Ski Vermont 2009 Magazine by Methodikal, Inc.

48 HOURS ON ROUTE 100. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHICKS IN THE STIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. . . . . .

ALSO: GREENING VERMONT / LOCALVORES

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;CROSS FOR EVERYONE / EARLY-SEASON SNOW / + MORE

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2009 ISSUE PUBLISHER: SKI VERMONT Bill Stenger, Chair Parker Riehle, President Kathy Murphy, Director of Marketing DITOR E Peter Oliver DESIGN Methodikal, Inc. PRINTER The Offset House COVER PHOTO Justin Cash justincash.com CONTACT INFO Ski Vermont P.O. Box 368 Montpelier, VT 05601 Ph: 802-223-2439 Fax: 802-229-6917

FIRST TRACKS

TRAVELING TO VERMONT

VERMONT FACES

VERMONT VOICES

48 HOURS ON ROUTE 100

CHICKS IN THE STIX

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS

INSTANT INFO: ALPINE & NORDIC SKIING

The inside line on people, places, trends, and happenings in Vermont this season.

Vermont skiing as expressed through the faces of Vermont skiers. A photo essay.

The boys embark on a two-day Vermont road trip. Story by Mike Horn, photos by Justin Cash

When it comes to snow, Vermont resorts have things covered.

Six professional women tell why they chose Vermont as a place to do business – And to ski and ride. By Sarah Tuff Dunn

Detailed facts and figures on all Vermont winter resorts.

Courtesy of Justin Cash

Traveling in Vermont with kids on board. A veteran mom reports. By Peggy Shinn

How to get to New England’s best skiing and riding.

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Courtesy of Sandy Macys

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EARLY WAKE-UP CALL The early arrival of snow in winter is a great benediction for all Vermonters. Of course ski resorts and ski shops rejoice, because brisk December business typically sets the pattern for an uptempo run through the rest of the winter. But early snow lifts the spirit of Vermonters at a more grassroots level, too. Local skiers worship the early snow as if it were a heavenly sacrament, a means to salvation. Early-season snow dispels late-fall anxieties about when or even if snow will ever arrive, and the first snows make possible those heady first turns that are always among the year’s most memorable. There is a purity about the first snow that can be exhilarating. Even non-skiers feel stress levels dissolve when snow comes early; the renewal of one of Vermont’s iconic seasonal changes touches on deep-felt sentiments held by even the crustiest old-timers. These are flannel-and-wool people, not Goretexers, who find great comfort in the annual patterns of the seasons that seem to validate long-established beliefs in rootedness and tradition: the fall foliage, the muddy roads and the maple-sap runs of spring, the hunting seasons, the arrival of snow. To live according to the timetable of nature’s changes is to live an essential Vermont life. So when snow came early last winter, a palpable wave of relief and even joy swept through the collective soul of the state. Then the snow kept coming, not in big storms but in a steady 2

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stream of smaller storms. By December 10, Vermont ski areas were reporting that unusually high 59 percent of their trails were already open, thanks largely to nature rather than reliance on artificial snow. Cross-country areas in Vermont, most without any snowmaking, were able to open a month or more earlier than in the previous season. By the end of December, many new snowfall records were reported throughout the state. December could be best described in a single, threeletter word: WoW. Predictably, a thaw came in January, but it was barely a hiccup in an inexorable snow continuum; the snow recovered quickly and remained consistently plentiful and of a high quality throughout the season. As more records fell, skiers kept skiing into early May. Taken as a whole, the winter of 2007-2008 was one of the best, in terms of natural snow, in at least the last 30 years. But it was that early start that, like the overture to a great opera, set the mood and theme for the season. From early December on, all of Vermont got psyched and stayed psyched. Who knows when that will happen again. Maybe this winter will be a repeat of last year’s good fortune. With the weather, you never know. But one thing any Vermonter will tell you about skiing in the state: It’s great whenever the snow is good, but when it’s good early, it’s like a heavenly gift. — Peter Oliver

Photo credit: Brian Mohr-Ember Photo.com

Essenc e When you strip away all the stuff that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really matter, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re left with Mad River Glen.

madriverglen.com (802) 496-3551

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GREENER MOUNTAINS VERMONT SKIING IN THE ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE When it comes to global warming, ski areas are the proverbial canary in the coal mine. In their favorite habitat of cold, snowy mountains, skiers are on the front lines of feeling the impact of a change in winter weather. What is a ski area to do? In Vermont, a number of ski areas are exploring innovative ways to take on climate change. Killington, Okemo and Stratton have invested heavily in this area by offsetting 100 percent of the carbon output from all of their electricity usage through the purchase of renewable energy credits. Other ski areas have joined the carbon-neutral ski movement with various approaches.

Courtesy of Justin Cash

The Middlebury College Snow Bowl took carbon neutrality to the next level in the 2006-2007 season by becoming the first ski area in the country to offset its electric, gas, propane and diesel usage, as well as skier transportation to and from the ski area. Middlebury College, which owns the ski area, offset the carbon footprint of its ski operations by purchasing $7,138 in offsets

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from NativeEnergy, a Vermont-based company that helps reduce CO2 emissions by funding Native American, farmer-owned, and community-based renewable energy projects. In its first year, Middlebury’s investment compensated for 680 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The Middlebury Alpine and Nordic ski teams also became carbon-neutral by purchasing carbon offsets for the teams’ CO2 emissions, covering everything from team travel to the electricity used to power the coaches’ offices. NativeEnergy used the Snow Bowl’s investment to fund construction of a wind farm run by the Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and a methane-energy project on a family-owned dairy farm in Pennsylvania. A quick primer on how offsetting works: A carbon offset is one ton of carbon dioxide that has been displaced from a fossilfuel source. “For every ton of CO2 that is generated by one of these ski areas that buys carbon offsets, there is an associated amount of fossil fuel CO2 that is kept out of the atmosphere,” explains Billy Connelly, Native Energy’s marketing director.

FIRST TRACKS Smugglers’ Notch has calculated the personal carbon footprint of each of its skiers, taking into account everything from the skier’s commute to the power used in operating chairlifts and snowmaking. The total effect: a Smuggs skier puts out 29 pounds of carbon emissions per day. That means that a Smuggs skier who logs 100 days a year has a carbon footprint of 1½ tons. To put that into perspective, the average American car generates six tons of CO2 pollution annually, while a round trip coast-to-coast airline trip puts out two tons of carbon per passenger. Carbon offsets are only a start for Vermont areas. “It’s one thing to mitigate and buy carbon offsets and recycle, but to not use the resources in the first place is the most important thing for us,” says Eric Friedman, marketing director of Mad River Glen. “In terms of base area development and snowmaking, our overall footprint on the mountain is minimal and hasn’t changed drastically since the ski area began in the 1940s.” Mad River Glen is taking particular aim at the biggest CO2 producer in ski country: cars. NativeEnergy did a carbon profile of Mad River that revealed that skiers driving to the mountain were responsible for five times more greenhouse gas emissions than the operations of the ski area itself. So Mad River Glen, renowned for challenging its skiers, threw down a different kind of challenge to its devotees: ski green. By voluntarily paying $1 more on a day ticket or adding $10 to their season pass fee in the 2007-2008

ski season, Mad River skiers “not only offset 100 percent of their commuting impact, they offset the entire ski area operation,” says Friedman. The extra money was used to purchase carbon offsets from NativeEnergy, which in turn helped Vermont farms convert methane to electricity. Smugglers’ Notch has also gone beyond offsetting. Among the ways the ski area has reduced its carbon output is building high efficiency five-star energy rated homes, using electric cars to shuttle people around the resort, installing solar water heaters on a new building, using biodiesel to run its machines, and instituting a no-idling policy for resort vehicles. The resort calculates that it kept 680 tons in CO2 emissions from reaching the atmosphere in 2006-07 from these initiatives. Its efforts earned it the Environmental Excellence in Environmental Stewardship and Resource Protection Award from Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas in 2008. Like Mad River, Smuggs has also taken aim at reducing the impact of car travel. It runs a shuttle bus from the Burlington area to the mountain, and supports NuRide, a national online carpooling initiative. “Global warming is an issue for the whole ski industry,” says Smuggs Vice President Mark Delaney. “We feel we need to do what we can to preserve and protect the environment that we rely on for our business and for our personal recreational enjoyment. We think it’s important to our customers – that they would rather support a company that is environmentally responsible.” By acknowledging and addressing their effects on climate change, Vermont ski areas have been raising awareness. “The biggest thing that ski areas can do is to get everybody involved in solving this problem,” says Billy Connelly of NativeEnergy. “We didn’t get into this crisis individually, but we need to solve this together. A skier can only do so much to solve the climate crisis. But imagine all people taking responsibility to solve this problem, and you can move mountains.” — David Goodman

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FIRST TRACKS

CROSSING OVER VERMONT RESORTS BRING `CROSS TO THE MASSES. Former U.S. downhill racer Daron Rahlves does it. Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis does it. X Games icon Shaun Palmer does it. And now, so can you. Skiercross and boardercross are hot stuff on the slopes these days. In a ‘cross race, four to six skiers or snowboarders race down banked, humped courses, diving into bobsled-like turns and sometimes flying by each other in mid-air. Boardercross (SBX) made its Olympic debut in 2006, and skiercross (SX) will also be part of the upcoming 2010 Games. But this kind of crazy fun isn’t just for Olympic-caliber athletes. Several Vermont ski resorts now have relatively easy courses that are proving to be popular playgrounds for kids and adults alike. And you only have to race head-to-head if someone dares you. Bromley Mountain was one of the first to create a boardercross course for the masses. Open for the past five seasons, the course—called Unforgiven—came about after mountain manager Bill Cairns and Scott Palmer, who organizes the USA Snowboard Association’s Southern Vermont Snowboard Series, were looking to increase traffic on one of Bromley’s out-of-theway trails. Palmer suggested an SBX course. The result? “The Unforgiven boardercross park has taken an underutilized trail and made it a family favorite,” Cairns says. When kids discover `cross, they’re usually hooked for good. Jordan Harmon, 12, who lives in nearby Danby and skis 6

