Stowe Guide & Magazine Winter/Spring 2023-24 by Stowe Guide & Magazine

STOWE WINTER / SPRING 2023-2024 FREE

PEOPLE • ARTS & EVENTS • DINING • SHOPPING • OUTDOORS • LIFESTYLE • THINGS TO DO

CONTENTS w i n t e r

s p r i n g

2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4

features

Buhler gets her day Seasoned ski exec takes the reins at Stowe Mountain. by Mark Aiken

Wolves at the door Book excerpt: A stolen afternoon with mom. by Biddle Duke

Surf’s up John Gerndt elevates the art of catching a wave—on snow! by Tommy Gardner

78 84

Joy of the Sprig slog Green Racing Project athletes chase Olympics, environmental stewardship.

FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GLENN CALLAHAN; NATHANAEL ASARO; COURTESY; GORDON MILLER; MARCIE SCUDDER

by Avalon Styles-Ashley

It’s Miller time Photographer was defender of a vanishing Vermont. by Aaron Calvin

118 Changing direction

Marcie Scudder masters the art of reinvention.

118

by Robert Kiener

148 Edson Hill

An elevated, accessible and elegant dining experience. by Aaron Calvin

188 Forever home

Design incorporates sweeping views of Camels Hump, Green Mountains. by Robert Kiener

CONTENTS essentials

Contributors

Rural route: Starbucks arrives Globetrotters • Party pix Stranger things • Flashback Canada v. America

Outdoor primer: On skinny skis Ice skating • Snowmobiling Ice fish • Snowshoe

Arts, galleries, shopping The Current • Road trips

From the editor

First person: Trow Elliman

On mountain: Ski Stowe

Planet watch: Travel sustainably

Trail journal: Sterling Valley

Hall of fame: Lori Furrer

Testing day: Equipment rankings

Spotlight: No. 76 gets makeover

Record books: Shelby Farrell

100

At the Current: Contemporary art

102

Made in Vermont: Coffin man

110

Gallery tour: Legacy building

112

Road trip: Burlington waterfront

114

History lesson: Town ticker

130

Found in Vermont: Shopping list

166

Flashback: Chuck Baraw

172

Lifestyle: A cool kid’s space

176

Spotlight: Architect Erika Dodge

180

House for sale: Stowe estate

134

GETTING OUTDOORS

SHOPPING & GALLERIES

132

DINING & LODGING

164

REAL ESTATE & HOMES

214

BUSINESSES & SERVICES

2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4

Edibles: MC’s Penalty Box Marsala Salsa • Main Street makeover

ON OUR COVER

This winter’s cover, “Glades in Late Afternoon,” is an original watercolor painted from a sketch by Martha Lang of Burlington. It is one of a series of watercolors Lang painted at Stowe, where she has been a life-long skier. She won the Stowe Derbymeister twice! She received her doctorate from Columbia University, and has taught at the college level, ran a health care consulting company on Wall Street, and now manages her real estate in Burlington—when she isn’t painting or writing stories.

GETTING AROUND 46

s p r i n g

Made in Vermont

departments 10

Lang works in oil, watercolor, pastel, and pencil. She paints portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and ocean scenes. “I like working with bright colors that make people smile,” she says.

Joan Osborne

She’s studied at the Art Students League in New York City, and her paintings have been shown in galleries in Boston, Montreal, and Provincetown. More at marthalang.com.

FROM TOP LEFT: COURTES; GREG POPA; COURTESY

w i n t e r

CONTRIBUTORS

KATE CARTER

MARK AIKEN

IN THIS ISSUE: ‘Unstitched,’ p.26

IN THIS ISSUE: No. 76 gets a makeover, p.60

Behind the scenes: I spent a morning in a café with Brett Ann Stanciu discussing her reasons and motivations for writing “Unstitched.” I was shocked to learn that young Vermonters have among the highest opioid addiction rates in the country. The depth of Stanciu’s research is staggering, and it’s all contained in her revealing book. Currently: Kate is a freelance writer and photographer, and when she’s not researching stories she is photographing homes for Vermont real estate agents, builders, interior designers, concierges, and this magazine. Contact her at vtrealestatephotos.com.

Behind the scenes: A longtime Stowe ski instructor, I have been aware of a near cult following of Mansfield Gondola car No. 76—kids try to time runs to coincide with a ride on it—and that was even before it was decked in its new artwork. Once, I subbed for a Stowebuster group for just two runs. We loaded No. 76 not once, but twice, despite astronomic odds against this happening, and thereby earned a permanent place in Buster program lore.

TOMMY GARDNER IN THIS ISSUE: MC’s Penalty Box, p.134 Behind the scenes: My go-to hangout in Morrisville, about a half-mile walk from my house, is Hoagie’s Pizza and Pasta—two guesses what kind of cuisine they serve up. Naturally, I was intrigued when I learned that two Hoagie’s employees opened their own sports bar in Stowe and, sure enough, it has that same Everywhere USA vibe that immediately makes you feel like a regular. I wasn’t the only one who was naturally drawing similarities to the two places. “Don’t tell the ladies, but some of us have been calling it Stowegies,” one guy said. Currently: Tommy is news editor at the Vermont Community Newspaper Group, where he recently marked his 10-year anniversary, probably by writing another thrilling chapter about zoning. That’s not sarcasm—housing development is practically a blood sport these days.

Currently: An award-winning freelance writer and photographer, Mark is an instructor and trainer in Stowe’s ski and ride school and a Professional Ski Instructors of America examiner. He lives in Richmond with his distance-running wife where together they engage in the ultimate endurance sport—parenting. More at markaiken.com.

ROB KIENER IN THIS ISSUE: Coffin man, p.102 Behind the scenes: Spend any time with carpenter and cabinetmaker Richard Winter and it becomes clear that his sideline—making pine coffins for people who opt for a simple burial—has affected him deeply. “I’ve learned that death is so real, so natural,” he explains. “If you have a healthy attitude about death, it helps you have a better attitude toward life.” Currently: Rob, a frequent contributor to Stowe magazine, has been an editor and staff writer with Reader’s Digest in Asia, Europe, and Canada, and now writes for the magazine and other publications from his base in Stowe. robertkiener.com.

AARON CALVIN IN THIS ISSUE: Edson Hill, p.148 Key takeaway: There is really such a thing as paying for a view. When dining at Edson Hill Restaurant, it’s worth angling for a seat along the southern wall in the main dining room to get the easterly view of the hillside and the valley and village laid out below. If your reservation is early enough, you’ll also enjoy the spectacular view lit from the setting sun. Currently: Aaron Calvin is a writer and journalist in Vermont, and a staff writer for the Stowe Reporter and News & Citizen newspapers. His journalism has appeared in The Guardian, Vice, The Intercept, and more. His fiction has recently appeared in the magazines Soft Star, Arboreal, and Sequestrum. More at aaroncalvin.com.

FROM THE EDITOR

DEATH ISSUE We were a bit of a mismatch, Trow and I. The patrician and the pauper. We met just before the ski season in November 1986, a year after my arrival in Stowe, when I was interviewing for what would be the first of many different gigs at the Stowe Reporter. Trow Elliman, longtime publisher and owner of the newspaper, died this spring at 95 after what his wife, Claudia, attributed to “old age after a wonderful life.” Indeed. My own father died this summer as well, just shy of his 97th birthday. While neither Trow nor I would characterize our relationship as like a father and son, he did look out for me in a fatherly way and was a mentor, friend, and one of my biggest supporters. When Bernie Dagenais decided to leave the paper—he was editor until 1990—he suggested me as managing editor. Trow was less than enthusiastic. “I feel as if I don’t even know you,” he said. “Well,” I cheekily—and a tad sweatily— replied, “I’ve worked for you for four years, so whose fault is that!” And off we went. Dagenais departed, like the Pattersons, Ginny and Cleve, who it seems left Trow “in tears” in this spoof cover from 1974. Trow clearly got used to editors leaving as he went through a few during his nearly four decades at the Reporter. But I didn’t leave. Trow did, selling the paper to Biddle Duke in 1998. I did depart two years later only to return in a month to continue as editor of this magazine, but as a subcontractor, and then to later return fulltime as publisher to work for Bob Miller, who became my third mentor and friend in this Stowe Reporter business. Trow was a great boss. We sat across from each other in the “Cathedral” for 10 years. He was always engaged, but left the day-today to his staff, different from his early days here as he built the business from a mimeographed handout into real newspaper and, admirably, the official publication of the Vermont Alpine Racing Association. Despite assertions to the contrary, Trow never interfered in the news product. He’d question “controversial” stories—early on I learned to clue him in before publication. While he’d ask questions and engage in debate, he never once killed or changed a story. (He did exchange a few legendary shouting matches with Debbie Fitzgerald, the

longtime editor who hired me, that even I could overhear in my wormhole office tucked into the storeroom cum darkroom. Debbie did most of the shouting.) Trow was gracious, intelligent, witty, athletic—although he’d always couch any praise of his athletic prowess by saying, “Claudia is much better at that ...”—and a truly fine writer. Two other impressive men who we remember in this issue also died this year—Peter Miller and Chuck Baraw—and both left lasting influences on Stowe, on me, and so many others. Miller, the curmudgeonly writer and photographer from Shutesville, who could both inspire and infuriate at the same time, chroni-

cled a Vanishing Vermont, and became known for “both his defense and championing of the rural traditions he saw slowly disappearing and for the acerbic criticism he leveled against those he saw as primarily responsible for their deterioration,” as Aaron Calvin writes in this issue. (See story, p. 92) Like so many others who came before and after, Baraw, whose family oversaw the Stoweflake resort for three generations, employed me in one of my first restaurant jobs in Stowe. (See story, p.167) Three very different men. Three men who left indelible marks on a place they chose to call home. — Greg Popa

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FIRST PERSON STOWE LEGEND Trow Elliman at a Stowe Town Meeting in this Verner Z. Reed photo. The two men were longtime friends. Trow and his wife Claudia’s 1994 Christmas card, which usually sported a family photo. Trow shows off his new Professional Ski Instructors of America pin, early 1960s. Watching a race on Little Spruce.

TROW ELLIMAN Former Stowe Reporter owner publishes his last edition

Former Stowe Reporter owner and publisher Trow Elliman, who died this spring, once wrote: “There is an old axiom in the newspaper business that a community deserves the newspaper it gets. We think Stowe deserves a first-class weekly, and we are doing our darnedest to publish just that. If, indeed, the Stowe Reporter has in any way measured up to our aspiration, then it is you, the community of Stowe, that should be taking the first bows.” The newspaper’s history—not quite all the issues in its 65 years of continuous publication—resides in the basement of the Stowe Free Library in a little, well-lit room reserved for those and other archives. To delve though them is not a journey through Stowe’s lengthy history, just the last few generations. The pages of the paper are filled with familiar and important people and names, and sifting through those years is like eating peanuts.

In 1960, Alex Nimick, a creative advertising guy from New York who was a frequent visitor to Stowe, cajoled Russ Spring, Mary Bourdon, and Trow Elliman at a party to recklessly splurge and buy the paper. The terms were $500 down and $500 to be paid within a month. Nothing much changed during the first five years, with the paper remaining essentially a one-person operation. Editor Dorre Hanna was succeeded by Randy McAusland, then Beverly Willis. From the beginning, the Reporter was local, local, local—even more so back then. But every now and again, national events supersede everything else, as it was Nov. 22, 1963, when the editor ran a front-page editorial on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Sometime in the early 1960s, Mary Tweedy became one of the larger stockholders when her contribution of a much-needed typewriter was converted into shares of the company.

Early days

Trow takes over

The Stowe Reporter was started in 1958 by Dorre Hanna and Martha Ball. It was a two-page, letter-sized mimeographed sheet, 5 cents a copy, $4 a year for a subscription. As a benchmark, the Mountain Co. at that time had three T-bars, the single chair on Mt. Mansfield, and the Big Spruce complex, which had been completed in 1954. Right out of the start house, the paper provided commentary and a platform for community discussion. The first issue featured a punchy piece about the importance of Copley Hospital’s new wing. Apparently, due to its cost, among other issues, there were opponents of the project, to which Hanna wrote: “We trust … that the ‘dissenters’ will be quartered in the old Copley hospital in their time of need.” The first issue also included a note about young Helen Beckerhoff’s jewelry. Forty years later, among many other civic duties, Helen served on the town selectboard.

In 1965, Bev Willis threw in the towel. At that point, she was almost unbelievably writing, typing, and printing the paper all by herself on a small offset press in the basement of her house in Moscow. She also had six children and a husband to look after. The towel this time landed smack in Trow Elliman’s face. All the original group had by then dabbled, on a part-time basis, at management and wanted no more. The paper was grossing about $9,000 a year, and consistently lost money. It was under these conditions that Elliman agreed in 1965 to give it a try, with the understanding that he could eventually purchase the majority of the stock. Major changes came rapidly. The company sold its old press (as an anchor?) and rented office space on the second floor of the old Shaw mansion (the present site of Union Bank). In the summer of 1965, the

Stowe Resort Homes

Reporter printed its first issue in tabloid format and jobbed out its printing. The company also purchased its first real typesetting equipment. After paying $8,000 (borrowed) for the new machinery, Trow recalls the salesman saying, “Good luck. You know, most weekly newspapers never make it.” This is probably a point to explain that neither Trow nor, until very recently, any of the staff had any newspaper experience. What they learned, they learned the hard way, by the seat of their pants.

Douglas T. Elliman Douglas Trowbridge “Trow” Elliman, the founding publisher of the Stowe Reporter, an award-winning weekly, died peacefully on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Boynton Beach, Fla. He was 95. The cause was old age after a wonderful life, said his wife, Claudia Elliman. Trow embarked on his career in the heyday of mid-century advertising, working for 10 years in New York City for BBDO and J. Walter Thompson. He began coming to Stowe to ski with college friends, later with Claudia and two babies in tow. They journeyed by train from New York City to Waterbury, lodging at Ten Acres with Darby Chambers or at the Spear Farm. Weekends were filled connecting with a wide range of people from all walks of life who shared their passion for sports, the outdoors, and the Vermont landscape. The Vermont pull became too strong for just weekends, and in 1960 Trow and Claudia purchased a derelict hillside farm and moved to Stowe full time. Lilacs grew up through the floorboards and mice had the run of the place. They slowly restored the farmhouse and immersed themselves in the community. Trow never stopped appreciating the beauty of the area. He often told his three children that if he had stayed in New York City, he would have died early. Packing away his gray suits in favor of parkas, heavy wool sweaters, and long johns, Trow embraced an active and adventurous life. Skiing was an integral to his daily winter routine. In 1962, Trow became an instructor in the predominantly Austrian-staffed Sepp Ruschp Ski School. Later, even while running the paper, he’d take six runs before starting his workday. In the early 1960s, Trow and Claudia founded and managed the Stowe Cottage Club, an association of second-home owners who rented their homes to skiers and summer people. During a cocktail party in 1960, Trow was encouraged by Alex Nimick and other friends to invest in the Stowe Reporter, which, at the time, was a modest two-page mimeographed sheet measuring 8½ by 11 inches. The friends equally split the $500 for a first installment and a second $500 a month later. In 1965, Trow acquired his partners’ >>

FIRST PERSON shares, assuming majority ownership of the Stowe Reporter and served as its publisher from 1963 to 1998. Trow understood at a deep level the responsibility of running a weekly newspaper and covering local news. Under his leadership, the newspaper thrived, winning press awards in New England and Vermont. The Stowe Guide and Magazine followed in the late 1960s and The Valley Reporter, covering the Warren/Waitsfield area, was launched in 1971. Trow sold the latter in 1982. The famous ski racing section in the Stowe Reporter ramped up when the Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA) was formed with Trow’s assistance in 1971. Trow was a founding VARA board member and the first secretary. That same year, he penned the VARA vision statement: To keep ski racing 1st in Vermont and Vermont ski racers 1st in the world. It is still in use today. The Stowe Reporter became the must-read newspaper for skiing aficionados, with subscriptions from as far away as Europe and Japan. His articles, state-of-the-art graphics and photography helped support the rapidly growing sport and rising ascent of Vermont ski racing on a local, national, and international level. In 1998, Trow sold the Stowe Reporter to Biddle Duke. In 2011 and 2012, Trow was inducted into the VARA Ski Hall of Fame and the Vermont Ski Hall of Fame. Throughout his career, Trow’s contributions extended beyond publishing. He was a founding board member of the Stowe Land Trust and the Stowe Tennis Club and involved in the formation of the Hopeful program, a name he coined, for aspiring younger ski racers in the Mount Mansfield Ski Club. Douglas Trowbridge Elliman was born on Dec. 8, 1927, in New York, N.Y. His mother was Mildred Welte Leisy Elliman and his father was

Douglas Trowbridge Elliman. His grandfather, Douglas Ludlow Elliman, was the founder of Douglas Elliman, a large national real estate company. He spent his formative years in Charleston, S.C., but because of health issues was sent away to boarding school at the age of 8 with his dog Mike. (Mike was later expelled for pooping on the headmaster’s rug.) He attended Aiken Preparatory School in Aiken, S.C., and later St. Paul’s School. He earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University. In later years, Trow and Claudia became residents of Boynton Beach, but always returned to Stowe for the summer. In Florida, he took up golf with characteristic passion. While attending his grandson’s graduation in Scotland, Trow shot his age (86) at Kings Barn Golf Course. In addition to his wife of 69 years, Trow is survived by his three children, Claudia “Dia” Elliman Jenks, Douglas Trowbridge “Toby” Elliman III, and William Baskerville Elliman, their spouses and children. Trow possessed a dry sense of humor and a curious mind. His eclectic interests spanned the works of Capability Brown, the Fibonacci sequence, Bach’s melodies and the art of photography. Yet Trow’s love for carving turns down the Nose Dive never waned. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to the Stowe Land Trust. n Editor’s note: Thank you to Dia Elliman for Trow’s lovely obituary, and to Biddle Duke for his introduction, written as part of a supplement published on the occasion of the newspaper’s 50th anniversary in 2009.

RURAL ROUTE

AARON CALVIN

ONE-MAN DISSENT Rhett Palmer, a frequent Stowe visitor from Florida, heard the talk of a Starbucks coming to Main Street and took action, holding a oneman protest just days before the news was confirmed—Starbucks is opening a location in Stowe.

Starbucks announces location in Stowe village

specter has been haunting Stowe—the specter of Starbucks. Months of percolating rumors of the coffee chain’s imminent arrival in Stowe came to a head one week in late summer when one man decided to take a stand on Main Street. His protest, however, turned out to be in vain. A few days later, Starbucks’ corporate communications confirmed that Vermont’s ninth Starbucks location will open at 109 Main St. this winter. Protester Rhett Palmer, a radio host, among other things, based in Vero Beach, Fla., stood in front of the nearly completed building next to Stowe Community Church with a homemade sign protesting Starbucks with a distressed drawing of the coffee maker’s ubiquitous logo. “We don’t want franchises here, this is why Stowe is special,” Palmer, who visits annually despite not being a homeowner, said. “You step out into the traffic and people stop. People are very nice, and their cars let other cars go, politeness prevails here. This is impolite and it’s rude.” “We support mom and pops,” Palmer said. “They’re the backbone of America.” Others have echoed Palmer’s concerns. In local online forums, where rumors are often discussed as fact without verification, commenters have deemed a potential Starbucks in Stowe as inevitable, weighing in on the quality of its product, the ethics of supporting the coffee giant, and whether chains are good for the town. When the story went up on the

Stowe Reporter Facebook page, sentiment was running about 75 percent against. It was Schrödinger’s Starbucks, and like the cat in the physicist’s famous experiment, both already here and not yet arrived. But no more. Starbucks will move into the new Mink Development building on Main Street, next to the Stowe Community Church.

Coffee competition Stowe already has a handful of coffee shops. Girakofi holds territory on the upper Mountain Road alone following the departure of PK Coffee, which closed shop in January following six years of operation. Down on Pucker Street, The Roastery exists in a stratosphere apart, brewing and wholesaling a kind of directly sourced bean nearly unrecognizable as the same product that Starbucks sells. There’s the Dunkin’ on South Main Street, connected to the Jolley gas station, and it will always have its partisans in New England. Woodland Baking and Coffee operates from Baggy Knees, and for those who don’t mind a drive, Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea roasts in Waterbury Center. And directly across from the future home of Starbucks on Main Street sits the local coffee chain Black Cap Coffee and Bakery. —Aaron Calvin

RURAL ROUTE

C A N A DA V. A M E R I C A Sure, we may share a border. But that’s about all we have in common. Really, eh? Based on frequent forays into the Great White North, and after meeting many of its residents, I’ve compiled this handy list of differences. Keep it in the glove compartment of your car, or tucked into your passport case, if you make the trek northward. Americans: We think we have a past. Canadians: They think they have a future.

Canadians: They cross their southern border to buy cheap clothes, gas, and liquor in a backwards country. Americans: Our travel agents tell us not to forget our long underwear when we visit Canada. Canadians: Their travel agents tell them not to forget their bulletproof vests when they visit the USA. Americans: Tourists here can visit the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, and countless

Americans: Our dollar is actually worth a dollar. Canadians: There’s a good reason they call their dollar the looney. Americans: Our national sport—baseball—is played by millions with bats and balls across the nation. Canadians: Their national sport—curling—is played primarily by a guy named Ernie and his friend Dwayne with brooms in a bowling alley somewhere in Manitoba. Americans: No one ever accused us of being unfailingly polite. Canadians: Old Canadian joke: How do you get 50 Canadians out of the pool? In a low voice, you say, “Will you all kindly get out of the pool? Please.” Older Canadian joke: What does a Canadian say when you step on his foot? “Excuse me.” Americans: We know we’re loud, obnoxious, thick, and often rude in the eyes of many foreigners. Canadians: They agree; they watch our television. Americans: We want to be mistaken for Canadians when traveling abroad. Canadians: They hate being mistaken for Americans when traveling abroad. Americans: Our national symbol, the bald eagle, is a majestic animal that inspires millions. Canadians: Meet the beaver, Canada’s largest—and dumbest—rodent. It has to continually chew trees, or its teeth will grow so large they will pierce its brain. Americans: We like to show guests our new widescreen TVs and our flashy four-wheel drive vehicles. Canadians: They like to show off their new weatherstripping. “Ever seen caulking this tight?” Americans: Summer is every American’s favorite season. Canadians: Summer is three months of bad sledding. Americans: We cross our southern border to buy cheap clothes, gas, and liquor in a backwards country.

other attractions. Canadians: Three words: Sudbury’s Giant Nickel. (It’s so Canadian, it’s a giant nickel made out of nickel.) Americans: Bagel shops. Everywhere. Why? Canadians: Donut shops. Everywhere. Why? Americans: We think there are too many dumb car chases in movies. Canadians: They think there are not enough exciting canoe chases in movies. Americans: We think some of our towns have crazy names: Intercourse, Pa., and Truth or Consequences, N.M. Canadians: No contest. Try on Dildo, Newfoundland for size, HeadSmashed-In Buffalo Jump, Alberta, or Pinchgut Tickle (near Dildo). Americans: We may be ashamed of one of our particular heads of state, but everybody knows his name. Canadians: Trump who? Americans: A century ago, thousands of American slaves found freedom in Canada via the Underground Railroad. Canadians: Each winter, thousands of retired Canadians make their way to Florida, lured by the $4.95 early bird dinners at Denny’s. Americans: We are confident that America and Canada will never go to war with one another. Where would all the draft dodgers go? Canadians: They are confident that America and Canada will never go to war with one another. Where would Canadians go shopping? —Robert Kiener

Lucy Laporte-Keene ‘Coming up on my lifetime pass—one of the benefits of longevity’ Born in Montreal and raised in Stowe, Lucie Laporte-Keene is an avid, record-setting snowboarder and the supervisor of the children’s program at Stowe Mountain Resort. She and her nine siblings grew up on Route 100 near Moscow. All 10 kids went to Stowe High School, except the oldest, who was sent to Old Yeller—now The Current and the Stowe Free Library. Another was in the first graduating class at Stowe High School. Lucie was the first in the family to go to college, and graduated with a degree in fine arts from Green Mountain College. Following in the family’s footsteps, both of her sons are Stowe High grads. Lucie also owns Vermont Birchbark Arts, where she freely expresses her creative side.

Did you grow up speaking French? Yes, we all learned English and French, with the Québécois dialect. I still speak it and try to stay fluent.

the intErviEw

How long have you worked at Stowe Mountain Resort?

This is my 24th season. I’ve been with the children’s program for 23 years. I discovered my superpower is helping infants with separation anxiety. I’ve always been successful with young children. I’ve been called a child whisperer, but I’m a very loud one! A specialist once recommended a bonding person for one infant, and it was me. The experience was amazing. This year I’m going back to the preschool level, which is fun, because you get outside more. I love being around all the children. It’s truly a fountain of youth.

N GORDO

MILLER

You were one of the original snowboarders at the mountain. What was that like? I was part of the early snowboarding movement, when we were restricted to riding at Spruce Peak. We had to provide a certification that proved we were safe riders. We did a lot of hiking and riding on Mansfield, but were not allowed on the Front Four. It all worked out, but there was a lot of discrimination early on. It was tough. It was a choice of sport that was new and misunderstood.

You have a reputation of being a pioneer of the sport. Why is that? I went with three others to Argentina in 1988 to set a snowboarding record of the first descent of Aconcagua (22,800 feet). We weren’t very experienced and wanted more mountaineering knowledge. We hiked in 21 miles carrying packs that weighed 90 to 100 pounds, including snowboards. Then we hiked up the mountain and rode down, which was amazing, but then we had to hike back out. It was the most grueling experience of my life and I really had to dig deep. My former husband, Bud Keene, kept telling me to think of steak and beer, so that’s what I did. When we got back to the lodge, the balls of my feet had big fat blisters, and I had that steak and beer. But it’s all about the journey, and it was a great experience. Hopefully there are more of them to come that are a bit gentler. INTERVIEW CONDUCTED & COMPILED BY KATE CARTER

RURAL ROUTE

What other sports do you do? Snowboarding is my thing. I love the snow, snowshoeing, and sledding. On my 60th birthday we had a sledding party on the hill in my backyard. I also love hiking. I hiked with my kids when they were in utero, then in backpacks, then on their own two legs. Every Mother’s Day I made them hike up to Taylor Lodge with me, which was successful, thanks to a wildflower book and snacks.

How do you like working for Vail? I started skiing at 5. I love the mountain and my job. The mountain is my special place. At first, I worked there part time and seasonally, and now I’m full time, working four 10-hour days in preschool, and I get benefits and some really sweet perks, like $5 meals as an Epic employee. My son is also an employee and we used that when we went on a ski trip out West. I’ve watched the ski area go from my dad cooking breakfast for staff to what it is now. As kids we’d go up early and get cat rides up the mountain and ski down, and we all did the Friday program. It was awesome! But it’s changed so much. It’s hard to see the changes, and the development is incredible. I don’t like it, but I try to focus on the positive. My personal experience as an employee is that I’ve been treated well by Vail, and I’m coming up on my lifetime pass—one of the benefits of longevity.

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What was it like to be one of six to take the first ride up the new Sunrise lift? It as fun and cool and an honor. I knew everyone else in the chair. I felt like part of a community. The new lift is a great way to get people up the mountain and not congest the Quad.

Tell me about Vermont Birchbark Arts. I collect birch bark that is on the ground and I also collect pretty autumn leaves. I peel the bark so it’s crepe paper thin, carve it into shapes, and adhere it to bookmarks, notecards, and sometimes journals. I do the same with the leaves. I started in 1999 and my first wholesale account was Bear Pond Books in Stowe. I also did farmers markets and craft fairs. I would work at the mountain in winter, do landscaping and birch art in the summer. When I started working full time at the mountain, I stopped doing craft fairs but kept my wholesale accounts. One of my accounts is Trapp Family Lodge, and for those, I collect the bark and leaves on Trapp’s trails. I marvel at what’s around me and I’m always leaf seeking. I am the worst leaf peeper around! This past October I did my first craft fair in six years, the Clarina Howard Center Craft Fair. It was so exciting to represent my art in person, and it was for such a good cause. n

ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

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s you walk outside, keep an ear open for two distinctive bird songs: zee zee zee zee zo zee or zee zee zo zo zee. If you hear them, you’ve identified a black-throated green warbler (Setophaga virens), a bird that is often heard but rarely seen. The first song is a male attempting to communicate with the female of the species. The latter song, also sung by the male, is driven by territorial clashes. Both are regular sounds in forested areas of northern New England, especially where coniferous trees make up a large part of the mix. This species of warbler is among the most common in our region. Male black-throated green warblers sport an ink stain-like black throat, a vivid yellow face, and a green back. Females have a white throat but retain similar coloring on the face and back. Both sexes have large heads and a plump appearance. Returning from a winter spent in the Caribbean, Central America, or northern South America, black-throated green warblers arrive in their summer breeding grounds in late spring. Breeding territories for black-throated green warblers stretch from New England into southern and western Canada and southern Appalachia. Across northern New England, black-throated green warblers usually nest in hemlocks, red

STORY / LEE EMMONS

cedars, white pines, and spruce trees. The birds find food in the trees in which they live, taking insects, including caterpillars, aphids, gnats, and beetles from leaves and branches. Known to hover while foraging, black-throated green warblers will also eat what they catch mid-air. While insects constitute the bulk of their diet, they will consume berries during migration. During the breeding season, these warblers create a cup-shaped nest, situated several feet off the ground. Primarily constructed by the female, the nest comprises weeds, twigs, grass, bark, and spider silk, and is lined with feathers, hair, and moss. Black-throated green

warblers have one brood per season. A clutch of three to five eggs takes 12 days to incubate. Both parents feed the nestlings, who usually leave the safety of the nest a week and a half after hatching. Although black-throated green warbler populations have increased in recent years, they still face the threat of habitat loss. “As an interior forest species, they require large tracts of unbroken forest to achieve greater abundance and nesting success,” Steve Hagenbuch, a senior conservation biologist with Audubon Vermont, said. Consequently, any fragmentation or forest loss “leads to reduced habitat quality.” Other threats include non-native insects that impact conifers, the birds’ preferred nesting sites. A warming climate also affects these and other warbler species. To assist in the conservation of this species, Hagenbuch recommends working to maintain large areas of intact forest. Landowners can help protect blackthroated green warblers by looking into conservation easements or by allowing active harvesting that generates enough revenue to ensure that a forest remains largely unbroken. Encouraging conifers, such as hemlock and red spruce, on your land or in your sugarbush will also aid black-throated green warblers by creating or retaining nesting sites. During the warmer months, blackthroated green warblers call constantly in the woods of northern New England. One day last year, I climbed a wooded ridge in Maine and could hear the sounds of these warblers everywhere. Amid the trees and rocky ridges, I felt like I had stumbled across their private kingdom. To my mind, these birds are the definitive sound of the northern woods during this time of year. In May, as the last of the snow vanishes and the world finally turns green, enjoy the song of the black-throated green warbler. This small bird has traveled a long way to reach the safety of our trees. I am thankful for all the birds that return to our woods to sing once again. Lee Emmons is a nature writer. He lives in Newcastle, Maine. The illustration for this column is by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, nhcf.org.

