Resorts & Mountains
We caught some of the racing action today at the 2012 UVM Winter Carnival. We watched the men compete in the classic cross-country race at Trapp Family Lodge. It was a 10 km race on a lovely, sunny day. Then we tried to emulate what we saw by doing some classic skiing ourselves on the snowy trails. Stowe had received about 1 to 2 inches of snow overnight.
Enjoy the photos! There's more racing tomorrow if you want to check it out!
Here are the top 10 women's results
1 ...[Read more]
Saturday, February 4, 2012
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Filed in: Trapp Family Lodge
This weekend we're looking forward to taking in some ski racing action! The UVM Winter Carnival starts today and goes through Sunday. It features the best collegiate skiers in the eastern US taking on the slalom and giant slalom courses at Stowe, and the nordic racing trails at Trapp Family Lodge.
The University of Vermont has a strong ski team again this year. Some of the racers have been competing across the country in NorAm races, and a few have even competed in their first World...[Read more]
Friday, February 3, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge
I arranged to take the morning off, knowing that we were to get some fresh snow on Sunday night. I made a good decision!
I headed over to Bolton Valley Resort to get my morning powder fix. I'd say there was about 5 to 6 inches of fresh and it had blown deeper in many places. Plus, it snowed all morning, despite the sunny weather down in town. We were in a snow cloud.
For those who like the groomed packed powder, it was lovely. For those who seek out powder like I do, it was...[Read more]
Monday, January 30, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
With warm temperatures today and some sunshine, it was much like spring skiing on the cross-country trails of Trapp Family Lodge.
I arrived at lunchtime and the nordic center was buzzing with skiers enjoying the sun and skiing. I first tried my classic skis, but immediately found out that my wax didn't give me any "kick" on the fast snow and tracks. That's why I always bring a backup set of equipment! I returned to my car to put on my skating boots and...[Read more]
Saturday, January 28, 2012
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Trapp Family Lodge
What a day! My friend and I went for a lovely nordic loop at the Stowe Mountain Resort Cross-Country Center today. They received six inches of snow two nights ago, and this morning it was snowing when we arrived (and continued all through our ski) and there were a couple more inches of the freshest, lightest powder. The snowflake formations were amazing!
We enjoyed a ski on the Burt Trail, which at first follows the Ranch Brook. After a quick hot chocolate break at the...[Read more]
Saturday, January 21, 2012
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Stowe
We got out on the Stowe Recreation Path today for a short ski today in the cold. I wore a balaclava to keep my face warm and kept moving along to keep my body warm. It worked!
The good folks in Stowe have arranged to groom the recreation path a couple times a week for cross-country skiing. Today the classic tracks were excellent. Fresh new snow this week made the coverage great.
Today also featured the Stowe Tour de Snow and we saw families taking part in the...[Read more]
Sunday, January 15, 2012
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Stowe
On our drive home from our ski this afternoon, the Skimeister and I saw a sign that said it was 1 degree. One little lonely degree. It was a good thing we skied up the CCC Road today to keep ourselves warm!
The CCC Road is accessed from the Underhill State Park in Underhill, Vermont. There's a busy winter parking lot and you follow a road up to the state park and toward hiking trails that take you up Mt. Mansfield. The road was built by the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC).
On the drive in...[Read more]
Saturday, January 14, 2012
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Mt. Mansfield
We’ve seen some nice photos of fresh snow around the state. We’ll be out in it this weekend — will you?[Read more]
Friday, January 13, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bromley, Cross-country skiing, Stowe
Today was all about fast, cruising ski runs at Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen. I headed over to spend some time on my alpine skis on a cloudy morning turned partly sunny midday.
I zipped down the stiff corduroy snow in the morning and stayed on the snowmaking trails, which had a solid base. At the top of Vermont's highest chairlift (top station is perched at over 4,000 feet), the trees were encrusted in natural snow and the views were great. I saw both of Vermont and New...[Read more]
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Sugarbush
The Skimeister and I got out on the trails at Bolton Valley Resort during the lunch hour and early afternoon today. We took our telemark skis and played on the packed powder ski runs, which were not very busy on this Friday.
