski season, new ski lifts are being installed at three ski resorts in Vermont. New lifts are coming online at Stowe and Burke Mountain up north, and Mount Snow in the south.

 

Here's the scoop on these resort improvement projects:

Stowe Mountain quad

A new high-speed, detachable quad replaces the old one that's been in service since the 1980s. The new "Four-Runner" unloads a bit higher above the Octagon summit lodge than the former...[Read more]

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Mount Snow, Resort improvements, Stowe

Vermont ski ticket deals, discount lift tickets for 2011 - 2012 for Vermont residents and all skiers & riders!

Updated 2/3/2012

When it comes to the 2011 - 2012 ski season, are you wondering what’s new for lift ticket discounts in Vermont? We’ve been compiling our annual list of what we think are some of the better lift ticket deals and promotions so that you can start shopping around.

As usual, we’ll update this blog post as new ticket discounts are announced throughout the fall and ski season.

Of course, when it comes to getting the best value for your skiing dollar, it’s...[Read more]

Friday, October 21, 2011 2 Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts

Deadlines, deadlines … Early bird often gets best Vermont season pass deals

Burke Mountain in Vermont.

Hello skiers, in case you haven’t noticed: It’s nearly fall!

It’s time for county fairs, back-to-school sales, and now season pass deal deadlines! Some Vermont ski resorts have early-bird deals on season passes and often the deadlines roll through the fall – with the best deals for those willing to make their investment early on. Nowadays, online purchasing allows you to get the pass you want without driving to the resort under a deadline!

At Burke Mountain ski resort, for example, making a...[Read more]

Sunday, August 28, 2011 No Comments Filed in: Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stratton, Ticket discounts

Lift-served mountain biking in Vermont

Lift serviced mountain biking in Vermont

Adrenaline rushes. Quick reflexes. Wind in your face. There’s a lot of crossover between skiing and mountain biking. Perhaps that’s why so many of us enjoy both sports!

Well if you want to kick your biking excitement up a notch, you might consider lift-served mountain biking at Vermont ski resorts. Starting this weekend, there’s a new offering on the list of resorts that let you take a bike up their mountain and zoom down.

Opening on June 18, 2011, is the Burke Mountain / Kingdom Trails bike...[Read more]

Friday, June 17, 2011 No Comments Filed in: Burke, Killington, Mount Snow, Ski towns in summer, Sugarbush

When do Vermont ski resorts close this spring (2011)?

Updated 5/10/11

I've been checking in on the dates that Vermont ski resorts are closing. Typically the smaller ski areas close first because of lower elevations and smaller operating budgets.

This is not a complete list because the ski resorts don't always announce their intentions in advance. Please check the website of the resort you'd like to go to before you head for the hills! We have links on our Vermont ski resorts page.

Closed as of March 30:

Pico MountainMt. Ellen side of...[Read more]

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Bromley, Burke, Cross-country skiing, Killington, Okemo, Spring skiing, Stowe, Sugarbush

New snow and skiing deals in Vermont

Have you seen our list of Vermont lift ticket deals? If you are heading to the slopes in the next few days (and you really should), you may want to check it out. You can find a deal as low as $15 during the midweek days leading up to Christmas!

We can now welcome Burke Mountain, Cochran's, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Pico Mountain, Suicide Six and Magic Mountain to the list of Vermont's ski areas that are open for business. So many choices. Mad River Glen is still looking for a bit more of a base on...[Read more]

Friday, December 17, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Cochran's, Mad River Glen, Magic, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Pico, Suicide Six, Ticket discounts

2010 – 2011 Season pass discount deadlines for Vermont ski resorts

Think snow!!! Skiing the trees at Jay Peak.

Updated 9/1/2010

It’s inching closer to Labor Day, school time and the colors of fall — and it’s time to think about season pass discounts!

Here are important deadlines to keep in mind while you decide what Vermont ski resorts you might ski this winter, and whether a season pass is a good deal for you. (Do the math!) The earliest discount deadlines are between August 30 and Labor Day!

Some resorts are offering season pass protection this year. That is, for a modest fee, you can get some...[Read more]

Friday, August 20, 2010 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Bromley, Burke, Cochran's, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Magic

It must be spring: here come the pond skimmers

To skim, or not to skim. That is the question.

Well if you're game, you have a good selection of pond skimming contests at Vermont ski resorts to choose from. Here are a few to consider watching, or participating in, below.

The alpine ski areas are still enjoying spring skiing, while the nordic centers are winding down, and some up north are closed already.

Mount Snow: Saturday, March 27. Dress in costume and descend Canyon in an attempt to cross a 100' man-made pond.

Bolton Valley:...[Read more]

Thursday, March 25, 2010 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Killington, Mount Snow, Okemo, Spring skiing, Sugarbush

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

Fresh snow and sled dog racing, too!

