Vermont Ski + Ride, September, 2016

FALL 2016 |

FREE

vtskiandride.com

Vermont’s Mountain Sports & Life

WOMEN

TO WATCH

+

WHEN THE WORLD CUP COMES TO KILLINGTON

How to Build Better Balance VT SKI+RIDE

EXP PROGRAM INSIDE!

OUR 5 FAVORITE OKTOBERFESTS VTF16_COVER.race LG.indd 1

HUT-TO-HUT SKIING IN VT?

EXPERT’S FORECASTS FOR WINTER 2017 9/9/16 2:20 PM

DISCOVER THE TRADEWIND SHUTTLE Y E A R - R O U N D S C H E D U L E D F L I G H T S D I R E C T LY I N T O S T O W E !

A R R I V E AT T H E M O R R I S V I L L E - S T O W E S TAT E A I R P O RT — J U S T M I N U T E S F R O M T H E M O U N TA I N .

TRADEWIND

AVIATION

D E PA RT I N G W E S T C H E S T E R A I R P O RT I N N E W Y O R K | R O O M F O R S K I S A N D B O A R D S P R I VAT E T E R M I N A L S — N O T S A D E L AY S | T I C K E T B O O K D I S C O U N T S AVA I L A B L E B O O K I N G AT

800.376.7922

|

charter@flytradewind.com

|

www.flytradewind.com

FLY HERE. SKI HERE. COMMUTE HERE. 60 Minutes from New York to Stowe

Jet A | Avgas | Ground Handling | Quick-turn Service

Car Rental | Taxi | Concierge Services

Aircraft Maintenance | De-icing | Excellent Snow Removal | Heated Hangar

7am - 7pm, 7 days a week • www.stoweaviation.com • 802-253-7332 Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 1

9/9/16 10:37 AM

CONTENTS / 02.01 Last October 18, Dave Bouchard took advantage of the 2015 “snowliage” season to make first turns at Mad RIver Glen.

FEATURES THE GREAT CAMP p. 24

With massive boulders, trees, fire pits and waterfalls this Stowe house brings the wild inside.

WEATHER OR NOT? p. 30

What happens after last season’s El Nino? Four top weather forecasters share their predictions for the coming winter.

CABIN FEVER p. 38

There’s a flurry of cabin building going on in the Green Mountains.

Can a hut-to-hut trail system be that far off?

THE WHITE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN p. 44 When the best ski racers on the planet come to Killington this winter, this is the woman to watch.

FIRST TRACKS LIFT TICKET DEALS | GOT YOUR HALL PASS?

p. 4

EDITOR’S LETTER | BIG THINGS COME TO VERMONT, p. 3

With lower prices and more options, resorts have sweet deals on passes.

The World Cup, our first Expo, La Nina—things are looking up, Vermont.

RESORT NEWS |

VT SKI + RIDE EXPO |

VT SKI AREAS ARE GROWING, p. 11

Big things happened all around the Green Mountains this summer.

Photo by Justin Woods Chapman

COLUMNS

APRÈS | 5 FAVORITE OKTOBERFESTS, p. 17

THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM, p. 17

Vermont’s biggest pre-season ski party and Expo comes to Burlington.

COACH | FINDING BALANCE, p.55

These festivals may be the best way to sample Vermont’s outstanding brews.

Build your ski and ride balance with a DIY training gym this fall.

SKI TOWNS | BURKE’S REBIRTH, P. 15

CALENDAR | OUR FALL FAVORITES, p. 58

With a new hotel and more good news on the way, Burke is poised to grow.

BACKCOUNTRY | 7 FALL FOLIAGE RIDGELINE HIKES, p. 21

The best way to scout winter lines is to hike these spectacular ridgelines.

Ski swaps, Oktoberfests, new ski movie releases and more fall fun.

CHAIRLIFT Q/A | A FREEHEELIN’ GOVERNOR? p. 64

Candidate Sue Minter doesn’t just have an agenda, she has an outdoor agenda.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 1

VTF16_TOC.indd 1

9/9/16 3:25 PM

CLIE UVM

JOB 0095

DES Ski A

TAC Prin

MAT 09-0

PUB VT S

BUI 100%

TRIM 9" x

SAF 8.75

BLE 9.25

COL 4C

QUE Ama 251.

Be covered in fresh powder again.

BE YOU AGAIN. THE RIGHT SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICIAN CAN HELP. Our physicians provide comprehensive sports medicine care, no matter how complex the injury. Patients receive a course of treatment that’s ideally suited for them, built around the most advanced options available—whether operative, non-operative or a combination of both. That’s what gets athletes back to the top of their game. To make an appointment, call (802) 847-2663.

UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSkiandRide

009508-UVM-VT Ski and Ride Ad.indd 1 Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 2

The heart and science of medicine.

9/9/16 2:20 PM 9/9/16 3:41 PM

BIG THINGS ARE BREWING

PUBLISHER, Angelo Lynn angelo@vtskiandride.com EDITORIAL Editor/Co-Publisher, Lisa Lynn editor@vtskiandride.com Creative Director, David Pollard Assistant Editor, Evan Johnson evan@vtskiandride.com Editorial Intern, Emma Cotton ADVERTISING SALES & DISTRIBUTION Christy Lynn, Advertising Manager christy@vtskiandride.com | 802-388-4944 Michael Giorgio michaelg@addisonindependent.com Dave Honeywell dave_golfghouse@madriver.com Greg Meulemans greg@vtskiandride.com Jennifer Peterkin jenniferp@addisonindependent.com Circulation and Distribution Manager: Lisa Razo subscribe@vtskiandride.com

I usually get antsy at this time of year. All it takes is a night or two when the temperatures drop below 32 degrees and I start scanning the hilltops for snow.

This fall though, there are some even bigger reasons for skiers and riders around the state to get excited. To start with, we’re kicking off winter on October 1-2 at Burlington’s Sheraton hotel with the first VT SKI + RIDE Expo. The weekend-long party will feature live music, a Long Trail beer tent and more than 50 booths showcasing the latest from Vermont’s resorts and retailers, new equipment, clinics and more.

Organized by the Rotary Club of Burlington and sponsored by this magazine, it raises funds for the Flyin’ Ryan Hawks Foundation. Flyin’ Ryan provides scholarships and promotes the 14 core principles Vermonter and extreme skier Ryan Hawks (pictured above, doing what he loved best) lived by before he was killed during a competition five years ago. It’s a good cause to support and ticket information and the official program are on p. 17 of this issue.

Next up, on the weekend after Thanksgiving the best ski racers in the world come to Killington to compete in the first FIS World Cup to be held on the East Coast since 1991. Superstars Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, Laura Gut and others will be racing down Superstar on slalom and giant slalom courses and the resort will host ski films, live music and more.

Last, there’s the weather. After a dismal season last year, the region’s top forecasters are getting excited about the prospects for a colder and snowier season. For their crystal ball predictions about where to go for the best and deepest weekends, turn to p. 30.

And I’ll keep an eye on the hillsides for that white stuff. —Lisa Lynn, Editor

GO TO VTSKIANDRIDE.COM TO: SEE a gallery with more images of our amazing “dream home.” WIN prizes such as great gear, weekend lodging, lift tickets and more. SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE. Don’t miss an issue, sign up for a free digital edition, news updates or the latest deals and contests.

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Business Manager: Elsie Lynn Parini elsie@vtskiandride.com HEADQUARTERS

Photos courtesy Flyin Ryan Foundation and contributors

VT SKI+RIDE is published four times a year by Addison Press Inc., 58 Maple Street, Middlebury, VT 05753 VT SKI+RIDE print subscriptions are available for $24 (U.S.) or $35 (Canada) per year. Digital subcriptions are free. Subscribe at vtskiandride.com

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Doug Stewart is obsessed with skiing, in particular, skiing well.That’s why each fall (as he writes in “Finding Balance,” p. 55) he works on his technique even before the snow flies. A ski instructor at Stowe and a PSIA Examiner, Stewart also works as a bootfitter at Burlington’s Skirack.

As a budding science writer, Emma Cotton knows that crystal ball predictions can’t be trusted. But that didn’t stop her from asking four top forecasters what might happen this winter in “Weather or Not,” p. 30. Cotton recently graduated from Eckerd College and interned with us this past summer.

One look at the images in “The Great Camp,” p. 24 and it is clear that Geoffrey Wolcott is wildly talented.

Wolcott oversaw the design and construction of every feature of this issue’s Dream Home from foundation to furnishing. The Stowe realtor and designer also photographed it all.

ON THE COVER: Mikaela Shiffrin, on course for greatness. Photo courtesy U.S.S..A.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 3

VTF16EDLTR.indd 3

9/9/16 6:42 PM

Dropping in at Mt. Ellen, one of three mountains (along with Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak and Mad River Glen) college students can ski on a

Photo by Jeb Wallace -Brodeur

Threesome College Pass.

4 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_FTOPEN (David Pollard's conflicted copy 2016-09-08).indd 4

9/9/16 10:00 AM

FIRSTTRACKS

GOT YOUR HALL PASS?

Say goodbye to the days when a season pass committed you to skiing or riding just one resort. Say hello to the new multi-resort passes . By Evan Johnson

H

all passes. Get out of jail free cards. Frequent flier miles. “Sick” days. They all spell “freedom.” That’s essentially what a season pass ticket is: Freedom from the weekday commute and the weekend chores. It’s also a guarantee you will head for the hills rather than sit home second guessing conditions and asking yourself if you really should go ski or ride. (If you have to ask, the answer is “yes.”)

This season, there are more reasons than ever to commit to a season pass, starting with the fact that a number of ski areas actually dropped their prices over last year. More than that, resorts have figured out that we want options (and a way to hedge against sometimes fickle weather) and the trend in multi-resort season passes has exploded. All you have to figure out is which pass is right for you. Keep in mind early season rate deadlines are coming up fast (see our “Early Bird Deals” chart on the following page).

JUDGE PASS If you’re someone who likes to chase snow across the Northeast Kingdom, the Judge Pass lets you ski or ride both Jay Peak and Burke. Adults access the two mountains with no blackout dates for $899. New this year: in addition to discounts on lodging, lessons, rentals and retail, you also get discounted tickets at Okemo, Mount Sunapee and Pat’s Peak in New Hampshire, NewYork’s Mount Bristol, Jiminy Peak and Wachusett in Massachusetts, Shawnee Peak in Maine as well as smaller ski areas in Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE PASS The Mountain Collective Pass gets even better this winter. Last year the pass added Stowe, Vt. (the only Eastern resort) and Taos, N.M. to its all-star lineup and this year, Revelstoke and Telluride join the Collective. So what’s the deal? For $409, the pass gets you two days of skiing at resorts such as Jackson Hole, Alta/Snowbird, Mammoth, Ski Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Sun Valley and Taos plus 50 percent off additional lift tickets. If you’re looking to rack up some frequent flier miles, it’s also good at Chamonix in the French Alps, Thredbo in Australia, Valle Nevado in Chile, Japan’s

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 5

VTF16_FTOPEN (David Pollard's conflicted copy 2016-09-08).indd 5

9/9/16 10:01 AM

u Hakuba Valley and New Zealand’s Ski Queenstown, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables. There are no blackout dates but sales are limited.

Another sweet option: if you buy a Stowe Seven or Seven-Plus pass, you automatically get 50 percent off lift tickets at any of the other Mountain Collective resorts. See mountaincollective.com

MULTI ALPINE EXPERIENCE (M.A.X.) The M.A.X. pass gets a boost this year with ten more resorts including Okemo. The 2016/17 pass lets you ski up to five days at each of 32 mountains. In the Northeast, the M.A.X. pass is good at Stratton, Okemo, Killington and Pico, as well as Sugarloaf and Sunday River in Maine; Loon and Mount Sunapee, N.H.; Wachusett, Mass. and Mont Tremblant, in Quebec. Western resorts include Big Sky, Mont., and, in Colorado, Winter Park and Steamboat. You’ll also be able to travel as far as British Columbia and Alaska. If you already have a season pass at Stratton, Okemo or Killington, you can add on an adult M.A.X. pass for $299. Otherwise, the cost for an adult is $649, with no blackout days. This means you could, conceivably, travel and ski 160 days, at a cost per day of $4.05. See themaxpass.com OKEMO’S ULTRA PASS The Ultra Pass gives you unlimited, no-black-out-days at Okemo, Vt., Mount Sunapee N.H. and Crested Butte, Colo., plus three days at Killington for $1,729 for an adult ($1,829 after Oct. 10). If you don’t plan to go to Crested Butte, you can get the other benefits of the Ultra Pass with an Okemo Peak Pass for $1,359 ($1,619 after Oct. 10).

PEAK PASS If you want to explore the Northeast, Peak Resorts, owners of Mount Snow, rolls out the Peak Pass with access to seven Northeast resorts .

That includes Vermont’s Mount Snow, Attitash, Crotched and Wildcat in New Hampshire, NewYork’s Hunter Mountain and Big Boulder and Jack Frost in Pennsylvania. Adults ages 30 and older can ski and ride all seven with no blackout dates for $799. Skiers and riders 18 to 29 can explore all seven for $399. See peakpass.com.

THE 4.0 COLLEGE PASS Fulltime undergraduate and graduate students get unlimited access to four ski resorts—Killington, Pico, Okemo and New Hampshire’s Mount Sunapee. That’s 399 trails and thousands of skiable acres available for weekends, holidays or when you’ve come down with a bad case of midweek “powder flu.” As an added bonus you’ll also get 50-percent off lift tickets for your friends. When bought on pre-buy, it costs $349.

THREESOME COLLEGE PASS College students looking to cover some of the most challenging terrain in Vermont should immediately schedule courses for the afternoon and sign up for the Threesome College Pass. (No, it has nothing to do with your girlfriend and her roommate.) What it does offer is unlimited skiing and riding at Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak and Mountain Ellen, and Mad River Glen. Until Nov. 2, it costs $369. n

THE EARLY DEALS ON SEASON PASSES MOUNTAIN SEASON PASS

EARLY DEADLINE

7-DAY EARL Y

YOUNG

COLLEGE

KIDS

BOLTON VALLEY

30-Sep

$579

$469

BROMLEY

15-Oct

$975

$299

$299

N/A

$179

$169

$499

N/A

$389

$650

1/2 off midweek at Jiminy Peak

bromley.com

BURKE

10-Oct

$899

JAY PEAK

10-Oct

$779

$399

$479

N/A

$249

$419

Judge Pass

skiburke.com

$449

$579

$479

$249

$479

Judge Pass

KILLINGTON

15-Oct

$1289

jaypeakresort.com

$519

$839

$669

$379

$599

M.A.X., 4.0 Colllege Pass

killington.com

Threesome College Pass

MIDWEEK

SENIOR

Check websites for additional deals, family passes and details. “Young” adults are generally under 30 or 34 and “Seniors,” over 65.

ADULT

MULTI-RESORT PASS (see story for details)

MORE INFO: boltonvalley.com

MAD RIVER GLEN

15-Oct

$771

$308

$421

N/A

$220

$220

MAGIC

31-Oct.

$479

$199

$299

$249$

$99

$199

MIDDLEBURY SNOW BOWL

30-Nov

$420

$255

$310

N/A

$310

$115-$250

MOUNT SNOW

18-Oct

$699

$499

$399-$699

$399

$60-$699

Peak Pass

OKEMO

10-Oct

$1,359

$465

$809-$969 $669

$379

$899

M.A.X., Ultra, 4.0 College Passes okemo.com

PICO

15-Oct

$449

$59-$349

$379

$349

M.A.X., 4.0 Colllege Pass

SMUGGLERS NOTCH

N/A

$609

$429

$20

$229

$250

STOWE

6-Nov

$1,860

$1,096

$932

$399

$586

Mountain Collective

stowe.com

STRATTON

10-Oct

$969

$529

SUGARBUSH

14-Sep

$1,499

$119-$749

SUICIDE SIX

30-Nov.

