Stowe Guide & Magazine Winter/Spring 2015-16 by Stowe Guide & Magazine

G U I D E

M A G A Z I N E WINTER & SPRING I 2015-2016

ARTS & EVENTS • DINING • SHOPS • OUTDOORS • HOME • PEOPLE • COMPLIMENTARY

St owe’s l a rgest selec ti on of s ki s , s n ow bo a rds & o u t er we ar WE DEMO 2016

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towe Gems has been making jewelry and selling it to area residents and visitors for more than 32 years, with a keen eye for hard-to-find gem materials and a knack for working with what’s going to be popular. Caroline and Barry Tricker own the shop, located at 70 Pond St., in the Village. Stowe Gems has its own built-in workshop where skilled artisans create jewelry pieces that are unique. The couple met on New Year’s Eve 1970 and hit it off talking about jewelry, Caroline from the design side of things, Barry with his love of gems. This September, Stowe Gems will celebrate its 33nd year in business in Stowe. The store is laid out with gold on one side, silver on the other, and a gradation of colors working across, blue aquamarine in one case, dark blue lapis lazuli in the next. Vermont touches abound, from the garnets, jasper and jade that can be found in area hills, to the organic designs of Green Mountain ridgelines ornamenting a collection of Vermont Nature Designs in silver and gold. There’s something for everyone, from sparkly diamonds to the latest statement jewelry. The 65-million-year-old dinosaur egg in one of the cases might be a fitting gift for a fan of the new “Jurassic Park” movie. Or maybe a bauble or two to wear out to dinner before the movie. Stowe Gems was begun with a simple concept, “Great Gems, Great Designs, Great Service”! We not only make most of the jewelry ourselves, we also cut many of the gemstones we use in our designs. Being gem cutters enables us to bring to market rare and unusual gems, seldom seen anywhere else. Our designs incorporate virtually every gem from alexandrite to zircon. Smoldering red ruby is enjoying a newfound popularity with fresh star ruby leading the pack. Sapphire in a rainbow of colors, not just soothing blues but hot pinks, canary yellows and virtually all colors in between are mounted in an array of classic and contemporary styles. Stowe Gems is also very “kid friendly” with prices starting at fifty cents for a tumbled gem and an exciting array of crystals and fossils. Plan your family’s visit to Stowe Gems today! Connecting with our customers is very important and our website, stowegems.com, has gotten raves from our fans. Find out the latest Stowe Gems news STOWE GEMS Named Best of Vermont, Vermont Magazine, Feb. 1998 and friend us on Facebook! Stowe Gems, “Source of the Unusual.”

Gems 70 Pond St., Stowe

(802) 253-7000 www.stowegems.com

CONTENTS w i n t e r

s p r i n g

2 0 1 5

2 0 1 6

features

Zoom zoom: Into the woods on snowmobiles by Tommy Gardner

The boys at Stowe Snowmobile Tours count on one thing come winter. A solid snow pack. After that it’s all good... the bumps, the speed, the thrill, the heated handlebars.

A history of the mountain’s ski buildings by Brian Lindner

In this final installment in a three-part series, our resident ski historian checks out what’s come and gone at Stowe: the underequipped Christienda, rustic Chicken Coop, elegant Lodge, the timeless Stone Hut.

Guiding spirit: Mark Puleio by Roger Murphy

Love of the mountains leads to a life spent in the mountains for this globe-trotting Hyde Park adventurer.

All in the family: The Marrons by Kate Carter

Town & Country lodgekeepers are in it for the long haul.

Bill Lee: For the love of baseball by Robert Kiener

At 68, Red Sox hall of fame pitcher suspends time—on the road playing in and traveling to over 200 events.

128

A balance in black and white

FROM TOP LEFT: TOM LUMBY; BRIAN LINDNER; GABRIEL TEMPESTA; GLENN CALLAHAN; CALLAHAN

by Jasmine Bigelow

Layered art and life of photorealist painter Gabriel Tempesta.

160

Invasion of the Waterbury-(b)ites by Marialisa Calta

Stowe dining scene kicks it up a notch, with a little help from some friends.

174

128

Ski town bartenders by Hannah Marshall

Pouring behind the bar with a trio of pros.

182

When less is more by Nancy Wolfe Stead

Stowe couple finds simplicity in retirement.

202

Making tracks: Getting outdoors on snowshoes by Mark Aiken

An easy way to fall in love with winter in Vermont.

182

Jake Fitzjones Photography Ltd

Seldom Scene Interiors

Wendy Valliere – Principal Designer All Aspects of Interior Design STOWE

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BOSTON

2038 Mountain Road, Stowe 05672 www.seldomsceneinteriors.com

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802.253.3770

CONTENTS /

s p r i n g

2 0 1 5

2 0 1 6

departments

Rural Route

essentials 8 12 18 24 51 54

Contributors From the editor

14 56 58 60 62 66 68 110 118 120 122 124

Goings on Rural route On the mountain Outdoor primer

Galleries, arts, & entertainment Helen Day Art Center • Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center • Guides to exhibits, music, and mixed media

140

Edibles: Local food/ bar scene

GETTING AROUND 51 100 138 172 212

ON THE MOUNTAIN SHOPPING & GALLERIES RESTAURANTS & LODGING REAL ESTATE & LIFESTYLE BUSINESSES & SERVICES

Skinny skis: Stowe Derby first-timer Trail journal: In the backcountry Mountain ops: Goat woods, Spruce Peak Good works: It’s a SNAP at Smuggs Cool things: In the Oblio orbit Stowe people: Bud Keene Made in Vermont: Metropolitan Music Stowe traditions: A Dickens Christmas Style icon: Nose Dive Annie History Lesson: Civil War doctor Stowe People: Artist Evan Chismark

112

Cross country • Fishing • Skating Snowmobiling • Snowshoeing

100

First person: Mike Mulhern

Spruce Peak Performing Arts

Nose Dive Annie

120

FROM LEFT: GLENN CALLAHAN; PRIVATE COLLECTION; COURTESY PHOTO

w i n t e r

ON OUR COVER Our cover this winter is by Wolcott, Vt.-based artist Gabriel Tempesta. The canvas, Backcountry Ski, measures 16"x9.5", charcoal on board. For the last five years, Tempesta has primarily painted with charcoal and watercolor, exploring various forms and creatures in nature. “I am interested in the way charcoal and watercolor react and mix on different surfaces and I am always experimenting with my process,” he says. “I use brushes to lay on the different mediums, wet or dry, and apply them separately or mixed together in a paste. The charcoal/watercolor is then scratched or lifted off with tools, erasers, or wet brushes to get the fine detail and is sealed with an archival polycrylic coating to protect it.” He uses his camera as a “sketch tool,” taking photographs and using them as “reference in his paintings. ... I am moved by the visual poetry in the trees and fields that surround me and look to capture and celebrate that with my artwork.” The native Vermonter studied at the Montserrat College of Art, and has been featured in a number of local and regional exhibitions. Tempesta’s work can be seen in Stowe at the West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park. See our story on Tempesta on p.128.

CONTRIBUTORS JASMINE BIGELOW IN THIS ISSUE: Gabriel Tempesta, p.128. Behind the scenes: It was like a homecoming. Gabe and I have known each other since we were 5 years old, but were out of touch for something like 20 years. Now he lives a mile from where I grew up. Once I got oriented, I realized I had been to the meadow where he built his house—déjà vu from a childhood walk through the woods. Most surprising discovery about Gabe: Nothing about Gabe surprised me so much as fascinated me. Probably because I spent a lot of time with him as a kid, and now he is… the same person. Maybe because we’re peers, he doesn’t even seem older to me. Though we both are! And, that’s fascinating. He’s still talented, thoughtful. He is so comfortable with who he is, so open, so easy to talk to. He’s living the life he wants, and I’m happy for him. Currently: Writing, skiing, mountain biking, and practicing yoga as much as possible. As always, loving my job as the marketing director for Stowe Area Association. Feeling gratitude. Finding balance. Living a good life.

TOMMY GARDNER IN THIS ISSUE: Snowmobiling Stowe, p.72.

BRIAN LINDNER

Behind the scenes: Growing up in Lamoille County, even though my family never owned a snowmobile, a lot of my friends did so I was able to play on their machines as a kid, barreling through fields and over meadowed knolls, or tooling in caravans along the vast network maintained by the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. Places like the Charlmont in Morrisville would have entire sections of the parking lot reserved for snow machines, and behind the high school, plenty of kids would ride their Ski-Doos to school before they got cars. Whether you take a tour, buy your own, or borrow one from a buddy, it’s like discovering an alternate highway network, one available only six months a year and one available only to those with the right ride.

IN THIS ISSUE: A history of Stowe’s ski buildings, p.78. Favorite building: The CCC-built base lodge. It connects the resort directly back to its historic roots with the men who also built our first trails. Should never have torn down: The outhouses behind the old Christienda— someone should at least have saved the doors with the half-moon cutouts. Currently: Brian is the historian for Stowe Mountain Resort. He continues to work on two books about World War II aviation, and serves on the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol. “This will be my 61st year on skis and my 41st year at the resort.”

Nancy Stead, far left, with friends after riding Stowe Mountain Resort’s new summer zip line.

Currently: Staff writer for the Stowe Reporter, writing about town and county news, cops and courts, and recreation. I’m the guy who writes the police blotter, so either you’re welcome, or I apologize.

KATE CARTER Behind the scenes: Stowe is a small town, but the variety of people I wrote about for this issue is vast: an Olympic coach, a comedic entertainer, a former chair of Vermont’s Ways and Means Committee, an artist, owners of a company that makes orchestral stringed instruments, a Civil War doctor, a horror film producer, and a guy who rescues people and sometimes animals in the wilderness. This sort of diversity is what makes Stowe so enjoyable. Currently: Kate is a freelance writer and photographer, and when she’s not researching stories or sitting at her computer, she’s cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and doing dog agility with her border collies Phoebe and Ben.

NANCY WOLFE STEAD IN THIS ISSUE: When less is more, p.182 Behind the scenes: Living in a community that appears to be increasingly catering to the 1 percent, it is refreshing to meet a Stowe couple who is committed to doing more with less. Designing their dream retirement home required discipline and imagination in the careful scrutiny of both their wishes and requirements. The result is a tribute to lives well lived and a glorious setting for retirement. They are immensely pleased to have paired economy of design and richness of effect, and gauge it a total success. Currently: A longtime resident of Stowe, Nancy enjoys writing about local faces and places, moods, movements, and aberrations.

ROB KIENER IN THIS ISSUE: Bill Lee, p.94. Behind the scenes: Craftsbury’s most famous resident, former Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee, was famously dubbed “the Spaceman” and “a flake” in the late 1970s. But spend some time with him and you’ll quickly realize he is remarkably well-read and peppers his conversation with quotes from minds as varied as Buckminster Fuller to Edward Albee to Buddha. Most memorable takeaway: When I asked 68-year-old Bill Lee why he still plays so much baseball, he smiled, paused a moment, and told me: “Playing baseball suspends time. There’s no watch, no clock. And that means there’s no clock on your aging mechanism. When you’re playing you’re still seven years old. You’re 30 years old. You’re 45 years old. And any day spent playing baseball is way better than a day doing anything else.” Currently: Kiener, a frequent contributor to the Stowe Guide & Magazine, has been an editor and staff writer with Reader’s Digest in Asia and Europe and is now a contributing writer for the magazine’s international editions.

G U I D E

M A G A Z I

Robert L. Miller

Gregory J. Popa

Ann Cooke

Ed Brennan, Beth Cleveland, Michael Duran, Lou Kiernan

Lisa Stearns

Glenn Callahan

• No appointments necessary • On-Site X-Ray & Lab • Helping people of all ages Clea James, MD, ABFM

Katerina Pittanaro and Joslyn Richardson

Kate Carter

Stuart Bertland, Kate Carter, Kate Crowe, Don Landwehrle, Gordon Miller, Orah Moore, Roger Murphy, Paul Rogers, Kevin Walsh

Melissa Volansky, MD, ABFM

Robert Quinn, MD, ABFM

Mark Aiken, Nathan Burgess, Marialisa Calta, Kate Carter, Nancy Crowe, Willy Dietrich, Elinor Earle, Evelyn Wermer Frey, Tommy Gardner, Robert Kiener, Brian Lindner, Hannah Marshall, Lisa McCormack, Roger Murphy, David Rocchio, Julia Shipley, Nancy Wolfe Stead, Molly Triffin, Kevin Walsh

Stowe Guide & Magazine & Stowe-Smugglers’ Guide

Angela Winchell, FNP

Katie Marvin, MD, ABFM

Joshua Gleiner, PA-C

& Magazine are published twice a year: Winter/Spring

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FROM THE EDITOR

The majestic beauty of Stowe.

What a cast of characters

he 2015 Red Sox could have used Bill Lee. The former major league pitcher, Red Sox hall of famer, the so-called Spaceman, will play in or attend over 200 baseball-related events this year. He’s the star pitcher for the Burlington Cardinals, Vermont’s senior league, where this year alone he pitched 74.1 innings, with a 6-3 record and an ERA of 1.09. Lee posted four complete games, with one shutout and 54 strikeouts. And get this, he’s 68 years old. With that kind of stamina, Lee just might have pulled this year’s Sox out of the basement.

Here’s what he told writer Rob Kiener about why baseball remains at the center of his life: “Playing baseball suspends time. ... When you’re playing you’re still seven years old. You’re 30 years old. You’re 45 years old. And, oh yeah, there’s this: Any day spent playing baseball is way better than a day doing anything else.” (Lee also manufactures a line of bats, hawks a Spaceman wine, writes books with baseball at their core, and is the subject of an upcoming documentary.) Kiener profiles Lee, who lives in nearby Craftsbury, in his story “Bill Lee: Former Red Sox pitcher shows no signs of slowing down.” You gotta love a guy who once said, “You take a team with 25 assholes and I’ll show you a pennant. I’ll show you the New York Yankees.” Lee made it to the top of his game, but he’s not the only engaging character we profile in this edition who has made it to the pinnacle of his or her profession. Take Mark Puleio, an International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations guide who leads climbers and skiers on adventures across the globe, “from Nepal’s Cho Oyu to Argentina’s Aconcagua, from Yosemite’s granite cliffs to crumbling desert walls in Africa.” Then there’s Bud Keene, who three years ago started BKPRO—Bud Keene Progression—to help the sport of snowboarding confront its future. Widely considered the world’s best snowboard coach, he not only helps Olympic-caliber men and women win gold, but also the young woman who just wants to get more out of the sport on her home hill to the parents of a backcountry boarder looking to understand their kid’s crazy lifestyle. From the Juzek brothers, who run their family’s century-old mail-order stringed instrument business to Nose Dive Annie—ski racer, style icon, pilot, trendsetter—the Stowe area never fails to disappoint when it comes to fascinating people, past and present, to tell our readers about. —Greg Popa

Record Setting We need to set the record straight on a few things from our story “Two wings and a prayer: Sustaining habitat for Mansfield’s Bicknell’s thrush.” (Stowe Guide & Magazine, Summer/Fall 2015.) We incorrectly reported that Chris Rimmer had studied the Bicknell’s thrush on Mt. Mansfield since 1991. In fact, the year was 1992. We also wrote that Rimmer and a halfdozen allied conservation biologists founded the Vermont Center for Ecostudies in 2006. The actual year was 2007. At one point in the story, we reported: “Moving up the food chain, they also found mercury in redpolls and hawks, at two to three times the levels found in the Caribbean.” This statement was incorrect on two accounts. Redpolls have never been encountered by the research group on Mansfield as they strictly visit Vermont in winter, and they have never been tested by these researchers. Second, the level of mercury found in the Caribbean has been two to three times higher than in Vermont. To clarify, the sentence should have read: “... while no one expected high-altitude songbirds to show signs of mercury contamination, Rimmer’s team was surprised to find high levels of the environmental toxin in Bicknell’s thrush on Mt. Mansfield, though at levels two to three times lower than those found in the bird in its Caribbean wintering grounds.” We also misspelled Rubenstein when referencing the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, and incorrectly reported that the Mt. Mansfield Co. is a member of the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative. It is not. Finally, we misspelled the name of Jesus Morena. His name is Moreno. In our piece about Melanie and Jeff Carpenter and Zack Woods Herb Farm—also in our summer issue—we mistakenly identified noted herbalist Rosemary Gladstar as Melanie Carpenter’s aunt. In fact, she’s her stepmother.

FIRST PERSON

Please thaw me out when it’s April ESSAY BY / Mike Mulhern ILLUSTRATIONS BY / Katerina Pittanaro

It’s over. I’m done. Winter beat me. Kicked my butt up one side of the mountain and down the other. I suffer from a condition known as seasonal affective disorder. I have even been diagnosed. Well, diagnosed by my sister anyway. I believe her exact words were, “God, you get so much more annoying in winter!” To heck with it, I’m taking that as a backhanded compliment come spring. For me, the first sign of winter’s impending doom is the fly invasion. My apartment is essentially an attic, and attics, as

Stowe Resort

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Obviously I can’t turn the thermostat up myself. My coworkers would see me and I’d be instantly labeled “The Wasteful Guy in the Office Who Can’t Suck

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It Up and Take the Cold.” “A flatlander,” they’d say with disdain. “Not a real Vermonter. Typical. Let’s maple-syrup-and-feather him!”

I’ve discovered, attract cluster flies. Insomniacausing, insanity-inducing cluster flies. They start to appear just as the weather gets cold. One here buzzing against the window, one there circling the lamp—before I know it, I walk in the door and find Amityville Horror in my apartment. In response, I spend my nights going on searchand-destroy missions, whacking flies with a little more glee than I probably should.

projects into pre-coffee and post-coffee categories, based on how much cognitive ability I need to complete them. (Obviously, commentaries like this go into the pre-coffee category.) I need coffee physically, too. My body is shivering, cold, lifeless—until that first sip of coffee. I can literally feel body parts getting warmer as the coffee flows in. It’s like the hot liquid is piped directly into my extremities. My feet and toes begin to come to life.

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Soon winter comes with a vengeance. The cold. The dark. God, I miss light. I used to wake up to the sun slowly illuminating my bedroom with a gentle glow, rising happily to the sounds of birds chirping, feeling refreshed and alert. Now when I wake up, it’s dark. Absolutely pitch black. The alarm blares. I can’t really sleep but I can’t bring myself to get up. I hit snooze approximately 27 times. Still no light outside. Finally I force my creaky bones vertical and plod directly to the Keurig. Coffee. Must have coffee. In winter, my entire existence revolves around a carefully measured coffee-intake strategy. My brain is unable to function without it. I will actually separate the timing of all

Arms begin to feel loose and limber. My fingers, which before would give me an icy jolt if I touched them to my neck, one by one become wonderfully warm to the touch— except for my right ring finger. For some reason, that particular digit remains irretrievably cold. It’s very disconcerting. I expect it to drop off any day now like some scene out of “The Fly.” Coffee sure works better than, you know, heat. There always seems to be some impediment to heating systems. I’ve got a landlady who watches our heating bill like a hawk, a car whose vents have broken in such a way that heat can be aimed anywhere except at the driver, and an office filled with people who can’t accept cold facts. I mean that l

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FIRST PERSON literally. I’ll hear conversations around the office like, “Does it feel cold to you?” “Freezing. Does it feel cold to you?” “Freezing. What’s the thermostat say?” “70. Huh. Guess it must be OK.” “Yeah, I guess.” Yeah, it’s 70 near the thermostat where the heat pours out, but we’re all wearing fur-lined boots, 17 layers, and parkas in here! Just turn the knob already! Obviously I can’t turn the thermostat up myself. My coworkers would see me and I’d be instantly labeled “The Wasteful Guy in the Office Who Can’t Suck It Up and Take the Cold.” “A flatlander,” they’d say with disdain. “Not a real Vermonter. Typical. Let’s maple-syrupand-feather him!” My skin suffers in winter. It’s so dry I’m not sure if it can be classified as skin anymore. It’s more like a bunch of loosely attached white flakes that might vaporize in a light breeze, leaving me with bones, veins, and muscles all exposed. It’s like my entire body is one big itch. And nothing works. I have so many skin care products littering my apartment, it’s like Cosmo ads have been breeding in there. Aveeno. Gold Bond. Vaseline Intensive Care. Jergens. I slather my entire body in this stuff every night and only end up peeling the sheets off and clawing away at my skin anew. I used to fear getting old, but now I think, “The faster I can become

one of those snowbird people, the better!” I’ve tried to retain some positivity about winter, honestly I have. Be a good sport and all that. I’ve tried skiing a couple of times this season, but I’m hopeless. I spend more time on the ground than I do upright, usually watching in horror as my cell phone tumbles into a crevasse. I’m a danger to myself and others. I certainly don’t need to spend my days getting pancaked by some ski dude who not only wears skin-tight spandex pants but manages to

not look ridiculous in them. So I give up, gods of winter. You win. No mas. Time to grab my ax, limp into some hedge maze, and let myself freeze solid like Jack Nicholson in “The Shining.” Could somebody please thaw me out in April, though? Just add coffee. Mike Mulhern lives in Stowe and writes a monthly commentary for the Stowe Reporter, which publishes this magazine.

GLENN CALLAHAN

GOINGS ON DECEMBER DECEMBER 3 – 5

Dickens Christmas Festival Traditional Christmas festival with Dickens characters, production of “A Christmas Carol,” lantern parade, caroling, Santa, much more. Various locations around Stowe village. dickenschristmasfestival.org. See calendar on p.114. DECEMBER 4 – JANUARY 3

Festival of Trees and Light & Members’ Art Show Work by art center members and communitydecorated Christmas trees. Helen Day Art Center, Stowe Village. 253-8358. helenday.com. DECEMBER 5

Stowe Community Church Christmas Fair Needlecrafts, baked goods, collectibles, wreaths, Pocket Lady, Stowe afghans. Quilt raffle. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Stowe Community Church, Main Street. 253-7257. stowechurch.org. DECEMBER 5

Morrisville Festival of Lights Santa, horse and buggy rides, caroling, parade, tree lighting, bonfire. Nutcracker performance by Ballet Wolcott at River Arts. maccvt.org.

S T O W E W I N T E R C A R N I VA L

All Stowed In! • Januar y 16 – 30 JANUARY 16

DECEMBER 5

21st BrewFest Part 1 Sample local and regional craft beers. Music, food. 6 - 10 p.m., 21 and older. $20. Meeting House, Smugglers’ Notch Resort. smuggs.com.

Kids Karnival Kaos Family fun, games, DJ music, bouncy house. Stowe Elementary School gym. 1 - 3 p.m. Opening Night Celebration Pass the torch, prizes, music. 9 p.m. Matterhorn.

DECEMBER 12

Stowe Mountainfest Demo Day Ski and snowboard reps show off latest gear. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Stowe Toys Demo/ForeRunner Quad, Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. DECEMBER 19

Mill Trail Snowshoe Bring your snowshoes and headlamp for evening hike to Bingham Falls. 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Bonfire at Mill Trail Cabin follows. stowelandtrust.org. DECEMBER 19 – 20

Artisan Craft Show Specialty craft and food vendors. Photos with Santa. Saturday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pavilion building, Spruce Plaza. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com DECEMBER 21

Handel’s Messiah Community Sing-In Soloists perform Handel’s masterpiece. 7 p.m.; doors open 6:30 p.m. $8/person. Stowe Community Church, Main Street. 253-7257.

JANUARY 19

Warren Miller Movie Night “Chasing Shadows.” $12. 7 p.m. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. Stowe Squares Revival: Info coming soon! JANUARY 18

Snowgolf Tournament 11 holes of wacky golf. Costumed teams. 11 a.m. Before and after parties at Rimrocks. JANUARY 19

Stowe’s Own Karaoke Mimic your favorite recording artist. Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge, 9 p.m. JANUARY 20

Pub-style Trivia Challenge Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge, 7 - 9 p.m.

JANUARY 23

16th Nationally Sanctioned Ice Carving Competition Professional ice carvers. Spruce Peak Plaza, Stowe Mountain Resort. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free Skate Ice Rink, Spruce Peak. Rentals. Noon - 9 p.m. NICA Ice Carver’s Après Awards Celebration Congratulate the winners. 7 - 9 p.m. Doc Ponds. Fire & Ice Rail Jam 4 - 6 p.m. Midway Park, Stowe Mountain. Saturday Night Lights Uphill Event Midway Base Lodge & Gondolier trail. 5 p.m. Stowe Mountain Resort. JANUARY 24

Free Skate Ice Rink, Spruce Peak. Rentals. Noon - 9 p.m. JANUARY 28

Stowe Bowl Gala Don’t miss this historic event. Stowe Bowl, Sun & Ski Resort, Mountain Road. JANUARY 29

JANUARY 21

2nd BroomBall & Beer Garden Broomball tourney with teams of four men and two women. Beer garden, bonfire. 5 p.m. Commodores Inn and Resort

Hill Farmstead Sampler Featuring varieties of Hill Farmstead, 2015’s best brewery. Doc Ponds. 2 p.m. JANUARY 22

DECEMBER 29 & 31

Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble Holiday performances. Spruce Plaza, Stowe Mountain Resort. 1 and 4 p.m. stowe.com. DECEMBER 31

Cruise Into the New Year Race Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. DECEMBER 31

Mountain Fireworks & Torchlight Parade Stowe Mountain Resort comes alive with spectacle of light. 7 p.m. Fireworks from Spruce Camp. stowe.com.

Ice Carving Demo Day Watch pro carvers create their masterpieces all over town. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

JANUARY 29 – 30

All Stowed In Meltdown Parties Live music Matterhorn and Rusty Nail. 9 p.m.

Ice Carving Stroll 9 a.m. -1 p.m., Main Street; 1 - 6 p.m., Stowe’s Mountain Road. N.I.C.A. Ice Carver’s Welcoming Party Meet the ice carvers. 7 p.m. Sunset Grille & Tap Room. JANUARY 22 – 23

All Stowed In Warmup Parties Live music Matterhorn and Rusty Nail. 9 p.m.

JANUARY 30

Heady Topper Snowvolleyball Tournament Bring your own six-person team, as snow sets the stage to dig, set, and spike. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunset Grille and Tap Room.

GLENN CALLAHAN

GOINGS ON JANUARY JANUARY 8 – 9

Race for Kids Slalom hill, Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. JANUARY 9

Race to Slayton Pasture Cabin 5k classical race. How fast can you ski to the cabin? Mass start. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Benefits VTXC. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe. 253-8511. JANUARY 9

Ladies Nordic Ski Expo All-day expo for women in classic, skating, telemark/BC. Trapp Family Lodge. catamounttrail.org. JANUARY 10

Stowe Nordic BKL Mini-Marathon Fun family tour. 22k, 15k, 5k. Chili feed at end. Stowe Mountain Resort Cross Country Center. 253-3688 or cindy.jackman1@gmail.com. JANUARY 10

VARA Vermont Cup Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. JANUARY 16 – 30

Stowe Winter Carnival—All Stowed In! See Event Spotlight, page 18. JANUARY 21 – 24

Winter Rendezvous Five days of wintery fun with the largest contingent of gay skiers/ snowboarders in the Northeast. winterrendezvous.com. JANUARY 22 – 24

Smuggs Ice Bash Gear demos, clinics, dry tooling competition, raffles, camaraderie to promote ice climbing. Smugglers’ Notch, Jeffersonville. smuggsicebash.com. JANUARY 23

Fire and Ice Rail Jam Two-hour jam under the lights, open to skiers and riders. Register at Midway, 3 - 4 p.m. Awards and barbecue. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com JANUARY 23

Saturday Night Lights Uphill Event Hike up, ski or board down Gondolier. Gear raffle. Register at Midway, 4 p.m.; start at 5 p.m. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com JANUARY 24

VARA Vermont Cup Giant Slalom Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. JANUARY 29 – 30

UVM Winter Carnival Downhill Division 1 college ski teams compete. Main Street slope. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. JANUARY 30

Raven Hill Trek Enjoy this off-trail trek on skis or snowshoes on scenic Burnham Farm. Meet on Dewey Hill Road at bottom of Ayers Farm Road. 9 - 11 a.m. stowelandtrust.org.

STOWE D E R BY JANUARY 30

FEBRUARY 6 – 7

Craftsbury Marathon Classical ski with 25k and 50k races. Craftsbury Outdoor Center. craftsbury.com. JANUARY 30 – 31

Winterfest 2016 Pie for breakfast, Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate, cross-country races, mini snowmobiles, bonfire, fire dancing, fireworks, ice skating, music, lasagna dinner, sled race, costumes. Various locales in Jeffersonville: Cambridge Elementary School, Quarry Hill Farm, Boyden Valley Winery, Smugglers’ Notch Resort. JANUARY 31

Protect Your Head at All Times PHAT helmet awareness event. Helmet raffles all day. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Spruce Camp, Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. JANUARY 31

USASA Slopestyle The best of the best compete. Register at Mansfield base, 8 a.m. $40 includes lift. Tyro Park, Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com.

FEBRUARY

Freeride Challenge Open to skiers and riders. Saturday: adults; Sunday: Juniors (U12, 12-14, 15-17). Lookout trail, Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. FEBRUARY 7

Snowshoe Race and Snowshoe Festival Day of treks, walks, races on snowshoes. Kids’ fun run, 4k fun run/walk, 8k race qualifier. Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. smuggs.com. FEBRUARY 14

Mountain Fireworks & Torchlight Parade Stowe Mountain Resort comes alive with spectacle of light. 7 p.m. Spruce Camp. stowe.com. FEBRUARY 18

FamilyFun Magazine Winter Carnival Music, entertainment, games, bonfire, giveaways, outdoor barbecue. 2:30 p.m. Bonfire, torchlight parade, fireworks 8 p.m. Village green, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. smuggs.com. FEBRUARY 20

Backcountry Ski Grab your gear and join Stowe Land Trust for a backcountry outing. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Advanced only. stowelandtrust.org. FEBRUARY 27

Saturday Night Lights Uphill Event Hike up, ski or board down Gondolier. Gear raffle. Register at Midway base., 4 p.m.; start at 5 p.m. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com

FEBRUARY 6

Saturday Night Lights Uphill Event Hike up, ski or board down Gondolier. Gear raffle. Register at Midway base., 4 p.m.; start at 5 p.m. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com.

FEBRUARY 28

Stowe Derby Oldest downhill cross-country race starts at the top of Mt. Mansfield and winds its way 16k to the village. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowederby.com.

FEBRUARY 6

Winter Trails Day Guided hikes, gear demos, and refreshments. Proceeds support the Long Trail. Part of the Waterbury Winter Festival. CC Outdoor Store, Waterbury. (802) 244-7037.

EXHIBITS: p.100 • • • MUSIC & MIXED MEDIA: p.112 20

OYSTER PERPETUAL SUBMARINER DATE

rolex

oyster perpetual and submariner are 速 trademarks.

GOINGS ON FEBRUARY 21

MARCH 27

Hope on the Slopes Vertical Challenge Ski and snowboard to raise money for the American Cancer Society. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. jaypeakresort.com.

62nd Easter Sunrise Service & Easter Egg Hunt Service atop Mt. Mansfield. Free gondola rides from 5 - 6 a.m. Arrive early. Easter egg hunt, Spruce Plaza, 9 a.m. stowe.com.

FEBRUARY 27

Ben & Jerry’s Winter Festival Free tours, 2016 flavor samples, snow sculptures, music, outside games, give-aways, local foods. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free. Waterbury factory, Route 100. benjerry.com.

APRIL & MAY APRIL 2

21st Annual BrewFest Part 2 Sample Vermont and regional beers and more. 6 - 10 p.m. $20. Meeting House, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. smuggs.com.

MARCH 4

Pork Loin Take-Out Dinner Pork loin with all the fixings. Pick up at the Waterbury Center Community Church, Route 100, 4 - 6 p.m. Reservations: (802) 244-8089. MARCH 6

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

MARCH

Extreme Skiing Challenge Ski the Madonna headwall, an ungroomed steep with a double fall line descent filled with cliffs, bumps, trees, chutes, and stumps. $45. Capped at 100 skiers. Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. smuggs.com. MARCH 11 – 13

80s Weekend Ski Ballet & Retro Jam Relive 1980s fashion, equipment, lifestyle. Group photo, ski ballet, and retro jam contests. Register at Midway base, 1:30 p.m. Midway Park, Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. MARCH 12

Slopestyle Open to skiers and riders. Two-hour jam session. $20 to enter. Register at Mansfield base. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. MARCH 12

Von Trapp Brewing Marathon 25k and 50k classical races, beer tent, live music. Early morning start time. trappfamily.com. MARCH 12

Three Mountain Throw Down Teams equipped with GPS hike, slide, and ride to checkpoints hidden across Smugglers’ Notch Resort’s three mountains. Jeffersonville. smuggs.com. MARCH 14 – 18

Eastern Cup Finals Super G, giant slalom, and slalom. Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. MARCH 19

2nd Annual Banked Slalom Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. MARCH 20

MMSC Championships Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. MARCH 26

Saturday Night Lights Uphill Event Hike up, ski or board down Gondolier. Gear raffle. Register at Midway base., 4 p.m.; start at 5 p.m. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. MARCH 26

Blast From the Past Race Bash the gates and relive your glory days. $35 includes post-race barbecue. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. (802) 644-1177.

APRIL 2 – 3

Sugar Slalom One of the oldest ski races in the U.S. Shoot the gates, enjoy sugar on snow at the finish. Stowe Mountain Resort. teammmsc.org. APRIL 9

4th Annual Pond Skimming & Tailgate party In the Zone Terrain Park, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Jeffersonville. Noon. Prizes for best costume and most spectacular landing. smuggs.com. APRIL 9

2nd New England Pond Skimming Championships Gondolier trail. Judged on costume, distance, and style. Awards. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. APRIL 16

Stowe Parks: Big Air Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. APRIL 22

Turkey Take-Out Dinner Turkey with all the fixings. Pick up at the Waterbury Center Community Church, 4 - 6 p.m. Reservations: (802) 244-8089. APRIL 24

Mansfield Tailgate Party Party in the parking lot on this scheduled closing day. Stowe Mountain Resort. stowe.com. APRIL 29 – MAY 1

Stowe Weekend of Hope Celebration of life and learning for people with cancer and those who love them. Various locations throughout Stowe. stowehope.org. MAY 28

Chowderpalooza & Spring Art on Park Judge local chefs’ chowders. Along Main Street in Stowe, with local artisans market. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. stowevibrancy.com. n

GLENN CALLAHAN

RURAL ROUTE

he clock-tower steeple of Stowe Community Church is probably the most familiar landmark in Stowe’s historic and photogenic village. At least, the outside of it is. Inside that tower, high above Main Street, are sights familiar to a short, lean, and rough-hewn man who moves through the inner-workings of clock towers with feline finesse, a regular cat in the belfry. Stephen Cowdell is a horologist, someone skilled in the art and science of measuring time, and fixing the tools that do it. His own hands have the roughness of a mechanic, the dexterity of a surgeon, the strength of a guitarist. His wrist is devoid of any timepiece—he believes people have an internal energy, magnetism that messes with a wristwatch’s timing—but he carries a pocket watch given to him by a fellow horologist and clockmaker. On a day last winter, Cowdell replaced a gearbox for the southward clock face and placed the hour and minute hands back on the face. “If you get some ice or, say, a dead pigeon up there, the motor will keep going,” he says. “The hands just slide over one another.” The maintenance work requires Cowdell to maneuver through an increasingly narrow series of ladders and gangplanks, around a 900pound bell and a number of cables and ropes. He’s been taking these steps in this church for years, part of his semiannual ritual of checking on the clock’s moving parts. Cowdell’s company, family-owned Stevenson Services, is based in Bristol, Conn., once known as the clockmaking center of the world. Cowdell said his company is one of several small businesses dotting Bristol and its environs that are able to stay open both because of the horological secrets passed down through generations of clockmakers and time-minders, and because countless timepieces made in the 1900s are still ticking today.

TICK TOCK From top: Horologist Stephen Cowdell in front of the Stowe Community Church. Working on one of the clock’s four faces. Cowdell describes the function of the steeple’s bell.

“One clockmaker claimed that, with proper care, his clocks could last 300 to 500 years,” Cowdell says. Even though Stowe’s church switched to an electrical clock years ago, there is a piece of history just below the belfry—in a tiny room called the clock box—that gets Cowdell downright reverent, and a bit peeved that it sits neglected in a tower when it’s clearly a treasure. That apparatus is the heart of the old clock, a contraption known as a Graham Escapement. With a four-legged stance that resembles an old sewing machine base, the escapement is a puzzle of interlocking gears and a vertical “escape wheel,” with 360 degrees of teeth. Hanging from the escapement is a pendulum that activates the wheel, rotates it one tooth at a time, swing by swing, which in turn used to move the clock hands. The Graham was popular in precision timepieces, but it’s less frequently seen in large clock towers. That the Stowe Community Church has one means the clock tower designers had accuracy in mind, Cowdell says. Before the clock went electric, the church had a clock-setting committee whose job was to have someone simply climb up into the clock box and wind the escapement, usually about once a week. Even though it’s been silent for years, a couple of movements from Cowdell’s hands are enough to get the wheel moving again, smooth as the day it came from the factory. “This thing never misses a beat,” Cowdell says. “Just keep them wound and they’ll go forever.” —Tommy Gardner

The Yoga Barn–a serene yoga studio located behind Well Heeled–offers a full range of classes from vigorous flow to restorative practices. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned yogi, the talented instructors at our peaceful studio offer something for everyone. 2850 Mountain Road, Stowe • behind Well Heeled • theyogabarnstowe@gmail.com • theyogabarnstowe.com

PAUL ROGERS

RURAL ROUTE

veryone in these here parts knows Rusty Dewees, aka The Logger. He’s one of Stowe’s best-known—only?—celebrities. He’s lived around town for nearly half a century, entertaining folks with his stage performances, radio and TV ads, and assorted emceeing gigs. With so many memories of growing up in Stowe, Dewees, now 54, has officially earned the right to lace his narratives with reflections of “back in the day.” “Everyone has their own perception of what ‘back in the day’ is,” says Dewees. For him, “back in the day” meant winter nights with his family at Town Hall, watching Victor Coty ski movies. “As a kid we’d go to Town Hall—it was called the Memorial Building back then—and watch Victor’s reel-to-reel films. It was always a community gathering and great entertainment. Town Hall is a magnificent structure and I have a long and significant history with it.” Coty’s movies were just the beginning of Dewees’s relationship with Stowe’s Town Hall. In fifth grade, he performed his first drum solo in a student recital, and Town Hall was where he produced his first full show of The Logger. This winter he comes full circle, with Rusty Dewees Presents Winter Star Series at Stowe Town Hall, a line-up of Vermont entertainers, performing on Saturdays between Jan. 23 and March 5. (The Logger performances are Jan 22 – 23 and March 4 – 5.) “The Town Hall series is about uplifting the spirit of the human condition,” says Dewees. “All shows have music, comedy, candor, energy, and movement, and the entertainers are top-rate, unbelievably good.”

Those entertainers include Vermont icon George Woodard performing Vermont comedy and music; singer/songwriter/humorist Jon Gailmor; phenom fiddler Patrick Ross, with Jean Nil Theroux, uniting their talents in traditional and non-traditional music and comedy; a night of stand-up improv with Nathan and Natalie of the Vermont Comedy Club; and an evening with former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, interviewed Charlie Rose-style by Dewees. The Winter Star Series at Stowe Town Hall promises to be an opportunity for community gatherings and fun entertainment, with a little help from Caledonia Spirits to get folks in the proper mood. “Like an old carnival ‘back in the day,’ people will come out to mingle, chat, and be entertained,” Dewees says. No matter how many friends you have on Facebook, the Winter Star Series promises a thousand times the intimacy. Like back in the day. —Kate Carter

ESSENTIALS: Rusty Dewees Presents Winter Star Series at Stowe Town Hall, Main Street, Stowe. • Saturdays, Jan. 23 to March 5, 7:30 p.m. Logger shows are Jan. 22 – 23 and March 4 – 5 • Tickets: $25; available at Shaw’s General Store or thelogger.com.

TEARDROP TRAIL • BUDBILL & EBY • SNOW JOB • SKI POSTERS • COMPLIMENTARY

G U I D E & M A G A Z I N E

FOR THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW, judges in the 2014 New England Newspaper and Press Association Better Newspaper contest ranked the Stowe Guide and Magazine, published and edited by Greg Popa, as the BEST NICHE PUBLICATION IN ITS CLASS. The judges wrote: “For its breadth and impact in a town of 4,000—distribution over 10 times this amount shows the demand and service the magazine provides to area visitors and locals. SOLID CONTENT that takes a bi-fold guide and amplifies it to a LUXURY MAGAZINE.” 26

WINTER / SPRING 2007-08

‘It’s a volunteer job and is not easy or glamorous.’ Doug Veliko is Stowe Mountain Rescue’s top dog Doug Veliko is chief of Stowe Mountain Rescue, a mobile support unit for the Vermont Department of Public Safety. Doug joined Stowe Mountain Rescue in 1991, serving as its deputy chief and training officer for 16 years. He became chief in January 2014, and continues to be a training officer. He and his wife, Karen, came to Stowe 30 years ago because it’s where they wanted to raise their son, Chris, and daughter, Jess. An engineer by profession, Doug, now 55, retired from IBM after 35 years and is currently employed as a qualifications and reliability engineer at GlobalFoundries.

What does Stowe Mountain Rescue do? We respond to approximately 35 backcountry and swift-water search-and-rescue calls a year. Two-thirds are rescues of injured people and one-third are searches for lost people. It’s a little closer to 50/50 in winter. We are a small team, 12 to 15 people, dedicated to residents’ and visitors’ safety and we are available to help if needed, but ideally we want everyone to think we don’t exist so they will go into the backcountry completely prepared.

What does it take to be a member of Stowe Mountain Rescue? The most important attribute is a strong and diverse outdoor recreational background. You must be comfortable in the outdoors in all environments and able to deal with yourself efficiently and effectively. You need to live locally and be available when a call comes in, and be willing to make a long-term commitment to the team. Emergency medical experience is lower on the list because not everyone needs to do the medical part. The rest of the team does extraction and transport. It’s also important that everyone on the team get along, be a team player, and acknowledge what you’re not comfortable doing.

GLENN CALLAHAN

the INTERVIEW

What are the most important safety elements when doing a search or rescue? Your own personal safety is most important, followed by your teammates’ safety. Then you must do whatever it takes to not make the situation worse, keep bystanders at bay, and ultimately rescue the subject. The team’s safety is paramount. We will leave someone out overnight in the winter if it makes more sense to wait until conditions are safe.

How do you make that sort of decision? Rescues are often weather related, so we get spot forecasts from the National Weather Service. They will run a forecast specific to a GPS location. Then we do a risk assessment. We gather information about the victim’s physical fitness, mental capacity, how many people are involved, how they are dressed, what kind of food and equipment they are carrying. It’s all part of making the decision. In my time with Stowe Mountain Rescue it has only happened twice that we could not get to a person at night, but we were able to find them by daybreak.

Is everyone on the team a volunteer? Yes, it’s a volunteer job and is not easy or glamorous. A lot of it is just plain hard work. We’ve had to do things like trudge through sludge water and occasionally recover bodies. None of that is pleasant. And we all spend a ridiculous amount of time training and keeping our equipment up to speed. It’s time consuming and you never know when you’re going to get a call. It could be in the middle of dinner or the middle of the night. It’s hard on everyone in the family. 28

RURAL ROUTE

How have cell phones affected backcountry rescue? They are a huge help. People in trouble can communicate with authorities much faster, and we often get a GPS coordinate. But it’s a doubleedged sword. People sometimes forego emergency gear necessities—matches, headlamp, extra clothing, food—and just take their phone. The number of non-emergency calls has gone up, but the team is not dispatched to these calls.