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

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

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

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

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

Some new snow in Vermont

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 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stratton, Sugarbush

Vermonter to start in a World Cup race this weekend

US skier Nolan Kasper

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 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke

Summertime around Burke Mountain Resort: Mountain biking rules at Kingdom Trails

Mountain biking in Vermont at Kingdom Trails

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 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Ski towns in summer

Vermont season pass deals: Seize best deals on ski passes and discount programs in early fall

Vermont ski resorts offer variety of season pass deals

 

I’m sitting at my computer in a tank top and shorts, sipping a half-and-half (half lemonade and half iced tea). At the same time I’m fretting over the upcoming deadlines for season pass discounts and frequent skier programs at Vermont ski resorts.

This summer has zoomed by much too fast, and now we’re already planning our ski season. It’s a darn good thing that I love winter!

Many Vermont ski resorts offer the best deals on season passes and ski discount programs in the early fall –...[Read more]

Thursday, August 13, 2009 No Comments Filed in: Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts

Winter Carnival time in Vermont, and a backcountry skiing event on Sunday

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 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Backcountry skiing, Burke, Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Okemo, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge

Fluffy powder falls, but we need more of a base!

Fresh snow and bright sun at Mills Riverside Park today

Friday night brought some snow our way in northern Vermont. As it was before Christmas, this stuff was super light and fluffy. Sugarbush resort reported seven inches of snow, Stowe says 5, Ascutney ski area reported 2 inches and Burke 1 inch. Looks like the spine of the Green Mountains won out on this little storm.

This light powder would be amazing if we had more of a base! The post-Christmas meltdown affected skiing terrain that didn't have a snowmaking base. That means that the mountains...[Read more]

Saturday, January 3, 2009 No Comments Filed in: Ascutney, Burke, Cross-country skiing, Mt. Mansfield, Stowe, Sugarbush

More snow — and wind — on another powder day in Vermont

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 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Smugglers' Notch

College season passes in Vermont make me want to hit the books again!

College-aged skiers and riders take to the mountains of northern Vermont.

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 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe

Guidebook author's advice for Vermont ski vacations: Branch out away from mega resorts

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 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Ascutney, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mount Snow, Smugglers' Notch, Sugarbush

Late summer/early fall deals on Vermont ski discount cards and season passes

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 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Cochran's, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush

Beat the Heat: Check out Vermont's top 10 winter events

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 1 Comment Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Killington, Trapp Family Lodge

A great Friday ski at Burke Mountain

Fun trails and glades at Burke Mountain in Vermont!

Burke Mountain in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont used to have a jingle that went something like this: "Ski Burke, Vermont's northern star, Ski Burke!" I used to hear it on the radio and I wondered what Burke was really like. Now I know. It's a mountain that essentially has one lift, but it's a lift that serves nearly 250 acres of terrain that is a heck of a lot of fun!

The Skimeister and I joined four other Vermonters—Karen, Ken, Nicole and Pete—for a Friday ski. Yes, we played hooky from...[Read more]

Monday, February 18, 2008 2 Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Ticket discounts

Vermont sledding hills and high-performance sleds

Fresh Vermont snow; all you can eat!

With all this snow falling here in Vermont, kids of all ages grab their sleds and head for the hills. What could be more fun after some skiing, or better yet, on a snow day from school?

Seven Days newspaper has created a handy little map of sledding hills in northern Vermont. Is your favorite hill on this list?

In the Mad River Valley, some people have elevated sledding to a science. Mad River Rockets in Warren, Vt., makes high-speed sleds with names like Killer B and Stinger.

These things...[Read more]

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 No Comments Filed in: Burke, Ski gear

Hey all you skiers and riders, the snow is back!

There's snow in them hills!

Don't you love it when the National Weather Service reports:

  ...PERIODS OF MODERATE TO OCCASIONAL HEAVY SNOW EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTH COUNTRY...

It's been snowing this week and things are looking white and beautiful again in the Burlington, Vermont, area. The mountains have received several inches of snow over the last few days. Yee-hah!

Burke Mountain Resort sent out a Powder Alert on Wednesday, encouraging people to play hooky from work. Would have loved to, but...[Read more]

Thursday, February 7, 2008 2 Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Catamount, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Ticket discounts

Snow envy

Snorkeling at the Beav'

If those twits at Heavenly, Vail and Beaver Creek send me one more e-mail ...

Their multimillion-dollar marketing machine keeps sending me mouth-watering photos of the three to 10 feet (that is not a typo) of snow that has piled up on their totally fabulous resorts in the last week. A photo in a Beaver Creek, Colo., e-mail even showed a skier (or what you could see of him) with a snorkel.

Please don't laugh, it just encourages them.

Normally, this would not phase me, but we've been...[Read more]

Friday, January 11, 2008 No Comments Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Catamount, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Stowe, Western skiing


Shoot Like a Maven:
We've enjoyed having a
Canon PowerShot camera to take along on the trail.

 

 

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