$449

$339

$599 $349 $349

madriverglen.com magicmtn.com middleburysnowbowl.com mountsnow.com picomountain.com smuggs.com

$349

M.A.X Pass

stratton.com

$369

$489

Threesome College Pass

sugarbush.com

$339

$199

woodstockinn.com

6 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_FTOPEN (David Pollard's conflicted copy 2016-09-08).indd 6

9/9/16 2:02 PM

EAT

STOWE’S PREMIER Resort and Spa

DRINK

STAY

PLAY

Don’t Just Visit ..... Experience It!

Follow us on

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 16

www.topnotchresort.com

RELAX

800.451.8686

9/9/16 1:14 PM

Resort News VERMONT’S SKI AREAS ARE GROWING

BY EVAN JOHNSON

V

Landscape, Light, Space, Materials: Vermont

52 Bridge Street | WRJ | Vermont |802.291.7080 | www.watershedstudio.us

SLICES • CREATIVE ENTRÉES • GLUTEN-FREE MENU • HEALTHY KIDS MENU CRAFT BEERS • GAME ROOM • DELIVERY

ORDER ONLINE

1899 M O U NRTOAAI ND STOWE VT 05672 • 802.253.4411

PIECASSO.COM

ermonters are survivors. We laugh gleefully at what some call “harsh” winters (we call them “epic”) and we scrape by when Mother Nature dishes out whatever last season was. This year, ski resorts from Mount Snow to Jay Peak are doing more than surviving, they are expanding. Ascutney and Magic are back in business.

At Sugarbush there are new slopeside condos and at Burke, a new hotel. At Stowe, kids are climbing the rock walls at a new massive Adventure Center and Smuggler’s Notch is preparing for a kid’s center as well, complete with a Ninja warrior obstacle course. And nearly every resort is adding more firepower to their snowmaking artillery and events to their calendars. Here’s what happened while you were out on summer break: Thanks to the Trust for Public Land Ascutney Mountain (which had sat quiet for five years) opened a rope tow from the base area to the former mid-station and the upper portion remains open to skiers and split-boarders willing to hike or skin for their turns.

This fall, the area’s 45 miles of mountain bike trails are open as well.

Following an SEC investigation of its former owner, Ariel Quiros, Burke gleefully said ‘bah bye’ to the “Q” in its former name (Q Burke) and hello to a new 116-room hotel and conference center. Neighboring Burke Mountain Academy (BMA) completed work on the $3 million Ronnie Berlack Center. In early August, Burke Racing received a grant to replace a 60-year-old POMA lift used to access the academy’s training hill with a new state of the art high speed T-bar.

Last season, Bolton Valley rolled out a creative suite of events. This season, it builds on that, teaming up with the Catamount Trail Association for the Wednesday Night Skimo Uphill Race Series Jan. 25 through March 1. On February 11-12, skiers and splitboarders will race uphill and downhill for 24 hours in the 24 Hours of Bolton Valley. On March 4, Bolton Valley hosts the Frigid Infliction Adventure Race, a 12-hour adventure race consisting of ropes, skiing, snowshoeing and post holing. Backcountry skiers will also welcome the return of the Bolton Valley Shuttle from Nebraska Valley to Bolton Valley Feb. 4, 11 and 18.

Bromley rethinks trash, recycling and composting food waste to implement a “Go Green” initiative this winter season. The intent is to eliminate organic waste and all recyclables from the Bromley dumpsters.

Jay Peak is also under new management with former marketing director Steve Wright taking over for Bill Stenger following the EB-5 scandal. This season, Jay is increasing snowmaking to its LZ and Jug Handle parks by 60 percent, running a new waterline up the Interstate trail and installing tower guns. The expansion will not only allow Jay Peak parks to open sooner, but will also allow the resort to open learning terrain earlier in the season.

Killington starts its winter by welcoming the Audi FIS World Cup Nov. 26–27 with some of the best skiers in the world competing on Superstar. In preparation, Killington will have two mountain operations teams; one to develop courses for the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn and the other to create awesome early season conditions for us mere mortals.

Watch for bands, movie releases and more to make this a weekend party.

Skiers love Mad River Glen for its no-frills aesthetic and commitment to skiing above all else. In 2016, MRG continues to celebrate two decades of co-op owner-

8 Fall 2015 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_RESNEWS (David Pollard's conflicted copy 2016-09-08).indd 8

9/9/16 10:04 AM

VTSki&Ride-fall16-3.67x9.4.pdf 1 8/31/2016 3:33:09 PM

Resort News ship and has over $5 million in capital improvements to show for it. If you’re looking to keep this ski area the treasure it is, pitch in at glade clean-up days on Oct. 1, 8 and 15.

Mount Snow spent the summer installing a new lift at Carinthia’s Grommet Park and clearing up the resort’s glades for when the snow gets deep. If that weren’t enough, the resort has added another 20,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe. In long-term plans, Peak Resorts, which owns Mount Snow, announced this spring that Mount Snow’s EB-5 program, which grants green cards to foreign investors, has been approved and can move forward. The $52 million in funds raised will be used to construct a 120-milliongallon water storage pond for snowmaking by next year and a new 36,000-square-foot Carinthia base lodge with seating for 600 for 2018-19.

This winter, Okemo rolls out $30,000 in snowmaking improvements, including 18,000 feet of snowmaking pipe that expands coverage to the Catnip and Suncatcher trails on the south face of the mountain. The expansion boosts Okemo’s snowmaking coverage to 98 percent. The rental shop also sees an upgrade with 515 new Volkl skis, 869 pairs of Dalbello ski boots, 153 Burton snowboards and 272 pairs of Burton snowboard boots. Overnight guests visiting Okemo Mountain Resort and booking lodging with Okemo-managed lodging properties this winter can arrange transportation to C Okemo from: Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport, Rutland Amtrak Station M and Bellows Falls Amtrak Station. Guests may reserve shuttle transport at the same time Y they make lodging reservations.

New owners at Magic Mountain in Londonderry are hoping to breathe new life into CM the ski area. Ski Magic LLC is aiming to open by mid-December with both summit MY chairlifts turning and new snowmaking capacity on the Sorcerer trail.

CY Smugglers Notch Resort is busy working on a $4.1 million indoor play space for famiCMY lies that it hopes to have online by mid-winter. The 26,000-square-foot space will cover two floors and include a Ninja warrior obstacle course, climbing walls, laser tag, slot car K racing and a game arcade. Smuggs also continues converting its existing snowmaking fleet to high-efficiency units as part of a $5 million three-year investment.

At Stowe, an $80 million Adventure Center opened in June across from the resort’s new Spruce Peak outdoor ice rink. This new development at Spruce Peak is the headquarters for the ZipTour Adventure, TreeTop Adventure, and the Stowe Rocks indoor climbing center. The Adventure Center is also home to Stowe’s Cubs Child Care, and starting this winter, Stowe’s Ski and Ride School.

After an expansion of its historic base lodge, Stratton’s Grizzly’s bar has become the mountain’s hot spot for live music. Over Columbus Day weekend, the stage welcomes Dark Star Orchestra and its Grateful Dead covers. More live music follows this winter. Stratton opens a new restaurant in the village this winter called “Karma,” which will be serving Asian fusion cuisine.

Summer at Sugarbush saw the completion of 16 new slopeside condos at the heart of Lincoln Peak Village. Also in the works: a renovation of Glen House at the top of Mt. Ellen’s Green Mountain Express Quad. The mid-station lodge will have an updated café menu and a bar with beer and wine. Across the resort, Sugarbush’s maintenance crew installed $500,000 in snowmaking upgrades. Anticipated opening dates are Nov. 19 at Lincoln Peak and Dec. 16 at Mount Ellen.

Finally, the birthplace of Vermont’s lift-accessed skiing gets a makeover this year in the form of a new lift. Chair #1 at Suicide Six will be replaced with a new Leitner Poma quad, doubling the loading capacity of the current chair. The new lift comes at a $1.5 million price tag and will be installed by the anticipated mid-December opening.

OPEN DAILY 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

echovt.org

NEW EARLY LEARNING EXHIBIT

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 9

VTF16_RESNEWS (David Pollard's conflicted copy 2016-09-08).indd 9

9/9/16 10:04 AM

It’s MORE than a race.

It’s where skiing’s storied culture, world-class athletes and the iconic Green Mountains converge.

800.621.MTNS

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 4

killington.com/worldcup

9/9/16 10:35 AM

u

Après With lederhosen and an alpine view that seems plucked out of Austria, von Trapp Brewing brings that extra bit of gemutlichkeit (friendliness) to its Oktoberfest, held this year on Sept. 17.

5 ROCKING OKTOBERFESTS Before the lifts turn at your favorite resorts, the beer flows.

There’s no better way to sample the best brews in the country than at these Oktoberfests.

Photo courtesy Trapp Family Lodge

Y

ou’re driving through your favorite mountain town when suddenly it appears you’ve taken a wrong turn. Set against the backdrop of brilliant orange, red and yellow hillsides, the sounds of polka music and the deep poom pom of a sousaphone bounce from white tents set on a field. Men in lederhosen and felt hats and women in dirndls clutch glasses of amber or brown lagers and ales.

A series of questions fly through your mind: Where am I? What’s that music? And finally: Where can I get some of that beer?

Welcome to Oktoberfest, one of the most important fall traditions in Vermont. Or, to use the traditional German expression, herzlich willkommen.

Oktoberfest is a German tradition that started in the southern region of Bavaria in the early 19th century as a celebration of the harvest. But here in the state with the most breweries per capita, Vermont’s 51 breweries put their own

BY EVAN JOHNSON

unique spin on the party. Many of Vermont’s favorites, including Zero Gravity, Switchback, Drop-In, von Trapp and more all brew up specialty beers that’ll be ready when the leaves change and the temperature drops.

“Oktoberfests are really Vermont at its finest,” says Eric Lussier, beer enthusiast and founder of Measured Methods, a Burlington-based digital marketing agency that specializes in Vermont breweries and beer events (they organized the Vermont Beer Week, September 16-25). “They’re a time when all the things that I love about living here come together: live music, the beautiful fall setting, food and of course the beer.”

Supplementing the fun this year are the number of expansions Vermont’s breweries have seen in recent months.

On September 17, the von Trapp brewery, run by one of Vermont’s most storied Austrian families (see The Sound of Music), celebrated the opening of its new 150-seat bierhalle. Located just west of the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, the brewery, completed in 2015, has increased von Trapp’s

How far can you throw a keg? Test yourself at the keg toss, stein hoisting, or corn hole at Sugarbush’s Oktoberfest, Oct. 9.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 11

VTF16_Apres LG 2.indd 11

9/9/16 2:03 PM

u Oktoberfest means oom-pah music and at Sugarbush you’ll have the Mad Bavarian Brass Band providing the soundtrack.

OCT. 1-2: STOWE OKTOBERFEST In terms of authentic German fare, you don’t have to look farther than Stowe’s Oktoberfest on the Mayo Events Field on Weeks Hill Road. The event starts Friday night with live music and kicks off Saturday with a bike parade starting in the village and traveling up the bike path to the events field.

There you’ll find all the requisite beer and food, plus live music from two authentic German bands; Die Lustigen Almdudler and the Inseldudler. If that weren’t enough, it’s also for a great cause; last year’s Oktoberfest raised over $50,000 to support charities and provide scholarships in the Lamoille/Washington County region.

There’s no better time to break out your dirndl and beer stein than October in Vermont.

brewing capacity from 2,000 to nearly 60,000 barrels annually. Disc golfers, trail runners, mountain bikers and soon cross country skiers, fat bikers and snowshoers can find that all trails now lead to a Vienna Lager, Helles or Weissbier.

The Alchemist, brewers of the near legendary Heady Topper (consistently rated one of the best beers in the country) also completed its new brewery and tasting room in Stowe at the end of the summer.

In August, Otter Creek Brewing in Middlebury celebrated its 25th anniversary with the opening of a new, 9,000 sq. ft. facility that allows them to triple their production and claim the title of the largest brewery in the state. They also introduced a 25th anniversary Double India Pale Lager to mark the occasion.

If you weren’t able to get to the von Trapp Brewery opening or snag one of the 800 tickets to SIPtemberfest (a gathering of 24 breweries at Mad River Glen) or get to Oktoberfest Vermont in Burlington’s Waterfront Park, you’ll still be able to celebrate the height of foliage at some of the best fall festivals around.

Here’s our list of the top five Oktoberfests that actually take place in October. Bring an ID and a designated driver and we’ll see you in line.

Photo courtesy Sugarbush Resort

OCT. 1: KILLINGTON BREWFEST Imagine 125 different beers to choose from at the base of one of Vermont’s biggest ski areas and you’ve got an idea of what awaits you at Killington’s Brewfest. After a brunch in the late morning, sip your way through over 40 breweries from both Vermont and away.

OCT. 1: JAY PEAK BEAN & BREW FESTIVAL Jay Peak’s seventh annual Bean & Brew Festival combines two of mankind’s best beverage ideas, beer and coffee, in one massive tasting event in the Stateside Base Lodge. You’ll be able to sample from coffee brewers including Backcountry, Cold Brewtus and others as well as beer from Harpoon, 14th Star and a whole lot more.

OCT. 8-9: MOUNT SNOW 19TH ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST In Southern Vermont, Mount Snow has held an Oktoberfest since 1997 and the event has grown to include a craft fair and for the “adventurous,” a 5K that incorporates beer drinking and running (drink a beer after each of four laps). While the kids get an Oktoberfest of their own with pumpkin painting, apple slingshot and a schnitzel toss, those 21 and older can sample beers from over 25 foreign and domestic breweries and compete in the keg toss, stein holding and horseshoes.

For food, the Cuzzins deck serves up all the schnitzel and wurst you could desire.

OCT. 9 SUGARBUSH COMMUNITY WEEKEND Sugarbush’s Community Weekend is always a major attraction for skiers and riders who love the foliage as much as the snow that follows. On the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend, beer lovers flock to the Lincoln Peak Village, where a von Trapp Brewing beer garden and live polka from the Mad Bavarian Band awaits. “When people walk into the village and hear the band and smell the food, there’s nowhere else they want to be,” says Sugarbush’s Tony Chiuchiolo, who is helping organize this year’s event. When you’re tired of corn-hole, stein-hoisting and keg-tossing, grab some German-inspired cuisine from the Castlerock Pub or take a ride up the Super Bravo Express Quad for spectacular foliage views. n

12 Fall2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_Apres LG 2.indd 12

9/9/16 2:03 PM

THE COLLEGE PASS

YOUNG ADULT PASS

THE COUNTY PASS

No Blackout Dates No Restrictions

Ages 19 to 34

For both full and part time residents of Washington, Lamoille and Orleans Counties.**

*Full-time student Part-time student pass $599 Prices go up 11/7/16

599*

Valid 7-Days a week, non-holiday Prices go up 11/7/2016

876 $1,334* 5-DAY

$

7-DAY

399*

$

$

Prices go up 11/7/2016

Visit www.stowe.com

**Must show proof of home ownership in one of these three counties.

*INCLUDES UNRESTRICTED 50% OFF DAILY LIFT TICKETS AT THE FOLLOWING MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE DESTINATIONS:

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 5

9/9/16 10:34 AM

PRECISION POWER PERFORMANCE COMFORT

!

Backyard fun since 1965 www.snurferboards.com

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 6

Better Balance, Better Riding Vew-Do Balance Boards made in the USA

www.vewdo.com

9/9/16 10:34 AM

u

Ski Town

BURKE’S REBIRTH

With a new 116-room Burke Mountain Hotel at the base and under new management, Burke is poised to grow. Below, Lilias Ide chases a friend on the Kingdom Trails off

Photo top by Lisa Lynn, bottom by Ryan Thibault

Darling Hill.