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Bromley every week through her school’s junior program, first skied Unforgiven when she was 8. “I like how there are different kinds of jumps, bigger and smaller too,” she says. “And you don’t have to go off them if you don’t want to.” At Okemo, a course was created on Lower Tomahawk last season ostensibly as a training run for the resort’s new snowboard ambassador, Olympic gold medalist Ross Powers, with his eye on the 2010 Olympic boardercross. Called the FamilyCross park, its banked turns, rollers, and snow mounds quickly became more than Powers’ private stomping ground. “It was one of our most popular trails,” Okemo spokeswoman Bonnie MacPherson says. “It’s the kind of thing people can do with their kids. With the banked turns, you feel like you’re doing something different.” Known for its progression of terrain parks—from the Burton Kidpark to the large tabletops and rollercoaster rail on Suntanner— Stratton also has a low-key ‘cross course on East Meadow. Nine-yearold skier Ronan Limroth prepared for the `cross action by hitting a jump in the Old Smoothie terrain park last winter and launched 16 feet in the air. Or so claims his cousin. “I tucked straight into the jump and went flying off,” recounts Limroth, who participates in the resort’s Synergy Program for kids 7-16. “I thought I was going to die. Then I landed and I was like, ‘OK, that was weird.’ Then I wanted to do it again!” — Peggy Shinn

We hold these truths to be self-evident. We believe that every day brings with it the opportunity to be better than the day before. We believe in following your passions unapologetically. We believe that every ski trip should begin and end with a deeply felt “ahhhhhhh.” We believe that the occasional pampering is a necessity and not a luxury. We believe that challenge is a good thing, because it’s only through adversity that we discover perseverance. We believe that you’re only as good as your next run. We believe that guests should be welcomed with open arms. We believe that there are no friends on a powder day. We believe in learning from the best. We believe in cold beer and warm hellos. We believe in yelling “WooooHoooo!” as often as possible.

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And most importantly, we believe that life truly is better in the Mad River Valley.

www.sugarbush.com 800-53-SugAR

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FIRST TRACKS

VIRTUAL VERMONT Change is good. So expect plenty of good when logging into skivermont.com this season. Check out some of the new stuff:

words, look for more photos, video and other stuff to show you what that resort is REALLY like.

Look for a new Learn to Ski or Ride Zone, to give you all the info you need about learning to ski and ride, and a new Summer Zone, for what to do at Vermont resorts after the snow melts.

Look for the revamped Kid’s Zone to meet the new VP’s of Fun, find a family Nordic Quest or sign up for free skiing or riding with the Fifth Grade Passport.

Words on the web used to tell you that it was snowing in Vermont. Now, you’ll actually be able to see it snowing in cyberspace right on the home page. The conditions page has also been updated. Each resort page looks a little different. Instead of lots of

Look for regular posts of new and exciting video throughout the winter. Champlain College is joining with Ski Vermont to provide fantastic footage of skiing and riding all over the state of Vermont. These guys (and girls. . .) really know their stuff, so make sure you check it out! — Liz Dohrman

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FIRST TRACKS

SKI AND EAT LIKE A LOCAL Selected as the Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year for 2007, a “localvore” is a person committed to eating foods grown within the local foodshed – generally considered as an area within a 100-mile radius of home. Recently, Vermont has emerged as a national leader in the growing “localvore” movement. Given the economic, environmental, political, and health benefits to eating foods produced close to home, localvorism is fast becoming an attractive alternative to the consumption of food that has been packaged and shipped many miles before landing on your plate. You can find locally produced foods at many Vermont food retailers (and after the snow melts, at farmer’s markets). Now many ski-area and ski-town eateries are beginning to feature “localvore” items on their menus. The Ski Vermont Burger, introduced last year at several resorts, is just one example. After a day spent skiing in the mountains, do your body and the local economy a favor: Sample some locally grown fare. Here are three top eateries to do it. Big Picture Theatre, Waitsfield, bigpicturetheater.info. The increasingly popular Big Picture is at once a restaurant, café, movie theatre, music venue, and community gathering place. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Big Picture Burger starts with eight ounces of locally-raised, grass-fed beef, and is served up with a tasty, locally-grown green salad. Even the cheese, potato chips and veggies – when in season – are locally produced. Sugarsnap, Burlington, sugarsnap.biz. At the forefront of Vermont’s localvore movement, Sugarsnap is a take-out restaurant and catering company specializing in wholesome food made from farm-fresh, seasonal vegetables, eggs, and meat. In fact, the Sugarsnap staff raise much of the food they cook on a small farm at the nearby Intervale Farm in Burlington. The menu features an ever-changing variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and dinner specials. Riverview Café, Brattleboro, riverviewcafe.com. Owner/Chef Tristan Toleno is an active member of the Vermont Fresh Network, working to build partnerships between farmers and consumers. Nearly every item on the café menu features locally sourced ingredients. The turkey vegetable soup and maple barbeque pulled pork sandwich are standout localvore choices. — Brian Mohr

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HERE’S THE (LOCAL) BEEF The best burger in Vermont? Last June at Mt. Snow, Ski Vermont invited chefs from ski areas across the state to compete in the first-ever cheeseburger cookoff to come up with an answer to the question. Eight chefs answered the call, and when the smoke, literally, cleared, the winner was the Vermont Bleu Cheeseburger produced by Gerry Nooney, chef at Sugarbush’s Timbers restaurant. When possible, local ingredients were used. – PO Vermont Bleu Cheese Burger with Pickled Peppers 6 oz of Vermont burger per person (we use Boyden Farms) Quality Vermont blue cheese (we use Bouchon) Pickled peppers Small pita pockets Local leaf lettuce

Start with fresh local beef. Season the meat with good sea salt before you make the patty. Be sure to have a slight indent in the middle of the patty. This way when it cooks and expands the burger will be flat and the toppings won’t slide off. Grill and top with cheese, let rest on an elevated plate or rack so the juices can settle. To assemble, slice top off pita pocket and slide in a lettuce leaf, using a slotted spoon add pickled peppers on top of the lettuce. Add cheeseburger to top of pickled peppers. Stuff in a little more peppers if desired. Pickled Pepper Topping: 2 onions small dice ½ cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed ½ cup each of pickled banana peppers, cherry peppers and jalapeño peppers, sliced thin ¼ cup rice wine vinegar A few sprigs of fresh thyme and bay leaf

Sweat onions in olive oil with thyme and bay leaf. Add garlic, add peppers, and simmer 5 minutes. Add rice vinegar and cook 2 minutes. Season to taste.

#1 in North America for Family Programs SKI Magazine Reader Survey 10 years

Most family-friendly resort in the Northeast onthesnow.com - Visitor Reviews

ONT M R E V H ’ NOTC S R E L G SMUG

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Just Add Family.

All the ingredients for a perfect Winter family vacation are here. Some vacations promise fun, we actually guarantee it! At America’s Family Resort,SM we start with three spectacular mountains, then stir in mountainside resort village lodging, award-winning children’s programs and off-mountain activities your whole family will love. Nothing could be better or easier for you! To receive a FREE Planning Guide & DVD, details on how to enter for your chance to win a week-long family vacation, and to get a taste of Smugglers’ Notch this Winter,

call 1-800-451-8752 or visit www.smuggs.com/enterskivt

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Families have chosen Bromley since 1936. Looks like we haven’t lost our touch.

“ If you can find a resort that feels relaxed and welcoming on the busiest day of the season, you have found a true friend. Families, meet Bromley. You’re going to get along just fine.” – SKI Magazine, November 2007

www.bromley.com 802-824-5522 Conditions & Events: 866-856-2201

VERMONT’S SUN MOUNTAIN

Route 11, 6 miles from Manchester, VT 12

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Courtesy of Dennis Curran

FIRST TRACKS

APRÈS! AWESOME! The last lift ride greets the dutiful die-hards, and the last run promises a sound sleep for the evening ahead. But wait – the day is not near its end. As the sun stretches its fingers through the pines and birches, it reminds those still on the mountain that après-ski is calling.

Vermont’s historically jovial venues can turn even local Vermonters, often the most restrained of revelers, into raucous, Bacchus-like heroes. The combination of skiing and après skiing is about the unraveling of stress, the release of endorphins, and the joy of feeling alive.

In the tradition of Vermont skiers and riders, a great, all-day adventure on the mountain is a badge of honor worn proudly in the after-hours, from slope-side après indulgence to the frenzied heat of the dance floor or a wood stoked sauna.

Here’s the 2008 Ski Vermont list of the top 10 places (in random order) to enjoy a hot band, a good joke, a slow dance, a warm fireplace, new lifelong friends, and tantalizing libations. — Jen Butson

Grizzly’s (Stratton) The only thing unfriendly is the eponymous name. Full of smiling faces and stellar athletes.

Pub Outback (East Burke) True Northeast Kingdom – billiards, volleyball, sports talk, and local brews.

James Moore Tavern (Bolton Valley) Costas, the bartender, will never forget your name or your drink.