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Hardwick woman turns tragedy into understanding of addiction

ragedy motivated Brett Ann Stanciu, author of “Unstitched, My Journey to Understand Opioid Addiction and How People and Communities Can Heal.” Her book details the story of a young man who was caught after hours in the Woodbury library. He lived nearby and had been stealthily entering it after dark, as evidenced by surveillance cameras and the smell of cigarette smoke and residue on many a morning, and items moved around on the librarian’s desk. But nobody knew why he was there, although rumor around town was that he was an “addict.” One morning, after being caught by library staff, he ran home and shot himself. The shooting devastated the community, especially Stanciu, the librarian. She was the one who knew he’d been sneaking into the building, the one who kept the staff informed, and the one who called Vermont State Police numerous times. But they did nothing. The lack of empathy, uninformed accusations, finger pointing, and ignorance set the course of Stanciu’s life in a completely different direction. She wanted to understand how and why others’ lives were so deeply and hopelessly changed by any form of addiction, especially opioid addiction. Stanciu graduated from Marlboro College where she studied philosophy and writing and received a graduate degree in writing from

Washington University in Bellingham. She married and came back to Vermont, and lived in Woodbury for 25 years, over half of that time with her two daughters and abusive husband. She divorced and she and her daughters moved to Hardwick. One night, as she was reaching for her box of wine, she overheard her daughters talking about her drinking. It was a pivotal moment. She stopped cold turkey. She realized she wanted her daughters to know who their mother really was. “I read something my daughter wrote and realized I would shape her life and she would always know me as an addict if I didn’t get better,” said Stanciu, who has now been in recovery for 10 years. After the intruder’s suicide, she felt compelled to write about getting her own life back together—and a stranger who died. During months of research, she talked to people who abused substances, people in recovery, professionals in the medical field, drug addiction counselors, the town’s police chief, Vermont’s U.S. attorney, anyone she could think of who might provide information about opioid addiction. She also wanted to understand why society is so judgmental about addiction, and she herself quickly learned that opioid use is not just an addiction, but a disease. “I was stuck on the suicide. His death went so far in the community. I had to understand what had happened, and learned I was looking >> 44

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➊ ➋

➌ 1. Greg Morrill and Meg Scotti hike in the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago in Norway, in June, with a copy of the magazine, of course! Greg writes RetroSki, a regular column during the winter for the Stowe Reporter, and is a frequent contributor to the magazine. (He writes about ski testing in this edition, p.56.) 2. Joan and Dwight Stecker of Port Jefferson, New York, and Stowe, enjoyed a three-week Viking cruise around southern South America. It was the couple’s first excursion outside the States in four years. The Steckers, who have been coming to Stowe for nearly three decades, visited Uruguay, Argentina, the Falklands and went around Cape Horn to Chile. Here they are in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in South America. 3. Richard and Sharon Draper of Elmore visited Pearl Harbor, on the Hawaiian island of Oah’u in May. “It was amazing to watch a movie that had real footage of the attack and to learn the whole story of why and how the attack took place, which killed 2,403 and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships,” Sharon writes. 28

Do you have a photo of our magazine on some far-flung island or rugged mountain peak? Send it along to ads@stowereporter.com, with Stowe Magazine in the subject line. We’ll pick the best one—or two!—and run it in the next edition.

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From Bela Fleck to topnotch bluegrass

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Hopfinger, Jeremy Jones, Alex Armstrong, McRae Williams, Jake Hopfinger, WeiTien Ho, and others. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to Stowe Mountain Rescue to help support its work. 7 p.m.

JIM MCGUIRE; BELOW: FROM THE ARTIST ‘Clara Dreams’ Elan Ballet Theatre presents this Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn holiday tradition as Clara helps her Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King and journeys through the land of the Snow Queen and her Snowflakes to the Land of the Sweets, where she is entertained by the Sugar Plum Fairy and her royal court. Stars the dancers of Elan Ballet Theatre and Elan Academy of Classical Ballet. 5:30 p.m. Friday, December 15 Joan Osborne Eight-time Grammy nominee and multi-platinum selling recording artist, Joan Osborne’s 1995 album “Relish” Thursday, January 11 spawned the hit single and video “What If Rhonda Vincent God Was One Of Us.” She has traveled the U.S. and the world for more than 25 years Grammy Award-winning Rhonda Vincent tranperforming in clubs, theaters, arenas, and stascends the boundaries of bluegrass with her diums with her own band and as a featured powerful vocal style. With an unprecedented vocalist. 7 p.m. seven consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Thursday, December 21 Association, she is a member of the Grand Judy Collins: Holidays and Hits Ole Opry, and collaborated with Dolly Parton Acclaimed folksinger, songwriter Judy Collins on the Elton John and Bernie Taupin Tribute brings her “Holidays and Hits” to Stowe. In Project, “Restoration.” Her music honors tradiher 50-plus years in music Collins has tions of classic blueinspired audigrass while finding ences with subroom for the more lime vocals, vulcontemporary melodic Beg, Steal or Borrow nerable songwritand lyrical outlook of ing, personal life country music. 7 p.m. triumphs, and a Saturday, February 17 firm commitment Beg, Steal or Borrow to social activism. With her iconic Enjoy a homegrown in 55-album body of Vermont concert, supwork and inspiraporting local artists, tion from her spirwith Vermont blueitual discipline, grass staple Beg, Steal Collins is still capor Borrow. Known for tivating fans, new its vocal harmonies and old. 7 p.m. and high-energy instrumental arrangeWednesday and Thursday, December 27 – 28 ments, the band has won numerous bluegrass “Legend Has It” festival band competitions. With Jeremy Sicely Ski lore is riddled with stories, sometimes of on guitar, Luke Auriemmo on banjo, Roland unknown origin, describing plausible but Clark, fiddle, Fran Forim on upright bass, and extraordinary past events. Often shared on Geoff Goodhue on mandolin. 7 p.m. chairlifts, the skin track, or over a beer, these Saturday, April 6 legendary tales, whether it be mythical storm Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn cycles, heroic feats, or whispers of fantastical terrain all contribute and shape the present “King and Queen of the Banjo,” Béla Fleck experience. For 28 years Teton Gravity and Abigail Washburn will perform from their Research has traveled the globe with the best second album, “Echo in the Valley.” With one athletes to the most incredible locations— eye on using the banjo to showcase America’s often based on this fabled history—to uncover rich heritage and the other pulling the noble the experience and sometimes to create leginstrument from its most familiar arena into ends of their own along the way. Shot on new and unique realms, this duo’s music is location in Alaska, British Columbia, simultaneously familiar and wildly innovative. Colorado, Jackson Hole, Palisades Tahoe, 7 p.m. n Pakistan, and Patagonia with Kai Jones, Ian McIntosh, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Griffin Post, Nick McNutt, Christina Lustenberger, Parkin Costain, Maggie Voisin, Jim Ryan, Jake

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flashback

Throwback Thursday is a weekly feature in the Stowe Reporter, the community paper around these parts. Well, we ran this photo and it caused quite a stir, don’t you know. A child with a dead deer. Imagine? In Vermont. “Eat a salad!” was our favorite Facebook comment, which, to be fair, ran about 50/50 for and against our decision to run it. For and against what, you ask? Hunting. The growing anti-hunting—and, yes, anti-trapping and anti-hounding—sentiment overtaking Vermont is concerning. For the many who were happy to see this young lad with his grandfather’s—or mother’s—“kill,” it is about respecting Vermont’s hunting traditions. Frankly, though, while tradition is important to a state like Vermont, this conversation should really be about the management of our wildlife resources. For most of the anti-crowd, like most everything today, it’s not about the facts—or the science—it’s about how we feel, and frankly, feelings shouldn’t dictate wildlife management. Science should. —The editors

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‘She got out a bottle of ink out and let me draw with her pens’

lice Blodgett was a great influence on me as a young child when as an illustrator and graphic artist she came and made a sketch of our house. I not only have a Walton Blodgett painting (Alice’s husband), but Alice created a brochure for our family ski lodge and wanted to share the original ink drawings she did for the brochure. They really give a great feel of what a ski lodge was long before bed and breakfasts, Airbnbs, and the like. Eight dollars a night included breakfast and dinner. Alice’s living room drawing, at top right, with the much loved built-in bookcases going right up the stairs, is a masterpiece in my mind.

Our family still has the Jay Conaway painting shown over the fireplace, which my mother bought from him as a gift to herself after graduating from Smith College. Her college roommate, Jean, grew up in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and her parents had Conaway paintings all over. Jean took my mother to Monhegan Island, where he had a studio. The painting she bought is of Monhegan. We still have some of the dining chairs, shown bottom right. The table and chairs and a number of other pieces of furniture, including the beds, came with the lodge. My sister, Jody, has the walnut dining table and my other sister, Erica, has the wooden chair drawn in the living room scene. I’m using one of the floor lamps as I write this. I cannot say exactly when Alice made these drawings but it was quite soon after we moved into our Stowe house from the Lake Champlain Islands in 1958. The house was historically called Tucker House Lodge and the

guests for our inaugural winter had, in many cases, made reservations long before we bought it. There were six bedrooms and two shared bathrooms on the second floor for guests. We kids were allowed to ring bells—I also still have those—at the bottom of two sets of stairs to let guests know breakfast was ready to be served.

Alice was a great friend of Gay Bessette who was for years my father Joe’s only employee at Silver by Skinger, his metalsmithing shop that he ran from our attached barn. — Carol Skinger Follow this link—bit.ly/3ujRPGO—for more of Carol’s recollections.

Joel and Erika Furey.

The Current gala: ‘Wild’ Spruce Peak at Stowe, May 6

ELISABETH VIILU PHOTOGRAPHY

Matt Benedetto.

Milford Cushman and Terri Gregory.

Dean Goodermoote and Larry Rowe.

Gala revelers in the “mosh” pit.

Terry King and Devan Gleason. Rebecca Chase.

Pauline Jennings and Sean Clute.

Maestro David Neiweem.

Courtney Percy.

Rachel Smith, Lauretta Haugh, and Shannon Carlino. Tara O'Reilly and Kate Carpenter.

Tim Bryan, Joe Farley, and Erik Eliason.

Kate Challenger and Matt and Erin Henderson.

Adriana Teresa Letorney and Rachel Moore.

Mark Frier and Michaela Quinlan.

Julia Rogers and Leslie Peterman.

Charles de Brabant, Alex Rawson, and Elisabeth de Brabant.

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GORDON MILLER

BIG SPLASH J.B. McKinley takes dip in an icy Lake Elmore at the Morristown Rotary Club’s Polar Splash.

FORMER NEWSMAN FINISHES HIS LAST PAGE

JBMCKINLEY

B. McKinley saw countless obituaries come across his desk during his quarter century with the News & Citizen, but it’s unlikely he came across a sentence in any of them as fitting as the one shared by his son, Quentin. “He was outside, reading a book, and he fell asleep in the sun,” Quentin said. McKinley—bibliophile, journalist, movie theater owner—died March 16, a few days before the first day of spring, at his winter home in Ozark, Ala. “That was normal for him,” his wife, June, said. “He didn’t go very far without a book in his hand.” McKinley was born June 27, 1953, in Ashtabula County, Ohio, but moved to Vermont as a child, growing up on McKinstry Hill in

Hyde Park, where his grandfather, Howard “Mac” McKinley, owned an old farmhouse. When he was in his 20s, McKinley worked as a typesetter at the Lamoille County Weekly in Johnson, a paper that was published from 1971-1982. He also worked as a projectionist at the Bijou movie theater in downtown Morrisville, which is where he met his future wife. “Of course, if you lived in Morrisville, and I did, you went to the movies,” June said. She and J.B. got together with a little help from a mutual friend who needed a fourth player for their regular pinochle game—June was the fourth player and she and J.B. continued their partnership well beyond the card table, and the two married in the fall of 1982. They didn’t take their honeymoon right away, but when they did, they went to upstate New York on J.B.’s motorcycle.

STORY / TOMMY GARDNER

“My dad had a fit, because here’s his daughter on the back of this motorcycle with this kind of wild guy,” June said. “He was kind of a wild boy, and I was not at all wild. But, like they say, opposites attract.”

Newsman Brad Limoge, former News & Citizen publisher, said he and McKinley worked together for 25 years between McKinley’s work as a reporter and then as editor. “In the 25 years we worked together, he and I never passed a cross word,” Limoge said. Limoge said he trusted McKinley to run the newspaper, which had been in the Limoge family back to the early 1940s—Brad’s father Clyde ran it before him, and his grandfather Arthur ran it before that. “I left him alone to do his job and I did not need to micromanage him,” Limoge said of >>

RURAL ROUTE McKinley. “He knew what he was doing, and I gave him the latitude to do what he wanted to do.” He said McKinley was a good mentor to new reporters, too. That includes Andrew Martin, who came on board part-time in 2010 and stayed at the paper through its purchase by the Stowe Reporter and well into the pandemic— picking up a nod as Reporter of the Year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association. “To me, it really seemed like J.B. put a lot of stock in serving as the historical record for Lamoille County,” Martin said. “He always wanted a good lede and a good story, but he pretty clearly also thought it was important that we documented what was going on.” Amy Noyes was a reporter at the News & Citizen in the 1990s and 2000s. She came on board “pretty fresh out of J school,” with a stringer job at the Hardwick Gazette to her credit and found the local news scene eye opening. “I really came to appreciate the level of involvement of everyday folks running their towns and running the county and just making things work,” she said. “J.B. really was one of the first people to give me a full appreciation of that.” McKinley was well known for his big laugh, a laugh so loud that Noyes said one could hear it from several rooms away. “You could hear it sometimes with the press running, which was impressive,” she said, laughing herself.

J.B. and June McKinley. For many years, the couple operated the Bijou theater in Morrisville village.

On the big screen The McKinleys’ love story didn’t just start at the Bijou; it was a key part of their first decade or so together. The couple bought the theater in 1985 from then-owner Blanche Emmons—“the most wonderful lady in the whole wide world,” June recalls. “We bought it with the understanding that Blanche, who had sat in the ticket booth from age 18 to age 80-something, was still allowed to come down and sell tickets whenever she would like, which she did right to the end of her life,” June said. The couple tried to make it to the movies once a week, and when they sold it in 1996 to current owner Bill Jarvis, he gave them emeritus status, which meant continued free movies. Quentin McKinley was practically born in the theater, getting toted there in his car seat at the ripe old age of two weeks. The Bijou was known for featuring a piano player, Seth Briggs, who would play before the early show, and Quentin used to sit on the bench next to him. “They owned the Bijou when I was born, so they put my name on the marquee,” he said. McKinley’s love of movies may have come second to his love of books, and he had a vast personal library. He also had a personal interest

in making sure the Morristown Centennial Library was impressive. As a library trustee for 23 years, he was a big cheerleader for a major expansion of the library that finished in 2013. “That was one of his great accomplishments,” Quentin said.

Politics is local Quentin said it was clear early on that his dad knew pretty much everyone in town. “We’d walk in to have breakfast somewhere and everybody’d be, ‘Hey J.B.,’” Quentin said. “He had big shoes in the community.” McKinley was a conservative, but as a newspaper editor he had to interact with people of all political stripes. Shap Smith, present Morristown moderator and former Vermont Speaker of the House, spent most of his political career with McKinley as the editor of his local newspaper, penning a regular legislative column for the paper called “Shap Talk.” He said he and McKinley didn’t agree on a lot of issues. “But that didn’t matter. When I would go into his office to chat, the conversation was

always enjoyable,” Smith said. “Our discussion might be robust, but it was always friendly — no shouting, just an exchange of ideas. That’s because we cared about the same thing. We both wanted a strong, vibrant, and lively community. That we thought there were different ways to get to the goal didn’t matter as long as we were headed to the same destination.” McKinley even endorsed Democratic Rep. Dan Noyes—Amy’s husband—in Noyes’s first bid for the House. And he did it in a 2016 letter to the editor in his old paper, calling Noyes “a party-line guy of neither party.” “He would say there’s no reason you can’t have a conversation about whatever is in front of you and try to come up with some kind of solution or just have a real conversation, even if it is about politics, which seems to be this thing that no one can talk about now without being right kind of crazy about it,” Quentin said. “He really instilled that you could be whatever you wanted to be,” he added. “Just to have a voice and not to be afraid to use your voice and be heard, and not be afraid to take that next step.” n

RURAL ROUTE HELL BENT The sled that Stowe’s first settler, Oliver Luce, piled with a few household possessions, his family in tow, and came to Stowe.

Stowe’s first settler, Oliver Luce, arrived in town on April 16, 1794, some 30 years after Stowe was chartered. Since Stowe had no roads, Luce left most of his worldly possessions—“a span of horses and a sleigh and a little household furniture,” according to M.N. Wilkins in “History of Stowe to 1869”—in Waterbury Center and piled a few household necessities, such as blankets and cooking pots, onto this homemade hand-sled. Along with his wife, Susannah, and their two young daughters he then pulled it through the snow six miles to town. Some sources claim that Luce was hell-bent on beating another settler, Capt. Clement Moody, to become the first official resident of Stowe. That might explain why Stowe’s version of Paul Bunyan didn’t wait until the snows let up to reach Stowe. Instead, he pulled his small, packed sled over Gregg Hill on a rough horse trail to the one-room log cabin he had built the previous summer on land it appears he bought in 1785. A day later Moody followed Luce into town, making him an also-ran as Stowe’s second settler. Although Luce sold his farm for $2,200 and moved from Stowe to Sharon, Vt., in 1809, he is still fondly remembered as the town’s first settler. To commemorate Luce, who died at the age of 84, the town erected a stone monument close to where his cabin stood about one mile north of Stowe on Route 100. While the Luce sled usually hangs on the wall of the Historical Society Museum, it took its place of honor at the front of a parade celebrating the town’s 250-year anniversary. It was donated to the historical society by Oliver Luce’s great-great-granddaughter, Mrs. Elsie Alger Page, the society’s first president. —Robert Kiener

STOWE HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Next to Stowe’s village library ••• Wednesday through Saturday, 1 - 4 p.m., or when the flag is flying (802) 253-1518, stowehistoricalsociety.org

really change is our own behavior. I wondered if there was a more compassionate way to move forward.” at addiction in the wrong way,” she said. “I realized there are no easy answers. I created a journey of trying to understand addiction and how I fit into the larger story.” She came up against one question again and again. Is it a disease or bad behavior? “I misunderstood the word disease,” Stanciu explained. “Addiction is a disease of our social system and it manifests in individuals. The causes and cures are not simple. Looking at society and looking at ourselves and how our choices affect others, I realized the only thing we can

“Unstitched” is a collection of personal stories of local people trying to understand addiction, and of those who have tried to overcome it—some successfully, others not. “We drift into parts of our lives without thinking about it. We always look at things like a snapshot. We need to look at our society deeply and as a whole. With compassion,” Stanciu said. The book culminates with Stanciu meeting Dawn and Greg Tatro, whose daughter Jenna became addicted to OxyContin after a doctor prescribed it for injuries she sustained when her boyfriend beat her up. After six years and numerous attempts at getting sober, she over-

dosed on heroine laced with fentanyl. Like Jenna, “Unstitched” doesn’t have a happy ending, but it offers hope. The Tatros bought an old church in Johnson and turned it into a community center for people in recovery. It’s called Jenna’s House. Part of their mission is to provide services for people in recovery, from health care to counseling to help finding a place to live and a place to work. Their hope is that people who come to Jenna’s House will one day walk out with the tools they need to move forward in their lives. And, as Stanciu’s book shows, everyone has a part to play in helping the people in their communities stitch themselves back together, even if that help is simply showing compassion and offering understanding. —Kate Carter

O N 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, almost 100 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 2,360 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 Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest mountain at 4,393 feet and home to the East’s greatest natural ski terrain. Stowe thrills with its famous double-diamond 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 Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Gliding toward the top of Mansfield, one is embraced by the stillness of a panoramic bowl that stretches toward forbidding cliffs 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.

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

STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Most of Stowe’s trails were cut in the first half of the 1900s, and without the benefit of bulldozers. The first ones were handcut 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 sunwashed slopes also provides a haven for the youngest or newest skiers. On 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. For the adventurous, Mount Mansfield also has premier glade skiing. 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. n

P L A N E T WAT C H TRAVEL ETHICS For your pockets on the slope, from top: collapsible cups, reusable baggies, and squeeze tubes.

Vacation doesn’t mean compromising food values

TRAVEL SUSTAINABLY Vacationing can be hard work. Especially when it comes to upholding your principles around food, like eating healthy food on vacation, minimizing packaging and waste, and separating recycling and food scraps. Travelers and visitors do not need to lower their standards around minimizing their food footprint just because they’re on holiday. It takes planning and a bit of legwork, but it is possible to vacation with a clear conscience, eat well without breaking the bank, and avoid needless packaging and waste. Here are some sustainable food travel tips. Pack reusable containers and shopping bags. People use refillable coffee mugs and reusable shopping bags at home, so why not pack them when you head out for your ski vacation? Stowe Area Association urges Stowe businesses, when feasible, to consider adding water refilling stations. “We understand that ‘over-tourism’ can be harmful,” says the group’s Jennifer Greene. When I travel, I pack a reusable shopping bag flat in my travel bag or suitcase. Some shopping bags pack into tiny stuff sacks. Also, take note of a state law: Three years ago, Vermont did away with single-use plastic grocery bags. • Go beyond the shopping bag. Now that your reusable bag vacations with you, also pack additional containers. For eating out, bring a couple

of glass or Tupperware containers. If you don’t finish your meal, no need to bother your server for a single-use to-go box. For days on the mountain, put squeeze containers and flasks, reusable cloth bags, and a collapsible cup in your ski parka pockets—many work for cold and hot beverages. • Fill pockets with homemade snacks. Remember that anything individually wrapped—bars, candy, trail mix—is a waste of packaging. Instead of a pre-vacation Costco run and its boxes of individually wrapped granola bars, protein balls, and snack packets, eliminate single-use packaging altogether by making your own energy bars and cookies at home and filling your own containers and bags. The ingredients for your own snack mix—I love chocolate chips, raisins, and almonds—are all found in the bulk bins at natural food stores like Stowe’s Commodities Natural Market. Fill squeezable flasks with peanut butter—a higher energy food more perfectly designed for snowsports was never invented. With these snack sacks and your collapsible cup, you just fueled a day on the slopes, eliminated a pile of waste, and avoided resort cafeteria snack prices. Some vacation spots make it easier than oth-

STORY & PHOTO / Mark Aiken

ers. In Stowe, for example, state law requires people to separate food scraps from garbage. So, whether you’re in a ski resort food outlet or the kitchenettes in your Airbnb rental, you’ll find green compost buckets. This is a far cry from the vacation I took in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah where—try as I might—I could not find a container or transfer station to take our food scraps. The skiing was great, but it simply felt wrong on the final day when we dumped our perfectly compostable food scraps that I had insisted on separating all week in the dumpster with the rest of our trash. Many local restaurants and markets in the Stowe area support local growers, producers, and makers. Edelweiss Mountain Deli, for example, has a chalkboard behind its counter listing the many local outlets from where their products come. “It fits with Vermont’s culture of independence,” Green says. That culture shines through in the form of common-sense legislation around protecting Vermont’s beauty and protecting the earth. Vacationers, particularly those who return yearafter-year, generally appreciate and fit in with this culture. It is important that they do, because special places like Stowe need nurturing and protecting—even by those here on vacation. n

TRAIL JOURNAL ON THE RIDGELINE Maura Wieler and trail dog Tiso ski the Ruschp Sterling Ridge trail, built in 2013 and dedicated to the memory of Peter Ruschp, a prominent figure in Stowe ski history.

BACKCOUNTRY ADVENTURE Ruschp Sterling Ridge trail not for amateurs Up in the depths of Sterling Forest, a little-known backcountry ski trail, a black-diamond off-piste trail, requires a great deal of climbing to get to. Once you reach the ridgeline it rolls gently for about a mile, with views to the west and Mt. Mansfield and to the east and Mt. Washington. Located on state land, it connects the Marstan Trail to the Upper Gorge Trail, both in the Sterling Valley trail network. After taking in the view comes the descent, definitely not for beginners. It’s considered a winter-only trail that gets little maintenance and is not patrolled. And it’s named for one of Stowe’s Mountain Men, the Ruschp Sterling Ridge Trail.

ESSAY / Kate Carter

The trail was originally scouted out by Peter Ruschp, a longtime Stowe Mountain Resort executive, prominent and passionate outdoorsman, and a direct connection to the beginnings of the ski industry in Vermont and the U.S. His father was Sepp Ruschp, who came to Vermont from Austria in 1936 to start the ski school at Stowe. Sepp eventually ran the resort and is credited with making Stowe a household name in skiing. Son Peter was a world-class ski racer. He grew up on skis, worked with legendary trail-builder Charlie Lord on several of Stowe’s trademark trails, and eventually became a top-level ski racer and a >>

PHOTOGRAPHS / Grant Wieler

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TRAIL JOURNAL DEEP TRACKS Maura and Tiso trek into the wilderness on the Ruschp Sterling Ridge trail.

dedicated trail builder. He successfully rebuilt and reconfigured Hayride on Mansfield, making it a world-class ski-racing trail and one of the steepest skiing and snowboarding descents in the East. Ruschp was not only interested in downhill skiing and ski trails. He identified the ridgeline backcountry ski trail in Sterling Valley long before he died in 2005. The trail was eventually built the summer of 2013 and named the Ruschp Sterling Ridge Trail in his memory for his dedication, love, and commitment to outdoor recreation. According to Greg Maino, communications director for the Catamount Trail Association, the association adopted the trail in an agreement with the state, and took over light maintenance, done by volunteer trail stewards. Catamount Trail, 300-plus miles of backcountry from Massachusetts to Quebec, passes through Sterling Valley at a lower elevation, and includes a short section of the Marstan Trail. Skiers and snowshoers are welcome to traverse the Ruschp trail but due to its remote location and level of diffi-

culty, the association encourages anyone up for the adventure to be prepared with extra food and water, clothing, first aid kit, and spare parts for equipment. There are several approaches to the trail, but the most convenient is to start and end at the Sterling Gorge parking lot. From there, take the Catamount Trail south to the Marstan Trail and climb steadily to Ruschp on the right, where the trail continues to climb even more steeply—skins are recommended—until it reaches the ridgeline. Once on the ridgeline it rolls along until it intersects the Upper Gorge trail. Turn right for a long and fast descent to Twin Bridges and Papa’s Trail and back to the parking lot. Some do it in reverse, so beware of others coming in the opposite direction. n ESSENTIALS: The Sterling Valley trail network is located at the end of Sterling Vally Road. For info and a map, go to stowelandtrust.org.

Promoting health and wellness through recreation, community and physical education.

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GORDON MILLER

H A L L O F FA M E

MENTOR Lori Furrer in 2021.

DREAM MAKER Vermont Alpine Ski Association honors Furrer t. Mansfield Academy head of school Lori Furrer is one of the newest members of the Vermont Alpine Racing Association Hall of Fame. She was honored at a reception in October alongside this year’s other VARA award recipients. Furrer’s journey to the hall of fame is marked by a deep-rooted commitment to the community, a passion for skiing, and her tireless efforts in shaping the future of Vermont’s youth. She was instrumental in forming the academy and has been head of the school since its inception in 1993. But her long relationship with skiing and ski racing didn’t start there: She worked on Mansfield as a head coach for kids in the 1980s and early 1990s. Part of the original coaching staff with

Swiss Challenge, an international skiing experience for middle school and high school kids, she took participants to Zermatt, Switzerland, for skiing and various, other educational activities. While on a group hike with the group, she met her husband, Josie. Furrer’s tenure at Mt. Mansfield Academy has evolved under her leadership, and it now offers a full-year program with winter term options. The academy’s mission is to nurture well-rounded students who are also elite skiers, providing them with an education while pursuing athletic dreams. She has led and mentored many staff through the growth of the program and the expansion of the campus. With her guidance, planning and execution, the school has added a new building with an elite-level gym, better serving the needs of young athletes.

Community dedication In 2015, she volunteered for the foster care system in Lamoille County, serving as guardian ad litem while also pursuing her Master of Counseling at Johnson State College, now Vermont State University-Johnson, where she also earned her undergraduate degree. Previously, she was given the VARA Volunteer of the Year award, reflecting her contributions to the Vermont skiing community and her 13 years as chair of the scholarship committee. She also served as a long-time member of the VARA board of directors. Furrer and her husband live on an 87-acre sheep farm in Wolcott. Together, they have raised two sons, Kelby and Cameron. Each pursued athletic and academic endeavors at Sierra Nevada College and Saint Michael’s College, respectively. n —Staff report

SKI JOBS

TESTING DAY Stowe retailer ranks ski, snowboard strengths Did you know that the largest ski and snowboard test in the world is held in Stowe?* This past March over 100 testers gathered at Stowe Mountain Resort for three days. Their mission: To test hundreds of different ski models across 20 ski brands and snowboard models across nine brands. The test is organized by Stowe-based SkiEssentials.com. The company traces its lineage to humble beginnings. David Wolfgang started Bedside Tuners in Stowe in 1984 and, at the end of each ski day, he would go around the lodges in town to pick up skis to be tuned overnight. The skis were returned to their owners by the next morning along with a blueberry muffin. From the initial success of Bedside Tuners, Wolfgang expanded to a retail ski shop called Pinnacle Ski & Sports. It has moved through several locations to its current spot on the Mountain Road. With the advent of online shopping, Wolfgang started skiessentials.com in 2004 and the online business has steadily grown over the last 20 years. Wolfgang’s son, Josh, now manages the company. SkiEssentials held its first ski test in 2017 and took a different approach. Rather than ranking equipment from best to worst, SkiEssentials highlights the strengths of a ski and the type of skier who would best benefit from it. SkiEssentials uses men and women with varied backgrounds across a wide age range to represent a spectrum of strengths and weaknesses and likes and dislikes found in the skier and rider community. Jeff Neagle coordinates the ski tests. He lines up brands and testers and sorts 450 ski and 100 snowboard models into categories. On test day, testers arrive at Stowe Mountain Resort before the lifts open to find the lower Midway parking lot already bristling with skis and boards. Neagle gives each tester a list of 10 skis or boards, and all day the rep area is a beehive of activity as testers return equipment and get set up for their next ski or ride. This winter was my first time as a tester, and I was surprised it took only one run to adequately test a ski. But at Stowe, where you get 2,000 vertical feet of varied terrain and conditions on each run, one run was enough to make an assessment. There were some skis that warranted a second run either because I couldn’t get a handle on them or because I loved them. I racked up my highest daily vertical totals for the season on these testing days! For Neagle and the SkiEssentials crew, test days are definitely the fun part. Later they face the task of compiling and organizing the results. They augment tester data with in-depth analysis of the ski or snowboard’s design and construction. YouTube videos for each ski are done primarily by Neagle and Bob St. Pierre, and these two are definitely must watch. They have become Internet stars! n ESSENTIALS: See this year’s test results at skiessentials.com. * I’m not sure anyone keeps records on the size of various ski tests, but until someone can document one that exceeds Stowe’s numbers, I’m calling it the largest.

