We had another gorgeous skiing day on Saturday. It's been an incredible stretch of sunny weather for Vermont!
I wanted to go cross-country skiing so I looked at options that were at a higher altitude, where the snow coverage was still good. In the villages the sun has melted off much of the snow.
I decided to go to Stowe Mountain Resort's cross-country center, which is situated at about 1,500 feet or so. It has remained chilly in the mountains, especially overnight, so I was not in a huge rush to hit the trails early while they were still frozen. I stopped for a late-morning coffee and Nantucket muffin (like a morning glory muffin) at the Harvest Market on Stowe's Mountain Road. They have yummy baked goods and good coffee.
At Stowe, I used my Catamount Trail membership discount and I skied a lovely loop out along the river and back. The route took me on Burt Trail to Bear Run to Timberlane.
The shady areas—especially on Burt Trail and Bear Run—were quite slick even at noon. It made for some interesting downhills! But as I crossed over to Timberlane on the sunnier side of the trail network, things softened up dramatically. I just had to becareful when I hit the fast snow in tree-shaded spots.
I stopped here and there to take some photos and to enjoy the blue skies and the peace and quiet. It was definitely starting to look like spring as snow was melting away from the tree trunks and the river ice was melting. It was so nice to be dressed in a light fleece and a headband instead of a balaclava and layers!
This morning it is snowing here in northern Vermont. I'll decide later if I hit the trails somewhere else this afternoon.