Billiard Sanctuary (West Dover, near Mount Snow) Elegant décor offsets the raucous revelry.

The Wobbly Barn (Killington Access Road) Put your dancing shoes on and get a designated driver. The Hydeaway (Rte 17, Mad River & Sugarbush area) Great for Taco Tuesdays and die-hard local support. The Loft (Okemo Access Road) Gaming nooks, a mix of hearty après and pre-game celebration, Jaeger on tap.

The Rusty Nail (Stowe Mountain Road) Tried and true. Join 480 new best friends for costume parties or concerts. Bootleggers’ Lounge (Smugglers’ Notch) Hire a babysitter and see a comedy show for the over-21 crowd. The Belfry (Montgomery, near Jay Peak) Charming, renovated schoolhouse. A Jay tradition. Expect lots of laughter. skivermont.com

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QUEENS OF CROSS COUNTRY New Year’s Day, 2008 was a good day to be a Vermonter, at least if you were cross-country ski racing. On that day, 27-year-old Caitlin Compton, who grew up in the Mad River Valley, won the five-kilometer freestyle race in the U.S. national championships. The only racer who came close to Compton was Liz Stephen, who grew up in East Montpelier. Both Compton and Stephen are in a good position to qualify for the 2010 Olympic team. In fact Compton, who competed last winter in the World Biathlon Championships, might represent the U.S. in the shoot-and-ski event rather than cross-country racing. But if Compton and Stephen do make it to the Olympics, they will be continuing a long tradition of Vermonters competing in the Winter Games. Vermonters like John and Tim Caldwell, Mike Gallagher, Bill Koch, Marc Gilbertson, and Andy Newell, who will likely be on the 2010 team, have paved the way to the Olympics for skiers like Compton and Stephen. Which begs the question: What is it about Vermont that breeds such strong cross-country skiers? At least 30 cross-country ski areas and lots of natural snow obviously have something to do with it. But interestingly, Compton’s first answer focuses on summer rather than winter. “The great thing about Vermont is how many training options

there are,” she says. Trail running, cycling, great terrain, and a ton of active individuals. I find myself longing to get back there.” She also points to the strength of competition at even small, local races. “I’ll never forget going (for the first time) to a Wednesday time trial in Stowe, and one of the competitors was Marc Gilbertson (a 1998 Olympian). I thought that was so cool.” Early on, Compton had a chance to measure herself against an Olympic standard. Like Compton, the 21-year-old Stephen was an Alpine skier first who came to cross-country racing relatively late, in her early teens. But by attending Burke Mountain Academy, one of several ski academies in Vermont, she found herself in a great, nurturing environment to ride the fast track to the elite level of the sport. “We all have our reasons for falling in love with this sport,” says Stephen. “For me, a lot of it is the people. I have been a part of teams from day one that have been supportive, friendly, focused, and excited to get better.” After her silver at nationals on New Year’s Day, Stephen went on to earn a bronze medal at the Under-23 World Championships, then finished her season by winning two golds at the U.S. Distance Nationals in Alaska. The next team she is likely to be part of – along with Compton – is the 2010 Olympic team. — Peter Oliver

SKI VERMONT POSTER 2009

The latest and greatest in the Ski Vermont poster tradition is just waiting to adorn your walls. Get yours today in the Schwag Zone on skivermont.com. 14

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vermont faces It is a great grab bag of emotions that Vermont skiing and riding engender â&#x20AC;&#x201C; joy, wonderment, befuddlement, amusement, or perhaps a simple, inner peace. Behind goggles and dark glasses, expressions of what people feel in the experience of being outdoors in winter are often kept secret. But when exposed, they tell a story not only of what is happening on snow but also

Courtesy of Justin Cash

what resonates in the soul.

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â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Peter Oliver

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Courtesy of Brent Herwayn

Courtesy of Eric Friedman

skivermont.com Courtesy of Dennis Curran

Courtesy of Dennis Curran

vermont faces

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Courtesy of Brian Mohr / EmberPhoto.com

Courtesy of Sandy Macys

Courtesy of Dennis Curran

vermont faces

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ÂŠ 2008 Ginn-LA Burski Ltd., LLLP. All Rights Reserved. Burke Mountainand the Burke Mountain logo are trademarks of Ginn-LA Burski Ltd., LLLP. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Kelly Clark, Stratton, VT P: Adam Moran

www.learntosnowboard.com/VT Find a Learn To Ride Center near you Bolton Valley Resort Burke Mountain Jay Peak Resort Killington Resort

Okemo Mountain Stowe Resort Stratton Mountain Sugarbush Resort

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Justin Reyher

Justin Cash

Route 100 is a true skier’s and snowboarder’s superhighway, running about 200 miles from the Massachusetts state line north to Newport, Vermont, near the Canadian border. From Mt. Snow to Killington to Jay Peak, 100 provides access to a stronghold of great ski areas. In the waning days of spring, our three-man crew was aiming to ski them all. We were on a mission: in 48 hours, lay down tracks at 10 Vermont ski areas in the 100 corridor. It would be no straight shot—we’d branch off and back onto 100 all the way up, rolling past sugar shacks and two-blink towns, bouncing off frost heaves and bogging down behind farm trucks. We’d run into lines at lift-ticket counters, convenience stores and cafeterias, and be tested at every turn. Photographer Justin Cash lived in the southern half of Vermont, near Killington. He was a Yankees fan, and liked his martinis colder than a Vermont winter’s night. I was the reporter, a Red Sox fan living in northern Vermont near Smugglers’ Notch. Cohort and Stowe skier Justin Reyher was our alpine advisor and photo boy, making telemark turns look good in front of the lens. We were a band of brothers, but the rivalry ran deep—northern Vermont vs. south, Sox vs. Yankees, snowboarder (me) vs. skiers (the Justins). We put our differences aside for one reason—to finish the 100 Challenge. It was early April, but it had been a stellar winter, and most areas were still stacked with snow. We convened at Killington, ditched Reyher’s truck and jumped in Cash’s trusty Ford Explorer—a true gentleman’s chariot—to take us to Mt. Snow, the starting line, and southernmost extent of our trip. Before checking in at the Grand Summit Hotel, we stepped out of the soggy night into the Dover Bar and Grille, a gritty locals’ haunt with great attractions: beers, giant soft pretzels, and the Sox throttling the Oakland A’s on TV. Still, we shut it down early to gear up for a fast start.

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9 A.M. FIRST CHAIR Anticipation ran high as we wolfed down breakfast and made our way over to Mt. Snow’s Grand Summit chair. It was a fitting place to start; Mt. Snow was one of the first Eastern resorts to make skiing sexy and cool. Photos of poolside parties and hot ski outfits lined the walls of the hotel. The air was crisp on the chair ride up over superhighways of fresh-groomed corduroy. We poured off the lift up top, took in the view, and funneled onto Upper Canyon before hitting Standard, carving up the fresh ‘roy with long, swooping turns. The race was on. We stepped quickly out of our boards and scrambled to the Explorer. Next stop: Stratton. There was no line at Stratton’s ticket window, and we made our way over to the American Express six-pack as the sun began softening the snow. Home to the Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championship for 26 years, Stratton has always held an iconic status in my mind, stomping ground of some of the world’s best riders. We rolled off the chair, and sped down Underpass to Yodeler, leaving our mark on Stratton’s manicured slopes. By now, an explosion of snow-pasted gear and snack wrappers was overrunning the chariot. Led Zeppelin thundered through the speakers as we drove to predominantly south-facing Bromley, founded by Fred Pabst of Pabst Blue Ribbon fame. We told a lanky grey-haired gentleman named Ray at Bromley’s ticket counter about our mission. He looked over his spectacles with a quizzical look before giving us our tickets. “Have a good trip guys,” he said as we walked over to the Alpine chair. A few minutes later we harvested the sweetest corn of the day, thanks to a warming sun, as we cruised down Boulevard. Back in the Explorer and time to work some Magic. Magic Mountain was closed on weekdays this late in the season, but the Magic people were cool enough to set us up with a snowmobile ride up. That’s the kind of personal treatment you get at more intimate ski areas – especially when you’re three guys on a magazine assignment. “It’s gonna be scratchy,” the lift mechanic said in his Vermont twang before tearing uphill with the throttle pinned, past steep, fall-line terrain and birch glades. We got dropped off one by one, and made quick work of the silent slopes with mystical names like Wand and Hocus Pocus. There’s nothing like having a whole ski area to yourself on a sun-soaked spring afternoon.