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHS / Greg Morrill

TEST DAY Stowe-based SkiEssentials.com tests more than 450 skis and 100 snowboards over the course of three days in March at Stowe Mountain Resort.

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Ø Æ SNOWMOBILE CLUBS: STOWE: Stowe Snowmobile Club / stowesnowmobile.org LAMOILLE COUNTY: Snopackers / snopackersoflamoillecounty.com EDEN: Gihon Trak Packers / Facebook MORRISVILLE: Morrisville Snow Riders & Packers / Facebook JEFFERSONVILLE: Smugglers’ Notch Snowmobile Club / Facebook JOHNSON/HYDE PARK: Sterling Snow Riders / Facebook VERMONT: Vermont Association of Snow Travelers / vtvast.org PHOTO CREDITS: STOWE MAGAZINE ARCHIVES; FISHING AND CROSS COUNTRY: PAUL ROGERS.

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OUTDOOR PRIMER On skinny skis Stowe boasts one of the most diverse cross-country 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 Cross-Country Ski 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 trails dedicated to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Figure 8, anyone? Public skating is offered daily at Stowe Arena. The arena has skate rentals. For public skating schedules, check out stowerec.org.

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 some of the most extensive and diverse hiking trails 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 safe, aerobic exercise. The Green Mountain Club, on Route 100 in Waterbury Center (green mountainclub.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. n

SPOTLIGHT

GONDOLA GALLERY Artist gives accessibility to cabin No. 76 Not all gondola cabins are created equally, and this winter two gondola cabins— No. 76 on Stowe’s Mansfield gondola and cabin No.1 on Park City’s Quicksilver gondola, will display beautiful artwork. The two gondola projects are the first in Vail Resorts’ Gondola Gallery by Epic, a program that expresses a message of inclusion: The mountains are for everyone. Stowe skiers know the iconic red cabins of the Mansfield gondola well. Few visitors are aware, however, that cabin No. 76 is different. With side windows stretching from ceiling to floor, this particular cabin is built slightly wider than the others, and its benches fold back. “It’s in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act specs and Vermont state tramway code,” says Scott Reeves, Stowe’s senior director of mountain operations. “It is built so that there’s space for a wheelchair or a sit-ski.” Printmaker Jim Harris, who has a disability resulting from a spinal injury, envisioned, designed, and cut “Creating your Line,” the title of the print that now adorns the windows of cabin No. 76. Harris, who resides in Glenwood Springs, Colo., visited Stowe on several powder days last winter. He skied, explored, observed, took notes, and drew sketches before returning to Glenwood where he transferred his ideas and sketches to ply-

STORY / Mark Aiken

wood, which he then painstakingly carved with V and U-shaped gouges— the tools of a woodblock printmaker. “It’s sort of backwards,” he says of his medium, in which the artist carves the reverse image on the block. “Everything you carve doesn’t show up on your finished piece.” When the plywood block was ready, Harris applied ink and transferred the image to paper using a hand-cranked printing press. He then scanned the print into digital form, adding color, and the final piece was printed on a perforated vinyl cling that was applied to the windows of the cabin. “Creating your Line” turns Stowe’s A.D.A.-accessible gondy cabin into an invitation, says Stowe communications manager Joseph Healy. “Vail Resorts is passionate about creating a more inclusive sport, so it was important to highlight authentic moments of inclusion.” In many ways, Harris is the perfect person for a project designed to express a welcoming, inclusive message to all and not for just those who have historically come to the mountains to participate in snowsports. To be sure, Harris is a winter and outdoors enthusiast: “Most of my friendships were built upon shared experiences in the outdoors,” he says, noting that, like many people, he loved to grab a friend for a skinning lap, a mountain bike ride, or a hike. A former freelance journalist, Harris joined pro adventure athletes on expeditions—carrying his photography gear to boot—to shoot photos and write their stories for magazines like National Geographic and Powder. But that was before he sustained his spinal injury snowkiting in Chile on

PHOTOGRAPHS / Jesse Schloff

Promoting health and wellness through recreation, community and physical education.

CAMPS • CLASSES • OPEN GYM the front end of what was to be a grueling and ambitious mountaineering adventure in Patagonia. Paralyzed from sternum to toes, receiving treatment in a small hospital 11,000 miles from home, Harris’ journey had just begun. Returning to Colorado, he had five broken vertebrae fused together. Throughout his recovery, he regained movement first in his toes, and later got to a point where he could walk with a cane. “I still have a significant disability,” he says. “I really miss being able to ski powder.”

PARKOUR • TRAMPOLINE • CLIMBING • NINJA WARRIOR • AND MORE!

Promoting inclusivity The Gondola Gallery piece at Park City—a painting called “Uplifted” by Lamont Joseph White—celebrates representation and inclusion, particularly of Black and brown faces in mountain spaces. Harris’ interest is raising awareness of the difficulties people in his situation face. While he recognizes the efforts of lift staff and the steps that resorts and others take in making spaces accessible, it’s undeniable, he says: “There are significant barriers.” Case in point: Consider a wheelchair-bound skier who comes to a resort independently. Where everyone else tosses their skis over their shoulders or their board under their arm and strolls from car to lift, the experience of a paraplegic skier wheeling a chair towing a monoski kit through the lot is unquestionably more difficult. Without fail, says Harris, he ends up with his hands submerged and soaked in freezing slush and ice melt. These days, Harris is out of a sit-ski and on his legs. But he staggers and stumbles due to his disability. “I’m still a junk show,” he says. “I look like I’ve been morning-drinking.” And people’s reactions reflect this perception, making him feel self-conscious. Meanwhile, Harris finds himself torn philosophically regarding the complex issue of accessibility. Prior to his injury, he would seek out mountain biking trails that would be far too difficult for his post-injury self. “Some days I understand that not everyone can do everything; there’s a spectrum of ability levels,” he says. “Other days, I’m like, “Hey, what about me?’” Because, after all, the accessibility piece like ADA-compliant gondy cabins, adaptive equipment and terrain, and adaptive instructors and guides make snowsports possible for those with disabilities. This winter, when you see cabin No. 76, check to see if someone, having entered through the shorter side entrance to the gondola barn, is waiting for it. If not, take a ride in this special cabin, and think of Jim Harris. Think of those who, through no fault of their own, may have barriers or difficulties in experiencing winter in the mountains. No. 76 helps give them the opportunity. n

1940B Mountain Road, Stowe | elevatemovementcollective.com coachnoah@elevatecamp.net | 802.585.0579

RECORD BOOKS

COURTESY PHOTOS

DIEHARD Shelby Farrell at the finish of her recent attempt to run the Fastest Known Time on Vermont’s Long Trail. On trail.

SHELBY FARRELL Former Stowe ski instructor eyes Long Trail speed record

helby Farrell, formerly of Morrisville, this summer attempted to run the Fastest Known Time on Vermont’s Long Trail, the rugged, mountainous 273-mile footpath along the spine of the Green Mountains. She had her sights set on Ben Feinson’s time of 4 days, 11 hours, and 44 minutes—a record that became moot when John Kelly shattered it just weeks prior her bid; Kelly’s superhuman time was 4 days, 4, hours, and 25 minutes. Still, if the overall record didn’t work out, there was still Alyssa Godesky’s 2018 female record of 5 days, 2 hours, and 37 minutes to chase. Over five brutally humid and sometimes stormy July and August days and nights, armed with high-tech nutrition, energy drinks, plenty of glitter tattoos on her arms and legs, and a small caravan of supporters, helpers, and pacers managing the logistics of meeting at road crossings and trailheads to hand her full water flasks and nutrition, Farrell ran day

STORY

and night, taking just 15-minute breaks and a handful of one-to-two-hour power naps. I joined Farrell twice as a pacer, both times by headlamp in complete darkness, the full moon hidden behind clouds for about 10 miles in Bolton and 18 miles over Killington Peak. I watched her battle sweat, blood, trips, falls, scrapes, mud, fallen trees, depression, loneliness, and pain. Ultimately, her bid was unsuccessful. Hunkered down in Goddard Shelter in Glastonbury during severe and dangerous thunderstorms just 24 miles from the Massachusetts border, she aborted her attempt. She had run 249 miles in just under five days. “I felt annoyed, irritated, and maybe a little stupid sitting in that shelter,” she says, reflecting on that current reality—cold, wet, and miserable in a lonely hut—versus setting the record. Then she realized that the journey was exactly what she had wanted: “We created an incredible experience that I’ll never forget.” >>

/ Mark Aiken

RECORD BOOKS MOUNTAIN LION Shelby Farrell trains on Camels Hump in Vermont. On the hunt for a FKT record this summer on the Long Trail.

Farrell and her husband, Jason Gerhart, who met as employees at Stowe, left town in 2018 and lived in Southern California for five years before “settling” in a Winnebago Solis camper van and traveling back across the country last spring. They spent June and July in Vermont training and connecting with family and old friends. “It was the perfect summer,” Farrell says.

What gave you the idea of attempting this Fastest Known Time? Running 273 miles and 66,000 feet of vert as fast as I can sounded like the perfect next endurance challenge. In 2022, I paced Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy, previous Long Trail Fastest Known Time holder, at the Cocodona 250 and had many laughs with Jeff Garmire, another icon in the through-hiking world and a former Long Trail Fastest Known Time holder. A seed was planted. I joked about doing it that summer, but I knew that it couldn’t be winged. It would require strategic planning and training, and I liked that about this attempt.

How did you prepare for the bid? I spent a training block working on expanding my maximum rate of oxygen consumption, including threshold work, and then I rolled into seven weeks of hyper-specific training on the Long Trail. It was awesome feeling

Why the Long Trail? For me, the Long Trail connects a landscape of many memories, mostly unrelated to running. My family often took ski trips to the southern Green Mountains. I attended undergrad at Saint Michael’s College and got my Master of Business Administration at Champlain College. I fell in love with the state. When I was 19, after a day of skiing at Jay Peak, right before heading home for Christmas break, I received the news that my father had died suddenly. I ended up teaching skiing for seven years at Bolton Valley and Stowe. I met my husband on Mt. Mansfield. There were so many monumental life moments that happened, more or less, steps away from the Long Trail. Running through them felt like a celebration of growth.

Where do you live right now? We’ve been working remotely living out #vanlife dreams. I chronicle the adventure on my Instagram and YouTube @shelbzzf. It is still to be determined where we settle next, but there’s a good chance it will be the East Coast because our family is here.

Do you have any plans for a future Fastest Known Time bid? Long Trail Redemption Run 2024, here I come! Likely around the same time, and ideally under a full moon again. I learned so much this time. I plan on streamlining this effort a bit. A little less hype and a little more focus on pace targets and consistency in my running. But there will still be glitter tattoos! n Watch a short film of Farrell’s bid on the adidas TERREX YouTube channel.

my body adapt to the super technical terrain. That rugged vert will give you mountain lion legs! I definitely was not expecting it to be the rainiest summer in Vermont history. I would wake up to rain pounding on our Winnebago van’s windows and know that I had to go out and run in it for six hours. It certainly helped me get comfortable being uncomfortable.

BUHLER GETS HER DAY Seasoned ski exec takes over at Stowe Shannon Buhler knows a thing or two about snow. The new vice president and general manager of Stowe Mountain Resort, Buhler’s most recent role was senior director of mountain operations at Northstar in Truckee, Calif., and she’s bringing Sierra Nevada snow to Vermont, right? “That’s what everyone here keeps asking me!” Buhler chuckles. She is referring, of course, to last winter’s historic California snowfall—over 700 inches in the Sierra. “I was proud of what our staff pulled off just to get us open every day,” she says. For those whose feathers get ruffled over delays at Harlow Hill on Stowe’s Mountain Road during snow squalls or blizzards, consider the storm that dropped over 100 inches in one week on Northstar last February and early March, plunging the entire region into a state of emergency. “We couldn’t even open for two days,” Buhler says. Staff who could make it to work first had to pause to make a plan before digging out and unburying parking lots, roads, lifts, lift houses, doors, and lodges, and executing avalanche control efforts. As much as they wanted to get open, they couldn’t rush the immense task. “There was a focus around being safe,” Buhler says. The moral of the story: if this ski and ride season delivers to Mt. Mansfield just a fraction of the snowfall that Buhler saw at Northstar last year, then Stowe winter enthusiasts will be more than satisfied.

‘Likes variety’ Buhler learned to ski at the age of 2, having grown up in California and Breckenridge, Colorado. She’s an expert skier—“I’m proficient,” she says, most likely an understatement but nonetheless cognizant that she has plenty still to learn—who also dabbles in snowboarding. Her favorite trail at Northstar was Challenger, a wide-open black diamond with views of neighboring Palisades. “It’s groomed sometimes, it’s not groomed sometimes,” says Buhler, who likes the variety. One imagines that she may gravitate toward Liftline and Hayride in Stowe—two wide black diamond trails that get half-groomed, for cruising on one side and bumping on the other. Buhler grew up in a ski town in a snowsports-centric family. Her father, John Buhler, was in resort management, eventually serving stints as CEO at both Keystone and Breckenridge. “He has been my biggest mentor,” says Buhler, whose first snow job was as a greeter in the Breckenridge ski and ride school at 15. “I saw firsthand his dedication, commitment, and energy toward his teams. I could see that he really loved what he was doing.” In fact, when the younger Buhler first visited Stowe after being named successor to Bobby Murphy, who took over as CEO and general manager at Beaver Creek, Colo., she brought her dad. “I am incredibly proud of her but not surprised,” says John Buhler, noting that his daughter was captain of all her high school sports teams. “I believe there have been very few fathers and daughters to achieve general manager or chief operating officer in the ski industry.” Indeed, it’s well documented that the ski resort business has been traditionally male dominated. “It matters that more females are in mountain operations now and that women are increasingly represented in the ski industry as a whole,” Buhler says, noting Vail’s female CEO Kirsten Lynch. “As we speak to gender, we should highlight the importance of growing diversity in all areas. When you think about the growth of our sports, we have to, as an industry, become more diversified.” Buhler is Stowe’s first female and LGBTQ general manager, and she strives to be welcoming and encourage diversity at Stowe, in the Vail Resorts enterprise and in the industry as a whole. She notes that women hold top positions at 10 of Vail’s 41 properties, and she co-leads the enterprise-wide employee resource group, Women and Allies, and has implemented a similar local group supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion at Stowe.

S T O R Y : mark aiken

P O R T R A I T : jesse schloff

“I have felt supported,” says Buhler, who counts among other mentors her mom, who served as a teacher, school principal, and superintendent of schools, and Pat Campbell, the pioneering former head of operations of the Vail Resorts enterprise and Buhler’s youth hockey coach in Colorado. Buhler stresses the importance of equity for all employees, and she recognizes challenges that females face. “We know that having gender representation will make us more successful,” she says, noting that the support she felt throughout her time with Vail came not simply because she’s female, but because she worked hard, showed dedication, and leaned on support systems around her. “In the end, the goals and expectations are the same for everyone; it’s about being the best person you can be every day.”

First months Buhler comes to Stowe having never skied the East. As a leader at Vail, however, she says she has been aware of Stowe. “Vail knows about Stowe,” she says. “I mean, every resort in the enterprise regardless of region or size plays an important and key role. But Stowe is known as an icon and a premier location.” Compared to Northstar, Stowe is smaller. Northstar has six times Stowe’s 485 skiable acres. Despite Stowe’s smaller size and lower elevation, Buhler looks out at the Mansfield ridgeline from the deck of the Cliff House. “It feels big,” she says. In her travels and explorations so far this summer she made another observation: “I was shocked by the narrowness of the trails,” noting her Rocky Mountain and West Coast roots. “I’m gaining an appreciation for this New England ski feel. I’ve heard I may need to tune my skis more.” Buhler, who as general manager of 300-foot-vertical Snow Creek in Missouri, notes that Stowe and Northstar have similar trail counts and vertical drops. Both resorts draw from nearby urban centers, pull international visitors, and have a population of second-home owners and generational followings. But one significant difference between the two, she says, may have to do with local enthusiasts. “Stowe is probably on another level,” she says. “The passion and care that locals have for this resort is probably unmatched.” She is likely to experience that passion and, as an extension, scrutiny as soon as the snow begins to fly. Buhler’s first months on the job have involved doing as much listening as possible and focusing on learning about, getting to know, and understanding the resort’s partners. “I’ve been asking lots of questions, trying to get to know the staff and understand the history of how we operate,” she says. “I’m getting to know our selectboard, town manager, Spruce Peak Realty, Green Mountain Transit, and all our other partners.” Buhler is aware that the passion-filled Stowe locals don’t withhold feedback, whether in conversations, emails, phone calls, or comment threads online, but says she welcomes feedback in all forms. “Conversations are great, and email is great, because then you get a minute to think about what you want to write,” she says. “But we will be reading the social media postings too. Feedback is feedback, and it helps us get better.” Buhler is also aware of Stowe’s rich history, the fact that Vail Resorts’ ownership of Stowe is a relatively recent turn in that history, and that Stowe predates all other resorts in the Vail portfolio. Her interest in applying for the Stowe job was piqued in conversations with Murphy, who sold her on the resort teams and the community as a place to raise a family. Buhler comes to Stowe with her wife, Megan, and children, Addison, 4, and Mackenzie, 1. Megan works from home, while Addison and Mackenzie attend local preschools. The Buhler family settled in neighboring Waterbury and this summer ventured north to Burlington as well as explored local hiking and swimming spots. “We like Waterbury Reservoir,” Buhler says, noting how perfect the spot is for a young family. She also enjoys golf but hasn’t exactly figured out how to fit rounds in between work and parenting. “Golf takes quite a bit of time,” she says. As an example of learning on the job, Buhler points out that she took over Northstar’s mountain operations team without having prior experience in mountain ops, but as a part of product sales and the Breckenridge Ski and Ride School. “I had leadership skills, work ethic, and commitment,” she says. “But I knew I needed to learn the mountain ops side.” To that end, she immersed herself—riding all night with groomers and heading out on night shifts with snowmakers. Her determination and commitment to learning made an impact on the team at Northstar who gave her the moniker “Snow Boss.” And Snow Boss plans to learn Stowe.

BLOODLINES Shannon Buhler gets daughter Addison, 3, on skis at Northstar California. Skiing with her father, John Buhler, at Heavenly a few years ago. He was also in resort management and served as CEO of both Keystone and Breckenridge.

69 69

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Nothing new

ADVICE FROM THE LOCALS “This is a town full of critics but also a town with a lot of both experience and history on the hill. The more you communicate the resort’s policies and points of view, the better for your skiers and riders. Be visible, be honest.” —Kim Brown: Journalist and ski writer, Stowe Ski Bum column, Stowe Reporter “I look forward to seeing how her personal leadership style influences the manner in which the resort engages with our community. Both our community and the ski industry are changing. As we know, change is hard. We must go the extra mile to communicate effectively and search for common ground as we navigate challenges and seize opportunities.” —Jed Lipsky: Independent state rep, Stowe “My advice to Shannon is to know and get involved in the community and, most importantly, to listen.” —Katrine Wolfgang: Owner, Pinnacle Sports “Be available, approachable, and open to feedback. I know Shannon well, and I know she’ll do a great job because of her ability to listen and connect with others.” —Bobby Murphy: COO & general manager, Beaver Creek, Colo.

“There’s nothing new,” says Buhler when asked about her observations in her first months in Stowe, noting the experience of the staff at her new home mountain. “We’re just continuing to try to deliver on the guest experience.” That said, she shows how her listening has paid off, as she discusses various issues and hot-button topics. The parking plan, she says, is largely unchanged, except the resort nixed the season-long parking pass product. (Vehicles with under four passengers pay to park at the Mansfield lots on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.) “Forty-five percent of people carpooled last year,” she says, noting that Green Mountain Transit shuttle ridership also increased. The goals of the parking plan, she says, have always been increased carpooling and public transportation ridership, reduced emissions, and decreased Mountain Road traffic. She notes that the new Sunrise Six-Pack performed well last winter. “It was transformational to have a lift that basically goes to the parking lot on the Mansfield side,” she says, having done her research on the decades of boot packing to access the Mansfield chairs. Asked what lift upgrades would be next, she notes the relative age of the Lookout and Toll House doubles but adds there are no plans currently in the works. “We’re always looking,” she says. She acknowledges, despite Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise and Commitment to Zero sustainability goals, that there is still work to be done in combating climate change. “We need to continue to reduce our waste that goes to landfill, which takes support from guests and employees. We need better sorting, waste diversion, and tracking.” She says the resort is aware of opportunities for higher efficiency and lower-energy snowmaking systems and equipment but those require capital investment. She also knows Stowe employees increasingly come from other areas within the Vail enterprise. Incoming director of skier services Shelby Culbreth, for example, comes from Breckinridge. One might wonder whether it benefits Stowe to have leaders who aren’t intimately familiar Stowe and who might move on to other Vail-owned resorts within a few years. “I’m a much better leader because of all of my experiences,” Buhler says. “Sure, I could have been at Stowe for my whole career, but then I’d only have seen one resort. What I bring is perspective and knowledge. I have learned so many pieces along the way: How to lead, how to support, how to own everything that we do.” Buhler is familiar with enterprise-wide goals, but she says she values the uniqueness of every resort, and the ways different resorts approach these goals. “I know how to support a team, to motivate and get the best out of this team here, and to stay grounded in what’s important to this community,” she says. She doesn’t know how long she’ll be at Stowe, “but I plan to stay here for the right amount of time.” Her long-term goals are to continue running resorts, wherever that may be, but she says she is focused on the opportunity in front of her. “I’m excited to be a part of this community,” she says. “I’m excited for my kids to spend a lot of years here, and for my family to immerse ourselves in New England.” n

Shannon Buhler with her wife, Megan, and their children, Addison and Mackenzie, hiking at Bingham Falls in Stowe. Inset: A selfie in front of the “Welcome to Stowe” mural in the village.

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72 COURTESY PHOTO

STOLEN AFTERNOON Biddle Duke and his mother, Robin Duke, on a ski day in Lake Placid, 1978.

WolveS at the door I am the fortunate son. My parents reminded me whenever my behavior merited it that I could have been born in a “gutter in Calcutta.” Instead, I was born white, male, to a wealthy family in America in 1962. As if these blessings were not enough, the most blessed and valuable blessing was that I had two good parents. The impression they left most forcefully on me and everyone who knew them was that their happiness was contingent on everyone else’s—and I mean everyone else’s. They made it their work, their life, their mission, they spoke of it at dinner, and everywhere. When I last spoke to my mother before she died at the age of 92, a woman who never finished high school but lived a life celebrated in prominent obituaries in major American newspapers, she asked me: “Have I done enough?” She was not asking if she had done enough for me, or my two children, or my brother and sister. She was asking if she had done enough for as many people as she could, so that perhaps she would be leaving a world where evermore people would have the kind of shot at life that she did. Some years ago, I began to write down stories for an eventual book about growing up with these two remarkable people. About them, about me, about us. This is one of those stories.

E X C E R P T : biddle duke

hen I was very young, 11 or 12, my mother showed up unexpectedly at my school at lunchtime. Mortified at the sight of her waving too eagerly from the entrance to the dining room bustling with my schoolmates, I slid out of my seat and hurried over. “You have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon,” she said too loudly for the benefit of the head of school, Malcolm Whitehead, who was as surprised as I was to see her. “This is not customary, Mrs. Duke,” he sniffed. Knowing Mom, she must have replied with, “Well, we all have to be flexible now and again.” Parent appearances were rare at the elite Swiss boarding school where I had been deposited in fourth grade at the age of 9. Students, mostly local Swiss children, the children from neighboring European countries and expats like my parents, were left at the beginning of term, and it would not be until school vacations that you were reunited with family. Mine lived across the Channel in England, and my mother visited way more than the school approved and way more than other parents. Maybe that’s why Mr. Whitehead didn’t like me much. I was a decent student and generally stayed out of trouble, but more than once I’d felt his snarling impatience and short, vicious temper, delivered in an imperious British accent. “Duke,” he would snap at this or that infraction. “You are not in America!” On the day of my mother’s visit Mr. Whitehead didn’t have much of a chance. Mom just grabbed my hand and whisked me off, thanking him with an over-the-shoulder glance and “I’ll have him back in time for evening classes.” “I made up the appointment, sort of,” she explained with a smile as we rolled through the snowy streets in an aging Morris Minor car she kept at a friend’s house. “No doctor, just me,” she added. That afternoon ski outing some 50 years ago sticks in my memory because it was just the two of us on a little adventure. She could have gone skiing with any number of friends. But she chose me. And, because she lied to make it happen. I would come to know that she would

tell occasional—usually, in her mind, necessary—lies. But that lie is the first clear one in my memory. I also remember thinking: Mom was cool. That afternoon was cool. In broad daylight, together, we were stealing something precious, a bit of fun, right from under the noses of my teachers and schoolmates. Later that day she would ask that I not say a word to anyone about it. “Just keep it to yourself,” she said. Or just lie, I remember thinking. •••• I knew my mother then only as a child knows a mother. My family’s wealth and privilege enabled us to move through life with apparent lightness and ease and any darkness—there was darkness—was kept from me. I didn’t ask. Away from home for nine months a year from the age of 9, my sense of family and of each of my parents was still mostly a child’s contented illusion. I didn’t know that I had been, if not an accident, at least unplanned. Some might well have viewed my arrival as entirely planned, by my mother, to capture my father. “Of course, some people thought that. It wasn’t true,” she told me years later when I asked. But unquestionably, I crashed into two people’s lives and their five respective children. “I’m pregnant, Angie,” my mother informed my father in February 1962. “Well, let’s get married,” he replied. That was it. He was doing the right thing, as he always tried to do. There was to be a love affair, but it came later. A shotgun wedding in May 1962 ensued. My arrival six months later in November of that year was an outrage. For a time, it severed all communication between Mom and her disapproving, socially conscious mother. What would people think, she snarled to my mother the morning of my birth. There was also the question of my five half siblings, a complicated brood thrust together only months before. My father brought three from previous marriages, my mother brought two. I would be my parent’s only child. Just how fraught all this was would take me years to comprehend. When my parents married my father was still, technically, in mourning. Ten months before, his former wife, the mother of two of his children, perished when the small plane in which she was traveling crashed a few miles from LaGuardia Airport in a neighborhood in Queens. All four people on board died. She had been the love of Dad’s life. My brother didn’t speak for months after his mother’s death. To him and his sister

my arrival so soon after their mother’s death must have been incomprehensible, perhaps even an affront, and it signaled yet another abrupt and unsettling upheaval: the presence of my takecharge, fiercely ambitious mother in their lives. There was much I didn’t know about Mom on that afternoon of skiing. That she had been abandoned by her father when she was just a few years older than I was on that day. With no one to pay the bills, Mom dropped out of school her sophomore year in high school to go to work in New York City with her older sister. She was 16 years old. “At any moment the wolves could be back at the door,” she would tell me later in life. Those metaphoric wolves always seemed to return. My mother was pregnant with two children at home when her first husband’s career foundered in the early 1950s. With little money and no prospects, she took charge. She found a way to terminate the pregnancy, illegally, and she went back to work, becoming the family’s sole breadwinner. A working woman in the Mad Men world of the 1950s in New York, first as a TV broadcaster, then a broker on Wall Street and an executive for Pepsi. During those years her father would show up now and again looking for a bed and a TV set to watch the Orioles. “You can’t live here anymore,” she told him one day. And with that they didn’t see one another for decades. What I knew for sure about my mother as a 12-year-old was that she was beautiful, smart, competitive, and athletic. I could sense her power, a power I didn’t understand, I just knew it was there. It would be years before I would grasp how unconventional she was for her time, and how admired she was—and also harshly judged and disliked, told once by none other than Mother Teresa that she would go to hell for championing contraception and abortion rights. •••• The afternoon was windless, the sun poked through the clouds onto slopes glistening with new snow. It being a weekday, the runs were empty. We traded the lead on laps off a long Tbar. After an hour or so we boarded a four-person gondola and took it to the summit where she instructed me to follow her through a break in the trees on a narrow track in fresh snow.

LAST HURRAH Biddle Duke and his mother, Robin Duke, the last time they skied together, in Stowe in 2009. Robin died in 2016.