L

abor Day weekend the trails at Burke Mountain were packed. Dirt flew as riders careened around the berms carved into the steep, straight pitch that make this mountain a ski racer’s dream. There were lines to ride the lift to the top.

The Burke Mountain Bike park was having its busiest day ever.

The twang, twang, thud of live music echoed off the mountainsides. Part way up the ski slopes, on the stone patio of the new 116-room Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center, people were tossing back beers. From the deck, it felt like you could see the entire Northeast Kingdom—or at least all the way to Mt. Hor, rising above Lake Willoughby, and the Willoughby Gap. Inside at the hotel’s Gap Pub, visitors from Quebec, Boston and NewYork were sampling from a cross-cultural menu that features both corned beef poutine with Guinness gravy and Asian pork street sandwiches.

This was the moment this little corner in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom had been holding its breath for: Burke was back. “It’s pretty surreal to see this really high quality hotel at Burke,” says Lilias Ide, a Vermonter who moved to Burke after time in Jackson Hole and other western ski towns.

“There’s a palpable sense of relief,” said Kurt Zschau, a realtor in town whose children go to Burke Mountain Academy. “I think everyone’s glad we’re done with Ary Quiros.”

Judging from the scene at the mountain, you would not guess that six months earlier Burke Mountain’s fate had been put into question as the Securities and Exchange Commission pounced on the resort’s owners Bill Stenger, Ariel Quiros and his son Ary, alleging fraudulent use of millions of dollars raised from foreign investors via the federal EB-5 investment-for-visas program.The resort, along with its sister property, Jay Peak, was placed into receivership. The new hotel, a stunning structure of stone and wood, was locked before its first guest could check in and the town was left wringing its hands.

But not for long. Within a week, the “Q Burke” (the name the Quiros clan had given the resort) signs came down and the old Burke Mountain logo came back. A “Friends of Burke Mountain” group was started with a Facebook page to rally them.

The receiver, Michael Goldberg, worked with the state to secure operating funds and brought in a new management team. The hotel would open by Labor Day, the team promised. Burke would be back.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 15

VTF16_FTSkiTown.indd 15

9/9/16 2:18 PM

u

Ski Town

Built by Elmer Darling, the same man who commissioned the first trails on Burke Mountain, Burklyn Hall, left, came up for sale this spring for a cool $4.5 million. Early risers at the new slopeside hotel (bottom) can get first dibs on the glades (right).

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Set east of I89 and an hour north of White River Junction, Burke has a history wealthy people falling in love with its sweeping views of the Northeast

Photos courtesy Burke Mountain Resort, Sotheby’s (top)

And on Labor Day it was. That same weekend, over at Burke Mountain Academy, Mikaela Shiffrin’s alma mater, close to 200 yards of concrete was poured to form the floor of a new 6,000 sq. ft., indoor training facility, named for alumnus Ronnie Berlack (a member of the U.S. Ski Team development squad who was killed in an avalanche in Austria in 2015.) A few weeks earlier, Burke Racing secured a $240,000 grant from the Norther Borders Regional Commission to replace the POMA lift on the race training hill with a T-bar that will triple its uphill capacity.

In the past 40 years, Burke Mountain Academy has turned out 33 Olympians and the combination of the training center and the new lift positions it to turn out even more. “It’s probably one of the best training areas in the United States,” says Chip Knight, an alumnus and coach with the U.S. Ski Team. “Having a surface lift right next to a dedicated training hill means you are always watching others race and always working your legs,” he notes.

With a new hotel, the Ronnie Berlack facility and a new lift, Burke is positioned well to become a national ski racing training site.

Kingdom. It also has a history of grand visions, crashing bankruptcies and then townsfolk rallying to rebuild the community.

Across the valley from Burke Mountain, set high on Darling Hill is Burklyn Hall, the grand, 35-room Colonial Revival mansion that NewYork hotelier Elmer Albert Darling built in 1908. Painted yellow with white trim, the house and its many outbuildings sit on 86 acres, crisscrossed by the network of mountain biking trails, the Kingdom Trails. Darling also owned Burke Mountain and worked with Civilian Conservation Corps to cut the original ski trails and build a toll road.

Last year, Burklyn’s owner, Dr. Tony Donn, 89, invited an unusual group of guests he’d never met—the 20-something editors of Bike Magazine—to stay at Burklyn while they compiled an issue. Though he wasn’t a mountain biker himself, like 61 other area landowners, the wealthy NewYork eye surgeon helped make his land available for what has become a world-famous network of more than 100 miles of mountain bike trails,The KingdomTrails.

Why? As Donn told Bike, “Recreation is this town’s greatest hope.”

Between mountain biking, which brings in an estimated $6.5 million a year to the town, and skiing, there is good reason for the town to be hopeful.

Last October, the annual Circumburke Challenge – a marathon and mountain bike race around Burke Mountain—drew 400 entrants and was voted “Best Bike Race in Vermont” by the readers of Vermont Sports magazine. This year’s event is October 22.

With 20 miles of groomed winter trails, mountain biking has become a year-round activity as well. “In 2015, we had our busiest weekend ever during WinterBike,” says Jim O’Reilly, owner of the Wildflower Inn, of the winter festival for fat bikes that’s scheduled for March of 2017.

This past spring, just as the SEC locked the doors on Q Burke,Tony Dunn passed away. Burklyn is now up for sale for $4.5 million. As realtor Szchau notes, “It’s the type of place that needs a loving owner.”

The same might be said for the mountain and ski resort. Any takers? n

16 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_FTSkiTown.indd 16

9/9/16 6:44 PM

VT SKI+RIDE EXPO OFFICIAL PROGRAM

EXHIBITOR

BOOTH*

The Alpine Shop ............................................... 14-19 Balance Designs Inc (Vew-Do & Snurfer) .......... 29 Bolton Valley ............................................................. 5 Burlington Subaru ........................................... 26-27 Dodge Ski Boots ..................................................... 30 Long Trail Brewing & Farrell Distributing ..........41 Flyin Ryan Foundation ......................................... 50 Green Mountain Training Center ....................... 34 Iride .......................................................................... 52 J Skis ......................................................................... 40 Jay Peak Resort ......................................................... 7 Killington Resort ...................................................... 4 KneeBinding, Inc. .................................................. 37 Marker/Dalbello/Volkl .......................................... 33 Middlebury Snow Bowl/Rikert Nordic Center .... 1 Outdoor Gear Exchange ................................. 10-11 Parlor Skis ............................................................... 35 Petra Cliffs Climbing Center ................................ 58 Pinnacle Ski and Sports .................................. 44-45 Play It Again Sports ............................................ 11.1 Powe. Snowboards ................................................. 49 Renoun Skis ............................................................ 32 Rossignol ................................................................. 13 Silo Skis .................................................................... 31 Ski and Snowboard Express ........................... 47-48 Ski The East ....................................................... 20-23 SlopeStyle Ski and Ride + Boot Doc ...............54-56 Smuggler’s Notch Resort ....................................... 28 Stowe Mountain Resort ...................................... 2-3 Sugarbush Resort ..................................................... 6 Tecnica/Blizzard ..................................................... 36 The Skirack Inc. .................................................... 8-9 UVM Medical Center ........................................... 42 UVM Ski & Snowboard Club .............................. 38 Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports ....................... 39 VT SKI + RIDE Magazine .................................... 25 WhiteRoom Skis .................................................... 57 * Subject to change. Please see addendum and map.

LONG TRAIL BEER & MUSIC TENT TIME SATURDAY SUNDAY

1-1:40 PM 2-2:40 PM 3-3:40 PM 4-4:40 PM 5-5:40 PM 6-6:40 PM

Mango Jam Mango Jam The Dog Catchers Quadra The Dog Catchers Quadra The Dog Catchers The Dog Catchers

WELCOME TO WINTER, VERMONT!

W

elcome to winter’s opening party and the first VT SKI + RIDE EXPO, brought to you by The Rotary Club of Burlington, VT SKI + RIDE Magazine and benefitting the Flyin’ Ryan Foundation. This is your chance to:

See the latest 2017 gear from Vermont brands such as Powe.Snowboards, Dodge Boots, Vew-Do and more. Shop. Outdoor Gear Exchange, Pinnacle Sports and Skirack and others will be there to fully outfit you. Learn from expert bootfitters, ski tuners and more. Listen to great local bands.

Watch slackline and climbing wall demonstrations. Get stoked for winter with top films from Matchstick and Ski the East. Win door prizes such as a season’s pass to Stowe Mountain Resort, a Bash Badge to Smuggler’s Notch, or a gift certificate to Zero Gravity, … just to name a few!

It’s all for a good cause: 100 percent of the proceeds go to supporting the

Flyin Ryan Hawks Foundation’s

mission to: Expose

adventurers to Ryan Hawk’s 14 Principles for Living, to inspire adventurers to craft their own set of core principles for living and to act on their core principles as the means through which they shape their attitude and engage in life.

AMPHITHEATER EVENTS

Time

Saturday

Time

Sunday

10:00

Meathead Film No Matter What

10:00

Matchstick Film Days of My Youth

11:00

Door Prize Drawing

11:00

Door Prize Drawing

11:05

Catamount Trail/ T Bar

11:05

Catamount Trail/ T Bar

12:00

Door Prize Drawing

12:00

Door Prize Drawing

12:05

Flyin’ Ryan Presentation

12:05

Flyin’ Ryan Presentation

12:30

Karen Newman Talk

12:30

Renoun Skis Presentation

1:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

1:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

1:05 PM

Matchstick Film Fade to Winter

1:05 PM

Meathead Film Head for the Hills

2:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

2:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

2:05 PM

Boot Fitting Workshop with Boot Doc

2:05 PM

2:30 PM

Ski Tuning Workshop with Slopestyle 2:30 PM

Ski Tuning Workshop with Slopestyle

3:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

3:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

3:05 PM

Meathead film Prime Cut

3:05 PM

Meathead Film Wonderland

4:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

4:00 PM

Final Door Prize Drawing

4:05 PM

J Skis Twin Tip Presentation

5:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

5:05 PM

Meathead Film Work it Out

6:00 PM

Door Prize Drawing

6:05 PM

Meathead Film Wild Stallions

Boot Fitting Workshop with SkiRack

Thanks to our key sponsors: The Rotary Club of Burlington and VT SKI + RIDE Magazine along with the gold sponsor University of Vermont Sports Medicine as well as Farrell Distributing and Long Trail Brewing.

VT SKI+RIDE EXPO OFFICIAL PROGRAM

VTSR Expo LG2.indd 2

9/9/16 3:36 PM

Tucked against the 4,000’ mountains in Warren, VT is a remarkable four-season destination just 50 minutes from Burlington.

Explore six mountains and over 53 miles of trails, freestyle terrain, uncrowded slopes, cat skiing and extensive backcountry. Lessons and clinics taught by friendly and accomplished staff. For ticket deals and more, visit us at the Sugarbush Resort booth #6 at the VT SKI + RIDE Expo, or visit www.sugarbush.com.

At Outdoor Gear Exchange we are passionate about the outdoors. We are committed to selling quality gear at the best prices possible.

We love the gear we sell and want to help people get the most out of the outdoors by sharing our knowledge, experience and killer deals! Visit booth #11 at the VT SKI + RIDE Expo for great gear, great advice and great prices! Or visit us anytime at Gearx.com.

Visit these exhibitors on Oct. 1-2

EXP Stop by the Bolton Valley booth at the VT SKI + RIDE Expo. We’ll be printing and selling season passes all weekend at booth #5. www.boltonvalley.com

Dodge Ski Boots, maker of the world’s best high-performance carbon fiber composite ski boot, has raised the bar once again with the industry-exclusive Digital Fitting AppTM. For the first time, consumers can use a smartphone to create a 3D scan of their feet, which Dodge then uses to create the most custom fit ski boots in the world. Try it for free at the Dodge Ski Boots booth #30 at the VT SKI + RIDE Expo! www.dodgeskiboots.com

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is a nationally recognized organization that empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming regardless of ability to pay. If a family member has a cognitive, developmental, physical or emotional/behavioral disability, let us help. See us at booth #39 at VT SKI + RIDE Expo. www. vermontadaptive.org

Stop by the Middlebury College Snow Bowl booth #1 at the Expo and discover why the best value in Vermont is to SKI MIDDLEBURY; $35 weekday tickets; $100 ski and boot annual lease packages for ages 10 and under.

Plus, Nordic ski or fat bike at Rikert Nordic Center, with a 5K snowmaking system that keeps its trails open from November to April! www.middleburysnowbowl.com and www. rikertnordic.com

Pinnacle Ski & Sports and Inner Bootworks, your premier connection to the Mountains in the Stowe Area. We carry ALL the top brands.

Your one stop for Sales, Service, Leasing & Rentals. Open daily. Visit us at booth #44-45 at the Expo or online at Skiessentials.com.

3391 Mountain Road, Stowe. 802-253-7222

Powe. Snowboards is a craft snowboard company, located in Burlington, Vt. We specialize in limited edition, craft snowboards featuring high quality art and environmentally conscious materials.

Through real environmental action and community service, we strive to create a more sustainable and knowledgeable snow sports industry. Visit us at booth #49 at the VT SKI+RIDE Expo. www.powesnowboards.com

VT SKI+RIDE EXPO OFFICIAL PROGRAM

With Vew-Do Balance Boards improve your balance, strengthen your core and have fun doing it. Snurfer: The original snow surfer. Big fun on little hills for kids of any age. Two great brands, one Vermont company. Made in USA vewdo.com | snurferboards.com Booth#29

Stop by Stowe Resort’s booths #2-3 at the VT SKI + RIDE Expo and discover why Skiing Magazine named Stowe the #1 Resort in the East! Also learn about Stowe’s new Adventure Center, rock climbing facility, and famous zip line. And our season passes are developed to reward your commitment to Stowe with savings, discounts and benefits you’ll not find anywhere else in the East! www.stowe.com

Killington is known for its diversity of terrain and grooming expertise, providing skiers and riders of all ability levels a choice of wide-open groomed cruisers, narrow classic New England runs, moguls, steeps and gladed skiing areas.

Killington also offers multiple terrain features for snowboarders and freeskiers, including Bear Mountain’s signature terrain parks. Come see us at booth #4 at the VT SKI + RIDE Expo. www.killington.com

VT SKI+RIDE EXPO OFFICIAL PROGRAM

VTSR Expo LG2.indd 3

9/9/16 3:37 PM

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 7

9/9/16 10:34 AM

u

Backcountry

In October, snow may blanket the trails but the high country is still open for hiking and the foliage is on fire. From the Nose of Mt. Mansfield you can hike the ridgeline and get views to Canada and New York.

7 HIGH COUNTRY HIKES

For the best foliage views in the state, these ridgeline hikes are hard to beat.

Photo by Nathanael Asaro (top); Angelo Lynn (right)

O

n mornings when the wind breathes a hint of snow we break out our hiking shoes and head for the hills. There are few better ways to see the leaves turn technicolor—the fiery red maples, gold birches and the husky purples of ash—than by hiking the ridgelines of Vermont.

The foliage changes as you climb; the view broadens and the trees grow shorter and sturdier. Glancing down, lines open between the trunks, places you mentally bookmark under “backcountry stashes.”

This fall, before the snowpack builds, escape the crowds at the usual scenic outlooks and travel the trails that traverse the Green Mountains. Many start at ski areas where you can save your legs by taking a lift to the top (provided you’ve got a ski pass). These hikes all include trails marked on maps published by the Green Mountain Club (www. greenmountainclub.org).

BY EVAN JOHNSON

On some routes, it’s possible to include an overnight in lean-tos or cabins. All cabins and shelters listed on the Long Trail are filled in a first-come, first-served basis, so bring a tent in case you find them full.