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2:16 P.M. THE GRIND The drive to Okemo was more silent than usual—we were hungry and a little road weary. Still, corn was calling us and we knew Okemo was prime pickings. Then Cash took a wrong turn, a supposed shortcut, and yelled out and shook his fist in frustration. The pressure was getting to all of us. We needed cold beer. But first, we rode up the South Ridge Quad and Northstar Express, bringing us to the shoulder below Okemo Mountain’s 3,344-foot peak. We took a long cruiser this time, milking each turn down Countdown and Lower Fall Line. This was our last resort for the day, and the pressure to rush elsewhere was off. With the day’s skiing done, we peeled off our salty boots, piled into the rig, and rumbled down the road. We drove past the Calvin Coolidge homestead and the Green Mountain Sugar House, where sap was boiling. Steam billowed from an open window like a five-alarm fire. Then we rolled up to the Long Trail Brewery in Bridgewater Corners, with a thirst like none other. “Brewing green in the Green Mountains.” That’s how Long Trail’s Seth Wyman described the company’s efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of producing and distributing beer. One thing’s for sure—the beer tasted good, really good. We were no strangers to Long Trail, but it somehow tasted better served at the source. The pub was killer, with big wooden beams, beer cans of yesterday lining the walls, and a creekside deck for savoring the suds. We had lunch and got the guided brewery tour from Seth. Off to Killington for the night and dinner at Sushi Yoshi. It was hopping at Sushi Yoshi, and locals were pounding down scorpion bowls at the bar, yelling at the Bruins on one television and the Yankees on another. Lacking major-league sports teams of its own, Vermont’s loyalties are divided, and you never know when a rival is in your midst. Sitting at the end of the bar was a mustached man in his late 40’s, wearing a pastel plaid suit coat. Another guy claimed to be a former Bruins player. The rest were your typical mountain-town bros, and we felt right at home as Day One came to a close. We suited up to start Day Two the next morning at Killington. Killington’s got a big-mountain feel, topping out at 4,241 feet and spanning seven mountains. Killington is the second highest mountain in the state after Mt. Mansfield and offers up Vermont’s biggest vertical drop, 3,050 feet. The sun warmed the gondola car on the way up and we stepped out at the summit under a brilliant blue sky. East Fall was an unblemished canvas of corduroy, long straight lines running uninterrupted over rollers and downslope into eternity. The snow was softening already, a sign of good things to come.

27 skivermont.com

10:14 A.M. TRUE 100 We left Killington, grabbed Reyher’s truck and jumped back onto 100, and rallied north toward Sugarbush. The further north we head the bigger the mountains seemed to get. The summits were rockier and more exposed, and the coziness of southern Vermont faded in the rear view mirror. Things were more spread out, and we’d be pressed to make it to Jay Peak before the lifts shut down. “True 100 here,” Cash said as we bumped and rolled through Granville. Frost heaves tossed us around like shoes in a clothes dryer. Meanwhile we scoped out backcountry ski lines along the side of the road, picking out open glades and creekbeds that we’d have to return to in the prime of mid-winter. Sugarbush looked like Vermont ought to look. The buildings fit in the scenery, more agricultural than metro, evoking local roots more than the ski-resort development. Like Killington, the `Bush was big, with the likes of Lincoln Peak (3,975 feet) and Mt. Ellen (4,083 feet) serving up a double dose of big-mountain terrain. We rode up Lincoln’s flank via the Super Bravo Express Quad, rushed down Snowball, and split in a hurry. The clock was ticking and we had no time to spare. Still three to go. We rolled into Mad River Glen with a conundrum on our hands. I’m a snowboarder, and MRG is a one of America’s last “skiers only” resorts. But for the sake of the story, I figured I’d still walk to the base area and then do some deck-surfing while the two Justins skied from the Single Chair. Two guys snickered as I walked by. “You know about the ‘no snowboarding’ thing, right?” they asked. “Yup, I know about it,” I said with a smile. I put my board in the rack, ducked into the pub for a delicious Bloody Mary, and soaked up some sun on the deck, relishing being the only guy there with snowboard boots on. When the boys finished their run, it was on to Stowe, officially Burton’s home mountain, where riders are definitely welcome. The sun was recharging our batteries after a long winter and was baking south-facing Spruce Peak’s slopes into smooth corn and mashed potatoes. Across the way was Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak at 4,393 feet, with steep, challenging terrain. This was Reyher’s home mountain, and he led the way after getting off the quad. “We’re speeding down Main Street,” he said before pointing his skis down Spruce’s main drag. Cash and I followed suit. The snow supported every turn, with edges gliding, rolling on big round kernels of corn snow, disengaging at just the right time and swooping into the next turn.

28 28

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2:37 P.M. AND JAY BOUND “I’m feeling the push,” Cash says as we rolled out of Stowe. “I’m feeling the burn—I’m not kidding.” At 3:08 we got stuck in traffic in downtown Morrisville, and making it to Jay in time seemed like a pipe dream. It was time to turn it up a notch. Cash punched it and darted through a parking lot, a shortcut to avoid the backed up cars, and poked back out onto 100 at the edge of town. Cash’s windshield washer was broken, and the windshield was pasted with salt. Soon we were stuck behind a roadside-cleaning truck going 10 mph below the speed limit. We passed him, blazed through Hyde Park, then Lowell, before a car broke down right in front of us. “I’ve come too far!” Cash yelled and swerved to avoid the sputtering vehicle. Tick, tick, tick…the clock was running. We pulled into Jay, tires spinning on a sandy corner and blasted over to the Jet Triple. BOOM! At 3:57 we rolled up to the lift. Three minutes to spare. Who would have thought it would come to this? Once at the summit of the triple, we barely had the energy to keep it together to make slow deliberate turns down arrow-straight Jet to the bottom, with the sun now falling behind the 3,986-foot main mountain. We convened at the bottom to celebrate with Tram Ales (Jay’s special brew, made by Long Trail) and hit the road again. Driving the final leg home, I realized that in three short years of Green Mountain living I’d been to every ski area in Vermont, with the exception of Middlebury College’s Snow Bowl. How many people can say that? And after each outing, I return home with a deeper appreciation for Vermont’s mountains – and the miles of road that link them together.

29 skivermont.com

FURTHER UP. FURTHER OUT.

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VRI10067 2008 Stows Area 1

7/11/08 4:32:52 PM

THE YOUNG & THE

RESTLESS

Keeping kids – and parents – happy at Vermont resorts. By Peggy Shinn

“Do I have to go?”

Samantha whined. “Ski lessons are boring. I don’t want to ski in a line all day.”

We were at Smugglers’ Notch, and if kids spent their days playing follow-the-leader, the resort wouldn’t have earned its accolades as one of America’s top family ski resort. “Give it a try this morning,” I offered. “If you hate it, you don’t have to go back.” I was on assignment to find out exactly what makes a ski resort a great family resort, and to get the real inside scoop, I turned to an expert – my seven-year-old daughter. As any parent of a seven-year-old knows, kids are rarely shy about letting you know what they like and what they don’t like. At 9 a.m., we met her group at the base of Morse Mountain’s Village Lift, and six hours later, she was all smiles. They had skied in a line, but it was anything but robotic. They had followed each other through a slopeside play-schoolhouse and rung the bell. They had ducked into the cave-like King Billy Bob’s Den and learned to climb herringbone-style out the other side. They had skied through the woods. And they had tried carving down Snow Snake, the steepest groomed trail on Morse Mountain.

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Courtesy of Sandy Macys

While many Vermont resorts have great and innovative kids programs, Samantha and I decided to test the waters at Smuggs and Okemo last winter, two resorts with national reputations as great family hosts. What we learned is that these resorts get rave reviews not just because of good skiing and riding programs. To keep kids (and parents) happy, mac & cheese should be as readily available as pasta with pesto crème freche, and huge swimming pools filled with screaming kids are more of an attraction than a world-class spa. As all parents know, if the kids aren’t whining—if they actually want to go to their lessons—we don’t need a massage to relax.

Smugglers’ Notch The words “ski instructor” might conjure up images of tan-faced Austrians drill sergeants. “Vhat are you doing?! Bend ze knees!” But at Smuggs, the instructors are more like kind kindergarten teachers or cool camp counselors. One instructor had a Bart Simpson doll stuffed into his jacket’s chest pocket (one of his charges sporting a skunk helmet-cover, the other with a spiked helmet cover). Samantha’s instructor, Nick Bibbo, 19, was definitely a cool-counselor type. Already in his sixth year instructing kids, he handled the class of seven kids far better than I can handle one daughter. “Does anyone know how the racers ski?” he asked. Seven hands shot up, and one by one, off they went, wiggling their hips side-to-side and carving (mostly), legs in wide stances, down a beginner trail called Timberrr! “Good,” Nick said as the class gathered farther down the trail. “Tip those skis on edge.” “Who wants to ski in the woods?” he then asked. Again, seven hands shot up. On the next run, they stopped at the top of a wide-open glade, and Nick reminded the kids to “do everything we’ve learned”—bend their knees, not their waists, and tip the skis on edge. Down they went, one by one, making big turns around the trees. By lunchtime, they had already advanced to a blue run, and although the kids hadn’t completely left their wedge turns behind, they made it down the run without falling (or whining). At lunch in the Highlands Lodge, the kids sat in a large airy room dedicated to ski-school classes. Nick loaded

up a tray with a big bowl of mac & cheese and plate of cheeseburgers. Each base lodge at Smuggs, he says, has a dedicated ski-school lunchroom, which keeps the kids together eating the kind of food they like. After lunch, they skied until 2:15 p.m., and soon we headed back to our condo in the new North Hill development. I had grand hopes of soaking in the Jacuzzi in the master bath, but Samantha had another idea. The new aquatic center, with its splashing fountains, slide, and separate swimming pool, was calling her name. In the pool, she was befriended by four older girls, who let her dive for their sinking ring toys. Trust me – as good as a Jacuzzi is after skiing, a happy sevenyear-old is even better. After dinner, I thought for sure she would want to snuggle and read. But who wants to read when there’s a FunZone to explore? For the next hour, we wiggled through an inflatable obstacle course. We played foosball and mini golf. Sam climbed up a giant inflatable slide—the kind that costs $5 per turn at the county fair. And had I remembered my wallet, she could have had her hair braided in corn rows. By 8:30 p.m. and long past bedtime, Samantha was almost falling asleep in the bathtub in the condo. As I tucked her into bed that night, she asked if she was going to ski school in the morning. “If you want to,” I told her. She nodded, then murmured,

“Mom, I wish we lived here.” Okemo On the Friday after President’s Day, Okemo was hopping. Samantha and I headed for the ski school, where she was signed up for a private lesson. We quickly found her instructor, Chris Del Sol, but Samantha, hiding behind me, wasn’t exactly happy to see him. “What’s your name?” Del Sol asked, trying to look behind me. No response. “Samantha,” I said, hoping to move things along. “How old are you?” he tried. She stuck out her hands on either side of my legs, one

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Courtesy of Dennis Curran

hand holding up five fingers, the other showing two.