What percent of calls are non-emergency? The majority of calls come from people who have no idea what they are getting into. Intelligent people completely out of their element. We try to give people who make nonemergency calls every opportunity to take care of themselves.

How is Stowe Mountain Rescue funded? We’re funded through the town, federal grants, and private donations. The town has been extremely generous and supportive; we’ve also received over $40,000 in grants this year alone. The money goes to education, equipment, rescue vehicles, and we do get paid when we’re on a rescue.

Do you ever rescue animals? Our wildlife rescues have always been in Moss Glen Falls. Animals fall in and can’t get out. We’ve pulled two moose out. We helped to rescue a horse that fell through a snowmobile bridge, a dog in Sterling Forest, and a dog in Jeffersonville’s Brewster Gorge.

What is your forte on the team? I’m a rock climber. I’ve been climbing for 40 years. I’m also a backcountry skier and trail runner. I love hiking and skiing with my dogs and pretty much go where they can go. I ski a lot in Sterling Forest and Michigan Valley.

Why are you involved in backcountry search and rescue? I’m interested in helping people in the backcountry. When I started climbing it was a fringe sport and I needed to be more prepared and know emergency medicine, so I learned those skills. I enjoy outdoor recreation and I know that some day I could be in trouble and need help. I have medical training and outdoor experience and it’s a way for me to give back to my community. n

CONDUCTED & COMPILED BY KATE CARTER 29

RURAL ROUTE

1. Nine-month old Nora Rogers visits Monte Albán in Oaxaca, Mexico, in May 2015. From left: Nora’s aunt and uncle, Bridget and Matt from Boston, grandmother Catherine Drake and her husband Rich Levine of Stowe, and holding Nora, parents Julia and Tom Rogers, also of Stowe. Monte Albán is a preColumbian archaeologic site located in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. “We were in Oaxaca for 11 days,” writes Catherine. “It was a blast.”

2. Kimberly Cole enjoys her Block Island vacation on her birthday— Aug. 1, 2015—with daughters, Molly and Allison, and friends. “We’ve had a house in Stowe since 1993. Ours is an old house with lots of Stowe history,” says Kim “I always read this magazine!” Do you have a photo of our magazine on some far-flung island or rugged peak? Send a high-res copy to ads@stowereporter.com, with Stowe Magazine in the subject line. We’ll pick the best ones and run them in a future edition.

ALL PHOTOS GLENN CALLAHAN

RURAL ROUTE

BEND ZE KNEES! John Springer-Miller, right, principal owner of KneeBinding, with Joe Nocito, left, production manager, and Steve Walkerman, company COO. Inset: KneeBinding device, designed to minimize knee injuries.

In a small production center in an old house on Mountain Road, four men assemble hundreds of sets of KneeBinding Mists, the white model of the Stowe-based ski binding designed for women. If there’s been a constant in the winter sports industry in the past two decades, it’s the number of skiers who go down with knee injuries. And, going into its seventh year on the market, KneeBinding is poised for success, ready to drop into the big leagues. KneeBinding products are now being sold in roughly 500 retail locations, including REI, according to principal owner John Springer-Miller. KneeBinding figures 70,000 skiers suffer knee injuries each year. “That’s been the case for well over 20 years now,” Springer-Miller says. “None of the other binding companies have done anything about it, and that’s frustrating.”

All ski bindings release the skier when too much sudden force is applied to the boot, to stave off serious leg injuries that could come from having two legs on two skis operating independently in a tumble down a slick slope. The problem, Springer-Miller says, is traditional bindings release in only two different dimensions: the toe side of the binding releases sideways when there’s too much twisting torque on the boot, and the heel releases upward when there’s too much forward force. KneeBinding adds a third dimension, allowing the heel to slide sideways. KneeBindings are designed so that it’s virtually impossible to be in a position where either the toe or the heel won’t eject the skier’s boot sideways; in the case of equally distributed twisting force, both ends of the binding will slide sideways. “There’s no dead zone,” Springer-Miller says. The company is launching a fifth model. With three patents and another pending, other manufacturers might start incorporating the technology. — Tommy Gardner

overHEARD

from tourists at Stowe Area Association • What day is foliage? • When’s the rain going to stop? • Tourist: How far is Stowe from Canada? SAA: Where in Canada? Tourist: I don’t know, anywhere in Canada. I’m looking for a good restaurant. Can you recommend one? SAA: Canada is a large country. Where in Canada do you want to travel to? Tourist: Well, where is the closest city in Canada? SAA: Montreal, Quebec. Tourist: Quebec! Is that closer to Stowe than Montreal? • Can you tell me when the steamboat races start? • I hear they make snow in Stowe. I was thinking of coming up Labor Day weekend to ski. • Are you Vermont? • What’s the weather and ski conditions in Vail? • What time is Noon Music in May? • Is it done snowing? • Are your mountains safe for our children? • Could you please give me information about the Swiss Family Robinson? • Is man-made snow cold? • Where’s Tom & Jerry’s? • If there is no snow, is there still cross-country skiing? • Is the road through the Notch open? The sign says it’s closed. • Stowe is a beautiful place, but the mountains ruin the view. • Are you skinny? You sound skinny. • How liberal is your state? I don’t want to go to a state that is too liberal.

TOP FOLIAGE IN U.S. DUH. TripAdvisor, the online travel site, ranked Stowe as the No. 1 place in the U.S. for viewing fall foliage. North Conway, N.H., was No. 2. ••• The ranking is based on the quality and quantity of reviews and opinions from millions of TripAdvisor travelers. ••• “A recent TripAdvisor survey revealed 82 percent of U.S. travelers are planning an autumnal escape,” says Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. “With Stowe and North Conway occupying the top two spots on the list, New England is a prime region for viewing the season’s colors.” ••• Here’s what TripAdvisor says: 1. Stowe (25 hotels, 86 restaurants, and 54 attractions listed on TripAdvisor). Located in the majestic Green Mountains, this idyllic New England town boasts a 200-year-old village lined with quaint shops, cafes, and restaurants where travelers can unwind after a day of viewing vibrant leafy displays. “We have visited the Stowe area many times over the years and enjoy the scenery in the different seasons, but the fall foliage is truly breathtaking,” wrote a TripAdvisor reviewer. ••• The rest of the top 10: North Conway, N.H.; Aspen, Colo.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Eureka Springs, Ark.; Park City, Utah; Asheville, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Gatlinburg, Tenn.

SPOTLIGHT

PETER MILLER

RURAL ROUTE

peter miller gallery

SQUASHED Photographer and author Peter Miller has reinvented his Waterbury gallery. Renamed The Squashed Gallery, photographs by the award-winning photojournalist hang in rough formations on all of the gallery’s walls. Miller’s award-winning books are also on display, with bins of inexpensive prints for sale. The exhibition includes wine harvest photos taken in Margaux, France, and street photography from Paris. Miller created the images in the 1950s. The Paris photographs were published in his book, “The First Time I Saw Paris.” The wine harvest photographs have never been published. On another wall hang large, color scenics and black-and-white portraits made in Vermont.

The gallery is next to a four-bedroom Airbnb that the photographer recently opened in his home. The Airbnb also serves as a library in that the rooms include the photographer’s collection of photography books. On the wall of each bedroom are framed photos from the author’s archive. “I plan to attract photographers and offer them packages that include lodging and photo tours of my favorite locations,” he says. His photos have been exhibited in New York, Paris, and Tokyo.

ESSENTIALS: Squashed Gallery, 20 Crossroad, Waterbury. petermillerphotography.com. 34

mily’s Bridge is so scary it made the cut in “Dead Static,” a horror anthology about Vermont’s three most haunted places: Emily’s Bridge in Stowe, Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier, and the Pittsford Haunted House in Pittsford. Horror filmmaker Owen Mulligan of Burlington, Vt., who owns DeadFi Productions, wrote and directed “Dead Static.” DeadFi, a play on the term SciFi, has produced numerous short films for its YouTube channel, including the successful “Night of the Vampire,” “Midnight Roadkill,” and “Dead Static.” Despite working with limited resources and minuscule budgets, DeadFi films has a cult following—people who like to be scared. Emily’s Bridge, also known as Gold Brook Covered Bridge, is located on Covered Bridge Road in Stowe Hollow. It’s a 50-foot long Queen post truss design, built in 1884. There are no written accounts of who Emily was or why the bridge is named for her, but several anecdotes seem plausible: On her way to a wedding, Emily’s horse bolted while crossing the bridge and she died of her injuries; Emily’s fiancé failed to show up at their wedding and she hung herself from the rafters; Emily became pregnant from her lover, Donald, and when Emily’s father insisted Donald marry her, Don killed himself on the bridge. After she gave birth to twins, Emily also committed suicide.

Supposedly Emily haunts the bridge to this day. Mulligan opened “Dead Static” with Emily’s Bridge, shooting the footage in March when roads were lined with snowbanks. And then things get really scary, but no spoiler alert here. Mulligan prefers morality tales wrapped in creepiness and dark humor. At one time he lived in Stowe, just down the road from Emily’s Bridge. When the idea came up for the anthology, it was an obvious choice to include it. “The folklore played a part, as did the look of the old covered bridge.” Mulligan’s interest in the horror genre started when his father turned him on to older black-and-white horror movies. And because he saw an apparition as a kid. “There was a ghost or something at the end of my bed. I had to sleep with the lights on for a few years.” Most people watch horror films hoping to be scared. “But it’s hard to scare them because they are expecting it,” Mulligan says. “It’s like going to a haunted house; you get creeped out, but it’s fun and people come back for more. It can be kind of an addiction.” —Kate Carter //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS Visiting the bridge? Show consideration to the families who live nearby and be quiet. youtube.com/user/DeadFi.

Exposed!

Sculptor Kate Pond.

Helen Day Art Center exhibit opening and walkabout, July 11.

COMPILED BY MOLLY TRIFFIN

Shap Smith Sr. and Terri Gregory.

Meg McDevitt, John Matusz, Terri Gregory, Milford Cushman, Chris Curtis, and Rachel Moore.

Carrie and Michael Zebrowsky.

Amani Suter.

Laurie Doyle, Yu-Wen Wu, Julian Wu, and Chris Doyle.

Nate Ringquist and Whitney Hull with Zoe and Avery, and Francesca and Joe Nocito.

Stowe Land Trust Annual celebration, September 27.

Demo for the kids.

Mike Haynes and Phil Branton.

Fun on the farm.

Doodie Day On the dog paths in Stowe, May 2.

The crowd assembles for a group photo at the opening of Exposed!

Back row: Nathan Suter, Alex Williams, Amanda Marquis, Katharine Longfellow. Front row: Rachel Moore, Jacqueline Nuzzo, Lorena Linero Lopez, and Elizabeth Cosgrove.

Robert Kleinfelder and Addie Webster.

Sonya Posmentier and Jess Row.

Having fun at the barn dance!

Mary Windler and family.

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Room Barn Dance Annual fund raiser, September 13.

Anne Latulippe, Kim Volitis, Tammy Rost, Caitlyn Hollister, Kim Guertin, Heather Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Wril, Elizabeth Managan, Becky Colley, and Jessica Burke.

Families dancing to music by Steve Lotspeich and Friends.

Fishlanthropy:

High for Fives fundraiser at Sushi Yoshi, October 16.

Esbert Cardenas Jr., Ben Grunow, and Ian Compton.

Ashley Airoldi.

Front row: Jesse Murphy, John Egan. 2nd row: Michelle and Roy Tuscany, Heidi Witschi, Dan (Sully) Sullivan, Esbert Cardenas Jr. 3rd row: Trina Hosmer, Sue Minter, Drew Clymer, Corrine Prevot. Top row: Ian Compton, Jeff Dacales, Mike Carey, Nate Freund, David Goodman, Ben Grunow.

Ric Cabot, Billy Reichelt, and Mike Rapoport.

Lisa and Olivia Carey.

Roy Tuscany and friend.

Mary Windler, Nate Freund, and Esbert Cardenas Jr.

John and Jen Kimmich.

Billy and Evan Reichelt.

Steve Knight and Mike Rapoport.

Adele Walker and Vanessa Knight.

Bob Vienckowski and Heath Eiden.

Ski the East!

PHOTOS COURTESY STOWE LAND TRUST, SUSHI YOSHI, THE CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROOM, NORTH COUNTRY ANIMAL LEAGUE, AND HELEN DAY ART CENTER.

AMY KOLB NOYES

RURAL ROUTE

WoW

brings women together

WoW is taking the slopes by snowstorm. Women of Winter—WoW, for short—is a female-centric skiing and snowboarding group that formed last winter to bring together women to ski and socialize. It’s for women who want to try something new: navigate the terrain park, ski the bumps, or just carve a few lunchtime turns with friends. Word traveled fast when WoW formed, despite demographic challenges. “We’re older women using new technology to get organized,” says co-founder Marion Hecht. Hecht and Judy Yang are the driving forces behind WoW. Hecht, a full-time ski instructor and former radio broadcaster, refers to herself as the “mouth” of the organization, while Yang runs the “back office.” With those complementary skill sets, and the ability to tap into the talents of other Women of Winter, they’ve gotten a lot done in a short amount of time. After the group’s first ski last December, they compiled an email list and put up a Facebook page—Ski Like a Local—that quickly acquired over 150 likes. A year later that number has doubled. Since its inaugural year, WoW expanded to include summer and fall activities, became a non-profit, and created a new website—womenofwinterwow.org. 40

Most of the Women of Winter are intermediate to advanced skiers and riders, capable of skiing terrain off Stowe Mountain Resort’s quad. And they’re all looking for a fun, supportive environment where they can push their limits and get motivated to be active and try new things. “We don’t care what’s on your feet,” Hecht says. “It’s not exclusionary in any way.” Since WoW is a non-profit, there is no longer a membership fee. Rather, participants are encouraged to make a donation, and proceeds are awarded to various community youth ski program participants. Some WoW clinics—and there are a fair number of them—require extra fees. Clinics include how to go faster and a ski-bum prep race. Last year WoW fielded three Stowe ski-bum race teams in the popular weekly series. The group also has a Monday ski at the Mt. Mansfield Ski Touring Center. Want to find out what WoW is up to? Check out the group’s Facebook page. Or look for a large group of women congregating at the quad. You can’t miss them. They’re the ones wearing something with pink and white polka dots and WoW stickers on their helmets. —Kate Carter //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: A full roster of clinics and ski-together dates is posted at womenofwinterwow.org, or Ski Like a Local on Facebook.

RURAL ROUTE

GLENN CALLAHAN; PIKE FAMILY: PEGGY MANAHAN

NEW TRADITIONS Jersey girls. Les, Claire, Suzi, and Dan Pike. Inset: Keewaydin Farm.

eewaydin Farm, on the outskirts of Stowe village, looks like a typical Vermont dairy farm. Its tidy white farmhouse and wellmaintained barns and silos suggest a farm rooted in tradition. But that’s not the whole story. At Keewaydin Farm, owners Les and Claire Pike embrace innovation, being among the first in the state to adopt the latest technology on their 141-head registered Jersey farm. They’re passionate about their animals, their land, and keeping their farm viable for the next generation—all reasons this farm was selected as the 2015 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year. The award is presented by University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association, in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program. Nominated farms are evaluated on herd, crop and pasture management, quality milk production, environmental practices, involvement in the dairy industry, and overall excellence in dairying. “The Pikes have made efforts to maintain a size that fits their management style, and chose a breed that fits their existing facility. In addition, they are operating a topnotch operation five minutes outside one of the busiest year-round tourist destinations in Vermont,” says Tony Kitsos, UVM Extension coordinator for the award program, who noted that the Pike farm stood out for a number of reasons among all of this year’s nominees. Les and Claire Pike have operated the Stowe farm for 44 years, although it has been in the family since 1921 when Les’s grandfather, Carroll M. Pike, purchased the property. 42

Les’s father, Merton Pike, now 95, continues to help on the farm with tractor work, and two of their three children have stayed on the farm. Both Dan and Suzi are graduates of the Farms 2+2 Program, which enables dairy farm management students to attend two years at Vermont Technical College and two at UVM. Dan handles the field work and equipment maintenance while Suzi is the herdsperson. “When my grandfather bought this farm, it came with 14 Guernsey cows but no milking machine, so he milked by hand,” Les says. “His hands cramped up, so he had to ask a neighbor for help. That’s hard for an independent Vermonter to do.” But it’s also an indication of his determination to make the family farm successful. As he increased herd size, he established Mansfield Dairy onsite to pasteurize and bottle the milk, which was then sold door-to-door, as well as to local restaurants and stores. That part of the farm operation was sold in 1970. “I grew up with Guernseys,” Les says, “but after Claire and I took over the farm in 1971, we had Holsteins for 35 years. Eleven years ago, we decided to switch to registered Jerseys. ... Holsteins are big, heavy cows compared to Jerseys, so I wanted to make it easier on me and on Suzi.” Switching breeds isn’t the only change that the family has made to the operation in recent years. To improve cow comfort they opened the sidewalls of their free-stall barn to allow for natural ventilation and installed rubber floors and automatic alley scrapers. They maintain the barn temperature at 38 degrees in winter, which, while chilly for the farmers, is the ideal temperature for the cows. The Pikes also found a way to convert cow waste into bedding as well as electricity. “We are the guinea pig for small farms,” Les adds. “We felt that the digester was the right decision for us, that we wanted to be part of this technology even though the thinking at the time was that there would be no payback on smaller farms.” Their interest in new technology also led them to retrofit their barn last year to install robotic milkers. Les credits Suzi and Dan for getting them interested in robotic milking. “Cows have a good biological clock and will arrive within one or two minutes of their next milking. Since the cows have the freedom to get milked whenever they are ready, that gives us flexibility and more time to do other things on the farm. Milking robots have made enough progress so there is a payback.” Says Kitsos: “They’ve found a way to manage the farm to support multi-generations, so it’s not in this crazy growth mode... They’ve found ways to adapt new technology to work on a small farm. ... Les and Claire can be trendsetters with this number of cows.” — Lisa Halvorsen Lisa Halvorsen is a freelance agricultural journalist for University of Vermont Extension.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: GLENN CALLAHAN; MIKE HITELMAN; COURTESY PHOTOS

RURAL ROUTE

Cards for every occasion, posh paper goods, and gifts designed to elicit a smile fill the shelves at Juniper. The cozy three-room shop in Stowe village is a treasure for anyone who prefers to put pen to paper rather than dashing off a text message or tweet.

Chess Brownell.

Owner Chess Brownell has always appreciated fine stationery and cards. She created invitations and other stationery in between organizing fundraisers for local nonprofits. Brownell said she and her friends send each other cards and, like many people their age, are enjoying a resurgence in communicating via paper. “Everything from ways to enhance a party, to home items and accessories,” Brownell said. “It’s all about trying to find unusual gifts and cards to cover every occasion.” Its greeting card lines represent 50 vendors, and card designs include digital prints, block prints and letterpress prints. In addition to cards, there is stationery, notebooks, gift wrap and tags, ribbons, and plenty of unique gift items such as silkscreened pillows and tea towels, recipe boxes, bamboo ice cream spoons and cheese knives, fabric shopping bags, and scarves. —Lisa McCormack

The operators of Stowe Mountain Resort’s new ZipTour Adventure remind you to go to the bathroom before you get on, which is sage advice. We’re talking almost two miles of cableriding at speeds that would get you pulled over if you were driving your car that fast on the way to the resort. Starting near the top of the gondola, Nosedive Zip—the first and longest of the three legs— drops about the height of an 80-story building, 803 feet. At top speed, you’re going about 60 mph, but you’re so high above the treetops that the broccoli-like canopy seems to move at a fairly languid pace. That’s an illusion, much like the way that the higher you are in an airplane, the slower the ground seems to slide on by. The third and final leg, the Perry Merrill Zip, also achieves that 60-mph top speed, but it seems faster because you’re much closer to the tops of the trees. Between those two is the Haselton Zip, a relatively short jaunt at 2,247 feet, with a 472-foot elevation drop. Yes, that’s what qualifies as a short zip line at Stowe—almost a half-mile long. For just $139—2015 rates—ZipTour riders can also try a treetop adventure course with nearly 70 elements that test their athletic and acrobatic acumen. Throw in unlimited gondola rides that day, and it becomes much more of a bargain, an all-day adventure. Bottom line: You’ll have to come back next summer to give it all a try. —Tommy Gardner

getZIPPED

It’s a writer’s dream to be published in The New Yorker, the esteemed literary, cultural, and political magazine, and that dream has come true for Jensen Beach, assistant professor of writing and literature at Johnson State College and fiction editor of Green Mountains Review. ••• The New Yorker published Beach’s short story, “The Apartment,” in its Aug. 31 issue. The story is set in Stockholm and is based on Beach’s experiences living in Sweden for six years, and is from Beach’s forthcoming book of short stories, “Swallowed by the Cold,” scheduled to be published by Graywolf next year. ••• He also wrote the short story collection “For Out of the Heart Proceed,” in addition to numerous stories, reviews, interviews, and essays.

SPOTLIGHT

COURTESY PHOTO; MARK GREENBERG

RURAL ROUTE

ALL ABOARD Direct flights from the Morrisville-Stowe Airport start this winter from New York. Aerial airport view.

KURT MAGOON

n the year since the MorrisvilleStowe Airport reopened with much fanfare, air traffic has been steady—but it’s been a matter of flying in on your own plane or hiring someone to fly you in and out. Until now. This winter, Stowe Aviation, which operates the state-owned airport, will offer regularly scheduled flights between Morrisville and White Plains, N.Y., just north of New York City. The company is partnering with Tradewind Aviation, a Connecticut airline whose stops include Boston, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and a handful of Caribbean islands. Stowe Aviation CEO Russell Barr said small, state-owned airports are quickly becoming a critical part of the nation’s

transportation grid. Barr’s wife, Toni, has another phrase for it: “We call it the power of the plane.” At first, there will be four weekend flights—two flights into and out of Stowe on Friday and two on Sunday. According to Tradewind, direct flights start at $350 plus tax for a one-way ticket, although the airline sells premium “commuter ticket books” that knock $100 off a one-way flight. So, a round trip between Morrisville and White Plains will cost between $500 and $750, plus tax. Online ticket sites show a comparable round trip between Burlington and White Plains for about $550. What does that extra money get you? For starters, you don’t have to leave the house two-plus hours before the flight to drive to Burlington, pay or arrange for

parking, take your shoes and belt off in the TSA line, sit around the gate, and roll the dice on your seatmate. Instead, you get to the airport 15 minutes before your flight, park your car in the free parking area and let Stowe Aviation and Tradewind take care of the rest. The planes are eight-seater turboprop Pilatus PC12s, “the most popular business aircraft in the industry today,” says Tom Anderson, Stowe Aviation’s president and chief operating officer. As a bonus, he adds, Stowe Aviation’s chief mechanic already has four years of experience on the Pilatus. “Nantucket, St. Barths, Stowe. Isn’t that kind of amazing?” says Barr. Tradewind doesn’t need to fill all eight seats on every flight to and from Stowe to keep its affiliation with the local airport, according to Anderson. “Tradewind understands it’s a year or two before any route shows its true potential.” It’s been roughly one year since the airport reopened after a $4.4 million upgrade, part of a planned $27 million renovation. —Tommy Gardner

Next summer, people can watch real-life jousting matches, perhaps with a flagon of beer in one hand and a turkey leg in the other, as Stowe’s first Renaissance Faire comes galloping into town. The event will be held June 25 – 26 and organizers hope to attract as many as 1,500 people. “It’s a little other-worldly for some people—knights walking by, fairies walking by,” says festival organizer Jeff Folb of Wolfgaard Productions. “With this venue, as you step into this little green field, you can really step into that other reality.” Plans call for upward of 30 vendors hawking their wares, many of them Renaissance-era trinkets and edibles. Several local breweries, wineries, cideries, and meaderies will be sprinkled around the venue. There will be local acoustic musical acts, belly dancers, stage combat demonstrations, and a kids’ area with jesters, puppet shows, and “bubble fairies.” And jousting, of course. —Tommy Gardner

RURAL ROUTE “You could see from one end of Stowe Hollow to the other. There were no trees.”

—Charlie Burnham, Stowe landscape architect

GLENN CALLAHAN

Mid-20th-century aerials show sparse landscape

STOWE FROM ON HIGH As long as humans have claimed ownership of the land, much of Earth has resembled a patchwork quilt when viewed from above. Soon after humans took to the skies, they began taking pictures of that giant, rolling mosaic. An exhibit of aerial photographs on display at the Stowe Historical Society captures that black-and-white plaid landscape during the middle decades of the 20th century, before Google Earth and satellite imagery, when the tools consisted of a camera mounted to the belly of an airplane making leisurely passes over Stowe and the surrounding areas. “High Over Stowe” offers a unique opportunity for Stowe-ites to look down on their neighbors, or at least the forested or fielded areas where their neighbors would eventually end up, in stunning, high-resolution photographs from the 1940s through the 1970s. The photos provide a glimpse into the past, a neat compare-and-contrast between then and now. The geological features of Mt. Mansfield and surrounding peaks and valleys remain unchanged, even as ski trails and roads crept in over the past 60 to 70 years. The sides of Mansfield crinkle and bunch in the photos in such sharpness that it’s tempting to run a finger over the photo to see if it actually bulges out of the frame. According to the Vermont state archives, these types of photos were shot at a 1:20,000 scale, where an inch equaled about a third of a mile. The photographs at the historical society have been blown up to poster size, but retain the sharpness of the originals, making it easy to immerse yourself in them. Some photos show wide-open land that farmers used in the mid-1900s—along Mountain Road, and in Stowe Hollow and Moscow—that has long since been subdivided and sold off, as farms folded. In other photos, there’s a literal clear-cut difference between then and now: In the early 1900s, forests like Sunset Rock and Cady Hill resembled shorn sheep. “You could see from one end of Stowe Hollow to the other. There were no trees,” explains Charlie Burnham, a Stowe landscape architect. The photos show a clear delineation in many of the properties, all manner of warped quadrilaterals whose borders are stands of trees, a forest, the edges of a tilled field, driveways and roads, rivers and streams. The beauty from that vantage point comes in the gradations and textures, the shades of black and white, and the linear nature of the roads next to the nature-made sweeps and curves of the rivers. Aerial photographs between the 1940s and 1970s were taken as part of a much larger project to document the folds and crannies, lakes and rivers, roads and bridges of the nation. Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester trained pilots on how to get the best shots, and Vermont-trained pilots photographed most of Europe, too. Much of the work was pragmatic; the U.S. government was planning the interstate highway system, and it needed to know the lay of the land. These photos provided that geographical information and much more, such as likely sources for gravel that would be hugely important in constructing those new roads. Usually the planes were typical twin-engine reconnaissance models. Specially designed cameras were affixed to the planes, pointing down, and the planes would just make long passes over areas, snapping shot after shot in 1:20,000 scale. “There are a lot of great aerial photos, thanks to these boys from Vermont,” Burnham says. “These weren’t just scenic.” —Tommy Gardner ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: Stowe Historical Society, 90 School St. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, noon - 3 p.m. and by appointment. stowehistoricalsociety.org. 48

HIGH OVER STOWE A new exhibit of aerial photographs from the 1940s – 1970s on display at the Stowe Historical Society. An aerial photo of the Stowe ski area by John Goodman. Neil Van Dyke, right, talks with Barbara Baraw and Liz and Tom Lackey about the exhibit. A stereoscopic magnifier used to examine photos.

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COURTESY STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

O N T H E M O U N TA I N

SKI STOWE

towe’s two magnificent mountains, Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, form a grand panorama defined by the rugged cliffs of Smugglers’ Notch. Stowe’s bounty of natural snow, its open glades, uninterrupted fall line, and the spectacular twin summits of Vermont’s highest peak were a magnet for the pioneers of skiing in America. Today, over 85 years later, alpine, cross-country, and freestyle skiers—and snowboarders—continue to bring world fame to this proud mountain community. In fact, of all of America’s winter Olympic teams, few have failed to have a representative from Stowe. Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak capture skiers’ and snowboarders’ interest because they boast a total of 2,160 feet of vertical on 485 acres, offering the longest average trail length in the East. Skiers and riders will find every type of terrain, from wide-open cruisers to narrow, winding trails and glades. What makes Stowe so special? It starts with Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest mountain at 4,393 feet and home to the East’s greatest natural ski terrain. Stowe thrills guests with its famous doublediamond Front Four trails: National, Liftline, Starr, and Goat. The Front Four are the quintessential classic New England trails, with steeps and bumps that pump even the most accomplished skier’s adrenaline. They hold their place with the world’s great runs, and among skiers the world over they’re household words. LONG HISTORY OF SKIERS Its awesome and timeless beauty inevitably strikes first-time skiers at Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Gliding toward the top of Mt. Mansfield, one is embraced by the stillness of a panoramic bowl that stretches toward forbidding cliffs l

Areas of Stowe Mountain Resort marked outside of the ski area boundary on trail maps and with signage on the mountain itself, is hazardous backcountry terrain, containing unmarked hazards such as cliffs, thick, brushy terrain, riverbeds, stumps, rocks, avalanches. This area is not patrolled or maintained. Vermont law states that any person who uses ski area facilities to access terrain that is outside the open and designated trails shall be liable for any costs of rescue, medical, or other services. —Stowe.com

PHOTOS COURTESY STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

O N T H E M O U N TA I N

Stowe Mountain Resort has joined the Mountain Collective, an affiliation of 11 of the best ski resorts in North America. Stowe and Taos, N.M., are new to the collective for the upcoming season, and Stowe is the first resort on the East Coast. Mountain Collective passes provide two days of skiing or riding at each of the 11 destinations (Alta/Snowbird, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Mammoth Mountain, Ski Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine, Stowe, Sun Valley, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Taos, Thredbo, and Whistler/BlackAt Stowe: comb), plus a 50-percent discount on all additional days and no blackout dates. The pass grants access to 21 mountains with more than 43,400 acres of terrain and 271 lifts and an unmatched reputation for snow quality, quantity, and steeps. Mountain Collective pass holders can also get lodging deals and two bonus days at Valle Nevado in Chile and the Hakuba Valley in Japan. Passes come with a free one-year membership to Protect Our Winters, an organization that aims to unite the winter sports community on the issue of climate change.

MOUNTAIN NEWS

ESSENTIALS: mountaincollective.com or (800) 705-6286. It’s not easy being green. Just ask Stowe Mountain Resort’s Planning Manager Rob Apple. Even before the resort began implementing its master plan 15 years ago, Apple led the charge to become an industry leader in environmental sustainability. Stowe Mountain Resort collaborated with 20 different organizations, including state government agencies, environmental advocacy groups, and the local community to create methods of reducing its carbon footprint and lessoning its impact on the environment. Then Apple applied for certification as an Audubon Sustainable Community, a designation that required that the resort conform to rigid environmental standards. Apple’s efforts paid off. The ski area became the first ski resort and one of only four communities in the world to be recognized as a Certified Audubon Sustainable Community by Audubon International Sustainable Communities Program. “Stowe Mountain Resort’s master plan was based on establishing the resort as a sustainable company and a leader in the industry,” Apple says. “Many of our guests prefer to visit us because our values are also their values.” Resort achievements include water conservation, resource conservation, energy efficiency, solid and hazardous waste reduction, recycling and composting, environmental education for employees, and green building design. Stowe Mountain Resort has earned other green awards as well. Spruce Peak at Stowe is the first mountain resort development in the U.S. to earn Audubon’s Green Community Award. They did this by protecting 2,000 acres of wilderness that includes crucial habitat for the rare Bicknell’s thrush, collecting stormwater runoff in a snowmaking lake, supporting the town’s municipal trolley transportation system, and constructing a gondola shuttle between the two base areas to eliminate the need for a fleet of diesel shuttle buses. In addition, Stowe Mountain Club was the first golf course in Vermont designated as an Audubon Signature Sanctuary. —Kate Carter 52

Continues from page 51

guarding the narrow pass known as Smugglers’ Notch. Many of the trails gracing the flanks of Vermont’s highest mountain can trace their history back to the birth of skiing in North America. Nathaniel Goodrich, a Dartmouth College librarian, made the first recorded descent in 1914. Others soon followed. By the 1930s, even before the first lift, skiers flocked to Stowe. These ski pioneers came here first for a simple reason: best mountain, best snow. Most of Stowe’s trails were cut in the first half of the 1900s, and without the benefit of bulldozers. The first ones were hand-cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1940s. Charlie Lord, the architect of trails like Nose Dive, Goat, and Perry Merrill, had a natural sense of a mountain’s fall line. His trails flow down the mountain like poetry. Those of you who like to follow the sun will find Stowe is laid out perfectly to ski around the mountain. In the morning, the Front Four bask in soft morning light. In the early afternoon, work your way to the right and ski off the gondola. And to catch that elusive afternoon warmth, head to Spruce, which gets magnificent afternoon sunshine. The forgiving terrain of Spruce Peak’s sun-washed slopes also provides a haven for the youngest or newest skiers. On Mt. Mansfield, the 3.7-mile-long Toll Road is the perfect spot for beginners. The wonderful thing about the Toll Road is that it allows beginners to enjoy an experience that advanced skiers get all the time: seeing the whole mountain. Intermediate skiers can test themselves on miles of groomed cruising runs. The broad expanses of Gondolier and Perry Merrill at the Gondola, or Sunrise and Standard, where the sun shines late on the shortest days of winter, are popular with skiers and riders of every ability. Skiers who like wide cruisers will be completely exhilarated after taking a few runs down Gondolier. A favorite of many skiers is at the top, off the quad. Ridgeview, not quite as wide open as Gondolier, provides the perfect place to practice short-radius turns. Spruce Peak is also an intermediate skier’s paradise. For those learning to tackle bumps, Gulch is covered with medium-sized moguls, so skiers can concentrate on technique without being tossed around. Mt. Mansfield also has premier glade skiing for the adventurous. After a storm when there’s a solid base of snow, advanced intermediates will want to head for the consummate off-piste experience. Stowe Mountain Resort offers a number of gladed areas—all described on the ski area’s interactive trail map—including Tres Amigos, Sunrise, and Nose Dive glades.

①

① ⑥ ②

④ ⑤ ③ WATERBURY WINTERFEST JAN. 29 – FEB. 7: Events and activities designed to encourage Waterbury residents and visitors to get outdoors and enjoy the recreational opportunities in the area. Various locations. waterburywinterfest.com.

SNOWMOBILE CLUBS: EDEN: Gihon Trak Packers / gihontrakpackers.org MORRISVILLE: Lamoille County Snow Packers / 802 888-2281 JEFFERSONVILLE: Smugglers’ Notch Snowmobile Club / 802 730-4360 JOHNSON: Sterling Snow Riders / 802 635-8388 STOWE: Stowe Snowmobile Club / stowesnowmobile.org WOLCOTT: Wolcott Snow Travelers / 802 888-3224 PHOTOS: GLENN CALLAHAN

OUTDOOR PRIMER On skinny skis Stowe boasts one of the largest, most diverse trail systems in the United States. More than 150 kilometers of groomed and 100 kilometers of backcountry trails crisscross its landscape. One of those backcountry trails is the Catamount Trail, 300 miles of wilderness skiing over the spine of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Quebec. It connects 15 ski centers throughout the state, including those in Stowe. Trapp Family Lodge, the first commercial ski center in the U.S., is the heart of Stowe’s network with 60k of groomed trails and 100k of backcountry trails. Stowe Mountain Resort CrossCountry Touring Center’s accessibility to the downhill ski area creates an uncommon fusion of Nordic and alpine skiing. Stowe Mountain Resort’s 45k of groomed and 30k of backcountry trails are the highest in elevation in Stowe. Topnotch at Stowe Resort and Spa offers additional terrain. Over the mountain in Cambridge, the Smugglers’ Cross Country Center at Smugglers’ Resort offers 30k of cross-country trails and 24k of dedicated snowshoe trails through woods and fields.

Figure 8, anyone? Public skating is offered daily at Stowe Arena. The arena has skate rentals. Call the hotline for public skating schedules: (802) 253-3721.

Winter fish tales This may be the Ski Capital of the East, but don’t tell the fish that! Fish do not go dormant in the winter. Their metabolism slows, but they still need to eat. So if you enjoy eating—or just catching—fish, there’s nothing better than a mess of yellow perch out of Vermont’s frigid waters. Local outfitters will be thrilled to help you set your line.

Snowshoe heaven The Stowe area is home to one of the most extensive and diverse trails systems in the East, making it the perfect destination for snowshoeing. From the flat 5.3-mile Stowe Recreation Path to the challenging summit of Madonna Mountain, snowshoers go at their own pace and reap the benefits of a safe, aerobic exercise. The Green Mountain Club, on Route 100 in Waterbury Center (greenmountainclub.org), has compiled a list of favorite snowshoe hikes in the Stowe-Smugglers’ area. Stowe Land Trust (stowelandtrust.org) allows snowshoeing on many of its conserved properties.

It’s VAST out there Imagine a 5,000-mile highway that suddenly appears every winter. One that goes through backcountry and snow-covered mountains, secluded valleys, and friendly villages. In Vermont, you don’t have to imagine it; it’s the winter world of snowmobiling. All riders in Vermont must belong to the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST), a non-profit, private group of over a hundred snowmobile clubs with tens of thousands of members. (See our list of local clubs at left.)

Maple mojo Mid- to late-winter means maple time in Vermont, producer of the world’s best maple syrup. Many maple producers keep their sugarhouses open year round. It’s most fun during boiling time! A great resource is vermontmaple.org. 55

COURTESY PHOTO

SKINNY SKIS

TEAMWORK Sara Teachout, Katrina Ouellette, Marcy Andrus, and Hannah Sequist.

THRILL RIDE Reflections of a first-time Stowe Derby racer On a whim, I signed up for the Stowe Derby. For years, I dreamed about skiing in the Derby, America’s oldest downhill cross-country race. So with some friends I formed a team, appropriately named Demolition Derby. That Stowe Derby in 2010—the 65th running of the race—was my fourth time on skate skis. Ever. After picking up our bibs, we boarded the bus to Mt. Mansfield. There was a low hum on the bus and snippets of different conversations could be heard. Everyone was talking about kids, family, jobs, but no one mentioned The Race. It felt like a reunion of old friends. STORY / Katrina Long Ouellette At the mountain we piled out into the bright sunshine, no wind, and almost spring-like temperatures. Soon, we rode the Lookout double chair and unloaded near the top of the mountain, where the Stowe Derby begins. The scene was incredible. The air buzzed with energy. Serious skiers warmed up on one side of the lift, while others stood around chatting about life. Music blared amid a sea of colorful outfits that could rival the fanciest costume party. From brightly colored race suits—flowers, stripes, dots!—to wool pants and hunting jackets and lederhosen and skirts, people arrived dressed to impress. The spirit at the top melted away my nerves, and, I might add, my own outfit gave me the look of an expert Nordic racer. At 10:20 a.m., our team lined up. Hannah and Sara started, followed by Marcy, Meredith, and me. The timer beeped and off we went. I skied down and hit the first turn. Literally. Wistfully I waved goodbye to my friends. That first spill set the tone for the rest of my descent—disastrous or entertaining, depending on your viewpoint! 56

While struggling to right myself after another fall, I enjoyed conversation with a photographer embedded in a snowbank. So it wasn’t all bad. If I hadn’t fallen I never would have noticed him. Other racers offered some spectacular crashes, but mostly I saw the backsides of skiers as they flew by. With a sigh of relief, I finally entered the woods and the crowd thinned out. I skied on my own, hearing the occasional “on your right, on your left.” With my acknowledgment, they smiled, thanked me, and skied ahead. It was downright hospitable out in the woods. Mr. Lederhosen passed me with just a hint of snow on his shorts. Mr. Wool Pants passed me with one pole and one very long stick. “My pole broke, I had to improvise,” he explained. Deep into Ranch Valley Cruise, I played ski yo-yo with two other skiers, Ms. Bearhead Hat and Ms. Woolen Hat. Unbeknownst to them, they were now my friends, my surrogate teammates, and their presence inspired me to finish this race. I didn’t notice the big hills ahead—moving at a snail’s pace likely had something to do with that. Still, my skis

STOWE DERBY The Derby is the oldest downhill/cross-country ski race in North America. The first race in 1945 began as a personal challenge between two amazing skiers—Austrian Sepp Ruschp, who was hired to come to America and head the new ski school at Stowe, and Erling Strom, a worldfamous Norwegian mountaineer. The challenge was the same as it is today—to race from the top of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, to the historic village of Stowe... on ONE pair of skis. Ruschp won the first Stowe Derby. Today, the race attracts over 900 competitors, ranging from Canadian cross-country ski team members and NCAA champions to recreational skiers looking for a thrill. Skiers cover 20k of terrain, racing down Mt. Mansfield’s Toll Road and along the entire length of the Stowe Recreation Path before the finish in the village. The course has a total vertical drop of over 2,600 feet. This year’s Stowe Derby is Sunday, Feb. 28. stowederby.com.

and I embraced the undulating trail as we wound through the woods. I made it to the Covered Bridge Condos and passed Ms. Bearhead Hat at the top of the chute that dumps you into the field before the bike path. I could hear her whooping it up behind me as I triumphantly skied, without falling, into the field. With temperatures in the 30s it was a slow slog into town. I tried to work on my unique skate technique: skate, skate, glide, double pole, skate, skate, glide, double pole… rest. Until I heard, “Go Mommy Go!” There’s no better sound than your 4-year-old daughter and husband cheering you on. I felt a burst of energy. Skate, skate, glide… skate, skate, glide. Ms. Bearhead Hat and Ms. Woolen Hat passed me for the final time with 4k to go. I felt deflated and lonely and when I saw my husband and daughter at the Swimming Hole, I stopped. Alan coaxed me to finish that last 2k and with the finish line in sight, a sense of achievement hit me. I heard the cheers of my team, the members of which had waited over an hour for my finish. I was last in my age division and nearly last overall. But I finished. And yes, I will be back next year to do it again. A native Vermonter, Katrina skied the freestyle long course of the Stowe Derby again in 2011 and then happily retired to the short course with her daughter, Emaline. She lives in Stowe with her family.

TRAIL JOURNAL

TOUR GUIDE Biddle Duke of Stowe leads a Stowe Land Trust outing through the magical forests of Ranch Valley.

A good snow year. That sounds simple enough, right? A regular accumulation of the white stuff, preserved by cold temperatures, with only a hint of the inescapable mid-January thaw. A good snow year. It’s what skiers all over Vermont long for, one that will host memories for years—decades, even—to come. The winter of 2014-2015 was a good snow year. How do we know? Because all of the usual powder stashes and choice lines were “in” for most of the winter, and without much imagination, new lines revealed themselves with stunning regularity. It was in these remarkable conditions that Stowe Land Trust led a group of eager and adventure-minded skiers in search of backcountry powder and camaraderie through Ranch Valley, that magical land between two giants— Stowe Mountain Resort and Trapp Family Lodge. The first downhill trail that came off Mt. Mansfield was cut in Ranch Valley in the 1930s, and ever since skiers have explored this terrain on Mansfield’s shoulder. It is an idyllic forest, with majestic hardwood glades and stunted birch groves, a place with enough folds and ridges that a skier never has to search for too long to find a powder-filled descent.