STRATTON MOUNTAIN

(Arlington, 7.6 miles roundtrip) In 1909, a man named James Taylor climbed to the summit of Stratton Mountain, the highest peak in southern Vermont. What he saw gave him the idea for the Long Trail, stretching the length of the Green Mountains. A few years later, as he was at Stratton Mountain working on the Long Trail, forester Benton MacKaye took it up a notch and conceived of the 2,160-mile-long Appalachian Trail.

Today, the 3,199-foot peak is a site on both the Long Trail, which runs the length of Vermont, and the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. For an easy hike, ride Stratton’s gondola to the summit of the ski area

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 21

VTF16_BC hikes.indd 21

9/9/16 10:22 AM

u Anthony and the surrounding area. From Bald Mountain, the trail passes over two smaller peaks before turning sharply east to the intersection with the Long Trail/ Appalachian Trail at the Goddard Shelter. There you can lay out a sleeping bag for the night. Cap the hike at the summit of Glastenbury Mountain (3,748’) and scale the ladder to the firetower for views of Stratton Mountain and the northern Greens.

PICO AND KILLINGTON LINK

(Killington, 5.4 miles roundtrip) This hike connects Pico and Killington along a ridge with sweeping views.Your adventure starts with a quick ride up Killington’s K1 gondola to the summit of the second tallest mountain in Vermont at 4,235 feet. From Killington, you’ll be able to see north to Mount Mansfield and south to Ascutney, Okemo and even Stratton. Travel north on the Long Trail through alpine forests and past the Bucklin Trail, which descends to the west and Snowdon Peak (3,592’), then along a ridgeline to an intersection with Sherburne Pass Trail called “Jungle Junction.” Bear right for a half-mile before reaching Pico Peak (3,957’). When you’re rested, retrace your steps to Killington for an easy descent via the K1 gondola.

THE BREADLOAF WILDERNESS

A well-worn trail leads up through the Groton State Forest near Montpelier to the summit of Owl’s Head, a peak you can see from the Mt. Pisgah trail as well.

and follow signs for Mike’s Way and the trail that leads to the firetower (1.4 miles roundtrip). But for a wilder route, start from the parking area on the Kelly Stand Road in Arlington. The trail ascends gradually through mixed forest before a series of switchbacks. Openings on the trail give southern views to Somerset Reservoir. At the summit, climb the 70-foot firetower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. From a lofty perch you’ll have a view similar to what Benton MacKaye must have seen, all the way to New York’s Taconic Mountains and the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

WEST RIDGE TRAIL TO GODDARD SHELTER

Photo by Sandy Macy

(Bennington, 9.7 miles one-way) If you’re looking for an ambitious ridgeline hike, perhaps with an overnight at a cabin, head for this trail that starts close to downtown Bennington. From the parking area on Harbour Road climb 1.9 miles on the Bear Wallow Trail to the 2,857-foot summit of Bald Mountain. You’ll have views of the Bennington Battlefield Monument, Mount

(Hancock, 10.4 miles roundtrip) The largest of the designated wilderness areas in the Green Mountain National Forest makes for a long day hike or a great overnight. Start your day at the top of Middlebury Gap near the Middlebury College Snow Bowl. After starting out northbound on the Long Trail, explore the Silent Cliff and nearby cave via a .4-mile side trail that cuts to the east just .4 miles after the start. While hiking through one of Vermont’s most pristine forests, you’ll summit Burnt Hill (3,040’) and Kirby Peak (3,140’) before reaching the Skyline Lodge, a log cabin built in 1987. Its broad porch and bunks for 14 will be a welcome resting spot while you overlook the Skylight Pond in the evening.

MAD RIVER GLEN TO SUGARBUSH,

(Waitsfield, 5.8 miles one-way) You can start this hike by taking Mad River Glen’s historic single chair to the Stark’s Nest warming hut at the top of the ski area or you can hike south from the parking area on Route 17 at the top of the Appalachian Gap (adding 3.1 miles). After passing over the summit of General Stark Mountain (3,662 feet), you’ll find an opportunity for an overnight at the Glen Ellen shelter, just a mile down the trail. The elevation rises gradually to the summit of the second ski area, and the ridge’s highest point, Sugarbush’s Mount Ellen. At 4,083 feet it’s the third-

22 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_BC hikes.indd 22

9/9/16 10:22 AM

tallest mountain in Vermont and its northern exposure gives excellent views of Camel’s Hump, the Worcester Range and Mount Mansfield. After passing over two small, craggy peaks look down the eastern flank at terrain that’s home to some of the area’s legendary glade skiing. The conclusion is a short distance later at Lincoln Peak, with views down to Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak Village, Mount Abraham (to the south) and the Champlain Valley to the west. Descend on the hiking trails to the Super Bravo Lift where you can catch a ride to the bottom and the Lincoln Peak Village.

MOUNT MANSFIELD’S RIDGELINE

(Stowe, 2-10 miles one-way) One of the most rugged environments in the state is also the most accessible. Part of the Long Trail, the alpine footpath along the roof of Vermont is accessible from all directions and especially easy if you take Stowe’s gondola or drive up the Toll Toad. For a longer hike with more exposure, start on the western side from Underhill State Park on the 1.4-mile Frost Trail or the 1.4-mile Sunset Ridge Trail. The Frost Trail emerges from a thick forest to intersect with the Long Trail at the massive Forehead while the Sunset Ridge Trail ascends to the 4,395-foot

Chin to the north. From Chin to Forehead is just over a mile. You can also choose to hike from the north by the 1.5-mile Hellbrook Trail, which ascends from Smuggler’s Notch. It’s a challenging route with steep ledges and ladders. For an extended hike, link up with the Long Trail and head south to Taylor Lodge, about 10 miles later in Nebraska Valley.

MT. PISGAH NORTH TRAIL

(Westmore, 4.4 miles round trip) Get some perspective on Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom with this hike above Lake Willoughby, Vermont’s deepest and most dramatic lake. From the parking area near the southern end of the lake on Route 5a, the trail follows old logging roads and gains elevation until it intersects with smaller spur trails that lead to a north and a west lookout. There, overlooking the fjordlike lake, Mt. Hor rises 1,400 feet. Nearby, you’ll see Wheeler Mountain, Lake Memphremagog, Owl’s Head and Bear Mountain. Beyond, you can pick out a string of summits from Camel’s Hump to Jay Peak, Burke and a few summits in Quebec. Take in the view from both of these lookouts before continuing to the summit of Mount Pisgah. n

Vermont's Best Ski Value Pre-Season Deals** Kid’s Pass (Age 12 & Under) Mad Card Family Mad Card Teen Full Pass 20’s Midweek Pass Midweek Pass Value Pass Full Pass Threesome College Pass

FREE** $159 $209 $220 $199 $308 $551 $771 $380

Unlimited access to Mad River Glen, Sugarbush Lincoln Peak, and Sugarbush Mt. Ellen *Passes must be purchased before October 15. **Kids 12 & Under (as of 1/1/17) get free kids passes with the purchase of a Family Mad Card or any adult season pass prior to October 15.

FREE KIDS PASSES**

*Free Kids Passes for Kids 12 & Under with purchase of a Family Mad Card or any Adult Season pass!

Photo credit: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

Best Place to Bring Your Kids Up Skiing!

- Powder

Magazine

madriverglen.com vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 23

VTF16_BC hikes.indd 23

9/9/16 10:22 AM

Dream Homes

Through the entryway, framed by two tree trunks, you can glimpse the central open-sided fireplace where boulders as large as 18-tons appear to spill from the roof.

24 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_DREAMHOME lg.indd 24

9/9/16 6:45 PM

THE GREAT CAMP

DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEOFFREY WOLCOTT

WITH MASSIVE BOULDERS, TREES, WATERFALLS AND FIRE PITS, THIS STOWE HOME BRINGS THE WILD INSIDE.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 25

VT_DREAMHOME lg.indd 25

9/9/16 2:15 PM

I

nitially, the owners were thinking log cabin,” says Geoffrey Wolcott, principal of Stowe’s GKW Working Design. “That quickly evolved to employing trees as exposed structural elements in the style of the great camps in the Adirondacks.”

As Wolcott and senior designer John Springer envisioned a mountain retreat for two New Jersey skiers, the project became progressively more ambitious. Their firm took on responsibility for every aspect of the interior and landscape design, from foundation to furnishings, and managed the construction. Tree trunks and logs serve as posts and beams—showcased in the garage (top left) and porch (above). “There’s not one square inch of drywall in the entire house,” says Wolcott. Instead, walls are wormy mahogany or reclaimed white cedar and the ceilings, painted poplar—as in the master bedroom (top right). The designers literally brought nature indoors, creating sometimes lofty but intimate spaces by introducing over-sized elements like the cascade of 200-plus tons of boulders in the entry (right). Wolcott scouted the boulders for this central fireplace from fields north of Stowe and then, working alongside mason John Abrahamson, positioned each element so that the fire is open on three sides: to the entry itself, the atrium and the kitchen. The final touch? A waterfall, tamed to a soothing trickle, flows over two 36,000-pound anchor stones and into a reflecting pool. This theme carries from indoors to out: a tunnel leads to a recessed garden courtyard and a waterfall that spills 25 feet down a granite wall.

26 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_DREAMHOME lg.indd 26

9/9/16 2:16 PM

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 00

VT_DREAMHOME lg.indd 27

9/9/16 2:16 PM

“MUCH OF THE DESIGN WAS DRIVEN

BY AN EFFORT TO CAPTURE THE QUALITIES OF CABIN LIVING.”

S

et high on a hillside, the home’s terrace (above) looks west toward the ski trails on Mt. Mansfield. Outdoor living spaces are everywhere: A bridge deck (top right) connects the library over the garage (top right) to an elevated terrace above the tunnel entry. From the terrace, salvaged granite steps lead down to the garden courtyard.

“Much of the design was driven by an effort to capture the qualities of cabin living,” says Wolcott. Fire, water and trees play a central role. In the kitchen, a fireplace

is framed by what appears to be a precarious assembly of weathered granite and its flames reflect off the polished zinc kitchen table. Working with craftsmen Jeff DeMartino and Frank Del Gais, Wolcott designed the table, which seats 12, and much of the other furnishings. For structural columns, Wolcott handpicked more than 35 trees for their root shape, character, and robustness, including an immense sugar maple, cut from the property, that serves as support for the laminated stair treads (right). The stairs wind up three levels around it. The rough stone and natural wood shapes contrast with the more modern and refined materials and detailing found throughout. Continually updated over the past two decades, the home has become a living thing that melds with the mountains—a truly great camp. Visit vtskiandride.com for a gallery of more images.

28 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_DREAMHOME lg.indd 28

9/9/16 2:16 PM

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 29

VT_DREAMHOME lg.indd 29

9/9/16 2:16 PM

in 2015, Mad River Glen skiers often faced whiteout conditions at the base lodge. In 2016, the story was a little different.

30 FALL 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 30

9/9/16 10:10 AM

Weather or Not? If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, take heart. El Niño is over.

La Niña is coming and forecasters are cautiously optimistic.

Photo by Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto

By Emma Cotton

vtskiandride.com FALL 2016 31

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 31

9/9/16 10:15 AM

Last winter we prayed to Ullr, did snow dances, put spoons under our pillows, and wore our pajamas inside out—only to have a season of record warm temperatures and scant snowfall.

32 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 32

9/9/16 10:15 AM

Photo by Scott Braaten/Stowe Mountain Resort

We emerged this spring disappointed, and perhaps bewildered—but compared to the ski resorts and the local economy, we were relatively unscathed.

Win Smith, the owner of Sugarbush Resort and an avid skier, felt our pain—doubly. Last season marked the second to lowest snowfall in the resort’s history, and with a total of only 156 inches (compared with 250 in an average year), Sugarbush saw a 15 percent decline in revenue. Smith estimates the industry lost about $140 million. “It was a tough year,” Smith said. “We had good reserves, so we were able to get through this winter okay, but two or three of them would be rough.”

Despite Mother’s Nature’s refusal to cooperate, thanks to snowguns Sugarbush skiers were still bashing bumps on closing day, May 1.

If we’re going to point fingers, there were two culprits to blame for last season’s dismal conditions.

The first is climate change—last year was one of the top five hottest years for our planet since the turn of the century, and it’s no big surprise that 2016 is on track to be the hottest on record.

The second and perhaps more influential culprit was El Niño, the warm current that pushes Remember this? In 2015 north along the Pacific coast every there was so much light powfew years. Last year’s El Niño tied der skiers at Stowe had to be with the winter of ‘97-‘98 for the careful when inhaling. strongest on record.

“The big story with last winter was not just the fact that there was an El Niño, but the fact that there was such a strong El Niño,” says Josh Fox, a meteorologist and author of Mad River Glen’s Single Chair Weather Blog.

“On the blog, I kind of coined the term ‘super Niño.’ There have been about 60 to 70 years of recorded data in the equatorial Pacific where they measure the strength of an El Niño or La Niña. There are only four in the last 70 years that are in the same league as what we saw last winter.”

Defined most simply, El Niño occurs when surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean rise 1.5 degrees Celsius or more above the ocean’s average temperature and persist for several months.

As temperatures rise above the norm, El Niño grows stronger.

Over last winter, temperatures rose 2.3 degrees Celsius above the eastern Pacific average, higher than almost ever before.

During a normal year, the trade winds push warm surface waters toward Asia, sending the deep cold water near South America up-

El NINO VS LA NINA Will snowfall pick back up after a lean El Niño winter? Historic data after El Niño years shows there’s a 50 percent chance it will. *Compiled using data from the Burlington EcoInfo Project at the University of Vermont and Stormfax Weather Almanac

Winter Seasons with El Niño, and the year after

El Niño Year snowfall

Year after snowfall

Difference in inches of snowfall

1953-54; 1954-55

90

130*

+40

1957-58; 1958-50

128

173

+45

1963-64; 1964-65

130

198*

+68

1965-66; 1966-67

229

136

-83

1969-70; 1970-71

330

268*

-62

1972-73; 1973-74

207

302

95

1976-77; 1977-78

226

244

18

1982-83; 1983-84

210

152

-58

(Sept 1-Aug. 31)

1986-87; 1987-88

130

68*

-62

1991-92; 1992-93

135

240

105

1994-95; 1995-96

310

287*

-23

1997-98; 1998-99

195

265*

70

2002-03; 2003-04

211

182

-29

2004-05; 2005-06

201

233

32

2006-07; 2007-08

250

210

-40

wards. Picture a bath in which cooler water rests on the bottom of the tub: if you push the higher, warmer water away, cold water rises to the top, filling the gap.

But during El Niño, the trade winds weaken. Warm water isn’t pushed west, cold water isn’t pushed up and a chain of consequences ensues. Temperatures climb off the coast of California. The southern United States typically becomes wetter, and the Northwest drier.

Warm air comes streaming in from the west, carried on the back of a jet stream that has intensified while brewing in the Pacific.

The jet stream also shifts south and brings stormy weather with it. El Niño doesn’t always tamper with snowfall (and it doesn’t hit the East Coast the same way every time) but it’s known to bring mild and warmer-than-average weather to the Northeast. This year, it brought a relentless westerly flow of warmer air that kept us from settling into our mittens and ski boots.

The remarkable strength of the 2016 El Niño–defined by that record high 2.3 degrees Celsius rise in Pacific temperatures—bolstered its epic manifestation in North America.

And New England was hit hard.

In terms of skiing, Vermont had one of its worst years in history.

The Green Mountain State saw a 30 percent decrease in visitors with only 3.2 million skiers compared to 4.67 million the year before, causing us to fall behind Colorado, California and Utah.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 33

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 33

9/9/16 2:05 PM

THE FORECASTERS ....

The good news? According to a few experts in New England weather, there’s almost no chance this winter could be as bad as last.

El Niño, for example, is over. Can you hear the applause?

