Resorts & Mountains
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
This sounds like fun in Stowe this weekend: 15 skiing and riding films will be screened around town over the course of eight days, starting on Saturday, November 29. Pizza is involved in some of these showings, too, so get there early.
The cost of entry is either free or $5 depending on the show. Locations include the Rusty Nail and the Vermont Ski Museum.
If you are around Stowe starting this weekend, check it out:http://www.stowefilmfest.com/schedule.htm [Read more]
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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Filed in: Ski movies, Stowe
What a combination: a snowy Mt. Mansfield and the glow of a setting sun. The mountain was pink this afternoon as the sun set. The photo is from a Web cam that is positioned at Burlington International Airport, looking east.
All this snow and cold weather gets me in the mood for skiing. Going to the Warren Miller film last night doesn't hurt, either! They had some fun skiing sequences from Iceland (wow, what a unique place!), Crested Butte, Japan, Alaska and even a little bit of Vermont. They...[Read more]
Sunday, November 23, 2008
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Fall & Early season, Mt. Mansfield, Ski movies
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
Killington ski resort opened for the ski season on Sunday, November 2. The Big K ski conditions page reports that they have two lifts, seven trails and three miles of skiing—all for the low price of $65 (gulp!). Skiers are accessing this terrain via the K-1 Gondola.
As you can see from this Killington photo, Sunday was a gorgeous blue sky kind of day all around the state. The Skimeister and I went for a hike near Bolton Valley Resort in the mid-afternoon, which felt like a late-afternoon hike...[Read more]
Monday, November 3, 2008
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Killington
Is there snow in Vermont? Why, yes! The report from the tippy top of Mt. Mansfield is that there are 11 inches of snow at the stake—well above average for this time of year—due to the storm that came through this week.
Here's a Web cam shot from Underhill, Vermont, this morning. Underhill is on the western side of Mount Mansfield.
Here in the Champlain Valley we had about an inch or so, but much of that has melted to reveal the fallen leaves again. While there is still some more raking to do,...[Read more]
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Mt. Mansfield, Ski gear
Ah, the little white flakes are making their first appearance here in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. It is just flurrying here, but the snow is sticking a bit in the higher elevations. Vermont mountains saw a bit of snow earlier this month, too.
The Burlington Free Press reports that some northern Vermont towns have accumulations of an inch or less. East Albany reported one inch of snow and North Underhill and Eden each reported 0.6 inches, according to the National Weather Service....[Read more]
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Jay Peak
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
Ski Vermont, an advocate for the Green Mountain State's ski industry, is offering a limited number of Ski Vermont 3 Passes and Ski Vermont 5 Passes for the coming ski season.
I've never bought one, but here's the scoop: You can purchase this pass now and ski at three different Vermont resorts during non-peak days this winter. The participating ski resorts are: Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Bromley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Magic Mountain, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Mount Snow, Okemo,...[Read more]
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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Filed in: Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
I don't know about you, but I'm looking for some ski gear before the snow flies this year. For one, I want to pick up some plastic telemark boots so I can really have more turning capability on my descents in the woods.
I'm going to check out a couple of Vermont ski swaps to see if I can score some equipment that fits me. I was successful two years ago when I found some new, unwrapped Karhu Pavo skis...so who knows what I might uncover this year.
Here are just a few upcoming ski swaps in...[Read more]
Monday, September 29, 2008
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Filed in: Cochran's, Killington, Okemo, Ski gear, Smugglers' Notch
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
We've had a gorgeous morning in northern Vermont. When I drove home yesterday after work, however, I looked toward Bolton Valley ski resort and beneath the lifting clouds I saw ski runs. White ski runs.Turns out the upper elevations were blanketed with snow yesterday. Stowe Mountain Resort reported about 5 inches fell on the top of the mountain. Not that I don't trust them, but I proceeded to the NOAA site and yes, there is about 18 inches at the stake near the summit of Mt. Mansfield. I...[Read more]
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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Filed in: Mt. Mansfield, Spring skiing, Stowe
"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 & aprés, 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 & aprés, 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 & aprés, 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
This morning I saw a moose! At first I thought it was a horse, but quickly I realized it was a large moose and he or she was on the move.