The ski area had about four to five inches of fresh, natural snow on the sides of the trails and on less-traveled connector trails. It was fun to plow through some freshies!
The coverage on the snowmaking trails was very good and we enjoyed taking runs on the Mid-Mountain...[Read more]
Friday, January 6, 2012
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Stowe, Western skiing
I found some good spring skiing conditions today on the nordic trails at the Stowe Mountain Resort cross-country center.
I was impressed by the amount of snowcover on the Burt, Bruce and Timberlane nordic trails despite our lackluster snowfall thus far this season. Within the last few days we had been messing around a bit on the trails at Bolton nordic (quite thin) and the Catamount cross-country center (snow/grass skiing) just to get some much needed exercise. But...[Read more]
Sunday, January 1, 2012
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Stowe
Ski resorts in the northern and central parts of Vermont picked up another round of unexpectedly high snowfall yesterday. Depending on location, it was on the order of 6 to 12 inches of snow! (Check the snow reports on our Vermont Ski Resorts page for details.)
Base areas first experienced some rain and then it changed to snow as the temperatures dropped through the day and, well, it just kept snowing! Today we have cold temperatures that are surely helping with snowmaking, as...[Read more]
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Pico, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
Yay! My holiday wish was to go cross-country skiing ASAP, and my wish was granted!
An unanticipated Christmas snowfall across northern Vermont hills and mountains added up to five to eight inches of snow or so in higher elevations. So when I heard the snowplow outside my house this morning, I was excited to check in on our area nordic centers to see if we might be able to ski!
We packed up the Subaru and headed to Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, which opened up more terrain due...[Read more]
Monday, December 26, 2011
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Trapp Family Lodge
Things got a bit jollier at the end of this week when Vermont ski resorts received anywhere from an inch to six inches of natural snowfall. It really made for a beautiful day at Bolton Valley resort. I took laps in the sun on the Vista Quad chair and enjoyed looking at the frosty trees that were all around me.
I skied the available route from the summit that was made up of Sherman's Pass and Bear Run. I actually took my telemark gear out today to get more practice on...[Read more]
Saturday, December 24, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley
Boy there’s a lot of snowmaking going on lately! Seems like the ski resorts are opening new terrain every few days or — in some cases — every day!
Stowe Mountain Resort reported that it set a new record: “We had over 130 snowguns running continuously this past weekend.” And I saw the snowguns in action on the petite Cochran’s ski area this weekend.
All the ski resorts are talking up their snowmaking “firepower” and respect for their hard-working snowmaking teams. (A...[Read more]
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Cochran's, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Mad River Glen, Magic, Northeast Slopes, Stowe, Suicide Six, Trapp Family Lodge
I knew the forecast called for a gloriously sunny Monday, so I rearranged my work schedule to get some runs in this morning instead of over the busy weekend. And I was rewarded with an uncrowded early-season ski morning at Sugarbush!
Skiers and riders were skiing the top of the mountain when I arrived. Jester and Downspout were open so I did laps on them via the Heaven's Gate chair, which goes to the top of the 3975-foot-high Lincoln Peak. Later in the morning the...[Read more]
Monday, December 12, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Sugarbush
One to seven inches of snow fell around the state on Wednesday night to help make things look a bit more wintry in Vermont. Today and tonight some areas will see snow showers.
Dipping temperatures have helped with plans for three more ski resorts to spin their lifts for the first time this weekend. Bolton Valley Resort plans to open Saturday, as does Mount Snow. Bromley Mountain plans to open on Sunday.
Mount Snow will celebrate the "first flight" of the Bluebird Express, its...[Read more]
Friday, December 9, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Bromley, Cross-country skiing, Fall & Early season, Mount Snow, Okemo
What a nice, sunny weekend. And it featured some first-of-the-season happenings today:
Stratton opened for the season Smugglers’ Notch opened for the season I got my first turns of the season today!
While it was a windy day, and lift holds were apparently an issue at Sugarbush, I was able to get some morning runs in at Smugglers’ Notch for the first time this ski season!