IN THE BACKCOUNTRY Searching for powder, camaraderie

Most of the land here belongs to Mt. Mansfield State Forest or Trapp Family Lodge, and in 2006 the Stowe Land Trust (SLT) secured from Trapp Family Lodge the development rights to a 513-acre parcel knows as Adams Camp. This purchase created a permanent access point for recreation enthusiasts, with dedicated trails for skiers and mountain bikers, as well as access for hikers, birders, and a host of other non-motorized activities. While use of the maintained trails requires the purchase of a day pass from either Trapps or Stowe Mountain Resort, depending on your itinerary, skiers with the proper equipment and training can access hundreds of acres of backcountry terrain at will. In this spirit, seven of us headed out on a seasonal Vermont afternoon from Adams Camp bridge, led by Biddle Duke, a Stowe resident, SLT board member, and avowed backcountry powder addict. With skins on for the uphills, Duke led us on a gradual ascent up the valley, the unofficial trail sparsely marked but relatively easy to follow. 58

STORY & PHOTOS

/ Roger Murphy

Along the way Duke shared some of the history of skiing in Ranch Valley, from early trail work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps to the work overseen by the land trust to preserve this remarkable resource, to the recent explosion of uphill skiers exploring the Valley and similar terrain around Stowe. On a crisp late February day surrounded by likeminded comrades eager for turns, it was impossible not to be thankful that such a place will remain as is for future generations. Soon enough, perhaps too soon for some who were mesmerized by the glide/step/glide of skinning uphill, we reached the height of land. The group took a break for some snacks, to don additional layers, make slight gear adjustments, and then head back down. Remember, it was a good snow year, so there were turns to be had in all directions. No need to follow any trail or track; we just aimed our skis in the general direction pointed out by Duke and let the mountain dictate our turns. The snow cradled us if we fell, and rewarded us with deep carves when quick changes of direction were called for. I don’t recall exactly the breadth of my smile at every moment, but I’m sure the only time it was hidden was when my face was covered with snow. n

TREE SKI A microburst destroyed Goat Woods, a popular glades area on Mansfield. It’s now off-limits.

rom afar, Mt. Mansfield famously resembles a face peering up toward the sky—which, in Vermont, is the only thing higher than it is. Up close, that profile, like any human face, is changing. In the past year, human development and weather phenomena have substantially altered Mansfield’s eastern slope. The humans were deft and careful with their alterations: a two-mile zip line zigzagging down the face of the mountain, and a new treetop adventure course tucked discreetly into a fold near its base. But you can’t say the same for the facial changes visited upon Mansfield last year by Mother Nature: A rapid and destructive microburst storm last summer flattened several acres of the area known as Goat Woods, some of the most popular inbounds woods skiing. It was pure weather fury. “Seeing that devastation, seeing what Mother Nature can do in, literally, seconds …” Michael Colbourn, Stowe Mountain Resort’s communications director, couldn’t find the right word to describe it. “Eventually nature just takes over.” A year after the microburst turned Goat Woods into a giant swath of debris, visible from all over Mansfield, the affected area remains hands-off, per orders from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Some state officials are keeping a closer-than-ever eye on the mountain, worried that mankind has done just about enough meddling up there. “We’re the stewards of the land, and our role there is to see things through a filter of Goat Woods: what’s best for the land,” says Michael Snyder, commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “The mountain itself should be sacrosanct.” Goat Woods, the unofficial name for the forest glades adjacent to the ski resort’s Goat and Midway trails, has long been one of the more popular woods runs at the mountain. It’s within the ski resort boundaries, has a favorable, steep fall line, and skiers and riders can bop into the woods and back out onto a trail, and back in again, on a whim. Now, the area is a jumble of uprooted trees, snapped trunks, a maze of crisscrossing branches deeper than a person is tall, with widow-makers poised overhead. The whole thing resembles a giant game of pick-up sticks, and you never know when you step onto one part if another part will come tumbling down on you or open up beneath you. The resort was able to clean up debris that spilled onto the Goat and Midway trails, but that’s all the state allowed. According to Snyder, someone could possibly clean up the mess, especially with enough money and heavy machinery. But that would likely do much more harm than good, and would be “exceedingly dangerous.” The state’s stance is that the best way for the woods to recover is to let the forest do it at its own pace. “It’s a natural sponge, for one thing, for water that would otherwise run off and take other things with it,” Snyder says. Indeed, the mountain is strongly discouraging people from venturing into what some locals have dubbed the Microburst Glades. Signs at likely entry points into the area are bright orange and verbose, with all-caps warnings to stay out.

MICROBURST

SPRUCING UP

TOMMY GARDNER

MOUNTAIN OPS

Colbourn says Mt. Mansfield covers more than 5,000 acres, with plenty of backwoods terrain, and the resort designates a little less than 500 acres as in-bounds. “If you saw it in the summer, you wouldn’t ski it in the winter, when all the danger is hidden,” Colbourn says. —Tommy Gardner

Circa 1950s:

TRAIL CONDITIONS Powder: Any type of snow in which your skis will disappear. Wind-packed powder: Soft like a sand bag. Frozen granular: Certified high-grade boiler plate. Hard packed: Blue in color; will chip an axe. Wet snow: Like mashed potatoes. Light mist: Poses the question, “Which way is down?” Heavy mist: Should be spelled R-A-I-N. Small bumps: Anything you can see over. —Verrill From Mt. Mansfield Skiing, Vol. XXI, No. 4, March 1955 Several new projects are coming online this winter at Stowe Mountain Resort as part of the resort’s long-term $500 million master expansion plan. ••• At the center of the project is a new outdoor ice rink that will double as a community plaza and green in the summer. Other improvements include the Stowe Mountain Club Alpine Clubhouse and children’s Adventure Center, which will house a ski-and-ride school, year-round day-care facilities, and activities center; retail shops, restaurants, food markets, and underground parking for Alpine Club members. ••• A zipline and adventure course opened this summer.

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GOOD WORKS

SNAP Clockwise from top left: Erik Stroh plays with toys with his counselor, Sammie Gorton, in the SNAP meeting area at Smugglers’ Notch Resort. Eight-year old Asaminew Primmer gets ready for a day with his counselor, Kyrstyn Ransom, and his service dog, Kazi. A sign for SNAP. Below, left: Participant Seth Levy from Pennsylvania gets ready to go on a canoe trip with his counselors Next page: Let’s go, Levy says!

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHS

/ Kevin M. Walsh

“It was the splinter on Max’s butt that nearly made me weep from happiness (while) we were on vacation at Smugglers’ Notch,” wrote Ellen Seidman, Max’s mom and a blogger about children with special needs (lovethatmax.com). “Max was due to go to camp, and I couldn’t get the splinter out. So, I brought Max to the special needs program, conferred with the director, and asked if she had tweezers. A camp for children and teens with special needs run by a person willing to extract a splinter from a kid’s butt? Wow. Just wow.” That’s just a day in the life of a SNAP director. SNAP, or Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Programs, offers both a winter and summer program at the ski resort over the Notch from Stowe. The program helps vacationing parents take a little time off to fully relax. The resort’s website describes SNAP as a program “dedicated to providing therapeutic recreation for children and adults of all abilities in a supportive environment.” Parents describe SNAP as a wonderful program that

Program makes vacation survival

A S N A P AT S M U G G S

accepts children of all ages and adults with physical and mental disabilities and places them in age- and ability-appropriate activities, rain, snow, or shine, for several hours each day. Smuggs’ is known for its award-winning family vacation programs, where adults can enjoy a variety of seasonal activities, or just the quiet of a hot tub and a good book, while trained counselors engage their children in a wide variety of daytime activities with other kids their age. SNAP takes this same model to fit the needs and interests of disabled people. Where appropriate, given age and ability, SNAP participants take part in activities with other campers. But counselors also adapt to meet the needs of SNAP participants who might require special accommodations. “SNAP makes all the difference in the world, allowing us to have respite time to ourselves during camp hours. As parents of a child with a disability, we get to enjoy a vacation. SNAP allows us time to ourselves as a couple. SNAP allows us worry-free days because we are confident with SNAP and Smuggs’ personnel to handle issues as needed. They are l

knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and well trained,” says Marcy Levy, mom to Seth, 22. Diana Paulin, whose daughter has autism, echoes the sentiments of many other parents: “The program director of SNAP at that time was amazing with our daughter. They had us provide them with lots of information about her likes and dislikes, our goals for camp and vacation, and about behavior plans we had in place. They also introduced our daughter to a host of new experiences.” Because of these kinds of vacation experiences with SNAP, many parents have purchased timeshares at Smuggs’, Paulin says. “We decided to buy a week at Smuggs’ because we had such a positive experience, and it has been the highlight of every summer since that first year. We would not have had the wherewithal to embark on a family vacation without the support that the SNAP program has offered.”

SNAP

But maybe the best evidence of SNAP’s success is what the participants themselves say. Greg Walsh, a 23-year-old who had fun attending SNAP for about 15 years, says, “We would get to choose with our counselor our own daily routine and what we would do for the day. If one activity was frustrating, you could decide to leave the main group for a while.” (Walsh is the son of Kevin and Maureen Walsh. Kevin is a regular contributor to the Stowe-Smugglers’ Guide & Magazine.) Seth Levy agrees. “I would tell other families to send their kids to SNAP because it’s a great program. I enjoyed all the activities. I really enjoyed when we went off the resort and went horseback riding and swimming. My counselor stayed with me while I rode the horse.” n //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: http://bit.ly/1OOb6DC 64

Photo by Brian Coons, ’09

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COOL THINGS

STORY / Tommy Gardner PHOTOS / Glenn Callahan

The last time we heard from Steve Berson and his wife, Cindy Allen-Berson, they were the owners of the popular pizzeria Pie in the Sky. Now, they’re back with another pie-in-the-sky idea that just might change the face of one of America’s fastest-growing sports. The Bersons have taken their penchant for circle-shaped things and applied that to the stand up paddleboard market, launching Oblio, a double-bladed paddle with a rotating grip that promises a smoother, faster, more efficient trip along the lake, river, or surf than standard paddles allow. Although they’ve been paddling in the upright position for only about five years, it’s apparent that Cindy and Steve are outdoors types, with lithe limbs and bronze skin contrasting with their salt-and-pepper hair. In preparation for a photo shoot, Steve takes off the T-shirt he’s wearing and swaps it for an official Oblio T-shirt. “Yeah, I’m a vitamin D donor,” he jokes, referring to his tan. Most SUPers (stand up paddleboarders) use a one-bladed paddle that has a knob at the end of the shaft to use as a fulcrum. Really good riders can do all their paddling on one side, but most have to take a few strokes on one side, then switch the paddle to the other side. During that switchover, depending on wind, waves, or current, the board can lose most or all of its momentum.

OBLIO ORBIT

Paddleboard power base in Stowe

Plus, a key draw to SUP is the standing-up part, and those shorter single oars often force you to bend at the waist. Not many double-bladed paddles are on the market, even though they give paddlers a much more consistent left-right-left-right rhythm. And the ones that are available just weren’t doing it for the Bersons, who thought the double-bladed models forced the user to constantly torque the wrist and put undue pressure on the elbow and shoulder. “I just love being on the water, and I like being in the standing position, and I really wanted to like the sport, but I just didn’t like the paddle,” Steve says. When the couple went to Hawaii a few years ago, they had an idea of a rotating handle, but didn’t really know how to go about designing it. A chance meeting with Scott Bucknell, a native islander and longtime paddleboarder, helped connect those dots. Bucknell had founded the paddling shop Race Hawaii in 1984 on O‘ahu, and was himself working on a patent for a rotating grip.

WHAT’S UP? Clockwise from left: Oblio rotating paddle grip. Steve Berson demonstrates his double-bladed paddle. Steve and his wife and partner Cindy Allen-Berson show off a couple of Oblio products.

But shortly before Bucknell met the Bersons, he was in a serious motorcycle accident and was all but paralyzed from the torso down. “All of his resources were going toward getting well,” Steve says. “He was just hoping someone would call him about his design.” The Bersons talked at length with Bucknell and agreed to license his patent. Their first bolt-on grip is still available, well past the prototype stage, as a gadget you can hook to your existing kayak paddle. From that rudimentary design came the Oblio. Standing in a corner of the manufacturing shop/office/storage area in the former Tubbs Mill building—where Tubbs used to manufacture its famous snowshoes—is a collection of prototypes, a bundle of long cylinders of various materials. One of them resembles a MacGyver’d aluminum pool-cleaning net with a wide U-shaped bend in the middle. “This may seem new to you, but this is like the 20th iteration,” Berson says. The company makes four versions of the Oblio paddle, each with a clever name that corresponds to the handle color. “The Red One” is the company’s top-of-the-line paddle, with a shaft made completely of carbon fiber, retailing for $525. The lowest-price models sells for $299. Based on successful summer sales of the new paddles, Oblio plans to put out a new model, the Blue-Light, which has a full-carbon shaft like The Red One, but isn’t as light as that high-end model. What about that name? Actually, it has little to do with paddling. The name comes from a psychedelic animated film from 1971 created by songwriter Harry Nilsson called “The Point.” The movie portrays a land where everyone has pointy heads, and those who don’t are outcasts. The hero of the story freaks everyone out with his round head. His name: Oblio. “We wanted a one-word name,” Cindy says. “And,” Steve says, “we’re different.” ESSENTIALS: obliopaddles.com.

GABE L’HEUREUX

STOWE PEOPLE

STORY / Kate Carter

BUD KEENE

Snowboarding pioneer takes his show to the road—and computer 68

Bud Keene took his first ride 30 years ago. Today he’s a snowboarding elder statesman. Keene began snowboarding as it was first emerging onto the scene, and by the time he retired from competition at 33 he could execute a 540—one-and-a-half rotations with a backwards landing. At the time it was the hardest trick in the world. In the ensuing years, he’s shepherded the sport’s growth, from envisioning new tricks and helping young riders to execute them, pushing boundaries all the way to a triple cork 1440.

Considering joint replacement? Rotator cuff repair? Knee arthroscopy?

COACH AND STUDENT Olympic snowboard gold medalist Shaun White with Bud Keene.

He helped pioneer the sport. Now he’s a pioneer coach. Bud has coached some of the greatest snowboarders in the world, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, Olympic gold medalists Kaitlyn Farrington and Hannah Teter, backcountry rider Jake Blauvelt, and many more. In 2006 the U.S. Olympic Committee awarded Bud its highest coaching honor, naming him National Coach of the Year. He is widely regarded as the most successful, knowledgeable, and decorated snowboard coach in the history of the sport. Now 55, Bud is obviously not performing those triple cork 1440s, but that doesn’t mean he can’t teach and coach at the sport’s highest level. He attributes his coaching abilities to his background in math, physics, and engineering, and his analytical mind. “My movement analysis is very strong,” he says, “and I’m particularly good at reading athletes and pushing them, encouraging, supporting, and guiding them in a humanistic approach. I am always working on getting and maintaining a high level of trust, which enables me to push their buttons. I’ve often known athletes are capable of doing something before they know they can.” Bud started his coaching career in 1989 at Stowe Mountain Resort when he became the first full-time snowboard coach for the Mt. Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club. He developed the club’s snowboard program, which produced numerous champions and freestyle riders and many others who have gone on to successful careers in the snowboarding industry. Even now, Bud can talk to a 7-year-old kid and get that kid to listen. That kid wants to listen, because Bud is a very captivating man who has all the right words. Jake Blauvelt of Waterbury Center was one of those kids that Bud influenced at an early l

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F E E L B E AU T I F U L LY C A R E D F O R

Keene at Stowe Mountain Resort this summer.

age. A world-famous backcountry rider, Jake makes snowboarding movies that are thrilling, inspiring, and artistic. He worked with Bud from age 13 to 16, and now, at age 29, he still relies on the foundational skills and mental fortitude that Bud instilled. “Bud can break down tricks and help kids visualize how to take it to the next level fundamentally, like a lot of coaches out there, but what really sets Bud apart more than anything is his ability to motivate and help kids see their true potential,” Jake explains. “He demands hard work and focus and is incredibly inspirational to be around. The positive, energetic vibe he puts off is contagious and he has the ability to get kids fired up and truly believe in themselves. I owe a lot to Bud, but above all I thank him for showing me to be passionate in life.” Because of Bud’s success with young athletes like Jake, most of his coaching career was not at the elite level. Until recently, that is. The success he’s had with medal-winning Olympians has bolstered his client list, and many of them are Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. They are at the top of their game, and so is he.

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As for the 99.99 percent of the snowboarders who don’t have Olympic, or, for that matter, movie-making aspirations, many still train with Bud. Three years ago he started BKPRO—Bud Keene Progression—an umbrella for all efforts directed toward the progression of and in the sport. This could mean the growth of an individual rider’s skills, or the advancement of the sport in the public’s eye, or evolution that results in better snowboarding training tools and safety, coaching and mentoring, competition management, and training camps. There’s even a BKPRO coaching app. “I’ve had such a good thing going for such a long time, but I could only coach six or seven kids at one time in one location,” Bud says. “With the BKPRO app I can reach out worldwide. I can help with the highest level trick to the rookie wanting to make better turns.” BKPRO camps, held at Mammoth Mountain in California, offer something for all ages and levels of freestyle snowboarding and

skiing. They are held on the highest-quality and most up-to-date terrain, with state-of-theart training tools and safety features. “The hallmark of my camps is the mix of ability levels, which motivates and provides comfort and inspiration. There’s not a crazy competitiveness. It’s a more healthy environment,” Bud explains. “Some athletes who attend have a high level of ability and selfawareness and a lot of self belief. But confidence vs. capability is irrelevant because my objective is to take them from where they are to where they want to be. I push when the pushing is good and hold back otherwise. It’s a step-by-step process.” Jake Blauvelt remembers going to one of Bud’s first snowboard camps at Mt. Hood, when he was about 14 years old. “We had epic days up on the glacier learning heaps of new tricks. But the thing I remember most vividly was not the tricks or days actually up on snow, but the two down days we had, which were meant for rest. Bud took those two days to hike to the summit of one of the major volcanic peaks in the area. He hiked all day the first day, slept on top that night, and made it down the next day just in time to get back in the swing of camp life. It was that work ethic, drive, and passion that really sparked a flame in me. Bud inspires kids to be passionate, work hard, and follow their dreams. He leads by example.” Bud can even lead parents by example, having raised two boys in Stowe. One seminar in Bud’s wheelhouse is called Parenting an Action Sports Athlete. “Most parents have not experienced the action sports world. I’m trying to give them a road map like the ones that exist for mainstream sports. In action sports, parents can’t help because they don’t know what to do and they don’t speak the language.” In addition to camps and online coaching, Bud has a contract with the New Zealand National Team to coach boarders and skiers 90 days a year. He is also coaching talented kids in the U.S., including Gus Kenworthy, a skier from Telluride who won silver in the 2014 Ski Slopeside Olympics. And yes, if Shaun White decides to aim for the 2018 Olympics, Bud will once again be his coach. Bud would like to develop training tools similar to flight simulators, and bring his own coaching app to other types of sports. “I want to see an upward progression in snowboarding and to do it safely. I have a lot of ideas I want to push through in the next 10 years.” When Bud reflects on the past, it’s with awe and amazement. “When I started in snowboarding it was a toy. I never thought it would become my career and provide me with a home and family. If my career means anything, it’s that I’ve taken the lessons I’ve learned and brought them to a bigger stage. As with any truly great thing, it’s bigger than the sum of its parts.” n //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: budkeene.com. 71

ZOOM ZOOM A trip through the Vermont woods with Stowe Snowmobile Tours

he snow-covered landscape looks flat, as if the world and the sky have been rolled out like a sheet of dough. The thick padding inside the helmet reduces the high-pitched engine whine to a low buzz. You’ve been squeezing that middle sweet spot on the throttle and outmaneuvering the handlebar, more than actually steering it, as the skis underneath constantly send the steering column left, then right, then left. When the snow is fresh and powdery, riding a snowmobile along Vermont’s trails and through its fields is like romping on acres of pillow-top mattresses, or catching an afternoon wave on a surfboard. But when the snow is a few days old and a bit on the hard side, a 25-mile snowmobile tour is enough to reduce your arms to vibrating branches. Either way, Mitchell, a spunky 5-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, knew what he liked after a two-hour session of riding Stowe’s trails with a couple of guides from Stowe Snowmobile Tours, a division of Snowmobile Vermont, based out of Killington. “The bumpy parts,” Mitchell says. “I’ve had kids that used to come in with their moms and dads who are now driving the sleds with their own kids on the back,” says Mike “Spike” Lynds, a tour guide for the company. “They know me, I know them. It’s great.” Stowe Snowmobile Tours is located on Route 100, known locally as South Main Street, where it shares space during the winter with Umiak Outdoor Outfitters’ headquarters. This is where the adventure starts—getting a helmet that fits, and snowmobile suits and gloves if you don’t have your own. It also starts with a video on how to use the

machines that are going to be your transportation for the next two hours. Snowmobile Vermont was started in 1991 by three Killington-area ’chiners, Howard Smith, Klaus Weirether, and Lynds. They hauled a fleet of six Yamaha Bravos behind Lynds’ Dodge 50 pickup truck, all four cylinders of it, to the starting point of their tours. Now roughly 50 sleds are available among the outfit’s four sites—Killington, Stowe, Mount Snow, and Okemo—and the Story / T o m m y G a r d n e r fleet is replaced every year with new 550cc Polaris sleds equipped with heated handlebars. Photographs / G l e n n C a l l a h a n Those handlebars are a godsend to which anyone who’s been snowmobiling for a long time will attest. Even on a still, sunny day, temperatures can hover in the single digits, and the machines make their own wind-chill factor. Squeezing the heated grips is akin to having a nice cup of hot cocoa keeping you warm. The helmets are also warm enough that you’ll find yourself lifting the visor to let in some of that subzero breeze.

All Snowmobile Vermont needs for a good season is good snow. Last winter had frequent medium-sized storms and was cold enough to preserve the snow, just like an old-fashioned Nor’easter dump. This year’s forecast calls for more of the same: cold and long. Might as well enjoy it. Mitchell from Ohio was having a blast on the back of his sled; when you’re five years old, you’re still easily thrilled and still too afraid to take the throttle yourself. Nine-yearold older brother Will was also relegated to the back seat of his sled, and he just wanted some speed. He’s in that in-between age group for the snowmobile tours—old enough to realize he could totally steer the machine, but still too young to man the handlebars alone. Will sat behind one of the guides, looking a bit glum and bored for most of his trip, until the guide opened it up a little bit, and let Will get a good taste of the 550cc Polaris engine. His demeanor brightened measurably. “That was my favorite part, going fast,” Will says shyly. And hoo-boy do they go fast, faster than young Will will know until he turns 16 and can run the sled by himself. Zooming through an open field is one thing, but when the

trail narrows to 12 feet and twists and turns through the forest, 50 mph suddenly feels much faster—especially with the constant give-and-take between you and the sled’s front skis. They are designed for going straight forward, and need persuading to turn left or right. Luckily, the faster you go, the easier it is to turn. The balancing act between opening up the engine and keeping the machines under control takes a bit of practice. Simply lay on the accelerator and the machine will leap forward like a bronco stung by a bee, and since it’s a natural reaction to squeeze harder when you panic, it’s not unusual for a sled to go a hundred feet in the few seconds it takes you to find the brake. There’s a reason they teach the basics in a field before heading into the woods. “Sometimes it’s better if a person is new to all motorsports, because they don’t have to unlearn any bad habits,” Lynds says. “I ask them, have you ever ridden a motorcycle? No? Good. ATV? No? Good. Jetski? No? Good. Now we can teach you the right way.” n ESSENTIALS: Stowe Snowmobile, 849 S. Main St. stowesnowmobiletours.com. (802) 253-6221. Green Mountain Snowmobiles, 300 Stony Meadow, Jeffersonville. greenmtnsnowmobile.com. (802) 644-1438. For information about VAST, check out vtvast.org.

a history of the mountain’s

SKI BUILDINGS by BRIAN LINDNER

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Clockwise from left: A mystery building just above the Stone Hut atop Mt. Mansfield. This 1940s postcard shows the original Mt. Mansfield base lodge, with the only visible trail being Lift Line. Notice that halfway up, skiers could get on and off the lift at the top of 13 Pitch; the station was removed in 1960. The second incarnation of Spruce House, from the early 1960s. Ski rental and repair were down the stairs on the right, and the Stüberl restaurant was on the building’s far end. A postcard from the mid 1960s shows the 1940 Toll House base lodge, downhill from the Inn at the Mountain. The base lodge burned on Dec. 2, 1968, leaving the Toll House area with no lodge for the year. Two views of the original Spruce House. The black-and-white shot is from 1982. The other photo shows the Spruce House and Alpine T-bar, circa 1950s. (Unless noted, photos from the collection of Brian Lindner and The Stowe Reporter.)

This is the third installment in a three-part series. Read part one, “History of Stowe’s ski trails,” at http://bit.ly/1Ms31Tj, p.78. Part two, “History of Stowe's ski lifts,” can be found at http://bit.ly/1NkvxlL, p.78.

ew construction at Stowe Mountain Resort is impressive—and beautiful—but did you ever wonder what came before the imposing buildings that today sit at the base of Spruce Peak? How did Stowe get to where it is and what happened to all of those bygone buildings? Well, to tell that story, we need to go back to the mid-1800s. The first known building on Mt. Mansfield was a small “lodge” known as the Half-Way House, built between 1853 and 1856 on the downhill side of the Toll Road just across from today’s Mountain Chapel. Not much more than a log cabin, it was the first purposebuilt place inside the resort where tourists could rent a bed and purchase a meal. Visitors were just beginning to discover Stowe and Mt. Mansfield with it stunning views, fresh water, and clear mountain air. By 1857 the Toll Road, in crude form, was punched uphill to the location of today’s Octagon Restaurant. That same year W.H.H. Bingham built a hotel near the summit of the mountain. Likely rather crude, it appears that the hotel lasted just one year because Bingham opened the Summit House a halfmile up the mountain the very next year. In three short years the new hotel expanded to handle up to 100 guests. Just downhill, and still on the Toll Road, sat the Chicken Coop, where hens laid eggs for those 100 guests. 80

Lumber camps, scattered around Mt. Mansfield, came and went over the years. Only two had any permanency and, although outside the boundaries of today’s resort, Ranch Camp eventually became the area’s first “base lodge.” During the 1930s Ranch Camp was a popular place to stay until the coming of ski lifts shifted everything north to the area now occupied by the resort. (The other lumber camp was Barnes Camp, which still exists across from the entrance to the resort.) From 1933 on, those dedicated enough to hike up the mountain to take a run down made use of the old Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) horse barn as a base lodge. This stood where the parking lot is today at the south end of the Mansfield Base Lodge. But with the coming of the lift the horse barn proved pitifully inadequate. In 1940, ski area officials built the single chair at the location of today’s FourRunner Quad. This truly established the resort as it now boasted the world’s longest and highest ski lift. Under the direction of Perry Merrill, Vermont’s commissioner of Vermont’s Forests & Parks Department, the CCC one year later completed the State Ski Shelter—now known as the Mansfield Base Lodge. It was a log structure built from trees from multiple sites on the mountain. Heated purely by wood, it was a premier base lodge with restaurant, large bathrooms, and a massive fireplace. Now on the federal registry of historic buildings this

STOWE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

TIP TOP Clockwise, from right: An original linen postcard of the Summit House. Torn down in 1965, it’s now a parking lot at the top of the Toll Road. Stowe ski pioneer and trail designer Charlie Lord with Abner Coleman, another Stowe ski original, at the Chicken Coop. A 1930s view of the Stone Hut, sans trees. This was the second structure on this footprint. The Half-Way House, the first known building on Mansfield. Below: Stowe’s original “base lodge,” Ranch Camp, which skiers had to hike up to. It accidently burned in the 1970s.

NEW ENGLAND SKI MUSEUM

THE LODGE This page, from top: Three views of The Lodge: A 1950s view, with Smugglers’ Den on the right. A couple walks down Route 108 in this June 1956 photograph by Bob Bourdon. A postcard of The Lodge, circa 1925: “A summer colony, complete with cottages and tenting platforms, established by Joseph T. Lance in 1923 on the old George Harris farm. The building on the right achieved fame as the Den until it burned in April 1969.” Next page, from top: Gale Shaw, Jr., dances in The Den at Smugglers’ Lodge, in the 1950s. Sitting by the hearth in the Octagon, 1940s.

base lodge has seen many additions over the decades. But if you look closely, you can still see the original log structure bracketed inside all of its more modern appendages. Early skiers in the 1930s hiked up for their turns and most hiked up the Toll Road from Ranch Camp. Once on the summit, with no good place to get out of the weather, change clothes, or enjoy a snack, these early skiers quickly discovered the aforementioned Chicken Coop, where early ski patrollers were often stationed. With the building of the Bruce trail in 1933-1934 and increased skier traffic it soon became evident that the Chicken Coop was too high on the Toll Road to be convenient, too small, and far too crude. So in 1935 the CCC built the Stone Hut, which still stands today near the Octagon. The CCC had earlier built a wooden building on the same footprint but it was removed to make room for the Stone Hut. Workmen brought this wooden building down the mountain and reconstructed it on a plateau overlooking the State Ski Dorm on Route 108. Having fallen into disrepair it was eventually burned in the 1960s leaving only slight trace of its existence. From about 1947 until about 1970 skiers could enjoy mid-mountain dining. To describe what the Christienda offered as dining might be generous since the restaurant lacked both running water and bathrooms. It was a place to get hamburgers, hot dogs, and coffee, but little else. The building also served as a station for the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol and stood at the top of the Mansfield T-bar at the top of the Standard and Tyro trails—just below the top of today’s Mansfield Triple Chair. The Christy trail is named after this long-ago restaurant of which nothing remains. Spruce Peak today features the newest buildings of the resort—Stowe Mountain Lodge, the new Adventure Center, Spruce Base Camp, Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, to name a few. Stowe’s skiing genius Sepp Ruschp—the first head of the Stowe Ski School—purchased the land from the Burt Lumber Co., specifically with the vision to open Spruce’s sunny slopes to skiing. That decision in the 1940s made today’s improvements at Spruce possible. In 1949 the resort opened the lower Spruce slopes with three rope tows and a crude, one82

MOUNTAIN EATS Clockwise from this page: Once at the top of the Big Spruce lift, the Lookout served as both restaurant and warming shelter. It had stunning views, but no bathrooms. Both the lift and the restaurant are long gone. The Christienda restaurant fed skiers, mid-mountain, from 1947 to about 1970. It also served as a Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol station and was located at the top of the Mansfield T-bar. The Christy trail is named after this long-ago restaurant. The original Toll House, built in 1919, now encapsulated inside the Inn at the Mountain. It also served as Stowe ski school director Sepp Ruschp’s first home in the U.S., and the resort’s first true base lodge. A Socony gas station and gift shop sits in the foreground. The cars are facing toward Stowe village on Route 108. The entrance to the Toll House is between the Toll House and gas station, as shown in the color postcard from the 1920s.

room base lodge. It stood just downhill from where today’s skiers can peruse the large trail map next to the Sunny Spruce lift. Spruce Peak as a ski area had a rather inauspicious beginning, as many tree stumps were left just barely off the edge of its trails. Like the Christienda, skiers had a less than wide selection of food in this base-lodge restaurant… hot dogs, burgers, and fries rounded out the choices. Nonetheless, the original Spruce House served its patrons faithfully and established this location as the future, premier area of the resort. Within six years it became obvious that the old and tiny Spruce House needed to be replaced by an entirely new and far larger base lodge. A new base lodge, built in 1955, was dramatically larger and offered a far better restaurant, rental and repair facility, plus views of the slopes. The Austrian-style building amazingly had no entrance on its side facing the ski trails. In 1963 the lodge was expanded by another 7,000 square feet and The Stüberl was added when a building was grafted onto its west end—but still no exit onto the trail side of the building! The Stüberl was truly Stowe Mountain Resort’s first attempt to have an upscale pub at the lifts. For the first time skiers could enjoy a non-burger, non-hotdog lunch within a few feet of the slopes. In 1982 the Spruce House was enlarged for the final time when all beginner skiing activity moved from the Toll House to Spruce. Over the decades the Spruce House had grown and expanded and faithfully served the resort’s guests. In the mid-2000s it was bulldozed to make room for the completely new modernization at Spruce. No trace of this building exists today except in photographs. At the same time Spruce House was razed, the resort’s maintenance 84

sheds, ski club building, ski patrol room, and gas station fell under the blade of the same bulldozers and wrecking crews. Yet one more restaurant that once served both winter and summer guests now exists only in photographs. The Lookout was a large wooden restaurant perched on the summit of Spruce Peak. With its wraparound deck and stunning views the Lookout left a significant impression. Like the Christienda, this location also had no running water or restrooms. The building eventually fell into disuse and was burned on a rainy day sometime around 1980. The abandoned site can now only be reached by hikers and is slowly returning to its natural state of small scrubby spruce trees. Other buildings of interest were located down Route 108 from the resort’s main ski lifts. Traveling toward the village of Stowe one sees The Lodge condominiums on the right. This was originally an 1800s farmhouse that was converted into an early ski lodge. With the coming of skiing the resort purchased The Lodge and turned it into a high-end place to stay and dine. World-class chefs prepared elaborate meals and one of the very earliest ski schools in America was originally housed in the building. As Shirley MacLaine, who made her film debut in “The Trouble with Harry,” which was filmed in Vermont in the 1950s, wrote, “Hitchcock was a connoisseur of food and had great knowledge in this area. We shot in Vermont because the hotel we stayed in, the Lodge, was famous for the best food in Stowe, Vermont. He liked the leaves of Vermont but he really appreciated the food.” In 1920, with the growth of skiing and tourism, the resort built a more traditional two-story lodge just uphill. Originally, Smugglers’ Den bar at Stowe was located inside The

Lodge. With the construction of the new structure the bar moved next door and the entire building came to be known to many as “The Den.” Unfortunately, The Den burned April 7, 1969. The location is now marked by the upper parking lot for today’s Lodge condominiums. Built in 1940 the original base lodge at the Toll House occupied the same footprint as today’s white administrative building. The old base lodge housed the ski school, restaurant, and rental and repair operation, along with small apartments for employees. On the night of Dec. 2, 1968 one of those employees fell asleep and dropped his cigarette with disastrous results. Just at the start of the season, the resort was left with no base lodge to serve its guests at a time when the beginners’ and children’s ski school was based at the Toll House. Let’s end with two buildings that could arguably be claimed to be the resort’s first. Although no trace exists today, most longtime residents and visitors are surprised to learn that a Socony gas station and gift shop once existed at the downhill corner of Route 108 and the Toll Road. Best evidence indicates these buildings vanished in the 1930s or 1940s. In 1919 the Mt. Mansfield Turnpike Company built a small building at the base of the Toll Road for the purpose of housing the collector of tolls. Nobody thought of skiing. That changed in 1936 with the arrival of ski instructor and racing champion Sepp Ruschp from Austria. Ruschp moved into the tiny building and as skiing continued to grow so did this tiny building. Through countless renovations and expansions (the largest in 1964) Ruschp’s first home in the U.S. was eventually engulfed inside the expansions of what is now The Inn at the Mountain. Thus, Stowe Mountain Resort’s very first building still exists and is protected inside the modern structure. Is there another ski area in America that has its original 1919 “base lodge” preserved? Probably not, but good luck finding it! n 85

MOUNTAIN MAN the guiding spirit of mark puleio

ONWARD All geared up in a vertical sea of snow and rock, Mark Puleio points the way into the mountains. (Photo by Roger Murphy)

Story

/ Roger Murphy

3 a.m. Mark Puleio has just woken up at his office. It’s still dark outside, with a strong wind and sharp pellets of snow pinging off the taut fabric of his shelter. He emerges from his sleeping bag in the clothes he wore yesterday, perhaps for the last five or six days in a row. He wipes the tired from his eyes and stretches out his weary muscles, puts on his harness, checks the barometer and his map, and fires up the stove. His clients, a British couple celebrating their anniversary, begin to stir in their own bags. Puleio peeks into their tent and hands them a fresh cup of coffee. “Hey, folks,” he says with a smile. “Hot brew is up; time to go climb a mountain!”

BASE CAMP This page: Leaving the Mitellegi Hut at sunrise for an Eiger traverse, Switzerland. Mark Puleio at home in Hyde Park in his equipment room. Next page, clockwise from top: At the base of the northwest face of Forbidden Peak, Northern Cascades, Washington State. An open bivy during full lunar eclipse. Rock climbing protection cams. Tyrolean mid Clocher Clochetons traverse, Aiguille Rouge, France. Outside the Capanna Regina Margherita built on the summit of the Signalkuppe. At 14,941 feet, the highest building in Europe.

KEVIN MAHONEY; GLENN CALLAHAN

As a young man, Hyde Park’s Mark Puleio knew that he belonged in the mountains. With a couple of National Outdoor Leadership School programs under his belt and a love of adventure, he eventually found himself at Prescott College in Arizona, where instructors supervise what is considered to be the gold standard in undergraduate experiences for aspiring outdoor leaders. The decision to go to Prescott, however, was largely initiated by his mother, a woman who refused to have her son be without a college degree (he withdrew from an earlier college, twice). When Puleio thought he might not make the interview due to a Grateful Dead show, his mother intervened, looking after his best interest, saying, “I don’t care if Jerry Garcia is playing; you are going to be there!” At Prescott, known for its rigorous field-based courses (an example: Puleio spent three months living in his VW bus studying mountain geology, climbing, and skiing), he earned a degree in wilderness leadership with a minor in sustainable living. After working in the field post-graduation, leading trips and guiding people climbing and skiing, Puleio decided to work on getting his “pin,” certification from the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (guides wear association pins on their jackets). For those unfamiliar with the world of outdoor and mountain guides, the guides associations certification is the highest level of training in the industry for three main guide disciplines: rock climbing, alpine climbing, and ski mountaineering. In total, it is a minimum of a five- to six-year endeavor that accounts for thousands of hours of field training, guiding, gaining both first aid and avalanche expertise, and taking field tests that can last for up to 10 days in the mountains. Having your “pin” means that you are qualified at an internationally recognized level to guide clients on technical climbing and skiing terrain anywhere in the world, from Nepal’s Cho Oyu to Argentina’s Aconcagua, from Yosemite’s granite cliffs to crumbling desert walls in Africa. 88

In short, if you have to be connected by a rope to someone in the mountains, Puleio would be a wise choice. 7:50 a.m. For almost four hours, now, Puleio has been roped into his clients, his pack full of extra gear hovering around 50 pounds. He’s been concentrating on navigating the ever-changing field of hazards: crevasses, rockfall, snow conditions, avalanche, other parties on the route, weather, and countless other signals that are perceived only by people with untold numbers of hours in the mountains. He checks in with his clients regularly— their fitness, altitude acclimatization, and attitude—encouraging them to take in the wonder of where they are, his own joy of being in the mountains endearing and infectious. The Brits ascend, step by step, relying on their guide not just for direction, but also for encouragement, technical climbing instruction and, most of all, to bring them back home safely from the mountain.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SP PARKER; SP PARKER; GLENN CALLAHAN; ANDREA CHAREST; VICTORIA WORRALL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SP PARKER; ROGER MURPHY; ROGER MURPHY; JESSE WILLIAMS; GLENN CALLAHAN

BELAY ON Previous page, clockwise from top: Traversing Forbidden Peak in the North Cascades, Washington State. At the end of a long day, Puleio reviews the next day’s route from the Branca Hut on a ski tour of the Ortler Range in northern Italy. Just back from eight days in the mountains, Puleio and his clients celebrate in the village of Sulden in northern Italy. Local cragging above Cascades Lake, N.Y. Italian and international guide certification pins. This page: A quick break in the clouds atop the Jungfrau, Switzerland. Silky surf turns on Cosmiques Couloir, Aiguille du Midi, France.

While we live in a sports-drink-fueled culture that celebrates dramatic risk, often designed for social media consumption or “athletes as advertisements,” the lives of mountain guides are something of a contradiction. They intentionally work in risky areas and spend the majority of their time making decisions that will mitigate that risk for themselves and their clients.

Noon. Puleio and his clients have made it to the top. The view is awe-inspiring. Blessed with rising pressure and clearing skies, the weather is a stark contrast to the near-whiteout conditions they started in almost nine hours ago. They pause for a moment, leave the cameras in their packs and just take it all in. Off in the distance are peaks named in the early annals of European mountaineering—the Eiger, the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, and the Aiguille du Midi, climbed years ago by gentlemen and ladies in wool and hobnail leather boots, many of whom had their own guides.

KEVIN MAHONEY; ADRIAN BALLINGER

For Puleio, that is the main draw of his job: “Every day is an exhilarating matrix of decision-making. I have to come up with new solutions every day, taking into account all the variables presented to me by the environment and my clients.” A great example of that decision-making happens on one of the most iconic mountains in Europe, Mont Blanc. With roughly 50 ascents of the mountain in Puleio’s resume, you might think that the route would become mundane or predictable, but you would be wrong. With so many variables (some of which are being dramatically affected by climate change), routes change not on just a weekly or daily basis, but hour to hour. Puleio narrowly avoided an avalanche on Mont Blanc a few years ago that killed seven, trusting his instinct to take a different route when the examination of all those variables pointed toward prudence instead of the summit. “In the end,” Puleio says, “I’m making decisions for my clients’ families. When it’s appropriate, I need to moderate my clients’ expectations as we move through challenging terrain. If something were to ever happen to one of my clients, I need to know that I did everything I could to mitigate the hazards.” Waitsfield resident Jon Jamieson has taken two trips with Puleio: a ski touring trip to the Italian Alps with some friends and a glacier travel trip in Switzerland with his wife and two daughters, ages 16 and 13. “Mark is a super-confident leader without ever coming across as arrogant,” Jamieson says. “He gauged my daughters’ tolerance and skill really well, and he’s laid back until he needs to be serious. When those times come, he commands your attention.” That ability to match his approach to the clients and terrain is one of the things that Puleio loves about his work. “So much of my work is managing my clients’ expectations,” he says. “I speak with each of them about what they want or don’t want out of a trip, and that brings people to some interesting places mentally and emotionally.” While many of his clients have successful careers and personal lives, in the mountains, some have to learn what the mountains taught Puleio years ago: “We are not as in control of things as we think we are.”