Now you might ask why this is so exciting. Well I didn't see the moose in the woods or along a dirt road. This guy was crossing the four lanes of Kennedy Drive in South Burlington!
For those of you familiar with South Burlington, Vt., you know that it is highly residential. There are nice small chunks of woods but really there are a lot of condos and...[Read more]
Thursday, April 10, 2008
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Filed in: Jay Peak, Spring skiing
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
I think I mentioned before that I'm spoiled rotten. Well yesterday the Skimeister and I made the most of a blue sky afternoon by skiing from 2 to 4 p.m. at Bolton Valley. We knew the weather was looking rough today so we moved around our work schedule to accommodate the sun! (It's now raining/snowing in Burlington, Vt., but it is supposed to be all snow over 2,000 feet.)
The spring skiing was quite good. The snow had turned into soft corn snow in most places. We really set our edges in the...[Read more]
Friday, April 4, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Spring skiing
What a difference a day makes.
On Saturday I was bundled up against the wind and cold while backcountry skiing, and by Sunday afternoon I had no hat and only wore a midweight fleece as I cross-country skied at Trapp Family Lodge nordic center in Stowe, Vermont. It was heavenly!
Before I skied, I stopped at the Stowe Coffee House, located near the three-way stop in Stowe Village. It's tucked back behind the Stephen Huneck gallery—you know, the dog art guy. I read the Sunday paper over a small...[Read more]
Monday, March 31, 2008
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & aprés, Mt. Mansfield, Trapp Family Lodge
The sun was deceiving on Saturday morning. If you looked at the calendar and the blue skies, you would have sworn it was going to be a spring skiing day. You would have also been wrong.
It was windy and downright cold in the mountains. At Bolton Valley ski resort, someone said it was zero degrees at the top of the lift early in the morning. Brrr.
While the Skimeister took to the lifts, I headed for Bolton's lower backcountry trails. I was intent on generating my own heat on this chilly day....[Read more]
Sunday, March 30, 2008
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Food, coffee & aprés
On the day before Easter, I wanted to try a new backcountry route. I convinced the Skimeister to drive to Montpelier, Vermont, and head north a bit to ski on the Middlesex Trail toward the summit of Mt. Hunger.
Saturday was a beautiful day: blue skies with mountains that were frosty-white on the top. It was windy, but it didn't bother me as I marched my way up the mountain through the snow. No one had been on the trail for some time, so we were breaking trail. In some places the wind packed...[Read more]
Monday, March 24, 2008
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Food, coffee & aprés, Mt. Hunger
Well it seems really early this year, but Easter weekend is here! We're going to do some skiing this weekend. Are you?
If you are headed to the slopes in Vermont and want to enjoy a unique tradition, roll out of bed extra early on Sunday to take in a sunrise Easter service. The ski resorts hold these at the top of the mountain, so if the weather is good you can get an inspiring view, and a nice early morning ski run.
So far, the weekend weather is looking clear and lovely (what a treat!) But...[Read more]
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
With sunshine in the forecast for today and early Tuesday, and mixed precipitation called for later this week, the Skimeister and I took the afternoon off to go play at Bolton Valley, Vt. I took my Völkl skis out for some exercise and he sharpened up his Burton snowboard.
I knew the scenery would be terrific because of the clear skies and the ice-covered trees I had seen the day before, but I thought the skiing would be only mediocre. On this point I was pleasantly surprised. There were up to...[Read more]
Monday, March 17, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Food, coffee & aprés
Weird. That's the best way to describe today's ski tour on the backcountry trails at Bolton Valley today. Other words that come to mind are frozen, crusty and otherworldly.
While the high trails picked up some snow over the last week, they also got the deep-freeze treatment. Ice was everywhere. It coated trees at nearly an inch in thickness.
During our ski on Heavenly Highway, Birch Loop and Gardiner's Lane, the Skimeister and I navigated around many limbs and trees that were downed by the...[Read more]
Sunday, March 16, 2008
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley
I love checklists. It gives me great satisfaction to tick things off as I complete them. Yesterday I had the pleasure of checking off the Bolton-Trapp Trail on my skiing to-do list for this season. It was the first time I had done this backcountry excursion and it was tiring, but extra snowy and fun!