A pause, then she stuck her head around my legs. “Webkinz,” she said, a suspicious look on her face, referring to the popular kids web site. “Webkinz? What’s your favorite Webkinz?” he asked. “Flipper, he’s a penguin,” she said, finally emerging at my side. “But I like Quackers too. He’s the duck. I just got him for Valentine’s Day.” And so the ice was broken. Soon, they took off up the South Ridge Quad from Okemo’s main base area and headed to the summit. “We’re going down Sunburst so I can see where you’re at,” Chris told her at the top. “It’s an easy trail, so don’t worry.” And off they went, Samantha sitting back, hands at her sides, steering her turns with her tails. After a few turns, they stopped and Chris asked, “What would you do with a $100 bill?” “Buy a bunch of Webkinz,” Samantha immediately announced. “OK,” he nodded. “Pretend you put a $100 bill in the front of your ski boot.” He demonstrated placing something between his shin and the tongue of his ski boot. “Now what happens if you lean back?” he asked, demonstrating the move and pointing to the wide gap at the front of his boot. “You lose your $100 bill and can’t buy any Webkinz.” Samantha made a face. As they took off for more turns down Sunburst, she leaned forward, determined to keep the make-believe cash. At the bottom of the run, Chris asked, “Do you still have your $100 bill?” She smiled, no doubt hoping he might actually reward her with a C-note for her newfound form. Next up was a gladed run. Okemo has plenty of gentle kid-friendly glades, and the ski school provides maps showing their locations. Samantha and Chris headed into the trees off a beginner trail called Sachem. Suddenly, without Chris saying a word, Sam was again leaning forward, this time making quick turns.

Courtesy of Sandy Macys

“You’re seven,” Chris announced. “What do you like to do?”

Camp Sugarbush Keeping kids happy isn’t all about soft stuff like swimming pools and food. Using its steep and wild terrain, Sugarbush offers the Kids Winter Adventure Camp. It’s not for the faint of heart or for kids who would rather play Mario Kart on their Wii than ski. In this rugged camp, legendary freeskier John Egan and his coaches guide kids in the steeps, bumps, trees, and (yes) air, teaching safety as well as skills. They also take kids into the Slidebrook Basin backcountry and teach them how to pick a line through the trees and assess the snow and environmental conditions, while working on group management and decision-making. Backcountry survival and rescue techniques are also part of the agenda. The Kids Adventure Camp is open to intermediate and advanced skiers and riders from 7 to 17 years old. The program runs during the December holiday week and February President’s Week. For those who prefer terrain parks to the backcountry, Sugarbush holds a freestyle camp for kids during President’s Day week. The freestyle camp, for ages 9-17, focuses on switch riding, carving, basic rails and straight airs before progressing onto grabs, spins, big airs and linking maneuvers. After the park and pipe, freestylers can then learn how to integrate their new skills into an all-mountain freeride style. Throughout the camp, freestyle coaches focus on safety, etiquette, appropriate equipment, and decision-making. Sugarbush’s Egan, who gained fame skiing way off piste in Warren Miller movies, says the camps take kids where they naturally want to go anyway and teaches them what they need to know. “Understanding that kids crave exploring off-piste and want to hit all the big airs in and out of the park, we wanted to teach them safety, proper etiquette and build their skills at every level,” he says. —P.S.

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“Glades help kids learn to make rounder turns,” he explained after the lesson. For intermediate and advanced groups, he also uses the FamilyCross park, a motocross-style boardercross/skiercross course on Lower Tomahawk. The course’s banked turns “make the kids get their skis on edge and parallel without having to do the actual movement,” Chris explained. “They get the feeling of a parallel turn. On the rollers, they get the feeling of unweighting.” By afternoon, the swimming pools at the Jackson Gore Inn were pulling Samantha’s attention away from skiing. It was cold outside, so I gave in. We skied to the Jackson Gore side of Okemo and changed into our bathing suits. By 5 p.m., we had sampled the big twisting slide that sends swimmers splashing into the Spring House’s pool, and we had floated in the inn’s large indoor/outdoor pool, steaming like a cauldron. Later, we grabbed dinner at Sienna—chicken with artichokes, portabellos, and pesto for me and plain buttered pasta for Sam. That evening, Samantha asked if she could attend the movie alone with a friend’s son rather than hang

out with us, the boring adults. They were showing the Disney flick, Meet the Robinsons, in one of the inn’s meeting rooms. She had seen it before, but the lure of an unsupervised evening was too much to pass up. After the movie, Sam giggled her way back to our room and collapsed on the bed. “Can we ski here tomorrow?” she asked. “Of course,” I said.

“Good, because I don’t want to leave.” In the end, what did we learn from two resorts that really know how to make kids happy? Give them food they like and movies and game arcades to entertain them. Give them watery playgrounds to splash around in. But mostly, give them a good instructor – someone who knows how to connect with kids and can make learning fun. I have a ski-happy seven-year-old to verify that all of this is true.

Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Center 60km Trails with 40km Groomed Snowmaking Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides Casual Dining Family Fun Nordic Quest

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www. moun taintopinn.com

FIRST TRACKS

SAVE ON SKIING AND RIDING IN VERMONT THIS SEASON Ski Vermont would like to invite you and your friends and family to sample some of our great ski resorts. Ski Vermont offers a 3 day and a 5 day sampler pass so you can try out a few hidden gems around our great state. For around $40.00 a day (a substantial savings) you can purchase your very own personalized non-holiday sampler pass. 3 day passes are $125.00 and 5 day passes are $200.00. Please email passes@skivermont.com or call 802.223.2439 for more information and to receive an order form. We look forward to having you join us to discover Winter In Its Original State! WI_TurnCentury_AD2_4.5x7.125.epsPage 1

7/10/08

12:00:21 PM

LEARN TO SKI OR RIDE: A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

Courtesy of Sandy Macys

This season, Ski Vermont is premiering a new Learn to Ski & Ride Program. For the week of January 4-11, 2009, more than a dozen Vermont resorts are offering free beginner lift tickets, equipment rentals and a lesson. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted to ski or ride, just head to www.skivermont.com and make your resolution.

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w w w. k i l l i n g t o n c h a m b e r. c o m

Holiday Festival

Vermont

800-337-1928

The Finest Accommodations On the Mountain and RESTAURANT

at Killington

December 18–20

Festival of Trees White Lights Festival Santa’s Workshop

1 Mile From the Lifts

Horse-drawn Sleigh Rides Schedule and information at:

and more!

www.killingtonchamber.com

Killington, Vermont

800-228-4676 802-422-4302

w w w. s i x m o u n t a i n s . c o m

50 TRAILS :: 6 LIFTS :: 1,967’ VERTICAL

OPEN THURSDAY - MONDAY AND HOLIDAY WEEKS Whether it’s challenging steeps and glades or smooth cruisers and gentle learning terrain - you’ll find it all at Pico Mountain. Pico’s vertical drop of 1,967’, more than 80% of the ski areas in Vermont, will excite even the most selective of skiers and riders. Pico’s central base area, featuring a cozy lodge with stone fireplaces, makes it easy to stay connected with family and friends throughout the day. When it’s time to recharge, you’ll find a variety of fare including homemade waffles, Mexican food, hot sandwiches and kid-friendly food options to keep you going. The Last Run Lounge, located on the third floor, offers lunch on weekends and holidays with après entertainment on Saturdays.

1-866-988-PICO

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FIRST TRACKS

JAY PEAK

SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH

BURKE 13

STOWE

23 27

BOLTON VALLEY

6 21

COCHRAN’S

MAD RIVER GLEN SUGARBUSH 18 3

HOW DO YOU GET HERE?

MIDDLEBURY SNOW BOWL

PICO KILLINGTON 16

BY CAR

Vermont resorts are an easy drive from almost anywhere in the East. Interstates 89, 91, and Vermont Route 100, the fabled skiers highway, provide excellent access to our mountains and meadows.

SUICIDE SIX 30

BEAR CREEK

ASCUTNEY 1 OKEMO 17

BROMLEY

BY TRAIN

Two Amtrak routes operate between Washington, D.C., New York City and Vermont, providing daily passenger service to many of Vermont’s mountain communities. For information, log onto Amtrak.com or call the resort you plan to visit.

NORTHEAST SLOPES

MAGIC 28

STRATTON 24

MOUNT SNOW 19

BY BUS

Vermont Transit, part of the Greyhound system, connects communities throughout Vermont with Boston, Montreal, New York and other regional and national destinations. Call 1-800-451-3292 for information. BY AIR

With excellent air service, Burlington provides a convenient point of access to northern and central Vermont resorts. Major air carriers serving Burlington include American, AirTran, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, United and US Airways. Montreal also serves as a gateway to northern areas. Visitors to central and southern resorts often fly to Albany, Boston, Hartford, Manchester NH, Newark, NJ and Rutland VT. Gateway cities for international visitors include Boston, New York, Montreal and Philadelphia. Rental cars are available at all airports and many resorts offer ground transportation.