Perhaps too soon, after photos, putting on an extra layer, and embracing the emotions that come as a result of exhaustion and the joy of a summit reached, the team switches from crampons and ice ax to skis. A 1,500meter descent over 7 kilometers awaits them, as does the warm and well-stocked mountain hut at the end. “Ski to the left of my tracks,” Puleio instructs the Brits with a huge grin and confidence-inspiring cheer. “Lots of crevasses to the right.” He points his ski tips into the fall line, and down he goes, arcing rhythmic and powerful turns in the variable snow. If anyplace in the world could be said to be the birthplace of the modern mountain guide, Chamonix is the likely choice. For many of Puleio’s clients, it is their meeting spot, where he makes sure they are outfitted correctly, and he perhaps takes them on some skill-assessment outings in the mountains surrounding the town. It’s also the place where he completed his ski mountaineering exam, the final step in his International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations certification. Story continues on page 206

For the Marrons, it’s all in the family Story

/ Kate Car ter

hristmas 1975 was a very merry one for Dick and Millie Marron and their young family. They signed the purchase agreement to buy the Town & Country Resort at Stowe on Christmas Eve. This holiday season brings more reasons to celebrate. It’s their 40-year anniversary of owning and operating the resort, one of Stowe’s longest-standing family-owned inns. Before coming to Stowe, the Marrons lived in the Albany, N.Y., area, where Dick was deputy secretary to Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. “I got tired of government politics and work was interfering with our skiing,” Dick explains. So he and Millie began exploring the possibility of buying a business near a ski resort. They came to Stowe to check out a property for sale—the Town & Country. “We thought Stowe was a nice community. I remember seeing young girls carrying field hockey sticks and at the time our daughter played field hockey.” They liked the property and town, so they made the move, entered the hospitality business, and raised their three children in Stowe. “When we first came to town we knew all the other inn owners. We were all very close,” Millie says. “We still have friendly relations with the other innkeepers, but it’s different. Things have changed.” No doubt the hospitality business in Stowe and around the world is not what it was 40 years ago. Or even 10. “It used to be that people came for extended stays, year after year. Now people tend to take more trips for fewer days, and they make their arrangements online at the last minute. Technology has really changed the reservation process,” Dick says. “There are also many more restaurants in town. We used to be a popular watering hole with a bar and restaurant. Today there is so much competition for dining out.” Eventually they eliminated serving dinner to guests, but they still provide a full sit-down breakfast. They also continue with full-course dinners for functions, groups, charity events, and Stowe Rotary Club, which they have hosted

Photograph

/ Glenn Callahan

every Thursday night since 1978. “We are known for doing groups. We can feed a lot of people reasonably and efficiently,” Dick says. Their latest venture is hosting the Osher Lifelong Learning Center lecture series for Lamoille County. At the turn of the century, Dick handed off running the inn to Millie and their son Rich, and returned to politics, serving the Stowe community as a member of the Stowe select board from 1992 to 2009. He was also a member of the Vermont House of Representatives, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, and vice-chair of the House Appropriations Committee. Rich, now general manager, says they have worked hard to keep up with changing times, adding amenities such as golf and an outdoor pool, while keeping prices affordable. “One thing we accomplished was making our summers more viable. Our pool, which is a big summer attraction, got a remake last year, and we continue to get a high percentage of return business,” he says. One of those return customers is Shawn Jones of East Hartford, Conn., who offered this unsolicited comment: “We come back every year because it’s a happy and friendly place, the staff is very friendly, and my niece loves the waffles.” With no crystal ball to consult, it’s hard to say what the future holds for the Town & Country. “Twenty years ago I didn’t think I’d be sitting here as general manager. Now I’m contemplating the next 20 years. The changes in town and at the mountain have not affected us too much because of our price point, but the changes have affected others in town, and there is a trickle-down effect,” says Rich of all of the new amenities and lodging choices at Spruce Peak. “So at this point we will continue with care, doing the same thing.” Which is good news for the Jones family… and anyone else who like waffles. n

BILL LEE Former Red Sox pitcher shows no signs of slowing down

Story

/ Robert Kiener

Photographs / G o r d o n M i l l e r & G l e n n C a l l a h a n 94

GORDON MILLER

is hair, including his trademark goatee, has gone white, his belly has bulged, and his legs are not what they used to be, but at 68 years old Bill “Spaceman” Lee hasn’t lost any of his love for baseball—or the quick wit—that made him a favorite of Red Sox fans several decades ago. As we sit in rocking chairs on the porch of the Craftsbury Public Library (about a mile from his home) and admire the postcard-perfect view of the Green Mountains, Lee begins ticking off for me his schedule over the next few weeks. “I’ve got a charity event with my old Red Sox teammate Luis Tiant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, then I’m off to pitch a game in Moncton, New Brunswick, then to Boston for a charity game, and back to Burlington where I’m pitching for my Vermont senior league team, the Burlington Cardinals.” The former Red Sox star is on a roll. After a deep breath he continues, “Then I am off to Charlotte, N.C., to throw out the first pitch at a charity game. Next I go to Danbury, Conn., for another charity game, followed by a charity golf tournament and softball game in Smithfield, R.I. Later this year I play in Arizona in the Men’s Senior Baseball League championships (65 and over division) and then pitch with the Russian National Team in Florida (35 and over).” Then, after a perfectly timed pause, he turns to me, smiles broadly and adds, “Phew! Crazy, isn’t it? I do almost 200 events a year and I drive over 60,000 miles a year in that battered old Buick of mine.” Why? Lee’s eyes light up. “Short answer: Because I can. Longer answer: Playing baseball suspends time. There’s no watch, no clock. And that means there’s no clock on your aging mechanism. When you’re playing you’re still seven years old. You’re 30 years old. You’re 45 years old. It’s the ultimate game.” Just as I recall that the Boston Globe once called him “the quintessential Peter Pan of baseball,” he adds, “And, oh yeah, there’s this: Any day spent playing baseball is way better than a day doing anything else.”

He started playing semi-pro baseball shortly after being released by the Expos in 1982 and, like his longtime hero Satchel Paige, claims he “has never looked back.” He’s barnstormed and played for a slew of semiprofessional, senior, and recreational teams throughout the United States, Canada, Venezuela, and even Cuba. “I play for any team that will let me suit up.” In 2014 he became, at age 67, the oldest ballplayer to win a professional game when he pitched five and one-third innings for the Sonoma Stompers in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburg Mettle. Last year he threw 347 innings, playing in various recreational leagues, more than any pitcher in baseball, he claims. He also was on teams that won the national Over-60 championship, the national Over-35 title, and a state championship with the Burlington Cardinals in Vermont’s Senior Baseball League. “Although there are some pitchers 20 years younger than Bill in our league, he’s by far the best,” says Miro Weinberger, Lee’s catcher for five years and also the mayor of Burlington. “He’s got it all. A hard fastball—a two-seamer and a four-seamer—a big sweeping curveball, a dropping curveball, his off-speed ‘Leephus,’ and a spectacular changeup that gets power hitters in knots.” And, according to Weinberger, Lee has lost none of the competitive edge that helped him reach and play for 14 years in the major leagues. “I’ll never forget the time Bill pitched 11 hard innings for us and we finally scored a run to put us ahead in the top of the 12th. Although he’d pitched maybe more than 200 pitches— it was that kind of a hard, slogging game—he insisted on going out for the bottom of the 12th. I remember thinking as he walked out to the mound: ‘Here’s a guy who’s pitched in game seven of the World Series, but he is still such a competitor and is still so intent on winning, that these guys have no chance.’ And he shut them down. He is amazing!” At a recent Vermont Senior Baseball League game where Lee was slated to pitch, he hinted at what keeps him competitive. “I’m playing with guys half my age but that doesn’t bother me. It’s a challenge,” says Lee. “I stand on the mound and shout at them, ‘Go ahead, grab a bat. I got your grandpa out, your father out, and now I’m sure as hell going to get you out!’ ”

Lee’s statistics, from both his major league days and after, prove his point. Between 1969 and 1982 the left-handed pitcher won 119 games and lost 90 for the Boston Red Sox and then the Montreal Expos, where he ended his career in the big leagues. He played in the 1973 All-Star Game and also started two games in the heart-breaking 1975 World Series between the Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008 for the most games pitched (321) by a left-hander and his three straight 17-win seasons. 96

PRIME TIME Clockwise from top: A portrait of Bill Lee sitting in his mill at home in Craftsbury Common. Lee famously clashed with Don Zimmer, who managed the Red Sox for three seasons, 1977 – 1979. Bill and his wife Diana. A bottle of Spaceman wine sits on the table. Preceding page: On the mound against the Randolph Jays Sept. 13 during this season’s quarterfinals. Lee pitched a complete game, gave up two earned runs, with six strikeouts. The Cardinals won 3-2.

CRAFTSBURY PHOTOS: GLENN CALLAHAN; OTHERS: PRIVATE COLLECTION

As we drive past Craftsbury Common and down a hilly, gently-curving back road, California-born Lee confesses that he considers his nearby home, which he helped build in the late 1980s, “my halfway house.” Thanks to his legions of fans in Boston and Montreal he claims, “There’s not a bar I could go into in either city and come out alive. Everyone wants to buy me a drink or give me a joint. You know I’ve been on the cover of High Times magazine three times, right? In Montreal the fans used to throw little balls of tin foil—full of hash—at me after a game. If I lived in either city I’d be dead. There are no bars, or even a restaurant, in Craftsbury. Vermont saved my life!” It was in Boston that Lee was dubbed Spaceman, a testament to what People Magazine once described as his “off-the-wall babble.” Others labeled him eccentric or flaky. But Lee disagrees. “The sportswriters thought I was flaky but they just didn’t get me,” says Lee today. “Most everything I said went over their heads. They claimed that anyone who came from California had to be from the land of fruits and nuts.” A few examples from Lee’s most memorable, most quotable quotes: • “You have two hemispheres in your brain—a left and a right side. The left side controls the right side of your body and right controls the left half. It’s a fact. Therefore, left-handers are the only people in their right minds.” • “I think about the cosmic snowball theory. A few million years from now the sun will burn out and lose its gravitational pull. The earth will turn into a giant snowball and be hurled through space. When that happens it won’t matter if I get this guy out.” • “The other day they asked me about mandatory drug testing. I said I believed in drug testing a long time ago. All through the sixties I tested everything.” Lee’s major league antics also earned him both cheers and jeers. He once wore a gas mask at batting practice to protest air pollution. Unhappy when the Red Sox changed the color of 98

their caps, he wore one with a propeller on top. He called New York Yankees manager Billy Martin and his players, “that Neo-Nazi and his Brown Shirts.” He famously dubbed Red Sox manager Don Zimmer “the designated gerbil.” When he was asked to apologize he said, “I apologize to all the gerbils in the world” and later added, “I should have called him a ‘hamster’ because hamsters have fatter cheeks.” After a long public feud Zimmer eventually traded Lee to Montreal in 1978. After telling a reporter that he regularly sprinkled marijuana on his pancakes Lee was fined $250 by Major League Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in 1979. As he fondly remembers, “Can you believe it? I still have Kuhn’s letter on my wall. Under the reason for the fine it actually says, ‘For using marijuana as a condiment’.” (Kuhn later rescinded the fine.) Spend any time with Lee and you’ll quickly realize that this 1968 USC geography grad is far from the flake that sportswriters have labeled him. He reads widely and regularly peppers his conversation with quotes and sayings from minds as varied as

GORDON MILLER

Buckminster Fuller to Edward Albee to Buddha. “He certainly has his wacky side,” says Miro Weinberger. “But Bill is extremely intelligent, very smart, very well-read. And he’s an excellent showman. How many other ballplayers, especially pitchers, can you name from the 1970s and 1980s that still have fans eager to see them?”

The fans keep coming. After we arrive at his two-story home a few miles from Craftsbury Common, Lee’s wife Diana confirms, “The phone keeps ringing.” She leafs through a yearly planner and reads off baseball games, special appearances, speeches, charity events, clinics, and more that will keep both of them busy and traveling for most of this year and long into the next. “Bill has a hard time saying no,” she says. “I leave that to Diana,” says Lee. “She’s very diplomatic.” Some fans, on their own Spaceman pilgrimage, often find their way to Craftsbury to seek out an audience with Lee. “The General Store is good about protecting me, but if fans reach me I usually oblige them,” he says. Remarkably, he has no cell phone, no computer, and gets by with a landline. “No email?” I ask him. “If it’s urgent I can go to the Craftsbury Library and use theirs.” Before Diana can finish paging through the appointment calendar, Lee is off on another subject, explaining how a film crew is wrapping up an independent movie about him based on his popular memoir, “The Wrong Stuff,” expected to be released in 2016. He then switches subjects to his baseball-bat company and news about the latest vintage of his Californiagrown Spaceman wine until he spots a book on a nearby shelf and asks me, “Do you know who Moe Berg is? Casey Stengel called him the strangest man to ever play baseball. He was a spy. I narrated an ESPN documentary about him.” Before he flies off on another conversational tangent, Diana stops him and gently reminds him, “Use your indoors voice, Bill. Please.” She looks at me, smiles and whispers, “A.D.D.” Story continues on page 210 Lee laughs and reminds me, “I told you she was diplomatic.”

PITCHERS & CATCHERS From far left: Bill Lee and his Burlington Cardinal teammates celebrate after their Sept. 13 win against the Randolph Jays. In the dugout with Miro Weinberger, Lee’s catcher and the mayor of Burlington. Lee and Weinberger share a moment after the game. In 2015, Lee pitched 74.1 innings, went 6-3, with an ERA of 1.09, pitched four complete games, with one shutout and 54 strikeouts. Inset: Wine label from Lee’s California-grown Spaceman wine.

SHOPPING & GALLERIES

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Stowe artist Craig Mooney exhibits at Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery from Dec. 5 through Jan. 31.

HE HELEN DAY ART CENTER OCCUPIES A central place in Stoweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art scene, both literally and figuratively. Since taking over the top floor of the old Stowe High School building at the head of School Street in 1981, the Helen Day has provided Stowe with world-class exhibits, community programs, art education, and outreach to tens of thousands of schoolchildren. Notable artists such as Pablo Picasso and Wolf Kahn have shared the space with local artists like Stan Marc Wright, Rett Sturman, and Walton Blodgett, and with countless others from throughout Vermont, the region, and the world. On the other side of the mountain, the Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville is named for Jeffersonville artists Mary and Alden Bryan. Mary Bryan died in 1978 and her husband, also now deceased, built and opened the non-profit gallery in her memory in 1984.

EXHIBITS & OPENINGS BRYAN MEMORIAL GALLERY Main Street, Jeffersonville. Through December 30, Thursday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday, 11 - 4, or by appointment. (802) 644-5100. Over 200 artists exhibit, with a focus on landscape painting. bryanmemorialgallery.org.

Winter Forest, Cindy Griffith, oil.

Through December 30 Land & Light & Water & Air Through December 30 Mary and Alden Bryan GREEN MOUNTAIN FINE ART GALLERY 64 S. Main St., Stowe Village. (802) 253-1818. greenmountainfineart.com. Diverse collection of traditional and contemporary works by a variety of Vermont and regional artists.

Through November 30 Ellen Granter: Lotus Pond Boston-based Ellen Granter draws her inspiration for this show from the world of nature. From lush lotus blossoms and lily pads to playful turtles and koi fish, Lotus Pond explores an array of colorful aquatic life. Exhibit calendar continues on page 104

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GLENN CALLAHAN; ALL OTHERS: VTSSM

VERMONT SKI MUSEUM

SKI HISTORY Clockwise from left: The museum’s interior. An old Stowe poster. The building at night. From the museum’s collection. Poster from a new winter exhibit.

Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum Located in the historic 1818 town hall on Stowe’s Main Street, the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum collects, preserves, and celebrates Vermont’s rich skiing and snowboarding history. The museum enters its second decade in Stowe with a plan to make sure visitors want to return again and again. Permanent and rotating exhibits include handcrafted skis eight feet in length, lost ski areas, the story of the 10th Mountain Division, and Vermont Olympians. These are just a few of the treasures and stories the museum holds. Originally built as Stowe’s town hall, the building once sat on the site of the community church, and was rolled into place at its current home in the 1860s. When you visit, take some time to watch the films on the first-floor large screen. Display cases contain memorabilia from some of the many

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illustrious skiers from Vermont, a children’s space, and an exhibit about technological innovations in alpine, cross-country, telemark skiing, and snowboarding. Exhibits at the museum include: ■

■ ■

■

Service and Safety: National Ski Patrol, 1938 – 1988 (opens November 2015) SlopeStyle: Fashion on Snow 1930 – 2014 Kick and Glide: Vermont’s Nordic Skiing Legacy Moving Upwards in Skiing: 75 Years of Lift Technology Vermont and the 10th Mountain Division

VERMONT SKI & SNOWBOARD MUSEUM Open daily except Tuesday • 12 - 5 p.m. Handicap accessible. Admission is $5/$10 for a family. (802) 253-9911. vtssm.com.

December 26, January 9, & January 17 Warren Miller’s Chasing Shadows Miller’s 66th ski film explores what it means to be inspired, and what it is about exotic locations and snow-covered summits that keep us searching for more. Watch JT Holmes, Seth Wescott, Caroline Gleich, Steven Nyman, Marcus Caston, and others as they pursue turns on the mountains of our dreams: Chamonix, Alaska’s Chugach, the Chilean Andes, Utah’s Wasatch, and the mightiest range of them all: the Himalayas. Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Resort. 7 p.m. Part of the Stowe Mountain Film Festival. December 27 & January 1 Warren Miller’s Chasing Shadows Vermont Ski Museum. Part of the Stowe Mountain Film Festival. 7 p.m. December 3 Service and Safety: National Ski Patrol 1938 – 1988 exhibit opening. Part of the Dickens Christmas in Stowe Festival.

EXHIBITS Exhibit calendar continues from page 100

December 5 – January 31 Craig Mooney Semi-abstract landscape and figurative paintings in oils on canvas. His works, while conveying a sense of place and time, are also imbued with a feeling of mystery. HELEN DAY ART CENTER Stowe Village, Stowe. (802) 253-8358. Wednesday – Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m. Donations welcome. helenday.com. See exhibits, page 106.

Detail, Red Barn Near Stowe, Robin Nuse, Inside Out Gallery.

INSIDE OUT GALLERY 299 Mountain Road, Stowe. insideoutgalleryvt.com. (802) 253-6945. Ongoing exhibit of paintings and photos by Vermont artists Robin Nuse, Kate Carter, and others.

JULIAN SCOTT MEMORIAL GALLERY Dibden Center for Arts, Johnson State, (802) 635-1469. Tuesday– Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Changing exhibit of student artists and others.

Through December 19 B.F.A. Thesis Exhibits

Exquisite Yarns & Superior Service since 2004

LITTLE RIVER HOTGLASS 593 Moscow Rd., Stowe. littleriverhotglass.com. (802) 253-0889. Nationally recognized art glass studio features resident artist Michael Trimpol’s studio.

OLD FIREHOUSE / GRACE GALLERY 59 Mill St., Hardwick, (802) 472-6857, Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. graceart.org.

112 Main Street Montpelier, Vermont

802-229-2444 www.yarnvt.com 104

Ongoing: GRACE artists display at Old Firehouse Annex, Hardwick, and Stoweflake Mountain Resort. Exhibit calendar continues on page 107

Katrina Swanson • Oil Alexander Volkov • Oil

Sergio Roffo • Oil

ROBERT PAUL GALLERIES • American & European Paintings •

Tina Palmer • Acrylic

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Heralded as one of the countries finest art galleries, we offer a truly outstanding selection of original paintings, sculpture and fine glass and porcelain by locally, nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. Open seven days a week Baggy Knees Shopping Center • 394 Mountain Road P.O. Box 1413, Stowe, VT 05672 • (802) 253-7282 www.robertpaulgalleries.com

Fred Swan • Acrylic

Gerhard Nesvada • Oil

Joseph Holodook • Acrylic

Matt Seasholtz • Glass

Thomas Arvid • Oil

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EXHIBIT SPACE & INSET: GLENN CALLAHAN; OTHERS COURTESY OF HELEN DAY

EXHIBITS & OPENINGS

H E L E N D AY ART CENTER THE HELEN DAY ART CENTER AND the Stowe Free Library share a beautifully restored 1863 Greek Revival building in the heart of picturesque Stowe Village. The art center offers exhibitions of national and international artists, as well as rotating exhibitions of Vermont artists. Art classes and workshops, lectures, and children’s programs are offered throughout the year. HELEN DAY ART CENTER Stowe Village. 253-8358. Wednesday – Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m. helenday.org. Free; donations welcome.

December 4 – January 3 Member Art Show & Festival of Trees and Lights Art show and festival that celebrates the rich and varied talents of the Helen Day membership, paired with community-decorated evergreens. Opening reception Dec. 4, 5 p.m.

Month of May Student Art Show 2015 The 35th exhibition of local students’ work from Stowe elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as a group of invited schools.

Spring Benefit Gala The must-attend gala event in Stowe. Auction, silent auction, dinner, music, dancing—what else could you want? Stowe Mountain Lodge. Date to be determined.

January 22 – April 10 Winter Exhibition Intimacy of materiality in sculptural objects. A group exhibition. Opening reception Jan. 22, 6 p.m.

106

June 17 – August 21 Pat Steir Solo exhibition of New York City-based painter and printmaker, best recognized for her dripped, splashed, and poured waterfall paintings. Steir has had recent shows at The Whitney and Neuberger Museum.

Clockwise from top left: The Helen Day exhibit space. It’s Not That Simple, Wylie Sofia Garcia,

mixed textiles, 28"x48", 2015, part of the art center’s winter exhibition. The Festival of Trees & Light. Pat Steir, Untitled, 2008, oil, pencil, ink, and acrylic, 15"x20". Inset: Tree ornament.

EXHIBITS Exhibit calendar continues from page 104

RED MILL GALLERY Vermont Studio Center, Pearl Street, Johnson. (802) 635-2727. vermontstudiocenter.org. Rotating artists in two gallery spaces.

Detail, Burke Mountain, Larry Golden, River Arts.

RIVER ARTS 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. riverartsvt.org, (802) 888-1261.

Through January 4 Larry Golden, traditional painter. Gallery at River Arts. Through January 4 Photo Co-op Exhibit, featuring Chris Crothers, Krystal Goff, Marie LaPre Grabon, Kent Shaw, Mark Vandenberg, more. Common Space Gallery. Jan. 7 – March 3 Caroline McKinney—Humans and Other Animals. Opening reception Jan. 7, 5 - 7 p.m. Common Space Gallery.

February Moon, J.D. Logan,

Robert Paul Galleries.

ROBERT PAUL GALLERIES Baggy Knees Shopping Center, 394 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-7282. robertpaulgalleries.com. Original paintings, sculpture, and fine photography by artists from around the world.

Distinctive cards, gifts and goods for a well-designed life. 6 Sunset Street • 1845 House • 253.7300 • Junipervt.com (next to black cap coffee)

Exhibit calendar continues on page 108

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EXHIBITS & OPENINGS Exhibit calendar continues from page 107

Susan Wahlrab, Winter. WEST BRANCH GALLERY & SCULPTURE PARK One mile from the village on the Mountain Road, Stowe. westbranchgallery.com. (802) 253-8943. Four interior galleries featuring a diverse collection of contemporary fine art and sculpture. 3.5 acre outdoor sculpture park committed to promoting exceptional contemporary art in varied media and styles by regional, national, and international artists.

Through December 31 Gabriel Tempesta: Our World, Charcoals, & Casein Using the camera as his sketching tool, Gabriel Tempesta creates highly detailed impressions of his natural surroundings with charcoal, casein, and watercolor. March 26 FLIGHTâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Explorations in Movement, Migration, and Freedom Paintings and sculpture by regional, national, and international artists.

STOWE CRAFT GALLERY & DESIGN CENTER 55 Mountain Road and 34 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-7677 or (802) 253-4693. stowecraft.com Fine crafts, furniture, sculpture, representing Zoey, by Valerie Miller. artists Homer Wells, Sabra Field, and more. n

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ÂŠVERMONT STUDIO CENTER

Visiting artists: Clockwise from top left: writer Vievee Francis, artist Sarah Anne Johnson, writer Gabrielle Calvocoressi, and artist David Kapp. VERMONT STUDIO CENTER LECTURE SERIES VSC Lecture Hall, Main Street, Johnson. 8 p.m. Free, confirm day of the event, (802) 635-2727. vermontstudiocenter.org

December 1

Carol Hepper (artist)

December 10

Francis Cape (artist)

December 11

Emilio Perez (artist)

December 14

Noy Holland (writer)

January 7 January 11

Lan Samantha Chang (writer) Arnold Kemp (artist)

January 12

John Monti (artist)

January 21

Hope Ginsburg (artist)

January 22

Dannielle Tegeder (artist)

January 25

Vievee Francis (writer)

February 4

David Gilbert (writer)

February 8

Kevin Appel (artist)

February 9

Marie Lorenz (artist)

February 18

Xaviera Simmons (artist)

February 19

David Kapp (artist)

February 22

Kwame Dawes (writer)

March 3

Simone Muench (writer)

March 7

Gideon Bok (artist)

March 8

Maren Hassinger (artist)

March 17

Marc Leuthold (artist)

March 18

Magdalena Campos-Pons (artist)

March 21

Rikki Ducornet (writer)

March 31

Steve Scafidi (writer)

April 4

Sarah Anne Johnson (artist)

April 5

Diana Al-Hadid (artist)

April 14

Jose Cobo (artist)

April 15

Steve DiBenedetto (artist)

April 18

Antonya Nelson (writer)

May 12

Gabrielle Calvocoressi (writer)

May 13

Bryon King (artist)

May 17

Jen Bervin (artist)

May 26

Miguel Luciano (artist)

May 27

Sarah McEneaney (writer)

May 30

Victor LaValle (writer)

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MADE IN VERMONT

THE MUSIC MEN

Metropolitan Music hides in plain sight STORY / Kate Carter & Nathan Burgess

PHOTOGRAPHS / Glenn Callahan

Adam and Rob Juzek have a lot of stuff on the walls of their offices on Mountain Road in Stowe—posters of Marshall guitar amplifiers and the English metal band Iron Maiden, a ticket to a Les Claypool concert, stickers from the American Motorcycle Association. But tucked into a bookshelf in one corner of Rob’s office are dusty volumes that tell a different story. Printed across the bindings in fading gold letters are the words “Metropolitan Music Company.” The books are vintage catalogs for a mail-order stringed-instrument company that’s been in the Juzek family for generations. Rob and Adam’s great uncle, luthier John Juzek, started the business in Prague, Czechoslovakia, around 1920, handcrafting reproductions of instruments from famous Italian design houses such as Stradivarius, Guarnerius, Gagliano, Guadagnini, and Testore. His highest-quality violins used wood from torn-down houses and old Bohemian churches from the snow-tinged hills of the Carpathian Mountains. He called his company Czechoslovak Musical Instruments. John’s brother, Robert Sr. (Rob and Adam’s grandfather), brought John Juzek violins to New York City, where the business gained a foothold in the U.S. Other luthiers in Czechoslovakia began producing stringed instruments to John Juzek’s standards to meet the demand abroad and in the States. Robert Jr. (Rob and Adam’s father), ran the company and changed the name to Metropolitan Music Company. At the start of WWII, many of the Juzek clan came to the U.S. to work in the family business. Robert Jr. moved his family and business to Stowe in 1977. It seemed like a good place to run a business and raise a family. Today, the company is a distribution and tool-making company specializing in violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and accessories still sold under the Juzek name. 110

You might think the brothers’ youthful demeanor and adrenaline-fueled lifestyle—Adam, a former motocrosser who now races mountain bikes, and Rob and his wife ride Ducatis—seem a far cry from the quiet elegance of a Bach cello suite. But craftsmanship and music appreciation simply go with their last name (pronounced uzik, like music, without the em). “The sound coming out of a violin is truly the sound of the player,” Adam says. “There are no electronics; it’s just the player.” Adam grew up playing the cello, then switched to bass guitar when he got older. Rob is also a strings player, though his tastes run toward the guitar, mandolin, and occasionally the banjo. “It wasn’t like it was part of a plan to come back to Stowe and run the business,” says Adam, who with Rob took over the business from their father, Bob Juzek, in the late 1990s. Rob adds, “Our father’s upbringing was strict European, and it was expected that he would take over the business from his father, but he never expected that from us, it just happened to work out that way.” In its nondescript red building next to Fiddlers Green on Mountain Road, the shop is something of a “best-kept secret” in Stowe. There’s no sign, only a small brown nameplate tacked to the front door with the company’s name. Metropolitan Music Company imports, wholesales, and distributes orchestral stringed instruments and accessories, and manufactures their own brand of instrument-making tools, shoulder rests, and practice mutes. If you are an stringed instrument maker, Metropolitan Music is one-stopshopping for anything you could possibly need—maple and spruce tonewood for the instrument bodies, sound posts, bridges, pegs, scrolls, bows and bow parts, rosin, a ridiculous amount of strings, and the list goes on. The Metropolitan Music catalog and website include the full content of their inventory—about 3,000 items, give or take a few. The business is nearly 100 percent mail order, with product being shipped out of state and abroad daily. “There are a lot of really good violin makers around the world,” says Rob. “On average we get someone coming in once a week to look at our tonewood. Late summer and fall are our busiest time for that. Some people will spend a day just looking at wood.”

360 Sweater

Margaret O’leary

White+Warren

Tolani

WELL STRUNG Instruments hang from the ceiling. Rob and Adam Juzek. Vintage music catalogues.

“We encourage people to come and handselect the wood,” Adam says. It’s a common misconception that Juzek violins are made in Stowe. Rather, they are made in Europe and China to Juzek specifications and shipped to Stowe, where they undergo final assembly and distribution. “We have five people working in the warehouse,” says Rob. “Two are master luthiers and shop technicians—Chuck Sanzone, maker of Sanzone guitars, and Pete Langdell, who used to own Rigel Mandolins. Chuck and Pete still build their own instruments to order and we are very lucky to have them. Casey McGlynchey is our third shop technician. Those three do instrument setup and adjustments, and they assemble tools. We also have James Jordan who handles packing, shipping, and inventory, and Scott Bliss, our inventory manager.” Once the instruments are set up and adjusted, they are cased and shipped to retailers, most of whom sell or rent the instruments to schools. Ultimately, it’s students who unknowingly drive the industry. “We’ve always been known for studentlevel instruments, but we also have some in the $7,000 range,” Rob notes. “But it’s students, especially violin students, who keep us in business. There are more violins in an orchestra than any other instrument, and a student might start with a half-sized violin and grow into three-quarter and full sizes. Violins are the go-to student instrument. They are approachable in price, size, and convenience.” So… what makes up the largest percent of Metropolitan Music’s business? Strings! It seems astounding, but consider this: each orchestral instrument has four strings, each string has a lifespan, and Metropolitan Music inventories over 80 different brands. That’s a lot of strings moving in and out of the warehouse. They say location is everything, and perhaps the most important aspect to the Metropolitan Music’s home is not the easy access from the Mountain Road, but the easy access from Stowe Mountain Resort. “We love our location,” Adam says. “We can ski from the top of the Bruce Trail to our front door.” Not a bad way to start a day of shipping and receiving, so that others can make music on instruments that were originally designed and fabricated by their great uncle. n /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: metmusic.com.

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MIXED MEDIA

TALENT EXPLOSION Some of the acts coming to Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center this winter (clockwise from top): Belle Starr, Bettye Lavette, Journey to Mystic India, and Will Ackerman. Inset: Comedian Etta May.

SPRUCE PEAK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 122 Hourglass Drive, Spruce Peak at Stowe Mountain Resort. sprucepeakarts.org. 802-760-4634. Subject to change.

Friday, November 27 The Journey To Mystic India Brilliant dancers, opulent costumes, renowned musicians, and breathtaking acrobats work together to create a spectacular evening of Bollywood entertainment from the heart of Mystic India. 3 and 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 5 An Evening with Bettye LaVette Legendary musician with a career spanning over 50 years in the genres of soul, blues, and R&B—one of the finest vocal interpreters of American popular song. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 12 The McLean Avenue Band, Christmas In Ireland With special guest the Heather Morris Celtic Dance Academy. Traditional Irish tunes and ballads masterfully combined with rock, pop, and R&B. 7 p.m.

Saturday, December 19 The Gathering: A Concert for the Longest Night A rare performance by Will Ackerman, Grammy winner and founder of Windham Hill Records, along with award-winning musicians Peter Jennison, Marika Takeuchi, and Vin Downes. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 26 Warren Miller‘s Chasing Shadows Miller’s 66th ski film explores what it means to be inspired, and what it is about exotic locations and snow-covered summits that keep us searching for more. 7 p.m.

Sunday, December 27 Mirage! A Circus Life Stunning display of circus arts featuring trapezists, jugglers, contortionists, and more. 8-person ensemble explores community vitality and the reason to create. They build an elusive world, inviting the audience to dream and participate. 7 p.m.

Tuesday, December 30 Adam Ezra Group As much activists and community leaders as musicians and songwriters, the group lived out of a van, farmed in Canada, volunteered for the relief effort in Kosovo, and practiced environmental geography in South Africa. 7:30 p.m.

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Saturday, January 2 Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony—Green Mountain Mahler Festival The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “the Choral,” is one of Beethoven’s greatest works, and many consider it among the finest achievements of western music. Join the Green Mountain Mahler Festival for a festive New Year’s concert when conductor Daniel Bruce leads the orchestra and chorus, with four area vocal soloists. 7:30 p.m

Saturday, January 9 Warren Miller‘s Chasing Shadows Miller’s 66th ski film explores what it means to be inspired, and what it is about exotic locations and snow-covered summits that keep us searching for more. 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 16 Chad Hollister Band Signature 10-piece ensemble blends heartfelt and honest songwriting with catchy melodies, lyrics, and grooves. Opening act: The Jason Spooner Band. 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 17 Warren Miller‘s Chasing Shadows Miller’s 66th ski film explores what it means to be inspired, and what it is about exotic locations and snow-covered summits that keep us searching for more. 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 23 Nobby Reed Project Guitarist extraordinaire plays and sings the blues. 7:30 p.m.

January 28 Comedian Etta May Reigning Queen of Southern Sass. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 30 Romeo and Juliet State Ballet Theatre of Russia makes a return to Stowe after last season’s Swan Lake and 2013’s Sleeping Beauty. Full-length ballet set to the music of Sergei Prokofiev and choreography of the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet’s Michael Lavrovsky. 7 p.m.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Saturday, February 6 The Michele Fay Band Compelling and captivating ensemble featuring original and Americana music from Vermont. 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 17 LEO, The Anti-Gravity Show Theatre piece challenges the senses and tests perceptions of reality through the interplay of live performance and video projection. Directed by Montreal actor/director Daniel Brire and based on an original idea by Tobias Wegner. 7 p.m.

Saturday, February 20 Dan Liptak's Apex Ensemble APEX is a 10-piece horn-driven musical experience sure to invigorate your mind, body, and soul with an energetic mix of 1960s San Francisco Bay Area funk, rock, fusion, world music, and jazz. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 27 Belle Starr Stephanie Cadman, Kendel Carson, and Miranda Mulholland play blazing fiddles, sing like no others, and excel at step dancing. Part traditional, part pop, steeped in Americana. 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 5 Distant Mirrors, An Evening with Heliand Consort Heliand Consort presents Distant Mirrors—Music between the Wars, 1918 – 1939. Novelty piano, French Impressionism, the American songbook, and Poulenc’s spectacular Sextet for Piano and Wind Quintet, Opus 100. The period from the heights of the Roaring Twenties to the depths of the Depression. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 12 PossumHaw With the drive of bluegrass and the original lyricism of folk, delivered by one of the finest female vocalists in the region, PossumHaw has stunning vocal harmonies, stellar acoustic instrumentation, and a sound all its own. Singer-songwriter Colby Crehan’s song “Road to Mora” was named Vermont Song of the Year, and she was named Vermont Vocalist of the Year. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2 Hooking Up with Second City Comedy Troupe Gaspingly funny revue is a modern mix of romance, rancor, and everything in between. Second City is back for its fourth performance in Stowe. 7:30 p.m. Mixed media continues on page 114

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ARTS, CRAFTS, & MUSIC AT SPRUCE CAMP Noon - 4 p.m., in the pavilion building, Spruce plaza, unless noted. Stowe Mountain Resort. Free hot cocoa and s’mores on Dec. 26 – Jan. 3, Jan. 16 – 18, and Feb. 13 – 21, 2 - 4 p.m. Subject to change. stowe.com.

Dec. 26 Dec. 27 Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Dec. 29 Dec. 30 Dec. 31 Dec. 31 Jan. 1 Jan. 3 Jan. 17 Feb. 14 Feb. 15 Feb. 16 Feb. 17 Feb. 18 Feb. 19 Feb. 20 Feb. 21

Dux the Balloon Man Caricature drawing / Marc Hughes Face painting/ Shirley Pine Caricature drawing / Marc Hughes Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble, 1 and 4 p.m. Dux the Balloon Man Face painting / Shirley Pine Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble, 1 and 4 p.m. Holiday card making / Kate Morrissey Face painting / Shirley Pine Dux the Balloon Man (Spruce Camp base lodge) Valentine’s Day cards / Sarah Sprague Face painting / Shirley Pine Caricature drawing / Marc Hughes Dux the Balloon Man Bead making / Sarah Sprague Face painting / Shirley Pine Dux the Balloon Man Caricature drawing / Marc Hughes

HOLIDAY FAMILY PHOTOS With Jesse Schloff Photography. Spruce Plaza, Pavilion building, Stowe Mountain Resort. 2 - 4 p.m. December 29 – 31 January 2 February 13, 16, 18, 20

ICE CARVING Spruce Plaza, Stowe Mountain Resort. Ice Slide Ice Carving Ice carving Ice Slide Ice carving Ice carving

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

December 26 – January 1 December 26 December 29 February 13 – 16 February 13 February 17

SPRUCE PEAK FIREWORKS & TORCHLIGHT PARADE Spruce Camp Base Lodge, Stowe Mountain Resort. Decremeter 31 & February 14

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE MUSICAL Presented by Stowe Theatre Guild. Town Hall Theatre, Main Street. 7 p.m. December 3 – 6 and 10 – 13 GREEN MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Dozens of films and documentaries from around the world. Filmmaker talks, special events. Venues throughout Montpelier. (802) 262-3423, gmffestival.org. March 18 – 27

JAY PEAK NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS The Foeger Ballroom, 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. $10 for adults. jaypeakresort.com/events, (802) 327-2154. December 31 Music, dancing with The Grift. Fireworks at 9 p.m. JAY PEAK MUSIC SERIES The Foeger Ballroom. 7:30 p.m. $25 and $40. jaypeakresort.com/events, (802) 327-2154.

December 11 John Kadlecik Bank: Cofounder of Dark Star Orchestra. December 18 Vermont Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert: VSO Brass Quintet and Chorus. Includes arrangements of “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star,” “O Holy Night,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” other traditional favorites, and singalong. JSC DIBDEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS Johnson State College. (802) 635-1476. Most events free. All at 7 p.m. (unless noted) jsc.edu/dibden.

December 4 – 5 JSC Dance Show: JSC students light up the stage with infectious rhythm and enthusiasm. December 9 JSC Ensembles: Night of music by talented student musicians. December 11 JSC Band Concert: Highlights student talent. December 13 JSC Holiday Gala Concert, 4 p.m. February 11 – 13 Euridyce Whimsical and expressionistic, the production of the Greek myth uses audience immersion, interactive video projection, and other experimental performance elements. 7 p.m. March 18 – 20 The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s comedy. 7 p.m., 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. JOHNSON STATE COLLEGE FILM SERIES Johnson State College. 7 p.m. Free. (802) 635-1200.

January 19 In Football We Trust Documentary feature explores Polynesian pipeline to the NFL. Stearns Hall cinema. February 16 Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution The Black Panther Party and its significance to the broader American culture. 207 Bentley Hall. March 3 Majka Burhardt Author, climber, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, Majka explores the fine line between extreme and acceptable risk. Stearns Student Center Performance Space. April 19 Peace Officer Feature documentary about the increasingly militarized state of American police. Stearns Hall Cinema. RIVER ARTS CENTER WORKSHOPS 74 Pleasant St., Morrisville. (802) 888-1261. Fees, registration, and materials: riverartsvt.org.

Elder Art Group: For over 60 set. Free. Drop-in. Fridays, 10 a.m. - noon. Open Studio Figure Drawing: $10, bring own materials. First and 3rd Tuesdays, 6 - 8:30 p.m. Poetry Clinic: Poetry writing and critiques. Drop-in, $5 donation. First and 3rd Tuesdays, 6 - 8 p.m. River Arts Photo Co-op: Drop-in, $5 donation. Third Thursdays, 6 - 8 p.m. Mixed media continues on page 116

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DICKENS CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL—A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS IN STOWE Experience the sights and sounds of 19th century London in Stowe Village. Chestnuts roasting on the street, old English fare served from food carts. Fee or donation may be required. Subject to change. stowevibrancy.com, dickensfestivalstowe.org.

December 3 Welcome Reception, Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum, 5:30 p.m. ■ A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Town Hall Theatre, Main Street. 7 p.m. ■

December 4 Children’s Lantern Parade in Stowe Village, 4:30 p.m. ■ Tree lighting, caroling, cider and doughnuts, presentation of gifts for charity. Village Green, 5 p.m. ■ Mayor of London emcees short choral concert by Stowe children’s choir and Mountain Choraleers, 5:30 p.m. ■ Festival of Trees & Light, Helen Day Art Center, 6 p.m. ■ Kid’s Night Out: Special Dickens event at Stowe Recreation. K-5, 6 p.m. ■ Village restaurants serve old English fare, 6 p.m. ■ A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Town Hall Theatre, Main Street. 7 p.m. ■ After Dark Pub Nights: Harrison’s, The Whip, Plate, Grazer’s, Cork, 9 p.m. ■

December 5 Victorian Vendors Marketplace, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ■ Annual Christmas Bazaar, Stowe Community Church,10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ■ Santa Claus and his Reindeer, Stowe Mercantile, noon - 3 p.m. ■ Christmas Cookie Making, Cafe on Main, noon - 3 p.m. ■ Free Village Wagon Rides, noon - 3 p.m. ■ Main Stage performances, strolling carolers and actors, Stowe Village, noon - 3 p.m. ■ Welcome to Winter Family Day, DIY crafts, David Gale Recreation Center, noon - 3 p.m. ■ Queen Victoria’s Tea, Green Mountain Inn, 2 - 4 p.m. ■ Dickens Dancing Ice Show and Family Skate, Stowe Arena, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. ■ SD Ireland's Christmas truck, Main Street, 5 - 6 p.m. ■ A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Town Hall Theatre, Main Street. 7 p.m. ■

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STOWE COMMUNITY CHURCH MESSIAH SING-IN 7 p.m.; doors open 6:30 p.m. $8 per person. Stowe Community Church, Main Street. (802) 253-7257.

December 21 Handel’s Messiah Community Sing-In Soloists perform Handel’s masterpiece. Join in to sing Handel’s great choruses and help to celebrate the winter solstice and holiday season. No rehearsal required. Singers and listeners both welcome. Bring a score if you have one and donations to the local food shelf. STOWE WINTER CARNIVAL—ALL STOWED IN! Jan. 16 – Jan. 30 Various location around the town of Stowe. See calendar on p.18. TRIP DANCE COMPANY FUNDRAISER Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, 1 Hourglass Lane, Spruce Peak. 7 p.m. sprucepeaksarts.org.

COURTESY PHOTO

March 18 – 19 Nearly 50 dancers, ages 6 to 18, perform ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, tap, and hip-hop.

George Woodard.

WINTER STAR SERIES AT STOWE TOWN HALL Rusty DeWees hosts all shows, Akeley Memorial Building, Main Street, Stowe. 7:30 p.m. $25, available Shaw’s General Store or Thelogger.com. (802) 888-8838.