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Eventually she veered off the established route. We glided along for a few minutes until we emerged from the forest in a meadow that dropped away toward some barns in the distance below. “It’s so quiet,” she marveled. Then, not waiting for a reply, she turned and started down. I felt a tug of apprehension. Did she know where she was going? I watched as she made one turn after another, tracing a corkscrew through the snow. I caught up with her at a fence line, a shinhigh thread of wire crossing the slope. “Just step over the wire.” She pushed off again. •••• Mom wasn’t a particularly strong skier. She’d picked it up in her early 20s on weekends in the 1940s when she was working in New York City as a newspaper reporter. Somehow, she would pull together enough money to take the overnight Snow Train north to North Conway, N.H., and other New England villages that had strung up rope tows and brought instructors over from Europe. What she’d learned was a steady, careful style. She was introduced to skiing at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Seeking to lift American spirits and the economy amid the grim shadow of the First World War and the Great Depression, the fair’s theme was “Dawn of a New Day… the World of Tomorrow.” The fair’s bright optimism would soon be crushed by the atrocities and inhumanity unfolding in Europe as it opened. It was a massive undertaking, drawing exhibitors from 33 countries, showcasing the era’s innovations, and celebrating each country’s culture and art. For the first time in America, television—grainy black and white—was unveiled to the masses at the fair’s RCA pavilion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech opening the fair was the first appearance of a president on television. My mother was among the millions who flocked to the fair at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens. She would forever talk about the experience. It introduced her to the world, huge and mysterious then, especially for a young woman whose life had extended no further than a triangle between her childhood in Baltimore, summers at the Maryland shore, and New York City. Visiting one foreign exhibit after another she began to understand the immensity of what was happening across the Atlantic. Hitler’s troops were marching across Europe, countries were collapsing, and every day a new pavilion at the fair was closing its doors, its young delegates returning to Europe to fight the Germans.

The skis at the Polish pavilion caught my mother’s eye, the latest models with metal edges and cable bindings. Alpine and Nordic skiing was sweeping Europe and making inroads in the United States. A spirited athlete as a teenager— swimming and field hockey—she’d heard something about this thrilling winter sport, but the closest she had come was modeling the winter fashions at Lord & Taylor and other department stores where as a teenager she had worked as a floor model. A few weeks later, when the Polish exhibit was closing, she headed back to Queens and brought the ski equipment home. She first tried out her new gear on the snowcovered streets of Manhattan. But she would always credit a few group lessons she took with the father of modern-day skiing, the Austrian Hannes Schneider, on Cranmore Mountain in New Hampshire. My mother was drawn to the sport because it was beautiful and fun and, as someone who never had time for pointless pursuits, she loved that it was wonderfully pointless. The height of luxury. The sport was also drawing an elite, adventurous crowd to which she wanted to belong. Skiing became a central part of her life. When she announced to her two children from her first marriage that she was engaged to marry my father, my brother Jeffrey considered this news for a moment, then wisely observed: “That’s great, Mom. But is he a skier?” He was not. Mom made him one. •••• The last time my mother and I skied together was on a golf course in Vermont. She was 85. We shuffled along behind my little terrier. “Do you remember that day you took me out of school to ski the powder?” “Of course!” “You fibbed to get me out.” “Did I? Well, do you think Whitehead would have let you go if I’d just told him there was fresh snow and we were going skiing?” she said. So often, you have to fib to have a little fun—to avoid trouble, to not make people feel left out, or just because not everyone has such privileges. I absorbed this subtle message, and kept it close, the idea of secreting fun, of being discreet about blessings, however you come by them. Just doing something you love—stealing sweet moments just for yourself, away from the public eye—offers deep satisfaction. A mother’s unexpected gift. •••• Some years ago, sensing the corporate and capitalist siege on the soul of skiing— exorbitantly expensive, an industry-wide drive to luxury, many ski areas more crowded than

BUS STOP A 4-year-old Biddle waits for his family at the bottom of the slopes in Andorra, 1966.

ever with the fun and adventure squeezed out by evermore rules—an editor asked me to search for the soul of our sport and pastime, and to come back to her with what I found. This vague, high-minded assignment was an impossible tease. I’ve wandered around on that search for years. I’m an admittedly grumpy skier these days. At some point over the past decades, ski areas, particularly in North America, became ski resorts, both in name and in practice. I detest that shift. I’m no fan of resorts, be they beach, golf, sailing, or whatever. Resorts are places of safe leisure, pampered retreats from the world, purpose-built, with needs catered to, with campus maps, guides, and endless rules, with greeters in uniforms and name tags, a business like any other. True soul is fed by the imagination, yet so little at ski resorts inspires the imagination anymore. Something intangibly compelling—adventure, mystery, a touch of magic—is slipping away. Yet, the soul of skiing (and snowboarding, for that matter) is more elusive these days. But it is there, in plain sight, beyond all the noise, expense, and hassle of the resorts. It’s just a question of paying attention. I asked an old friend, a mountain guide with whom I have spent hours climbing on skis in silence, about the soul of skiing. He had laughed at first but did not reply. Some days later we were on a chairlift, and he pointed to a woman sitting on a bench on a high snowy walking path, admiring the view, her dog at her side. She had come up to the snow on the train and set off alone from the summit station. “There is the soul of skiing!” he said. •••• Ever since that editor’s question I have returned to that day, my first clear memory of Mom the rule breaker and fibber, the risk taker, the seeker, the skier. At the bottom of the slope, we glided to a road where we slid along, pushing with our poles, until we reached a bus stop by a roadside café. “What fun,” she said, as we removed our skis, pointing to our tracks emerging from the woods above. “The bus is coming in a bit,” she assured me. Soon enough around the bend it came. It took my mother back to her car and me onward back to my school, where I made no mention of our afternoon. n

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NATHANAEL ASARO

surf’s up elevating the art of catching a wave

S T O R Y : tommy gardner

P H O T O G R A P H S : various artists

PHOTOS BY GORDON MILLER; INSET: SHREDEYE

JOHN GERNDT is standing outside his Stowe Hollow home in jeans and a sweatshirt, his unruly white hair spilling out the sides of his baseball cap as he tosses his dog a ball. He’s barefoot, which one presumes is his preferred existence, despite his decades of experience laced up in snowboard boots, designing, testing, and riding countless iterations of snowboard for the most famous company in the sport’s history. It’s the bare feet that come to mind when thinking about his latest invention. Gerndt is the creator of ShredEye, a line of snow surfboards that takes a lifetime of experience in product design for Burton Snowboards and marries it with the love of chasing the perfect wave. “Part of surfing is just Mother Nature, you know? Dealing with the currents, the tides, the winds,” he said on an early fall day, which for him is the beginning of a prime two- or three-month stretch of New England surfing that usually wraps up around Thanksgiving and begins again for another two or three months in April. “Summertime, there’s usually no waves over there,” he said. Wintertime, though, that’s the ShredEye origin

story. There are huge differences between the snowboards Gerndt previously designed for Burton and these snow surfing boards. For one, snowboards rely on metal edges to dig in to the snow, creating traction for making sharp turns on hard-packed snow. There’s not an ounce of metal on Gerndt’s products, and you’re not going to want to take them on corduroy groomed trails. The light weight combined with a design that features an upward sloping nose and stiff tail rocker makes it possible for the rider to float up and down in the powder—rising above the snow, the board gains more speed, bending from the rider-created torque, sending it from one undulating turn to the next. “It doesn’t have the volume, but I’ve had a pro surfer tell me, ‘Oh, I could surf that,’” Gerndt said. Also missing from ShredEyes are bindings. Remember, just as surfers don’t strap in when they’re in the water, these aren’t snowboards, and you don’t strap into them, either. There are

patterns of little conical fixtures that Gerndt calls cairns—like the pyramidal stacks of rocks used to mark trails above tree line, although here they resemble a series of chocolate kisses— located near the tail of the board and just forward of the middle. Riders stand on these wearing their boot of choice and can freely step back and forth atop the board, shifting stances as necessary. ShredEye currently sells two different models and, since they’re illustrated with handcrafted swirls, even the same models are slightly different from each other. The Thirdeye, with its pointy nose and round, almost bulbous tail, is designed for going fast in deep powder. The Jedi, meanwhile, features a round nose and notched, “half-moon” tail, and is much more responsive. Generally speaking, Gerndt rocks the Jedi in the woods, and takes the Thirdeye out West. All this makes for a riding style far more like surfing and skateboarding. It also somewhat limits the terrain to deep backcountry powder. Which is kind of the point. Vermont, and East Coast skiing and riding in general, isn’t exactly known for its endless powder, at least not in-bounds and liftaccessible. But then again, surfers don’t have the luxury of getting zipped, four at a time like on the quad, offshore to a convenient wave. They paddle out and feel the water, get on their boards when it feels right, and see if the break they choose does what they want. Same with snow surfing, except instead of paddling out, the rider hikes up and earns the turns.

There’s a third key difference. Typical snowboards contain cores of laminated hardwoods, which give them a flexible pop and keep their structure intact. The ShredEye boards, like other snow surfers, eschews wood for a full-foam construction. This sheds a lot of weight. Indeed, the ShredEye boards are so light one can imagine attaching a string and flying it like a kite in a stiff wind. The company uses a proprietary material called Varial Foam, which Gerndt said is about 40 percent lighter than the foam in other boards and, somehow, 25 percent stronger. It’s denser than the foam used in surfboards, which Gerndt says contributes to its flexibility. A review last year in Backcountry magazine quoted a rider at Lake Tahoe joking, “It’s so light, I kept thinking it fell out of my backpack in the way up.”

Full house Gerndt’s house is full of boards of all kinds—snowboards, surfboards, skateboards. They number in the hundreds, and he’s ridden every single one of them at one point. All that riding, all those years of testing, has instilled a natural sense of what needs to go into the perfect ride for the perfect conditions. Gerndt is keen on freedom, being able to have some sort of flat, narrowly oblong object—maybe with wheels, maybe a fin, maybe a series of coneshaped cairns—shoved in the Subaru for when the occasion arrives. With ShredEye boards, the adventure comes from eyeballing the ordinary. Sure, there are the secret stashes that all backcountry skiers and riders keep among themselves and their besties. But there’s also the random golf course or sledding hill off the side of the road that offers a quick adventure without the hassle of strapping in and riding a chairlift or hiking a mile into the wilderness. “If people just open their eyes and drive around, and see these fields and stuff, you can just keep it in your car and pull over,” he said. n

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHREDEYE

IN THE TREES Jeff Pensiero shred-eyes the powder.

GLANCE BOX: Both ShredEye models—The Thirdeye and Jedi sell for $1,350. To purchase boards and accessories, or for tech information, visit jgshredeye.com.

THE JOY OF THE

Sprig Slog

LIVING GREEN Margie Freed, No. 206, of Northfield, Ill., a member of the Green Racing Project cross-country and biathlon teams, skied to a first-place finish at the New England Open Club Relay Championships at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in March. Inset: Hallie Grossman was one of

CRAFTSBURY OUTDOOR CENTER

five GRP athletes who went to the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Grossman, an alternate, was joined by biathletes Clare Egan, Susan Dunklee, and Jake Brown and skier Caitlin Patterson. Opening spread: Jacob Plihal is a member of the Project’s crew team. The Vashon Island, Wash., native competed in the 2021 Olympic trials.

Green Racing Project athletes chase Olympics, environmental stewardship The front line of the 40k Classic Mass Start National Championship is a ragbag of neon spandex, leopard-print Skida headbands, floral neck warmers, mustaches, mullets, university beanies, and reflective sunglasses. Bill Withers’ “A Lovely Day” drifts from speakers throughout the Craftsbury Outdoor Center course as spectators gather, toddlers shred around each other, and skiers take position. As Withers sings, “Then I look at you, and the world is alright with me” cheering erupts from the crowd and the athletes push off, every single muscle in their bodies pumping as they glide through freshly groomed snow. Each Cedar Sprig—the logo for Craftsbury’s own pro-athlete team, the Green Racing Project, and the nickname for its members—is identifiable by their green suits and their superior speed, strength, and precision on the track.

S T O R Y : avalon styles-ashley

PHOTOGRAPHS:

gordon miller 87

BROWN BROTHERS Olympian Luke Brown competes at the New England Open Club Relay Championships at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in March, as does his brother, Jake, No. 111, seen racing below.

This is no masochistic slog. No type 3 fun, Sisyphean schlep through brambles as some may lead you to believe (looking at you, Jim Gaffigan). This is clear by the absolute wipeouts at the finish line, complete with poles in the air and faces full of exhausted bliss. True, Nordic ski racing is one of the hardest sports out there: arms, legs, and core are engaged at every step, endurance is your best friend and worst enemy, and not only is strength required but agility, balance, and grace are what make the best the best. But the joy of engaging every cell to propel yourself forward, of feeling it click when your body position and weight transfer are in sync, of cresting a hill to whiz past a blur of trees, makes it worth it. Few know that better than skiers on the Green Racing Project, and it’s not just the pro skiers. The Green Racing Project also trains teams of elite athletes in similarly endurance-based sports of running, sculling, and biathlon in its little corner of the Northeast Kingdom. Craftsbury Outdoor Center provides the post-collegiate athletes food, housing, and year-round expert-level training in preparation for competitions like the 2023 Henchey Memorial U.S. SuperTour Finals & Toyota U.S. Cross Country Championships held last March and hosted by the Center. In exchange, the athletes dedicate about 10 hours per week to projects and tasks around the nonprofit center that support its mission to model sustainability, steward the environment, and care for the greater community. These values have been present since its founding by Russell and Janet Spring in the mid-1970s and have remained true through a transition of ownership in 2008 to Dick and Judy Dreissigacker. The pair, who have a few Olympic games and world championships under their own belts, also run Concept2, which builds high-end oars and rowing machines in Morrisville. The Outdoor Center is not too shabby on the world champion and Olympian front either, having sent five Green Racing Project members to the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022 and six members in 2018. Long-time Sprig Susan Dunklee, who competed with the Green Racing Project biathlon team for over a decade and now directs its running team, went to three winter Olympics and eight world championships, becoming the first American woman to earn a biathlon medal at worlds after she won silver in 2017. She won a second silver at Worlds in 2020.

Support and sustainability The holistic support for athletes and emphasis not only on individualized training plans but community-building is not commonly found at your average four-walls, five-smoothies-a-day, pro-athlete training facility. “I’m not aware of any other training facility quite like this, it’s pretty unique,” Sheldon Miller, the center’s communications and IT director, said. Margie Freed, a Green Racing Project athlete on the ski and biathlon teams, echoed this sentiment, adding that not many options exist for pro athletes after college. Most of the time they are on their own for housing and have to acquire side jobs to support themselves while training, she said. Freed teaches some community fitness classes as part of her contribution; other days she helps out in the kitchen or works on trail maintenance. “That’s one thing I really appreciate about being here is how involved we can be in the community and get to meet all the locals here,” Freed said.

Another team member, Cooper Tuckerman, a first-year lightweight sculler on the rowing team, often delivers food to the local food pantry and helps remove milfoil, an invasive weed, from the lake. While Tuckerman and Freed don’t compete in the same sports, they’re still team members and have had opportunities to cross-train—another unique element that separates the Green Racing Project from the pack. “On the row-ski side, we’re doing very different things but at the end of the day, we’re all kind of doing the same thing,” Tuckerman said. “It’s cool to have a couple different groups that you see around and can call friends, but are not doing the exact same thing. You can all still commiserate together.” Tuckerman and fellow Sprig Joe Lynch, a new member of the ski team, described their first year as more than they’d hoped for, attributing much of the praise to the welcoming community. “It kind of feels like when you leave here, your time here doesn’t even feel real,” Lynch said in reference to a recent trip home to a bustling Minneapolis—encountering seven-lane highways again came as

somewhat of a shock. “It’s hard to put into words but coming back to Vermont, you just click right back in and it’s like you never left.” Like time stops just a little in the Northeast Kingdom.

Green Racing Project niche The Outdoor Center weaves its mission of growing and supporting athletes who are more than just their sport, but are conscientious community members, into every aspect of its training program. For rowing coach Steve Whelpley, having sustainability embedded into the fabric of the team and literally built into the name is hugely important for athletes’ overall growth. Whelpley is a former Sprig himself and was a pro rower for 11 years after college, although rowers are “hard pressed to ever call it pro,” he noted with a chuckle. “Sustainability requires you to be sort of grounded, to find the balance of things. If you’re trying to truly achieve Olympic goals, that balance isn’t going to be achieved by sitting; it’s going to be walking a tightrope of performance to try to get yourself there,” he said. “I think part of making sure that you don’t fall off that tightrope is keeping yourself grounded in other things and realizing, even as we do this highly individualized and somewhat selfish pursuit, that there’s a bigger world out there and sustainability is the best way to do that. Sure, it’s about helping

“Sustainability requires you to be sort of grounded, to find the balance of things. If you’re trying to truly achieve Olympic goals, that balance isn’t going to be achieved by sitting; it’s going to be walking a tightrope of performance to try to get yourself there. I think part of making sure that you don’t fall off that tightrope is keeping yourself grounded in other things and realizing … that there’s a bigger world out there and sustainability is the best way to do that. Sure, it’s about helping — Steve Whelpley, Green Racing Project rowing coach preserve your own world, but it’s also everybody else’s as well.”

preserve your own world, but it’s also everybody else’s as well.” Like Nordic skiing, biathlon and running, part of the foundation of rowing is about endurance. From afar, it looks graceful, even effortless—long boats cutting sleek lines through the water, speeding along without waves—but in truth it requires incredible precision and coordination. “That’s one big reason why I like it, is because it’s an interesting intersection between something that looks really elegant, but it’s something that’s actually kind of awkwardly coordinated and it takes a ton of practice to make it look as graceful as it is,” Whelpley said. One of the most gratifying aspects of coaching for him has been watching individual athletes grow, whether that means watching someone who started out intimidated in the rowing shell nail a drill and conquer their fear or chatting with an athlete who’s stoked to have made a new friend in town. “As broad as it is, we still have our niche and our niche is really helping people so they can find the best athlete in themselves,” Whelpley said. As the Green Racing Project athletes told me about life at the center, an enthusiastic squash-buckler on the garden team dropped into our conversation—peppering in some colorful expletives to recount the joys of gourds—to beg the athletes for help in the garden. “Anyone interested in helping with the squash harvest? We are desperate for people. Absolutely desperate, no pressure,” she said, drawing easy laughter from the table and a few eager volunteers. She promised a Doja Cat playlist, snacks, and a secret prize to whoever scored the heaviest gourd. (The prize was a special mug; I feel enough time has passed that this is OK to report). We also discovered that the squash gardener might have been my middle school camp counselor 15 years ago. This is less relevant to the Green Racing Project but feels like a wink from the universe, a reminder

of how small this world is, and of the preciousness of that “sense of community” thing we’ve all been talking about. Vermont is smaller still, yet it holds in its grassy hands pockets of serenity like the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Anecdotal evidence suggests that few, perhaps zero, other pro-athlete

training facilities in the country involve vigorous squash harvesting in addition to individualized training of the Olympic standard. I hope other facilities create moments like this one: Laughter echoing under blushing fall trees and joy in the idea of feeding others with something you’ve helped to grow. If not, it certainly adds to the singular community and sterling core of the Green Racing Project: a special place where time stops just a little. n Avalon Styles-Ashley is a domestic violence advocate in Morrisville, a freelance writer for Stowe magazine, and a friendly alum of the Stowe Reporter and News & Citizen. On your average Sunday, you might find this California native hiking Mansfield, quilting poorly, or canning dilly beans.

GREAT HOSMER Grace Joyce, a member of the Green Racing Project row team, on Great Hosmer Pond in Craftsbury at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Rowing head coach Steve Hap Whelpley, who spent 19 years as a competitive rower that culminated with three berths on the senior national team and numerous world cup appearances.

It’s MIller tIMe Photographer was defender of a vanishing Vermont

S T O R Y:

Aaron Calvin

PHOTOGRAPHS:

Peter Miller

PHOTOS BY PAUL ROGERS

WORDS & PICTURES Photographer Paul Rogers shot this photo of Peter Miller at the Lepine Farm auction, Mud City, 1996. Book signing.

eter Miller, a writer and photographer who dedicated his talents and time to the vigilant defense of a Vermont way of life he believed was fading away, died from complications from pneumonia, on April 17, 2023, at 89. Miller was most recognized for his award-winning photography, the subject of which was always Vermont: its skiers and slopes, its barns and hollows, and the people who lived in those barns and hollows. But it was his words that gave context to his pictures, and his words were often the primary tool—even more so than his photography—for both his defense and championing of the rural traditions he saw slowly disappearing and for the acerbic criticism he leveled against those he saw as primarily responsible for their deterioration. “Photography and writing is why I am on earth. My job is to communicate through the people and places I care about, which is Rural America,” Miller wrote in his foreword to “Vanishing Vermont: Loss of a Rural Culture,” his last published book. “I have great admiration for our country’s beauty and respect and love for the people I have photographed—my extended family. I am woven into the fabric of the Vermont culture—a flatlander born in Manhattan but a resident of Vermont since 1947 when I was 13.” Miller came to photography early in life, purchasing a camera on a whim at 16 with insurance money received after his hunting rifles were stolen. He parlayed this early enthusiasm for the pictorial arts into a gig with Life magazine before returning to become the patron saint of photography in Vermont, where he served as a contributing editor at Ski magazine for several decades. Throughout the 1970s, his photographs often appeared in Vermont Life, in local newspapers like The Stowe Reporter, and in national magazines. He published “The 30,000 Mile Ski Race” in 1973, which examined in great detail the underlying reasons why American skiers were so inferior to their European counterparts at the time.

longtime resident of Colbyville, a hamlet of Waterbury, Miller was also intimately connected to Stowe, a town he loved deeply even as it came to represent, to him, all that was wrong with the direction Vermont was moving through the end of the 20th century and into the 21st. He often held court at The Shed, the now legendary Stowe dive bar where he rubbed shoulders with many of the people he would write about in his later books, like his good friend Marvin Moriarty, with whom he cried over tequila shots on the bar’s last night in 2011. In the pages of the Stowe Reporter, Miller’s mischievous wit was often on display. He took Republican state senator Fred Westphal to task for grousing about harassment from the press during the Watergate era. In 1975, he sardonically advertised a gossip hotline in which he urged

Stowe residents to call in and share their issues, claiming that “gossip is the life blood of a small town. Isolation living does lead to occasional bouts of vacuousness of the mind, which of course leads to gossip. But what else is there to talk about? Who else?” In the 1980s, Miller continued to be recognized for his artful photographs and started holding local seminars for aspiring photographers, but also continued to escalate his criticism against his beloved, enraging Stowe as it entered a new period of sustained growth. In a long letter sarcastically detailing the plight of the woodcocks who took up residence on a plot of land that was about to become yet another condominium complex, Miller detailed how the birds never put a strain on the town utilities but also pointed out that they never paid taxes. “Stowe is finally eradicating its oldest line of residents and migratory woodcock who have called Stowe home are by-passing the town and vow never to come back. We hope they find more hospitable quarters. They are, at least, more mobile than another Stowe resident that is being disenfranchised—the woodchuck,” Miller wrote, using the term in reference to the traditional Vermonter being squeezed out of the ski resort town. Famously, he coined the term “woodcharles” to describe the newcomers. When a disgruntled landowner replaced a thwarted development with a pig farm, Miller lampooned the incident along with Stowe’s eagerness to capitalize on tourism by encouraging the town to remake itself into a Mecca for pigs, employing all the double entendres available to him in the process. Miller was also, however, keenly sensitive to the conservationist poli-

cies championed by the state’s Democrats and progressives that increased the tax burden on cash-strapped Vermonters, diagnosing them as exclusionary efforts to gate off Vermont communities to keep them “pure” but only accessible to the few and, often, the white, as he wrote in 1987 when protesting the burden of trash collection costs imposed by then-Gov. Madeleine Kunin’s waste disposal reforms. In a 1989 letter, Miller wrote that Stowe could be usefully turned into a “university study center to show how Americans can slowly but surely turn a beautiful village and town into a caricature of their culture.” The accelerating buildup of the 1980s gave way to what Miller diag-

VERMONTERS From Peter Miller’s books: “A Lifetime of Vermont People,” Vermont People,” and “Vanishing Vermonters.” From top left, Tom Rooney, Mud City. Arden Magoon and his homemade telescope, Stowe, 2007. Marvin Moriarty, 1956 Olympian and longtime Miller friend, Stowe, 2012. Bambi Freeman, Sterling Valley, Stowe, 2001. Previous page, the famous Lepine Sisters of Mud City, Therese, Jeannette, and Gert, 1989.

CHARACTER STUDIES More portraits from Peter Miller’s books. Below: Paul Percy in his sugarhouse, Stowe, 2011. Next page, from top left, Peter and Elka Schumann, Bread and Puppet founders, Glover, 2004; Pete Johnson of Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury, 2011. Perhaps Miller’s most famous photograph, Fred Tuttle, who “ran in the Republican primary against Jack McMullen, a multi-millionaire from Massachusetts called by some a carpetbagger,” wrote Miller. After Tuttle won, he endorsed the Democrat in the race, Sen. Patrick Leahy, and “retired to his farm.” Tuttle, who Miller photographed in 1997, holds a photo of his father, Joe, that Miller shot in 1989.

nosed as Stowe’s full-on “gentrification” in the 1990s. He also boldly self-published his defining work, “Vermont People,” a collection of black and white portraits alongside a monograph about what really made Vermonters, Vermonters, and a population that Miller considered to already be in the decline. “The old Vermonters shown in this book are, to me, the backbone of this state. They give Vermont an intangible quality as much as a part of the country as that sharp northwestern wind that comes in under a flatgray sky in late October,” Miller wrote in “Vermont People.” Miller claimed that he was turned down by 13 different New England publishers, who told him that a photography book about Vermont full of hardscrabble monochrome portraits instead of technicolor foliage and idyllic landscapes would never sell. According to Miller, he went on to sell 15,000 copies of the book, and in the process cemented his name as a protector of The Green Mountain State’s people and their traditions. alvanized by the moment, he leaned into his practice of photography as polemic for the rest of his life. In 1993, he headed west to capture the agricultural traditions of the Great Plains states, already long past their glory days. In 1995, he exhibited photographs of the decaying structures at Mayo Farm as part of a community-led effort to preserve them and potentially convert them into a Vermont farming museum. “The Mayo Farm is such a wonderful example of how land and architecture can be in harmony, a fact that seems lost on builders, developers and architects now at work in Stowe,” Miller said in a Stowe Reporter article announcing the exhibition. “If the Mayo Farm is torn down or razed, it is a sure sign that Stowe has either lost its soul or has just given up or sold out.” The buildings he captured were eventually demolished by a vote of the Stowe Selectboard, though the Mayo Farm itself had been conserved. The century turned and the forces eroding the traditional Vermont way of life he had clamored against for decades—the rising levels of taxation compared to the relatively stagnant wages and the influx of flatlanders and second homeowners—only accelerated, and soon began to weigh on him personally.

In 2013, he published an updated and expanded version of his earlier book as “A Lifetime of Vermont People.” A few years later, he announced that he was “Vermont broke,” the owner of a house but, in his old age, short on income, and began renting a room in his home through Airbnb. iller was voted “Mr. Waterbury” in a 2016 reader’s choice poll through the Stowe Reporter’s 4393 awards, but declined the honor, claiming that he was already “The Mayor of Colbyville,” and took the opportunity to contemplate secession. “Should we secede from the town and village of Waterbury, the state of Vermont, which is out of control, and the United States government,

which is turning scary?” he wrote. “Can we stop that slimy creature called Sprawl? And should we rename our cluster of buildings and GPS coordinates to Ben & Jerryville or Heady Topper Town?” The next year, he published his swan song, “Vanishing Vermont,” another compilation of people who, to him, represented the one true Vermont way of life, which he now fully acknowledged was on the way out. He, too, looked to join in on the vanishing and put his Colbyville home on the market in 2019, but true to his tireless woodchuck spirit, he couldn’t quite commit to leaving the Green Mountains behind entirely. “I don’t want to move out of the state,” he told the now-defunct Waterbury Record. “There are people in Vermont who want to move to Florida, but it will be a cold day in hell when I move to Florida.” n

SHOP ARTS

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EXPLORE

GORDON MILLER

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‘TIERRA DENTRO’ The Current showed the work of Esperanza Cortés, a Colombian-born multidisciplinary artist based in New York City, in a solo show last winter. Her passion for the mosaic of the Americas, its folk art traditions, rituals, music, dance, and its ever-evolving changes are at the core of her sculptures, paintings, installations, site-specific projects, and interventions. Her artwork examines the extent to which a consciousness, national or personal, defines itself through the opposing force of a transcultural experience. Learn how to visit The Current, Stowe’s contemporary art center, on p.100.

AT T H E C U R R E N T

2023 COURTESY OF SOAPBOX ARTS

‘IN THE GARDEN’ “Through a Space in the Garden Bough, I See Light Over the Horizon,” Wylie Garcia, 30"x40”, acrylic on canvas.

THE CURRENT Center for contemporary art in Stowe THE CURRENT Exhibitions of acclaimed international and Vermont artists and public programs, adult and children’s art classes and private lessons, school tours, student shows, and summer art camps. The Current is made possible through the generous support of the town of Stowe, its members, and sponsors. 90 Pond St., Stowe Village. Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free. Donations welcome. (802) 253-8358, thecurrentnow.org for monthly public events.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS January 11 – April 11

In the Garden Artists present a disparate array of topics through work that uses the garden as a motif, setting the stage for connection and cultivation. Paradise comes from a Persian word for “walled garden,” traditionally a place for calm

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and reflection. Artists use the metaphor of a garden to address climate change, decolonization, feminism, societal tensions, and the environment. Curator: Rachel Moore. Opening reception, Jan. 11, 5-7 p.m. June 22 – October 19 Solo exhibition: Chakaia Booker Chakaia Booker’s work has spanned decades with an intentionality of practice and purpose. She chooses discarded tires to create beauty from detritus, and elegance from industry in a way that both simply is, and yet has strong underpinnings, of social and environmental justice. Her solo exhibition highlights beauty and hardship, tradition and caretaking, and dives deep into Booker’s practice, highlighting monumental outdoor installations throughout Stowe, while inside The Current, her photographs, prints, and indoor sculptures fill the galleries. Curator: Rachel Moore. Opening reception, Saturday, June 22, 4-6 p.m., with artist walkabout.

June 22 – October 19

East Gallery: Climate Imprints Artists examine the climate crisis through printmaking techniques, including lithograph, etching, woodblock, and more. Curators: Chakaia Booker, Tara Sabharwal, and Justin Sanz. June 22 – October 19 Exposed 2024 Outdoor sculpture exhibition with artists Hank Willis Thomas and Chakaia Booker. November 14 – December 14 Members’ Art Show + Sale Popular show of members’ artwork and sale. Curator: Alexandra Sherrill.

SPECIAL EVENTS Saturday, April 13

Spring gala Tickets go fast for Stowe’s not-to-be-missed spring gala. Lodge at Spruce Peak. Tickets: thecurrentnow.org. (See Party Pix, p.36)

MADE IN VERMONT DUST TO DUST Richard Winter stands next to one of his hand-crafted pine coffins. He estimates he’s made about 200 of them for friends and neighbors since he moved to Vermont.