Smuggs opened its Sterling Lift and and essentially one long run today. I heard some...[Read more]
Sunday, December 4, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Smugglers' Notch, Stratton, Sugarbush
This time of year can really try a skier's patience. Temperatures rise and fall. Rain can sneek in, rather than snow. And sometimes we can get a blizzard. You just never know.
As we turned our calendars to December this week, some colder temperatures returned to the region — thankfully — after a warm spell. Snowmaking guns and fans could be heard at several of Vermont's ski resorts. Small armies of snowmakers were painting the ski trails white.
This weekend Stowe, Okemo and...[Read more]
Friday, December 2, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
Mother Nature helped fuel the excitement for a snowy start to the 2011 - 2012 ski season, and five Vermont ski resorts ran lifts this Thanksgiving weekend. But today two of the ski areas have closed until temperatures cool off and more snow can be made.
Sugarbush and Jay Peak have suspended operations today until they can move or make more snow.
Killington, Okemo and Stowe remain open today while temperatures hit the 50s in many towns and villages. Stowe reported that they did...[Read more]
Monday, November 28, 2011
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Stowe, Sugarbush
This Thanksgiving we're thankful for some fresh snow falling in Vermont! Some higher elevations and ski areas are reporting 6 to 10 inches of new snow so far this morning. The amount depends on location. A wide central swath of the state seems to have picked up a good snowfall.
This morning a few more ski resorts announced their plans to open. So here's a recap of where you can ski in Vermont (these have been announced as of 9 a.m. this morning).
Killington (has been...[Read more]
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Stowe, Sugarbush
I flew in over a frosty-topped Camel's Hump yesterday afternoon after a trip out of town. I soon heard that the forecast calls for a winter storm tonight into Wednesday! Could be a few to several inches of snow accumulation, or a mix of rain and snow depending where you are in Vermont. [See forecast.]
The new colder temperatures and potential snowfall may help those Vermont ski resorts that want to open this Thanksgiving week and weekend.
Stowe has confirmed that they will...[Read more]
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush
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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Burke, Mount Snow, Resort improvements, Stowe
With that crazy October snowstorm, Mother Nature allowed Killington to get a jump-start to the ski season. The resort continues to offer skiing daily as weather and conditions allow.
Meanwhile, other Vermont ski resorts are pulling out their snowmaking guns and fans and preparing the lifts and base lodges for skiers and riders later in November and December.
Ski Vermont recently reported these tentative opening dates:
October 29: Killington...[Read more]
Saturday, November 5, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mount Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush
Yes, we haven't yet hit November — the time when several Vermont ski resorts target their opening dates — but we've got lifts spinning just the same! Mount Snow opened a small jib park with lift service for the weekend, while Killington opened a couple of trails serviced by riding the K-1 Gondola to the Northridge Triple.
The October 29 storm that made a snowy mess in the northeast last night dumped some snow on southern and central Vermont mountains. Not nearly...[Read more]
Sunday, October 30, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Killington, Mount Snow
—UPDATE ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28: Killington and Mount Snow ski resorts in Vermont will both open for skiing this weekend with very, very limited terrain. Check their snow report links on our Vermont ski resorts page for full details. —
Well the weather forecasters were right; we got some snow in the mountains of Vermont today!
The temperatures have dropped and with a couple inches of natural snow in central and southern Vermont, Killington has decided to start making...[Read more]
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Fall & Early season, Killington, Mount Snow, Stratton
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
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
What a gorgeous weekend! I took advantage of ample sunshine by biking a loop around Stowe, Vermont, on Saturday, and then hiking in Smugglers’ Notch on Sunday morning.
Some trees are starting to change color already. Pretty soon we'll be hiking through technicolor woods! Our hike on Sunday took us up the very popular Sterling Pond trail which departs from the base of the cliffs in the dramatic Smugglers’ Notch — midway between Stowe and Smugglers' Notch ski resorts on Route...[Read more]
Monday, September 12, 2011
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Filed in: Ski towns in summer, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
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
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stratton, Ticket discounts
The Green Mountain Club has a new dayhiker's guide book out this summer. One of the more popular moderate hikes in the Stowe area is Stowe Pinnacle. Atop this knob you are rewarded with views in all directions, including Mt. Mansfield, Mt. Elmore, Camel's Hump, Waterbury Reservoir and more.