“Warm Winter Day,” oil by Eric Tobin, in Land and Light and Water and Air, 2015

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January 22 & 23 The Logger Rusty DeWees Comedy and music for the family, with Patrick Ross (fiddle, vocals), Peter B. Wilder (guitar, vocals). January 29 & 30 George Woodard An evening of Vermont music and stories with the Vermont icon. February 6 Jon Gailmor Songs and entertainment-plus with noted Elmore musician. February 13 Traditional/nontraditional music and comedy show with fiddle phenom Patrick Ross and Jean Nil Theroux (fiddle, accordion). February 20 Burlington Vermont Comedy Club Stand-up and improv show, for the mature audience. February 26 & 27 An Evening with former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas Charlie Rose-style interview and history quiz with Rusty DeWees. The governor will sing too. March 4 & 5 The Logger Rusty DeWees Comedy and music for the family, with Patrick Ross (fiddle, vocals), Peter B. Wilder (guitar, vocals). n

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FROM TOP: RICHARD SMITH; COURTESY PHOTO

S TOWE TRADITIONS

A DICKENS CHRISTMAS

Stowe celebrates Victorian-style STORY / Kate Carter

Who needs “Downton Abbey” when you’ve got Dickens Christmas in Stowe? During the weekend of Dec. 3 – 5, Stowe Village steps back to 1843, when Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol.” Decorations, costumes, and activities revolve around Victorian-era Christmas traditions, and locals and visitors will feel as though they’ve stepped into the pages of a Dickens novel, if only for a few days. Dickens Christmas Festival—conceived by Nancy Jeffries-Dwyer of Stowe—brings a traditional Christmas spirit to Stowe, with performances of “A Christmas Carol: The Musical,” a magical lighting of the trees on Main Street, a Victorian vendors’ marketplace, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, formal teas, caroling, and lots of family fun in a Victorian London setting. And, oh yes, Santa Claus is coming to town. “I’ve lived here for 30 years and I’d like to leave a legacy for the town of joy and celebration—a family-oriented event that shows what we, the people of Stowe, do so well, which is hospitality,” Jeffries-Dwyer explains. “I would like to see A Dickens Christmas in Stowe become a destination holiday event and eventually a tradition that brings people to Stowe early in December to enjoy the holiday season.” Jeffries-Dwyer, an event planner, got her inspiration for A Dickens Christmas in Stowe from hearing about similar events in other towns across the U.S. She says the high-

light of the weekend in Stowe is “A Christmas Carol: The Musical,” performed at the Town Hall Theatre on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights (and again on Dec. 10 – 13). The operetta draws on Vermont talent, with lead children’s roles played by local students, choreography by Taryn Noelle (Nancy’s daughter!), musical direction by Dan Bruce, and direction by Shannon Sanborn. Restaurants in town will remain open after the performances for late-night Victorian pub fare. The festival kicks off on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., with a reception at the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum, followed by opening night of the musical. Festivities go full swing at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, with a children’s lantern parade that leads to the Village Green for community caroling and an awe-inspiring Christmas tree lighting. This is when all the decorated trees on Main Street light up at the same time, a sight that is sure to bring cheers from the crowds. The Mayor of Victorian London will be on hand to emcee a short choral concert by Stowe’s children’s choir and the Mountain Choraleers. In the spirit of giving, which, after all, is what Christmas is all about, gifts will be presented to the Clarina Howard Nichols Center and Lamoille Community Food Share. Jeffries-Dwyer has one wish for the weekend: that people will come experience a Dickens Christmas and embrace the Christmas spirit. That’s her gift to the community. n ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: dickensfestivalstowe.org or stowevibrancy.com. See the complete calendar of events on p.114.

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STYLE ICON

NOSE DIVE ANNIE Clothes designer, pilot, Olympic skier STORY / Nancy Wolfe Stead

Glamorous “Nose Dive Annie,” as she was known in her heyday in Stowe, arrived on the arm of James Negley Cooke in the 1930s to beguile all with her skill on skis, on the tennis court, and in the air— she was one of the first licensed female pilots and began her flying career at age 12—as a clothes designer, and après ski hostess extraordinaire. While Ann Cooke left Stowe for Colorado in 1947, she’s part of Slope Style: Fashion on Snow 1930 – 2014, one of the exhibits at the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum on Stowe’s Main Street. Cookie, as her husband was known, was a colleague of New York City securities specialist Roland Palmedo, who put Stowe on the map as a ski resort and peopled it with the social elite of New York. As investor in and vice president of the new Mt. Mansfield Lift Company, Cookie and Ann moved to Stowe. Fellow New York City go-getter and founder of the U.S. Ski Patrol Charles Minot (Minnie) Dole gave Ann her nickname when she won a major Eastern Championship race, and an alternate position on the 1939 Olympic team, on what was, at the time, one of the most famous ski trails in North America, Stowe’s Nose Dive. With the outbreak of World War II and the de-camping of Cookie with an Olympic team colleague, Ann left to serve as civilian flight instructor to Army and Navy cadets. Ever a stylish woman—she dressed with flair on and off the slopes—she returned to Stowe and established a career in fashion design, where she opened a shop and designed and fabricated ski clothing. Local women knitted sweaters of her designs and her fashions made the cover of Harper’s Bazaar, as well as the windows of Fifth Avenue’s elite stores. Among Ann’s other accomplishments: She competed at Wimbledon, became an expert in dressage, hunting, and jumping, and worked as a model. According to her obituary, Ann was “captured in photographs by artists such as Edward Steichen, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, and Toni

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FASHIONISTA An advertisement for Ann Cooke’s clothing shop in Stowe. (Photo courtesy of New England Ski Museum) From the March 1, 1941 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. (Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum) A modeling shoot by photographer Toni Frissell.

Frissell, and was regularly featured in publications such as Vogue, Town and Country … from the 1930s through the 1970s.” Her couture clothing collection was donated to the Phoenix Art Museum just before her death, and features “some of the most masterful fashion designers of the 1950s and 1960s, including Charles James, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Madame Grès.” Ann Bonfoey Taylor (1910-2007)—she married Vernon “Moose” Taylor in 1947—was inducted into the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2009. Ann and Vernon were early founders of Vail, and they built a chalet that became the social hub of the new resort. Stowe’s Betty McGill and Dawn Hazelett remember delightful visits and the extraordinary memory of Ann’s home with its long entrance hall lined with coat hooks, each bearing one of Ann’s fur jackets. Dawn marvels: “Few people could keep up with Annie.” n

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SKI LEGEND The womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national slalom and downhill championships were held on the Nose Dive in April 1938. Here, Ann Cooke is seen in the starting gate for the downhill. In a rare twist, she tied in both the downhill and slalom with the same racer, Francoise McNichol. Perhaps in view of her many uphill treks on Nose Dive, Ann Cooke was the ceremonial first rider of the Mount Mansfield Lift Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chairlift when it opened on Dec. 9, 1940. Beside her is her then husband James Negley Cooke, a principal in the company. (Photos courtesy New England Ski Museum)

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MODEST HERO The Waterbury home of Dr. Henry Janes, a noted Civil War surgeon who pioneered new techniques in amputation. A portrait of Dr. Janes.

DOC JANES

Waterbury surgeon’s impressive Civil War legacy One hundred years ago, Dr. Henry Janes, a Civil War surgeon and family doctor in Waterbury, was buried in the town’s Hope Cemetery, and his large but simple tombstone bears the following: “Dr. Henry Janes, January 24, 1832 – June 10, 1915.” That’s it. No boastful epitaph for this modest man. But Dr. Janes led a far more complex and compassionate life than his tombstone reveals, and in later years the Waterbury Historical Society inscribed it with the notation “Civil War surgeon.” Even that doesn’t begin to tell Dr. Janes’s story. Brian Lindner, a local historian with a special interest in military history, says Dr. Janes is most remembered for being in charge of all field hospitals for both the North and South in the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg. “At a time when the treatment for a gunshot wound to a limb was amputation, he pioneered new techniques to instead STORY / Kate Carter preserve as much of the limb as possible,” Lindner says. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Janes joined the 3rd Vermont Regiment as a surgeon, and later became head surgeon for the U.S. Army. Records indicate that he cared for approximately 49,000 wounded soldiers during the war. When asked to describe the most important events during his service, he said: “Charge of the 6th corps hospital after the 2nd battle of Fredericksburg: the charge of the 20,000 Union and Confederate wounded left in and around Gettysburg after the battle.” Born and raised in Waterbury, Janes lived in the building now called the Janes House, home to the Waterbury Public Library. A true Vermonter, Janes attended Peoples Academy in Morrisville and the St. Johnsbury Academy. In 1852 he started his medical studies with Dr. James B. Woodward in Waterbury and subsequently attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, where he graduated in 1855. He came home to Waterbury in 1857 to open his medical practice. In 1864 Janes relocated to Montpelier, where he was in charge of Sloan General Hospital (now Vermont College), which housed 1,700 Union soldiers, mostly Vermonters. He then served as Vermont’s surgeon general for two years, and left the Army in 1866 as lieutenant colonel. Janes returned to Waterbury in 1867 with his bride, Francis B. Hall, a schoolteacher he met while working in Boston. He reopened his medical practice, and later served as a trustee for the 122

COURTESY OF WATERBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

HISTORY LESSON

University of Vermont, where his papers and published works are currently stored. He had a special interest in bone and brain injuries and finding ways to avoid limb amputations. Janes was descended from William Bradford, who came to America on the Mayflower, and his grandfather, Ezra Butler, was the 13th governor of Vermont. Janes’s political aspirations paled in comparison—he was a member of the Vermont legislature and Waterbury Village president— and instead served his community as a compassionate and humble doctor. When he died in 1915, without heirs, he bequeathed his house to his hometown for use as a public library, a suitable application, as shelves of books lined the walls of his home. “Janes’s legacy still benefits his community in the form of a trust fund he created that continues to fund a portion of the Waterbury Public Library,” says Lindner. Janes’s beautiful home, built in 1890 at 28 N. Main Street, is listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The two-and-a-half-story house has the asymmetrical, complex roofline and variety of materials typical of the Queen-Anne style. Projecting bays extend above the eaves and emphasize the slate-roofed dormers. In addition to the library, it also houses the Waterbury Historical Society, whose cornerstone display is the remains of Dr. Janes’s personal belongings, including his Civil War coat and a collection of medical tools that exceeds that of a similar collection at a museum in Gettysburg. n

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STOWE PEOPLE

E VA N C H I S M A R K

Stowe man trades law career to pursue passions

GLENN CALLAHAN

STORY / Kate Carter

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What do you get when you combine environmental law, snowboarding, a love of drawing, mountain biking, and dogs? Evan Chismark. As an illustrator and graphic designer, Evan Chismark has come a long way in a very short time, and now it looks like his artistic opportunities may be endless. Evan landed in Stowe in 2012, when he and his wife Katie decided to return to the East Coast, where Evan graduated from Vermont Law School with a degree in environmental law. The couple had lived in Golden, Colo., where Evan worked in civil engineering and water rights litigation. “I got

to work with many different kinds of people, which I loved, but there was a complete lack of creativity,” he says. After visiting friends in Stowe— which they thought was an awesome place—they sold their house in Golden and moved to that awesome town. Evan kept doing environmental consulting on the side while teaching snowboarding at Stowe Mountain Resort. And he started drawing again. “I’ve always had a natural proclivity for drawing, but I had an office job for 10 years and didn’t have time to do it,” he says. With newfound time to spare, Evan immersed himself in his favorite medium—pen and ink—and watercolor and acrylic painting. “I primarily do pen and ink, but it really depends on the project and the canvas. Each medium has its own feel to it.” Evan’s artistry reflects his personal interests: snowboarding, mountain biking, the environment, and dogs. “A lot of people who live here base their lives around skiing and snowboarding,” Evan says. “Teaching snowboarding keeps me connected to the sport and the snowboarding community.” Those connections have led to design work for companies such as DC Snowboards, Rome Snowboards, and The Friendly Gathering, a three-day summer snowboarding festival held in southern Vermont. Evan serves on Stowe Mountain Bike Club’s board of directors and says his affiliation with—and addiction to—mountain biking has provided similar results. His riding affiliations have garnered work from Colorado Mountain Bike Association, Stowe Mountain Bike Club, and an interesting and creative video promotional for 4 Points Vermont (view it at https://youtu.be/P0_87T8pUWI). A strong environmental element frames Evan’s work. Literally. His wife makes frames for his drawings from reclaimed materials. “Katie taught herself from a YouTube video,” Evan says. “She made frames from a hardware store’s cabinet samples for a show I recently did. And we like to hit up yard sales and thrift shops for frames and materials.” As for the canine component, Evan has two rescue dogs: Rockie, a Rottweiler mix, and

Bring the Outdoors Indoors

DRAWING BOARD “John’s Cow.” “Shades of my Youth.” “Fish Study.” Evan Chismark and Lucie work in his Stowe studio.

Lucie, a Jack Russell mix. Both pups keep him company on the trail and in his studio. He often gets requests from clients to memorialize their pets. Since most of those pets have gone over the bridge, Evan works from photographs, attempting to capture the essence of each individual animal in detailed pen-and-ink drawings. “As an artist you do whatever the subject is because there’s an emotional resonance,” Evan explains. “If I do something that I love, but nobody else does, I understand. Art is a really personal thing. But if I do something for a client and that client doesn’t like it, it cuts completely to the core. Fortunately that hasn’t happened yet.” l

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Peter Miller Photography at the Squashed Gallery

Evan’s shift from environmental consulting to professional artist has been gradual. He began by showing his work to a few unbiased people around town. Then he approached the folks at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe. “They gave me a lot of support,” he says. That meeting led to a stint teaching Intro to Drawing and multi-media classes at Helen Day. In 2014 Evan spent a month at Rhode Island School of Design, learning the ins and outs of Adobe Illustrator. “The digital work is reductionist—you say so much with so little. The analog work is exactly the opposite. I love that dichotomy.” Evan’s strength is illustration and its elements that carry over to graphic design. He is not a trained graphic designer, but his illustration style and business connections are leaning in that direction and he’s getting work that calls on his design skills. A creation for Doc Ponds, a restaurant in Stowe, is a good example. “Lance Violette of The Violette Studio contacted a few artists in the area to design the graphics on snowboards that were going to be hung on the wall as part of the restaurant’s decor. The canvas—a snowboard—was the same shape and size for everyone. It was fun to see how different artists approached the project and what they did.” Meeting Lance Violette was a pivotal moment in Evan’s career. “We met and we clicked over old-school snowboarding,” Evan explains. Their meeting opened several doors in the snowboarding industry. In August Evan produced a solo show called “Lake Life: A Creative Exploration Through Illustration and Design” at the Gallery at Hague Creek in Lake George. The gallery supports up-and-coming artists, as well as successful artists, by introducing a different artist and show every week. When he’s not snowboarding, mountain biking, or hiking with his dogs, Evan hunkers down to work in his upstairs guest-bedroom studio. The room is small, clean, and tidy. There are two workstations: an analog desk with paper, pens, and pencils for drawings by hand, and a digital desk with a computer for digital designs. Shelves with finished work and works in progress line one wall. Another wall is covered with framed drawings. A dry-erase board itemizes his workload. The room is meticulously organized, a phenomenon Evan attributes to his wife Katie. “She has an amazing ability to keep me organized,” he says. “Any success that I can lay claim to is a direct result of relationships with people in town,” he says. “Like-minded people in Stowe have been so helpful. So much has stemmed from really good people here and I am very thankful for that.” n

CHISMARK

Peter Miller Is The Distinguished Photographer and Author of Vermont Farm Women and A Lifetime of Vermont PeopleBest Non-Fiction Book from the Northeast by Independent Book Publishers. The author will autograph his coffee table books & offers limited edition large size prints in black & white & color.

20 Crossroad, Waterbury, VT | two houses south of Ben & Jerry’s on route 100 peter@petermillerphotography.com | 802.272.8851 Call for an appointment

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: evanchismark.com. 126

TOYS • APPAREL • HARDWARE • FOOTWEAR A big store in a little town. We've got something for Everybody! Route 100 N to route 15 W through Johnson Village and we are on your right! • 802-635-7282 Monday-Friday: 7:00am - 6:00pm • Saturday: 8:00am - 4:00pm • Sunday: Closed (open Sundays for the month of December)

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Famous Label, OFF PRICE Clothing for Men, Women & Teens 127

Artist Gabriel Tempesta

balance in black & white

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story by Jasmine Bigelow

portraits by Glenn Callahan

canvases by Gabriel Tempesta

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â&#x2013; Owl in Flight, 28.5"x18", charcoal and dry pigment.

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he driveway to Gabriel Tempesta’s home is a tree-lined dirt road, one where you must drive slowly. It’s just long enough to get lost in awe, and just short enough that it comes to an end before you actually feel lost. Gabe lives on 103 acres in Wolcott, where he grew up. His new house—a family project and work in progress—rests in a meadow cleared for farming a hundred years ago. It’s quiet. Secluded. It’s one of those serene places that you might stumble upon walking in the woods and think, “This must be a mirage.” A trick on your eyes. The newly constructed house is solid and unfinished, colorful and eclectic. The living room wall is a Creamsicle orange that Gabe’s wife Margaret—a yoga instructor—invented by mixing a color aptly named Create with white paint. The kitchen counter is made of hand-poured imperfect concrete, and every interior door is a gift from a different salvage. It’s home. And it’s where Gabe, the artist, creates. His studio takes up a small room on the second floor. Loads of natural light reflect off walls painted some unnamable shade of house-paint white. A fresh mountain breeze pours in through the unadorned open windows. A desk with all sorts of accoutrements—air compressor, computer, printer— and a standard-issue office chair on wheels fill the office. An easel is tucked away into this tiny alcove, while two paintings lean against the wall. One depicts a cat in a field; the other a field lined with trees and lit by the sun. The cat picture looks finished. So does the field study. Gabe says they are not. To be an artist, you must usually possess one of three things: talent, training, intention. Talent is natural ability; a gift that comes from an

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â&#x2013; Nebraska Valley Stowe Afternoon,

32"x24", charcoal and watercolor on board.

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unknown realm. Training is work; time spent developing a specific set of skills. Intention is purpose; a reason for devoting energy. These three qualities don’t always manifest in one artist. When they do, the result is acute. Art, executed with discipline, while implying a sense of inherent ease. It’s when every line belongs exactly where it is. Where every smudge is important to the whole picture. When you see the piece in parts or as a sum. Either way, it’s dynamic. Gabriel Tempesta is one of these artists. And, he’s refreshingly honest, answering any question with a gutsy openness, thought, and feeling. abe is a painter. He paints, primarily, with charcoal—using a brush 98 percent of the time. The most conspicuous piece of equipment in his studio, the compressor, is for airbrushing. It’s a technique used to capture the right softness for photorealism. He limits his use of the airbrush, partly because he doesn’t like an airbrushed look, but mostly because he doesn’t want to use it as a crutch. Gabe doesn’t need a crutch. When it comes to painting, he has no handicap. But that is not to say he doesn’t have to struggle. In fact, the artistic journey for Gabe is not constant joy. It’s a self-inflicted test of skill. It’s a push to prove—to himself—that he can meet a challenge and conquer it. He selects his subjects by looking through photographs from his archives and deciding which image is going to present the biggest contest. One by one, he knocks them down, and makes a hand-painted version of the image he took with his camera. l

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“Using thick chunks of charcoal encourages you to use a different part of your brain and see the big picture in a very basic way, and eventually you

learn how to make fine lines. It just clicked with me, and I loved how I didn’t have to think about color. Color adds a whole different dimension.“

■ Gabriel Tempesta at work in his Wolcott studio. 134

Gabe connects to the feeling of accomplishment that comes from creating something by hand. “Taking an image from electronic pixels on a screen to a real handmade surface is what brings it to life. It’s an arduous and slightly boring process, but in the end, I have worked hard and have something to show for it. My image has come to life. It’s satisfying,” he says. From an early age, Gabe’s parents encouraged his artistic abilities. His dad was a capable craftsman, and his grandfather was a sculptor at the Rock of Ages granite quarries. Gabe was drawn to drawings. The positive attention inspired him. But even as a child, he would get frustrated when he couldn’t make a

drawing look more like he wanted it to. “It was something I was just good enough at, that I wanted to be better.” So he studied illustration at Montserrat College of Art. Then, he carried around some art school baggage, picked up from professors influenced by the abstract expressionism of the mid-century who would say that photorealism is gimmicky. Let your art be an intangible representation of your feelings about the world. Let the viewers interpret your work through their own lens of individual experience. That kind of thing. l

Johnson Woolen Mills Factory Store Quality Woolen Garments for the Entire Family SINCE 1842

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Main Street, Johnson, Vermont (15 minutes from Stowe, 40 minutes from Jay) Open Mon-Sat 9-5 & Sun 10-4 • 802-635-2271 • 877-635-WOOL (9665)

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Women’s Apparel

Ski Wear “Because friends shouldn’t let friends pay retail.” Established 2001

393 Mountain Rd. Stowe, VT 05672

253-8100

Mon-Sat 10-5 Sun 12-5

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M. Lewis Antiques

Offering a nice variety of antiques and collectibles 10 Stowe Street Historic Downtown Waterbury, VT

802.244.8919 Martha M. Lewis, Owner Mon. - Sat. Sunday

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

We’ll put a smile on your face • • • • • • • • • •

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But art that imitates is not imitation art. When an artist delivers a photorealistic slice of the landscape or a living creature—a detailed likeness of something that actually exists—it is not about interpretation. It is about appreciation for the real subject it represents. Rather than taking the internal world and putting it out, you’re taking the external world and putting it in. And that still allows for an individual experience. Gabe’s process involves varying degrees of two things: applying pigment, and removing it. Laying down is black. Lifting up is white. Knowing just how much to lay and lift is what results in infinite shades of gray, and ultimately, the picture we all get to appreciate. For Gabe, knowing when to give up control is another critical contrast in developing the big picture. Letting go. Loosening up. He started adding water to his charcoal because he liked the visual effect, but adding water to pigment and paper means things happen that you can’t plan. “I’m very good at controlling and making things look the way I want them to. Working with the unknown is the fun part.” Charcoal exploration is a standard art school tool, which Gabe reflects upon with personal insight. “Using thick chunks of charcoal encourages you to use a different part of your brain and see the big picture in a very basic way, and eventually you learn how to make fine lines. It just clicked with me, and I loved how I didn’t have to think about color. Color adds a whole different dimension.“ But clicking with charcoal wasn’t enough to alter his plans immediately. “I had this idea I was a watercolorist, and it tightened me up. And, for ten years, I told myself I was an illustrator.” But illustration was too much of a compromise on the creative side, which turned it into a chore that Gabe really couldn’t enjoy. It’s a quandary so many people can identify with, actually. You tell yourself you are one thing. Maybe because you want it to be so. Maybe because you believe it is the truth. Maybe out of habit. And one day you recognize that you are not fulfilled. And when you let go of the labels, you begin a sequence of growth that is truly you. Now Gabe is an artist who employs himself. He decides the project, the process, and the product. And balances what he wants with what he needs. “The more I do, the more I learn. Every time I finish a piece, there’s a progression that influences the next piece. I like a challenge. And, I don’t want to get too routine. It takes the fun and magic and mystery out of it.” n

tempesta

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: See Gabe’s solo show, Gabriel Tempesta: Our World, Charcoals & Casein, at Stowe’s West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park, through Dec. 31. gabrieltempesta.com and westbranchgallery.com.

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DINING & LODGING

The Stowe area boasts a variety of cuisines and dining atmospheres, from swanky bistros that embrace the local-food movement to fine-dining establishments featuring award-winning chefs and busy pubs with the latest microbrewsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and everything in between! Check out the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great places to stay, as well, from full-service resorts to quaint country inns. Our guide to dining and lodging outlines the myriad choices from which to choose, and perfectly complements our menu and restaurant publication, Table. Pick up your copy today.

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EDIBLES is compiled by Lisa McCormack and Hannah Marshall, and photographed by Glenn Callahan

NEW KID The busy bar at Doc Ponds, the newest member in a trio of Hen of the Wood restaurants. Burgers are a specialty.

DOC PONDS Hen of the Wood boys reimagine the classic pub If the two Hen of the Wood restaurants are the polished professionals in their family— personified, they’d maybe be art gallery owners, or start-up CEOs— Doc Ponds is the rad little sister who owns a food truck, shreds in a postpunk band, and daylights as a curator at the gallery. The new chick on the block was hatched in August by respected restaurateurs William McNeil and James Beard-nominated chef Eric Warnstedt. “It was really just supposed to be beer and albums,” Warnstedt says,

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STORY / Hannah Marshall PHOTOGRAPHS / Glenn Callahan

“but as we ripped the place apart … we made the decision to put it back the way we wanted to.” Winooski-based woodworker Doug Walker did most of the bespoke interior work, with LED lights glimmering from geometric inlays and layers of buttery wood panels. Familystyle picnic tables, high-tops, black leather banquettes and couches, custom benches around the fireplace, and a dozen bar stools provide ample choices for dining families or lounging singles. Vivid black-and-white designs, old-school snowboard decks, and the Adventureman—an outline of a bearded man in hiking boots and a pom-pom hat, designed by Stowe artist Lance Violette—share wall space with clean, mineral

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EDIBLES expanses of sage green, white, and natural wood. The food at Doc Ponds is casual, but not dumbed down. Sure, there’s fried calamari, chips and dip, and pickles, but each small plate is presented with as much care as anything served in Waterbury or Burlington. There’s no shortage of talent, from the kitchen to the front door and everything between. General manager Justin Gould was tapped from the Farmhouse group in Burlington; assistant manager is Denise Fitzgibbon, long-time Hen supervisor. Chef de cuisine Justin Wright, who’s been sous chef at both Hen locations, shines as kitchen captain, with thoughtful and precise attention to each and every ingredient and dish. Plays on fast-casual favorites are fun and really, really delicious—“special sauce” on the unassumingly sublime burger; a melt-in-yourmouth (and in your hand) fish sandwich of Wood Mountain Fish pollock on a soft potato bun loaded obscenely with rich lump-crab mayonnaise. Bayley Blue Balls are arancini— crispy fried risotto per tradition, but the rice is delightfully overwhelmed by tangy Bayley Hazen Blue, a wonderful blue cheese from Jasper Hill Cellars. The toast trend is touched on purposefully with combos like local chévre, salsa verde, and tomatoes (only in season, of course), or Heady Topper-braised ham with mustard crème fraiche, or sardines and fennel on rye. For dessert, pick a milkshake with housespun ice cream spiked with bourbon or nitro stout if you like, or, if it’s not sold out, a slice of devastatingly tasty pie-of-the-day from Shiel Worcester, proprietor of Jam mobile bakery. “We’re just taking updated bar food and doing it our way,” Warnstedt says. The bar side is equally respectable, with a handful of reasonably priced wines, 24 tap offerings, and 50 or so bottles shepherded by bar manager Dave Meiss—from craft brew heavy-hitters like Hill Farmstead and Maine Beer Co. to Switchback and Schlitz—and a stellar cocktail program with modern classics as imagined by Kate Wise. Chill ambiance is available in spades, with an ever-changing soundtrack provided by two turntables and a thousand-strong collection of vinyl. Listening to a great album from start to finish, the way it was designed, is a satisfying experience, and so is a meal or round of drinks at Doc Ponds—thoughtfully designed and masterfully executed, with just the right amount of rock ‘n’ roll. n

Doc Ponds

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 294 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 760-6066. docpond.com. 142

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Get uncorked

Swirl Wine Bar

STOWE BEVERAGE & LIQUOR STORE

LIQUOR • BEER •WINE Tel. 253-4525 1880 Mountain Road, Stowe. Open 9-9 M-S • 11-6 Sunday

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While the beer force is strong in our little mountain town, with events, bars, and breweries popping up almost weekly, another beverage wave is rolling in. Swirl Wine Bar, inside Stowe Wine and Cheese, opened earlier this month on the Mountain Road. (Cork Wine Bar & Market in Stowe Village opened this fall, joining Fine Wine Cellars and Stowe Beverage, both on the Mountain Road, which have been doing business here for years.) Stowe Wine and Cheese owners Ken and Sandie Powers bought their business, previously Mountain Cheese and Wine, a year ago. While they’ve left the retail section of the shop largely unchanged, the Powerses wanted a wine bar so customers could come face-to-glass with their large, varied stock before making a choice. With a selection of nearly 1,000 wines and more than 50 kinds of cheese, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to choose a bottle and a wedge. Swirl offers 50 wines to sample, in three sizes—a 2-ounce taste, 6-ounce glass, or full bottle—with a wide range of prices and styles, from a $2 taste of big red Italian Primitivo or Sonoma Gewürztraminer to $10 pours of Napa Chardonnay and Cabernet. Nitrogen technology can keep the open bottles fresh for up to a week, and a Coravin argon system pours wine via a needle inserted through the cork, allowing tastes and glasses of high-end wines without fear of wasting the precious liquid left over. For those who lean toward a different drink,

GLENN CALLAHAN

RUSTIC CHIC Bars made of live sawn wood from P&R Lumber in Hardwick, hand-finished by Stowe Wine and Cheese owners Ken and Sandie Powers, at Swirl.

there are two rotating draught lines of local beer, plus Heady Topper and Focal Banger by the can, and Citizen Cider. Food includes cheese and charcuterie boards, starting at $7.95 for one cheese plus the proper accoutrements (baguette, olives, jam or compote, and crackers). Snackers can add more cheeses as they please, and four kinds of pâté. The menu will be seasonal, based on what’s available and the whims of the shop. Cool weather will bring warming favorites such as fondues, soups, and raclette. “I think wine can be complex for people,” Sandie says. “We wanted to make the food simple and approachable.” Ken Powers is a 30-plus-year veteran of the wine industry, working with wine distributors and wineries including Hess Collection and Cannonball, and he’s happy to make recommendations and pairings for any palate and price range. “We’ve been talking about demystifying wine for about 20 years,” Ken says. He sees Swirl as a place “where you can just come taste wine and not feel intimidated. We drink wine because it’s great with food, and we have a lot of fun. We’ve been looking forward to this for about 14 years.” — Hannah Marshall

Eat . Drink . Stay. Warm and gracious interiors, luxurious textures and modern amenities, offering the finest in Stowe, VT lodging. A distinctive country inn and restaurant, overlooking nearly forty acres of forest and rolling countryside. An iconic Stowe ski resort boutique hotel. Come explore our extensive cross-country trails, appropriate for beginners to experienced skate skiers or classic skiers.

Join us for après ski in the Tavern! Classic New England cuisine, innovative cocktails and local craft beers in an intimate setting.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 1799 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-8606. stowewineandcheese.com. 145

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Great Breakfast, Great Dining, Good Times I t ’s a l w a y s g o o d t o g o D u t c h at the

Rogue Artisans

990 Mountain Road 802.253.8921 DUTCH PANCAKE CAFE & GREY FOX INN 990 Mountain Road, Stowe stowegreyfoxinn.com 802-253-8921 | greyfoxinn.com

Food, art converge Sip a latte and munch on homemade pastries while admiring—or buying—furniture made onsite at Rogue Artisans Café in Morrisville. Owner Jonathan Mogor, a furniture designer and Navy veteran, opened the café this summer and it’s been bustling with customers since word got out about its daylong espresso service, creative cocktails, and wide-ranging menu. The café offers everything from breakfast sandwiches—the egg, cheese, sriracha, and avocado on French toast bread is amazing—to baked goods, salads, soups, and sandwiches. It also serves Waterbury’s Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Coffee, and pastries and other baked goods are prepared on premise. Selections include unusual delights, such as chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick, carrot cake with orange-cream cheese frosting, apple turnovers, espresso cupcakes, chocolate whoopie pies, and blueberry sour cream coffee cake. Phew! Chef Jason Gelineau has created a selection of paninis filled with meat he brines and roasts. The Spalted Maple ($12) includes turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese, apple slices, red onion, and cranberry chutney aioli served on Klinger’s cranberry-pecan French toast bread. Vegetarians might like the Real Jason ($11) filled with Thai-flavored tofu, smoked gouda, baby field greens, tomato, onion, and goddess dressing, served on sourdough. Café manager and drink master Jessica Winters—a trained herbalist—creates homemade syrups for Italian-style soda and flavored espresso drinks, along with a daily cooler of

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GLENN CALLAHAN

HOUSE MADE Jonathan Mogor relaxes in front of a bar created from wood he salvaged while renovating his 1840s building in Morrisville.

water infused with herbs and fruit. The bar serves several brands of local cider and beer, including Speakeasy Metropolis, a lager brewed in San Francisco, and Blanche De Chambly, a spice- and citrus-infused brew from Quebec. Mogor moved to Vermont from Florida three years ago to follow a girlfriend who owned a home in Stowe. The relationship didn’t work out, but Mogor stayed, inspired by the creative and welcoming people he met. He leased workshop space in Morrisville’s industrial complex, where he and business partner Cal Payne created rustic-industrial style furniture from reclaimed wood and metal. Their company, Rogue Artisans, quickly gained a following locally and at regional trade shows. When their lease expired, Mogor purchased and renovated a dilapidated 19th-century building on Portland Street. He wanted to create a permanent space for his workshop, along with a showroom and a café that would encourage customers to linger. Mogor, who lives in Stowe, sees Morrisville as a place with lots of potential for growth and looks forward to his café becoming a unique part of the growing dining scene. “You don’t have to be in a bar or restaurant, but you can come in and enjoy a glass of wine and art,” Mogor says. — Lisa McCormack //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 74 Portland St., Morrisville. (802) 851-5911. rogueartisans.com.

Bistro honored by Yankee Magazine

What a spectacular summer and fall that was! It’s such a joy to entertain people who come from all around the world to experience beautiful Stowe. After a brief break and vacation in November we’re excited to start our 4th winter. We were humbled and honored to find that Yankee Magazine had included us in their Best of New England edition for Best Dining in Stowe 2015. Linda and I could not be more proud of the hard work our kitchen staff and servers have done to be recognized for this honor. Chef Gary, Linda and I always enjoy the process of developing (and tasting) new menu items. We recognized that many of our guests are on “date night” so we have reworked the Appetizer Menu to include a range of sharing apps. We had to bring back the Smoked Grafton Cheddar Chicken dish after it receiving what we think is the best accolade ever! Last winter we had guests that dined with us on three successive evenings. On the third night they told us we had made them break their Three Cardinal Rules of vacation – never eat in the same place twice, never order the same dish and never order chicken. Yes – they ate the Smoked Grafton Cheddar Chicken 3 nights in a row!

Flavorfully Created Entrees. Handmade Soups, Breads, Salads & Desserts. Craft Beers. Thoughtfully Selected Wines. Fresh Pressed Cocktails. Seafood Special Changes Daily. Fireside Lounge • Bar Seating Elegant Dining • Beautiful Views

OPEN WED-SUN 5-10 P.M.

As you can see the boys are growing faster than we can keep up with. Harry (17) is busy with SATs. He’d like nothing more that to go to St. Andrew in his homeland of Scotland. Hamish (13) is at the end of Middle School and busy again with Basketball. Carter (5) is loving Kindergarten and anything he can kick, hit or throw – including his brothers. In the three years we have owned this historic property we have been amazed by the old stories and fond memories people have shared with us about Ten Acres. We realized that there are simply too many to remember but they should never be lost. With that in mind we’ve set up a guest book where folks can jot down their cherished reminiscences of Ten Acres, preserving them forever. We hope you’ll come by and include yours. —Mark & Linda

14 Barrows Rd., Stowe • tenacreslodge.com • (802) 253-6838 147

GLENN CALLAHAN

EDIBLES

ASIAN INFLUENCE Raymond and Laxmi Dewan in their Nepalese food outlet at Riverbend Market.

A TASTE OF NEPAL

Indian-style samosas, curries, puffy dumplings—oh my A gas station and convenience store isn’t the first place that comes to mind if you’re looking for great Nepali cuisine. But that’s what you’ll find at Riverbend Market in Morrisville. A small sign outside of the building—Nepali Himalayan Food—hints that something more epicurean than Slim Jims and protein bars await you. Walk into the well-stocked store and you won’t see hotdogs spinning on an electric grill or soggy pizza under heat lamps at the food counter. Instead, you’ll find a selection of freshly made Nepali cuisine—spiced curries, samosas, dumplings, fried rice, and noodles. Add some Nepali hot sauce and turn up the heat a few notches. Raymond and Laxmi Dewan began selling food from their homeland at the store two years ago. At that time, most local residents had never tasted Nepali food, but locals now make up the biggest share of the customer base, from Morristown teachers to construction workers and town employees who stop in during their lunch breaks. Raymond grew up in Darjeeling on the Nepal-India border. Laxmi’s family comes from the Kathmandu area. The couple settled in Vermont in 2007. Raymond learned to cook out of necessity at age 12 when his mother died. “I had to learn quickly,” he says. They began selling their spiced curries at the Morrisville Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market in 2010 after Raymond noticed the lack of food vendors, even though the market took place during dinnertime. The couple soon amassed a cult following. Expanding to include other local farmers markets, within a few years they were ready to run the business full time, but had no place to set up shop when the farmers market season ended in October. Enter Tim Monaghan. When Monaghan reopened the old Bourne Food Mart as Riverbend Market in 2014, he wanted to pare down the stock of junk food in favor of healthier local and gluten-free products, and add a food vendor to fill the space at one end of the store. The Dewans have served their Nepali cuisine there ever since. Working five days a week 148

allows the couple to still sell food at local markets on weekends and evenings. Their menu includes just five items and a special barbecue dish on Fridays. Chicken and vegetable curries are filled with cubes of chicken or a mix of chickpeas and vegetables, and served with a side of fried noodles with julienned strips of cabbage and carrot or fragrant yellow rice. Laxmi also fries up Indian-style samosas filled with chunks of chickpeas, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and spices. During the summer when fresh local produce is abundant, she adds seasonal vegetables. Ginger and onion-flavored puffy beef dumplings are great on their own or dipped in the tomato-and-chili-based sauce the Dewans offer as a condiment. On Fridays, Laxmi prepares a native barbecue dish known as choila. Grilled chicken is covered in a savory sauce of fenugreek, ginger, garlic, and green chiles. The limited menu and humble gas station setting hasn’t prevented the Dewans from drawing customers from near and far. “It’s grown three times more than I expected,” Raymond says. —Lisa McCormack ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 18 Bridge St., Morrisville. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. (802) 888-5978.

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Stowe Land Trust

Ponders sweet move For decades, Jerry Kirchner tapped up to 500 sugar maple trees in his woods off Taber Hill Road, using a mix of galvanized buckets and a homemade tubing system that fed the sap into metal trash cans, and he boiled the sap in a wood-fired evaporator fueled by trees cut on his land. But Kirchner tapped his last tree in the early 1990s and the mature sugarbush hasn’t been harvested since. Now Stowe Land Trust is toying with the idea of bringing sugaring back to the property. The idea is to create an outdoor educational center where people could learn how maple syrup is made and gain a greater appreciation for land conservation, says Kristen Sharpless, the land trust’s conservation program manager. Kirchner Woods is home to many types of trees, plants, and wildlife, and its three-mile trail network is used for hiking and mountain biking in the summer and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Last year, the land trust tore down the original sugarhouse, which had fallen into disrepair. “We want this to be a window to a working landscape—sugarbush and forest and wildlife management,” Sharpless says. The soil and geographical location are ideal for sugar maple trees, and growing large trees has been a focus of the land management plan for the property. “As you walk through here, they’re part of the experience, whether people notice it or not.” Sharpless estimates 1,000 trees are large enough to be tapped, with a potential for up to 3,000 taps. Natural resource students from the University of Vermont will use data from the survey this fall, when they conduct a sugaring feasibility study and harvest plan for the woods. —Lisa McCormack 150

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STOWE ICE CREAM

STORY / Lisa McCormack PHOTOGRAPHS / Glenn Callahan

I.C. Scoops provides pairings for local menus When it comes to creating ice cream flavors, Bill Miller thinks outside the box. Miller owns I.C. Scoops, which produces Stowe Ice Cream, and he keeps happy the growing number of customers who serve his ice cream and sorbets at their restaurants and inns by customizing flavors to complement their menus. Edson Hill serves his avocado, lime, and cilantro ice cream, as well as a customized strawberry balsamic flavor. Harrison’s Restaurant serves up a refreshing lemon poppyseed alongside its summer desserts, while Idletyme Brewing Company keeps lemon sorbet on hand. The Bench includes a scoop of cinnamon strudel ice cream with its apple desserts. Miller has even created a limoncello ice cream pie for Trattoria La Festa. It’s flavored with Fiori di 152

Sicilia, an extract that combines the essences of citrus, vanilla, and flowers. The customized flavors provide Miller another revenue source when his scoop shop is closed from Labor Day through mid-May. “In October, restaurants start placing large orders for people coming up for leaf season,” Miller says. “The hotels will keep us busy through February.” During the holidays Miller adds seasonal flavors including pumpkin, peppermint stick, cocoa hazelnut, and cherry chocolate with a hint of amaretto. The shelves of his kitchen are filled with exotic herbs—lemongrass and lavender flowers—spices—Tahitian vanilla star anise, and Vietnamese cinnamon—and

NECTAR OF THE GODS Christian packs maple ice cream into containers. Inset: Bill Miller holds a tray of Oreo ice-cream sandwiches.

natural flavorings such as black elderberry syrup. “We use top natural ingredients like organic nuts, fruits, and purees in our ice cream,” Miller says. Ice cream flavored with real maple syrup is the best seller with restaurant accounts. “Everyone buys our Vermont maple,” Miller says, who along with two assistants makes about 200 gallons weekly. —Lisa McCormack //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: Stowe Ice Cream is served locally at Stowe Mountain Lodge, Harrison’s Restaurant, Edson Hill, The Bench, The Whip at Green Mountain Inn, Trattoria La Festa, and others. Find pints at Harvest Market, Commodities, Mac’s Market, and Stowe Seafood, all in Stowe. (802) 253-0995. stoweicecream.com.

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GLENN CALLAHAN

TIDBITS

GRAZER’S DOES STOWE New burger joint goes beyond the burger How about a barn burger? Vermont beef topped with jalapeno, habanero cheddar, arugula, pickled red onion, and sriracha aioli. That should wake up your taste buds. Too hot to handle? Then try an old standard with a few twists. The Green Mountain Burger takes Vermont ground beef and adds Highgate Creamery Boucher Blue, maple-glazed bacon, arugula, pickled red onion, and garlic aioli. That’s the ticket. Still hungry? Add a side of garlic and rosemary fries or try the truffle fries, tossed with truffle oil, parmesan, garlic, chili flakes, and parsley. It’s Grazer’s, the new grill that blazed to life in Stowe village this summer. The restaurant, with an original location in Williston, 154

features craft burgers and Vermont spirits, but also a healthy selection of salads—think classic Caesar, Waldorf salad, and Caprese—a wide array of small plate appetizers, and a few other sandwich selections if you’re not a burger lover. Co-owners Sam Handy Jr., Patrick Stewart, and Don Johnson (nope, not the actors) are no strangers to the Vermont food scene. In addition to the original location, the three took over ownership of the Scuffer Steak & Ale House on Church Street in Burlington in 2011. Ingredients are sourced from a dozen small farms and from Vermont purveyors—“something locals and tourists can get excited about,” Handy says—including Vermont Smoke and Cure, Vermont Bean Crafters of Waitsfield,

Stonewood Farm turkey from Orwell, Vermont Country Farms meats; cheeses from Cabot, Vermont Butter & Cheese, Maplebrook Farm, Grafton Village, Highgate Creamery; and ice cream from Island Homemade Ice Cream in Grand Isle. Burgers are served on housemade buns baked fresh daily. What do the partners like at their restaurant? Handy is a fan of Grazers’ Green Mountain burger, washed down with Otter Creek’s Over Easy ale or Fiddlehead IPA. Stewart currently favors the lamb burger—“it’s scrumptious”— with green olives and artichokes, garlic aioli, spinach, and goat cheese, and an Otter Creek Backseat Berner. The bar focus is on Vermont craft spirits and

JUST LIKE EDIBLES, ONLY SMALLER BITES

Good Food Served Graciously

91 Main Street, Stowe, Vermont 802.253.2691 platestowe.com

THE BURGER, REIMAGINED GM Jayson Willett mixes drinks at Grazer’s bar. Burgerlicious. Chef Dan Perry in his kitchen.

cocktails. “We have just about every Vermont vodka there is,” Handy says. There are also 12 beer taps, pouring local suds, of course. Diners can cozy up to the half-moon bar on new handcrafted stools, on the 40-plus-seat patio—in the summer, of course—or inside at booths and tables. The team is thrilled to have landed on Stowe’s historic Main Street. “There’s a sense of revitalization” in the village, Stewart says, and “if we can be a part of that in Stowe, it’s great.” —Hannah Marshall //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 128 Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-8800. stowe.grazersvt.com. Continues on page 156

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table

WHERE TO EATT, DRINK AND BE MER RRY IN THE GREENS G

REST A URANTS, SP PIRITS, BREWS & W INE ALONG VERMO ONT’S ROUTE 100 CORRIDOR

Table spotlights best of local dining There’s a new menu and restaurant guide in the neighborhood. “Table is a great marketing vehicle for restaurants, bars and nightclubs, specialty markets, wineries, breweries, and distilleries,” says Greg Popa of the Stowe Reporter, which publishes the new guide. “It’s also a great resource for both locals and visitors in deciding where to eat and to help guide them through the myriad choices from local brewers, distillers, and other food purveyors. And, it’s a great complement to the Stowe Guide & Magazine. “Several restaurateurs approached us because they saw a need for a high-end menu and restaurant guide to help promote their businesses, both locally and regionally. So we stepped in to fill the void.” The magazine is divided into five sections, one each for Stowe; Morrisville and the northern reaches of Lamoille County, including Smugglers’ Notch; Waterbury; the Mad River Valley and beyond; and breweries, spirits, wineries, and markets. The magazines will be distributed in Stowe, the Lamoille region, and parts of Central Vermont, with limited distribution in Burlington. Marialisa Calta, a nationally known syndicated food writer and columnist, wrote short features for table, including Sushi Yoshi in Stowe, Michael’s on the Hill in Waterbury, Pitcher Inn in Warren, 10 Railroad Street in Morrisville, and Stowe Cider. Photographs by award-winning photographers Gordon Miller and Glenn Callahan accompany Calta’s stories. In addition, short writeups provided by each advertiser give readers a synopsis of what they offer as to cuisine, location, bar offerings, average entree cost, and more. Table will also have an online component on stowetoday.com. Lis Companion of Lis Photography shot the cover at Topnotch Resort at Stowe.