COFFIN MAN ‘Just bury me in a plain pine box’ STORY / ROBERT KIENER.

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PHOTOGRAPHS / GORDON MILLER

MADE IN VERMONT DOUBLE DUTY Winter saw a bump in demand for his coffins after he converted one of the rectangular models into a bookshelf, allowing his customers to use their final resting place before they die.

n his cluttered carpentry workshop, surrounded by the tools of his trade—table saw, planer, joiner, drill press, and a careerlong collection of beautifully battered and bruised hand tools—cabinet maker Richard Winter looks up from his work table and greets me with a wide grin. “Found the place, did you?” he says as he brushes away a small blizzard of white pine shavings from his shirtfront. “Good for you. Lot of folks get lost trying to find me.” He smiles, pauses for a beat, and explains, “Although I always tell them not to, they insist on following their GPS. That’s sure to get them

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lost. Hereabouts a map is still way better.” “Hereabouts” is Winter’s well-hidden home and workshop, deep in the wilds of north-central Vermont on a sparsely settled dirt road that’s almost equidistant between the tiny towns of East Calais and Marshfield. And, as I can attest after getting lost—a couple of times—trying to find Winter today, a map is better than a GPS. Way better. I’ve sought out Winter, a skilled craftsman, not to talk to him about his artfully crafted, much-in-demand cabinets but about one of his other interesting, more esoteric, sidelines—coffins. That’s right, coffins, the first cousins of caskets and the final resting places for most of us. Winter’s coffins are the stripped-down, bare-bone, wide, white-pine box versions, as opposed to the often ostentatious, over-designed, >>

MADE IN VERMONT

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velvet-lined mahogany, copper, or bronze models that can cost up to $10,000 or $12,000. “It’s not that I have anything against those super-expensive caskets,” Winter says. “It’s just that I’ve always wanted to build a coffin for those people who say, ‘Make it simple. No muss, no fuss. Just bury me in a plain pine box.’ Those people are my customers.” His coffins cost from $600-$850. After giving me a quick tour of his 18-foot by 32-foot post-and-beam workshop, the 70year-old carpenter points to a tall rectangular pine coffin that’s standing nearby. He’s crafted the six-and-a-half-foot long coffin from kilndried Eastern white pine that he buys from a local mill. It’s 16 inches deep, 25 inches wide, has mitered corners, hemp handles and is finished with tung oil. “This is our standard coffin and, as you can see, it’s about as no frills as it can be,” he says. “But I also make the more traditional models, with an angular, wide-shouldered top. You know, the ones that look like they came out of a Dracula movie. Depends what people want.” inter, born and raised in Massachusetts, finished college in 1979 and signed on as an apprentice cabinetmaker with a firm in Boston. “I’d always wanted to do something with my hands and building things intrigued me,” he says. After a few decades learning cabinet making and general carpentry, he grew restless. “When I was a kid, our family had often come up to Vermont on holidays and I’d always wanted to move here someday. There was just something about this place, these people, that had attracted me.” He landed a job with an East Calais furniture maker, sold his home and he and his wife and their two children moved to Vermont. “It wasn’t long after I settled here that I realized one of the things that had drawn me to Vermont was my longing for a sense of community,” Winter says. “I found that here. I liked the idea that I was now in a place where neighbors would readily help neighbors.” When he learned that carpenters used to sideline as coffin makers in the old days, he knew he’d hit on something. “Here was something I could do to help other people; people who had a special need at a stressful, vulnerable time in their lives,” he says. He started working on some prototypes. Word began to spread. It wasn’t long before Winter had his first order. “A neighbor came over and told me that his father had just died. He also explained that his father had heard about my coffins and had told him, ‘When I >>

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go, I just want a simple funeral. Just put me in one of those simple pine coffins that Richard makes.’ So, we did.” Winter found his niche. He didn’t give up his day job as a cabinet and furniture maker but he had found a new, rewarding sideline as his community’s coffin maker. Before long, he also discovered that he was offering a lot more to his customers than merely supplying them with a simple plain pine coffin. He was also, at times, helping them work through their grieving process. When Amanda Pyka, the daughter of a neighbor friend died suddenly at just 20 years old, her father Marek asked Winter if he could help him build her coffin. “Of course, I agreed,” Winter remembers. “Richard was wonderful,” Marek Pyka says. “I was devastated, and I suppose I was in a state of shock and just needed to be doing something. I remember I’d be sanding the coffin in Richard’s workshop and crying when he’d gently put his hand on my shoulder. He didn’t have to say anything; his calming presence was enough. He was like a midwife or a doula. He was—and is—so much more than a carpenter.” Says Winter, “I know that building Amanda’s coffin together helped both of us work through our grief. Marek even referred to Amanda’s coffin as her ‘boat’ and explained that we were building it to take her to whatever lie ahead. I realized it was part of his healing process. Mine too.” When another neighbor, Gregory Sanford, lost his wife to breast cancer, he called Winter. “Kathleen had asked for a simple funeral and

burial, and we wanted to keep the preparation as local as possible,” Sanford says. “Richard built a pine coffin for her, and we were able to bury her in it, using a local excavator and stonecutter, in a spot on our own property, looking out on the Worcester Range. We gave her a real Vermont send off.” As Winter recalls other people he has made coffins for, he pauses and then seems to choke back a tear. “Every time I build a coffin for someone, I am thinking about them. I feel honored that people are giving me this huge responsibility, that I am playing a part in their final passage,” he explains. Winter has made about 200 coffins since he’s moved to Vermont and he has set up a website, Vermont Coffins, separate from his cabinetmaking site, to spread the word about his specialty. He gets calls and orders from relatives of recently deceased folks as well as requests from people who are, as he explains, “planning ahead.” “Several years ago, I saw an elderly woman scurrying up my driveway and she asked me, almost shouting, ‘Are you the coffin maker?’ She’d found me on the internet,” Winter says. “I told her I was. She then said, ‘I need one. I have brain cancer.’ So, she came into my workshop and I measured her—like a tailor. She was 5 feet, 4 inches. I ended up building one for her and eventually one for her husband. They were both charming and told me they wanted to get everything planned for their

NOTEPAD Winter jots down notes on scrap wood as he makes a coffin for a client. A simple wooden handle is fashioned on each side of some of Winter’s pine coffins; others may have hemp handles.

passing. They didn’t want to leave anything to chance. When I delivered the coffin to her home in Topsham, she joked, ‘You can put it in the library and put me in it when I’m ready.’ She was a hoot.” Sadly, she died only a few months later. Winter saw a bump in demand for his coffins after he came up with the novel, somewhat offbeat, idea of displaying his coffins at farmers markets and crafts fairs. But he didn’t just stand up a plain pine coffin alongside his display table. “I converted one of the rectangular models into a bookshelf merely by adding a few shelves,” he explains. “So many people would walk over, look at the coffin/bookcase and do a double take,” Winter says. Some people were intrigued, others were shocked. “It’s really a reflection of our culture today. So many of us are afraid to talk about death or dying. But after all, there’s nothing more natural. I suppose I am breaking down some taboos.” His bookcase coffins sold so well that he regularly offers the option to interested buyers. Indeed, he recently sold two oak coffin-bookcases to a Massachusetts man: one for himself and one for his wife. “He asked if I could put file drawers in one and a cubby and shelves in the other so he could use them in his office until they needed them,” Winter says. “That’s planning ahead, isn’t it?” Alexandra Mennella, a 38-year-old business owner from Weare, N.H., found Winter’s website, emailed him and eventually ordered a pine bookcase coffin that she now uses in her home office. “Most people have no idea what it is,” she says. “I’m perfectly healthy but I want to have all my ducks in a row if I do pass away. I want a no fuss, no muss green burial and Richard made it all so easy.” efore I leave I have to ask Winter the inevitable question: Has he built his own coffin yet? He smiles and admits that he long ago sold the one he had built for himself. He adds that he’s in no rush to build another. In fact, he confesses that he’s been thinking about being buried in just a shroud. “No coffin,” he says, “just a plain white shroud. So, I can go right back into the earth after I die.” And what has he learned after all these years of dealing with death and the dying? “This has taught me that death is so real, so natural. If you have a healthy attitude about death, it helps you have a better attitude toward life.” Wise words from a man who has spent so much of his life thinking outside the box. n

FINE ART

GIFTS

DECOR

FURNITURE

JEWELRY

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GORDON MILLER

GALLERY TOUR

LEGACY BUILDING Bryan Gallery brings its show over the mountain The Bryan Memorial Gallery, a venerable and longtime Jeffersonville arts institution over the mountains, is now in Stowe. The Bryan Fine Art Gallery opened in the former Green Mountain Fine Art Gallery last summer. For 39 years, The Bryan Memorial Gallery has been a constant presence on Jeffersonville’s Main Street, and this expansion reflects its commitment to fostering artistic appreciation in a wider region. The Stowe gallery features a collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and mixedmedia artworks, sourced from both established and emerging artists, blending contemporary and traditional styles. “We are absolutely thrilled to announce the opening of our second location,” Stephen Gothard, the gallery’s executive director, says. “We are excited to expand our reach and bring the remarkable world of fine art to the Stowe community.” In nearly four decades, the Bryan Gallery has expanded on the Cambridge area’s longestablished attraction for landscape painters, preserving the tradition’s history while continuing to push the conceptual boundaries of the genre. Along with rotating themed shows in two of its galleries, the Bryan also shows paintings from its top-selling painters in its legacy gallery. The move into Stowe, according to Gothard,

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is being made because of a perceived lack in the town’s art scene, and a desire to meet Stowe’s locals and tourists where they’re at, particularly in winter when the Smugglers Notch passage that provides a quicker summer route between the two towns closes to vehicles. “There’s sort of a void in the Stowe area, especially when it comes to the traditional New England landscape or new landscape work,” he said. “We also want to expand our legacy.” Once home to a half-dozen or more art galleries, only Robert Paul Galleries, recently sold to new owners, fellow nonprofit The Current, and a newly opened gallery, Gale Farm Art, remain to welcome the Bryan into the Stowe art scene. “We have built a legacy on the traditional, but I also feel it’s important to show what today’s artists are doing,” Gothard said. “That may include some different approaches and different ways in which landscape is depicted, and I find it’s important to have a combination of both to complement one another.” The Bryan was established to honor the legacies of Alden and Mary Bryan, painters who lived in Rockport, Mass., and Cambridge. The couple not only produced landscape paintings in divergent styles but were also major figures in the town’s business community. According to its 2021 tax return, the nonprofit had net assets totaling $5.7 million. n

ROAD TRIP

PHOTOS: ANN MOORE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

CITY ON THE LAKE The Burlington waterfront from Lake Champlain. Inset: Church Street Marketplace.

ON THE WATERFRONT Spend the day in Vermont’s largest city Tired of mountain fun? We have you covered. The beautiful Burlington Waterfront is filled with vibrant activities, delicious food and drink, and wonderful Adirondack views across Lake Champlain. Most people think of the waterfront as a summer attraction, but there’s plenty to do in winter, and it’s well worth the trip if you’re up for a change of pace. So, hop in your vehicle, head up Interstate 89, find Route 2 and take it all the way down to the lake.

Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain The Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a 2.2-acre science center on the waterfront. It recognizes and honors Leahy’s dedication to the stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin. The mission of ECHO (Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunities) is to inspire and engage people in scientific discovery, nature, and the care of the lake, and exhibits are designed to inform and inspire that mission. Got a physicist in your future? One super-fun interactive exhibit is “Awesome Forces,” where you control a robotic vehicle, play with aerodynamics as you balance a ball above an airstream, investigate river processes while pumping water through a model stream system, test your knowledge of angles to guide a laser beam through the fog, and watch water freeze in real-time. Many exhibits are geared for kids yet are equally fascinating for adults. No doubt ECHO is the shining star of the waterfront. Tickets range from $14-$18. echovermont.org

STORY / KATE CARTER

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Waterfront Park Waterfront Park is a regional park west of downtown along the shoreline. This park is home to several large music and food festivals, with the Burlington Bike Path running along its eastern border. The park is immediately adjacent to ECHO and can be accessed via College and Lake streets and Penny Lane. Parking is available at the nearby Pease lot. More at enjoyburlington.com

Island Line Trail If you love Stowe’s rec path, you’ll love Burlington’s. Situated on the Lake Champlain shoreline, the path starts south of Oakledge Park and extends north for 14 miles. The southern portion is paved, while the northern portion, from Airport Park across the causeway

to Allen Point access area, is crushed, compacted stone. The trail is 4-feet wide for its entire length. In the winter, the Burlington parks’ crew leaves snow on one half of the trail for cross country skiing. The other half is popular with walkers, runners, bikers, dog walkers (leashes required), and for quiet meditation. It alternates between urban and incredibly scenic lake views. A breeze off the lake can make it quite brisk, so wear your ski duds! More at trailfinder.info

Sustenance On the north end of Waterfront Park, try Foam Brewers, founded in 2016 by an eclectic group of industry professionals with a shared appreciation for everything beer. They offer draft, growlers, cans, and a limited food menu of light fair for brewery guests. Skinny Pancake is located on Lake Street and is open all day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And yes, there’s one in Stowe. Open year round for lunch and dinner, Shanty on the Shore is dedicated to great, healthy food, with a focus on fresh seafood that changes daily with the tides. Slurp oysters, crack some lobster claws, or dive into a seafood bisque. Located on the corner of Battery and King at the south end of the waterfront.

Shopping Located about five blocks west of the lakefront is Church Street Marketplace, Burlington’s famous pedestrian mall and home to 100-plus shops and restaurants, year-round entertainment, and events.

Nightlife On Main Street find Burlington’s Flynn Theater, established in 1930 as a stateof-the-art vaudeville and movie theater. The Flynn has endured a zigzagging history to become the renowned, worldclass performing arts center it is today. More at flynnvt.org. n

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HIS TORY LESSON KEEPING TIME Chris Jolly, Stowe’s assistant public works director, shows off the inner workings of the town clock located below the belfry of the Stowe Community Church. Voters decided at town meeting to spend $95,000 for repairs. In the early 1970s, the town replaced the mechanical clock—shown here—that has been housed at the base of the church since the turn of the century.

TOWN TICKER Stowe goes back to the old-fashioned way What time is it? In recent years, the answer to that question could depend on what side of the Stowe Community Church you’re standing. The four clock faces at the base of the frequently photographed steeple don’t always show the same time, and after numerous repairs to the electronics operating the clock, the town has decided it might be better to go back to 19th century technology. Voters on Town Meeting Day approved spending $95,000 to fix the old mechanical clock that has been sitting unused since the 1970s, instead of allocating approximately the same amount of money to upgrade the electronic clock that replaced it. For town officials, there’s a compelling rea-

son to spend the money: quite simply, it’s about time. “It’s a beautiful piece of history and artwork, and the thought is, if we’re going to spend the money, let’s go with history and put this system back in working order, rather than trying to rely on (electronic) chips in a non-climate-controlled environment,” town manager Charles Safford said.

In the belfry In the early 1970s, the town replaced the mechanical clock that had been housed at the base of the church steeple since the turn of the century with an electronic model, but decades of exposure in a drafty belfry have led to frequent failures. In 2018, the last time one of the

STORY / TOMMY GARDNER

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faces was fixed, the town discovered it truly might be the last time. Chris Jolly, the town’s assistant public works director, said a couple of years ago the town’s contracted horologist—a fancy name for a watch or clockmaker—Steve Cowdell learned that there were only a few replacement motors left in the entire country. “Steve scooped them up, knowing they were unique to our situation here, and now, there’s only one left in his inventory. So, the writing is on the wall,” Jolly said.

Technology changes Except when it doesn’t. Thus, the proposal to just go back to the old model. >>

PHOTOGRAPHS / GORDON MILLER

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In a tiny room just below the belfry called the clock box still sits 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 said. 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 mechanism, usually about once a week. “You know the phrase ‘wound tighter than an eight-day clock?’ That means the clock is wound all the way and the springs are totally loaded,” Jolly said. “The idea is you get in the habit of winding it every seven days, but they make them eight-day clocks, just in case.” Jolly said there are modern automatic winders that could be incorporated into the clock escapement, which would eliminate the need for someone from the church or from public works to come up and wind the thing, but he said some communities embrace the winding duties. Gloucester, Mass., for instance, has a two-year waiting list for people eager to take a turn in winding its clock.

The tight turns, steep stairs, low beams, and other hazards on the way up to the Stowe Community Church’s clock room would make that type of tradition unlikely, if the person winding the clock has to actually be in the tiny space with the timepiece. “It might not be great to have the general public clambering up these stairs,” Jolly said.

Church and state Although the church owns the building—constructed in 1863 for the cost of $12,000—the town owns the clock, an arrangement that dates back well over a century and was typical of pre-electrified New England towns where not all people carried pocket watches or had clocks at home, according to Stowe historian Barbara Baraw. Baraw said the idea was to stick the town clock in the highest place it could so all could see it. Even today, it doesn’t get much higher than the church steeple. Baraw said H.H. Bingham, a prominent lawyer who lived in the village—he had a hand in the construction of the sprawling Mansfield Hotel on Main Street as well as the Summit House on actual Mt. Mansfield and lent his name to the popular Bingham Falls area—first proposed installing a clock in the church in the latter half of the 1800s but was roundly rebuffed. He tried again shortly before he died and his efforts this time paid off. In 1901, the clock went up for all to see—almost all. “He never lived to see it go up,” Baraw said. n

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COQUELICOTS “My most recent work, and a big part of my art practice, is site specific. I sculpt and form and re-form in response to the architecture and the space. Coquelicots begins with a photograph of poppies. That photograph is cut, folded, and stitched back together. It is made up of thousands of abstracted images.” Kent Museum installation, Calais, 2023.

Changing DireCtion

Marcie Scudder masters art of reinvention

S T O R Y : robert kiener

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PORTRAITS:

gordon miller

C A N VA S E S :

marcie scudder

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GORDON MILLER; PREVIOUS PAGE: MARCIE SCUDDER

TREE HOUSE Marcie Scudder in her studio in Stowe. Like Coquelicots, pieces make up the whole for two other installation projects, My Mother’s Garden and Mon Hiver. Installation, Mon Hiver, Kent Museum.

“H

mm,” says Marcie Scudder as she pauses for a bit while sitting at a large circular worktable in her expansive, light-filled home studio. “That’s a good question.” I’ve just asked her how she’d describe herself, and she seems a bit puzzled. For good reason. The much-praised Stowe artist has been recognized for everything from her evocative fine-art photography to her poetic writing, artistic bookmaking, and her large-scale installation art. Her photography has sold widely and, most recently, several of her paper-sculptural installation pieces were chosen to appear in this year’s always-trendy Art at the Kent exhibition at the Kent Museum in Calais. Obviously, Scudder is a multi-talented, multi-media artist. But a label? “Well, I’ve described myself as a lens-based visual artist,” Scudder says, smiling. “How’s that?” “Sounds good,” I answer as I remember that this 65-year-old wife and mother of three has also been a successful architect with her own practice for 25 years, is a certified yoga instructor, and just completed a Master of Fine Arts at Maine Media College. As she rises from the table to show me one of her newest creations, she adds, “But I’m

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GORDON MILLER; MARCIE SCUDDER

just as hesitant to call myself an ‘artist’ as I am to label my latest work, which some have described as photography, a quilt, a sculpture, or even just an ‘experience.’ When it comes to labels, I guess I’d rather have the viewer decide.” he walls of her home and her aerielike, second-floor studio, which she has described as her tree house— “because every window has wonderful views of our birches, oaks, and maples”— are covered with examples of her fine-art photography. But today she is most anxious to show off a work in progress that represents her newest artistic direction. It is a hanging, quilt-like, paper sculpture >>

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that is comprised of scores of her own photographs that she has printed, cut up, folded, and sewn together into a flowing, threedimensional abstract paper sculpture. One art-show reviewer recently described one of these paper sculptures as printed images “strung together like sculptural kudzu.” “I have always thought of my camera as my paintbrush,” Scudder explains. “I was pleased with my images but a few years ago I felt I needed a new artistic perspective, a new direction. I just thought something was missing.” In 2020 she enrolled in Maine Media College’s three-year, low residency Master of Fine Arts degree program and quickly discovered the “something” she’d been looking for. “A third dimension,” Scudder explains. “That was my new discovery.” She says that it was liberating to free herself from photography’s limited, two-dimensional world and venture into to sculpture’s three dimensions. “I remember my teacher and mentor coaxing me to ‘go big’ and

‘sculpt space.’ It wasn’t long before I was making these sculptural forms. And loving it! I like to say I arrived at just another beginning.” Her paper sculptures have come to incorporate so many aspects of her professional, artistic, and even personal lives. For example, her years as

AEONIAN SERIES, No. 1, or what Scudder calls a project of consciously unconscious composition, “an exploration in abstract color, shape, form, and light,” paired with “abstract imagery with scenes captured within nature, allowing for an unexpected conversation. Aeonian series, No. 3. Shifting Landscape series, No. 8. “In 2014, my landscape shifted. My mother died. I was no longer anyone’s daughter. My children married ... This is a small part of a much larger personal project—a visual dialogue between my past and my present day. This series of diptychs is meant to be viewed as pages of a book, a short chapter in a long life’s story.”

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BEHIND THE LENS Kaleidescope. Next page, Hazel. Below, from Scudder’s macro flower series Shloshim, which translates to thirty in Hebrew, and the first month of mourning following a funeral. From top left, No. Three, No. Sixteen, No. Nineteen, and No. Twenty-nine.

“JOSEF ALBERS SPOKE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF SEEING COLOR AS IT TRULY IS. I LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT COLOR IS NOT SIMPLY SEEN, BUT EXPERIENCED AND IMAGINED THROUGH ALL OF OUR SENSES.” —Marcie Scudder

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an architect taught her to “sculpt space,” a skill that is invaluable in her new artistic process. Her photography, which she has long described as “how I see the world”—she still calls her camera “my paintbrush”—forms the basis for her paper sculptures. Last, she is inspired by, and regularly incorporates, stories from her own or other lives or nature into her new work. One of her most-recent paper sculptures, “My Mother’s Garden,” was inspired by the garden her mother left her and is rich with metaphor. Scudder used her own photographs of poppies, forget-me-nots, black-eyed-Susan, phlox, thistle, and other flowers from her mother’s garden, which she then printed, cut and folded into complex hexagonal images. As she describes how this sculpture just “grew and grew and grew,” she likens it to a garden that is ever evolving and changing. But, as with many of her new pieces, there are many levels of understanding to this colorful sculpture. “This is also a reminder that we are all our mothers’ gardens,” she says. “We grow and bloom and have children who also become parents. We are all the seeds that our mothers planted.” Does Scudder care if viewers understand the different depths in her work? Does she wonder, in other words, if they get it? “I am just so thrilled that people find this work interesting,” she says. “Viewers’ reception is never what I imagined. Some wonder about the process. Others love interacting—literally walking through the work—and experiencing the joy in it. When I saw viewers, especially children, walking through ‘My Mother’s Garden’ when it was installed at the Kent, I was overjoyed. I am so familiar with a work that I just release it, send it out to the world and let the viewer decide.” As she points to a collection of images that she has yet to fold and sew in to her next paper sculpture, she adds, “That’s a joy and a privilege.” n Changing Direction continues, pages 126 & 128

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SYNESTHESIA SERIES No. 12, “a study and exploration into the color and joy of simple play. I made this imagery in response to my need for letting go of the linear constraints that confined and defined, and as an explanation and response to my internal sensual perceptions.” From the Synesthesia series, No. 12. Collage: Scudder is “well into my fourth sketchbook ... scraps of paper from discarded catalogs and magazines. Scissors and glue. The project has become a simple, low-tech exercise and meditation in mindfulness.”

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Precious Time m

‘THE GIRLS’ Morning fog, bright red poppies, snow-dappled birch trees, a sly fox with a winning grin, these have long been some of Marcie Scudder’s favorite subjects to photograph. Indeed, she is rarely without her camera as she takes her daily, early-morning constitutional from her home near Percy Hill Road, and she loves finding such rich, natural images that speak to her. Also among her favorite subjects were Paul and Ryan Percy’s much-loved Jersey and Holstein cows, which had been dubbed by many locals “The Girls.” Says the artist, “I am a real animal lover and I’d been photographing these beautiful cows for years. In fact, I knew them so well that the Percy farmhands would often invite me into the barn to photograph them.” So, when her husband woke her up on that cold February evening in 2022 and told her he’d seen smoke and an orange blaze lighting up the night sky down the road, she prayed that “The Girls” were OK. But, as everyone who lives in Stowe soon learned, they weren’t. The fire claimed some 130 of the Percy’s Jersey cows. “Like so many of us, I was devastated when I heard the news and cried when I saw the barn was gone. I had to do something.” 128

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She offered to sell a selection of her photographs of “The Girls” and ended up raising over $5,000 for the Percys. “For years these sweet girls have greeted me in the morning. My muses. My constants. My friends.” n

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HERBAL MEETS CULINARY Chef-trained Fiona Lucia Genadio-Allen wasn’t satisfied with cooking in restaurants. She was more interested in fusing herbal medicine and culinary decadence. In 2021, she launched Wolfpeach, a Morrisville-based apothecary kitchen, to make tonic herbs that are delicious, desirable, and easy to incorporate into food and drink, while promoting sustainable agriculture. Wolfpeach infuses beverages, powders, and pastes with herbs ranging from ashwagandha to gotu kola to yellow dock. If you’re needing to improve your digestion, brain power, immune system, vitality, stress and anxiety, cardiovascular system, or simply want to detox, head over for helpful and tasty concoctions. And, by the way, the species name, lycopersicum, er, tomato plant, means wolf peach. INFO: Available online at wolfpeach.com, and behind the bar as cocktail enhancers at Doc Ponds, Tom Girl, among other establishments.

HOW SWEET IT IS! Shelburne Farms’ mission is to inspire and cultivate learning about food in order to maintain a sustainable food system. In addition to its educational and dining aspect, The Farms also sells locally harvested food products. Its honey, for example, comes from hives in northern Vermont and produced without pesticides by Northwoods Apiaries in Westfield. Some say that the antioxidants in unfiltered raw honey help to protect the body against free radical damage that contributes to cell breakdown and premature aging. It’s can also be a great home remedy for a sore throat or a cough, and it may also help to relieve gastrointestinal issues as well. Basically, raw honey is as close to the beehive as you can get. INFO: shelburnefarms.org

GET BRAVE, GO BOLD Next time your homemade soup tastes a little bland, toss in some Za’atar (oregano, cumin, sumac, sesame seed, thyme, sea salt), made in Bakersfield by Brave Little Spice Co. The company blends various seasonings and spices from reliable suppliers to make small-batch blends that retain flavor and add zesty boldness to whatever you’re cooking, all while supporting local businesses and farmers. Single spices and spice blends are available at summer farmers markets and online. INFO: bravelittlespice.co

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COMPILED BY KATE CARTER / COURTESY PHOTOS

KARA WARE STUDIO Bolton artist Kara Ware is a printmaker who uses using bright, vibrant colors to express herself on notecards, tote bags, and wrapping paper. Her subjects are whimsical— plants, animals, and Vermont vernacular (think barns, moose, skis). Gift cards are available in 5-packs, wrapping paper comes in a roll, and tote bags are 15 inches square. See Ware’s work at Northwood Gallery in Stowe Village. INFO: karawarestudio.com

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SIP STAY SUP INDULGE •

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STOWE MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

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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 microbrews—and everything in between! Check out the area’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.

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EDIBLES

SUNDAY, FUNDAY MC's Penalty Box owners Mariya St. Cyr and Chelsey Machia are familiar faces on both sides of the bar.

MC’S PENALTY BOX: Because everyone needs a timeout STORY / TOMMY GARDNER

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PHOTOGRAPHS / GORDON MILLER

EDIBLES BAR CROWD Beers, burgers, and ball games are a big draw for MC’s Penalty Box, which also offers upscale pub food at reasonable prices.

he latest addition to Stowe’s restaurant scene already feels so familiar that even a tourist might, by the end of the night, swear they know you from somewhere. MC’s Penalty Box, a sports bar attached to the Commodores Inn on South Main Street, opened its doors earlier this year and didn’t take long to establish itself as a family-friendly place that’s also a perfect place to get away from the kids. It’s a vibe fostered by first-time restaurant owners but longtime food service workers, Chelsey Machia and Mariya St. Cyr, who made the leap from Morrisville’s Cheers-esque eatery Hoagies and brought with them all the tricks of

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the trade they’ve learned serving customers over two decades in the two very different communities. “I feel like we were pretty deep enough into the industry to be like, ‘Let’s just start our own baby,’” St. Cyr said. MC’s Penalty Box blends family friendly booth dining and a local AF lounge area, with generous pours and a well-curated draft, a reasonably priced and varied food menu—“upscale pub food,” Machia calls it—and nearly a dozen TVs showing every NFL game every Sunday, as well as Boston Bruins and Red Sox games when those seasons are in full swing. Both owners are moms with young kids and bring a maternal approach to their young adult

kitchen and dining room staff, as well as their regular customers, where the gab flows both ways. “One of the biggest things for me is building relationships with my customers,” St. Cyr said. “They’re like my second family.” Even the Penalty Box name has its origin in motherhood, as St. Cyr’s kid is playing youth hockey for the first time this year—the MC comes from the moms’ initialized first names. The place has been a hit with the locals, which includes key early devotees from the Mad River Rugby Club and the Stowe Slugs hockey team, as well as a who’s-who of Stowe’s chattering class. >>

EDIBLES WINGING IT Penalty Box co-owner Mariya St. Cyr got her first restaurant experience in the same building, in a different era.

The menu is wide ranging and affordable. A half-dozen chicken wings are so substantive that a regular bar customer a few stools down asks if it’s a plate of fried chicken. The extra hot house special is called Full Monty and it’s a slow burner with more smoke and less vinegar than other sauces. The burgers are half-pounders incorporating a blend of chuck brisket and short rib and come with hand-cut fries—sweet potato or regular—or a side salad for $16-17, about the price for all the sandwiches. Half a dozen different personal flatbreads are $10 for cheese and $14 for ones with toppings.