That’s right, sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific took a nosedive in June, and the overall global temperature fell by 0.37 degrees Celsius—the second fastest that recorded global temperature has ever fallen.

If sea surface temperatures continue to drop, we’ll be headed for El Niño’s sister, La Niña. While warm water in the eastern Pacific designates an El Niño, cooler-than-average temperatures in the same location (a temperature decrease of 1 to 2 degrees below the norm) indicate the presence of La Niña.

La Niña usually follows El Niño as a kind of see-saw effect that transitions as warm waters move west. Cold waters flood the surface, which cools the jet stream and the entire North American continent with it.

“Just in the past two decades, it seems like some of our better winters came with La Niña,” says Scott Braaten, Stowe’s snow reporter, adding that two decades is not enough to form a concrete prediction.

Most meteorological models from climate centers such as NASA, Scripps and NOAA foresee La Niña in our not-so-distant future. But that doesn’t guarantee snow angels and powder-packed weekends.

“La Niña’s a tough one, because it’s gone both ways,” Fox notes.

“There have been La Niñas that have resulted in some awful winters, and there have been some others that have been terrific winters. It really is a mixed bag.”

Eric Kelsey, the research director at Mount Washington Observatory, agrees that it’s more complicated than the simple conclusions we tend to make with El Niño and La Niña, a cycle known as the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño doesn’t always imply warm weather and a La Niña winter may not be cold—there are too many other factors, especially on the East Coast where we’re a long way from El Niño’s epicenter.

“ENSO is so far away that the effects of it, by the time it gets here, aren’t very consistent,” Kelsey says. “Very small changes in the storm track—we’re talking a hundred miles—can make a very big difference After picking up moisture from Lake Champlain, storms blanket the eastern side of

Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

the Greens (here betwen Mad River Glen and Sugarbush) with snow.

SCOTT BRAATEN is Stowe’s snow guru. Growing up, he wanted to know what the snow conditions would be like, and he wouldn’t take anyone else’s word for it. So Braaten read textbooks given to him by his uncle, a professor in atmospheric science at the University of Kansas, and taught himself how to forecast. The passion led to a job as a forecaster at Hearst-Argyle Television before Braaten landed at Stowe.

Now, he keeps an eye on the storm systems that affect Stowe specifically, giving the resort team a hyper-local perspective. With his intel, the team makes decisions about snowmaking, grooming and opening certain lifts and trails. Braaten is also Stowe’s social media supervisor and the resort photographer.

JOSH FOX grew up in New York and learned to ski in Vermont. He received his meteorology degree from Penn State University in 1998, then spent some time in the private sector as an operational forecaster. He entered the energy industry in 2001 and continues to work there in a variety of capacities. Fox has been writing the Single Chair Weather Blog, based out of Mad River Glen, since 2006.

TIM KELLEY has been forecasting with New England Cable News since January of 1992 and says New England weather is in his blood. A Cape Cod native, he’s been studying weather since he was a student at Lyndon State College in Vermont. Kelley started at NECN after working at WMUR-TV in New Hampshire, then moved to WLNE-TV to forecast and do environmental reporting in Providence. Kelley keeps a daily weather journal and says he can tell you what the weather was like on any given day since 1992. He’s a contributor to Ski the East and Jay Peak’s forecasting team. When Kelley’s not predicting the biggest new storm, he can be caught surfing, skiing or gardening.

ERIC KELSEY is the director of research at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire and a research assistant professor at Plymouth State University. Kelsey received his master’s degree at SUNY, Albany, and his PhD from the University of New Hampshire.

There, he studied ice cores from the Yukon and created a novel procedure for identifying seasonal atmospheric circulation patterns.

Now, he’s trying to understand why high peaks in the Northeast aren’t warming as fast as lower elevations. He thinks the pattern might have something to do with the atmospheric boundary layer, which can hover over mountains, changing how sunlight and wind affect the surroundings.

Though it’s too soon to tell if Kelsey’s hypothesis holds up, snow lovers can keep their fingers crossed that Vermont’s highest elevations might be less affected by warming temperatures.

34 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 34

9/9/16 10:16 AM

...AND THEIR CRYSTAL BALL PREDICTIONS** ?????

SCOTT BRAATEN

JOSH FOX

TIM KELLEY

ERIC KELSEY

When will Vermont have its biggest dump of the year?

And how many inches of snow?

January 9 with 18-24 inches of fresh powder overnight. That’s my birthday and it’s as good a time as any for the biggest powder dump of the season! In all honesty, if we do end up in a La Nina, December and January should be fun.

March 2 with 26 inches.

We’ve been sleeping through March the last two seasons, but great things happen in March so never give up and never underestimate what March can do for you.

January 22 with 23 inches at Sunday River and 22 inches at Mt. Snow.

During the first half of January, the ocean is still a little warmer, and the air is at its coldest. The weather favors Nor’easters, and Nor’easters favor Maine to southern VT.

January 15 with 28 inches. Often, our biggest storms are in February or March, but in a warming climate our odds for big storms in January might increase. I’m going to hang my hat on that —and some wishful forecasting.

Best powder weekend?

Martin Luther King weekend.

We are due for a big January.

March 4 and 5, thanks to some additional powder from our March 2 storm.

February 14, Northern Vermont.

In mid-February, the water and air are very cold. That weather favors upslope snow on the backside of storms and lake effect snow. Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain may still have open water to fuel the upslope snow.

The weekend after January 15. With 28 inches of fresh powder, the conditions will be spectacular. But I’d enjoy the fresh pow on January 16—why wait until the weekend?

Area with the most snowfall?

The northern Greens, of course.

From south to north you have Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Bolton, Stowe, Smuggs and Jay Peak...they make up the ‘powder league’ of Vermont.

Northern Vermont – The elimination of El Nino should allow northern Vermont to have the best chance for success.

Mt. Ellen northward: Northern Vermont almost always gets the most snow in New England. Two and three years ago were an anomaly, but we should have more of a ‘normal’ winter this year. El Nino is over. La Nina is not strong, and it’s snowing all over the globe at our latitude already this summer.

Mount Mansfield. It is the tallest, which means more orographic lift to produce more snow. Plus, Mansfield often receives a lot of lake-effect moisture. It is a great place to be!

Day we get to measure 50 inches at the Mount Mansfield snow stake?

December 25. Last winter we had 0” at the Mt. Mansfield stake on Christmas Day (the only time in 60 years that has happened) and this winter we will hit the 50 inches benchmark on that same day. For those that don’t know, 50 inches at the Mansfield stake is the benchmark for when the off-piste lines start to fill in and really become skiable. La Nina seasons are often good early in the season.

December 15. A gut feeling tells me Vermont should enjoy a much better start to this season, and that should allow the 50 inch threshold at the stake to get crossed very early.

January 24. Trust me – I’m old.

February 11. With a few more solid snowstorms after the January 15th blockbuster snowstorm, the stake will become buried past 50 inches.

Coldest day?

February 14th. It’ll be a good day to get cozy with your valentine.

January 21. Might as well put my chips where climatology says I should.

February 15, because the deepest powder is always followed by the most brutal chill. Ullr’s sense of humor!

February 14. With all that fresh snow on the ground, the first high pressure that settles overhead will allow for excellent radiational cooling and temperatures to plummet near -30F in some valleys. But if you don’t like those temperatures, try higher elevations where it’ll be much warmer, a balmy -10F or so.

Opening day?

October 31, at Killington. Opening day should feature the classic northern Vermont experience of crisp temperatures, a stiff breeze, and occasional upslope snow showers and squalls along the spine of the Greens.

Thanksgiving weekend at Stowe. It will be a cold and blustery one!

Killington, in late October. Everywhere else: November 3. There will be windy, cold upslope snow.

There’s plenty of cold in Canada, and signs say we get an early, snowy autumn.

November 19. Sadly, a warm fall might hamper snowmaking efforts for an earlier opening, but skiing by Thanksgiving is always a good thing.

Best time for a Florida vacation?

Anytime after Cinco de Mayo. If you travel to Florida during the winter, you are guaranteeing that it will snow while you are gone. In that case, the skiers and riders of Vermont thank you for your sacrifice.

December. It’s always December. December is such a dark time in Vermont both figuratively and literally given the angle of the sun. Though I feel this coming December will be better than the last one, the month is typically hit-and-miss, including periods of rain and mild weather.

December. 24-January 1. Because it’s cold, then rainy, then cold and too crowded in New England at that time.

Why would anyone want to go to Florida in the winter?

**Disclaimer: These are fun guesses, not solid science, as it is way too far in advance to predict anything.

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 35

9/9/16 2:10 PM

IS THERE REALLY A ‘JAY CLOUD’ OR A ‘GREEN MOUNTAIN CLOUD?’

in how much snow you get, or if you get more snow versus rain, so there are lots of little details that can have a big impact on snowfall.”

What can we count on, then, to bring us the cold and snowy weather we crave?

Kelsey says a more reliable indicator is the Arctic Oscillation, a halo of wind that blows in a clockwise direction around the Arctic at about 55 degrees latitude north (roughly the latitude of the Gulf of Alaska, northern Newfoundland and northern Scotland).

The AO has two phases: a positive phase in which cold weather is trapped within its bounds, and a negative phase in which colder air percolates south. The AO’s negative phase is more likely to bring Vermont an abundance of that light airy powder that’s been dusting our dreams, but the AO varies on a weekly basis, and Kelsey can’t say whether we’ll catch a glimpse of its negative phase this winter.

Fox is following a different climate pattern: the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. It’s described by NOAA as “El-Niño-like,” but PDO affects temperatures in the mid-latitudes, whereas El Niño affects areas near the equator. Right now, the PDO is in a positive phase, which loosens the bounds of the jet stream, allowing cold air to flow toward the east.

Fox says the PDO could change, but it’s a more constant factor than the Arctic Oscillation.

“It is very important as far as our ability to access cold weather to have the jet stream in the Pacific stay loose,” Fox said. “The pattern supports relatively good weather.”

New England Cable News meteorologist Tim Kelley, on the other hand, is following the day-to-day cold and warm spots that are popping up around the globe.

Kelley says Canada and Greenland have been sporting some cold weather. For example, during the second week of July, snow fell in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Italy and in Austria the snowline cascaded below 5,500 feet.

“So that’s the equivalent elevation of Mt. Washington,” he says.

“That is wicked cool, I love to see that.”

These events don’t indicate anything concrete, he admits, but keeping track can give us an idea of how weather systems are stacking up.

snow, the “cloud” affects all of the Green Mountains. Winds pick up some of Lake Champlain’s moisture before condensing into cloud form. When those clouds hit the mountains, they release their snowy contents onto the slopes.

“All the ski areas get a decent amount of snow from these upslope events,” says Scott Braaten, Stowe’s snow reporter. “But that phenomenon is really concentrated from Sugarbush to Jay Peak.”

Braaten says it’s possible that something as localized as the Jay Cloud could exist, but in reality, it’s more spread out than that.

“I would term it the ‘Green Mountain Spine Cloud,’” he said. “Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Bolton Valley, Stowe, Smuggler’s Notch and Jay Peak are all well-known for their snowfall. Sometimes if it starts snowing hard here, we say ‘the Jay Cloud got lost.’”

Southern Vermont gets its “cloud” too. Mountains to the south are more likely to see snow from a Nor’easter traveling north up the coast.

Knee deep at Mount Snow, a tele skier revels in one of the Nor’easter storms that move in from the Atlantic and drop their moisture on southern Vermont.

“I’ll never forget four summers ago how cold it was in Canada,” he says. “I saw it snowing in Canada in July and August, and thought ‘Gee, I’ve never seen it like this before.’ Sure enough, the following winter, (three winters ago), Michigan had its coldest winter on record and Lake Superior froze more solidly than it had in a century.”

Kelley says the cooling Pacific will also play a role in a colder winter. As of early August, the eastern Pacific was less than 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and up to 2 degrees below average.

“That the Pacific is colder is a huge factor,” Kelley notes. “The entire nation should have a colder winter than we did last winter. The Atlantic Ocean is still kind of warm, which is good, because you want moisture.

You want to keep the moisture supply and you want the air to be colder.”

More moisture, colder air. If only we could whisper into the ears of the snow gods. Maybe it will happen—maybe the stars (or should we say “snowflakes”) will align and give us La Niña, or a positive PDO, or a Pacific Ocean that continues to cool.

But for now, we can only do our snow dances, wear our jammies inside out and have faith in Mother Nature. n

Photo courtesy Mount Snow.

Based on predictable weather patterns, forecasters know that certain areas of Vermont are more likely to get snow than others. The legendary ‘Jay Cloud’ is credited with blessing Jay Peak and its surroundings with a surplus of 100 inches per year, compared to other ski areas. Last year, the Jay Cloud dropped a measly 208 inches, but in 2007-2008, Jay received 423 inches.

To put that in perspective, in 2015-16 Alta, Utah logged 438 inches for the same season.

Some meteorologists snicker at the prospect of the Jay Cloud, but others see it as fact. Andy Nash, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Burlington, says: “The way the mountain is oriented along a northeastsouthwest line places it perfectly perpendicular to the northwest winds that we get a lot in winter.” Those winds hit the mountain, rise, clouds form, “and in winter, the snowfall adds up pretty quickly.”

While Jay, due to its northerly location, might get more than its share of

36 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_Weather 7pp.indd 36

9/9/16 3:52 PM

Come visit Vermont’s 3rd oldest ski area and learn why the Snow Bowl is beloved to all who know it!

$35

www.middleburysnowbowl.com

Weekday ticket (Season passes discounted through November)

$100

Lease packages for ages 10 and under. See more rates online.

Preseason Pass Sale!

500+

acres of trails, glades & woods with a border-to-border all-access terrain policy. New this year is a designated uphill route!

Good through Nov 30

info at middleburysnowbowl.com

F

amily-friendly atmosphere includes FREE access to our Sunkid Wonder Carpet, a cozy lodge with wireless internet and great food. On-site ski shop open 7 days a week starting Nov. 2 with lease packages, rentals, retail and full tuning. Middlebury Snow School has over 40 instructors who offer all levels of coaching in skiing, snowboarding and telemarking. Ask about the Middlebury Ski Club activities for kids, they’re phenomenal!

Discover it!

• Fatbiking, Nordic Skiing

and Snowshoeing • 55+km of trails • 5km of snowmaking • Over 2000 acres of conserved land to explore...

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 8

R

Ski Middlebury Terrific skiing • Unbeatable value • Authentic Vermont

Middlebury was ranked amoung the Best 12 towns in the nation to live in by Outside Magazine in 2015!

ikert Nordic Center is located on VT Route 125 just 2 miles west of the Snow Bowl. 5km of snowmaking extends the season to a consecutive 130 day average. Season passes and multi-day passes available. On-site rental shop with xc skis, fat bikes, snowshoes, sit skis and more! Open 7 days a week from Nov.-March. Great rates, terrific value, tons of fun!

www.rikertnordic.com Winter in Vermont... at your pace.

9/9/16 10:33 AM

CABIN FEVER

HIDDEN IN THE HILLS AND FORESTS OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS ARE HUNDREDS OF

Following a fire last December, the to its original 1936 design. The goal is to finish building this winter.

38 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CABIN.indd 38

Photo by Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto

Stone Hut at Stowe is being rebuilt by

9/9/16 10:19 AM

SIMPLE SHELTERS. CAN A BACKCOUNTRY HUT-TO-HUT SYSTEM BE THAT FAR OFF?

BY EVAN JOHNSON

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 39

VT_CABIN.indd 39

9/9/16 10:19 AM

Set near the summit of Mt. Mansfield, Taft Lodge isn’t heated but provides refuge to a rider. Merck Forest, right, has heated huts and more than 30 miles of Nordic trails.