Blue dots correspond with Nordic ski areas listed below.

NORDIC SKI AREAS 1. Ascutney Mountain Nordic Center

17. Okemo Valley Nordic Center

2. Blueberry Hill

18. Ole’s Cross Country Center.

3. Blueberry Lake Cross Country

19.s Prospect Mountain

4. Bolton Valley Nordic Center

Cross-Country Ski Center

5. Brattleboro Outing Club

20.sRikert Touring Center

6. Catamount Family Center

21. Sleepy Hollow Inn Ski & Bike Center

7. Craftsbury Outdoor Center

22. Smugglers’ Notch Nordic Center

8. Grafton Ponds Nordic Center

23. Stowe/Mt. Mansfield XC Center

9. Hazen’s Notch

24. Stratton Mountain Nordic Center

10. Highland Lodge & XC Ski Center

25. Three Stallion Inn Ski Touring Center

11. Hildene Ski Touring Center

26. Timber Creek XC Ski Area

12. Jay Peak Ski Touring Center

27. Trapp Family Lodge XC Ski Center

13. Kingdom Trails

28. Viking Nordic Center

14. Morse Farm Ski Touring Center

29. Wild Wings Ski Touring Center

15. Mountain Meadows XC Ski Area

30. Woodstock Inn & Resort Nordic Center

16. Mountain Top Inn & Resort

Catamount Trail Assoc. skivermont.com

VERMONT VOICES LET YOUR VERMONT VOICE BE HEARD. HEAD TO SKIVERMONT.COM AND SHARE WHAT WINTER IN THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE MEANS TO YOU.

“My favorite thing is the taste of an ice-cold Vermont-made beer after a long day in deep Green Mountain powder. There’s nothing I’d rather do than spend a day crashing through the trees, laughing it up with friends, soaking in the quiet of nature, and then reliving it all over a cold brew.”

“Saturday, 8:15 am. Pull into the parking lot just steps from the base lodge. Walk inside – plenty of room for everyone to sit, get their boots on and decide which trail we should ski first. Buy a ticket and head outside. Lift lines? There are no lift lines! Ride up the lift and ski down some of the best terrain in Vermont. This is paradise!”

Mike Hannigan Home Ski Area: All of ‘em

Michael Totura Home Ski Area: Magic Mountain

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VERMONT VOICES

“Vermont – the sound alone conjures up the thrills and feel of long, fast, steep trails. Or a mountain storm full of fresh powder. Or those amazingly bright bluebird skies with absolutely perfect snow beneath them. And let’s not forget those warm Vermont welcomes - folks here really love their seasons.”

“There’s really nothing like Vermont in the winter. The natural beauty of the place, combined with the elevation of the Green Mountains, ensures you get the best skiing experience. All of our children learned to ski here and are now comfortable skiing anywhere in the world. But beyond skiing and riding, what makes Vermont special are the friendly people and the beauty of the natural environment.”

Lillian Fimbres Home Ski Area: Okemo Mountain

Win Smith Home Ski Area: Sugarbush

skivermont.com

six women reveal what it takes to follow your dreams to live the outdoor life of the green mountain state.

CHICKS IN THE STIX By Sarah Tuff Dunn

Who hasn’t fantasized about living in Vermont? It’s such a compelling daydream: not just to visit Vermont on weekends but to live here and to have a meaningful career while satisfying an outdoor passion by skiing the Front Four, or riding the Single Chair, or snowshoeing under the moonlight. That fantasy can become reality. Here, six winter-sports-mad women share the stories of how they landed in Vermont and why they’ve stayed.

donna carpenter, 45, stowe Founder and Director, Burton’s Women’s Initiatives I ended up in Vermont after I met Jake, in 1982. I was living in New York City at the time and we met while I was on a ski trip at Stratton. I remember laughing when he said his name was Jake and he made something called a snowboard. I thought I was way too sophisticated to fall for him. We were married not too long after that. To be really happy in Vermont, you have to love winter and you have to embrace being outside in the winter. What makes Vermont such a great place to live is being with people who love the outdoors and the mountains, especially in the winter. Vermont also has a unique sense of community that you really can’t find in many other places. I travel all over the world and every time I get home, I can’t believe how lucky I am to be here. TOP TRAIL: That’s

a tough one. If I had to pick, I would say Perry Merrill (Stowe) is my favorite for just cruising and having fun. APRÈS SPOT: The

Stone Hut at the top of the quad (at Stowe). A couple of times a year, I spend the night there with family and friends. It’s literally a stone hut with no electricity and just a wood burning stove for heat. The only furniture is one table and a couple of bunk beds. There’s nothing better at the end of a day riding. When everyone else is heading down to the parking lot, we’re heading back up to have cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while watching the sun set at the very top of Mount Mansfield.

skivermont.com

Courtesy of Smugglers’ Notch

Lisa Gosselin, Stowe Editorial Director, EatingWell I was born in France. Growing up, I skied all over the Alps, where there’s great powder skiing, but it’s not like eastern tree skiing, which is my favorite. I moved to Vermont in 2001 and started working for Kelliher Samets Volk [a marketing firm]. Then 9-11 happened and there was no way I was going back to New York. But I got a wonderful offer to be the editor of Islands magazine in California, which I did for two years. Fortunately I had kept my house in Vermont, because later I joined EatingWell. What really makes Vermont special is that there’s a community so tightly focused around skiing. Some other resort towns are missing the people who’ve been here for years and years. Here, you can be going up the lift with somebody who spends their summers farming and whose great-grandfather farmed these same lands. And the skiers at Stowe are some of the best I’ve seen anywhere. There were times this winter when I found myself going through the trees with 15 people whooping and hollering all around me and just thinking to myself: “This is what it’s all about. This is fun.” TOP TRAIL: The

Noel Chutes, or the 100-Inch Chutes, at Stowe.

APRÈS SPOT: The

Matterhorn (in Stowe) is one of the all time greatest bars in the world. It’s welcoming, no matter if you’re a young family with a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old and there’s a band playing; the kids will be out playing on the dance floor. Plus they have some of the best sushi in the state. You can go in there and have a beer and a burger, dance or sit by the river and relax with a glass of wine.

skivermont.com

Rachael Miller, 37, Burlington and Granville Owner, Stormboarding Snowkiting School and avid Mad River Glen skier Mad River drew me here. In 1997, my husband, James Lynn, and I were living on our 41-feet sailboat under shrink-wrap in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. We had already identified Vermont [for relocation] because skiing is as important to me as sailing and we were driving to ski every weekend. I grew up at Hickory Ski Center in Warrensburg, New York. It was very much like Mad River: bumps, trees, loads of friendly people. Vermonters are into winter. They understand that snow and cold are good and to be wished for rather than dreaded. People are interested in trying a new winter sport—important because snowkiting [harnessing the wind with a kite to ski or snowboard across flat surfaces] was essentially a brand new winter sport when I started in 2004. I appreciate the general effort to support local businesses. TOP TRAIL: Chute—top

of the Single Chair to mid-station at Mad River. I could ski that all day and never get bored. I love the straight fall line and the fact that you can choose a line with deep bumps (under the chair, a little left), powder on the side (skier’s left) or take it easier on skier’s right. APRÈS SPOT: Back

on my couch in Granville with my ever-traveling husband and my Newfoundland, Hickory, watching the snow devils rip around and hoping more snow falls for the next day.

Kathy Murphy, 50, Middlesex General Manager, Tubbs I lived the majority of my childhood in Painted Post, New York, and graduated from the University of Vermont’s School of Natural Resources in 1979. Afterward, I was fortunate enough to turn an internship into full-time employment with Bolton Valley Resort. From 1980 to 1985 I worked for Keystone Resort in Colorado and then was recruited back to Vermont by AIG, the parent company of Stowe. I met Ed Kiniry, the former owner of Tubbs Snowshoes, in 1987 and began as a marketing/ public relations consultant for Tubbs in 1989. I officially joined the company in 1992. We Vermonters find oodles of fun ways to enjoy nature in winter, and invest our passion for the environment and participation in healthy lifetime outdoor sports with our sense of inventiveness and an entrepreneurial spirit. TOP TRAIL: There’s

nothing better than a moonlight snowshoe with friends in Montpelier’s Hubbard Park—or a cross-country ski at Morse Farm followed by a maple creemee. APRÈS SPOT: American

Flatbread in Waitsfield after a day on the slopes at Sugarbush.

skivermont.com

“I tell my kids every day how lucky they are to live here.”