Without too much effort on this 2.8-mile round-trip hike, you'll earn yourself a great rocky-top summit view. Be sure to bring your camera!
Stop in at the Green Mountain Club on Route 100 between...[Read more]
Thursday, August 11, 2011
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Filed in: Ski towns in summer, Stowe
After a snowy winter and wet spring, we are enjoying farmers’ market season in Vermont! At recent markets that I went to I saw lots of leafy vegetables, tomatoes, beans, peas, beets and more. Can’t wait until the sweet corn is out, too!
The Skimeister and I started our garden a bit late due to an extremely wet May and some early-June travel. But with some recent heat and sun, things are really starting to grow (eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, for example). But I’ve been picking up...[Read more]
Friday, July 15, 2011
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Bromley, Food, coffee & après ski, Jay Peak, Mount Snow, Okemo, Ski towns in summer, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
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
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Filed in: Burke, Killington, Mount Snow, Ski towns in summer, Sugarbush
After a delicious lunch stop at the The Mad Taco in Waitsfield, I headed up to Sugarbush for an afternoon of sunny spring skiing. I feasted on corn snow — that super soft, granular snow that we get to enjoy in the spring.
I tackled lots of bumps on runs such as Organgrinder, Paradise and Murphy's Glades. The moguls were like heaping spoonfuls of mashed potatoes.
The only thing that threw me was some unexpected ice while descending Paradise, an expert trail off the Heaven's Gate Triple. This...[Read more]
Friday, April 22, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Food, coffee & après ski, Spring skiing, Sugarbush
You can still ride the lifts at three ski resorts in Vermont: Sugarbush, Jay Peak and Killington. And the weather looks nice for Friday and perhaps Sunday, which is Easter.
Are you going to hop to it and get in some of your last runs of the year? I think I'll have to get out there one more time! I'll let you know where I end up.
I'll also continue to update my post about which ski resorts are still open in Vermont.[Read more]
Thursday, April 21, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Spring skiing, Sugarbush
I met up with a couple ski buddies at Smugglers' Notch on Friday for an afternoon of sun and snow and smiles. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, there really is a lot of snow up in the mountains in northern Vermont! (I believe there are over 90 inches of snow at the stake atop Mt. Mansfield, for example.)
We like skiing in the glades so we hit up several of them including Shakedown and Bermuda. We only had to avoid an occasional stump or rock. It really is amazing for April.
Get...[Read more]
Saturday, April 9, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
Had a great time skiing with some ski buddies at Smugglers' Notch, Vermont, on Saturday. We enjoyed about 3 to 4 inches of new snow on top of a very strong base of snow. We kept remarking how good the coverage was despite this late date!
I especially enjoyed the terrific conditions in the glades. Not many rocks or stumps to avoid. Add some sun, some dramatic clouds, short lift lines and very comfortable temperatures and you couldn't have asked for a nicer day on the slopes!
A few Vermont ski...[Read more]
Sunday, April 3, 2011
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Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
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
We did some cross-country skiing on a sunny Sunday at Ole's Nordic Center in Warren, Vermont. The snow coverage was excellent. In fact, the snow was very fast because it hadn't heated up much, even in the sun.
You might notice that in one of the photos above, the flags are standing straight out. The winds were strong on Sunday! Couple that with some not-so-spring-like temperatures, and I was happy to keep moving and keep generating heat!
Yup, still winter in Vermont, so we're...[Read more]
Monday, March 28, 2011
2 Comments
Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Ole's, Spring skiing
I skied at Smugglers' Notch ski resort on Friday, and I have to tell you: It's still winter up on the hill!
We skied in three inches of fresh powder, on top of the snow they got earlier this week. The coverage was very good for the end of March. In fact, it felt more like late-February!
I was skeptical about what we would find in the woods, because we had warm temperatures last week and then it's been cold since. But it was even good where they hadn't groomed! The glades were great!
The...[Read more]
Saturday, March 26, 2011
1 Comment
Filed in: Alpine / downhill skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