But many Vermonters aren’t content to jockey for a Stone Hut reservation. For many, the dream isn’t to spend just one day chasing the untracked experience at a resort—but to have several days living in the wild. They seek a true ski-in, backcountry adventure that ends at a cozy cabin with a wood stove, a rack to dry skins and stinky socks and a bunk where you can stretch out in a sleeping bag and dream.

After the Stone Hut fire, people around the state—including Commissioner Snyder and Sue Minter (the former Secretary of Transportation and now the Democratic candidate for governor)—began lending their voices to a widening chorus calling for a backcountry hut system in Vermont. Included in Minter’s platform VT-OUTDOORS, is to “promote hut and yurt systems for skiing, hiking and biking, similar to the popular 80-mile long Maine Huts & Trails system.”

“The community as a whole is increasingly excited about seeing a network of huts in Vermont,” says skier, photographer and Catamount Trail Association board member Brian Mohr. “They are so great at making it relatively easy to extend your time in the backcountry.We as a community have a lot to look forward to.”

Mansfield’s Stone Hut is just the start.

PICKING UP THE HAMMER On Dec. 23, Timothy and George Carpenter, the sons of Burton founders Jake and Donna Carpenter, were preparing the Stone Hut for some friends who were coming there. After propping open the stove door, the boys stoked the fire and left wet wood against it to dry. The friends never arrived. A Stowe Mountain Resort lift mechanic discovered the fire the following morning and Stowe Fire Department worked throughout the day and night to put out the blaze.

Since then, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has launched “Vermont Parks Forever” to expand the reach and resources of Vermont’s parks. With the help of a $150,000 donation from Jake and Donna Carpenter, a campaign to rebuild the hut has raised a total of $162,000 from 41 donors as of this writing.

Photo by Nathanael Asaro

W

hile hiking through the Green Mountains this fall, you might hear the bang of hammers, the snarl of saws and the whine of electric drills. It’s not what you’d expect for the middle of the woods, but around the state there’s been a frenzy to rebuild Vermont’s backcountry cabins.

One place that has been especially busy is near the top of Mt. Mansfield where crews have been installing new beams and sandblasting the charred stones of Vermont’s most famous cabin. It’s been nearly a year since the Stone Hut saw any overnight guests. News of the fire that destroyed the beloved cabin last December rippled through the region, drawing cries of outrage, shock and disbelief. When the ashes finally cooled, Vermont’s outdoor community wanted their hut back.

Donors working with the state put forward the funds to make rebuilding it reality.

Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936, the hut served as a shelter for trail keepers in the summer. In the winter it was available for $225 a night via a lottery system managed by Vermont State Parks and the eight-bunk hut had become a huge favorite with skiers and riders.

It was, in some way the ideal: the old stone cabin sat just below treeline with no electricity or running water and heated only by a wood stove. Yet, it was steps from the Four Runner Quad, a ski patrol shack with heated bathrooms, the Octagon restaurant and the groomed trails of Stowe Mountain Resort.

The Stone Hut, in other words, provided that sense of being in the backcountry without ever really having to rough it. It was so wildly successful that you could apply for years through the lottery system and still not get a night there.

The story could easily end with the rebuilding, which Commissioner of Forest Parks and Recreation Michael Snyder is cautiously optimistic will be completed during the 2017 ski season. “I can’t guarantee it,” Snyder said recently, “but we are working our hardest to get this place ready for skiers and riders this winter.”

40 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CABIN.indd 40

9/9/16 10:19 AM

Photo courtesy Merck Forest (top); Green Mountain Club, right.

Catamount Trail skiers and Long Trail hikers, thanks to the camp’s location near both of these historic backcountry trails. Bolton Lodge and Bryant Camp will be managed by the GMC, which plans to implement a winter rental system, making it a possible overnight spot for Catamount Trail skiers making their way from the Bolton Valley Nordic trails to the backcountry of the Nebraska Valley.

The GMC is also looking for donations to fill a $16,000 fundraising gap as well as volunteers to come swing hammers and haul plywood.

“A dedicated base of volunteers is the only way you get these projects done,” DeBonis says.

In other parts of the state, cabin and hut development is even farther along. In Braintree Mountain Forest, volunteers have been busy renovating a once dilapidated cabin at the end of an old logging road that now serves as the skin track.

When volunteers began developing the first glades in the Braintree Mountain Forest in the fall of 2014, the Bell Gates Cabin—an overnight spot for loggers in the 1970s—was in disrepair; dead leaves and trash covered the floors and ratty screens hung in the windows.

Since then, the Bell Gates Cabin has gotten a facelift in the form of new windows and doors, insulation, a front deck and a new coat of paint.

“Its nothing glorious, but it has a much better feel to it,” Rochester Area Sports Trails Alliance volunteer Zac Freeman says. Freeman says the cabin will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, but will be left for people to discover via RASTA’s site, rastavt.org.

“It is open to use and is on the trail map, but we’re going to try and not put too much effort into promoting it as a well-known location,” Freeman says. “This winter, people will know about it just from skiing in the area. We’re afraid of over-usage.”

Just off the trails of Bolton Valley, The Green Mountain Club, the Catamount Trail Association, Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry and others are working to restore two shelters, the Bolton Lodge and adjacent Bryant Camp. Contractors and GMC staff plan to stabilize the structures and improve drainage. New tables, benches, sleeping lofts, stoves, woodsheds and backcountry privy systems are all planned. With Act 250 paperwork submitted, the GMC and its volunteers hope to have work finished on Bryant Camp by the first snowfall of this season.

The project has finished its permitting for managing wastewater and work will begin on the Bryant Cabin this hiking season. Depending on how work on Bryant progresses, work on Bolton Lodge might wait until next year. “These cabins are part of a legacy of backcountry travel,” said Michael DeBonis, executive director of the Green Mountain Club. “Restoring them will allow future generations to enjoy them year-round.”

When finished, Bryant and the Bolton Lodge will be available to

A HUT-TO-HUT TRAIL SYSTEM Building and restoring cabins is just the start. Western mountain ranges have renowned networks of huts like the 10th Mountain Division’s network of 34 huts in the Colorado Rockies. Nearer to home, the Chic Choc mountains in Quebec’s Gaspe peninsula draw backcountry skiers to their multiple cabins. The same is true for the Adirondack Mountain Club huts in New York and huts maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club, Randolph Mountain Club and Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Maine Huts and Trails, a non-profit in western Maine, manages a system of backcountry cabins on 80 miles of former logging trails open year-round for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter and mountain biking or hiking in the summer.

These huts feature a range of amenities, from full-service retreats with porters, bedding and hot tubs, to more Spartan affairs with a simple countertop, a few cots and a woodstove (you provide the rest).

Bryant Camp, built in the 1930s by the Green Mountain Club, is being refurbished this fall and will serve as a base camp for Bolton backcountry skiing.

vtskiandride.com September 2015 00

VT_CABIN.indd 41

9/9/16 10:19 AM

Catamount Trail Association board member Brian Mohr (here skinning with his daughter Maiana) is

Vermont is no stranger to backcountry travel and there are resources all over the state no matter your means of travel. The Long Trail is home to over 60 shelters along its 272 miles, including simple lean-tos and more developed cabins with four walls, woodstoves and bunks.

While staffed during the spring, summer and fall hiking seasons, the cabins along the high elevations remain open even when the snow flies. None are winterized, but for those with backcountry experience and a sleeping bag good into the single and negative digits, overnighting becomes possible.

The Catamount Trail Association offers sample itineraries allowing skiers to travel between cabins or even from inn to inn on the Catamount, which stretches the length of Vermont. Brian Mohr and his wife Emily Johnson have even used the backcountry trail to ski from their home in the Mad River Valley to Stowe while staying at friends’ homes along the way, a trip he calls “skiing house-to-house.”

If those examples weren’t enough, at the end of many of Vermont’s abandoned logging roads stand derelict cabins or sheds that could be renovated to create backcountry destinations that could be used as basecamps for people exploring the surrounding area.

“If we’re going to have a system that’s successful, it’s going to have to be supported by land owners and private individuals who are willing to maintain cabins,” says Mohr. “It might be managed by a nonprofit, the way the 10th Mountain Division manages and promotes the Colorado huts, but it would have to be a network that might include a variety of lodging ranging from cabins to yurts to inns.”

According to Mohr and others, a network of huts would allow people to spend more time in Vermont’s wildest places, disperse activities like backcountry skiing or bike packing throughout the state and serve as emergency shelters during extreme weather.

While the dream is big, there’s still much work to be done. Interested parties, including property owners and skiers, are starting to collaborate on ways to share and link existing shelters as part of the newly formed Vermont Huts Association.

“It’s a conversation that’s just getting started,” says Greg Maino, communications and events coordinator for the Catamount Trail Association. “Everyone wants to talk about the hut-to-hut experience in Vermont, but we’ve still got questions to answer.”

Questions like: Who owns and maintains the huts? Are they reserved months or weeks in advance or run on a first-come-first served basis? Who’s responsible for the firewood and where’s the bathroom?

It’s these questions—the simple but head-scratching ones—that a new organization is going to attempt to answer. This fall, a duo of diehard backcountry skiers created the Vermont Huts Association to

chart and unify as many of Vermont’s huts as they can under a centralized system open year-round to skiers, bikers and hikers. Think of it like AirBnB for backcountry travelers.

“I find myself wondering how the heck this hasn’t happened yet,” says one of the group’s founders RJ Thompson, who also started the adventure race company Native Endurance last year. “Vermont’s an amazing place for year-round outdoor recreation. We have politicians talking about the importance of recreation in Vermont and so I think there’s a critical mass of individuals who are ready to make Vermont known as one of the greatest recreation states in the country.”

The group hopes to spearhead construction of additional yurts and cabins to complete a network from Massachusetts to Vermont. While it’s a scheme that could take upwards of ten to 20 years to come to fruition, Thompson and his co-director Devin Littlefield are willing to play the long game.

“Right now we’re mapping out what current hut options exist around the state and what the owners or hut operators would want out of an organization like the Association,” says Littlefield. “We’re talking about huts, cabins, yurts and even tree forts.”

A website and mission statement of the group is forthcoming and the pair intend to present their vision at the Vermont Backcountry Forum in Rochester, Vt. this November 3.

Back in the Braintree Mountain Forest, the Bell Gates Cabin is nearing completion after tearing down a wall and several old bunks to create a new entrance. A new stove will be installed later this fall, in time for the winter season and will be able to safely provide heat.

For RASTA’s Zac Freeman, it’s the start of something big. “The more you have to offer, the more fun it is,” he says.

To find a four-season backcountry cabin visit GreenMountainClub.org, VtStateParks.com or the Merck Forest & Farmland Center at Merckforest.org. n

Photo by Emily Johsnon/EmberPhoto

a strong advocate for a backcountry cabin system.

42 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CABIN.indd 42

9/9/16 10:20 AM

ALPINE SHOP V

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 9

E

R

M

O

N

T

9/9/16 10:32 AM

A graduate of Vermont’s Burke Mountain Academy, Mikaela Shiffrin has been setting the ski racing world on fire. The winningest slalom racer on the World Cup,

Photo courtesy U.S. Skiing

last year she won an FIS race in Aspen by 3.07 seconds. “That’s like a NASCAR racer winning by two laps,” says U.S.S.A. president, Tiger Shaw.

44 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CUP.indd 44

9/9/16 3:27 PM

THE WHITE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN When the winningest women ski racers

in history come to Killington this November

for the WORLD CUP, one woman is going to

have the home-team advantage.

BY LISA LYNN AND MARINA KNIGHT

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 45

VT_CUP.indd 45

9/9/16 3:28 PM

Mikaela Shiffrin has become one of the world’s most recognized athletes and, along with Lindsay Vonn, a major force in the power house of women who make up the United State’s World Cup ski team.

In 2016, Vonn, 31, became the winningest downhill skier of all time as she won her 20th World Cup crystal globe title, beating Ingemar Stenmark’s previous record. She is one of six women in history who has won

World Cups in every discipline: downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom and slalom combined. In terms of prize winnings, she led the World Cup in 2016, having earned 430,699 Swiss francs in winnings.

Right behind her in the prize money is Mikaela Shiffrin, the reigning Olympic and World Cup champion in slalom. Even though she was sidelined with a knee injury for part of last season, Shiffrin won all five slalom events she started, including one by a record 3.07 seconds.

“That’s like a NASCAR driver winning by two laps,” says Tiger Shaw, president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the sport’s governing body in the U.S. After damaging her MCL on December 12, Shiffrin came back in mid-February, won her first event and finished the season with the third highest prize winnings of any woman on the World Cup. Rounding out the team that’s likely to compete in the Killington slalom and giant slalom events on November 26-27 are veteran Julia Mancuso and Resi Stiegler. Mancuso has won four Olympic medals (in GS, downhill and combined) but was out all last season after hip surgery. Rising star Resi Stiegler, daughter of Olympic champion Pepi Stiegler, finished last season’s World Cup slalom category in 13th place overall.

At 21, Shiffrin is the youngest of the slalom/GS racers on the U.S. A Team and the only one who grew up skiing in New England. The Killington event, scheduled for Nov. 26-27, will be a homecoming for her, as it will for World Cup ski racing, which hasn’t had an East Coast stopover since 1991.

10,000 HOURS OF RACE TRAINING

It wasn’t that long ago—10 years, in fact—that Shiffrin was living in New Hampshire and skiing with her parents on tiny Storrs Hill, elevation 300 ft., near Hanover and racing around New England.

Photos courtesy U.S. Skiing

FLASH FORWARD

Tick.Tick.Tick.The digits on the clock flip by in hundreths of seconds as a racer punches through the gates on lower Superstar. At the Killington’s K2 base area, the crowds are clanging cowbells and cheering.

It is November 26, 2016. Higher up the mountain, Mikaela Shiffrin is in the starting gate, head and hands weaving imperceptibly as she visualizes her flight through the gates. Below, the course snakes down the Superstar trail before making its final, and steepest, plunge to the finish. Glassy smooth, the surface is hard as pavement.

A thousand vertical feet and some 40 to 60 gates below, a crowd has filled the grandstands, the Umbrella Bar, the K2 base lodge and every square foot of space in the base parking areas. As a racer skids to a finish, cheers go up in English, French, Italian and German.The parking area is a sea of people and tiny flags are waving.

The boom of the announcer’s voice echoes off the mountainsides calling out the finish times.

Somewhere on the course are Shiffrin’s coaches: former Green MountainValley School coach Mike Day, who has worked with her since July, and her oldest coach, the woman who has trained her since she was born, her mother, Eileen.

Tick.Tick.Tick.The clock is running. At the base, the crowds grow silent, waiting for the world’s best slalom racer to break past the starting wand.

Shiffrin sees nothing but the first gate and the ribbon of red and blue poles laid out below. She takes a deep breath, compresses her body and then pushes off with such force the tails of her skis fly off the snow.

46 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CUP.indd 46

9/9/16 3:28 PM

How to Watch The World Cup

BY POLLY LYNN

Polly Lynn is the editor of Killington’s local paper, The Mountain Times, and a former high school state champion ski racer.

1) BEST PLACE TO WATCH? If you were lucky enough to get a $350 VIP ticket to the grandstand and VIP areas in the Umbrella Bar, post photos so those who didn’t score tickets (they sold out in six hours) can see what they’re missing! In all honestly, though, Superstar is among the best viewing hills in the world. You can see most of the hill from the bottom, grandstand ticket or not. There will be high fences to meet mandated safety requirements along the sides of the course, so watching from the base will probably give you the best view.

Plus, there will be large screen TVs, as well as food, beer, and cheering fans—a scene not to be missed.

A former Olympian who grew up racing in Stowe, U.S.S.A. president Tiger Shaw (above) has known Shiffrin since she was born. Below left, Lindsey Vonn (on a practice run) shows the form that’s made her the best female skier in history.

“I remember skiing at Killington with my parents when I was about nine, it was a pretty nasty day—cold and sleeting —and I specifically remember rushing into the gondola on my first ride up to get some shelter from the weather. I was thinking “Ugh, this is terrible, let’s just go home!” she recalls.