Join us for Austrian inspired seasonal menus, von Trapp Brewing lagers and weekly wine tastings in our Wine Cellar.

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M I C H A E L'S ON THE HILL

Fran and Sue Parda and Sandie and Ken Powers.

Farm to Table Cuisine Vermont's First Certified Green Restaurant

••• Combine two entrepreneurs who love food, who relish fresh, local products, and who don’t mind getting up at 4 a.m. every day and you’ve got the ingredients for Mtn Seasons, a new bagel shop and eatery in Jeffersonville. Located just down the road from the Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Mtn Seasons celebrated its first anniversary in November. “I love bagels,” says owner Diane Abruzzini. That passion, together with co-owner Jeff Silver’s determination to make Vermont’s best bagel, fueled the creation of Mtn Seasons. Diane and Jeff started with the concept that a tasty, quality bagel should combine the best qualities of Manhattan and Montreal bagels with fresh-off-the-farm ingredients. “We like to take what local farmers have available and use it in our bagels,” says Diane. As growing seasons change the menu changes to reflect what’s available from local farms. The aromas of baking dough and maple syrup-laced steam rising from boiling pots greet you as you enter Mtn Seasons. In addition to the hundreds of bagels made daily, the menu also includes a variety of breakfast sandwiches. Regular bagel flavors include sesame, whole wheat, Montreal spice, onion, garlic, and plain. Visit other times and the offerings might include cinnamon carrot, lemon basil, salt pepper fennel, jalapeno parmesan, and red pepper caper. —Kevin Walsh

Wine Spectator Award of Excellence Best Chefs America "Best Restaurant, Best Steak & Best Wine List in Stowe" –Forbes Traveler

Catering Group Facilities Cooking Classes

4182 Waterbury-Stowe Road Route 100 North Waterbury Center VT 05677

(802) 244-7476 michaelsonthehill.com

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 4008 VT-108, Jeffersonville. (802) 644-5446. mtnseasons.com. ••• Phoenix Table & Bar has closed. The Mountain Road restaurant, known for its eclectic new American cuisine, closed in

Chris Pazandak, D.D.S.

Jitka Matherly, D.D.S.

John Hirce, D.M.D.

Continued on page 168

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EDIBLES

MAMA HOO-RAH “A mama approved party in your mouth” It’s difficult to describe Mama Hoo-Rah, a versatile condiment that can be a sauce, spread, or dip. A roasted red pepper base and a mix of spices give it some kick, while ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and maple syrup keep the heat from being STORY / Lisa McCormack overwhelmPHOTOGRAPHS / Glenn Callahan ing. Its smooth texture? Pureed white beans. It’s thick enough to cling to tortilla chips, apple slices, or vegetable crudités, or it can be brushed onto meat, fish, or vegetables for grilling. Some people use it to flavor Bloody Marys or to accompany shrimp cocktail. “It’s an amazing cooking ingredient,” says 158

Mama Hoo-Rah creator Susanna Keefer. “It’s excellent as a pizza sauce, and goes great over lamb meatballs or Mediterranean vegetables.” Keefer, a chef who learned her trade aboard yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, owns Morrisville-based Susanna’s Catering. She specializes in Mediterranean-inspired cuisine made with local ingredients. Keefer took its name from the Arabic hoorah, a type of Middle Eastern celebratory dance. She drew inspiration from a creamy Middle Eastern dip, muhammara, traditionally made with roasted red peppers, garlic, and lemon juice and thickened with bread. She and her sous chef tweaked the formula several times, fiddling with the lemon juice and spices to balance the heat. “I call it hummus’s crazy cousin,” Keefer says.

The product label is designed to look like an old vinyl record label, a nod to Keefer’s husband Ken, a blues guitarist. The tagline reads, “Mama approved party in your mouth!” Ken Keefer, who refers to himself as Papa Hoo-Rah, is now in charge of producing and marketing the product. “I want people as interested in it as I am. As soon as they taste it, their eyebrows go up and I know I have a fan.” Mama Hoo-Rah is vegan and gluten-free and is now sold at 20 Vermont stores. —Lisa McCormack ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: Sold locally at Commodities, Stowe Seafood, and Harvest Market in Stowe; Sunflower Natural Foods in Waterbury Center; and Riverbend Market in Morrisville.

HUMMUS, SCHUMMUS Ken and Susanna Keefer in the kitchen of Susanna’s Catering in Morrisville with containers of Mama Hoo-Rah, above.

FAMILY RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR

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Route 15 East

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Story by MARIALISA CALTA

invasion of the...

Photographs by GLENN CALLAHAN

WATERBURY-(b)ites

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m Owners Michael and Laura Kloeti, chef Jason Bissell, managers Maria Hampton and Josh Ventrice, and brewmaster Will Gilson of Idletyme Brewing Company.

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Serving one of the many beers on tap at Doc Ponds. Idletyme Brewing Co.’s Maine crabcakes with roasted corn, leeks, cream, and fennel salad.

ood fences may make good neighbors, but a smokin’ burger and a craft brew can make proximity even friendlier. A crew of affable restaurateurs from Waterbury has expanded into Stowe—burger and brew in hand—to share their expertise with their neighbors 10 miles to the north. The new Stowe spots with Waterbury roots include Cork, Doc Ponds, The Bench, Idletyme Brewing Company (formerly Crop), and The Alchemist. What’s going on? “There seems to be a bit of a changing of the guard in Stowe,” says Eric Warnstedt, who opened Hen of the Wood in Waterbury 10 years ago, and opened Doc Ponds, on the Mountain Road, in August. “I think it’s opening up for more youthful energy.” Warnstedt says his decision to branch out to a more casual eatery took shape when he heard that the Vermont Ale House space was available. For Danielle Nichols, it was finding out that the venerable Blue Moon Café on School Street was on the market; she had been looking for an historic building within the village as a venue for a Stowe version of her Waterbury business, Cork Wine Bar & Market. When Bill Davis of Crop was looking for partners to run his restaurant and pub, he found them in Michael and Laura Kloeti, of Michael’s on the Hill. (Crop has since been renamed Idletyme Brewing Company). When

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Pie in the Sky closed in 2014, Mark Frier and Chad Fry of The Reservoir Restaurant & Taproom on Waterbury’s Main Street decided to try their hand there, at The Bench. “We are both snowboarders and we both love Stowe,” says Frier. The Alchemist’s long-awaited brewery and visitor’s center is taking shape on land adjacent to The Stoweflake, on Cottage Club Road. “The spaces were becoming available and the talent was there to jump in,” says Warnstedt. Since Tropical Storm Irene hit in 2011, it’s no secret that Waterbury has been doing nothing but bootstrapping its way through a remarkable recovery, capitalizing on a seemingly endless supply of optimism and energy and resulting in a downtown with a lively, energetic and forward-looking spirit and more good restaurants and bars than one would think possible in a city with a

Pizza

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Slices • Pizza • Salads • Soups • Subs • Pastas • Entrees • Gluten-Free Offerings Kids Menu • Desserts • Daily Specials • Local Beer • Cider • Wine Dine-in • Take-out • Delivery • Catering Open 7 Days a Week

802.888.4155 | 53 Lower Main Street, Morrisville, VT | pizzaonmainvt.com 163

k Idletyme chef Jason Bissell plates duck confit with kale, lentils, and bacon.

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population of just over 5,000. Fueled by an enthusiasm born from success, it appears that a bunch of restaurateurs simply can’t help themselves but to keep moving… right on up the road. No need to cue the theme from “Jaws,” Stowe is welcoming the new arrivals into its existing stable of about 40 restaurants.

‘W

e’re so excited to have the assets of Waterbury here to add to the assets of Stowe,” says Jasmine Bigelow, marketing director of the Stowe Area Association. “I think Stowe gives them a way to expose their talents to a different market, including the 945,000 visitors we have each year.” For Nichols, of Cork, and the Kloetis, of Michael’s on the Hill, Stowe is home. Nichols grew up skiing “The Mountain” and returned to town four years ago with husband and child after a stint as a ski racing coach in Colorado. The Kloetis have lived in Stowe for 13 years, sending their kids

through Stowe schools and otherwise being active in the community. Frier, of The Reservoir, owns property in Stowe, and thinks about building a home there. Nichols is one of the few restaurateurs who is essentially replicating her Waterbury establishment in Stowe. She will continue to offer a globallysourced wine list and a menu of cheese, charcuterie, and small plates, although she says the full kitchen at the former Blue Moon may prompt her to expand food offerings. She describes the fireplace lounge in the new Cork as a great “date spot.” Frier and Fry’s Bench is more of a sibling than a twin to The Reservoir; while physically the bar dominates the Waterbury eatery, The Bench presents its restaurant face, and has a more pronounced family vibe. Both boast a deep beer menu, but Frier notes with some surprise that wine has been selling at almost the same rate. (“Cork should do well in Stowe,” he says.) Both are known for appealing to locals. In Waterbury, The Reservoir is named after the body of water, while The Bench gives a nod to an off-the-map ski run. The duo strives to keep the prices affordable, while still locally sourcing as much food as possible. “We figure

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k Morgan, Danielle, and Katie Nichols of Cork Wine Bar & Market. S’more tart at Idletyme. Doc Ponds owner Eric Warnstedt. “It was really just supposed to be beer and albums,” he says, “but as we ripped the place apart … we made the decision to put it back the way we wanted to.” 166

that if we can satisfy the locals, tourists will also be satisfied,” says Frier. Menus at the two are similar, but if you want a pizza baked in a wood-fired oven, The Bench is your destination. Cords of wood are stacked in the interstices of the place, and the fire glows brightly from one end of the rustic, wood-paneled restaurant. Chef Paul Moran, formerly of The Reservoir, puts that fire to work roasting duck, scallops, mussels, asparagus, and other foods.

he Kloetis also saw that a second venue would give them a way to help further the careers of loyal staff. Thus, Michael’s alum Jason Bissell runs the kitchen at Idletyme. It’s clear that the Kloetis, and Warnstedt, of Hen of the Wood, were looking to do something completely different. In both spots menus are less intense, prices are lower, the space less formal, the atmosphere more laid-back. No one who has dined on pâté and braised rabbit at Hen of the Wood, for example, would expect any Warnstedt kitchen to produce a $7 burger with “special sauce” and a giant side of fries ($5) served in one of those woven red plastic baskets common to a clam shack on the Jersey shore, which is exactly how fries are served at the new Doc Ponds. No one lingering at one of Michael’s serene tables, enjoying an after-dinner drink and chocolate gâteau would dream of the wildly popular S’more Tart at Idletyme (or, for that matter, the Holstein-patterned banquettes there). But diners who value the delicious, often locally sourced and attentively prepared food that both establishments are known for will not be disappointed. It’s all in the details: At Doc Ponds, for example, the pita bread for the falafel, and the sauerkraut for the pork are both housemade, as are the barbecue chips that come with the classic onion dip. At Idletyme, the Gruyère tart uses the Helles lager brewed on the premises, and homemade buttermilk biscuits are served with the entrees. The poutine is doused with brisket gravy and a molten beer cheese. “We wanted to run a place that people could go to frequently, that was on the more casual side,” says Laura Kloeti. The couple seems to have met that goal: while Idletyme might serve 800 guests on a Saturday, Michael’s will do a weekend evening service for 125. All of the Waterbury entrepreneurs are well aware of what’s coming down the pike: The Alchemist, whose Heady Topper was a craft brew game changer nationwide. Each has seen what the lure of Heady can bring to a town, including thousands of pilgrims who, come spring, will be snaking their way up the Mountain Road. “It’s crazy,” says Frier, “but crazy in a good way. We can’t wait for them to open.” “It’s a kind of perfect storm,” says Warnstedt. “I think Stowe is headed for a very positive future.” And a tasty one. n

For BREAKFAST, LUNCH and CATERING! Open daily from 6:30 a.m. www.mccarthysrestaurantstowe.com

40 YEARS!

Est. 1992

■

frappes / milkshakes ■ ■

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egg cream

children’s menu ■

delicious sundaes ■

ice cream sodas ■

malts

burgers

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salads

homemade soups ■

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Yes! We have fresh, local VT beef burgers! open 7 days a week - lunch & dinner

253-4269 • 57 DEPOT STREET One block off main street

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TIDBITS

VOTED BEST BAGELS* *Seven Days

Fre s h l y m a d e & baked daily in our kitchen Family owned & operated IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE ENJOY:

Breakfast & Lunch All Sandwiches, All Day Sandwich Specialties • Homemade Soup • Fresh Salads Baked Goods • Vegetarian Specialties • Vitamin Waters Cappuccino & Lattes • Our own Bagel Beans Coffee

Eat-in or Take-out • Open daily 6:30 am - 4:30 pm

802.253.9943 CAT E R I N G AVA I L A B L E • F R E E W I - F I 394 MOUNTAIN ROAD • BAGGY KNEES SHOPPING CENTER • STOWE, VERMONT

BUMMER Phoenix crew just prior to its grand opening. The popular restaurant closed this fall.

late October after rewarding loyal customers with $1 oysters, half-priced cocktails, and a limited menu of its favorite dishes. Owner-chef Jack Pickett says that although the restaurant was popular, its revenues fell short of what was needed to keep the doors open. “It just wasn’t in the cards. It wasn’t producing what we needed to produce. Business was perfectly good, but not good enough.” Pickett’s wife, Julie, posted the following on Facebook: “Here’s what happened. A big undertaking with hard-working staff doing twice the work that was needed to keep it going; an off-season looming without much cash; an exhausted ownership that needed a breather. Sorry, everyone!” Pickett, who in the past owned Blue Moon and Frida’s Taqueria, isn’t sure what the future holds for him in the restaurant business. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he says. ••• There’s certainly no shortage of options to dine and drink deliciously in Stowe, and Cork, a new wine bar and retail space, fits right in. Owner and Stowe native Danielle Nichols opened Cork Wine Bar & Market, a new sibling to the Waterbury wine bar of the same name, in a historic building just off Main Street. The Stowe shop offers around 150 wines, and a sizeable assortment of wines by the glass offers the chance to experience fresh tastes and find new favorites. “People can swing in and try some wines, then pick up something to take home,” Nichols says. “This list is even more in the natural realm,” Nichols says, with a focus on smallproduction, family-owned wineries, many with organic or biodynamic operations. The family-owned concept of the wineries is echoed by Cork’s own management struc-

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ture—Danielle’s sister Katie Nichols, a former sommelier at Babbo in Boston, manages the beverage program at both Cork locations; sister Morgan Nichols runs the kitchen. The culinary goal is to “keep it simple with foods that complement the wines,” Danielle says, with light fare and small plates designed for snacking and sharing—Maple Brook burrata, antipasti, pâtés, and mousse, warm mushroom compote on Elmore Mountain bread, meatballs and hand pies, panna cotta with apple caramel; or make your own board with cheeses and salamis from Vermont, Italy, and beyond. “I’m really excited to be a part of what’s happening in Stowe village,” Nichols says. “Opening this in a town that I grew up in, that I have now lived in and started raising my family in for the last couple years, has been a completely different experience.” —Hannah Marshall //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: corkvt.com. ••• The Irish pub-themed O’Grady’s Bar & Grill has closed. “I considered staying open through the winter, but I finally realized that I’m tired and I don’t want to fight through stick season and mud season just for the winter,” owner Kevin O’Grady says. When O’Grady opened the restaurant in December 2011, his wife and adult sons worked alongside him. Now, they’ve moved on to new careers and he finds himself unable to find time for skiing and the other activities. “I moved here for quality of life. Opening a restaurant was always on my bucket list. I’ve met some awesome people, both tourists and locals, and I’ll cherish them forever, but it’s time for a new chapter.” n

got mexx tacos tequila trouble Cactus Cafe • 2160 Mountain Road, Stowe 253-7770 • thecactuscafe.com 169

EDIBLES

FIELD GUIDE Boutique hotel opens—part time warp, part Stowe cocktail Field Guide, Stowe’s newest boutique hotel, opened for business just in time for prime leaf-peeping season. “It was almost like we planned to open in time for peak foliage,” Jed Thomas, regional manager for Lark Hotels, parent company of the new hotel, says as he showed off the hotel’s twists and turns and wildly converging aesthetics. Field Guide, located on Stowe’s Mountain Road in the shell of the old Ye Olde England Inne, appears aimed to attract fairly adventurous travelers who want to experience the vibe of an old-school budget mountain hosSTORY / Tommy Gardner tel but who don’t lack the money to PHOTOGRAPHS / Glenn Callahan travel in style. That’s because part of the Field Guide package is the trust that you, the traveler, are meant to put in the hotel’s staff. “We believe in a sense of space,” says Thomas. “We don’t want people to go into one of our hotels and not feel like they are where they are.” That sense of space is part time-warp, part Stowe cocktail—a mix of some early 20th-century touches that would have fit in at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, some 1960s-era ski-town via Austin Powers, and thoroughly modern amenities such as flat-screen Apple TVs and Keurig coffee makers. If you checked in wearing a pair of Uggs, your sheepskin boots might want to stay behind and live among the decor long after you’ve checked out. The hotel’s sense of style is evident only after you walk inside. Other than a paint job and some detail work, the exterior doesn’t look much 170

different. But once inside, it’s easy to tell how busy Rachel Reider’s design team was during the summer, transforming the guts of the 24,000square-foot hotel. For starters, there are at least a half-dozen types of chairs to sit on, some soft, some firm, some with space for two. There’s a tiny, funky white fireplace on one side of the lobby, something that would look at home in an episode of The Jetsons Go Skiing, while a more traditional stone and mortar fireplace occupies the other side. The wooden beams of the original construction have been left exposed, scrubbed down to their woodsy essence, pores and all. Wood shows up in countless design touches, from the rough-hewn stacked timbers that make up the front desk to the carved, varnished logs placed snug against the bathtubs as a clever way of simultaneously hiding some of the plumbing and providing a place for your wineglass while you soak. “It all invokes our interpretation of Stowe as it is now, and where we think it will be going,” says Rob Blood, Lark Hotels founder and CEO. Field Guide has 30 units available, with 17 rooms in the main building and larger suites elsewhere on the property. Rooms start at $189 a night for a room with one king-sized bed, and go up in price, and in luxury, from there. Every Lark Hotel has a singular suite or room that is completely different from the rest, the Lark Suite. At Field Guide, that suite is at the top of the historic edifice, looking out over the West Branch River, the picturesque white church steeple, and Sunset Rock.

SENSE OF STYLE

Black Cap Coffee

Clockwise from left:

The new, expansive lobby at Field Guide, formerly Ye Olde England Inne. One of the newly appointed suites.

An attached restaurant is still in the works, which management hopes to open at the beginning of 2016; it will also have a somewhat throwback name: Picnic Social. Thomas said Picnic Social’s cuisine will spotlight snackable, portable dishes such as fried chicken, sausages, potato salads, all with Vermont stylings. There will be plenty of beer, too. The old Mr. Pickwick’s Pub is still largely functional, and includes a 24-tap system. Until then, food will be available out of a small service kitchen located somewhere in the maze of hallways, and delivered to rooms as part of a “curated small plates” breakfast. Other amenities include Wi-Fi, 40-inch LED televisions with Apple TV, kimono robes, bath supplies from Lather, and they all come with the room, because Lark Hotels doesn’t believe in charging extra for the extras. Guests also receive an iPad, leather-bound like a journal and loaded with information about all the things to do and see in Stowe and the area—restaurants, galleries, shops and boutiques, and a major focus on recreational offerings, from birding to zip-lining. Lark Hotels aims to attract the more adventurous traveler, and the 3-year-old hotel group is as young and precocious as its would-be clientele—this is a place that, after all, has a deck of Cards Against Humanity in the lobby. Sending guests into the world with a digital field guide full of things to do fits in perfectly with the hotel’s moniker. “Guests judge us based on the advice we give them,” Blood says. “A lot of that happens outside the walls of our property.” //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ESSENTIALS: 433 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-8088. fieldguidestowe.com.

Coffee Espresso Pastries

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1669 Mountain Road Stowe, Vermont (Just off the Rec Path)

802-253-3100 bluedonkeyvt.com 171

R E A L E S TAT E & H O M E S Are you searching for the perfect home or vacation getaway? Looking to update your 1970s kitchen, add a great room, or find a stone mason to redo your uneven terrace? Well, the search is over. Our guide to real estate and homes is your one-stop shop to find a new home or connect with the finest architects, interior designers, builders, and other craftsmen and suppliers for every-

STEPHANIE POTTER

thing home-related. Remember

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too, that our Web sitesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;stowetoday.com, stowereporter.com, and waterburyrecord.comâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are great real-estate resources.

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STORY

: hannah marshall

PHOTOGRAPHS

: gordon miller

Stowe spotlight:

Ski town bartenders Why Stowe? It’s a question for which everyone has a unique answer. Some come for the skiing, some for the sightseeing, some for the small-town charm. Some find their way back after exploring what else the world has to offer. Some come to visit and never leave. We caught up with local professionals—you’ll find them busy behind Andy Hull.

the lacquered bars of their respective establishments—who live, work, and play in the Stowe area to find out why they think it’s such a great place to be.

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Jennifer Martin | PLATE Vermonter since: 1989 Origin: Massachusetts; also lived in Arizona and Idaho. Now lives in Hyde Park with her husband, Aaron (chef at Plate), two kids, and a yellow Lab. Drink of the moment: “I’m a big fan of traditional drinks and enjoy a good old-fashioned. Lately, I have really enjoyed Oregon’s Willamette valley region for red wines.” Don’t ask me to make: “The ever-faithful Long Island iced tea. I’m not sure whether it’s the memories as a 21-year-old inexperienced drinker that I have of that particular concoction, or the fact that it screams, ‘I’m just trying to get drunk fast!’ Either way, it is not my favorite.” Ideal winter day: “Getting up early with a cup of coffee and a book next to our beautiful woodstove. A nice long snowshoe with my dog, a yellow Labrador named Finnegan, on the trails behind my house. Followed by a warm dinner with my family. Simplicity.” What was your first bar/restaurant job? Any particular inspirations that pointed you toward or forward in your career? “I started working at Smugglers’ Notch Resort when I was 16. It was my first job, and the free pass was a great perk. I worked there until my senior year, then took some time off from the restaurant business to go to Castleton State College, where I majored in journalism with a theater minor. In 2004 I moved to Waterbury and started waiting tables and bartending for Jen and John Kimmich at the Alchemist Pub and Brewery. That was probably what really inspired me to be in the restaurant business more permanently. We had a wonderful local following, and a real sense of community. The social aspect for me has always been a draw. I love to interact with people and socialize. The Alchemist was like a family. It was refreshing to work for people who really care for their employees. In 2008 I gave birth to our daughter and we moved to Hyde Park village. I began working at Piecasso Pizzeria and Lounge in Stowe, and have served, bartended, and managed there the last seven years. In March 2014, I began working at Plate. It reminds me a lot of the Alchemist in the sense that it is a small, hip restaurant with great ambience and that special, family feel with the staff. My husband, Aaron Martin, is our amazing and talented chef. I really enjoy being able to work with him and everyone there. I also am a bar consultant and caterer for weddings all over the

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Old-fashioned with bourbon-soaked cherries, hibiscus syrup, and orange bitters.

state of Vermont. I work with Nancy Jeffries Dwyer and her business, NJoy Event Planning. I am ambitious and enjoy staying busy.”

What makes Stowe a great place to live, work, and hang out? “Stowe, even though it’s a busy ski town and destination vacation spot, has a great small-town vibe. It’s quaint with the quintessential Vermont covered bridge walkway, gorgeous views, and historical homes. Stowe also has a lot of young people that live here year-round. Whether they work at the mountain or at a restaurant in town, everyone knows each other. It’s a great place to get a cup of coffee with friends, run the bike path, or go to the farmers market on Sundays. In the fall we always go to the corn maze.” What do you like to do in the winter in Vermont? “I’m embarrassed to admit I have only been skiing once since my son was born in 2011. I love to snowshoe and sled with the kids. In high school I

enjoyed snowboarding. My husband has been skiing at Stowe since he was two years old, and continuing that tradition, our daughter Arianna began skiing at two, as did our four-year-old son Oliver.”

What do you love about your job? “I love being able to create an experience for people. It’s very easy to become moody and uninspired in the restaurant business. It can be very demanding. But I believe if you love where you work people can sense that and will be at ease and have a great time. You aren’t just serving them food and drinks. You are making memories for them directly related to the food.” Do you have any special or secret skills, bartending or other? “In my spare time I love painting, baking, and gardening. I am an avid runner. I try to run 10 to 20 miles a week. It’s a great stress-reliever and I’m able to explore some of the roads and trails in the area.” l

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Kate Wise | DOC PONDS

Stowe-ite since: Age seven (1991) How to make your bartender happy: “Manners. Just say please and thank you. It goes a long way.” Special skills: “I can recite the alphabet backwards and wiggle my ears. I don’t know how special that is though. I guess my ability to multitask, but any bartender worth her salt can do 15 things at once.” Lady’s choice: The Grateful Bob (pictured), named for Stowe Beverage sage Bob Vienckowski. “It had to be a bourbon drink,” Wise says. “We have a very awesome whiskey relationship.” The namesake cocktail is made with Cynar amaro, Carpano Antica vermouth, bourbon, salt, and Urban Moonshine citrus bitters. “It’s a Manhattan meets a Boulevardier with a twist.” How did you get into bartending? “I got my start at the Rusty Nail when I was 19. It was back in the Bobby (Roberts) era and they were short staffed for the Yellowman show, which used to be the biggest night of the summer. Around 8 o’clock that night, Derek Schnee 178

showed me how to make a margarita and a Long Island iced tea and said, ‘Good luck!’ I worked there for the next five years, then moved down the road to Rimrocks for two and a half years before going back to the Nail. In the summer of 2015 I joined the team at Eric Warnstedt and Will McNeil’s new place, Doc Ponds.”

What makes Vermont a great place to live, work, and hang out? “I don’t know that anyone can effectively describe what makes Vermont so awesome. I’m constantly surrounded by my family, best friends, amazing food and drink, and one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I think the communities that have formed in Vermont make it stand out. People truly care about each other and what they do here.”

and the stories of guests have been exhausted, we still love to talk about food, wine, beer, cocktails, where we’ve eaten recently, ideas we’ve read about, and what and where we’re looking forward to eating and drinking. It’s incredible to be surrounded by that much passion and dedication to the things I, too, love. I’d say my least favorite part is the hours. It can sometimes be tough to be a night owl when most everyone else in your life starts their days at 8 a.m.”

What do you love about your job? What’s the hardest part? “There are so many things I love about this industry that are almost inexplicable to those who have never worked at a restaurant or bar. I love working with these people who are passionate about what they do. When we all hang out after shift

What’s your winter activity style? “Honestly, winter in Vermont is the time for me to work my butt off. The more shifts the merrier. I get to the mountain to ride when I can, but it’s never been my top priority. I’m more of the let’s-make-asnowman-and-drink-hot-toddies-after-my-shift-at-3 a.m. kind of girl.” l

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Andy Hull | THE BENCH & SUSHI YOSHI

Vermonter since: 1998 Origin: York, Pa. Winter warmer: “This town is such a whiskey town,” Hull says. He sees the popularity of hot toddies and other warm drinks rise as the temperature falls. “Warms you up—it’s like a sweater for your insides.” What’s his secret to a great toddy? “Vermont Spirits maple bourbon and maple syrup.” Cringe-worthy: “Red Bull drinks. People love them, but I’m always like, ‘What are you thinking?’ “ Canine companion: A cattle dog/shepherd mix named Disco. Secret skills: “It wouldn’t be a secret if I tell you. Otherwise, I am a certified diver, and I love diving and being under the water.” Ideal winter day: “A sneaky powder day, when it’s only the locals up there. You get lots of good runs in and it feels like you are at a private resort.” How did you get into the restaurant industry? After getting laid off from a printing job—Hull’s background is in desktop publishing and advertising—he started gardening. But then, he says, “fall time came around and I needed to move inside.” He started working as a server at Pie in the Sky. Flash forward a decade and a half, and 180

Hull is back in the same building, bartending shifts at The Bench, in addition to Sushi Yoshi. “It’s a little déjà vu.”

What do you love about your job? “Honestly, the schedule. I love to be out during the day and being active and then working at night. It has its downfalls with holidays and weekends, but overall I love the schedule.” Why Stowe? “Two of my good friends in college moved here, I came up to visit them … now they’re back in New York, and I’m still here,” Hull says. “The people and the environment make it a great place to call home in all seasons. There are world-class mountain bike and snowboarding trails here, and the community feel and people are great.” Are you a winter warrior? “If you’re going to be in winter, it better be a good winter,” Hull says, and Stowe hasn’t disappointed. “I am an avid snowboarder and I also cross-country ski and snowshoe with the dog. A must for the winter for me, or else I would go stir crazy.” He’s held a Stowe pass since he moved here, and is on the slopes four or five days a week, but likes to keep it casual, not “the push and the shove” of the first-chair riders. n

Scorpion bowl.

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When Less Is More S T O R Y : nancy wolfe stead

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when less is more... On their second try at building the perfect retirement home, one Stowe couple nailed it.

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So it was back to the drawing board for a simpler design on a simpler lot. Story continues on page 198

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Their goal? To build “an upscale retreat,” 1,600 square feet perfectly tailored to both their lifestyle and their art and furniture collection gathered over decades of marriage, yet something the door could easily close on during extended travels. It must be said that our couple has immaculate credentials for the task. He’s an accomplished builder; she’s an artist. They have built scores of homes for other people and four for themselves, plus one renovation. They have also built two boats and, she notes, “Spending a lot of time on a boat increased our ability to live in small quarters and still find a place for everything. In that regard this house has a lot of boat-like qualities… not an inch is wasted.” The home’s location, near town but at the end of a cul-de-sac and surrounded on three sides by river and conservation land, demanded simplicity. They played with floor-plan designs for a long time, but couldn’t meet the 1,600-square-foot limitation. “If you want to have a full-sized living room and dining room and a mud room it starts to get tricky,” she says. Try, then, to add a first-floor master bedroom. The couple got stuck. Fresh eyes and resolution were supplied by a lifelong colleague at the Southport, Conn., architectural firm of Austin Patterson Disston. He had the “genius solution” of putting the kitchen under and behind an open staircase to the second floor, a vital and viable

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use for what would otherwise be wasted space. That puts cook in full partnership with everyone in the living and dining areas but screens the chaos of cooking. Only a portion of the upstairs is finished. The soaring cathedral ceiling over the living/dining room creates an elegant living area. Dark-stained beams give definition to the airy space and hold LED spots for background lighting. The home is built on a slab; slightly buffed, neutrally colored concrete flooring on the main level is an efficient conductor of radiant heat as well as a muted backdrop for Oriental rugs. Stowe’s design whiz Gail Kiesler helped orchestrate the interior. “She is incredible, she has worked with us on three homes and knows our artwork intimately. We are on the same page with colors.” An 18-foot by 18-foot screened porch off the dining area overlooks the river and is the family’s haven all summer long. The sight and whisper— sometimes roar—of swiftly moving water and the occasional glimpse of fishermen or swimmers at play is the background to their lives. One looks right through the house to a variety of river views from almost every vantage point. The master bedroom dilemma was postponed. For now, upstairs houses the master, a full bath, large closet-laundry combination, and a bunk room. The guestroom and adjoining powder room/full bath are on the main floor, off the mudroom/foyer. If ever the desire arises, this space can be enlarged to provide an ensuite master bedroom in a wing that mimics the screened porch. A loft library with a long glass desk provides shared office space at the top of the stairs, and overlooks the family area below and, of course, the river. It is an attractive entrance to the private quarters beyond. H. Keith Wagner of Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture of Burlington worked carefully to maximize privacy without hindering views, and to keep the mood of a vacation retreat in a recreation-conservation area. A red-twigged dogwood hedge between the house and the road will quickly grow to 4-1/2 feet and provide an entrancing summer floral display. More dogwood was planted along the river and maples and oak were added at strategic points. A bluestone terrace with firepit was added off the living room, with entrance from the screened porch. It is clear the home is dearly loved. The missus says, “Everything in this house has a story—every piece of art is a place we visited, or lived, or a special place.” Her husband’s passion for fly fishing, boats, and dogs is reflected in artwork and artifacts, while family heirloom furniture mixes easily with contemporary purchases. The kids and grandkids are content when some are farmed out to a nearby inn for major get-togethers. Recently Mom confessed to her daughter that when home, “I feel like I’m in a resort!” Her daughter laughingly retorted, “Well, you are!” n

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Discovering the great outdoors on snowshoes

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oving through the woods at night after a winter snowfall, clouds break up and reveal twinkling stars. Snowflakes no longer fall, but as you switch on your headlamp, you see the glinting reflections of thousands of tiny ice particles as if the very stars above are descending into its beam. Breath vaporizes in the brisk winter air and obscures your view, making it seem even more like the Milky Way is infiltrating your stand of trees. These are the moments local snowshoe guides try to share with visitors on the many tours offered in Stowe. Joey Groom, ski valet, pool supervisor, and recreational guide at Stowe Mountain Lodge, sees many guests who don’t come to Stowe to ski or ride. Often, most members of a family will be passionate skiers or riders, but one—the odd member out—is not. “Snowshoeing is a completely different experience,” says Joey, who along with other Stowe Mountain Lodge guides led hundreds of tours last winter. Greg Speer, co-owner of Sunrise Mountain Guides on Stowe’s Mountain Road, partners with many inns and lodges in Stowe to lead adventures in ice climbing, backcountry skiing, mountaineering, cross-country skiing— more or less any pursuit associated with adventure. For Speer, snowshoeing is more than a tame alternative to some of the more extreme pursuits. “We lead lots of snowshoeing tours; they’re the foundation of everything we do.” For those unfamiliar with the wonders of winter, snowshoeing is often their first foray into the outdoors, and many get hooked. Speer says some newcomers even go out and buy snowshoes after their tour, and later return for a cross-country ski or backcountry ski experience. For Speer, these different winter pursuits aren’t unrelated. “Sometimes the conditions are right for snowshoeing right up Notch Brook, and sometimes they’re not,” he explains. “Sometimes, on a given day, one activity is better than another based on conditions, temperature, wind, and weather.” Local guides know where to go and what to do, whether it’s snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or backcountry skiing, based on conditions and ability level. “The most interesting tours for me are the trips not on established trails,” says Speer. For two guests who were experienced snowshoeing peak-baggers on a quest to summit every 4,000-plus foot peak in New England, it wasn’t hard for Speer to locate untracked routes on snowshoes on the Long Trail in Smugglers’ Notch and on the Profanity Trail to Mansfield’s summit. But imagine the wonder of a snowshoeing

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beginner while exploring Ranch Valley for the first time. “I always try to have them break their own trail for awhile,” says Speer. He will point out an obvious landmark—maybe a gnarled old tree a hundred yards away—and tell his charges to branch out and make their own routes to that tree. “I also appreciate just standing still for a moment,” he says. Speer instructs groups of beginners to stop for a moment and listen. As breath turns to vapor, they hear nothing but the stillness found nowhere but in the Vermont woods—and maybe the sound of their own hearts pounding under layered clothing. “People walk away with a new appreciation,” says Speer. “They say, ‘Wow, I never experienced anything like that before.’ ” Umiak Outfitters in Stowe village operates a number of tours for different abilities. Through a partnership with the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, Umiak’s Brett Bascom introduced hundreds of guests to snowshoeing last winter, showing them how to strap on equipment, how snowshoes are equipped with spikes to prevent slipping, and how to move through snow. “It’s rewarding, not to mention interesting, to watch visitors more accustomed to walking through office spaces and parking lots catch on to this sort of activity,” Bascom says. Local guides and services offer menus of tours: organic walks in the woods, trips to rustic cabins for hot cocoa and spiced cider, and tours that culminate in full dinners with fivestar service and a ride home. Trips are customized to the needs, wants, and experience level of guests. “We offer way more than we advertise,” says Groom, of Stowe Mountain Lodge. “We interview every guest when they call so we can deliver the best, most personalized, experience,” adds Speer. What makes every tour special, however, is the experience of covering ground in the woods around Stowe in a winter setting. “We live in an amazing place,” says Speer. “And these aren’t exactly what I would call individual sports. It’s more a lifestyle.” ESSENTIALS: stowemountainlodge.com, sunrisemountainguides.com, and umiak.com.

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TIM M EEHAN B UILDERS

“The history of the British coming to climb in Chamonix is long and involved,” Puleio says. “It is the natural place for them to come after gaining some basic skills in the rugged and often miserable weather conditions of climbing in Scotland.” Puleio, an Italian citizen by way of his grandfather, became a member of the Italian Mountain Guides Association this year—virtually unheard of for an Americanborn guide. For several years now, he has spent roughly three months guiding in Europe, for mostly British and American clients. “In Europe,” he says, “clients know what it entails to become a guide, and there is a greater sense of professionalism when you work in a culture like that.” Guides also get paid a wage commensurate with their training in Europe, roughly double what they make in the U.S. In America, guiding is often seen as a young person’s game, with many fresh out of college and eager to work. Every year, another batch of young guides comes along, keeping wages low and flooding an already limited field. For guides like Puleio and many others who have gone through the years of American Mountain Guide Association training, repeatedly justifying their expertise and remuneration policies can be draining. Part of his work now is “advocating for mandatory mountain guide training so that all guides have a ‘scope of practice,’ thus ensuring standards and safety protocols in all guided activities in the U.S.” With some major changes in that direction coming in the years ahead, earning a living as a mountain guide locally could get easier, which might allow him to sleep in his own house instead of rented rooms overseas. Aside from the inherent risk of his job, the thing that he finds the most difficult is being separated from his family for weeks or months at a time. Puleio is married with three kids, relishes the roles of husband and father and, like his time in the mountains, he gets fully immersed in family life when home, which is most of the year. He and his wife, Kim, a psychotherapist whom he met years ago on one of those early National Outdoor Leadership School trips, homeschool their children and make their love of the outdoors, travel, and the world beyond Hyde Park an integral part of their learning. Last year they spent a month in France climbing and touring, and this year they spent seven weeks in Sicily, reconnecting with his Italian roots and securing Italian—and thus European Union—citizenship for his wife and children. His time at home in Vermont, where they chose to live to be close to his siblings, is also important because the life of a guide in Europe is “so busy sometimes,” he says, “and Hyde Park village is like a refuge.” l

MARK PULEIO

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Aside from homeschooling and keeping himself in shape for the inevitable next trip, Puleio organizes trips through his business, Alpine Guides International, and works with private clients all over New England. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Johnson State College in the outdoor education program, teaching classes in all disciplines as well as leading backpacking, climbing, and skiing trips. He also works closely with John Abbott of the University of Vermont, a longtime friend and a lecturer in the environmental studies program and head of the UVM Outing Club. The two take students on winter expeditions to Mount Washington and backcountry skiing in the Sawtooth range in Idaho, as well as regular alpine climbing expeditions to Peru. It makes for a bit of a crazy schedule at times, but for a family that intentionally set out on this course years ago, it has worked out pretty well. “Kim and my family know that I’ve never wanted a profession or a job in the traditional sense. I’ve always wanted a lifestyle that is in tune with the mountains, which help to dictate where I go.” The only thing is that for years he has entered those mountains attached to someone he “can’t run away from” when things become dangerous. That literal and figurative weight is something he takes seriously, but he also recognizes it as a privilege to guide people to amazing and wonderful places, both in the mountains and within themselves. 5 p.m. Puleio and his clients are gathered with other climbers and skiers in the warm embrace of the mountain hut, still exhilarated from the long ski descent and refueling on whatever food they can find before they are called to dinner. The hut, really more of a majestic stone lodge with bunk rooms for almost 100 guests that gets supplied by helicopter, is decorated in true alpine fashion, with historic photos of significant ascents and maps of nearby peaks showing clearly marked routes. Puleio speaks with other guides— American, French, Swiss, Italian—to learn about conditions for tomorrow’s climb. He checks in with the hut keeper who helped him book the rooms for his clients, and perhaps she allows him to use the staff room to charge his phone and emergency radios. Finally, they are called to the table for a family-style multicourse meal, where any number of topics are discussed until, inevitably, Puleio leads his clients in a discussion of tomorrow’s plan. Of course, it’s all subject to change, because these are the mountains, after all, and if there is one thing you can plan on in the mountains, it’s that your plan is always subject to the whims of the mountains themselves. At some point over the course of the trip, Puleio will undoubtedly share one of his favorite maxims with his clients: “When you dance with the mountains, the mountains always lead.” n

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Story continues from page 99

Bill Lee has come to terms, and even learned to embrace, the Spaceman moniker. He has also accepted, and now admits, that he was blackballed for life from the game he so loved when he was dropped from the Montreal Expos in 1982. After loudly protesting when the Expos released Rodney Scott, a good friend of his, he stormed out of Montreal’s Olympic stadium and retreated to a nearby bar for three beers. When he returned, he was told he had been suspended. A day later, as he writes in his second memoir, “Have Glove, Will Travel,” the team’s general manager John McHale told him, “We just released you from your contract.” “You want to cut me, fine,” Lee shot back. “There are plenty of clubs in this league desperate for a lefthanded pitcher. One of them will sign me. You just watch.” “Don’t bet on it,” McHale answered. Lee wrote, “A blackball had just thudded onto the floor, but the sound took its time reaching my ears.” Bill Lee was out of the major leagues, eventually cold-shouldered by every single team for his outspokenness. Today, more than three decades after his last game in the majors, Lee is sanguine about his fate. He explains, “I didn’t leave baseball. Baseball left me.” Lee signed up with the Longueuil Senators, a team in the Quebec Senior League, only a few days after leaving the Expos. It was the start of his remarkable three-decade long journey as a globetrotting baseball player that continues to this day. In “Have Glove, Will Travel” Lee wrote, “I continue to take the field because I fear getting old, not the wrinkles or the gray hair—I can live with those—but the muscles turning slack and my mind growing numb. You don’t work baseball, you play it, and the little boy in me never wants recess to end. I love the dance on the mound, my body flowing through my pitching motion. I love the feel of the ball sliding from my left hand, sweet as a lover’s caress. The years have notched my fingers with calluses that fit perfectly around the seams on that horsehide. The world resting in my palm.” Sitting in his comfortable northern Vermont home, looking out on drop-dead views of green hills and lush forests, Lee sums up his career with a touching—and uncharacteristically short—explanation: “I was born a ballplayer, and someday I’ll die a ballplayer. And in between, I’ve lived a ballplayer’s life.” n

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Orthopedic & Sports Medicine

Comprehensive Surgical & Non-Surgical Care

S TOWE-SMUGGLERS’ BUSINESS DIRECTORY ADULT NOVELTIES GOOD STUFF Adult store. Must be over 18 to enter. Glass pipes, adult novelties, tobacco products, e-cigs, gag gifts. Bachelorette and bachelor parties. Route 100, Waterbury Center. (802) 244-0800. goodstuffxxx.