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Entrees are varied, and a new winter menu will feature hearty fare like butternut squash ravioli and braised short ribs with cheesy grits, along with standard football standbys like nachos—house-made pulled pork will be a ubiquitous add-on option. Vegetarians will find something in every section of the menu—the summer and fall selections included buffalo cauliflower, pan-fried Brussels sprouts, a falafel wrap, and a veggie curry stir fry. Some people start restaurants because it’s the natural thing to pair with their culinary school pedigree. Some do it because they’ve made a name for themselves in other eateries and want to branch out to another >>

EDIBLES WHAT’S COOKIN’? Bartender Matt Dekens runs a plate of chicken wings for a weekend football crowd at MC’s Penalty Box in Stowe

concept. Some use their own money. Others use other people’s money. Machia and St. Cyr do it partly because they’ve already done everything in the business, the natural non-chef progression from the back of the house to the front, from scrubbing pots and pans to cutting celery and carrots to hosting, busing, waiting, bartending, and managing. Machia got her start in restaurants as a teenager, working the bar at Stowe’s long-operating and much-missed Sunset Grille and Tap Room, well before she could legally drink. “This is a new challenge, and it’s exciting,” she said. “It gives me a new love for the business. I almost can’t imagine opening a restaurant without having the service experience.” St. Cyr’s first restaurant experience was right where she is now, at the old Commodores Inn banquet-style dining room. It was her idea to take the leap from employee to employer—and to take Machia with her. That old dining room and narrow speakeasy space were completely re-done by restaurateur Jack Pickett, who launched the seafood-centric

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Big Fish in late 2021. Pickett’s venture never really caught on, but it provided a thoroughly modern turnkey operation. That includes Pickett’s predilection for fun culinary toys, like a state-of-the-art rotisserie in the kitchen just waiting to be put to good use. Bartender Matt Dekens, a big and beardy guy with a bigger smile and personality, waxes about the potential for poolside and pondside lounging and activities, maybe a smoker for slow cooking meats. “What do you think about a Cajun chicken sandwich?” Dekens asked the late small lunch/early cocktail crowd on a day this fall. Sure, the reporter ventures, but how about a remoulade instead of mayo? He brightens up. “Yes,” he says, and with spirit, repeating the fancy name for his nascent sandwich’s condiments, complete with fancy accents: “Remoulade, remoulade ... Yeah, I think that’ll work.” n ESSENTIALS: 823 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 760-6464, mcspenaltybox.com.

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

Farm to Table Cuisine

Vermont’s First Certified Green Restaurant #1 Most Romantic Restaurant in Vermont - TripAdvisor, MSN.com & Delish.com Best Restaurant, Best Steak & Best Wine List in Stowe - Forbes Traveler Wine Spectator Award of Excellence Most Outstanding Farm to Table Restaurant 2023 - Northeast USA - Lux Life Restaurant & Bar Awards

Rehearsal Dinners | Weddings | Special Events Dinner from 5-9 pm 4182 Waterbury-Stowe Road Route 100 North, Waterbury Center, Vermont 5 Minutes from Stowe & I-89

802.244.7476 | michaelsonthehill.com

EDIBLES

SALSA ON! Chef-owner Jan Chotalal and sous chef Julie Schweidenback welcome diners to Marsala Salsa in Johnson.

MARSALA SALSA Jan Chotalal finds new life in Johnson STORY / AARON CALVIN

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PHOTOGRAPHS / GORDON MILLER

EDIBLES

VISIONARY Chef-owner Jan Chotalal opened Marsala Salsa in Johnson, where she serves her signature Caribbean-MexicanIndian cuisine.

ast spring, Marsala Salsa was reborn in Johnson. The original Marsala Salsa, based in Waterbury, closed in 2012 after 22 years, the same month chef-owner Jan Chotalal got a cancer diagnosis and the owner of the building it occupied didn’t renew the restaurant’s lease. Chotolal beat her illness, and just over a decade later, returned her truly unique culinary vision back to north-central Vermont. Johnson was in need of a little revitalization itself. The Downtown Pizzeria and Pub, the Main Street building’s former occupant, limped along after the pandemic hit restaurateurs hard in 2020. Marsala Salsa moved in and from the jump saw steady business, Wednesday through Saturday. In July a days-long torrential downpour caused the banks of the Lamoille and Gihon rivers to massively flood Johnson, devastating homes and businesses in its lower village, which could have put a damper on the restaurant’s burgeoning success but it escaped damage. As the small college town recovers, weekday nights see diners regularly occupying windowside tables and sidling up to the restaurant’s long bar at Chotalal’s reimagined dream. >>

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Your one stop shop for great food and unique finds! Our artisan and antique market has over 100 vendors selling arts, antiques, furniture, gifts and more!

Breakfast and lunch served all day, every day! OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK | CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR SEASONAL HOURS

39 Edson Hill Road, Stowe | 802.253.7223 | info@roundhearth.com | roundhearth.com

EDIBLES

TEQUILA TIME Bartender Peter Gaugner serves up a couple classics from Marsala Salsa’s array of margheritas.

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sweetsavorypc@gmail.com 146

With the rebirth of Marsala Salsa, Chotolal brings back her unique blend of CaribbeanIndian-Mexican cookery, combining a trifecta of difficult-to-come-by cuisines in rural New England under one roof. The meat of the Marsala is bifurcated between Caribbean and Mexican entrees: chicken and veggies, curry or tandoori style, brown chicken and shrimp. Although the jerk chicken, pulled off the bone and served with a chickpea slaw and rice, isn’t the blackened bone-in options you might find at a traditional jerk shop, the grilled chicken in a sweet ginger sauce is unlike anything else you’ll find around here. Then there are the burritos, tacos, and enchiladas—any way you want them, of course— along with the chimichanga and a stand-alone tofu burrito packed with veggies for a particular brand of Vermonter. The usual appetizers of jalapeno poppers and nachos are on offer as well, and there is the Mexican restaurant musthave: a full offering of flavored margaritas. The menu also contains some trap doors through which a diner might fall and realize that Marsala Salsa truly has something for everyone. The jerk chicken also comes as a sandwich, and there’s a chickpea burger, but there’s also mac and cheese. If the thought comes to mind—what’s a noodle doing here—then be prepared for the three-dish Italian section of the menu. That’s right, if nothing on the front end of Marsala Salsa’s diverse menu suits you, a back

page of lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken parmesan—an apparent concession to the space’s former occupant—will. It feels like Chotolal proclaiming that she’s done it all, and she can do anything. It all somehow fits with a restaurant that has something for everyone, even if it’s something you may not expect. n ESSENTIALS: 21 Lower Main St., Johnson (802) 635-7626. Find Marsala Salsa on Facebook.

an elevated, accessible dining experience

Edson hill S T O R Y : aaron calvin

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PAUL ROGERS; INSET: REAGAN BYRNE CREATIVE

For Jerome Picca, executive chef at Edson Hill Restaurant, the ingredients for his dishes begin with the soil. His great love is the vegetable, anything that comes up through the earth and takes on the unique properties of its particular plot of land. Before taking the reins in the kitchen in the restaurant’s post-pandemic era, he made his career in the Boston area, where he still maintains a home. He’s adamant that he can taste the different qualities the soil in the coastal flatland and north country bring out in his leafy greens and tuberous roots. “When I go to one of our farmers, I taste the soil and feel it in my hands,” Picca said. “Is it smooth? Is it grainy? Is it soft and moist? Is it dark or light brown? All this has an impact on flavor. It’s part of the science of food. I’m not just interested in mechanics and the chemistry and the nutrition, but I’m interested, also, in how the terroir gets in.” Picca, 62, could pass as decades younger. His earnest enthusiasm, unlined face, and calm but exuberant manner all give him the burnish of youth. Only a burst of white hair betrays his age, and the way he talks about butter lettuce makes you think of it as a unique manifestation of a vast, complex system instead of a perfunctory component of traditional American cuisine. >>

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FROM TOP: PAUL ROGERS; REAGAN BYRNE CREATIVE

TERROIR, ANYONE? Edson Hill Restaurant chef Jerome Picca. A local greens summer salad. Previous page: Watermelon gazpacho: Maplebrook Farms feta, candied jalapeno, topped with mint.

Wood Fired Napoletana Pizza | Home Made Pasta | Prime Wood Fired Steak | Fresh Seafood

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18 Edson Hill Road Stowe, Vermont 802.253.5677 | salutevt.com

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FROM TOP: PAUL ROGERS; ACJ PHOTOGRAPHY; ROGERS

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CREATIVE SPIRIT Chef Jerome Picca, right, takes an egalitarian, collaborative spirit in his kitchen, according to his No. 2, sous chef Dylan Taylor. Preparing oysters for one of Edson Hill’s popular wine pairings. The Moscato d’asti poached pear: brown butter, graham cracker, sweet cream and toasted pistachio.

rik and Jesse Stacy took over management of Edson Hill in 2015, planning to only manage for an interim period—Erik’s sister, Susan, is an investor in the property and its interior designer—and ended up being unable to tear themselves away. The 75-year-old inn has 25 rooms and suites throughout its sprawling grounds. It feels both timeless and of the moment, perched atop some of the most coveted and expensive real estate in Stowe. Its manor house is not particularly old, not for New England, but the manor incorporated beams allegedly taken from a barn owned by the revolutionary Ethan Allen, and brick from Burlington’s longdemolished Sherwood Hotel. Like the Stacys, Picca was supposed to be a visitor at Edson Hill, replacing a prior chef who had served through most of their tenure, but there’s something about the place that doesn’t easily let go. It’s an easy place to get wrapped up in. Many hotels and rentals in Vermont aim for a familiar settler aesthetic, but Susan Stacey and her Boston-based design company, Gauthier-Stacy Inc., captured the mood without letting it feel overstuffed or kitsch.

he dining area is split in two. The upper floor hosts the main formal dining room, with many smaller tables drawn tightly against the wall while the center is dominated by a chandelier made of maple branches and glass baubles. Downstairs is the tavern, dominated by leather and dark wood, a fireplace on one end and the corner bar at the other. The same menu is available in both areas, and both floors are bound by a similar intimacy. Diners are seated in close quarters. But as the sun sets, and the perfect view of the descending slope toward Stowe village fades, each candlelit table becomes its own world. On any given weeknight, the tables are

Come by Aladdin and check out their Authentic Vegetarian Flavors!

story, p.156

photographs, p.154 >>

aladdin A Taste of the Middle East

1880 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT aladdinstowevt@gmail.com • @aladdinstowevt Sunday, Wednesday & Thursday - 11am-5pm Friday & Saturday - 11am- 8pm — CATERING SERVICES AVAILABLE —

Pita Sandwiches • Homemade Falafels • Hummus Bowls 153

FROM TOP: PAUL ROGERS; ROGERS; REAGAN BYRNE CREATIVE

CASUAL ELEGANCE Both the Inn’s cozy tavern, below, and more formal dining room offer the same menu options. The well-appointed inn, which has a long history in Stowe hospitality, pays attention to even the smallest details. A perfect winter cocktail, the Thyme After Thyme, features Barr Hill gin, St. Germaine, lime, and thyme honey, of course!

INN THE MOOD

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OPEN THURS - SAT TWO FLOORS OF DINNING TABLES FOR LARGE GROUPS VT BEERS CRAFT COCKTAILS

#NotJustBBQ blackdiamondbarbeque.com @blackdiamondbbqvt 155

FOODPOURRI

156 FROM TOP LEFT: REAGAN BYRNE CREATIVE; EDSON HILL; THE PRISM HOUSE; EDSON HILL; INSET: BRENT HARREWYN

BIG PLATES The menu changes seasonally. From top left: Togarashi seared tuna, sticky rice, local vegetables, puffed rice noodle and ginger shoyu. Beef tenderloin with a cognac butter, potato gratin, roasted heirloom carrots, and micro greens. Charred octopus with Naked Acre greens, tangelo, pickled shallot, Peruvian peppers and a sweet chili glaze. The Inn’s Statler chicken features blood orange jus, potato gratin, those roasted heirloom carrots and micro greens. Inset: Iberico Pork with pommes Anna, oyster mushroom, asparagus, and a maple miso glaze.

taken up by an eclectic mix of Edson Hill lodgers and locals. The sense of serenity even seeps into the kitchen, where Picca sets the tone with his deliberate kindness, an executive chef styled as the negative image of Gordon Ramsey’s television personae. This is somewhat stunning to Jesse Stacey, who grew up in the restaurant industry, and was surprised to find a head chef who never screamed at his subordinates. Picca prefers to lead as an educator and works to allow his team’s individual strengths and passions to flower within the constructive constriction of his oversight. The restaurant’s Duck Duck dish, or duck confit two ways, epitomizes Picca’s method. Created in partnership with sous chef Dylan Taylor, whom Picca praises for having an “unbelievably creative spirit,” nearly half a fowl is served up in two different iterations of a classic dish. “I wanted to do it my way, he wanted to do it his way, and I thought, ‘Let me see your way’ and I loved it, absolutely loved it,” Picca said. “So, what we ended up doing is, while we change the menu seasonally, the Duck Duck has almost always stayed fundamental.” The competing visions come together to complement one another. Both exhibit the dish’s trademark crackling crisp skin, but to their own effect. The skin on the >>

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FROM TOP: BRENT HARREWYN; ANDREW VICK

DUCK DUCK Nearly half a fowl served in two iterations of the classic dish, duck confit. Seared scallop over spaghetti squash with ginger gastrique and herb oil.

breast gives way to succulent white meat, avoiding the dryness that often afflicts less skilled iterations. For the leg, the skin is the whole show, and it earns center stage. Of course, Picca can’t help but make the vegetable components of the dish stand out. In the late fall-early winter iteration of the dish, a bed of earthy carrot puree cradles the confit breast, while the leg luxuriates over a peach mostarda, a bed of arugula dividing the two servings. icca may be all about what comes from the earth, but Taylor is all about what’s drawn from the sea, and instead of demanding his young chefs adhere to his vision, the executive give them room to express themselves. The menu reflects Picca’s generosity. The appetizer list may feature Brussel’s sprouts in roasted garlic aioli with smoked honey and honey roasted cauliflower, but it also features garlic shrimp and smoked octopus, a delicate array of cross-hatched mollusks strewn with cold cubes of butternut squash and a garnish of shaved fennel and greens that, along with the citrus creme fraiche, causes the subtle smokiness of the octopus to bloom in the mouth. The entree list may feature duck along with a couple different cuts of steak, but swordfish and scallops command an equal role. Of course, the dessert list in Vermont must feature an apple tart. Edson Hill plays with the concept, presenting carefully layered apple filling within a squat tower of puff pastry. One stroke of a fork and the walls are breached, inviting in the vanilla ice cream and sesame waiting on the plate beyond. While Picca’s touch may be considered, there is nothing understated about the menu at Edson Hill Restaurant. A dinner for two, particularly if the diner takes advantage of the restaurant’s ample wine and cocktail list, could bring a tab upwards of $300, but this is no tasting menu. “It’s just like the rooms,” Stacy said. “There’s simplicity, but there’s a sophistication there. It’s not pretentious. I’ve said to the guys in the kitchen, ‘If you have to get out your tweezers, then it doesn’t belong here.’” n

ESSENTIALS: 1500 Edson Hill Road, Stowe. Reserve online at edsonhill.com. info@edsonhill.com, (802) 253-7371.

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GORDON MILLER

TIDBITS

THE ROASTERY Jordan Saglio, owner of The Roastery, pours a cup of high-quality java at the cafe that opened in 2022.

NEW ON THE SCENE Stowe’s Main Street offers changing lineup STORY / AARON CALVIN

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TIDBITS

To the infrequent visitor to Stowe, Main Street may have done some shifting lately. The arrival of the first prominent chain in two decades is arriving imminently. The chocolate shop looks different. In a town that has seen such a jolt to its property values as Stowe has over the last few years, a little commercial turnover was inevitable as a changing town sees a competitive marketplace push business owners to fight for premier real estate. Here’s your guide to a changing Stowe village scene.

Peaced-out pies After a pandemic-delayed opening, an all-toobrief tenure from the White River Junctionbased Vermont chainlet ended abruptly when its investor money ran out, according to Valley News, leaving Stowe without its unique purveyor of British-style meat pies. Now, local spirits producer Smugglers’ Notch Distillery will step into the Main Street

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space, and bring its line of vodkas, gins, bourbons, cream liqueurs, and barrel-aged maple syrup in the form of a tasting room to capitalize on coveted Stowe foot traffic.

Chocolate changeover After two decades as Stowe’s premier chocolatier, Leigh Williams sold her Laughing Moon Chocolates to Vermont-based, family-owned Lake Champlain Chocolates. While Williams’ truffles and their locallysourced goodness will be missed, the Lampman family has promised to win her regulars over with the proven success of their treats. After all, the Stowe location will be the operation’s fourth in the state.

Turning green Months of rumors that the great green lady would be appearing in the window of the new 109 Main St. building came to a head when the Stowe Reporter finally verified its imminence in September. Due to arrive sometime this win-

COURTESY PHOTOS

ter, Starbucks marks the first major chain to set up shop in Stowe since the Mountain Road McDonald’s closed in the early 2000s. While the arrival has drummed up some vocal consternation, a quieter crowd of brand loyalists are surely anticipating the chance to pick up their app-ordered frappuccino. (See story on page 18)

Raja rises Umami, an East Asian eatery “inspired by the Cantonese and Szechuan regions of China, Thailand, and Japan,” opened in July 2020 on Main Street and, unfortunately, closed in August 2022. In its place comes Raja Restaurant, which specializes in take-out Indian food of many stripes. There’s biryani and curry, and classics like tandoori chicken, and cuisine from the northern continent like momos. Chicken, goat, lamb, and even a little chow mein, Raja brings a little spice to the Stowe’s Main Street. n

31 Lower Main Street in Johnson, VT (802) 635-7483 | (800) 899-6349 marvinscountrystore.com

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R E A L E S TAT E

•

HOMES 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 everything home-related. Our newspapers and web- sites—Stowe Reporter (stowetoday.com and stowereporter.com) and News & Citizen (newsandcitizen.com)—are great community and real estate resources.

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FLASHBACK

FAMILY BUSINESS Chuck Baraw left important mark on his beloved Stowe

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PHOTOS BY GORDON MILLER

Editor’s note: Shortly after getting to Stowe in the mid-1980s, I worked at the Stoweflake, before its last and biggest expansion. But, then, everyone in Stowe, at some point, worked at The Flake, folks from the 1960s through the 2000s. Nancy Crowe, Carolyn Kelly, Pat Persico, Peter Sakash, Marty Werth, Haabz, Will Spaulding, and all the hundreds who came before and after. Owner Chuck Baraw, who died last spring, was, of course, a constant presence. It is fitting that contributions in his memory are headed to the Stowe Historical Society for the “Chuck Baraw Sr. Citizen Ski Racing Research Fund” to support the collection of living Stowe history about the rich tradition of citizen ski racing that Chuck enjoyed so much—Stowe Ski Bum races, NASTAR, masters, and more. Chuck was a fixture on “The Hill” for decades, but his contributions to Stowe are numerous and far-reaching, as you’ll read. To donate, go to stowehistoricalsociety.org.

Charles Eaton Baraw Sr. Charles Eaton Baraw Sr., 79, died Friday, March 3, 2023, at the McClure Miller Respite House. Chuck was born Aug. 23, 1943, in Providence, R.I., to Stuart Winfield and Beatrice Collins Baraw. Whether you knew him as an original ski bum, forward-thinking business leader, Stowe Legend, or generous and loving >>

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FLASHBACK

COURTESY PHOTOS

UP, UP AND AWAY Chuck Baraw, far left, takes Maria von Trapp for a hot-air balloon ride during Stowe Winter Carnival, 1975. Johannes von Trapp, sitting, was also along for the ride. The Mt. Mansfield Ski Club A Team at the Grand Marnier Ski Challenge in 1983. It was the third time in five years the club team was national champions. Amy Baraw and Chuck Baraw, center. Flanking Chuck and Amy, from left, Trude Erhard, Tom Emanuelson, LeeLee Black Goodson, and Jeff Lancaster. Previous page: At Chuck’s memorial service at the Country Club of Vermont in Waterbury, May 2023.

friend, Chuck never failed to make an impression. A skier on Mt. Mansfield since the 1950s and full-time resident since 1970, Chuck also left his mark on Stowe. For over 50 years, he guided the development of the Stoweflake Resort, served the town and business community, excelled as a citizen skiracer and made Stowe a center of hot air-ballooning. Chuck was raised in Manchester, Conn., with siblings Stuart Baraw Jr. and Donna Baraw Wheeler, both residents of Stowe. Even at a young age, Chuck’s persistence and drive were remarkable. At 17, he became the youngest Eagle Scout in Connecticut. A dedicated clarinetist, he played in the high school marching band, the jazz band and dance bands, and performed as Connecticut All-State, second chair. His true passion, though, was skiing, and after driving up to Stowe with his family every winter weekend, he enrolled at the University of Vermont to be closer to the snow. At UVM, Chuck competed on the ski team in all three winter carnival events and met his first wife, Barbara Anderson. They had a son and a daughter, Charles Jr. and Sheri. In the summer of 1963, Chuck and Barbara helped Stu Sr., Bea, Stu Jr., and Stu Jr.’s wife Marion with construction of the original Stoweflake Inn and Lodge. After graduation, Chuck left Vermont with his young family to work in the cryogenic gas industry in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. >>

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FLASHBACK

COURTESY PHOTOS

CIVIC-MINDED Chuck was proud of the role he played in getting a sidewalk built in front of the Stoweflake. His grandson, Henry, holds the ribbon during an opening ceremony. At Little Spruce in Stowe where Chuck Baraw skied in the Stowe Ski Bum races for nearly 50 years.

Then, in 1969, the expansion of the Stoweflake gave Chuck the opportunity to return to Stowe and join the family business. He spent the next four decades growing the original Stoweflake Inn and Motel into a hundredroom luxury resort. It was run by three generations of the Baraw family for nearly 60 years. Chuck’s innovations at the Stoweflake, where he developed one of the first conference centers and first full-service spas in Vermont, extended beyond the family business to sharing his vision of Stowe as a four-season resort with the wider community. He took an active role in leading the town and the Vermont hospitality industry toward this goal, serving as president of the Stowe Area Association in the early 1980s and again in 2013, and serving as a board member for 40 years. He held prominent statewide positions, including president and director of the Vermont Lodging and Restaurant Association and director and president of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Chuck’s contributions to the industry were frequently recognized by his peers. He was awarded the Borden E. Avery Innkeeper of the Year Award in 1986, the Stowe Area Association Businessman of the Year in 2004, and the Vermont Travel Person of the Year in 2007. He was particularly proud when Sheri Baraw Smith won the Avery Innkeeper of the Year Award in 2008, making Chuck and Sheri the only father-daughter pair to win the award. Chuck also served the town as longtime member and chair of the Stowe Planning Commission, where he advocated for responsible growth and preservation of Stowe’s unique heritage. As a persistent advocate of what came to be called, “Chuck’s Sidewalk,” he helped make the historic West Branch Village more friendly to pedestrians. Chuck approached everything in life with gusto, playing as hard as he worked, and working hard at his favorite sports, especially ski racing. Though he had no formal race-training as a youth, Chuck made up for it in adulthood, often running gates with Mt. Mansfield Ski Club junior racers, and competing every week in the Stowe Ski Bum races. He was one of the top three bum racers in the 1970s and led the Stoweflake team for decades. An ardent individual competitor, Chuck was a NASTAR regional finalist and won his age group in 1987. He also loved team racing and won

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the Equitable Family Ski Challenge national championship in the fatherson category with Chuck Jr. in 1978 and the regional championship in the father-daughter category with Sheri in 1980. Chuck was an original member of the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club A Team that won the Grand Marnier and Jeep Challenge championships a half dozen times between 1979 and 1989. Chuck completed his citizen-racing career by competing in the giant slalom at the U.S. Alpine Masters nationals. In the off-season, Chuck embraced many ways to stay active and enjoy Stowe, including tennis, rollerblading, windsurfing, and road-biking. He was a founding member of the Stowe Squash Club and played regularly for years. But his favorite off-slope activity was hot air ballooning. He could often be seen overhead, piloting a balloon above the hills and valleys of Stowe. Chuck took up ballooning in the 1970s with a group of friends who started the Stowe Balloon Company, flying a balloon called, The Spirit of Stowe. Later, Chuck and Stu took over the company and the balloon became The Spirit of Stoweflake. They started the Stoweflake Balloon Festival soon after, an event that attracted thousands of visitors and balloonists to Stowe for more than 30 years. Chuck’s many balloon adventures include the first hot air balloon flight over Mt. Mansfield, a spectacular take-off from Foxboro stadium for a New England Patriots half-time show, and a balloon tether in New York City’s Bryant Park for a segment on “Good Morning America.” Though no scratch golfer, Chuck also loved golf. He was a longtime participant in the Joe Kirkwood Memorial golf tournament—winning his flight once when he had an outstanding partner—and he became a founding member of the Country Club of Vermont in Waterbury Center. In recent years, Chuck enjoyed driving his vintage Porsche to the club with the top down, surrounded by the mountains he loved. Chuck is survived by his wife, Amy; his son, Chuck Jr. (Kimberly Benson); daughter, Sheri Smith (Eric); grandchildren, Rachel and Chesley Smith, and Elijah and Henry Baraw; brother, Stu (Marion); sister, Donna Wheeler; his first wife, Barbara Baraw; and nieces and nephew and their spouses, Sonja Raymond (Tim), Scot Baraw (MaryLou), Tracey Wheeler and Jennifer Wheeler (Ovi Stoica). n

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LIFESTYLE

JUST HANGING Couple turns basement into cool kids’ space STORY / KATE CARTER

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PHOTOGRAPHS / LINDSAY RAYMONDJACK

LIFESTYLE

No adults allowed Wouldn’t it be great if kids, their cousins, and their snowboard buddies had a cool place just to hang? How about if that cool hangout was down in the basement, an unfinished space that was begging to be more than an enormous storage bin? One couple, second homeowners in Stowe, decided that was exactly what they should do with their 1,000-square-foot, somewhat meandering, basement. They would turn it into a fun and enjoyable living space for their children. Then, overwhelmed by design challenges, they reached out to architect Andrew Volansky. Volansky, also a father of two, understood the need to occasionally separate the children from the adults. Together with the couple, they came up with a plan for a total basement renovation. It would include game, TV, bunk, and powder rooms, and two multipurpose shower and dressing rooms. “When we first visited the site, the mechanical room was unfinished and had paint cans, copper cable wires, water pipes, and an elevated concrete slab,” Volansky said. “That was where we decided to put the bunk room.” Separated from the TV room by pocket doors, the bunk room has five bunk pods, one of which sits atop the concrete slab. And getting in is a snap: Just climb two built-in steps. Each sleeping pod comes with its own reading light. There’s also one non-conforming bed, a queen, just in case. A long hallway takes you past a powder room and leads to a game room and a bathroom with dual sinks and that double shower and dressing area.

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“We designed the shower stalls to be mirror images, so two people could shower at the same time,” Volansky said. Gyllenborg Construction finished the entire renovation in 10 months. The unique layout is great for teens who want to hang together, play ping pong, watch movies, and then crash when they’ve had enough. Truth is, the basement might possibly be the most popular space in the house. “We don’t always know, walking into a space, just how sweet a project it can turn out to be,” Volansky said. And sometimes, if they are good, adults are allowed. n

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SPOTLIGHT

ERIKA DODGE A modern twist on farmhouse vernacular STORY / KATE CARTER

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PORTRAIT / SARAH PEET

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COURTESY PHOTOS

SPOTLIGHT

In 2022, Erika Dodge was recognized as one of New England Home Magazine’s “5 Under 40” winners. The annual program honors excellence in interior design, architecture, and landscape design. Dodge, who owns ELD Architecture in Stowe, won the award for best architect. The magazine described her approach this way: “Dodge gravitates to simple forms, focusing on interesting materials and playing with light and views.” Dodge’s office is in a 1780s farmhouse in Stowe Village. “It’s been my dream to design houses in ski country. Every one of our current projects has big views,” she said.

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How did you end up in Stowe?

How did you decide to become an architect?

My husband, Luke, and I met in middle school where we grew up in Exeter, N.H. After we married, we were living and working in Lake Tahoe and had the itch to get back East to be closer to family. I grew up as a weekend ski warrior and Luke attended Champlain College. We wanted to be in an area where we could work, play, and be close to family. We chose Stowe and moved here in 2015. We both love skiing, mountain biking, and being outside, so Stowe was a good fit. Luke is a builder and cabinetmaker and he worked for Gordon Dixon. Now he’s on his own. I designed our house where we live in Morristown and Luke built it. Now we have two children, Hadley, 5, and Lowen, 3.

I decided in early childhood it was what I wanted to do. My family was planning a move and we did a lot of house tours and I got interested in homes and places. I asked for CAD software (computeraided design) for a Christmas present, which I got—and still have!—and then I took an architectural drafting class in high school, which sealed the deal. I wanted to be licensed before I turned 30, and passed the test when I was 28.

Where did you to go college? I went to Wentworth Institute of Technology in downtown Boston, where I got my master’s degree. We had mandatory internships and that’s when I realized I would love my job. I graduated in 2009 and worked for a firm doing residential and municipal projects. My very first project was the Hampton Beach State Park.

What is your scope of work? I’m mostly focused on residential, and I also have experience in the hospitality business. I love so many different styles of architecture and we get to implement our critical design thinking with all our different customers. Our work has been concentrated in Stowe, but we are now spreading out.

How many firms have you been with? Four in all, some longer than others. In Lake Tahoe I worked for a firm designing residences. It helped me develop and refine my architectural style. We had to deal with a lot of site challenges similar to what we have here in Stowe— steep slopes, water run-off, snow load, mountain views. When we came to Vermont, I worked with TruexCullins. They were the only firm I could find that uses Revit, with a plugin called Enscape, a powerful rendering software.

When did you start ELD Architect? The ride to work in Burlington became unsustainable, plus I was pregnant, so I decided to go for it and start my own firm in 2017. I had one job fall into my lap, and that was how I got started.

Do you have a staff? I have a project manager, Allison Stoltze. We met in college. She has a degree in architecture and is pursuing licensure. She worked for Black River Design in Montpelier. She is fluid in Revit and the Enscape, which is unique to us in this area. It makes it easy for clients to see progress virtually, especially in the design stage. We are able to present them with two full designs from the get-go. It allows us to explore and revise and at the end of the day we walk away with a design. It’s really collaborative. We can give contractors a lot of information ahead of time. Real-time rendering is such a valuable tool for clients and architects and I believe it’s the most important tool available for my job.