The Skimeister, his step-mom and I dropped a car on Nebraska Valley Road in Moscow (a section of Stowe), Vermont, before driving to our starting point at the Bolton Valley nordic center. The car...[Read more]
Sunday, March 2, 2008
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Trapp Family Lodge
I hate to rub it in, but I just had a great Friday afternoon of skiing in powder and packed powder conditions at Bolton Valley, Vt.! And, now wait for this, it was a bluebird day to boot!
Vermont enjoyed a hearty helping of fresh snow this week—with more to come this weekend—so I left work behind and spent the afternoon skiing in the sunshine.
Boy, was I glad that I did.
There was still some powder to be found in Bolton Valley's glades and due to cold temps, it had remained light and fluffy....[Read more]
Friday, February 29, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley
The Catamount Trail Association (CTA), the group that cares for the 300-mile trail that runs the length of Vermont, got some good press a couple of days ago in the Burlington Free Press.
The article is not online (sorry, the Free Press site is extremely lame) but it reported that the organization is hosting the most ski trips and events this winter than ever before. About 30 individuals are leading nearly 60 ski tours.
The tours are rated for different abilities and you must sign up in...[Read more]
Friday, February 22, 2008
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Trapp Family Lodge
Late on Thursday afternoon, we headed for Bolton Valley Nordic Center to do a couple of laps of skate skiing. Conditions were firm and very fast.
It was a good workout as I climbed the hills on World Cup. Then I employed my much-practiced wedge, or snowplow, to keep things in check during the super-fast descents.
In Bolton Valley's Nordic Blog, they reported that they had tilled and groomed the snow on 20 km with an alpine grooming machine. My skis chattered on the small grooves as I wedged...[Read more]
Friday, February 22, 2008
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing, Ski gear
Did you know that Burlington has the largest Mardi Gras celebration in New England? Yes, snowy and oh so cool Burlington, Vt.!
We Vermonters are hardy folk, so we pile on the layers and stand in the cold to catch some of the thousands of beads, chocolates and Moonpies (those tasty little things) that are thrown at us. And we have a blast doing it.
Magic Hat brewery plans the event, now in its 13th year. Held on Saturday, February 23, the parade route starts on Main Street and heads north...[Read more]
Thursday, February 21, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & aprés, Stowe
Sunday morning brought more blue skies to Craftsbury, Vt., and cold temperatures at 7 in the morning. By the time we had breakfast and gathered our gear, however, things were warming up nicely. I could tell this was going to be a good ski at the Craftsbury Nordic Center.
I had been to Craftsbury once before. Over the course of two days last year, we had hit most of the trails from Ruthie's Run Extension in the northeast, to the Grand Tour trail to the southwest. I remembered enjoying a ski...[Read more]
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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Filed in: Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Highland Lodge
I may have found the most scenic cross-country trails in Vermont. They are at Highland Lodge in Greensboro.
A long climb up to the Barr Hill area at 2,100 feet afforded the Skimeister and I our first visual treat. We entered a meadow that could have been found in Colorado. Giant, snow-frosted evergreens were everywhere and the ones that lined the trail had long icicles because they had been facing south toward the warm sun. In the distance we could see rolling hills and mountains.
From there,...[Read more]
Monday, February 18, 2008
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Filed in: Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Highland Lodge, Winter photography
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke, Ticket discounts
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
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Filed in: Burke, Ski gear
Snow was the word of the day. We were headed this morning for Mountain Top Nordic Center in Chittenden, Vt., near Killington and Rutland. I had heard good things about it, so this was the time to check it out as we were heading north from Okemo.
It was snowing during our drive, and it had snowed the night before, and as we prepared to hit the trails it really started coming down! I felt kind of silly, but I went back to the car for my goggles. (Hey, vision is a good thing when you are skidding...[Read more]
Sunday, February 10, 2008
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Mountain Top
I'm spoiled rotten. I got to stay slopeside at Okemo this weekend.
My friends, Jennifer and Dan, have a condo there that allows you to walk out the back door and click into your skis. You do have to go down to the bottom lifts to access the mountain, but that's a small price to pay to roll out of bed and ski. Thanks, guys!