“But once I took my first run I completely forgot about the weather because I was having such a blast skiing,” she continues. “I remember feeling very proud of myself at the end of the day for sticking it out through the tough conditions. The waffle shack at the base of the mountain didn’t hurt either.”

At the time, Eileen and Jeff Shiffrin—both former collegiate racers— had moved to New Hampshire from Vail so Jeff could take a job as an anesthesiologist with Dartmouth, his alma mater. Mikaela’s home training hill became Storrs Hill. She skied there five days a week.

“Mikaela would be out there from the minute the lifts ran until they closed,” remembers Tiger Shaw, a two-time Olympian who grew up in Stowe, went to Dartmouth and lived in Hanover, N.H. for 20 years.

“The Shiffrins were skiing bell to bell— for them to ski the entire day wasn’t a blink of the eye. That’s what we are trying to teach kids around the country.You can’t get enough skiing and practice in,” he says.

“One of the reasons New England has turned out so many top racers is that we have maybe 30 ski mountains within a two- or three-hour drive,” Shaw continues. “Think of it: How do you get in 10,000 hours of practice time in? I tried to figure it out: I was 26 when I hit 10,000 hours. I bet Mikaela did that by the time she was 18.”

Shaw has known Shiffrin since she was born. “Her father helped deliver my daughter,” he says. Mikaela’s mother, Eileen would train for Masters ski racing with Shaw and his buddy,World Cup racer Felix McGrath, a former coach at University ofVermont. “Even at age seven Mikaela was beating kids four years ahead of her. Just watching her ski, you knew she was something else.”

2) BEST PLACE TO BUY LINDSEY VONN OR MIKAELA SHIFFRIN A DRINK AFTER? All the athletes will be staying at the fully-booked Grand Hotel. However, should they be interested in joining your party down the road, the options are plentiful. Lookout Tavern is among the most popular for beers and free peanuts. Liquid Art offers a classy environment and inspired martinis (try their Firetini if you’re feeling bold). On the Rocs makes a perfect Moscow Mule (don’t be fooled by the prohibition theme, the drinks flow freely), and the Foundry has a selection of wines and often live music.

3) INSIDER’S PARKING TIP? Stay parked at your hotel and take your hotel’s shuttle or “The Bus” ($2 a ride) up the road to the event. Unless you have a VIP pass you’ll probably end up taking a shuttle from the K-1 overflow lots, Snowshed or Ramshead anyway. Bonus, no driving means no need for a designated driver!

If Mother Nature blesses us with early season snow and Killington is able to open Bear Mountain or the Skyeship Gondola, then park there and you may be able to ski over. Hey, a girl can dream!

4) BEST OPTIONS FOR LODGING ?

Anywhere that has a room! Book ASAP with the central reservations number if you want to stay in Killington. Woodstock, Mendon, Rutland and Brandon typically fill up when a large event like this comes to town.

(You can also check house and condo rentals on VRBO or AirBnB.) 6) TRAILS MOST LIKELY TO BE OPEN FOR FREESKIING? The North Ridge Triple is typically the first lift to open each fall (one year as early as October 1) , giving access to trails Rime and Reason . Skiers and riders typically board the K-1 gondola to access the open runs. The Peak Walkway connects the K-1 gondola and North Ridge Triple if the snow is insufficient to ski between.

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 47

VT_CUP.indd 47

9/9/16 3:28 PM

a World Cup since 1991 is its prodigious snowmaking—an especially important factor given how many World Cup races were cancelled due to lack of snow in Europe last season. Shiffrin, below, is on her way to challenging Lindsey Vonn’s record for winning more World Cup crystal globes than anyone.

THE BEST COACH FOR MIKAELA IS….

Looking at the results, it’s easy to forget Shiffrin turned 21 last May. But watch her videos and follow her on social media and you see another side of her.

Unlike the cool, collected Vonn—a woman who has lived under a glaring spotlight as she dated Tiger Woods and, this past year, posed for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue clad only in body paint— Shiffrin still carries the joy and innocence of a kid and is a self-confessed goofball.

In her video clips you see her and her teammates rocking out in their ski boots, doing car karaoke and lip syncing to Adele—until she cracks herself up.

“I listen to every kind of music,” she says. “Sia, Ellie Goulding, Adele, The Shins, Maroon 5, anything with a good beat and a good melody that can pump me up. I like the kind of music that makes you want to dance, because skiing is a lot like dancing to me.”

Watching “The World Cup Diaries,” a rough YouTube edit of footage her former coach Brandon Dyksterhouse filmed during the 201516 season, you see a joyful Shiffrin dancing on the podium, dancing on the mountain, dancing in the gondola. Her feet move with the same lightning precision as they do in the edge-to-edge, knife-like cuts that ricochet her through the slalom gates.

In January, 2015, Dyksterhouse—at the time a coach at Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, got the call asking if he would serve as “interim” coach,

Photo top, Killington Resort, bottom: U>S. Skiing

One thing that helped Killington be selected as the first East Coast stopover for

The summer she was nine, Shiffrin headed off to race camp at Mt. Hood. Her coach there, Simon Mars, once told Sports Illustrated, “she wrote down her ‘dream goal’ was ‘Be in the Olympics at 16.’”

Eileen Shiffrin took that goal seriously. She worked with both Mikaela and her son Taylor to train them to be better athletes, setting up gates in the backyard, watching soccer videos and teaching Mikaela to ride a unicycle.

“When I was a J5 I did a lot of freeskiing. I actually didn’t like freeskiing—I just thought it was a waste of time and I would’ve rather been training,” Shiffrin has said. “I always wanted to be thinking of something like ‘arms forward.’ My parents had a saying ‘knees to skis and hands in front’ and it’s been drilled into my head so that every time I get on snow that’s what I start thinking.”

At age 11, Mikaela followed her older brother, Taylor, to Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Two years later, her family moved back to Vail. Mikaela went with them but missed her friends back East. So she came back to Burke. Her mother, Eileen, came with her and rented a condo nearby.

The first ski academy of its kind, Burke Mountain Academy has turned out 33 Olympians in the past 46 years. In 2015, eight grads— including Shiffrin, ‘13—were on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team and two on the Nordic team.

In 2010, at age 15, Mikaela put the world on notice by winning a NorAm Cup at Lake Louise. It was only the eighth time she’d ever competed at the international (FIS) level and she went on to podium at her next three NorAm races. A year later, at age 16, she became the youngest skier to ever win the U.S. Slalom Nationals and earned her firstWorld Cup medal. In her second World Cup season, at age 17, she won the World Cup and the World Championship slalom titles.Then, in 2014, Shiffrin won the gold in the Sochi Olympics.

In other words, Shiffrin was spraying the crowds with Champagne long before she was legally old enough to drink.

48 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CUP.indd 48

9/9/16 3:29 PM

KILLINGTONWORLD CUP, BY THE NUMBERS 55, potential speed in miles per hour of racers on the giant slalom course.

38, percent pitch on the lower slope of Superstar.

1,119, vertical feet racers will descend.

40-60, number of gates in a slalom course.

Photo courtesy Killington Resort

26, number of teams expected to compete.

200, number of racers expected to compete.

10,000 estimated number of people who will be in Killington for World Cup weekend.

7-9, amount in dollars, on average that is spent in town for every one dollar spent on a lift ticket.

1978, the last year the World Cup was held in Vermont (at Stratton.)

31, number of locations worldwide that will host the 2017 World Cup. $350, price of VIP grandstand seat at Killington.

5, number of hours it took for VIP seats to sell out.

0, cost to watch the races from the parking lot.

200, approximate number of rooms at the slopeside Killington Grand Hotel reserved for race teams.

replacing Roland Pfeifffer to coach the Olympic medalist. Dysterhouse was an NCAA champ at the University of Vermont and a coach at his alma mater, Waitsfield’s Green Mountain Valley School. When he got the call he told The Denver Post, ‘Bleep, are you kidding me?’When Michael Jordan calls, there’s no other answer, right?” It was a month before the World Championships. After Shiffrin won the Worlds, Dyksterhouse’s “interim” title was dropped.

While Shiffrin is notorious for looking to perfect every turn in the gates, Dyksterhouse wanted her out of the course. After the Worlds, they did a lot of freeskiing, some of it in terrain parks so Shiffrin would be more comfortable on a variety of surfaces. On the training hill, Dyksterhouse actually built terrain into courses so Shiffrin would get stronger absorbing knolls and jumps.

“It was awesome—three weeks of some of the most productive skiing I have had, at a time when most coaches and athletes are ready to drop off the map for some R&R,” Shiffrin told The Denver Post’s John Meyer.

Dyksterhouse likes to downplay his role. “Well, let’s put it this way, my first job with an athlete like Mikaela was not to make her worse.

When I started that was always goal number one. Then comes her happiness and managing the fatigue that comes along with being on the road for an entire winter living out of bags.”

His videos document the four a.m. alarms, moving boatloads of skis through mountain towns and airports and the formidable behindthe-scenes logistics competitors face on the White Circus, as the World

0, number of rooms available to the public.

18, the day in October, 2015 that Killington opened for skiing 6, number of feet of base depth expected by Nov. 26, 2016.

48, minimum number of hours of snowmaking to reach that depth.

1,200, temperature in degrees Celsius of the molten glass used by JOSKA to forge the World Cup globes 1, Lindsay Vonn’s ranking in prize money earned by women on the 2016 FIS World Cup. 430,699, amount in Swiss Francs Vonn earned in prize money on the World Cup in 2016.

27-28, ideal temperature for snowmaking.

Cup is often called.

“It’s managing what seem like very small logistical details like: Where is the hotel exactly? Where do you park? Is there adequate space, security and accessibility? What is being offered at meals? If there is an early breakfast and will there be hot food available? Is there a quiet way to get around the hotel or do you need to go through the lobby all the time? Being on top of all these small things lessens the cumulative stress. It sounds kind of stupid but it adds a lot of value, especially to a high profile athlete like Mikaela.”

Helping him were assistant coach Jeff Lackie and the person who has always been Mikaela’s number one coach, her mother Eileen.

“When you see a top skier, it’s often traceable to one person–a coach or a parent,” says Shaw. “For Mikaela, there is no better coach in the world than Eileen.”

“Not everyone can dedicate their lives to their kid,” he continues. Ever since Mikaela began competing internationally, Eileen has been there beside her, paying her own way to travel with the team, working with her on the hill and always pushing both her daughter and her coaches for more.

This past July, Dyskterhouse surprised many by abruptly resigning from the U.S. Ski Team and returned to his old job at Vail. He still claims “Superfan” status and will no doubt be watching his former student as she races in Killington this November.

“There’s a passion and intensity for ski racing in Vermont and in the East that is unrivaled,” Dyksterhouse says. “East Coasters are just a little more intense and less patient, all in a good way.They have that diehard energy. I hope

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 49

VT_CUP.indd 49

9/9/16 3:29 PM

there are 50,000 people there.The races will rejuvenate and reenergize the sport. Everyone I talk to about it is already so excited,” he says.

Shiffrin is too. “I’m excited to bring World Cup racing back to the East and hopefully spark even more interest in the sport,” she says. “I also love racing in front of a home crowd because I can really feel the support carrying me down the mountain.”

She continues: “New England ski fans are awesome. I mean, all ski fans are awesome really, but the East really tests your passion for the sport. It throws every weather and snow condition at you all at once, so if you see a fan in the East Coast, you know they are truly loyal to the sport.”

A VERMONT HOMECOMING

For Shaw, it’s been a dream to bring the World Cup back to his home state. It’s been 25 years since the event was held on the East Coast and the last Vermont venue was Stratton, in 1978. Traditionally, Aspen has hosted the early season U.S. races but this year, it will host the World Cup finals in March, which opened up a spot for another early season site. Depending on how permitting goes for Aspen’s new base-area lifts, this may allow the World Cup to come back to Killington again if all goes well this November, says Shaw.

“There’s one man who decides where a World Cup will be,” says Shaw, “and that’s FIS Women’s World Cup Tour Director Atle Skaardal.”

Mike Solimano, president of Killington, remembers walking the Superstar course with Skaardal in September, 2015, as part of the site

• Make an Appointment.

You can block out a 30 or 60 minute session that can be shared.

inspection. “He hadn’t skied it or even seen it with snow but he said ‘it’s perfect!,” Solimano says. Shaw agrees, “On a lot of courses you have to alter the terrain, this one won’t need that.”

On top of that, Shaw is excited about the proximity to so many urban areas and notes that Killington is one of the few World Cup sites where there’s actually a two-lane road that drives right up to the finish line. “This is possibly one of the best places in the world for being able to watch a huge portion of a World Cup race. It’s unbelievable,” he says. ...Cont. on p. 53

Training and improving technique has never been so easy — or fun — with the East Coast’s first SkyTechSport

Ski & Snowboard HD Simulator!

• Virtual race courses from around the world.

• Boots are available, if you don’t bring your own.

• Used and endorsed by the US Ski Team.

• Professional instruction is available from certified coaches.

• Train and stay fit during the off-season; get in shape pre-season; great for rehabilitation when recovering from injury.

• Powerful G-Forces and realistic effects of skiing and riding.

1860 Williston Rd, South Burlington • (802) 881-0660 • www.gonzoshdsports.com

Photo courtesy Killington

How Does it Work?

Guns were ablaze on Superstar last fall when Killington opened on October 18.

50 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VT_CUP.indd 50

9/9/16 3:29 PM

fiVe of the most beautIful Inns In the green mountaIn state

Classic

5

2

Stowe, VT 802-253-8088 www.fieldguidestowe.com

Newly renovated with a fun luxe lodge design, Field Guide offers a place for both adventure and luxury. Located in the heart of Stowe village, the hotel is a quick stroll to boutiques and dining and a short drive to the slopes. Field Guide offers 30 bright, modern rooms with luxury linens, blackout curtains, and a variety of other amenities. Our on-site restaurant, Picnic Social, offers shareable food and great drinks in a fun atmosphere.

3 Lyndonville, VT 800-627-8310 www.wildflowerinn.com

Located in the heart of Kingdom Trail’s Fat Bike and X-Country Ski network and only 4 miles from the rejuvenated Burke Mountain Ski Area. 25 rooms and suites on 250 acres, on-site restaurant (Junipers), and on-site bike and ski shop. Great hospitality!

14 2

Burlington 89 7

2

3

15

2

93

2

Montpelier

100

302

91 125

89

125

5

73 7

1

The Grey Fox Inn is in a prime location in Stowe. On Mountain Road the Grey Fox Inn is within walking distance to Stowe Village and five miles from the Mt Mansfield ski resort. The Little River runs through the far end of our 7½ acre property as does the popular Stowe Recreation Path — a 5½ mile paved trail that winds along the Little River from Stowe Village.

100

15

Inns of Vermont Stowe, VT 802-253-8921 greyfoxinn.com

91

89 7

2

100

4

Rutland

5

4

103

7

Manchester Center

103

91 100

5

9

9 100

4 Stowe, VT 802-253-8511 trappfamily.com

Situated on 2,500 acres in beautiful Stowe, Vermont, Trapp Family Lodge is a unique mountain resort featuring Austrian-inspired architecture and Europeanstyle accommodations. Our Lodge offers stunning mountain views, old-world comforts, and impeccable service, along with activities for every season.

5 Mendon, VT 802-775-2290 redcloverinn.com

The Red Clover Inn offers intimate, stylish lodging conveniently located between Killington & Pico mountains. A haven for foodies, the acclaimed on-site restaurant and bar feature fresh farm-to-table Vermont ingredients, a well stocked wine cellar, and local spirits and brews. Complete your getaway with fine dining and relaxing in your jacuzzi suite. sponsored content

Classic Inns Fall 2016.indd 5

9/9/16 2:45 PM

The

Red Clover Inn & RESTAURANT

Come play this fall!