What is a favorite project you’ve done? My first complete project on my own. It was a ski house for an out-of-state family. My clients were wonderful and our visions aligned. Right now, I’m working on several that are exciting. My favorite on the boards has interesting elements—rustic beams from an old barn combined with modern windows, flat roofs, contemporary architecture.

Where do your clients come from? Some are in Vermont, but the majority live elsewhere. With all the software we are using it is easy for clients to see progress virtually.

What trends are you seeing? A lot more windows, multi-slide doors connecting the indoor with the outdoor. A lot of our work has farmhouse vernacular, and I try to introduce more modern elements to make it more refined. Mountain modern is how we referred to it in California. Lower profile roofs, glazing, wood tones and natural sidings, such as shou sugi ban, a process where the wood is charred to preserve it and let it age over time.

What do you do in your spare time? Ski, hike, bike, all the outdoor activities here. Allison and I try to get out at lunch. We mountain bike at Cady Hill and have it figured out to the minute which loops we have time for. After work, it’s all about family. n

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R E A L E S TAT E MAKE A STATEMENT Clockwise from top: Stone, glass, slate, and copper lend elegance to this spectacular home, surrounded by sweeping lawns and quiet woodlands. You’ve definitely arrived. An in-the-round breakfast room offers stunning views of the ski hill.

GOT A COOL $20 MILLION? Resplendent Stowe estate, spectacular surroundings TEXT / KATE CARTER

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R E A L E S TAT E GREAT ROOM A modern take on the grand-estate great room/gathering space—contemporary sofas, muted colors, and the warmth of a massive fireplace. High ceilings and dramatic views lend both volume and intimacy. Inset: Black lacquer, stainless, and mahogany conspire in the home’s elegant kitchen.

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Realtor: Geoffrey K. Wolcott, Four Seasons Sotheby’s Realty Architect: Cushman Design Build and Beckstrom Architecture Builder: Exterior, Gristmill Builders; Interior, Cenacchi International (Bologna, Italy) 16,264 square feet, 110 acres • Built in 2004 Total living area: 15,774 square feet Finished above ground area: 12,224 square feet Taxes: $118,924

very few years, a magnificent property comes to Stowe’s real estate market. This one rolled out in April 2023, and it is stunning! The approach leads through parklike grounds, past stately barns, to an elegant portico and European-style country house of stone, slate, and copper. Built with the highest quality materials, there are 26 rooms, including six en suite bedrooms and 10 baths. The gloss-black and stainless Boffi Italian-designed-and-made kitchen has a concealed walk-in pantry with dumbwaiter and four distinct and generous work stations. Next to the kitchen is an in-the-round breakfast room and a solarium with fireplace. The expansive living room has cathedral ceilings, fireplace, and fenestration, and contrasts with numerous other intimately scaled living spaces. Throughout the house are intricate, fine-grained wood trim, built-in cabinetry, and paneling of astounding distinction. Unique wall coverings are of sculpted suede. An atrium with an expansive mosaic-tiled indoor pool and spa is surrounded by limestone and has a fully equipped adjoining gym. The owners’ suite is complete, with dressing and bathroom areas and extensive super-lux built-ins. The home is enhanced by a self-contained guest suite and large living space. The bottom level has a circular wine cellar, commercial laundry with multiple Miele laundry machines, and a mangle iron. Also included are two massive radiant-heated barns that will accommodate anything from a sophisticated car collection to barn dances. The property has extensive woodland trails and is close to Stowe Village. It’s the perfect home for extended family gathering, business retreats, and special events. >>

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T IM M EEHAN B UILDERS Over 30 years of Building Excellence

STOWE, VERMONT 802.777.0283 TIMMEEHANBUILDERS.COM

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R E A L E S TAT E EASY LIVING On page 184: A turreted owner’s suite features suede wall coverings, balcony, wet bar, and his-and-her bathroom and dressing areas. The second of two owner’s suite bathroom and dressing areas, each with extensive and very refined casework. Let’s do lunch right here: 110 user-friendly acres and dramatic perspectives of Mt. Mansfield. This page: A built-in fireplace makes lounging in the kitchen solarium an easy choice. Wine cellar in the round. The atrium features a mosaic-tiled indoor pool and spa.

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Ryan Bent Photography

Handcrafted Quality in Building 59 Old Creamery Road | Morrisville, VT | 802.888.3629 | stowebuilder.com

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S T O R Y : robert kiener

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P H O T O G R A P H S : ryan bent

forever home Design incorporates sweeping views of Camels Hump, Greens

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“It was time to retire, sort of,” the wife of a Waterbury Center homeowning couple says. “We’d raised a family and lived in cities like Boston and Washington, D.C. Now we were empty nesters and began talking about looking for our ‘forever’ home.” She pauses, smiles, and adds, “It was time for us to kick back and do our own thing.” So, when close, longtime friends told them they were moving to Vermont, the couple started to investigate. Their friends settled near Waterbury and the couple —she’s an artist and he’s a semi-retired business consultant—visited and were intrigued. “We soon fell in love with the area,” she says. They looked at numerous homes and lots in the region for almost a year until they finally found a 12-acre, 1,500foot-high hillside lot near Waterbury featuring dropdead views that extended from the Worcester Range to Camels Hump and beyond. “The views seemed to go on forever,” says the husband. “The minute we saw them we both knew we had found our ‘forever’ home.” story, p.210

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SITE SPECIFIC

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GREAT ROOM

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COME SEE OUR NEW SHOWROOM!

Redesigned to provide you a simplified, organized, customer-friendly shopping experience!

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FINE HOMES, ADDITIONS & RENOVATIONS FOR OVER 30 YEARS

GDC CUSTOM BUILDERS 626 Mountain Road, Stowe | 802.253.9367 gordondixonconstruction.com

KITCHEN SCAPE

The Furniture Shop & Design Studio of Stowe Kathleen Dever, Allied ASID | 626 Mountain Road | 802-253-9600 dsofstowe@stowevt.net | designstudiovt.com | designstudiovt 199

INSIDE OUT

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BEAUTY REST

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YOUR HOME ORGANIZATION JOURNEY STARTS HERE! 802.999.8113 | lccvt.com | Cathy@lccvt.com 203

WATER CLOSET

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Stowe Vermont

Residential Commercial

Custom Homes • Remodeling • Additions • Kitchens Tucker Fossiano Office: 802-244-6767 tucker@beaconhillvt.com

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As Milford Cushman, who has done more than a thousand of these pencil-on-paper rough sketches for clients, explains, “The sketch becomes the first gentle step toward a project becoming tangible.” What is amazing about this sketch—this first gentle step—is that while Cushman only roughed it out when he first visited the hillside lot, it is remarkably similar—little changed—to the finished outline of the house. That’s unusual. Most initial designs are merely first drafts that get changed and changed again during the design process. But there seems to be some, what, inspiration in this first rendering? “Inspiration is a good word. I don’t know but I’ve found that some of my most passionate work comes from somewhere deep within,” he says. “I’m not sure. I don’t know exactly how to describe it. But sometimes I feel my job is to be like a dowser and help clients find out, or locate, what they want.”

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617.458.9915 | PO BOX 1272 STOWE, VT | SITEFORMSTUDIO.COM

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LAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS SUBDIVISIONS & SITE PLANS RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL LOCAL ZONING & DRB PERMITTING STATE & ACT 250 PERMITTING WATER & WASTEWATER DESIGN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT MUMLEY ENGINEERING, INC. 46 HUTCHINS STREET, MORRISVILLE, VT 05661 www.mumleyengineering.com • 802.851.8882 • tyler@mumleyinc.com

he couple met with architectural designer Milford Cushman and detailed their wish list: a two-story home with one level for them and another separate level for visiting children and guests, a large open-plan living, dining and, kitchen area, a porch, a threecar garage, solar panels and— most important—big windows. “Lots of them,” says the wife. “We wanted to take full advantage of these unbelievable views.” Cushman, who’s designed more than 1,200 projects during his long design career, visited the lot and was also smitten with both the view and the setting. “This was one of those special, even ‘sacred,’ locations,” he says. “Almost immediately I sensed the way the home could fit, or nestle, into the hillside landscape and take full advantage of the incredible views. I got out my pencil and paper and began sketching.” (See sidebar, “The first step, the first sketch,” on page 208) After the couple suggested a few changes to Cushman’s original plan, veteran Stowe builder John Steel and his team broke ground a few months later during the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Steel winces a bit as he recalls struggling with the pandemic, the rising prices of materials, and the shortage of workers at the time his crew began work. “But we came up with a novel, money-saving idea of using palletized, or pre-built, framed walls, instead of doing regular stickbuilt construction,” he explains. He shares a video of the construction and explains how, by using the pre-built walls lowered into place by a crane, framing of the entire 2,000-square-foot first floor of the house was assembled in just one day. “There were so many challenges to building on this steep hillside site in the winter but we were lucky to work everything out,” Steel says.

hanks to efficiencies by Steel and the rest of the suppliers, including Ian Ambler’s landscaping team, the home was finished a bit less than a year from the time Cushman visited the site and made his inspired sketch. The owners came up several times during the building process but report that the first time they walked into their finished home they were “stunned” by the finished product. >>

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Traditional Vermont Homes and Outbuildings Local Vermont Timber Energy-Efficient Construction

4663 Route 2, E. Montpelier, VT 802.229.7770 WinterwoodTimberFrames.com

ANDSHAPES landscape design & installation

802.434.3500 | landshapes.net

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“Milford and John gave us the home we had dreamed of,” the wife says. “The design takes full advantage of the views and is perfectly compatible with the landscape. Nothing detracts from the view, and everything feels like it was designed to complement the surroundings.” Adds Cushman: “That’s because it was. We were careful to not compete with the exterior views and also made sure the home itself, especially when it was viewed from afar, would blend into the landscape.” The design team even chose gray-stained eastern white pine exterior siding to help the home “disappear” into the lot’s forested hillside. The home is large, over 5,000 square feet, and Cushman worked to break down the mass of the structure by using a combination of shed roofs, which reflect a mid-century modern aesthetic, and gabled roofs, that evoke a more traditional, even Vermont vernacular. “This blending of traditional and contemporary—pitched roofs and shed roofs—helps make the home seem smaller than it is,” Cushman says. Inside, the top floor is dominated by an open-plan great room that includes living, dining, and kitchen and bar areas; all share the expansive distant mountain views courtesy of a wall of windows. There’s also a master suite with bathroom and the wife’s art studio on the main floor. The ground floor includes a gym, an office, and three ensuite guest bedrooms. “Because this is our ‘forever’ house, we are essentially living on one floor,” the wife says. “When we have guests, they have their own floor. It is perfect.” Now that the home he envisioned has been designed, built, finished and lived in, how does Cushman describe it? “It’s a celebration,” he says. “It is part of the landscape. It is connected. It works.” n

ROLL THE CREDITS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: Milford Cushman Cushman Design Group BUILDER: John Steel Steel Construction LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Ian Ambler Ambler Design

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STOWE GUIDE & MAGAZINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY ANTIQUES BITTNER ANTIQUES Third-generation Vermont antique dealer Brian Bittner: broad experience with pocket and wristwatches, jewelry, silver, artwork, coins/paper money, historical/military, older collectibles, heirlooms. Free house visits. 2997 Shelburne Road, Shelburne. (802) 489-5210, bittnerantiques.com.

ARCADES GOLD RUSH Gold Rush is Stowe’s premier, exclusive family fun center filled with thrilling arcade games, lucrative prizes, and exciting activities for all ages. Free parking located behind the building. 109 Main St. goldrushvt.com.

ARCHITECTS BROWN AND DAVIS ARCHITECTS We are a small architecture firm dedicated to the belief that good design matters. We specialize in thoughtfully crafted and energy-efficient residential design throughout Vermont. (802) 899-1155, brownanddavis.com.

ELD ARCHITECTURE Creating thoughtful, site-specific designs with an emphasis on custom residential projects throughout New England. We utilize state-of-the-art software to help our clients envision their home before construction begins. eldarchitecture.com. (802) 521-7101.

HARRY HUNT ARCHITECTS Modern green homes—true to the spirit of Vermont. Member American Institute of Architects. Certified passive house designer. harryhuntarchitects.com, (802) 253-2374.

J. GRAHAM GOLDSMITH, ARCHITECTS Quality design and professional architectural services specializing in high-end residential development. Member Stowe Area. (800) 862-4053. jggarchitects.com. Email: vt@jggarchitects.com.

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

MAD MOOSE ARCHITECTURE Mad Moose Architecture was founded on a commitment to provide a more thoughtful way of designing shelter, with reverence for the environment and respect for the earth and its inhabitants. madmoosearchitecture.com. (802) 234-5720.

METHOD ARCHITECTURE STUDIO PLLC A Stowe-based architectural studio specializing in energy efficient, modern timber frame, custom home designs. View our process, portfolio, and client stories at methodarch.com. 259 Summit View Drive, Stowe. (802) 585-3161.

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.

SHOPE RENO WHARTON A nationally acclaimed architectural firm, known for designing beautiful, functional, and enduring homes that enrich the lives of their residents. Each design is guided by unique sensibilities derived from a true love of building and craft. shoperenowharton.com.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CUSHMAN DESIGN GROUP Architectural, interior, and landscape design featuring beauty, craftsmanship, and excellent energy efficiency. Creative, intuitive, functional, efficient. (802) 253-2169. cushmandesign.com. inquiry@cushmandesign.com.

ART GALLERIES ARTISANS’ GALLERY An inspired collection of fine art and craft from Vermont’s established and emerging artists. A must-see destination. Gifts and cards for every occasion. 11-6 daily. Historic Bridge Street, Waitsfield. (802) 496-6256. vtartisansgallery.com.

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THE BRYAN FINE ART GALLERY An extension of Vermont’s premier gallery, Bryan Memorial Gallery, for fine New England landscape artwork for 40 years. 64. S. Main St., Stowe. bryangallery.org, (802) 760-6474. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 11-5, and Friday and Saturday, 11-6.

THE CURRENT A center for contemporary art and art education, established in 1981. Exhibitions of acclaimed artists. Art classes. Cultural events. Schedule: Tuesday-Friday 10-5, Saturday 10-3. 90 Pond St., Stowe. (802) 253-8358, thecurrentnow.org.

NORTHWOOD GALLERY Gallery exclusively featuring Vermont artisans. Jewelry, pottery, prints, local photography, woodwork, cards, stained glass and more. 151 Main St., Stowe. (802) 760-6513. info.northwoodgallery@gmail.com.

ORIGINS GALLERY Introducing Vermont’s premier destination for extraordinary minerals and gemstones. Hosting a beautiful selection of crystals, fossils, meteorites, and unparalleled one-of-a-kind collectibles. In the village of Stowe, 37 Depot St. origins.gallery, 802-760-7977 or 802-233-2703.

ROBERT PAUL GALLERIES An outstanding selection of original paintings, sculpture, and glass by locally, nationally, and internationally acclaimed artists. Celebrating 34 years. 394 Mountain Road, Baggy Knees Shopping Center, Stowe. robertpaulgalleries.com. (802) 253-7282.

VISIONS OF VERMONT We feature Eric Tobin, Aldro Hibbard, Thomas Curtin, Emile Gruppe, Alden Bryan, and many more. A century of painting history is made on the Jeffersonville side of Smugglers Notch. (802) 644-8183. visionsofvermont.org.

AWNINGS OTTER CREEK AWNINGS Expand your outdoor living space with the help of Otter Creek Awnings. Providing custom outdoor shading solutions since 1976. Free onsite estimates. Showroom at 19 Echo Place, Williston, or othercreekawnings.com. (802) 864-3009.

BAKERIES BLACK CAP COFFEE & BAKERY OF VERMONT Croissants, danishes, muffins, scones, tarts, cakes. Everything made in house. Glutenfree/vegan options. A fun place to work, meet, or hang out. Open daily. Stowe and Morrisville downtowns, Waterbury Train Station. blackcapvermont.com.

BIKE SHOPS & INSTRUCTION HITCHHIKER BIKE SHOP We are Stowe’s premier mountain and gravel bike shop offering service, new bikes, parts, clothing, and accessories. We can get you back out on the trails in no time. 394 Mountain Road. hitchhikerbikes.com. (802) 585-3344.

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

BREWERIES & CIDERIES THE ALCHEMIST A family-owned brewery focused on using our business as a force for good. Powered by solar, The Alchemist specializes in fresh, unfiltered IPA. The beer café is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Retail beer sales open 7 days. alchemistbeer.com. 100 Cottage Club Road, Stowe.

ROCK ART BREWERY Brewing beers we love for you to enjoy. Visit our brewery tasting room and Vermont artisan gallery. Come over and celebrate our 25th anniversary with us. (802) 888-9400. rockartbrewery.com.

VON TRAPP BREWING & BIERHALL Located at Trapp Family Lodge, the von Trapp Brewing Bierhall is situated on the lodge’s cross country and mountain bike trails. Fresh lagers and a selection of freshly prepared Austrian lunch and dinner selections. (802) 253-5750. vontrappbrewing.com.

got wedding?

WEDDINGS ARE BIG BUSINESS IN VERMONT and our magzines — Green Mountain Weddings and Stowe Weddings* — can help you plan your big day. From bridal shops to inns, resorts and lodges and from event planners, clothing and jewelry shops and reception sites to florists, caterers, spas and salons, let us introduce you to Vermont’s best wedding purveyors. We focus on the greater Stowe area, one of the most famous vacation destinations in the East; the rolling farm country of northwestern Vermont and the Champlain Valley; the lakes region of the Northeast Kingdom, including the quintessential villages of Greensboro and Craftsbury; and the ski communities of Jay Peak, Smugglers’ Notch, and Mad River Valley. Pick us up everywhere or read us online at greenmtnweddings.com and stoweweddings.com. (*No need to search for both; the content in both titles is identical.)

Learn more by calling 802.253.2101 • Stop by our office at 49 School St., Stowe 217

STOWE GUIDE & MAGAZINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS BEACON HILL BUILDERS A family owned and operated custom-home building company. Over 30+ years of experience building and managing fine custom homes, additions, remodels, and energy efficient upgrades in Stowe and beyond. (802) 244-6767. beaconhillvt.com.

DONALD P. BLAKE JR INC. Handcrafted quality in building, offering experienced and reliable contracting services since 1985. Specializing in custom home new construction, renovations, commercial construction, construction management, property services. (802) 888-3629, stowebuilder.com.

GORDON DIXON CONSTRUCTION, INC. Fine craftsmanship, attention to detail, integrity, and dependable workmanship. 32 years of award-winning experience. Custom homes, additions, renovations, design/build, project management. Stop in at 626 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-9367 or visit gordondixonconstruction.com.

GYLLENBORG CONSTRUCTION Recognized for high-quality craftsmanship. Our priority is to encourage and promote environmentally friendly living. Individualized customer service and attention to detail for custom homebuilding, renovations, and additions. Established 1995. gyllenborgconstruction.com. (802) 888-9288.

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.

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

RK MILES Founded in 1940, rk Miles is a family-owned company providing services and materials for all types of building and design. Six locations serving Vermont and western Massachusetts, including Stowe and Morrisville. rkmiles.com.

CERAMICS STEPHANIE GRACE CERAMICS Born and raised in Vermont, Stephanie, owner and artist at Stephanie Grace Ceramics, is inspired by organic forms in nature. Handmade from porcelain, every piece is unique. Email to schedule a studio visit: stephanie@stephaniegraceceramics.

CHURCHES & SYNAGOGUES BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH Mass schedule: Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. See bulletin for daily masses. Confession Saturday 3:30-4 p.m. Father John Schnobrich, Pastor. 728 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-7536.

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

ST. JOHN’S IN THE MOUNTAINS EPISCOPAL At the crossroads of Mountain and Luce Hill roads in Stowe. Holy Eucharist Sundays at 10 a.m., in person and online. St. John’s is wheelchair friendly, visitors and children welcome. Office open Tuesday and Thursday. Rev. Rick Swanson. stjohnsinthemountains.org. (802) 253-7578.

STOWE COMMUNITY CHURCH The iconic church on Stowe’s Main Street is multi-denominational, inclusive, and welcoming. Services are held every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., in person and livestreamed, and the building is home to many public and private events, including weddings. Please join us. stowecommunitychurch.org or (802) 253-7257.

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. 40 years in Stowe. References available. sislerbuilders.com. (802) 253-5672.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP Sunday services at 4:30 p.m., St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church, Mountain and Luce Hill roads, Stowe. Weekly September to June. All welcome. For information: UU Fellowship of Stowe on Facebook.

TIM MEEHAN BUILDERS Building excellence, exceptional homes, professional project management, and creative remodeling. 30 years plus in Stowe. Tim Meehan, timmeehanbuilders.com. (802) 777-0283.

VERMONT FRAMES Vermont Frames has been handcrafting traditional timber frame homes since 1976. We design, cut, and install our frames across the United States, and are proud to be a veteranowned company. vermontframes.com, (802) 453-3727.

WINTERWOOD TIMBER FRAMES, LLC Hand-crafted, custom-designed timber-frame structures and woodwork, SIPs insulation, sourcing local timber and fine hardwoods, building in the Vermont vernacular. Cabinetry, flooring, butcher-block tops, and staircases. (802) 229-7770. winterwoodtimberframes.com.

YANKEE BARN HOMES For over 50 years, Yankee Barn Homes has been designing and prefabricating custom postand-beam homes built with the finest materials for durability, weather protection, and energy conservation. yankeebarnhomes.com, (800) 258-9786.

BUILDING MATERIALS CAMARA SLATE National supplier of roofing slate, slate flooring, flagstone, countertops, and other structural components. Committed to delivering a standard beyond our competitors’ abilities with excellent service and quality-valued products. Fair Haven, Vt. (802) 265-3200, camaraslate.com, info@camaraslate.com.

CLOSE TO HOME Vermont’s only independent luxury plumbing showroom since 1999. Specializing in bath fixtures as well as architectural hardware. Now under new ownership. Located in the Burlington arts district. 257 Pine Street, Burlington. (802) 861-3200, closetohomevt.com.

WATERBURY CENTER COMMUNITY Route 100 next to the Cider Mill. We warmly welcome visitors. (802) 244-6286. Sunday worship 10:30 a.m. Handicapped accessible. Church is a National Historic Place. Pastor Shirley Nolan.

CLOSETS INSPIRED CLOSETS Vermont largest and most experienced custom closet company. Our professionals will help you to transform any space in your home. Visit our showroom, 17 Echo Place, Williston. (802) 658-0000, inspiredclosetsvt.com.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES ARCHERY CLOSE Clothing boutique with a curated collection of emerging designers, trend-setting styles, and cult brands. Women’s downstairs and men’s upstairs. 25 S. Main St. Stowe. archeryclose.com, @archeryclose @archeryclosemens. (802) 242-0448.

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.

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

GREEN ENVY LOEWEN WINDOW CENTER OF VT & NH Beautifully crafted Douglas fir windows and doors for the discerning homeowner. Doubleand triple-glazed options available in aluminum, copper, and bronze clad. Style Inspired by You. loewenvtnh.com, (802) 295-6555, info@loewenvtnh.com.

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On-trend luxe clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories. Veronica Beard, Ulla Johnson, Rag & Bone, Tata Harper, Ganni, Mother, The Great. Over 250 brands. Premium denim. 1800 Mountain Road, Stowe. Also find us in Burlington and Manchester, and Providence, R.I. (802) 253-2661, shopgreenenvy.com.

HELLY HANSEN BURLINGTON Making professional-grade gear to help people stay and feel alive for more than 140 years. Come in to shop our latest selection of hiking, sailing, ski, and mountain lifestyle apparel. 66 Church St., Burlington. (802) 651-7010.

IN COMPANY CLOTHING Celebrating 24 years. Specializing in personalized service and top designer labels. Come see what’s in. 10-5 daily. Off season hours may differ. 344 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-4595. incompanyclothing.com, @incompanyclothing.

JESS BOUTIQUE Jess Boutique pairs an extensive, uniquely curated collection with exceptional, personalized service for women seeking the perfect ensemble for any special occasion or event, including bridal parties, mothers, and guests. jessboutique.com.

JOHNSON WOOLEN MILLS Home of famous Johnson Woolen outerwear since 1842, featuring woolen blankets, and men’s, women’s and children’s wool and flannel clothing. Great selection of Pendleton. Route 15, Johnson. (802) 635-2271, johnsonwoolenmills.com.

MOUNTAIN ROAD OUTFITTERS / MALOJA (MAH-LOW-YA) FLAGSHIP STORE Made for the mountains. A European outdoor sport, lifestyle, apparel, and accessories brand. Winter: Nordic and alpine ski. Summer: mountain and road bike. 409 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 760-6605. mountainroadoutfitters.com.

NEON WAVE Snowboarder owned and operated. Specializing in hard and soft goods to support you through all four seasons. We look forward to moving you forward. Opening in November at 2160 Mountain Road, Stowe. thisisneonwave.com @thisisneonwave.

PRODUCT • THINK • TANK Local clothing brand mindfully creating products with aesthetic, social, and environmental goals. Natural fibers and family-owned suppliers combine to create timeless classics that can be worn again and again. Mad River Valley, Vermont. producttt.com.

DELICATESSEN EDELWEISS MOUNTAIN DELI Farm-to-table prepared foods. Delicious deli sandwiches, salads, baked goods. Craft beer, wine, and local spirits. Daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 2251 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-4034. We are all about the local.

DENTISTRY STOWE DENTAL ASSOCIATES Christopher P. Altadonna DDS and Jeffrey R. McKechnie DMD. (802) 253-7932. stowedentalassociates.com. stowedentist@gmail.com.

STOWE FAMILY DENTISTRY Creating beautiful smiles for over 40 years. Always welcoming new patients. 1593 Pucker St., Stowe. (802) 253-4157.

DISTILLERIES GREEN MOUNTAIN DISTILLERY Vermont’s No. 1 organic distillery. Vodkas, gin, maple liqueur, and small-batch whiskey. 171 Whiskey Run. Route 100 between Stowe and Morrisville; turn on Goeltz Road. (802) 253-0064, greendistillers.com.

SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH DISTILLERY Come taste our award-winning vodkas, gins, bourbon, rums, maple bourbon, and rye whiskey. Tasting rooms in Jeffersonville, Waterbury Center, and Burlington for samples, sales and more. Daily. (802) 309-3077, smugglersnotchdistillery.com.

EDUCATION & COLLEGES VERMONT STATE UNIVERSITY Serving students on five campuses and multiple learning sites across Vermont and beyond. Classes, certificates, and degrees. In-person, online, and hybrid. Flexible and affordable, too. vermontstate.edu.

ENGINEERS MUMLEY ENGINEERING INC.

SPORTIVE Largest Bogner selection in northern New England. Toni Sailer, Sportalm of Kitzbuhel, Kjus, Parajumpers, Kinross Cashmere, Repeat Cashmere, White + Warren, Hestra gloves, Eisbar hat, Pajar, Alpen Rock, more. (802) 496-3272. Route 100, Waitsfield. sportiveinc.com.

WELL HEELED Sophisticated collection of shoes, boots, clothing, and accessories for an effortlessly chic lifestyle. Stylish interior combined with personalized service and by appointment shopping available—a #mustdoinstowe. Daily 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (802) 253-6077, wellheeledstowe.com.

YELLOW TURTLE Clothing, toys, and gifts for babies, kids, and teens. 1799 Mountain Road in Stowe. yellow-turtle.com @yellowturtlevt.

COFFEE HOUSES BLACK CAP COFFEE & BAKERY OF VERMONT Locally roasted coffee. Lattes, smoothies, teas, chais. Fresh pastries, breakfast, lunch. Glutenfree/vegan options. A fun place to work, meet, or hang out. Open daily. Stowe Village, Morrisville downtown, Waterbury Train Station. blackcapvermont.com.

GIRAKOFI Locally roasted espresso and drip coffee. Customizable breakfast sandwiches and freshly baked pastries. Lunch options. Limited indoor and covered patio seating available. Wi-Fi, local Vermont gift options. 1880 Mountain Road, Stowe. girakofi.com, (802) 585-7711.

STOWE STREET CAFÉ Discover our community-oriented cafe featuring local coffee, food, and art, including breakfast, lunch, and take and bake meals. Shop our unique collection of art and gifts made in Vermont and beyond. 29 Stowe St., Waterbury. stowestreetcafe.com.

VERMONT ARTISAN COFFEE & TEA CO. Stop by our state-of-the-art coffee roastery and coffee bar. Delicious coffee espresso drinks, whole bean coffees, and premium teas. 11 Cabin Lane, Waterbury Center, vtartisan.com.

Civil engineering services for residential and commercial land development, including subdivisions, site plans, wastewater and water systems, and stormwater management. Permitting for local zoning, state, and Act 250. Contact tyler@mumleyinc.com, (802) 851-8882.

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

FISHING & HUNTING FLY ROD SHOP Vermont’s most experienced guide service. Guided fly fishing, ice fishing and family tours. Weekly taste of Vermont tours. Fly tackle, fly tying supplies, spin and ice fishing tackle. Route 100 South, Stowe. flyrodshop.com, (802) 253-7346.

FLOORING FLOORING AMERICA 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, 802-448-4771, flooringamerica-vt.com.

PLANET HARDWOOD From our world-class showroom and our warehouse in Saint George, Vt., Planet Hardwood has provided wood flooring for homeowner, corporate, high-rise, chain store, celebrity, and architectural clients throughout North America. (802) 482-4404, planethardwood.com.

FURNITURE BURLINGTON FURNITURE From modern and contemporary to classic and Vermont traditional, we are passionate about bringing the perfect style to your home. Sofas, dining, lighting, and rugs—our design team can help you pull your space together. Showroom: 747 Pine St., Burlington. burlingtonfurniMore furniture l ture.us, (802) 862-5056.

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STOWE GUIDE & MAGAZINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY NOVELLO FURNITURE The area’s largest selection of beautiful furniture and mattresses, combined with professional home design and decorating services to give your home that special touch. 1021 Route 302, Berlin. (802) 476-7900. novellofurniture.com.

STOWE LIVING Welcome to your new favorite store. Unique home décor and take-home furniture for the entire home. Gourmet kitchenware, gadgets, specialty foods, bedding, bath, clothing, jewelry, gifts. Ship and deliver. 1813 Mountain Rd. (802) 253-8050. Shop online at stoweliving.net.

LAMOILLE HEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE, STOWE Providing routine and urgent medical care for all ages. Walk-ins welcome and Saturday hours for your convenience. (802) 253-4853. lamoillehealthpartners.org.