We even bought our tickets at the base area on Friday night to avoid standing in the ticket line on Saturday morning. This is a very good strategy if you can swing...[Read more]
Sunday, February 10, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Okemo
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke, Catamount, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Ticket discounts
Middlebury College squeaked by the University of Vermont to win the UVM Winter Carnival in Stowe, Vermont, this weekend. The Skimeister and I caught some of the nordic action on Saturday, which featured zippy 1.2 km sprints.
These were really short, fast races and from the meadow at Trapp Family Lodge you could see the racers for nearly all of the course. Real fun to watch! I just had to go inside once for a $1 cocoa to defrost. Ahhhh...
At a UVM aprés-ski event, UVM Director of Skiing Bill...[Read more]
Sunday, February 3, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge
Snow is on its way this weekend, but not before a potential mix of precipitation on Friday. Hopefully Mother Nature tosses out more of the white stuff than sleet!
The ski resorts are currently reporting good conditions and they are offering an abundance of open trails and lifts. Check the snow report links on my Vermont Ski Resorts page before you go. By Saturday you may be pleasantly surprised with reports of fresh powder up high in the hills!
This weekend is UVM Winter Carnival Weekend...[Read more]
Thursday, January 31, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Cross-country skiing, Stowe, Trapp Family Lodge
On Sunday, I found a nordic center that's serious about nordic skiing. We enjoyed a sunny day of good classic skiing at Ski de Fond Mont Tremblant in Mt. Tremblant, Québec. The trail network offered plenty of choices with 68 km of groomed classic trails and the conditions were excellent.
We left the welcome center at Domaine Saint Bernard and had a big mountain view of the top of Mt. Tremblant. The welcome center offered quality rentals, a wax room, restrooms, snack bar and a restaurant....[Read more]
Monday, January 28, 2008
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Filed in: Cross-country skiing, Mont Tremblant (Québec)
I traveled to the Great White North this weekend to have some winter fun at Mont Tremblant, Québec.
Saturday dawned with clear, blue skies so we braved the cold and headed to the mountain early to catch the best snow conditions and sunshine. I could tell the Mont Tremblant crew had been busy grooming and making snow that night. The first runs of the day were terrific.
Tremblant is a multisided ski mountain—including the Versant Nord, Versant Sud, Versant Soleil and The Edge. We followed the...[Read more]
Sunday, January 27, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Mont Tremblant (Québec)
When you live in the north country, winter is something you embrace. This weekend in Stowe, Vt., they're doing just that with the Stowe Winter Carnival.
Some of the country’s best amateur and professional ice carvers create frozen masterpieces on Saturday, January 26. The nationally sanctioned competition is one of many activities during this annual celebration with roots back to 1922.
Yes, ice can be nice. The chopping, picking, chain sawing and creative blow torching goes on between 11 a.m....[Read more]
Friday, January 25, 2008
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Filed in: Food, coffee & aprés, Jay Peak, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
I'm happy to report that there is some fresh snow up in the mountains of northern Vermont!
The Skimeister and I headed to Bolton Valley's cross-country trails to do some classic nordic skiing today. The conditions on the groomed trails were pretty good and the fresh snow on the side of the trails measured to about five inches or so. Nice, fluffy white stuff. Of course, we would like much more to really cover up the ice-covered base that's under there, but this is a start!
On our skinny skis,...[Read more]
Saturday, January 19, 2008
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing, Food, coffee & aprés
With a warm, rainy week behind us at last, we headed for some groomed cross-country trails today. The Skimeister and I set our sights on the high-altitude trails at Bolton Valley, hoping there would be some decent snow cover.
We clicked into our skating skis and made our way to the World Cup loop because it had been groomed—and boy was it fast! The zippy snow made the downhill sections very exciting and the sharp corners were challenging. Still, I only hit the ground once. Not bad!
It was a...[Read more]
Sunday, January 13, 2008
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Cross-country skiing
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
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Catamount, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Stowe, Western skiing
Who says you can't get something for nothing?
Just this afternoon I was able to ski for free at Catamount touring center because I accompanied a Catamount center member. They offer this once a month as a membership perk. Sweet!
So off we went on the cross-country trails on the south side of the center. Today was in the low 40s here in Burlington and Williston, so wax-less skis were the order of the day. We had enough kick to move us along, but the downhills were pretty slow because of the...[Read more]
Sunday, January 6, 2008
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Filed in: Catamount, Cross-country skiing
Before hitting the road for Christmas, I clicked into skinny skis and had an enjoyable cross-country tour at Catamount. The Skimeister and I met up with Father Skimeister for a 90-minute ski.