Christian Bean, MD

Christopher Meriam, MD

Kate Clemente, PA-C

Alan Smail, PA-C

James Picone, PA-C

- IN-OFFICE APONEUROTOMY - ULTRA SOUND GUIDED INJECTIONS - FRACTURE CARE & CASTING - DIRECT ANTERIOR TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT -

accepting all new patients

ANTIQUES M. LEWIS ANTIQUES At this location since 1998, Martha Lewis Antiques holds an extremely large variety of antiques and collectibles, with inventory changing daily. Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sundays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 10 Stowe St., Waterbury. (802) 244-8919.

APPLIANCES COCOPLUM APPLIANCES Fastest growing kitchen appliance dealer in the area. Carrying most major brands and providing sales, installation, and service for everything we sell. Locally owned and operated since 1985. (888) 412-1222, appliancedistributors.com.

ARCHITECTS ECK MACNEELY ARCHITECTS

802.229.BONE (2663) | 130 Fisher Road, Building A, Suite 2-2 greenmountainortho.com | Berlin, Vermont 05602

Specializing in custom homes and private schools. We believe actively listening to our clients’ unique needs, dreams, and goals forms the foundation of a successful project. (617) 367-9696. eckmacneely.com.

HARRY HUNT ARCHITECTS Designing environmentally sustainable buildings and communities that stay true to the spirit of Vermont. Member American Institute of Architects LEED AP. (802) 253-2374. harryhuntarchitects.com.

J. GRAHAM GOLDSMITH, ARCHITECTS Quality design and professional architectural services specializing in residential, hotel, restaurant, retail, and resort development. Member Stowe Area. (800) 862-4053. jggarchitects.com. Email: VT@jggarchitects.com.

KATZ NOVOA ARCHITECTS Katz Novoa Architects boasts an award-winning portfolio of work that includes residential projects, indoor pools, and commercial structures. Learn more at katznovoa.com, or call us at (877) 253-9819.

LEE HUNTER ARCHITECT, AIA A Stowe-based architectural firm offering a personal approach to creative, elegant design. Residential, commercial, and renovations. (802) 253-9928. leehunterarchitect.com.

SAM SCOFIELD, ARCHITECT AIA Professional architectural services for all phases of design and construction. Residential and commercial. Carlson Building, Main Street, Stowe. samscofieldarchitect.com. (802) 253-9948.

TEKTONIKA STUDIO ARCHITECTS Dedicated to the craft and composition of sustainable, siteinspired design. Emphasis on a collaborative design process to meet our client’s vision and budget. Located in the Stowe Village. (802) 253-2020. tektonikavt.com.

TRUEXCULLINS ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN Designing luxury-custom homes that connect with their natural setting and meet the desires of our clients. View our homes at truexcullins.com. (802) 658-2775.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNERS CUSHMAN DESIGN GROUP INC. Architectural services: Creative, intuitive, functional, efficient design solutions for those who value elegant design, natural materials, and environmental consciousness in their home or business. (802) 253-2169. cushmandesign.com. l

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Vermont family owned & operated SINCE 1890

Kitchens • Cabinet Hardware Plumbing Fixtures • Paint • Doors Power Tools • Windows • Trusses Roofing • Siding • Decking Lumber and much more

WE HAVE WHAT YOU WANT OR WE WILL GET IT! JOHNSON 405 Railroad St. • (802) 635-2377

STOWE 354 Main St. • (802) 253-9757

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S TOWE-SMUGGLERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BUSINESS DIRECTORY ART GALLERIES

WEST BRANCH GALLERY & SCULPTURE PARK

BRYAN MEMORIAL GALLERY Vermontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier gallery for landscape painting features over 200 artists in a year-round exhibition schedule. Open Thurs. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sun. 11-4 p.m. and by appointment. Closed January. 180 Main St., Jeffersonville. (802) 644-5100. bryanmemorialgallery.org.

Contemporary fine art and sculpture indoors and outside on the riverside sculpture grounds. Regional, international, and local artists. Tuesday-Sunday 11-5. One mile from Stowe Village on Mountain Road. (802) 253-8943. westbranchgallery.com.

ART SUPPLIES THE ART STORE

GREEN MOUNTAIN FINE ART GALLERY In the heart of the village. Displaying Stoweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most diverse collection of traditional and contemporary works by regional artists. Open daily 11-6. 64 South Main, Stowe. (802) 253-1818. greenmountainfineart.com.

INSIDE OUT GALLERY

Your local art supply store. Arts and crafts material for all abilities, made in USA/sustainable options, gifts, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities, lessons, events, and everyday savings on paint, canvas, and paper. 409 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-ARTS (2787), stoweartstore.com.

AUTOMOTIVE

Original fine art and crafts by Vermont and American artists in a spectrum of mediums, styles, and price points, from small gifts to major showpieces. 299 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-6945, insideoutgalleryvt.com.

PETER MILLERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SQUASHED GALLERY Author and photographer. Large prints, limited editions. Author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vermont Farm Womenâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Lifetime of Vermont Peopleâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;2014 best non-fiction book from Northeast. 20 Crossroad, Waterbury, two houses south of Ben & Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. (802) 272-8851. petermillerphotography.com.

ROBERT PAUL GALLERIES One of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest art galleries, offering an outstanding selection of original paintings, sculpture, and fine art glass by locally, nationally, and internationally acclaimed artists. Celebrating 27 years. Open seven days. Baggy Knees Shopping Center, Stowe. robertpaulgalleries.com. (802) 253-7282.

DANGER HOUSE CUSTOMS & JOHNSON PAINT & AUTO BODY We are your full-service shop and take pride in our work. Collision repair, factory or custom paint, restorations, rust repair. We take all insurances. Free, thorough estimates. 152 Railroad St., Johnson. (802) 730-3279.

BAKERIES HARVEST MARKET Homemade muffins, cookies, tarts, pies, cakes, and other luscious treats. Incredible breads, including our own French country bread baked in traditional wood-fired ovens. Fine coffees and espresso. Daily 7-7 (in season). (802) 253-3800. harvestatstowe.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGEâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;DELIBAKERY Offering a variety of baked goods, soups, salads, sandwiches, daily specials, and our Trapp lagers. Open daily 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Hours vary seasonally. (802) 253-5705. trappfamily.com.

BLACKSMITHS BLACKSMITH Richard Spreda specializes in custom glass doors, screen doors, fireplace enclosures. Also custom builds, chandeliers, handrails, driveway gates, curtain rods, and hardware. Conceptual drawings and ideas welcome. (802) 793-7634. richard@stowesmith.com.

BOOKSTORES BEAR POND BOOKS Complete family bookstore. NY Times bestsellers and new releases. Children and adult hardcovers, paperbacks, books on CD, daily papers, games, greeting cards. Open daily. Depot Building, Main Street, Stowe. (802) 253-8236.

BRICKHOUSE BOOKSHOP Books, paintings and sculptures on display at the Brick House Bookshop, Morristown Corners. 38 years in business. Open daily by chance or appointment. Search and mail service. Please call ahead. (802) 888-4300.

BREWERIES IDLETYME BREWING COMPANY Small-batch craft lagers and ales brewed onsite. Brewpub or relax by the fire at restaurant bar. Lunch/dinner daily from 11:30 p.m. Free brewery tours by reservation or chance. Bombers, growlers, kegs to go. 1859 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-4765, idletymebrewing.com.

MAGIC HAT BREWERY & ARTIFACTORY Where ancient alchemy meets modern-day science to create the best tasting beer on the planet. Visit our brewery for free samples, free tours, and a most unusual shopping experience. (802) 658-BREW. magichat.net.

WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INSURING A HOUSE AND A HOME. Your home is more than a roof over your head. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a valuable asset that shelters you and your valued possessions. As your insurance advisor, we know you need an insurance company that understands the way you live. With more than 130 years of experience, a well-earned reputation for prompt and fair claim settlements, and special expertise in protecting fine homes and their contents, we know Chubb is as different from other insurance companies as a home is from a house. To see how we can create a personal insurance program from Chubb to meet your sophisticated needs, please contact us. 618 South Main Street, PO Box 1457, Stowe VT 05672 s &AX rsmith@hbinsurance.com www.hbinsurance.com Homeowners | Auto | Yacht | Jewelry | Antiques | Collector Car Chubb refers to the insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Chubb Personal Insurance (CPI) is the personal lines property and casualty strategic business unit of Chubb & Son, a division of Federal Insurance Company, as manager and/or agent for the insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. This literature is descriptive only. Not available in all states. Actual coverage is subject to the language of the policies as issued. Chubb, Box 1615, Warren, NJ 07061-1615. ÂŠ2015 Chubb & Son, a division of Federal Insurance Company. www.chubb.com/personal

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TRAPP FAMILY LODGE Trapp Family Lodge Brewery offers a selection of authentic Austrian lagers. Stop by for a pint and enjoy our mountaintop views in our DeliBakery, lounge, or dining room. (802) 253-5705. trappfamily.com.

PATTERSON & SMITH CONSTRUCTION, INC. A custom builder, remodeling firm, and general contractor in Stowe. Our mission is to provide each customer and their designer/architect with the highest degree of customer service, management, and craftsmanship. pattersonandsmith.com. (802) 253-3757.

PEREGRINE DESIGN BUILD

BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS ADAMS CONSTRUCTION VT LLC Stowe construction company specializing in residential and commercial renovations, custom home building, and construction-project management. (802) 253-7893. adamsconstructionvt.com.

GEOBARNS Geobarns is an environmentally conscious, minimal waste builder, specializing in artistic barns using modified postand-beam structures with diagonal framing to achieve a combination of strength, versatility, and beauty at reasonable prices. (802) 295-9687. geobarns.com.

GORDON DIXON CONSTRUCTION, INC. Fine craftsmanship, attention to detail, integrity, and dependable workmanship. Over 25 years of award-winning experience. Custom homes, additions, renovations, design/build, project management. 626 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-9367. gordondixonconstruction.com.

MANSFIELD CUSTOM HOMES Cost effective quality. Specializing in the construction of high-quality single-family, multi-family, and commercial structures using the efficiency, speed, and quality that only a panelized company can offer. (802) 279-2372. mansfieldcustomhomes.com.

MOUNTAIN LOGWORKS, LLC Handcrafted log homes. Specializing in Scandinavian Full Scribe and Adirondack-style log structures with log diameters up to 30 inches. In-house design service available. (802) 748-5929. mountainlogworks.com.

Peregrine Design Build specializes in remodeling and building custom homes and teams with Vermont architects and designers as their builder of choice. Visit peregrinedesignbuild.com to see our range of work.

RED HOUSE BUILDING Full-service, employee-owned building company. Emphasis on timeless craftsmanship. Meeting the challenges of unique and demanding building projects, from contemporary mountain retreats, meticulously restored historic buildings to highefficiency homes. (802) 655-0043. redhousebuilding.com.

SISLER BUILDERS INC. Custom home building, remodeling, woodworking, home energy audits and retrofits, quality craftsmanship, resource efficient construction, modest additions to multi-million dollar estates. 30 years in Stowe. References available. sislerbuilders.com. (802) 253-5672.

STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC. Steel Construction, Inc., has consistently proven to be one of Vermont’s finest custom homebuilders. We have three decades of proven experience and a long list of satisfied homeowners. (802) 253-4572. steelconstructionvt.com.

STOWE REMODELING Experts who add imagination and innovation to any project. Bob Petrichko, 30+ years of design/build experience. P.O. Box 398, Stowe. (802) 253-3928, (800) 469-3452. rjpdesign2@gmail.com. stoweremodeling.com.

TIM MEEHAN BUILDERS Creative remodeling, building excellence, award-winning construction. Post & beam, vintage barns, historic restoration. Construction management consultation. 30 years plus in Stowe. Tim Meehan, (802) 777-0283. northernnehomes.com.

• • • • •

Housewares Cabot stains Painting supplies Electrical supplies Ice and snow removal • Cleaning supplies • Minwax stains • Best selection of fasteners

430 Mountain Road, Stowe

253-7205

Mon-Sat 8-5:30 • Sun 9-3:30 215

S TOWE-SMUGGLERS’ BUSINESS DIRECTORY BUILDING MATERIALS ALLEN LUMBER Specializing in kitchens, baths, doors, and windows. Locations in Barre, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, and Waitsfield. (800) 696-9663. allenlumbercompany.com

CURTIS LUMBER Family run business serves local communities, providing high-quality products and services, priced right. Whether contactor or homeowner, Curtis Lumber has experience in serving you. Daily, except Sundays. 349 Leroy Rd., Williston. (802) 863-3428, curtislumber.com.

LOEWEN WINDOW CENTER OF VT & NH Beautifully crafted Douglas fir windows and doors for the discerning homeowner. Double- and triple-glazed options available in aluminum, copper, and bronze clad. Style Inspired By You. loewenvtnh.com, (800) 505-1892, info@loewenvtnh.com.

PARKER & STEARNS, INC. Providing quality building supplies in Johnson and Stowe, we are the contractor’s choice and the homeowner’s advantage. We sell Integrity by Marvin and Merrilat custom kitchens. A True Value Member. Stowe. (802) 253-9757; Johnson (802) 635-2377.

CAKES & CATERING BEN & JERRY’S ICE CREAM CAKES Ice cream cakes are ready-to-go or custom ordered. Call (802) 882-2034. Let us bring the euphoria. We cater cups and cones to full sundae bars. Call (802) 882-2052.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST 65 Best St., Rte. 100 South, Morrisville. (802) 888-7884. Bible Study at 9:30 a.m. Worship at 11 a.m. Saturday. Fellowship meal following service. Pastor: Cornel Preda. Everyone welcome.

STOWE COMMUNITY CHURCH Sunday worship services 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. (Sept.-June), Bible studies: Sundays 8:30 a.m.; Wednesdays (Sept-May) 9:30 a.m.-11 at church. The Rev. Bruce S. Comiskey: 279-5811, Church: (802) 253-7257.

WATERBURY CENTER COMMUNITY Route 100 next to the Cider Mill. Pastor SangChuri Bae. Sunday worship 10:45 a.m. Handicapped accessible. Church is a National Historic Place. We warmly welcome visitors. (802) 244-6286.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES BOUTIQUE AT STOWE MERCANTILE Fabulous contemporary fashion for women. From casual to professional, Boutique can make you feel beautiful any time. Lingerie, dresses, skirts, tops, jeans, sweaters, more. We’ll dress you for any occasion. Depot Building, Main Street, Stowe. (802) 253-3712.

CREATIVE CONSIGNMENTS Women’s apparel and ski wear. “Because friends shouldn’t let friends pay retail.” Established in 2001. Monday through Saturday, 10 - 5. Sunday, noon - 5. 393 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-8100.

ESSEX OUTLETS & CINEMA

CHIROPRACTORS STOWE CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Palmer Peet. 32 years experience. Vacationers welcome. Prompt appointments available. Emergency care. X-rays on premises. (802) 253-6955. stowechiro.com.

Christopher & Banks, Coach, Under Armour, Polo, Orvis, Brooks Brothers, Van Heusen, Carter’s, OshKosh, Snow Drop, Phoenix Books, Sweet Clover Market, more. Stadiumseated, T-Rex RealD 3D, digital movie theater. Routes 15 & VT289, exit 10. Essex Junction. (802) 878-2851, essexoutlets.com.

LENNY’S SHOE AND APPAREL Locally owned outfitters with footwear by Merrell, Keen, and Dansko. Clothing by Prana, Lole, and Horny Toad. Darn Tough Vermont Socks and accessories for the whole family. Williston, St. Albans, Barre. lennyshoe.com.

NORTH FACE STORE AT KL SPORT Epic adventures begin with the proper gear. We carry a comprehensive selection of exclusive outdoor brands like The North Face, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Burton, and Black Diamond. Three locations. (802) 284-3270. klmountainshop.com.

PRET-A-PORTER Pret-a-Porter is a chic consignment boutique that features designer ready-to-wear handbags, shoes, and accessories, showing off the designs of Judy Klimek statement jewelry. 6 Sunset St., Stowe Village. (802) 253-7066, stores.ebay.com/pret-a-porter-consignments.

SPORTIVE Largest Bogner selection in northern New England. Toni Sailer, Kjus, Parajumpers, Helly Hansen, Autumn Cashmere, White + Warren, Magashoni, Tecnica, Ugg, Pajar, Smartwool, Alpen Rock. (802) 496-3272. Route 100, Waitsfield. sportiveinc.com.

WELL HEELED Unique collection of shoes, boots, handbags, belts, clothing, and jewelry in a chicly updated Vermont farmhouse halfway up Stowe’s Mountain Road. Our specialty? A onestop shop for an effortlessly elegant look. Daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (802) 253-6077. wellheeledstowe.com.

WINTERFELL A gathering place to experience luxury winter apparel in a living-room-like setting, featuring Bogner, Parajumpers, M. Miller, Astis, Colmar, and more. 1940 Mountain Rd., Stowe (above Edgewise). (802) 253-0130. winterfellvt.com.

COFFEE HOUSES THE BAGEL

CHOCOLATE LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHOCOLATES What the New York Times calls “some of the best chocolate in the country.” Made from fair-trade-certified chocolate, Vermont cream, other natural ingredients. Caramels, truffles, creamy fudge, factory seconds. 9-6 daily. Cabot Annex. (802) 241-4150. lakechamplainchocolate.com.

CHURCHES & SYNAGOGUES BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH Mass schedule: Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Sunday, 8 and 10:30 a.m.; Daily masses: Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. Thursday, noon, Friday, 8:30 a.m. Confessions Tuesday 6-7 p.m., and Saturday 3:45-4:15 p.m. Rev. Benedict Kiely, pastor. 728 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-7536.

HUNGER MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY Route 100, Waterbury Center. Sunday worship service at 10 a.m. (802) 244-5921.

JEWISH COMMUNITY OF GREATER STOWE For information regarding services, holiday gatherings, classes, and workshops: JCOGS, P.O. Box 253, Stowe, Vt. 05672. 1189 Cape Cod Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-1800 or jcogs.org.

THE MOUNTAIN CHAPEL At the halfway point on the Mt. Mansfield Toll Road. A place for meditation, prayer and praise for skiers, hikers, and tourists. Seasonal Sunday service 2 p.m. The Rev. Dr. David P. Ransom. (802) 644-8144.

ST. JOHN’S IN THE MOUNTAINS EPISCOPAL CHURCH At the crossroads of Mountain Road and Luce Hill Road. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday at 8 and 10 a.m. July through October. The Rev. Rick Swanson officiating. St. John’s is wheelchair friendly and visitors and children are welcome. Office open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. (802) 253-7578. stjohnsinthemountains.org.

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FIRST CHAIR ALPINE CO. Located in Spruce Peak Plaza, featuring KJUS as our prominent apparel provider and complimented with Postcard, Dale of Norway, Canada Goose, Hestra, unique books and jewelry. Stowe Mountain Resort. (802) 760-4695.

FORGET-ME-NOT-SHOP Treasure hunt through our huge selection of famous label off price clothing for men, women, and teens at 60%-80% off. Route 15 Johnson, just 1.5 miles west of Johnson Village. Open 10-7.

GREEN ENVY Clothing, jewelry, shoes, outerwear. Exceptional customer service and fashion from top designers like Theory, Vince, AG, Longchamp Free People, Alex and Ani. Comfortable, contemporary clothing for the way you live. Daily 10-5. 1800 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-2661, vermontenvy.com.

IN COMPANY Come see what’s in. Specializing in personalized customer service and top designer labels: 360 Sweater, Johnny Was, Lilla P, Orla Kiely, and more. 10-5:30 p.m. daily, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 344 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-4595, incompanyclothing.com.

JOHNSON HARDWARE RENTAL, FARM & GARDEN A big store in a little town, family owned and run for three generations. Rental equipment, plumbing, heating, electrical, Milwaukee tools/repair, toys, clothing, footwear, camping gear, and much more. Route 15, Johnson. (802) 635-7282. jhrvt.com.

JOHNSON WOOLEN MILLS Home of famous Johnson Woolen Outerwear and headquarters for Carhartt, Filson, Pendleton, Woolrich, woolen blankets, fine men’s and ladies sportswear, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, socks. Since 1842. Johnson, VT. (802) 635-2271. johnsonwoolenmills.com.

Our own Bagel beans ground fresh, plus Nespresso espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos. Breakfast and lunch sandwiches all day plus soups and salads. 394 Mountain Rd., 6:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. (802) 253-9943.

THE BEANERY In the new Spruce Peak Village Center, locally roasted coffees and espresso drinks. Fresh morning pastries and baked goods, locally prepared sweets, full-fisted breakfast sandwiches, all natural smoothies, juices, other mid-afternoon treats. (802) 253-3000.

BLACK CAP COFFEE Fresh coffee and authentic espresso in a warm inviting atmosphere. House-baked pastries and tasty treats, light breakfast and lunch options. Open daily at 7 a.m. 144 Main St. across from the Stowe Community Church. (802) 253-2123. See us on Facebook.

HARVEST MARKET Homemade muffins, cookies, tarts, pies, cakes, and other luscious treats. Incredible breads, including our French country bread baked in traditional wood-fired ovens. Fine coffees and espresso. Daily 7-7 (in season). (802) 253-3800. harvestatstowe.com.

COMPUTERS & SOFTWARE FIXPC FixPC is the leader in sales, maintenance, and troubleshooting of business and personal computers and local area networks. On-site and drop-off service available. Visit 908 South Main St., Stowe. Call (802) 253-8006.

DELICATESSEN THE BAGEL Breakfast sandwiches, Nova lox, Reubens, deli sandwiches on breads, English muffins, wraps or NY-style bagels. Salads, soups, baked goods. Baggy Knees, Mountain Rd., Stowe. 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (802) 253-9943.

Quality • Service • Style • Price UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP

EDELWEISS New York-style deli sandwiches. Brisket, corned beef, pastrami, bakery products, fresh pies. Beer, wine, soda, groceries, Vermont products. Stowe’s #1 deli and convenience store. Daily 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. 2251 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-4034.

THE PANTRY Upscale Vermont country market in new Spruce Peak Village. Local and regional food products, distinctive wines, craft beers, local hard cider, farmhouse cheeses, charcuterie, deli meats, sandwiches, prepared meals. Our pantry will fill yours. (802) 253-3000.

DENTISTRY

Porcelain, Ceramic, Stone & Glass Tile for Ever Application

CONTEMPORARY DENTAL ARTS PC Contemporary Dental Arts is a unique practice offering high quality, state-of-the-art, esthetic, restorative and implant dentistry…where the smile of your dreams becomes a realty. New patients invited. (802) 878-9888. contemporarydentalartsvt.com.

JEFFREY R. MCKECHNIE, DMD & CHRISTOPHER P. ALTADONNA, DDS (802) 253-7932. stowedentalassociates.com.

STOWE FAMILY DENTISTRY Stowe Family Dentistry is a modern dental practice offering same-day porcelain crowns and veneers, dental implants, sleep apnea and snoring appliances, and comprehensive restorative services. New patients are always welcome. (802) 253-4157, stowefamilydentistry.com.

723 Sylvan Park Road, Stowe • 253-7001 • DownEastTile.com

DISTILLERIES CALEDONIA SPIRITS Makers of award-winning Barr Hill gin and vodka, and Tom Cat barrel aged gin. Craft distillery on banks of Lamoille River. Free tastings and tours daily from noon - 5 p.m. 46 Log Yard Dr., Hardwick. (802) 472-8000. caledoniaspirits.com.

SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH DISTILLERY Father/son team creates distinctive spirits in small batches: vodka, true-distilled blend 802 Gin and Hopped Gin, bourbon barrel-aged rum, bourbon whiskey, wheat whiskey. Open daily. 276 Main St., Jeffersonville; 2567 Waterbury Stowe Rd., Waterbury Center. (802) 309-3077. smugglersnotchdistillery.com.

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DOGSLED TOURS

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EDEN DOGSLEDDING Educational adventure tours for all ages. Join our one-of-akind, “Un-Chained Gang” of friendly huskies for a personalized, hands-on tour. Snow-sledding in winter, dogsledding-on-wheels spring, summer and fall. (802) 635-9070. edendogsledding.com.

DRY CLEANING & LAUNDRY DENOIA’S DRY CLEANERS Perc-free dry cleaning and laundry. Same-day service. Wash, dry, and fold. Free pick-up and delivery. Repairs, suede, leather, storage. Satisfaction guaranteed. Mon.-Fri. 8-6, Sat. 9-1. 638 South Main St., Stoware Common. (802) 253-7861. vermontdrycleaner.com.

STOWE LAUNDRY CO. Full-service laundromat and dry cleaners. Drop-off washand-dry and fold, same-day service, and alterations. Professional dry cleaning and shirt service. 44 Park Place, Stowe Village. Open 7 days. (802) 253-9332.

Harold B. Stevens, Esq.

Jacob O. Durell, Esq.

• • • • • • •

• Corporate Counsel • For-profit & Non-profit Contracting • Loan, Equity and Donor Fundraising • Regulatory Compliance • Family Law • Commercial Litigation • Property and Contract Disputes • Complex Litigation Support

Civil Litigation Personal Injury Real Estate Criminal Defense Estate Planning Business Formation & Sales Collection Banking & Financial Law

John F. Pellizzari, Esq. • • • •

Personal Injury Auto Accidents Wrongful Death ATV and Snowmobile Accidents

• Free Initial Consultation

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S TOWE-SMUGGLERS’ BUSINESS DIRECTORY EDUCATION & COLLEGES

FLORISTS & FLOWERS

GIFT & SPECIALTY SHOPS

COLORADO MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

DESIGNS BY WILDFLOWER

DANFORTH PEWTER

Learn at 11 of the most stunning mountain communities in Colorado. Choose from two-year career training, bachelor's degrees, and transfer degrees. Small classes, dedicated faculty. coloradomtn.edu.

JOHNSON STATE COLLEGE Centrally located near Stowe and Smugglers’ Notch, JSC provides high-impact education that encompasses research, internships, collaborative projects, civic and global engagement. Signature programs include education, health sciences, environmental science, outdoor, the arts. Scenic hilltop campus. (800) 635-2356, jsc.edu.

Stowe’s leading full-service florist. Providing Stowe with quality, creativity, and service for 23 years. Specializing in wildflower, formal, and garden-style weddings and events. “Supporting local growers.” Local deliveries. (802) 253-6303. wildflowerdesignsstowe.com.

FROM MARIA’S GARDEN Floral design specialized in garden-style weddings and events. Trendy or traditional, fun and fresh, rustic or vintage. “Simply beautiful flora” stamped with your personal style. Exceptional service. Seasonal decorating invited. (802) 345-3698. maria@frommariasgarden.com.

KIMBALL UNION ACADEMY Top-flight ski racing and academics at the country’s 5th oldest independent school. FIS, USSA, and interscholastic competition with rigorous college prep curriculum. 20 minutes from Dartmouth College. (603) 469-2100 or kua.org.

ST. JOHNSBURY ACADEMY Unique among American independent schools, we offer students a truly comprehensive curriculum, first-rate facilities, and outstanding faculty. Nationally recognized, we attract over 255 boarding students from the U.S. and around the world each year. stjacademy.org.

EXCAVATING DALE E. PERCY, INC. Excavating contractors, commercial and residential. Earthmoving equipment. Site work. trucking, sand, gravel, soil, sewer, water, drainage systems, and supplies. Snow removal, salting, sanding. Weeks Hill Road. (802) 253-8503. Fax: (802) 253-8520.

FISHING & HUNTING CATAMOUNT FISHING ADVENTURES Guided fly-fishing, spin-fishing, ice-fishing adventures. River wading, canoe, float tube, motorboat fishing. Guiding Vermont since 1994. Equipment provided. All abilities welcome. Willy, owner/guide, (802) 253-8500. Federation of Fly Fishers certified. Licensed, insured. catamountfishing.com.

FLY ROD SHOP Vermont’s most experienced guide service. Live bait, ice fishing supplies. Drift-boat rips or river wading for fly fishing, spinning. Family fishing trips. Simms clothing, waders. 10,000 flies. Visit our hunting department. Route 100 South, Stowe. (802) 253-7346. flyrodshop.com.

FITNESS EQUIPMENT EARL’S CYCLERY & FITNESS Treadmills, elliptical trainers, and indoor bike trainers from Vision Fitness, Landice, Cycle-ops, and Lemond. Full fitness service department and free delivery in Chittenden County. (802) 864-9197. Toll-free (866) 327-5725. earlsbikes.com.

PERSONAL FITNESS INTERIORS Carrying a wide range of fitness products and equipment from leaders in the industry. Precor, True, Inspire, Octane, Tuff Stuff, and more. Quality, selection, service. Locally owned for 25 years. (802) 860-1030, personalfitnessvt.com.

BOURNES ENERGY Propane, wood pellets, bioheat, biodiesel, heating, cooling, plumbing, auto-delivery, remote heat monitoring, expert service. Bourne’s Energy—Fueling the Future. (800) 326-8763. bournesenergy.com.

FURNITURE ALL DECKED OUT One of the largest selection of casual furniture in Northern New England. Teak, wicker, aluminum, wrought iron and envirowood. Best selection for dining, entertaining, and lazing. Delivery available. (802) 296-6714. (800) 639-3715. alldeckedoutcasual.com.

HOOKER’S FURNITURE Customize your home with beautiful furniture. Vermontmade dining rooms and bedrooms by Lyndon Furniture. Mattresses by Sealy and Stearns & Foster. Living room by Klaussner and Flexsteel. Route 100, Waterbury Center. (802) 244-4034. hookersfurniturevt.com.

INSIDE OUT GALLERY Be inspired and refresh your sense of home, inside and out, through vignettes of transcontinental seating, tables, lamps, and mirrors. Our samples are just the beginning; we’ll special order too. 299 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-6945, insideoutgalleryvt.com.

NOVELLO FURNITURE Full-service furniture store offering better furniture and mattresses, no charge in-store decorating services. Brands including Rowe, Sam Moore, Bradington Young, La-Z-Boy, Klaussner, Stanley, and much more. Immediate delivery. (802) 476-7900. novellofurniture.com.

WENDELL’S FURNITURE & VERMONT BED STORE Best selection for quality, style, price. Copeland, Norwalk, Flexsteel, and more. Bedroom, living and dining rooms, nursery, office, and entertainment. Next to Costco, 697 Hercules Dr., Colchester. (802) 861-7700. wendellsfurniture.com.

WILDERNESS CREATIONS Your rustic furniture and décor specialists, working with designers, builders, and homeowners to outfit some of New England’s finest homes and businesses. Call today for a consultation. (603) 563-7010, rusticfurnituregallery.com.

FLOORING

FURNITURE & INTERIOR DESIGN

FLOORING AMERICA

STOWE CRAFT DESIGN CENTER

Customize your home with flooring that compliments your space while honoring your style. Choose from our leading collection of hardwood, carpet, tile, laminate, vinyl, and rug selections. Williston, (802) 862-5757, flooringamerica-vt.com.

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FUEL

The art of living: unique and custom furnishings, lighting, rugs, art, sculpture, and home decor. Full interior design services. 1800 sq. ft. showroom in one of Stowe’s original buildings. 34 South Main St., (802) 253-7677, stowecraft.com.

Each Danforth is handcrafted in Vermont. Extensive collection of holiday ornaments, jewelry, oil lamps, picture frames, key rings, baby gifts, and more. Cabot Annex, 2653 Rt. 100 South, Waterbury. Online at danforthpewter.com.

INSIDE OUT GALLERY Find a full range of gifts and wedding presents, Vermont fine art and crafts, photographs, jewelry, table furnishings, candleholders, picture frames, and outdoor décor. A short walk up from Main Street. 299 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-6945, insideoutgalleryvt.com.

JUNIPER Beautifully designed cards, stationary, and custom items for all occasions. We feature goods from independent designers located around the country. Located in Stowe Village’s historic 1845 house. Parking adjacent to shop. (802) 253-7300.

RED BARN SHOPS Stowe’s most exciting stores: Decisions Decisions (ladies apparel), The Body Lounge; Stowe Wine & Cheese; Yellow Turtle (children’s clothing/outdoor apparel); The Toy Store/Once Upon a Time Toys. 1799 Mountain Rd., 2 miles north of downtown Stowe.

STOWE KITCHEN BATH & LINENS More than just a kitchen store. Two floors of accessories, gifts, and food for the entire home. Gourmet kitchenware, bedding, shower curtains, lotions, gels. Tons of unique clothing and gifts. 1813 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-8050. stowekitchen.net.

STOWE MERCANTILE Fabulous old country store, Vermont specialty foods, penny candy, clothing, bath and body, wine, craft beer and cider, gift baskets, and toys. Play a game of checkers or a tune on our piano. Depot Building, Main Street, Stowe. (802) 253-4554. stowemercantile.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE SPORT & GIFTS Trapp Family Lodge books, music, clothing, and food. Austrian specialty gifts and gourmet products. Vermontmade products and maple syrup. Visit our two locations. Shop online: trappfamily.com. (802) 253-8511.

GOLF — MINIATURE STOWE GOLF PARK Miniaturized golf course that strives to simulate a real golf environment, on Stowe’s Mountain Road along the recreation path. Avoid natural obstacles, fairway hazards, sand traps. May through October, 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. (802) 253-9951.

HAIR SALONS LUSH SALON & BOUTIQUE Locally owned by Miss VT USA 2012, Jamie Dragon. Stowe’s premier luxury salon and makeup boutique. Bridal hair and makeup, Oribe hair care, Jane Iredale makeup, RMS Beauty organic makeup. 722 S. Main St. (802) 253-7750. lushstowe.com.

SALON SALON Experience the ultimate. World-class Aveda concept salon for men and women. Haircuts, highlighting, coloring, hair straightening, manicures, pedicures, facials, body waxing, body treatments, massage, complete wedding services. Downer Farm Shops, 232 Mountain Rd. By appt. (802) 253-7378. salonsalonvt.com.

HARDWARE STOWE HARDWARE & DRY GOODS Unique hardware store providing North Country necessities and quality products such as Craftsman tools, Cabot Stain, Carhartt clothing, a complete selection of fasteners, houseware, homecare products. Open 8-5:30 Mon.-Sat., Sundays 9-3:30. 430 Mountain Rd. Established since 1829. (802) 253-7205.

HEALTH CARE CLEARCHOICEMD Walk-in centers designed to meet your urgent, non-lifethreatening medical needs, and more. We are here for you seven days a week, 12 hours a day—no appointment needed. ccmdcenters.com.

COPLEY HOSPITAL Exceptional care. Community focused. Women’s and children’s services, general surgery, orthopedics, 24-hour emergency services, cardiology, oncology, urology, rehabilitation, and wellness programs. Morrisville, (802) 888-8888, copleyvt.org.

STOWE FAMILY PRACTICE Stowe Family Practice provides routine medical care and treats winter-related and sports injuries. Call (802) 2534853. chslv.org.

VERMONT REGENERATIVE MEDICINE Dr. Fenton, a Regenexx® provider, using image-guided stem cell and platelet injections to treat a variety of joint, tendon, and ligament conditions. Winooski, Vt. vermontregenerativemedicine.com.

HEALTH CLUBS & SPAS SWIMMING HOLE Stowe’s premier family fitness and recreation center. 25meter lap pool, children’s pool, waterslide, group exercise classes, personal training, aqua aerobics, masters swimming, group lessons, kids fitness. State-of-the-art facility. Day passes available. (802) 253-9229. theswimmingholestowe.com.

Anderson& Associates Peter G. Anderson, Esq. Maureen E. Parker, Esq.

Todd A. Shove, Esq.

A General Practice Law Firm

Serving businesses and individuals throughout Vermont for more than 20 years. Civil Litigation • Criminal Defense Family Law • Commercial Law Business Transactions • Probate and Estate Planning Anderson & Associates prides itself on providing quality legal services responsive to the individual needs of each client.

954 South Main Street | P.O. Box 566 Stowe, Vermont 05672

HOME ENTERTAINMENT & SMART HOMES

802-253-4011 | andersonlawvt.com

VERMONT ELECTRONICS Providing local support for custom design and installation of home theater, whole house audio, lighting control, shade control, thermostat control, home automation, and your security needs. (802) 253-6509. info@vermontelectronics.biz.

HOUSEKEEPING STOWE COUNTRY HOMES Fully bonded, insured, and trained housekeepers available for private homes or rental properties. We use environmentally friendly products and supplies whenever possible. Call and ask for Reggie. (802) 253-8132, ext. 105. reggie@stowecountryhomes.com.

ICE CREAM STOWE ICE CREAM.COM See our website for stores and restaurants that serve and sell our ice cream.

INNS & RESORTS EDSON HILL 23 unique guest rooms, fireplaces, restaurant, tavern, Nordic skiing. Newly renovated 38-acre country estate features lux accommodations, New England cuisine, craft beers, wines, outstanding cocktails in plush 1940s setting. 1500 Edson Hill Rd., (802) 253-7371, edsonhill.com.

FIELD GUIDE 30 modern luxe lodge-style accommodations, including suites with luxury linens, soaking tubs, fireplaces, and other amenities desired by the discerning traveler. Seasonal pool. Hot tub. (802) 253-8088. fieldguidestowe.com.

GOLDEN EAGLE RESORT Escape to our quiet Stowe oasis. Welcoming retreat offers modern amenities, free Wi-Fi, on-site dining, two pools, massage, and complimentary ski shuttle. Relax and unwind in the heart of the Ski Capital of the East. (802) 253-4811. goldeneagleresort.com. More inns l

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S TOWE-SMUGGLERS’ BUSINESS DIRECTORY GREEN MOUNTAIN INN Classic 1833 resort in Stowe Village. Over 100 rooms, luxury and family suites, apartments and townhouses, many with fireside Jacuzzis. Two restaurants, outdoor year-round heated pool and in-ground spa, fire-pit, health club, Jacuzzi, sauna, massage, game room. Complimentary tea and cookies. (802) 253-7301. greenmountaininn.com.

INN AT THE MOUNTAIN CONDOS & TOWNHOUSES One-to-five bedroom condos and townhouses conveniently located within walking distance to the Toll House lift. With kitchen, living room and dining area, fireplace, washer/ dryer, daily housekeeping, and Wi-Fi. (802) 253-3649, stowe.com.

STOWEFLAKE MOUNTAIN RESORT & SPA Ideally located in the heart of Stowe, featuring luxurious guestrooms and townhouses, Charlie B’s Pub & Restaurant for fireside deck dining and live entertainment, and Spa at Stoweflake with unique treatments beyond the traditional. (802) 253-7355. stoweflake.com.

SUNSET MOTOR INN AAA 55 units and 3 houses, free wi-fi. Located on the VAST trail for snowmobiling. $3 breakfast coupon. 10 miles from Stowe. (800) 544-2347. sunsetmotorinn.com.

TOPNOTCH RESORT & SPA Totally reimagined and refreshingly restored, Topnotch wows with all new rooms and suites, 2-3 bedroom resort homes, airy lobby bar and restaurant, top-ranked bistro, world-class Tennis Center and Spa, adventure center, indoor/outdoor pools. (802) 253-8585. topnotchresort.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE Mountain resort in the European tradition. 96-rooms and suites with spectacular mountain views. European-style cuisine, musical entertainment, fitness center, outdoor hot tub, indoor pool, climbing wall, yoga, cross-country and backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, von Trapp history tours. (802) 253-8511. trappfamily.com.

VILLAGE GREEN AT STOWE Fully furnished condominiums at the center of all Stowe has to offer. Fireplaces, indoor pool, sauna, Jacuzzi. Affordable. (802) 253-9705 or (800) 451-3297. vgasstowe.com.

INSURANCE HICKOK & BOARDMAN, INC. Providing superior service and innovative solutions for all your insurance needs. Home, auto, and business insurance since 1821. “Here when you need us.” 618 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-9707.

STOWE INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. Stowe’s premier multi-line insurance agency since 1955. Our pricing and service is second to none. Glenn Mink, Teela Leach, Robert Mink, and Renee Davis. (802) 253-4855.

GILBERTE INTERIORS Utilizing the largest design library between Boston and Montreal, Gilberte’s team creates, inspirational, functional comfortable spaces that make you feel at home. Cheryl Boghosian, interior designer, ASID. (603) 643-3727, gilberteinteriors.com.

SELDOM SCENE INTERIORS INC. All aspects of interior design. Stowe and Boston. Full architectural services, design build, and project management. Large comprehensive portfolio. By appointment only. 2038 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-3770. seldomsceneinteriors.com.

JEWELRY

AMBER HODGINS DESIGN Full-service interior architecture and design, decorative painting, and color consultations. Specializing in décor, renovations, and new construction for residential or commercial projects. (802) 585-5544. amberhodgins.com.

CUSTOM COVERS Custom Covers at the Grist Mill is a full-service shop. Designer fabrics, trims, wallpaper, custom-made slipcovers, upholstery, window treatments. By appointment. (802) 324-2123. 92 Stowe Street, Waterbury.

DESIGN STUDIO OF STOWE Creating beautiful interiors from classic to modern with respect to client’s taste, property, budget, deadline. New construction, renovations, and updates to existing spaces. Residential to light commercial projects. Allied Member ASID. 626 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-9600. designstudiovt.net.

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YARN Full-service knitting store specializing in customer service. Our goal is to help you from the beginning of the process to completion of your project. We carry a huge array of yarns and patterns and offer knitting classes for every level. 112 Main St., Montpelier. (802) 229-2444. vtknits.com.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN AMBLER DESIGN Full-service landscape architecture and construction company in Stowe. Working with plants, water, stone, and earth, we create unique, exceptional, and beautiful outdoor spaces. Recent projects: Piecasso Restaurant entrance and the 2011 HGTV Dream Home. (802) 253-4536. amblerdesign.com.

FERRO JEWELERS Stowe’s premier full-service jeweler since 2006. We specialize in estate jewelry, fine diamonds, custom design, jewelry repair, and appraisals. American Gem Society. 91 Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-3033. ferrojewelers.com/stowe.