Kelly Pawlak, 43, West Dover General Manager, Mount Snow Resort I grew up in Bow and Keene, New Hampshire, and, after graduating from Champlain College, came to Mount Snow in 1985, looking for a job that would allow me to ski for free. I’ve stayed because I enjoy the people I work with and the lifestyle we all work very hard to promote. I grew up trying to bum rides to ski areas on the weekends and it was a real drag. I tell my kids every day how lucky they are to live here. I’m very aware of the importance of the Vermont brand: healthy, independent and focused on the environment. For Mount Snow, that brand is priceless. The Mount Snow Valley is a lot like other ski towns where tourism is as important to the economy as agriculture or art; Vermont is made up of very diversified communities that coexist and complement one another. And the great thing about Vermont is we’re small enough so that if you don’t agree with something you can get involved and be part of the solution. TOP TRAIL: One

More Time, a natural snow trail on the main mountain face at Mount Snow. You have to wait for Mother Nature to lay down the snow but it’s worth it. When you’re halfway down, you can jump into a tree skiing area called the Boonies; the trees are spaced graciously apart, and it’s not too steep, so you can zip through them like a pro. APRÈS SPOT: TC’s,

a restaurant on Route 100. It’s the home of Kelly Clark, 2002 Olympic gold medalist, and Kelly’s family still owns and operates the bar and restaurant.

skivermont.com

Courtesy of Brian Mohr / EmberPhoto.com

Barbara Thomke, 62, Jericho Public Relations, Smuggler’s Notch Resort In 1969, I came to Vermont from Emmaus, Pennsylvania, to be a ski bum at Stowe. I ended up marrying a fellow, Horst Thomke, whom I had met my first night as a cocktail waitress at the Grand Motor Inn. I didn’t have a car and he invited me skiing for my birthday—how could I refuse? We both taught at the Stowe Ski School while Horst moonlighted at night, playing the piano. Then we ran a lodge and restaurant in Jeffersonville—L’Auberge Chez Moustache, named after a café in Irma La Douce- and Horst’s mustache. Horst was on the ski patrol and one day we were sweeping on Sterling and I couldn’t see him at our usual spot. He had had a slight stroke and died 10 days later. After running the restaurant and working at the homeowners’ association, I started working in PR for Smuggler’s Notch in 1990. The rural life has gotten into my blood. I learned to ride horses here; I’ve kayaked, canoed, hiked and learned how to cross-country ski. If you have an adventuresome spirit, even a little one, it gets awakened here. Plus all the culture in Burlington and all the artisans—Vermont is so rich in so many ways. TOP TRAIL: Well,

Thomke’s Trail at Smugg’s, named after Horst. Plus Black Bear, a narrow little scooty trail that comes down Sterling. And the glades—I love our glades. APRÈS SPOT: For

lunch, Green Pepper’s Pub (at Smugg’s). I have a lot of great memories from there.

skivermont.com

n n i u Q i k s w o l o b o S a Jessic Team Kombi

Keep your Gloves On. Control your Music. Stay Warm…

COURT LEVE PHOTOS

It’s All Good!

Find Yours at kombisports.com

6 Thompson Dr. Essex Junction, VT. 05452 • 802.879.3369

iPod ® is a trademark of Apple,Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Kombi® is a registered trademark of Kombi, LTD.

skivermont.com

Courtesy of Dennis Curran

ALPINE

BURKE MOUNTAIN SKI AREA

COCHRAN’S SKI AREA

JAY PEAK RESORT

KILLINGTON RESORT

East Burke, VT 05832 www.skiburke.com

Richmond, VT 05477 www.cochranskiarea.com

Jay, VT 05859 www.jaypeakresort.com

Killington, VT 05751 www.killington.com

General Info:............888-BURKEVT Snow Conditions:.......866-496-1699 Reservations:...........888-BURKEVT FAX:...........................802-626-7310

General Info:.............802-434-2479 Snow Conditions:.......802-434-2479 Reservations:...............................— FAX:..............................................—

General Info:.............802-988-2611 Snow Conditions:.......802-988-9601 Reservations:............800-451-4449 FAX:...........................802-988-4049

General Info:.............802-422-3333 Snow Conditions:.......802-422-3261 Reservations:......... 800-621-MTNS FAX:...........................802-422-6113

Vertical:................................. 2,011’ Trails:.......................................... 45 Trail acreage:............................ 250 Lifts:.............................................. 4

Vertical:.................................... 350’ Trails:............................................ 8 Trail acreage:.............................. 15 Lifts:.............................................. 3

Vertical:................................. 2,153’ Trails:.......................................... 76 Trail acreage:............................ 385 Lifts:.............................................. 8

Vertical:................................. 3,050’ Trails:........................................ 150 Trail acreage:.......................... 1001 Lifts:............................................ 25

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 200 Snowmaking coverage:........... 80% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 4 of 4

Snowmaking acreage:.................— Snowmaking coverage:........... 66% Lift Serving Snowmaking:.............. 3

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 238 Snowmaking coverage:........... 80% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 8 of 8

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 600 Snowmaking coverage:........... 60% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 25 of 25

NORTHEAST SLOPES

OKEMO MOUNTAIN RESORT

PICO MOUNTAIN

SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH RESORT

Rt. 25, East Corinth, VT 05040 www.northeastslopes.org

Ludlow, VT 05149 www.okemo.com

Killington, VT 05751 www.picomountain.com

Smugglers’ Notch, VT 05464 www.smuggs.com

General Info:.............802-439-5789 Snow Conditions:.......802-439-5789 Reservations:............802-439-5789 FAX:...........................802-228-4558

General Info:.............802-228-1600 Snow Conditions:.......802-228-5222 Reservations:.........800-78-OKEMO FAX:...........................802-228-4558

General Info:.............802-422-3333 Snow Conditions:.......802-422-1200 Reservations:......... 800-621-MTNS FAX:...........................802-422-6113

General Info:.............802-644-8851 Snow Conditions:.......802-644-1111 Reservations:............800-451-8752 FAX:...........................802-644-1230

Vertical:.................................... 360’ Trails:.......................................... 12 Trail acreage:.............................. 35 Lifts:.............................................. 3

Vertical:................................. 2,200’ Trails:........................................ 119 Trail acreage:............................ 632 Lifts:............................................ 19

Vertical:................................. 1,967’ Trails:.......................................... 50 Trail acreage:............................ 214 Lifts:.............................................. 6

Vertical:................................. 2,610’ Trails:.......................................... 78 Trail acreage:............................ 310 Lifts:.............................................. 8

Snowmaking acreage:.................— Snowmaking coverage:...............— Lift Serving Snowmaking:.............—

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 605 Snowmaking coverage:........... 96% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 19 of 19

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 161 Snowmaking coverage:........... 75% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 6 of 6

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 159 Snowmaking coverage:........... 62% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 8 of 8

skivermont.com

ALPINE

ASCUTNEY MOUNTAIN RESORT

BEAR CREEK MOUNTAIN CLUB

BOLTON VALLEY RESORT

BROMLEY MOUNTAIN RESORT

Brownsville, VT 05037 www.ascutney.com

Plymouth, VT 05056 www.bearcreekclub.com

Bolton Valley, VT 05477 www.boltonvalley.com

Manchester Ctr., VT 05255 www.bromley.com

General Info:.............802-484-7711 Snow Conditions:.. 800-243-0011 x2 Reservations:............800-243-0011 FAX:...........................802-484-3117

General Info:.............802-672-4242 Snow Conditions:.......802-672-4242 Reservations:............802-672-4242 FAX:...........................802-672-4243

General Info:.............802-434-3444 Snow Conditions:.... 802-434-SNOW Reservations:........... 877-9BOLTON FAX:...........................802-434-6850

General Info:.............802-824-5522 Snow Conditions:.......866-856-2201 Reservations:............800-865-4786 FAX:...........................802-824-3659

Vertical:................................. 1,800’ Trails:.......................................... 57 Trail acreage:............................ 150 Lifts:.............................................. 6

Vertical:................................. 1,300’ Trails:.......................................... 15 Trail acreage:.............................. 60 Lifts:.............................................. 3

Vertical:................................. 1,704’ Trails:.......................................... 64 Trail acreage:............................ 165 Lifts:.............................................. 6

Vertical:................................. 1,334’ Trails:.......................................... 45 Trail acreage:............................ 177 Lifts:............................................ 10

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 142 Snowmaking coverage:........... 95% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 6 of 6

Snowmaking acreage:................ 15 Snowmaking coverage:........... 30% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 1 of 3

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 100 Snowmaking coverage:........... 60% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 5 of 6

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 138 Snowmaking coverage:........... 85% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 10 of 10

MAD RIVER GLEN

MAGIC MOUNTAIN

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SNOW BOWL

MOUNT SNOW RESORT

Waitsfield, VT 05673 www.madriverglen.com

Londonderry, VT 05148 www.magicmtn.com

Middlebury, VT 05753 www.middleburysnowbowl.com

West Dover, VT 05356 www.mountsnow.com

General Info:.............802-496-3551 Snow Conditions:.......802-496-3551 Reservations:...............................— FAX:...........................802-496-3562

General Info:.............802-824-5645 Snow Conditions:..........................— Reservations:...............................— FAX:...........................802-824-5199

General Info:.............802-388-4356 Snow Conditions:.......802-388-4356 Reservations:...............................— FAX:...........................802-388-2871

General Info:.............802-464-3333 Snow Conditions:.......802-464-2151 Reservations:......... 800-245-SNOW FAX:...........................802-464-4141

Vertical:................................. 2,037’ Trails:.......................................... 45 Trail acreage:............................ 120 Lifts:.............................................. 5

Vertical:................................. 1,700’ Trails:.......................................... 40 Trail acreage:............................ 135 Lifts:.............................................. 4

Vertical:................................. 1,050’ Trails:.......................................... 17 Trail acreage:............................ 120 Lifts:.............................................. 3

Vertical:................................. 1,700’ Trails:........................................ 106 Trail acreage:............................ 590 Lifts:............................................ 19

Snowmaking acreage:................ 20 Snowmaking coverage:........... 15% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 5 of 5

Snowmaking acreage:................ 95 Snowmaking coverage:........... 70% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 4 of 4

Snowmaking acreage:................ 52 Snowmaking coverage:........... 43% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 3 of 3

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 472 Snowmaking coverage:........... 80% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 19 of 19