If you don't know Catamount, it's a great resource here in Chittenden County. Located in Williston, it features 35 km of groomed trails that cross open fields and snake through the woods. It's very pretty, yet it's only minutes from downtown Burlington.
Catamount now operates as a nonprofit and they...[Read more]
Saturday, December 22, 2007
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Filed in: Catamount, Cross-country skiing
It's days like today that I praise the snowgods, and my parents for buying me my favorite pair of mittens. We had a lovely backcountry tour today, but it was darn cold.
Fortunately, I'm someone who layers up and I know when to take out the big guns (the sheepskin mittens) when I need to.
Despite temps in the single digits, it didn't take much uphill shlogging to start generating some heat and a couple of times I had to take the mittens off to cool off my hands.
Let me tell you that I've...[Read more]
Saturday, December 15, 2007
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Ski gear
Today I buckled into my aging, but lovable, Tecnica ski boots (this is the year that I'm getting new boots—and I mean it this time!) and saddled up my Völkl skis to remember what it means to really carve a turn.
Having grown up as a downhill skier, I feel so much more confident with my heel attached to my ski and my boots pushing back against my shins as I flex and crank out some turns.
Bring on the bumps! Bring on the powder! I've got my downhill equipment on!
The downhill runs at Bolton...[Read more]
Sunday, December 9, 2007
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley
What a way to start the ski season. The Skimeister and I went up to Bolton Valley's backcountry trails today and found more than a foot of fluffy snow on the trails and weighing down the tree branches all around us. Gorgeous!
This is what skiing is all about. I love gliding quietly through the woods surrounded by snow. Skiing to a viewpoint is even better, but today the "Stowe View" was non-existent because of a snow squall. Not a problem, we said, before schussing on.
I'm still not great at...[Read more]
Saturday, December 8, 2007
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley
If you've never visited the Green Mountain Club website, I will offer you a fun reason to do so now. Every month Vermont photographer Paul Hansen posts a wonderful desktop calendar photo. This month it's a wintry shot of trees below Mt. Mansfield's forehead. Great shot.
[Read more]
Saturday, December 1, 2007
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Filed in: Mt. Mansfield, Winter photography
This just in: I earned my first turns of the season today!
There were about 12 inches of fluffy powder to sample on the CCC road on the western slopes of Mt. Mansfield. That dirt road is accessed via the Underhill State Park access road in Underhill, Vermont.
The trees were laden with snow — some of the lightest powder we every get here in the East, really — and the sky was mostly blue. What more could you ask for on the first ski run of the year?
My husband (the Skimeister)...[Read more]
Sunday, November 25, 2007
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Mt. Mansfield, Ski gear
'Twas the day before Thanksgiving, and all through the house, people were looking for their winter gear, and starting to grouse.
OK, I've found my boot bag, long johns, hats and mittens, helmet, and even my balaklava. But where the heck is my ski jacket and ski pants? I'm going to need these things pronto!
There are at least seven ski resorts open in Vermont this weekend for early-season runs. And we've received natural snow in the mountains and even a bit down in the Banana Belt of...[Read more]
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush
Today I donned my longjohns, grabbed my ski hat and gloves and headed not for the mountains, but for the lake. My husband, friends Pete and Nicole, and I jumped into a J24 sailboat for a race today on Malletts Bay, one of the major bays on Lake Champlain.
November's race series is often called the frostbite series, and today I found out why. In temps in the 40s on the water, I nearly froze my feet and fingers off because of the wind and waves; it was blowing strong at about 15-20 mph. I also...[Read more]
Saturday, November 10, 2007
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Mt. Mansfield, Sailing
One of the conundrums you face as a skier in northern Vermont is deciding where you purchase a season pass or discount card—or whether you do that at all. We have a bunch of ski resorts within an hour and a half from Burlington, Vt., plus an abundance of backcountry terrain that doesn't require a lift. What's a skier to do?
Part of the reason I stopped teaching skiing about six years ago was to allow myself the ability to enjoy several resorts each season—not just the one I was...[Read more]
Thursday, October 25, 2007
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Season pass, Stowe, Ticket discounts
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