MANSFIELD ORTHOPAEDICS Orthopaedic surgeons and podiatrists. Comprehensive orthopaedic care, sports medicine and foot care. Nicholas Antell, MD; Brian Aros, MD; Ciara Hollister, DPM; John Macy, MD; Joseph McLaughlin, MD; Kevin McNamara, DPM; Bryan Monier, MD and Erin Pichiotino, MD. Morrisville and Waterbury. (802) 888-8405, mansfieldorthopaedics.com.

GIFT & SPECIALTY SHOPS

HEALTH & FITNESS CLUBS

BLACK CAP COFFEE & BAKERY OF VERMONT

ELEVATE MOVEMENT COLLECTIVE

Fun selection of gifts and cards within Stowe’s favorite coffee shop and bakery. A fun place to work, meet, or hang out. Open daily. Stowe Village, Morrisville downtown, Waterbury Train Station. blackcapvermont.com.

Multi-sport training facility promoting health and wellness through physical education and community engagement. Camps, classes, and open gyms for kids and adults to train parkour, trampoline, climbing, ninja warrior, and much more. Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 585-0579, elevatemovementcollective.com.

THE BODY LOUNGEΩ A natural body and bath shop with an additionally large selection of whimsical gifts, cards, beautiful artisan jewelry and local art. Red Barn Shops, 1799 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-7333. bodyloungevt.com.

BUTTERNUT MOUNTAIN FARM & MARVIN’S COUNTRY STORE A country store focused on all things maple. Shop a thoughtfully curated selection of celebrated local products including specialty cheeses, honey, jams, Vermont-made products, crafts, and gifts. (800) 899-6349, marvinscountrystore.com.

THE COUNTRY STORE ON MAIN Luxury bedding, dreamy candles, kitchen gadgets, children’s items, pet goods, rugs, frames, clocks, greeting cards, and more. Located in the former Lackey’s building next to Stowe Community Church. 109 Main St. (802) 253-7653, countrystorevt.com.

GREEN MOUNTAIN DRY GOODS A well-curated collection of Vermont-designed, Vermont-made, Vermont-inspired gifts for all ages. We’re the gateway to your Waterbury-Stowe Road shopping experience. 132 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury.

MOSS BOUTIQUE Artist-owned boutique featuring contemporary Vermont oil paintings by Jennifer Hubbard alongside crafts by other independent designers, as well as beautiful and unique home furnishings, decor, gifts, and jewelry. Portland Street, downtown Morrisville. (802) 851-8461, mossboutiquevt.com.

NUSANTARA Travel the world through our world marketplace. Explore a curated collection of handcrafted and artisanal goods from the esoteric to beautiful jewelry, furniture, clothing, architectural salvage, accessories, deities and ephemera, books and oddities. @nusantara_essex. 21 Essex Way, Essex.

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

THE SWIMMING HOLE Nonprofit community pool and fitness center. Olympic-sized lap pool, toddler pool, waterslide. Learn-to-swim classes, masters swimming, aqua-aerobics, personal training, group fitness classes, yoga. Memberships, day guests, and drop-ins. (802) 253-9229, theswimmingholestowe.com.

HEATING/AC & PLUMBING FRED’S ENERGY Experienced, licensed professionals. Plumbing, heating, AC installation/service; water heaters/softeners; sewer pumps; generators; bathroom remodels; 24/7 emergency service. Morrisville: (802) 888-3827, Derby: (802) 766-4949, Lyndonville: (802) 626-4588, Richford: (802) 848-3164. callfreds.com.

INNS & RESORTS THE SUITES AT 109 MAIN Welcome to your home away from home in Stowe. Our fully appointed apartment homes are luxuriously furnished with Matouk bed linens and towels, Beekman toiletries, and Smeg small appliances. Available on Airbnb. @109mainstowevt.

TOPNOTCH RESORT Stowe’s only luxury boutique resort wows with contemporary rooms, suites, one-to-three-bedroom resort homes, an airy bar and restaurant, world-class spa and tennis center, and indoor/outdoor pools. topnotchresort.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE Mountain resort in the European tradition. 96 rooms and suites, panoramic mountain views and over 28 miles of biking/hiking trails. European-style cuisine, fitness center, shops, climbing wall, yoga, von Trapp family history tours. (800) 826-7000. trappfamily.com.

INSURANCE HICKOK & BOARDMAN INSURANCE GROUP 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. TANGERINE AND OLIVE Independent makers from across North America. Clothing, jewelry, letterpress cards and stationery, maple syrup, and inspired gifts for the outdoor lover. Downer Farm Shops, 232 Mountain Road. tangerineandolive.com, (802) 760-6692.

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

HEALTH CARE COPLEY HOSPITAL Exceptional care. Community focused. 24-hour emergency services, The Women’s Center, Mansfield Orthopaedics, general surgery, cardiology, neurology, diagnostic imaging, laboratory, oncology, pulmonary and sleep disorders, tele-health services, and rehabilitation. Morrisville. (802) 888-8888, copleyvt.org.

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Stowe’s premier multi-line insurance agency since 1955. Our pricing and service are second to none. Glenn Mink, Robert Mink, and Renee Davis. (802) 253-4855.

INTERIOR DESIGN BRENNA B INTERIORS Our mission is to help transform your space into one you can’t wait to get home to. Bringing client inspirations into functional, comfortable, and beautiful interior design. Monday to Saturday, 10-5, Sunday, 12-5. 132 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 760-6499, brennabinteriors.com.

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.com.

LAKE CHAMPLAIN CLOSETS Stay organized and save time with custom closets and storage spaces designed specifically for your needs. Discover your perfect storage solution with Lake Champlain Closets. 68 Randall St., South Burlington, (802) 999-8113, cathy@lccvt.com, lccvt.com.

STOWE LIVING Complementary interior decorating services offering unique, affordable, hand-curated furniture and décor for your home. Specializing in take-home furniture, bedding, rugs, lighting, cookware. In-home consultations, delivery. 1813 Mountain Rd., Stowe. Book a meeting at design@stoweliving.net. (802) 253-8050.

STOWE OUTPOST INTERIOR DESIGN Boston-based interior designer Marc J. Langlois, captivated by Stowe, established Stowe Outpost Interior Design Studio to design exceptional interiors, providing full-service solutions spanning from classic to contemporary styles. 4285 Mountain Road. (617) 959-1908, marcjlangloisinteriors.com, Instagram: @stoweoutpost, @marcjlanglois.

JEWELRY FERRO ESTATE & CUSTOM JEWELERS Stowe’s premier full-service jeweler since 2006. We specialize in estate jewelry, fine diamonds, custom design, jewelry repair, and appraisals. In-house repair studio. American Gem Society. 91 Main St. (802) 253-3033. ferrojewelers.com @ferro_jewelers_stowe.

STACKPOLE AND FRENCH Litigation: plaintiff and defendant representation, real estate, timeshares, corporate, utility, trust and estate planning and administration, probate, and general counsel services. Offices in Stowe, Jeffersonville, Waterbury, and Shelburne. (802) 253-7339. stackpolefrench.com.

LOGGING & TREE REMOVAL WILD KID FARM Logging with horses. Tree removal, logging, firewood, brush hogging, custom sawing. Hardwood boards for sale. Dimensional lumber and pine counter tops available. Charles Pratt, (802) 635-3606.

MARKETS & GROCERIES THE BUTCHERY Butcher shop, fishmonger, fromagerie, sourcing prime beef, all-natural pork, free-range chicken and game. Artisan sandwiches, soups, and prepared foods. Local beer and wine. 504 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-1444. butcheryvt.com.

COMMODITIES NATURAL MARKET One-stop grocery shopping featuring organic and local produce, groceries, artisanal cheeses, fresh bread, local meats, phenomenal beer and wines, gluten-free galore, wellness products, bulk section, more. Open daily. (802) 253-4464. commoditiesnaturalmarket.com.

VON BARGEN’S JEWELRY A second-generation family business with five locations in Vermont and New Hampshire, including a jewelry making studio. Specializing in ideal cut diamonds, fine handmade artisan jewelry, and custom jewelry creation. (802) 253-2942. vonbargens.com.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE KNAUF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE We transform landscapes into beautiful outdoor living spaces that ignite the senses and seamlessly connect inside and outside with balance and harmony. Member ASLA. (802) 522-0676. 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.

SITEFORM STUDIO Landscape architect who combines an understanding of people, place, and the environment to craft resilient, site-specific landscapes for projects throughout New England. Member ASLA. (617) 458-9915, siteformstudio.com.

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 BARR LAW GROUP Complex litigation and commercial transactions, including class actions, securities litigation, EB-5 fraud, arbitrations, trials, appeals, criminal defense, corporate mergers/acquisitions, Native American/tribal matters, real estate, aviation, personal injury/wrongful death. Licensed in Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts. Offices at 125 Mountain Road, Stowe, (802) 253-6272; 100 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y., (212) 486-3910. barrlaw.com.

DARBY KOLTER & ROBERTS, LLP General civil practice: real estate (commercial and residential), business formation, family law, estate planning/probate administration, personal injury, worker’s compensation, and mediation services. Stowe office, by appointment only: 166 S. Main St., (802) 253-7165; Waterbury, main office: 89 S. Main St., (802) 244-7352.

LAJOIE GOLDFINE, LLC General practice including family law, civil litigation, personal injury, real estate, corporate, estate planning/estate and trust administration. Located in Stowe’s lower village, 638 S. Main St. (802) 760-6480. lglawvt.com.

OLSON & SEABOLT, PLC General law practice: commercial and residential real estate, business representation (formation, maintenance, and asset purchases/sales), estate planning and LGBTQ matters. 188 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-7810, olsonplc.net.

MASSAGE & BODYWORK BRAD HIGHBERGER, LMT, RCST Integrative pain assessment and support. Specialized treatment and referral options available. Free 15-minute phone consultations. 25-plus-years’ experience in Stowe. See vtpaintreatment.com, (802) 730-4955.

KATE GRAVES, CMT, BHS Relaxation, deep tissue, moist heat, facilitated stretching, IASTM, crystal singing bowls, Thai, energy work (Brennan Healing Science graduate 2000). In practice over 35 years. Competitive rates. Stowe Yoga Center, 515 Moscow Rd. stoweyoga.com. kgravesmt@gmail.com, (802) 253-8427.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE FITNESS CENTER Massage therapists use a blend of techniques including Swedish, deep tissue, acupressure, and Shiatsu. Other treatments include reflexology, salt glows, and hot stone therapy. Appointments available daily. trappfamily.com.

MULTI-SPECIALTY CLINIC ADAM KUNIN, MD AND MICHAEL HAYES, MD, CARDIOLOGISTS Personalized cardiac care. Board-certified in cardiology, nuclear cardiology and internal medicine. Providing general cardiology, advanced cardiac tests, and imaging. Morrisville. (802) 888-8344. copleyvt.org.

DONALD DUPUIS, MD; COURTNEY OLMSTED, MD; AND SARAH WATERMAN MD, GENERAL SURGEONS Board-certified general surgeons. Specializing in advanced laparoscopic procedures. Providing a wide spectrum of inpatient and outpatient surgical care with a special interest in breast health. Morrisville. (802) 888-8372. copleyvt.org.

JEANMARIE PRUNTY, MD, NEUROLOGY Board-certified through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Prunty offers comprehensive, compassionate care for patients with neurological disorders and diseases. Morrisville. (802) 888-8260.

THE WOMEN’S CENTER (OB/GYN) Board-certified specialist Robin Leight, MD, and certified nurse midwives Kipp Bovey, Mary Lou Kopas, Erinn Mandeville and April Vanderveer. Specialists in women’s health. Comprehensive gynecological care and obstetrics. Morrisville, (802) 888-8100, copleyvt.org.

PERSONAL CHEF SWEET & SAVORY PERSONAL CHEF SERVICES Sweet & Savory’s goal is to prepare and deliver high-quality, healthy, and delicious meals to locals and visiting out-of-towners. Personal chef services, weekly meals, catering for all occasions. Easier than takeout. (802) 730-2792, sweetsavorystowe.com.

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STOWE GUIDE & MAGAZINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY PHYSICAL THERAPY COPLEY REHABILITATION SERVICES Therapies include physical, occupational, hand, speech, aquatic, pediatric, cardiac, and pulmonary, work conditioning, brain injury program, and other comprehensive rehab services. Clinics in Hardwick and Morrisville (Tamarack Family Medicine and Copley Hospital). (802) 888-8303, copleyvt.org.

PHYSICIANS VERMONT REGENERATIVE MEDICINE Regenexx clinic offering non-surgical procedures using a patient’s own cells for treatment of joint, tendon, and ligament problems, instead of surgery. Board-certified and fellowshiptrained physicians. Winooski, Vt. (802) 859-0000, vermontregenerativemedicine.com.

PICTURE FRAMING AXEL’S FRAME SHOP & GALLERY Providing quality picture framing and art sourcing to the central Vermont community for nearly 40 years. Affordable framing is just as important to us as providing incredible customer and design service. 5 Stowe St., Waterbury. (802) 244-7801. axelsgallery.com.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT RURAL RESOURCES Comprehensive property and household management services. Full-service professional management team specializing in the details of preserving your investment. Concierge/ housekeeping, vendor management, design/remodels, much more. (802) 253-9496, admin@ruralresourcesvt.com.

REAL ESTATE & RENTALS COLDWELL BANKER CARLSON REAL ESTATE Real estate services representing Stowe and surrounding communities. Our talented team leads the industry in technology, innovation, and expertise. Located at 91 Main St., Stowe (802) 253-7358, and 74 Portland St., Morrisville, (802) 521-7962. cbcarlsonrealestate.com.

ELEMENT REAL ESTATE Element Real Estate is a boutique firm out to transform the real estate experience from one of sales to one of service, one transaction at a time. Please visit us on Stowe’s Mountain Road, at realestatevt.com, or call us at (802) 253-1553.

FOUR SEASONS SOTHEBY’S INT’L REALTY Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty strives every day 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.

HICKEY & FOSTER REAL ESTATE AT KW VERMONT—STOWE Our dedicated team can help you with residential, vacation, investment, and commercial real estate sales and marketing. KW Vermont’s extensive resources and innovative technology will give you a distinctive advantage. 1056 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 585-1150. hickeyfosterrealestate.com.

LANDVEST LandVest, an exclusive Christie’s International Real Estate affiliate, is a leading provider of real estate services to clients in Vermont and beyond. Discover the LandVest difference: (802) 318-6034, mkauffman@landvest.com.

LEA VAN WINKLE FOUR SEASONS SOTHEBY’S Specializing in properties from the foothills of Mount Mansfield to the shores of Lake Champlain. Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty. (802) 363-3890, lea.vanwinkle@fourseasonssir.com.

LOVE2LIVEINVT TEAM Award-winning Realtors passionate about VT. Helping buyers open doors to the Vermont lifestyle and guiding sellers every step of the way. Let us help you navigate the market with ease. love2liveinvt.com. Brooke, (802) 696-2251, and Karen, (802) 793-2454.

MINK DEVELOPMENT & GREEN MOUNTAIN MANAGEMENT Development, management and real estate. Commercial contractors and residential builders. minkvt.com. Long-term rentals available at gmmvt.com.

NORTHERN VERMONT APPRAISALS Northern Vermont Appraisals serves north central Vermont offering residential market valuation, property litigation support, tax assessment appeal, and estate valuation. Contact us northernvtappraisals.com, (802) 535-0506.

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RED BARN REALTY OF VERMONT An office of dynamic professionals, each with a unique love of Vermont. We look forward to helping you fulfill your real estate sales and rental needs. 394 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-4994. redbarnvt.com.

STOWE COUNTRY HOMES Locally owned and operated, we offer a curated collection of short-term and seasonal rental homes, unique for their individual character. Each home is privately owned, immaculately maintained, and well-stocked. stowecountryhomes.com, info@stowecountryhomes.com, (802) 253-8132.

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.

RESTAURANTS & NIGHTCLUBS ALFIE’S WILD RIDE Full bar. 24 taps. Authentic Mexican street food. Live music. 150-foot projection screen. 22foot shuffle puck. Darts. Cornhole. Arcade. Indoor-outdoor. 8,200 square feet. Après every day. 942 Mountain Road, Stowe.

ALLADIN A taste of the Middle East. Sourcing traditional and original recipe to create the most diverse and authentic vegetarian dishes. A cuisine Stowe has been longing for. Catering available. 1880 Mountain Road. aladdinstowevt.com. (802) 760-6383.

AMERICAN FLATBREAD Visit American Flatbread for wood-fired locally sourced flatbreads from our hand-built hearth. Sip cocktails, local beers, and curated wines for a vintage Stowe experience in our historic timber-framed building. (802) 253-3092 or americanflatbread.com/locations/stowe-vt.

BENCH 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. benchvt.com or (802) 253-5100.

BLACK CAP COFFEE & BAKERY OF VERMONT Serving breakfast and lunch. Breakfast burritos and sandwiches, quiches, lunch sandwiches. Gluten-free/vegan options. A fun place to work, meet, or hang out. Open daily. Stowe and Morrisville downtowns, Waterbury Train Station. blackcapvermont.com.

BLACK DIAMOND BARBEQUE Two floors of dining, reservations for groups of six plus. Vermont craft beer and cocktails. Just 5 miles from Stowe. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. blackdiamondbarbeque.com, (802) 888-2275.

BURT’S IRISH PUB Stowe’s local Irish pub for over 45 years. Come enjoy our popular brunch specials out on the lawn every Sunday or stop in any time for a cold drink and a quick bite to eat. Luce Hill Road, Stowe. (802) 253-6071.

HARRISON’S RESTAURANT Located in historic Stowe Village serving elevated takes on American dishes with wine, craft beers, and cocktails in a unique, parlor-like space. Patio dining in summer and fall. Reservations accepted. (802) 253-7773, harrisonsstowe.com.

IDLETYME BREWING COMPANY Small-batch craft lagers and ales. Lunch and dinner daily from 11:30 a.m. Innovative cocktails, extensive wine list, family friendly, fireplace dining. Outdoor patio. Perfect for special events. Beer to go. 1859 Mountain Road, Stowe. (802) 253-4765, idletymebrewing.com.

MC’S PENALTY BOX Ultimate sports bar in Stowe. Nine screens. Winning lineup of mouthwatering dishes, from classic game-day favorites to inventive twists on classic pub grub. Daily 11-9, Wednesdays 4-9 p.m. 823 South Main St., (802) 760-6464. mcspenaltybox.com.

MICHAEL’S ON THE HILL Enjoy the ultimate Vermont dining experience in a relaxed, warm atmosphere with spectacular views from our 1820 farmhouse. Events. Wine spectator award. Dinner from 5-9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. 5 minutes from Stowe. Route 100, Waterbury Center. (802) 244-7476. michaelsonthehill.com.

PIECASSO PIZZERIA & LOUNGE New York-style pizza, eclectic music, great vibes. A local favorite. Creative entrees, craft beer, gluten-free menu, online ordering, takeout, delivery. (802) 253-4411, piecasso.com.

THE RESERVOIR RESTAURANT In the heart of downtown Waterbury. We specialize in local Vermont based comfort food and some of the best beers available. Private second floor events space for up to 50 people. Dinner daily, lunch Saturday and Sunday. (802) 244-7827, waterburyreservoir.com.

THE ROOST AT TOPNOTCH RESORT The Roost has long been one of Stowe’s best tables—whether inside or fireside—where the local food and drinks are as inspiring as our views of Mt. Mansfield. topnotchresort.com.

ROUND HEARTH CAFÉ & MARKETPLACE Breakfast and lunch daily, with shopping while you wait. Check seasonal hours at roundhearth.com. Located at 39 Edson Hill Road, Stowe. (802) 253-7223.

SALUTE STOWE Chef owned and operated. Authentic Italian cuisine. Homemade pasta, wood-fired Napoletana pizza, prime steak, lasagna, and fresh baked bread. Daily specials, gluten free vegetarian options. Catering available. 18 Edson Hill Road, Stowe. (802) 253-5677, salutevt.com.

THE SKINNY PANCAKE Locally sourced sweet and savory crepes, coffee and espresso, burgers, beer and wine. Takeout and dine-in. 454 Mountain Road, Stowe. skinnypancake.com.

TIPSY TROUT Connecting the mountains to the sea: Tipsy Trout is cheeky take on New England seafood. This chic but chill experience features raw bar, refined regional delicacies, and a cocktailforward dinner menu. At Spruce Peak. sprucepeak.com/dine.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE KAFFEEHAUS Offering a variety of European pastries, soups, salads, sandwiches, wine, and our von Trapp lagers. Open daily. For hours call (800) 826-7000. trappfamily.com.

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE—LOUNGE & DINING ROOM Our dining room offers seasonal menus for breakfast and dinner reflecting both Austrian and Vermont traditions, featuring farm-to-table cuisine. Lounge has great seasonal lunch offerings. Daily. Reservations: (802) 253-5733. trappfamily.com.

TWO SONS BAKEHOUSE Our Hyde Park and Johnson locations offer specialty coffees, breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Fresh bread and pastries available daily, specialty orders welcome upon request. Hyde Park, (802) 851-8414. Johnson (802) 730-8198. twosonsbakehouse.com.

WHIP BAR & GRILL Relaxed ambiance featuring an open grill and cozy fireplace dining. Fresh seafood, handcut steaks, tasty vegetarian dishes. Kids’ menu. Dinner daily 4:30-9; lunch hours vary throughout the winter season. Takeout. At the Green Mountain Inn. Reserve at thewhip.com or (802) 253-6554.

THE WOODLANDS AT STOWE Come home to Stowe, where retirement living is easy. Spacious condos, fine dining, activities. Available for adults 55+. The Woodlands at Stowe, 125 Thomas Lane, Stowe. (802) 253-7200. woodlandsstowe.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. Shoes are our specialty and effortlessly chic our motto. Daily 11 to 5 and private appointments. Insta: wellheeledstowe. (802) 253-6077, wellheeledstowe.com.

SKI RESORTS SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH RESORT, VERMONT America’s Family Resort. Mountainside lodging. Award-winning kids’ programs. Three interconnected mountains, 2,610’ vertical. FunZone 2.0 entertainment complex. Summer: 8 pools, 4 waterslides, disc golf, mountain bike park. (888) 256-7623, smuggs.com/sg.

SKI & SNOWBOARD—Rentals, Demos, Retail MOUNTAINOPS Mountainops is a full-service ski shop specializing in sales and rental of Alpine, AT, telemark, backcountry and Nordic gear. Best clothing in town tucked in a cozy 1895 barn. 4081 Mountain Rd., Stowe. (802) 253-4531. mountainopsvt.com.

PINNACLE SKI & SPORTS Voted No. 1 in customer service. All new rental and demo skis and snowboards. All major brands. Clothing from Marmot, Obermeyer, Fly Low, Helly Hansen, others. Accessories, tuning services. Open nightly till 8p.m., 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday, holidays. (802) 253-7222. pinnacleskisports.com.

SKIING—Backcountry TRAPP FAMILY LODGE OUTDOOR CENTER Nearly 2,600 acres to explore with 26 miles of perfect territory for laying tracks on ungroomed snow. Backcountry gear rentals with 24-hour notice. Call (802) 253-5755 for pricing and information on passes, rentals, and lessons. Rentals: trappfamily.com/ equipment-rentals.htm.

SKIING–Cross Country TRAPP FAMILY LODGE OUTDOOR CENTER Over 37 miles of groomed trails and 62 miles of backcountry trails for all ages and abilities. Equipment available to rent/purchase at the Nordic Center, which includes a retail shop. Call (802) 253-5755 for pricing and information on passes, rentals, and lessons. Rentals: trappfamily.com/equipment-rentals.htm.

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

SNOWSHOEING

WAKE ROBIN

TRAPP FAMILY LODGE OUTDOOR CENTER

A vibrant non-profit life-care community located on 136 acres just south of Burlington in Shelburne. Residents enjoy independent living in cottages and apartments and comprehensive, on-site health care for life. wakerobin.com, (802) 264-5100.

Trapp Family Lodge offers ample terrain where you can snowshoe on your own or with a scheduled group tour. Whether with a group or out on your own, we’ll help you plan a route that suits your experience and confidence. trappfamily.com.

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STOWE GUIDE & MAGAZINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY SPA

TRANSPORTATION & TAXIS

TOPNOTCH RESORT

GREEN MOUNTAIN TRANSIT MOUNTAIN ROAD SHUTTLE

Bring mind, body, and soul into better balance. Enjoy fitness classes, a selection of over 100 treatments, indoor/outdoor pools with a cascading waterfall, and men’s and women’s lounges. Memberships. Mountain Road, Stowe. topnotchresort.com.

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS LITTLE RIVER HOTGLASS STUDIO Walk into the studio and experience the art of glassblowing up close. Adjacent gallery features work of resident artist Michael Trimpol. Thursday to Monday 10-5. (802) 253-0889. littleriverhotglass.com.

MONTPELIER ALIVE American’s No. 1 small town for shopping is just a half an hour’s drive from Stowe village. Visit downtown Montpelier and experience the joy of shopping. Exit 8 off Interstate 89.

SPRUCE PEAK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER The Stowe region’s premier, year-round presenter of music, theater, dance, film, education, and family programs on stage, on screen, and across the community. Visit sprucepeakarts.org for information. (802) 760-4634.

STOWE HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM Preserving Stowe’s rich history. Museum at the West Branch and Bloody Brook Schoolhouses, next to Stowe Library. Wednesday to Saturday, 1-4 p.m., and when the flags are out. (802) 253-1518. stowehistoricalsociety.org, info@stowehistoricalsociety.org.

VERMONT TEDDY BEAR RETAIL STORE & FACTORY TOURS Go behind the scenes, create your own bear, and find the perfect gift for any occasion during this interactive experience the family will treasure forever. 6655 Shelburne Road, 7 miles south of Burlington. (802) 985-1319, vermontteddybear.com.

SPECIALTY FOODS LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHOCOLATES—STOWE Handcrafted chocolates made in Vermont using local ingredients and fair-trade certified chocolate, including truffles, caramels, clusters, and more. Plus, hot chocolate, espresso drinks, and award-winning house-made ice cream. lakechamplainchocolates.com, (802) 253-9591.

LAKE CHAMPLAIN CHOCOLATES—WATERBURY Premium, handcrafted chocolates made in Vermont using local ingredients and fair-trade certified chocolate. Plus, a hot chocolate and espresso café, award-winning house-made ice cream, and plenty of factory seconds. (802) 241-4150, lakechamplainchocolates.com.

SPORTING GOODS ONION RIVER OUTDOORS Gear, clothing, and expert advice for all your outdoor adventures. Friendly, knowledgeable sales and service of bikes, skis, and car racks. Visit onionriver.com or find us at 89 Main St., in beautiful downtown Montpelier.

UMIAK OUTDOOR OUTFITTERS Let the adventure begin with Umiak Outdoor Outfitters. We are a full-service outfitter offering sales, tours, and rentals for activities like snowshoeing, sledding, backcountry, and Nordic skiing. 849 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-2317, umiak.com, info@umiak.com.

TENNIS TOPNOTCH RESORT Vermont’s premier tennis resort featuring over 30 tennis and pickleball programs perfect for aficionados, beginners, the young and young at heart. Six seasonal outdoor and four indoor hard courts, as well as a USPTA-certified international staff. Mountain Road, Stowe. topnotchresort.com.

TOYS & GAMES ONCE UPON A TIME TOYS Make every day a play day with Airfort®. Test your agility on a ninjaline. Traditional toys like Lego® to eclectic ones like loveable monsters. Vermont’s most exciting store for 47 years. Birthday? Get a free balloon. (802) 253-8319, fun@stowetoys.com, stowetoys.com.

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Free seasonal bus service in Stowe—from condos, shops, and restaurants to Stowe Mountain Resort. The best way to get to the slopes. For schedules and more, ridegmt.com or (802) 223-7287.

TRAVEL & TOURS 4 POINTS TOURS Let 4 Points help you enjoy our local attractions. Brewery, artisan, scenic, or custom tours. Perfect for bachelor or bachelorette parties, reunions, corporate outings. Call Rick at (802) 793-9246, 4pointsvt.com.

SAVOR VERMONT Savor Vermont brings guests to taste the region’s best beers, hard ciders, wines, spirits, and foods. Leave the driving to us and enjoy as we take you from one tasting to another. (802) 917-6656, info@savorvermonttours.com.

WEDDING FACILITIES EDSON HILL Edson Hill offers you an exclusive, quintessential Vermont country estate with picturesque views, 22 luxurious guestrooms, and a talented culinary team to help create the wedding of your dreams. edsonhill.com, (802) 253-7371.

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 and accommodations. (800) 826-7000. trappfamily.com.

WELLNESS SAGE COLLECTIVE We are a passionate group of local independent wellness practitioners offering therapeutic massage and bodywork and acupuncture. Our goal is to meet you on your healing journey, designing treatments that specifically meet the needs of your body. Book online sagetherapeutics.net.

WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS FINE WINE CELLARS Fantastic wine selections from around the world. Great prices. From the rare to the exceptional value. Under $10-$100-plus. We’re nuts about wine. Please see our ad on page 2. (802) 253-2630. finewinecellars.us.

STOWE BEVERAGE Full-service wine, beer, liquor, mixers, snacks. Stowe’s best wine and beer selection. Best price in town on Vermont maple syrup. Cigars. Free local paper with wine purchases. Monday through Saturday 10-7; Sunday 11-6. (802) 253-4525.

STOWE PUBLIC HOUSE Over 700 craft beers, cider, mead, and wine. Mix and match in any quantity. Curated selection of Vermont cheeses and specialty foods. Bar open daily. 109 Main St., Stowe. (802) 585-5785, stowepublichouse.com.

YOGA PEAK YOGA Peak Yoga classes help to build strength in body and mind. We provide grounding and uplifting classes for all levels in our beautiful and bright Stowe studio. Located in The Swimming Hole, 75 Weeks Hill Road, Stowe. Book a class at peakyogastowe.com. Follow us on Instagram: @peakyogastowe.

STOWE YOGA CENTER Practice yoga in a beautiful space. Carpeted studio with windows and high ceilings. Beginner friendly, weekly schedule online. Special series: chakra yoga, prenatal, chair yoga, meditation. Privates available. Kate Graves, 515 Moscow Road. kgravesmt@gmail.com, (802) 253-8427, stoweyoga.com.