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

STRATTON MOUNTAIN RESORT

SUGARBUSH RESORT

SUICIDE SIX SKI AREA/ WOODSTOCK INN

Stowe, VT 05672 www.stowe.com

Stratton Mountain, VT 05155 www.stratton.com

Warren, VT 05674 www.sugarbush.com

Woodstock, VT 05091 www.woodstockinn.com

General Info:.............802-253-3000 Snow Conditions:.......802-253-3600 Reservations:............800-253-4SKI FAX:...........................802-253-3406

General Info:.............802-297-2200 Snow Conditions:.......802-297-4211 Reservations:......... 800-STRATTON FAX:...........................802-297-4395

General Info:.............802-583-6300 Snow Conditions:.......802-583-7669 Reservations:..........800-53-SUGAR FAX:...........................802-583-6303

General Info:.............802-457-6661 Snow Conditions:.......802-457-6666 Reservations:............866-448-7900 FAX:...........................802-457-3830

Vertical:................................. 2,360’ Trails:........................................ 116 Trail acreage:............................ 485 Lifts:............................................ 13

Vertical:................................. 2,003’ Trails:.......................................... 92 Trail acreage:.......................... 600+ Lifts:............................................ 16

Vertical:................................. 2,600’ Trails:........................................ 111 Trail acreage:............................ 508 Lifts:............................................ 16

Vertical:.................................... 650’ Trails:.......................................... 23 Trail acreage:............................ 100 Lifts:.............................................. 3

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 437 Snowmaking coverage:........... 90% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 11 of 13

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 570 Snowmaking coverage:........... 95% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 16 of 16

Snowmaking acreage:.............. 356 Snowmaking coverage:........... 70% Lift Serving Snowmaking:... 15 of 16

Snowmaking acreage:................ 50 Snowmaking coverage:........... 50% Lift Serving Snowmaking:....... 3 of 3 skivermont.com

NORDIC Resort

Location

Email & Website

Phone

Toll-Free

Fax

Trails

Machine Tracked/ Skating Terrain

Instruction/ Rental

Ascutney Mountain Resort

Brownsville, VT 05037

info@ascutney.com www.ascutney.com

802-484-7711

800-243-0011

802-484-3117

30km

25km/15km

Y/Y

Blueberry Hill Ski Center

Goshen, VT 05733

info@blueberryhillinn.com www.blueberryhillinn.com

802-247-6735

800-448-0707

802-247-3983

75km

60km/40km

Y/Y

Blueberry Lake X-C

Warren, VT 05674

www.blueberrylakeskivt.com

802-496-6687

30km

30km/30km

Y/Y

Bolton Valley Nordic Center

Bolton Valley, VT 05477

info@boltonvalley.com www.boltonvalley.com

802-434-3444 x1076

877-9BOLTON

802-434-6870

100km

30km/30km

Y/Y

Brattleboro Outing Club

Brattleboro, VT 05302

xc@brattleborooutingclub.com www.brattleborooutingclub.com

802-257-1208

802-257-3537

33km

25km/18km

Y/Y

Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Inc.

Williston, VT 05495

landj@catamountoutdoor.com www.catamountoutdoor.com

802-879-6001

888-680-1011

802-879-6066

35km

20km/20km

Y/Y

Catamount Trail Association

Burlington, VT 05401

info@catamounttrail.org www.catamounttrail.org

802-864-5794

300mi

Craftsbury Outdoor Center

Craftsbury Common, VT 05827

stay@craftsbury.com www.craftsbury.com

802-586-7767

802-586-7768

135km

85km/85km

Y/Y

Grafton Ponds Nordic Center

Grafton, VT 05146

info@graftonponds.com www.graftonponds.com

802-843-2400

800-843-1801

802-843-2245

60km

30km/30km

Y/Y

Hazen’s Notch Association

Montgomery Ctr., VT 05471

info@hazensnotch.org www.hazensnotch.org

802-326-4799

802-326-4966

70km

40km/0km

Y/Y

Highland Lodge & XC Center

Greensboro, VT 05841

highland.lodge@verizon.net www.highlandlodge.com

802-533-2647

802-533-7494

52km

45km/45km

Y/Y

Hildene Ski Touring Center

Manchester, VT 05254

info@hildene.org www.hildene.org

802-382-1788

800-578-1788

802-362-1564

15km

12km/3km

Y/Y

Jay Peak Ski Touring Center

Jay, VT 05859

info@jaypeakresort.com www.jaypeakresort.com

802-988-2611

800-451-4449

802-988-4049

20km

20km/20km

Y/Y

Kingdom Trails

East Burke, VT 05871

info@kingdomtrails.org www.kingdomtrails.com

802-626-0737

802-626-7310

50km

50km/50km

N/N

Morse Farm Ski Touring Center

Montpelier, VT 05601

ski@morsefarm.com www.skimorsefarm.com

802-223-0090

800-242-2740

802-223-7450

25km

25km/20km

Y*/Y

Mountain Meadow XC Ski Area

Killington, VT 05751

bcoutfitters@adelphia.net www.xcskiing.net

802-775-7077

800-221-0598

802-747-1929

57km

57km/57km

Y/Y

Mountain Top Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Ctr.

Chittenden, VT 05737

stay@mountaintopinn.com www.mountaintopinn.com

802-483-6089

800-445-2100

802-483-6373

60km

40km/40km

Y/Y

Okemo Valley Nordic Center

Ludlow, VT 05149

info@okemo.com www.okemo.com

802-228-1600

800-78-OKEMO

802-228-7095

22km

22km/22km

Y/Y

Ole’s Cross Country Center

Warren, VT 05674

ski@olesxc.com www.olesxc.com

802-496-3430

877-863-3001

802-496-3089

50km

50km/45km

Y/Y

Prospect Mountain X-Country Ski Ctr.

Woodford, VT 05201

ski@prospectmountain.com www.prospectmountain.com

802-442-2575

45km

35km/30km

Y/Y

Rikert Touring Center

Middlebury, VT 05753

rubright@middlebury.edu http://go.middlebury.edu/rikert

802-443-2744

802-388-2871

42km

30km/15km

Y/Y

Sleepy Hollow Inn Ski & Bike Ctr.

Huntington, VT 05462

info@skisleepyhollow.com www.skisleepyhollow.com

802-434-2283

866-254-1524

802-434-2283

40km

30km/25km

Y/Y

Smugglers’ Notch Nordic Center

Smugglers’ Notch, VT 05464

smuggs@smuggs.com www.smuggs.com

802-644-1173

800-451-8752

802-644-2713

32km

23km/28km

Y/Y

Stowe/Mt. Mansfield XC Center

Stowe, VT 05672

info@stowe.com www.stowe.com

802-253-3688

800-253-4754

802-253-3406

75km

35km/35km

Y/Y

Stratton Mountain Nordic Center

Stratton Mountain, VT 05155

agriswold@intrawest.com www.stratton.com

802-297-2200

800-STRATTON

802-297-4117

30+km

10km/10km

Y/Y

Three Stallion Inn Touring Center

Randolph, VT 05060

www.3stallioninn.com

802-728-5656

30km

20km/10km

Y/Y

Timber Creek XC Ski Area

West Dover, VT 05356

vtcxc@sover.net www.timbercreekxc.com

802-464-0999

802-464-8308

14km

14km/14km

Y/Y

Trapp Family Lodge XC Ski Ctr.

Stowe, VT 05672

www.trappfamily.com info@trappfamily.com

802-253-5755

800-826-7000

802-253-5757

100km

55km/55km

Y/Y

Viking Nordic Center

Londonderry, VT 05148

skiandstay@vikingnordic.com www.vikingnordic.com

802-824-3933

802-824-5602

35km

35km/30km

Y/Y

Wild Wings Ski Touring Ctr.

Peru, VT 05152

wwwxcski@sover.net www.wildwingsski.com

802-824-6793

802-824-4574

28km

28km/0km

Y/Y

Woodstock, VT 05091

email@woodstockinn.com www.woodstockinn.com

802-457-6674

866-448-7900

802-457-6699

60km

50km/20km

Y/Y

Woodstock Inn & Resort Nordic Center 56 skivermont.com

*Weekends by appointment

December 31, 2008 - Kick-off Celebration at First Night Burlington: Ring in the anniversary year with special performances celebrating the Lake, the Land, and the People. June 19-20, 2009 - St. Albans Franco-American Heritage Festival: Celebrate the region’s long, rich cultural heritage and natural history with music, exhibits, food, recreation, and much more. July 4-11, 2009 Quadricentennial Indigenious Celebration in Burlington: Learn about Vermont’s Native American culture and history. July 11, 2009 - Celebrate Champlain Signature Event in Burlington: Commemorate this anniversary with an unforgettable event! Stay tuned for details.

CatCh a Celebration 400 years in the making.

July 18, 2009 - Vergennes French Heritage Day: Explore French culture with food, music, dancing, exhibits, and much more. September 18-20, 2009 Festival of Nations: Native Americans, French, British, Canadians, and Americans celebrate their diverse heritage in Addison, VT and Crown Point, NY, on both sides of the Lake Champlain Bridge. more events and details at

CelebrateChamplain.org

Lake ChampLain Comes to Life.

this winter Vermont kicks off the 400th anniversary commemoration of samuel de Champlain’s historic visit to the lake that now bears his name. the Quadricentennial begins on new Year’s eve and continues throughout 2009. enjoy special live performances, heritage festivals, lectures, recreation of all kinds and so much more. plan your Lake Champlain winter adventure at celebratechamplain.org.

c e l e b r at e c h a m p l a i n . o r g skivermont.com

skivermont.com

www.skivermont.com/snowballfight skivermont.com

Courtesy of Brent Herwayn

AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS.

skivermont.com