INSIDE OUT GALLERY Discover new colorful and creative designs made by American artists. Add inspiration and fun to every day. Easy prices. Enjoyable shopping. Short walk up from Main Street. 299 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-6945, insideoutgalleryvt.com.

PERRYWINKLE’S Every piece of Perrywinkle’s jewelry is unlike any other. The finest diamonds and gemstones are hand selected for crafting our celebrated designs. We invite you to visit our Burlington location. (802) 865-2624, perrywinkles.com

STOWE CRAFT GALLERY Contemporary and unexpected designs by Vermont and American artists realized in jewelry, artwork, photography and functional home décor. Artist owned and curated in a historic Stowe landmark. 55 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-4693, stowecraft.com.

STOWE GEMS Fine handcrafted gold, platinum, sterling jewelry. Diamonds, engagement rings, wedding bands. Amazing selection of tanzanite, tourmaline, Tahitian pearls, North American diamonds. Vermont charms, estate jewelry. Named “Best of Vermont.” Stowe Village. (802) 253-7000. stowegems.com.

VON BARGEN’S JEWELRY A Vermont family business with five locations. We specialize in distinctive artisan jewelry, fine, ideal cut diamonds, and custom jewelry. Stowe Village. Monday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5, Sunday noon-5. (802) 253-2942. vonbargens.com.

KITCHENS & BATHS INTERIOR DESIGN & DECORATING

KNITTING & YARN SHOPS

ALLAIRE CONSTRUCTION Providing professional, personalized quality renovation/remodeling services for 32 years. Our trustworthy team has extensive knowledge in planning, design, and construction for all your individualized kitchen and bath needs. Brent: (802) 793-2675, bda77@comcast.net.

CLOSE TO HOME Finest selection of quality bath faucets, fixtures, and hardware. We can outfit your home from bath to kitchen to doors. Door hardware and 6,000 cabinet knobs. Ask for a free espresso. 10 Farrell St. S. Burlington. (802) 861-3200. closetohomevt.com.

COUNTRY HOME CENTER Our kitchen and bath department offers many types of custom cabinets, solid countertops, custom tile showers, energy efficient fixtures, and green products for today’s Vermont lifestyle. 85 Center Rd., Morrisville. (802) 888-3177. countryhomecenter.net.

CYNTHIA KNAUF LANDSCAPE DESIGN Beautiful, functional, and green. Creating memorable outdoor spaces that link buildings and people to the site. Emphasis on sustainability through local materials and craftsmanship, green roofs, and rain gardens. (802) 655-0552. cynthiaknauf.com.

LANDSHAPES Serving Vermont’s residential and commercial landscapes with design, installations, and property maintenance. Projects include unlimited varieties of stonework, gardens, water features, and installation of San Juan pools and spas. (802) 434-3500. landshapes.net.

WAGNER HODGSON LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE The process of uniting program, context, form and materials provides the basis for our work, crafting modern sculptural landscapes expressing the essential inherent beauty of natural materials. (802) 864-0010. wagnerhodgson.com.

LAWYERS ANDERSON & ASSOCIATES A general practice of law: civil, family, and criminal litigation, probate and estate planning, business law, and transactions. 954 South Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-4011. andersonlawvt.com.

BARR LAW GROUP Member of Vermont and New York bars. 125 Mountain Rd., Stowe, Vt., (802) 253-6272; 100 Park Ave., New York, NY, (212) 486-3910.

DARBY THORNDIKE KOLTER & NORDLE, LLP General civil practice, real estate, environmental, estate planning, corporate, litigation, personal injury, and family law. Stowe: 996 Main St., Unit 1A, (802) 253-7165; Waterbury: 89 S. Main St., (802) 244-7352.

HORSLEY LAJOIE GOLDFINE, LLC General practice including civil litigation, personal injury, real estate, corporate, estate planning/administration. Located in Stowe village at 166 S. Main St. Member Vermont and Massachusetts bars. (802) 760-6480. hlgattorneys.com.

OLSON & ASSOCIATES, PLC General law practice: commercial and residential real estate, estate planning and probate administration, business formation and maintenance, general litigation, family law, mediation services. 188 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-7810.

STACKPOLE AND FRENCH Litigation, real estate, corporate, utility, wills, and estate administration. 255 Maple St., Stowe. (802) 253-7339. stackpolefrench.com.

STEVENS LAW OFFICE Criminal and family law, residential and commercial real estate, civil litigation, personal injury and auto accidents, estate planning and corporate counsel. 30+ years experience. Stowe and Derby offices. (802) 253-8547 or (866) 786-9530.

LIGHTING

MATTRESSES

BARRE ELECTRIC & LIGHTING SUPPLY, INC.

THE GREEN LIFE

Indoor and outdoor lighting, fans and home accents. The supplier of choice for area electricians and builders. Come visit our 3,000-square foot showroom featuring working displays for kitchen and bath lighting. Route 302, Barre. (802) 476-0280. barreelectric.com.

CITY LIGHTS Not your average lighting showroom. We feature lighting made only here, as well as from famous American-made lighting manufacturers. See city-lights.com for a look at 12 of the best. Bacon Street, Burlington. (802) 658-5444.

MAD RIVER ANTLER Handcrafted one-of-a-kind antler creations in the form of chandeliers, sconces, table lamps, floor lamps, and custom creations using naturally shed antler from moose, deer, and elk. (802) 496-9290, madriverantler.com.

LINGERIE

We have a unique selection of natural chemical free mattresses, FSC-certified furniture, organic bedding, jewelry, home décor, children's toys and baby items. Everything for the environmentally minded shopper. 151 Cherry Street, Burlington. thegreenlifevt.com.

THE SUPERSTORE The Superstore has the right mattress for you. Visit us at 543 Blair Park Road, Williston. Check out our website at superstorevt.com or call us at (802) 878-0818.

MOVIE THEATERS

MARKETS

First-run movies, all new 7.1 Digital Surround EX and 5.1 digital sound with silver screens and RealD 3D. Full bar available as you view. Fresh popcorn, real butter, full concession. Conventional seating too. 454 Mountain Rd. Movie phone (802) 253-4678; stowecinema.com; or Facebook.

NEEDLEWORK THE WOODEN NEEDLE Charming needle arts shop in heart of Stowe Village. Counted cross-stitch and needlepoint featured. Specializing in linens, hand-painted canvases, Paternayan wool, Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art cottons, fun fibers. Park and Pond Streets. (802) 253-3086, wooden-needle.com.

COMMODITIES NATURAL MARKET Your one-stop neighborhood grocer featuring organic produce, groceries, artisanal cheeses, fresh bread, local meats, huge bulk section, awesome beer and wine, glutenfree, health and wellness products, more. Open 7 days. (802) 253-4464. commoditiesnaturalmarket.com.

HARVEST MARKET Stowe’s one-stop gourmet store. Delicious salads, entrées, baked goods, and breads—prepared by our own chefs and bakers. Specialty cheeses and meats. Espresso bar. Farm fresh produce. Great wine selection. Daily 7-7 (in season). (802) 253-3800. harvestatstowe.com.

MASSAGE & BODYWORK GOLDEN EAGLE RESORT Transform your state of being through massage. Restore, replenish, rejuvenate naturally with Swedish, sports, Reiki, or neuromuscular therapies. Hot stones or body treatments. Daily by appointment. (802) 253-4811, x164. 511 Mountain Rd., Stowe. goldeneagleresort.com.

OPTOMETRY DR. ROBERT C. BAUMAN & ASSOCIATES Comprehensive eye exams, immediate treatment of eye injuries/infections. Same-day service on most eyeglasses including bifocals. Area’s largest selection glasses and contact lenses, immediate replacement of lost or damaged contact lenses. Saturday hours available. (802) 253-6322. drrobertbauman.com.

BERLIN OPTICAL EXPRESSIONS Quality eye care and personal attention. A family optometry practice that prides itself on the individual care and attention paid to all of its patients. (802) 223-2090, oeberlin.com.

STOWE EYE CARE At Stowe Eye Care, we provide personalized vision services. We use advanced technology for the most accurate diagnosis, as well as having a frame selection as unique as we are. stowe-eyecare.com. (802) 253-7201.

PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY

KATE GRAVES, CMT, BHS Relaxation, deep tissue, moist heat, energy work (Brennan graduate), maternity, Thai. Practicing integrative medicine over 30 years. Competitive rates. Stowe Yoga Center, 515 Moscow Rd. kgravesmt@gmail.com, (802) 253-8427, stoweyoga.com.

STOWE VILLAGE MASSAGE Massage center offers exceptional bodywork services from relaxation to injury recovery. Certified practitioners in a casual atmosphere. 60-minute massages starting from $75. Daily from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. 49 Depot St., Stowe. Book online at stowevillagemassage.com. (802) 253-6555. info@stowevillagemassage.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE FITNESS CENTER Massage therapists use a blend of techniques to address needs including Swedish, deep tissue, acupressure, and Shiatsu. Other treatments include reflexology, salt glows, and hot stone therapy. Appointments available daily. (802) 253-5722.

Physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Specialized service: Parkinson’s disease, urinary incontinence, vertigo, concussions, and more. Clinic in Waterbury. Get evaluated within 48 hours at Rehab Express in Berlin. cvmc.org/rehab. (802) 371-4242.

PHYSICIANS ADAM KUNIN, MD — CARDIOLOGIST Personalized cardiac care. Board-certified in cardiology, nuclear cardiology, and internal medicine. Providing general cardiology, advanced cardiac tests, and imaging. Morrisville. (802) 888-8372, copleyvt.org.

BETSY PEREZ, MD — UROLOGIST STOWE CINEMA 3-PLEX

ARISTELLE Bra fitting and fine lingerie store with knowledgeable lingerie specialists and over 100 bra sizes. Carrying brands of exceptional quality, this elegant boutique makes bra shopping fun for all shapes and sizes. 61 Church St., Burlington. (802) 497-3913. aristelle.com.

UVMHN CVMC REHABILITATION SERVICES

Since 1982, offering quality photographic services to Vermont businesses. Creative images of people, products, and locations. Photography of artwork. Private photographic instruction. RIT photo graduate. (802) 253-7879, paulrogersphotography.com.

PHYSICAL THERAPY COPLEY REHABILITATION SERVICES Therapies include physical, occupational, hand, speech, aquatic, pediatric, cardiac and pulmonary, work conditioning, and other comprehensive rehab services. Clinics in Stowe, Hardwick, and Morrisville (Mansfield Orthopaedics and Copley Hospital). (802) 888-8303, copleyvt.org.

PINNACLE PHYSICAL THERAPY Skilled physical therapy for orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions, sports, family wellness, pre- and post-surgery. Personal, professional care: 1878 Mountain Rd., Stowe. Appointment within 24 hours, M-F. (802) 253-2273. ppt@pshift.com.

Board-certified urologist. Specializing in diagnosis and treatment of problems of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs. Morrisville. (802) 888-8372, copleyvt.org.

DONALD DUPUIS, MD — GENERAL SURGEON Board-certified general surgeon. Specializing in advanced laparoscopic procedures. Providing a wide spectrum of inpatient and outpatient surgical care. Morrisville. (802) 888-8372, copleyvt.org.

THE WOMEN’S CENTER: OB/GYN Board-certified specialists William Ellis, MD, and Anne Stohrer, MD, and certified-nurse midwives Kipp Bovey, Jackie Bromley, and Marge Kelso. Comprehensive gynecological care. The Women’s Center, (802) 888-8100, copleyvt.org.

PHYSICIANS–Orthopaedics GREEN MOUNTAIN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY Why let an orthopaedic problem keep you from doing what you love? Depend on Green Mountain Orthopaedic Surgery, located in Berlin, Vt., since 2002 to provide you with trusted superior care. (802) 229-2663. greenmountainortho.com.

MANSFIELD ORTHOPAEDICS Board-certified orthopedic surgeons. Brian Aros, MD; Bryan Huber, MD; John Macy, MD; Joseph McLaughlin, MD; and Saul Trevino, MD. On-site radiology and rehabilitation facility. Morrisville and Waterbury. (802) 888-8405, mansfieldorthopaedics.com.

UVMHN CVMC ORTHOPAEDICS & SPINE MEDICINE Dr. Mahlon Bradley: orthopaedics and sports medicine for active patients of all ages. Waterbury and Berlin. (802) 225-3970. Dr. John Braun: specializing in diseases and conditions of the spine. Berlin. (802) 225-3965. cvmc.org/ortho.

PIZZA BENCH Unique to Stowe, wood-fired comfort food including pizza with a focus on local ingredients in a relaxed, rustic modern Vermont atmosphere. Enjoy après ski or dinner. 28 taps, craft beer, cocktails, and extensive wine list. Daily. 492 Mountain Rd., Stowe. benchvt.com or (802) 253-5100.

PIECASSO PIZZERIA & LOUNGE Traditional, hand-tossed New York style pizza with modern style, eclectic music, and great vibes. A local favorite, voted a “Top 11 Slice in the Country” by travelandleisure.com. Creative entrees, craft beer, gluten-free menu, online ordering, takeout, delivery. (802) 253-4411, piecasso.com.

PORTABLE TOILET RENTALS HARTIGAN COMPANY SEPTIC SERVICE Special events, construction sites, crowd pleasers, commercial, residential. Locally owned and operated since 1956. (802) 253-0376. (800) 696-0761. hartigancompany.com.

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S TOWE-SMUGGLERS’ BUSINESS DIRECTORY PRINTING THE X PRESS Custom business and personal print, copy, and design services. Brochures, letterhead, envelopes, business cards, forms, labels, invitations, banners, specialty products for over 30 years. Office supplies, shipping, scanning/fax service. (802) 253-7883 (fax). Stowe Village, M-F, 8-4:30. (802) 253-9788. thexpressink.com.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ALLAIRE CONSTRUCTION Providing personalized care for your home and business needs for 32 years. Professional, reliable, trustworthy, quality workmanship. Eliminate hiring multiple contractors. Security and home checks available. Brent: (802) 793-2675, bda77@comcast.net.

STOWE RED BARN REALTY A small boutique office of professionals, each with a unique love of Vermont. 17 Towne Farm Lane on the Mountain Road, Stowe. We look forward to helping you fulfill your real estate sales and rental needs. (802) 253-4994. stoweredbarnrealty.com.

STOWE RESORT HOMES Luxury vacation homes for the savvy traveler. Book some of Stowe’s best resort homes—online. Well-appointed, tastefully decorated homes at Topnotch, Spruce Peak, and throughout Stowe. (802) 760-1157. stoweresorthomes.com.

WILLIAM RAVEIS STOWE REALTY & STOWE REALTY RENTALS Our team lives the Vermont lifestyle and has a passion for sharing it, with a fine collection of Stowe-area real estate and rentals. “Your family’s way home.” 25 Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-8484. stowerealty.com. stowerealtyrentals.com.

STOWE HOME CARE MAINTENANCE INC. Full-service property management. Snow plowing/removal, snow shoveling, roofs, and walkways, lot and driveway sanding. Land clearing, driveway grading, trash pick-up, carpentry, furniture moving, brush hogging, tree removal. (802) 888-7736, todd@stowehomecaremaintenance.com, stowehomecaremaintenance.com.

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL GLASS GLASSWORKS We provide and install Harvey Windows and doors, custom shower enclosures, mirrors, safety glass, insulated glass, tabletops, screens, storm windows, and more. Our technicians provide obligation free site estimates. (802) 244-5449, glassworksvt.com.

RESTAURANT & NIGHTCLUBS BENCH

STOWE RESORT HOMES Personalized management for Stowe’s vacation homes. Home checks, personal shopping, remodeling project management, maintenance coordination, more. We also offer marketing and rental agent services for select vacation homes. (802) 760-1157. stoweresorthomes.com.

Unique to Stowe, wood-fired comfort food including pizza. Local ingredients in a relaxed, rustic modern Vermont atmosphere. Enjoy après ski or dinner with family and friends. 28 taps, craft beer, cocktails, and extensive wine list. Daily. 492 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-5100. benchvt.com.

THE BISTRO AT TEN ACRES

REAL ESTATE & RENTALS FOUR SEASONS SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty strives everyday to exceed our clients’ expectations. To learn how we can put the power of our brand to work for you, visit us at fourseasonssir.com or (802) 253-7267.

LITTLE RIVER REALTY Representing buyers and sellers. Your goals are our #1 priority. Accurate, timely information on buying/selling. We are full time Realtors who appreciate the importance of your real estate decision. (802) 253-1553, lrrvermont.com.

MOUNTAIN ASSOCIATES REALTORS Bigger is not always better. We have chosen to remain small, allowing us to offer experienced representation, personalized service, and a team approach to residential and commercial sales. (802) 253-8518. mountainassociates.com.

Simply great, handmade, flavorful food. Craft beers, delicious wines, fresh-pressed cocktails. 1820s Vermont Farmhouse with bar seating, elegant dining rooms, fireside lounge, and beautiful views. Barrows and Luce Hill Roads, Stowe. tenacreslodge.com. (802) 253-6838.

BLUE DONKEY Burgers, southern BBQ, fresh salads, sandwiches, wraps, milkshakes, craft beers and wine. Open 7 a.m. – 8 p.m., though hours may be shortened seasonally. (802) 253-3100. bluedonkeyvt.com.

CACTUS CAFE Chef owned/operated. Fresh authentic Mexican entrées, nightly specials and our famous 16 oz. handmade margaritas. Dinner nightly from 4:30. Aprés ski weekends from 3 p.m. Over 34 different tequilas. 2160 Mountain Rd., Stowe. Reservations accepted. Family friendly. (802) 253-7770.

CHARLIE B’S PUB & RESTAURANT NEW ENGLAND LANDMARK REALTY A unique team approach to real estate marketing, sales, and rentals. Harnessing technology to create innovative strategies to maximize exposure for our clients. Offices in Stowe and Waterbury. (866) 324-2427. (802) 253-4711. nelandmark.com.

PALL SPERA COMPANY REALTORS Stowe and Lamoille County’s leading real-estate company serving Central and Northern Vermont from 3 offices and 24 hours a day at pallspera.com. Exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate. (802) 253-9771, (802) 253-1806, (802) 888-1102. pallspera.com.

SPRUCE PEAK AT STOWE Spruce Peak at Stowe is a year-round alpine community that includes world-class skiing, golfing, fine dining, and spa services. Residences from $179,000. (877) 977-7823 or sprucepeak.com.

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Eat and drink. Many beers from $3 Schlitz to $60 Troup de Diable, craft cocktails, natural wine, updated bar food. Two turntables with 1,000 records. Bar, lounge, dining room. 294 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 760-6066.

DUTCH PANCAKE CAFÉ Called by the New York Times one of the “World’s Most Decadent Breakfasts,” we feature over 80 varieties of 12inch sweet and hearty Dutch pancakes. Breakfast served daily 8 - 12:30 p.m. 990 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-8921. greyfoxinn.com.

GOLDEN EAGLE COLONIAL CAFÉ Delicious breakfasts at reasonable prices in cozy country dining room. Start the day with fresh baked muffins, homemade breads, local eggs and pancakes with Vermont maple syrup. Daily 7 a.m., 511 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-4811. goldeneagleresort.com.

GRACIE’S RESTAURANT

STOWE COUNTRY HOMES Property management, maintenance, repair, and renovations specialists. Lawn and garden care, landscaping, trash removal, etc. Renovations large and small. Quality work guaranteed—on budget and schedule. (802) 253-8132, ext. 102, or jeanette@stowecountryhomes.com. stowecountryhomes.com/propertymanagement.

DOC PONDS

Charlie B’s is a Stowe tradition featuring upscale pub fare, an award-winning wine list, and Vermont craft brews on tap. Enjoy fireside deck dining and live entertainment in season. (802) 760-1096, charliebspub.com.

CLIFF HOUSE RESTAURANT Enjoy panoramic views at 3,625’ near the top of Mt. Mansfield. Award-winning American cuisine with rustic Vermont flair, fresh seasonal, artisanal ingredients. Handselected wine list, tantalizing cocktails. Lunch daily, 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Reservations: cliffhouse@stowe.com. (802) 253-3665. stowe.com.

DEPOT ST. MALT SHOP Lunch and dinner, kids’ menu. 1950s soda fountain atmosphere. Thick and creamy malts, frappes, sundaes, ice cream sodas, Vermont beef burgers, sandwiches, homemade soups, fabulous maple walnut salad dressing. Takeout. Stowe Village. (802) 253-4269.

Serving black angus steaks and creative seafood. Vermont Boyden Farm burgers and an array of salad favorites. Gracie’s bakery produces all desserts, breads, and pastries. Large children’s menu, reservations recommended, catering available. (802) 253-8741. gracies.com.

GRAZERS Serving creative casual fare including grass-fed burgers from Vermont farms, specialty hand-cut fries, delicious salads, and lots of vegetarian options. Grazers full bar features Vermont's finest distilleries, craft breweries, and signature milkshakes. (802) 253-8800. grazersvt.com.

HARRISON’S RESTAURANT & BAR Located in historic Stowe Village. Serving seafood, steaks, burgers, and homemade desserts. Dinner nightly. Experience a local favorite in a cozy atmosphere. Reservations accepted. (802) 253-7773. harrisonsstowe.com

HEN OF THE WOOD—WATERBURY Seasonal American food celebrating the farms of Vermont and the Northeast. Serving dinner 5-9 p.m. Tues.-Sat. 92 Stowe St. Waterbury. (802) 244-7300. henofthewood.com.

HOB KNOB RESTAURANT Specializing in certified Angus steaks, duck, and seafood served in an intimate setting. Family owned and operated. Fireside dining with mountain views. Dinner served Thursday through Saturday. Private parties welcome. Reservations appreciated. (802) 253-8549. hobknobinn.com.

IDLETYME BREWING COMPANY Restaurateur Michael Kloeti joins forces with brewmaster Will Gilson. Simple, seasonal comfort food, small batch craft beers. Innovative cocktails, extensive wine list. Family friendly, groups, special events. Lunch/dinner from 11:30 p.m. daily. 1859 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-4765, idletymebrewing.com.

MCCARTHY’S RESTAURANT / CATERING Delicious breakfasts and lunches. Soups, daily specials. Kids’ menu, low-calorie, low-carb offerings. Homemade muffins, pies etc. Gluten free bread, cappuccino, milkshakes, smoothies. 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-8626.

MICHAEL’S ON THE HILL Farm-to-table European cuisine. Swiss chef owned. Restaurateur & Chef of the Year, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, Best Chefs America, certified green restaurant. Bar, lounge, groups. 5 minutes from Stowe. Route 100, Waterbury Center. (802) 244-7476. michaelsonthehill.com.

PIECASSO PIZZERIA & LOUNGE Traditional, hand-tossed New York style pizza with modern style, eclectic music and great vibes. A local favorite, voted a “Top 11 Slice in the Country” by travelandleisure.com. Creative entrees, craft beer, gluten-free menu, online ordering, takeout, delivery. (802) 253-4411, piecasso.com.

PIZZA ON MAIN Come taste the difference in a beautiful, cheerful atmosphere in historic downtown Morrisville. Slices, salads, subs, pastas, entrees, gluten-free, wine, local beers. Dine in, takeout, delivery, catering. Open daily. pizzaonmainvt.com, (802) 888-4155.

PLATE Winner of the “Best New Restaurant” Daisies award. California flavor meets Vermont style. 50 seats, full bar, open kitchen. Food ranges from serious meat eaters to healthy vegetarians. Everything is homemade, utilizing many local farms. Dinner Wednesday - Sunday 5-close. 91 Main St. (802) 253-2691. platestowe.com.

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY COPLEY WOODLANDS Independent living in a supportive community. Spacious retirement condos with leasing or ownership options available for adults 55+. Copley Woodlands, 125 Thomas Lane, Stowe. (802) 253-7200. copleywoodlands.com.

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT SHOPS Expert staff quickly and efficiently addresses your equipment and clothing needs—slopeside. Best selection, competitive pricing. Shops at Spruce Peak: First Chair Alpine Co., Spruce Peak Sports; Shops at Mt Mansfield: Mansfield Sports, Midway Retail, Gondola Summit Shop, Stowe Toys Demo Center. (802) 253-3000.

RESIDENCE AT OTTER CREEK THE RESERVOIR RESTAURANT Located in the heart of Waterbury, The Reservoir serves dinner 7 days a week and lunch Saturday and Sunday. We specialize in local Vermont food and some of the best beers available. (802) 244-7827, waterburyreservoir.com.

THE ROOST & FLANNEL AT TOPNOTCH RESORT Choose from a new lobby bar and restaurant with aweinspiring views and après attitude, or a warm, friendly bistro with open kitchen. Topnotch masterfully fuses contemporary fare and casual vibe into two superb gathering spots. (802) 253-6445. topnotchresort.com.

Beautiful cottages and apartments with a full complement of amenities and services—good times, good friends and great care await you at The Residence at Otter Creek in Middlebury, Vermont. (802) 458-3276.

GONZO’S HD SPORTS

SEPTIC SERVICE HARTIGAN COMPANY SEPTIC SERVICE Septic tank pumping, portable toilets, grease trap, and tank pumping. Pump station repair, TV camera inspection, culvert and catch basin cleaning, line jetting, frozen line thawing. (802) 253-0376, (800) 696-0761. hartigancompany.com.

SOLSTICE Elegant without being stuffy, Solstice features local artisaninspired cuisine made using farm-to-table produce, Vermont cheeses, and all-natural meats. Private wine-tastings and dining room for up to 16 guests are also available. (802) 7604735. solsticevermont.com. Reservations recommended.

SUSHI YOSHI Experience the best in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Eclectic menu with something for everyone. Have a great time with the entire family at Sushi Yoshi Chinese Gourmet Hibachi Steakhouse. Open daily. Outdoor seating. Call for free shuttle. 1128 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-4135. sushistowe.com.

10 RAILROAD STREET House smoked means, fresh salads, butcher’s cut specials, vegetarian fare, homemade soups, mac n’ cheeses, fresh fish and lobster, and much more. Craft beers, fine wines, specialty drinks. 10 Railroad Street, Morrisville. (802) 888-2277.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE—LOUNGE & DINING ROOM Seasonal menus reflecting both Austrian and Vermont traditions. Open daily. Dining room: breakfast 7:30-10:30 a.m.; dinner 5:00-9 p.m. Reservations: (802) 253-5733. Lounge: lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; tea 3:30-4:30 p.m.; dinner 5-9 p.m.; bar nightly until 11 p.m.; (802) 253-5734.

TRATTORIA LA FESTA Old-fashioned full-service family-style Italian restaurant. Serving Stowe for 30 years. Wine Spectator best wine list. Great place to meet locals and celebrities, great music. Dinner 5 to close; closed on Sundays except on long weekends. Plenty of parking. Reservations: (802) 253-8480. trattoriastowe.com. trattorialafesta@stoweaccess.com.

SHOE STORES WELL HEELED Unique collection of shoes, boots, handbags, belts, clothing, and jewelry in a chicly updated Vermont farmhouse halfway up Stowe’s Mountain Road. Our specialty? Onestop shop for an effortlessly elegant look. Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (802) 253-6077. wellheeledstowe.com

SKI & SNOWBOARD SHOPS – Rentals & Demos

Friendly, casual atmosphere with open grill in our newly renovated patio dining and firepit. Seafood, hand-cut steaks, vegetarian specialties, children’s menu. Serving lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch. Located at Green Mountain Inn. (802) 253-4400, ext 615, for reservations. thewhip.com.

RESTAURANTS & SPORTS BARS SUNSET GRILLE & TAP ROOM Serving a unique brand of Northern style southern barbecue with a side of sports. Barbecue, seafood, steaks, burgers. NFL Sunday ticket. 30 TVs, six big screens. Just off the beaten path. Cottage Club Road, Stowe. (802) 253-9281. sunsetgrillevt.com.

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT CROSS COUNTRY CENTER 45 km of groomed trails and 30 km of backcountry terrain. Rental shop offers Nordic gear, snowshoes, touring gear, classic and skate skis, backcountry, telemark. Group clinics and private lessons on request. (802) 253-3688.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE OUTDOOR CENTER Over 100 km of groomed and backcountry trails in woodlands and meadows with spectacular mountain views. Private, group instruction, rentals, retail shop. Lunch at the Slayton Pasture Cabin. 253-8511. Snow reports: (802) 253-5720.

AJ’S SKI & SPORTS Largest selection of equipment and ski demo center in Stowe. New K2 rentals skis. Atomic, Volkl, Salomon, Rossignol, K-2, Nordica, Tecnica, Dalbello. Burton snowboard demos. 8-8. Fri., Sat., holidays until 9 p.m. (802) 253-4593. stowesports.com.

PINNACLE SKI & SPORTS Voted No. 1 in customer service. All new rental and demo skis and snowboards. Choose from Atomic, Blizzard, Burton, Dynastar, Fischer, Head, K2, Kastle, Nordica, Rossignol, Salomon, Volkl. Open nightly till 8 p.m., 10 p.m. Fri., Sat. and holidays. (802) 253-7222. pinnacleskisports.com.

STOWE TOYS RENTAL & DEMO CENTERS Rent at Mansfield Lodge, Stowe Toys Demo Center (next to FourRunner Quad) or Spruce Camp Base Lodge. Latest skis, snowboards, helmets, more. Rentals and tech support where you need it–on the mountain. (802) 253-3000.

SKI & SNOWBOARD SHOPS – Retail AJ’S SKI & SPORTS Fine ski and snowboard clothing with names like Patagonia, Arc’teryx, Burton, Kjus, Helly Hanson, Mountain Hardwear, more. Kids and adult. 8-8. Fri., Sat., holidays until 9 p.m. (802) 253-4593. stowesports.com.

MOUNTAINOPS WHIP BAR & GRILL

High-definition simulator technology that uses GIS to replicate accurate terrain data. SkyTechSport ski and snowboard simulator. Training and getting fit before the ski season has never been this easy. 1860 Williston Rd., S. Burlington. (802) 881-0660. gonzoshdsports.com.

SKIING – Cross Country

SAUCE Sauce is an Italian specialty shop with a focus on restaurant quality prepared foods for takeout. Fresh mozzarella made daily, wine, beer, and an assortment of Italian specialty products. 407 Mountain Rd., Stowe. saucevt.com.

SKI & SNOWBOARD TRAINING

A full-service ski shop specializing in backcountry, alpine, telemark, A/T, and Nordic sales, service and rentals for all winter activities. All this in a cozy atmosphere like no other. Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-4531. mountainopsvt.com.

OUTDOOR GEAR EXCHANGE & GEARX.COM Locally owned since 1995, offering the area’s best prices, service, and selection of gear and clothing for Nordic, telemark, alpine touring, snowshoeing, ice climbing. Open 7 days. Burlington. (802) 860-0190.

SKI RESORT BOLTON VALLEY SKI RESORT Bolton Valley is the best value in big mountain skiing and riding in Vermont. Enjoy ski-in/ski-out lodging with access to 71 trails and glades. Just 10 minutes from Exit 10 off I-89. 1-877-9BOLTON, boltonvalley.com.

JAY PEAK RESORT Jay Peak offers skiing and riding on the most snow in eastern North America, Vermont's only aerial tramway, championship golf, an indoor ice arena, and the Pump House, Vermont's only indoor water park. (800) 451-4449. jaypeakresort.com.

MAD RIVER GLEN America’s only cooperatively owned ski area. A mountain where skiing remains an outdoor adventure in an unspoiled natural setting. Its skier-owners are dedicated to protecting and preserving the unique experience forever. (802) 496-3551, madriverglen.com.

SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH, VERMONT America’s Family Resort. Mountainside village lodging. Award-winning kids’ programs. Year-round zip line canopy tours. Winter: 3 big interconnected mountains, 2,610' vertical. Summer: 8 heated pools, 4 waterslides, disc golf, mountain bike skills park. Family Fun Guaranteed! (888) 256-7623, smuggs.com/sg.

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT With $10 million in snowmaking improvements, ski and ride instruction, world-class amenities, ice skating, exceptional service and legendary terrain on Vermont’s highest peak, Stowe Mountain Resort truly is bigger than a mountain. stowe.com, (802) 253-3000.

SKI TUNING

STAY TUNED AT STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT Convenient, slopeside service centers with state-of-the-art tuning and expert technicians. Leave your gear overnight for tomorrow’s first tracks. Mansfield Lodge, Spruce Camp Base Lodge, or Stowe Toys Demo Center. (802) 253-3000.

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S TOWE-SMUGGLERS’ BUSINESS DIRECTORY SNOWMOBILE TOURS

SPECIALTY FOODS

TRAVEL & TOURS

GREEN MOUNTAIN SNOWMOBILE ADVENTURES

HARVEST MARKET

MILNE TRAVEL

Follow a guide on a snowmobile tour through wooded and scenic Vermont trails. Beginner or expert, private or group, we have a tour for you. (802) 644-1438 or online at greenmtnsnowmobile.com.

Stowe’s one-stop gourmet store. Delicious salads, entrées, baked goods and breads—prepared by our own chefs and bakers. Specialty cheeses and meats. Espresso bar. Farm fresh produce. Great wine selection. Daily 7-7 (in season). (802) 253-3800. harvestatstowe.com.

YAMPU TOURS

SNOWMOBILE VERMONT More than 20 years in business. State’s most experienced snowmobile tour company. Excursions for all abilities. Oneor two-hour backcountry tours, kids’ tours (4yrs+), family tours. Large groups, parties. 849 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-6221. snowmobilevermont.com.

SPA THE SPA AT STOWEFLAKE World-class spa integrates natural surroundings, luxurious amenities, over 150 treatments. Bingham Hydrotherapy waterfall, Hungarian mineral soaking pool, men’s and women’s private lounges with steam, sauna, hot tub, Jacuzzi, yoga, Pilates, fitness classes available to public. (802) 760-1083, spaatstoweflake.com.

THE SPA & WELLNESS CENTER AT STOWE MOUNTAIN LODGE Enjoy a healing lodge with sauna, herbal steam room, Jacuzzi, and cooling rain shower; full-service salon; 18 treatment rooms; full fitness center with heated outdoor pool and classes. (802) 760-4782. stowemountainlodge.com.

TOPNOTCH SPA Voted Vermont’s #1 spa. 120 spa and salon services—for body, skin, fitness, beauty, peace. Choose “pathways to wellness” or individual treatments and enjoy full-day access to our secluded spa sanctuary, fitness center, spa lounges, indoor/outdoor pools. (802) 253-6463. topnotchresort.com.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS ARBORTREK CANOPY ADVENTURES, LLC Family-friendly, year-round treetop adventures including Vermont’s first “world-class” zipline canopy tour, treetop obstacle course, climbing program. Adventures from serene to extreme. Ages 4+, good health, max weight: 250 lbs. Reservations recommended. (802) 644-9300. arbortrek.com.

COLD HOLLOW CIDER MILL Real Vermont on Route 100. Old-fashioned rack-and-cloth apple cider pressing and free cider samples. Live observation beehive. Manufacturing hours change with seasons. Vermont maple and other products. Fresh bakery, real cider donuts, more. Waterbury. 800-3-APPLES. coldhollow.com.

GREEN MOUNTAIN GLAZE Paint your own pottery studio. Walk-ins welcome. Perfect for all ages. Birthday parties, canvas classes, and gift shop items are available. 2595 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 760-6366. greenmtnglaze.com.

SPORTING GOODS POWER PLAY SPORTS The authentic small town sporting goods store that has everything. Ski and snowboard sales and service, rentals, backcountry, XC, snowshoes, hockey, bikes, lacrosse, and more. Open 7 days. 35 Portland St., Morrisville. (802) 888-6557. powerplaysportsvt.com.

WATERBURY SPORTS North-central Vermonter's newest resource for all your bike, ski, and team sports needs. Conveniently located right off I89, WBS is a full-service shop offering tuning, repairs, rentals, and demos. (802) 882-8595, waterburysportsvt.com.

SURVEYORS

SPRUCE PEAK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Presenting artists from around the world and right next door in an intimate setting with the best in music, dance, comedy, theater, and film, presented each week, year round. (802) 760-4634 or sprucepeakarts.org.

STOWE BOWL Stowe's new hotspot. Come bowl in a swanky setting with a state-of-the-art audio-visual experience, a full bar, great food, and a fireplace lounge. Casual entertainment, parties, and events. stowebowl.com.

VERMONT TEDDY BEAR FACTORY TOURS One of the most popular Vermont activities. Come and experience our store, take a factory tour and make your own bear. 6655 Shelburne Rd., just south of Shelburne Village. (802) 985-3001. vermontteddybear.com.

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Experience more with Yampu’s passionate travel professionals who tailor make sightseeing, culinary, safari, family, and adventure itineraries to Latin America, India, Asia, and Africa. (888) 926-7801, yampu.com.

WEDDING FACILITIES STOWEFLAKE MOUNTAIN RESORT & SPA Leave the planning to us. The perfect wedding location in the heart of Stowe. Indoor and outdoor spaces for any wedding, reception, rehearsal. Bridal services at our spa, from hair to makeup. (802) 760-1130, stoweflake.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE From intimate ceremonies in our lodge to grand receptions under a tent with spectacular mountain views, we tailor to individual tastes and budgets. European-style cuisine, accommodations. (800) 826-7000, (802) 253-8511. trappfamily.com.

LITTLE RIVER SURVEY COMPANY Surveying, mapping. Boundary, subdivision and topographic surveys. Site plans, FEMA elevation certificates and LOMA’s. Large document copying, scanning, reducing. (802) 253-8214; littleriversurveyvt.com.

TILE DOWN EAST TILE Biggest little tile shop in New England, now under new ownership. Tiles from around the world. Porcelain, ceramic, glass and stone tile; local artisans; custom natural stone and quartz countertops. Installation supplies. Sylvan Park Road, Stowe. (802) 253-7001. downeasttile.com.

TOYS & GAMES JOHNSON HARDWARE RENTAL, FARM & GARDEN A big store in a little town, family owned and run for three generations. Rental equipment, plumbing, heating, electrical, Milwaukee tools/repair, toys, clothing, footwear, camping gear, and much more. Route 15, Johnson. (802) 635-7282. jhrvt.com.

ONCE UPON A TIME TOYS/THE TOY STORE Ever programmed a robot to bring you a snack? Vermont’s most exciting toy store for 40 years. Lego/Playmobil, Breyer, music boxes, science/building toys, model railroads, party/art supplies. Birthday? Come in and get a free balloon. 1799 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-8319. stowetoys.com.

LITTLE RIVER HOTGLASS STUDIO A nationally recognized art glass studio with glass blowing demonstrations. Adjacent gallery features work of resident artist Michael Trimpol. Call for studio hours. (802) 253-0889. littleriverhotglass.com.

An independent, family owned, travel management company founded in Barre, Vt., in 1975. We operate eight local storefronts in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York with nearly 100 employees. (877) MILNE-4-U. milnetravel.com.

TRANSPORTATION & TAXIS BLAZER TRANSPORTATION Stowe’s premier taxi service for over 10 years. Now with state-of-the-art GPS, satellite dispatching. Offering the best price in airport transfers. Licensed and insured. Call anytime (802) 253-0013.

PEG’S PICK UP/STOWE TAXI For all your transportation needs. Airport, bus, train. (Burlington, Boston, Montréal, New York). Errands and deliveries. Daily courier runs to Burlington. Full taxi service. (802) 253-9490, (800) 370-9490, (800) 293-PEGS.

VERMONT CHAUFFEURED TRANSPORTATION Enjoy ease, comfort, and convenience with personalized chauffeured transportation to/from Stowe, Burlington airport, Montreal, Vermont, New England, Northeast. Groups, shuttles, wine/brewery tours, conferences, corporate events, weddings. (802) 760-3838. stoweride.com.

WINE & BEER FINE WINE CELLARS Fantastic wine selections from around the world. Great prices. From the rare to the exceptional value. Under $10$100+ we’re nuts about wine. Please see our ad on page 2. (802) 253-2630. finewinecellars.us.

HARVEST MARKET Great wine selection Napa Cabernets to Argentinean Malbecs. Local Vermont microbrews and farmhouse ciders. Weekly specials. Daily 7-7 (in season). (802) 253-3800. harvestatstowe.com.

STOWE BEVERAGE Full-service wine, beer, liquor, mixers, snacks. Stowe’s best wine selection. Best price in town on Vermont maple syrup. Cigars. Free local paper with wine purchases. 9-9 Monday through Saturday; Sunday 11-6. (802) 253-4525.

STOWE WINE AND CHEESE & SWIRL A Vermont store and bistro, all in one. Hundreds of wines, artisanal cheeses, pates, craft beer, gift baskets, maple syrup, and all things Vermont. Now open inside: Swirl Wine Bar. Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-8606. stowewineandcheese.com.

WINERIES & SPIRITS BOYDEN VALLEY WINERY & SPIRITS TASTING ROOM ANNEX Experience Vermont’s award-winning wines, artisan ciders, and craft spirits. Tastings daily. Conveniently located at Cold Hollow Cider Mill in the Waterbury/Stowe area. (802) 241-3674. boydenvalley.com or on Facebook.

BOYDEN VALLEY WINERY Taste our award-winning wines, Vermont ice wines, hard ciders, cream liqueurs. Free tours 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To 6 p.m. June-October. Routes 15 & 104, Cambridge, Vt. (802) 644-8151. boydenvalley.com.

YOGA & PILATES STOWE YOGA CENTER Gentle multi-level classes include guided meditation. Special series: chakras, prenatal, mom-baby, senior chair. Drop-ins $15, 10-class card $100, custom class $60. Mats available. Online schedule. 515 Moscow Rd. (802) 253-8427, stoweyoga.com.

YOGA BARN A serene studio offering a full range of classes from vigorous flow to restorative practices. The talented instructors at our peaceful studio offer something for everyone. Behind Well Heeled, 2850 Mountain Rd, Stowe. Check theyogabarnstowe.com for schedule.

THE HEART of Stowe Spa & Wellness Center at Stoweflake

• Vermont’s most awardwinning spa • Over 150 treatments • Aqua Solarium with cascading waterfalls • Full service salon • Private men and women’s sanctuaries • Day access pass available

• 5 fitness studios with daily classes • Indoor and outdoor heated pools • Sauna, steam, jacuzzi • Nine-hole par three golf course • Tennis, squash & racquetball court

Charlie B’s Pub & Restaurant

• Festive, fun atmosphere • Steak & Seafood • Spa cuisine • Vermont farm fresh food • 50 wines by the glass, Vermont Craft Brews on tap.

• Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner • Kid-friendly menu • Fireside dining • Live music in season • Deck dining

Stowe’s upscale, four-season resort featuring luxurious accommodations and 1,2, and 3 bedroom townhouses with spectacular mountain or garden views. Select room amenities include wet bar, fireplaces and Jacuzzis.

800-253-2232 802-253-7355 www.stoweflake.com

THE VILLAGE GREEN AT STOWE A Condominium Resort For All Seasons Offering affordable rentals for 2 nights or more

Our Town Homes Provide

Amenities 2 pools (1 indoor) * whirlpool * sauna * 2 outdoor tennis courts * recreation center * video games * ping pong * pool table

*spacious 2 & 3 bedroom accommodations * fully equipped kitchens * fireplace * cable TV

Other Special Features Include * Majestic views from 40 acres of beautiful property * Direct access to Stowe’s award winning recreation path * Surrounded by the Stowe Country Club & golf course * Discounted rates for midweek, weekly or monthly stays

1003 CAPE COD ROAD, STOWE, VERMONT 05672 802-253-9705 • 800-451-3297 Visit our website at www.vgasstowe.com for more info and rates