“A feast for the senses in an idyllic setting� - Boston Globe

4BUVSEBZ 4FQU Oktoberfest: Celebrating the opening of our new Bierhall Restaurant 4BUVSEBZ 0DUPCFS Trapp Mountain Marathon, Half Marathon: Event info at TrappMountainMarathon.com Weekly

Disc Golf Orientation and instruction, yoga classes, wine tastings, luxurious spa, mountain biking, Nordic skiing, running, rock climbing instruction and much, much more.

Restaurant open for dinner Thursday through Monday 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Stylish, secluded lodging.

Exquisite Vermont food.

Just minutes from Killington & Pico.

5SBQQ )JMM 3E 4UPXF 75 t t XXX USBQQGBNJMZ DPN

7 Woodward Road, Mendon, Vermont 1/4 mile off Route 4 between Killington & Rutland 802.775.2290 • 800.752.0571 • www.redcloverinn.com

Join us in the heart of Mountain Bike & Fat Bike trail network!

Your place in Stowe!

990 Mountain Road Stowe, VT 802-253-8921

Just 4 miles from the rejuvenated Burke Mountain Ski Area. Â 25 rooms and suites on 250 acres, on-site restaurant (Junipers), and on-site bike and ski shop.

Great hospitality!

Whether a romantic get-away, a destination wedding or an outdoor adventure the Grey Fox Inn & Resort has the facilities and sta to help make your stay a memorable one. Plan your trip today!

800-627-8310   info@wildflowerinn.com    www.wildflowerinn.com 2059 Darling Hill Rd. Lyndonville, VT

Classic Inns Fall 2016.indd 6

www.greyfoxinn.com

9/9/16 2:46 PM

COME STAY, PLAY, EAT, DRINK...

AND, OF COURSE, SKI IN STOWE

fieldguidestowe.com | picnicsocialstowe.com (802) 253-8088 | 433 Mountain Road, Stowe VT 05672

Cont. from p. 50.

When Killington put the $350 VIP grandstand seats with access to the Umbrella Bar on sale last July they sold out in under six hours.

The resort is considering opening more. “But keep in mind that there’s still a lot of great spectator opportunities right at the base area,” says Killington marketing director Rob Megnin. “And that’s free. We really want as many people as possible to have a great view of the action.”

The resort has also planned for three major movie premieres from Teton Gravity Research, Warren Miller and Matchstick Productions.

It’s also in the process of booking what Megnin promises to be “some major live music acts,” to perform. “It’s going to be one big party weekend,” he promised.

Another huge factor in hosting the World Cup has been Killington’s ability to lay down the six feet of base needed for a race like this, “I am a bit worried that there won’t be enough snow,” Shiffrin admitted earlier in the summer. However, she added, “As long as it’s cold enough I have full confidence that Killington will pull off an awesome event—but you can never be sure that the temperatures will cooperate. We have had races canceled in the middle of the winter in Europe because of lack of snow.”

Solimano has no qualms: “We have one whole team that’s devoted to snowmaking just for the course, and another for the rest of the mountain,” he says. In fact, he’s hoping it won’t snow. “Removing snow from the course is actually harder than making it. If we can get a couple of days of sustained cold, that would be ideal. It would be way better if it was 40 percent humidity and 20 degrees than if it was 30 degrees and snowing.”

Says Dysksterhouse of the Killington course: “I think it’s going to be incredibly hard. It’s quite a sustained pitch and the weather is going to be a big factor. It could be very damp or frigid, so there are a lot of unknowns. Teams will need to have multiple plans in place for training leading up to the race. Of course, everyone will have a different budget and that will factor in to how athletes find snow that will be similar to the race conditions.”

Some teams may try to set up training at other nearby resorts but with the opening World Cup GS race in Soelden, Austria on October 22 and then a World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland on November 12, there will not be much time to acclimate to Vermont’s conditions.

For Shiffrin, who has been skiing damp, frigid New England courses since she was a kid, that could be an advantage. “In general, I think technically strong racers tend to prevail in the East, and Killington will be no different,” she says.

Late in August, Shiffrin was in New Zealand training with her new coach, Mike Day, who had previously coached two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety. Day left his role as coach at Green Mountain Valley School to join her there, working with her both on snow and on dryland training.

Shiffrin’s social media feeds (which often feature her saying, at some point, “now this is awkward”) show her flowing through the gates like water. They also show her weight lifting, doing squats and lunges, riding a pump track and even, in New Zealand, throwing boulders to build strength.

Perhaps most telling is a video short of her furiously pumping away at what looks like a Stairmaster machine. Her caption reads: “The first step to success is admitting the possibility of failure. Then do everything in your power to defeat that possibility.” n

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 53

VT_CUP.indd 53

9/9/16 3:29 PM

Complete Packages

Ge

$

499

! i k S d n a t Out from

ier) s a e t a h t e mad (we’ve just

Includes Skis, Bindings, Poles & Boots

Pinnacle 802-253-6929

Ski & Sports

802-253-7222

Come in to Inner Bootworks for a professional boot fit then head downstairs to Pinnacle to complete the package with skis, bindings and poles. We’ll even mount and test them for free!

3391 Mountain Road, Stowe Shop online at: Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 10

9/9/16 10:31 AM

COACH

BY DOUG STEWART

Vermont’s Hannah Kearney shows the “touch” that earned her Olympic gold in 2010.

FINDING BALANCE If you want to up your ski game this winter, start by building your balance this fall with these moves and tools.

I

’ve been skiing my whole life and teaching skiing ever since my local mountain would let a high school kid put on a ski instructor jacket.

I love the pursuit of skiing well: going fast and carving turns, skiing powder in the glades and catching big air—the sensations are unlike anything else I have found. As a PSIA Examiner, I also help other ski instructors perfect their techniques.

To jumpstart my skiing early season, each fall I hit the gym aggressively to build back my strength, agility and speed. This fall, I am particularly focused on refining my balance.

Balance is a very general skill, but is very important to skiing. “Dynamic” balance is a term often used to describe what we do on skis because we are constantly moving into different points of balance while moving down the hill, never staying in any one spot for more than a split second.

I often think of my dynamic balance training as working the three planes of motion: To keep it simple, I can balance for up-and-down movements, fore-aft movements, or sideto-side movements.

Photo courtesy U.S. Skiing

Up and Down

Up-and-down balance involves managing the pressure under your feet. Do I want to extend my legs and add pressure to leave the ground? Or, do I want to soften the pressure and keep contact with a surface under me that may be pushing up against me?

Improving this type of balance is what I call “touch.”

“Touch” is what we see when we watch say, bump skier Hannah Kearney keep her skis in contact with the terrain to stay in control, or when she lets the skis leave the ground when it makes sense. This balance is also important for ski-

ing well in sticky, heavy snow, or in my favorite training condition, breakable crust.

To be ready for skiing with good touch, I’ve added trampolines and slack lines to my fall ski training. The ability to generate or kill bounce on a trampoline is a great way to build this form of balance.

You want to do repetitions of bouncing at the same low level for a few bounces, then add just a touch of height and maintain that level for a while, and then be able to kill it all together by sucking it up and coming to a stop on the trampoline.

Big fancy air beds at gymnastics facilities are the best, but recreational backyard trampolines do the trick too.

It takes time to be comfortable on a surface that isn’t solid, just like the snow we ski on. There’s also the added benefit of big airs and lots of fun grabs, spins and flips.

Slacklines also have this same type of give, which requires touch, but they add the other planes of balance, making them a powerful training tool, which is why ski racers like Lindesy Vonn like to use them.

Learning how to walk a slackline will help create a tall, relaxed stance and shows you how valuable your arms can be in your balancing.

There is no “sitting back on inline skates, at least not for long before your butt hits the pavement.

”

Fore and Aft

While touch can take a lifetime to master, balancing fore and aft may be the most important part of balance for skiing. This is also the part of your balance that can be most strongly affected by equipment. In the fall, it’s great to really find the balance that works for your body and then make sure you can take that onto the hill in your boots and boards when the snow flies.

The ability to use the ankle joint is crucial to good

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 55

VTF16_COACH.indd 55

9/9/16 10:07 AM

COACH fore-aft balance. Far too many skiers put on a pair of ski boots and lose the ability to use the ankle joint. I love getting on inline skates such as Rollerblades, which have much easier-flexing boots, and doing tons of turns on mellow downhills. Because the wheelbase is much shorter than my skis and the ankle is a little more free, the fore-aft balance training is fantastic. There is no sitting back on inline skates, at least not for long before your butt hits the pavement.

I do ski turns while lifting the inside leg or do little hops while turning (or between turns) to further dial in my fore-aft balance.

Inline skates are awesome training tools for a number of reasons (but that’s another article altogether.) If you have never skated before, you owe it to your skiing to try it. Just be careful, because pavement can leave more of a mark than even the Eastern “hardpack” we ski on.

Another quick game I enjoy for working on my fore-aft balance is one I learned from a hockey player. He stands one-footed on a 2x4 that is maybe a foot or two long that’s flat on the floor (toes facing lengthwise) and holds the end of a rope in one hand.

On the other end is a training partner with the same set up. The goal is to get the training partner to fall off the 2X4 by pulling and releasing the rope.

Extreme skier and supermodel Sierra Quitiquit trains by carving her summer turns on Rollerblades.

This really works your ankle joint for good fore-aft balance. You could also stand on any other balance training device like a Bosu ball, but training with a partner on a 2x4 is a lot more fun.

THE DIY SKI GYM

Want to be ready for ski season? You can build your own home training program with just a few pieces of equipment.

You might have to fight the kids for a turn on the JustJump Fitness Trampoline. Tell them it’s not a toy but something that’s going to build up your on-snow balance and strength and perhaps save your ACL. The Fitness models start at $199 for the basic 39-inch frame with screw-in legs.

And some models such as the 39-inch 230f and the 550f Pro come with folding frames.

The Maxxum 84 inline skates from Rollerblade ($259-$319) have cuffs and buckles that work similarly to ski boots and 84 mm wheels which allow for quick turns.

The company has a Skate-to-Ski video series that you can access via vtskiandride.com/balance/

Made in Vermont, the Vew-Do Balance Board helps with sideways balance and is great for snowboarders who want to improve their reflexes in shifting weight foot to foot. The Love Your Brain ($149) model was developed by snowboard star and Vermonter Kevin Pearce, who has used it during rehab from a traumatic brain injury.

The Slackstand ($299) from Slackline Industries is a free-standing 12foot slackline that you can set up in a home gym (it folds for easy storage).

Or, if you have two sturdy trees just set up the Base Line kit ($64), which comes with an instructional DVD.

56 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_COACH.indd 56

9/9/16 10:08 AM

Side to Side

The third direction of balance is side-to-side or lateral balance. To improve this, this fall I have added a ski simulator to my routine. We are lucky enough to have a great new simulator at Gonzo’s in South Burlington called the SkyTechSport Ski and Snowboard Simulator. The simulator projects a slope on a screen. As a virtual reality reel of a ski slope plays on the screen, you move side to side reacting to the terrain as you tilt your boots in real bindings. The machine actually moves your feet and angles them left and right.

Because you can use your real ski boots, you get valuable boot time before the snow flies. It is also my new favorite way, as a boot fitter, to test a customer’s new boots, or to make boot adjustments. It can highlight lateral alignment problems in a controlled environment and is a great way to make adjustments and immediately see the results.

The machine also allows an expert skier to get a very high edge angle and provides a unique opportunity to train lateral balance for high speed skiing. That’s why the U.S. Ski Team now uses a simulator like this one.

Prior to the simulator, I was addicted to using sport cords for training lateral balance. A sport cord is a strong stretchy cord that can either be attached to your waist with a belt, or has a handle you can hold in front of you. Using a handle can also build great core strength.

With the other end of the cord attached to an anchor of some kind, you can move into a ski turn and use the resistance of the cord to balance against. This is done in your shoes, and you can even lift or tap

the inside foot to help focus the balance to the outside foot and leg.

I’ve also done this with a partner, which is fun. Instead of having the end of the cord anchored to something stable, it is held or connected to the training partner, who is doing the same move going away from you at the same time. It requires well synchronized moves and really helps train lateral balance.

The other classic way to train lateral balance is by using a balance board, like a Vew-Do board. These boards allow skiers and riders to roll a board on top of a wooden base and are a great way to dial in lateral balance.

Doing it with your eyes closed is a good goal for high end skiers and riders.

While training for balance in all three planes is the focus for this discussion, all of these tools will help your skiing in many different ways.

Working hard now will help you make this season the best it can be.

A number of years ago I heard a great quote from a five-year-old on a chairlift that I always think about when I’m training. When I asked him how his ski day was going he said “Today’s going great, I’m the best I’ve ever been!”

An examiner for the Eastern Division of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), Doug Stewart has been teaching skiing at Stowe for over 20 years. Stewart divides his winters between being a full time boot fitter at Skirack in Burlington, training the ski school staff and his ski clients at Stowe, and running certification training and exams. When he’s not at work, Stewart loves skiing with his wife and chasing around their 8- and 10-year-old sons on the slopes of Vermont. n

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016

VTF16_COACH.indd 57

57

9/9/16 10:08 AM

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 16-18 FallFest, Smgglers’ Notch Smugglers’ Notch moves into fall with a full weekend of activites including guided rock climbing in the Notch, mountain biking on local trails, live music and disc golf tournaments. www.smuggs.com 16-18 Vermont Wine & Harvest Festival, Mount Snow Mount Snow hosts the Vermont Wine & Harvest Festival, with vintners, specialty food producers, chefs, painters, publishers, cheese makers, potters, jewelers, photographers and farmers. www.mountsnow.com 17 von Trapp Brewing’s 7th Annual Oktoberfest, Stowe von Trapp Brewing cuts the ribbon on its new bierhalle with the Inseldudler Band, Oktoberfest keg tapping and buffet. www.vontrappbrewing.com 17-18 Grand Point North, Burlington Vermont rocker Grace Potter headlines a music festival on the Burlington waterfront with special guests Guster, Old Crow Medicine Show and Blind Pilot. www. grandpointnorth.com 17-18 Spartan Race, Killington Killington hosts an unforgiving obstacle race up and down the mountain. Obstacles include ropes to climb, pits of fire and plenty of mud. www.killington.com 22–25 Oktoberfest Vermont, Burlington Waterfront Park puts a Vermont spin on the traditional Bavarian festival with 40 brewers, live oom-pah music, contests and a 5K fun run next to Lake Champlain. www.oktoberfestvermont.com 23-24 SIPtemberfest, Mad River Glen Only 800 tickets are available to this small festival at Mad River Glen, featuring 24 craft breweries. Chairlift rides are available all weekend. www.siptemberfest.com 9/24 Peru Fair, Peru The Peru Fair features a pig roast, music and family entertainment, Vermont crafts, cloggers, antiques, art exhibits, Vermont artisan demos, clowns, magicians and more. www.perufair.org

OCTOBER 1 Pumpkin & Apple Celebration, Woodstock The Billings Farm and Museum hosts a fall-themed festival for families with apple and pumpkin products and activities. www.billingsfarm.org 1-2 VT SKI + RIDE EXPO, Burlington The biggest ski show to hit Vermont comes to the Sheraton, South Burlington.

See the latest gear, learn of resort deals, watch new ski movie releases, enjoy live music from three bands and kick back at the Long Trail brew tent. Details and tickets at www.vtskiandride.com/expo/ 1 Killington Brewfest, Killington The 4,241-foot Killington’s Peak is the setting for the resort’s annual food and beer festival with 100 regional craft brews. www.killington.com 1-2 Green And Gold Weekend, Mad River Glen Mad River Glen kicks off the season with this traditional weekend of glade maintenance, bike and running races on Stark mountain, a chicken barbeque, shareholders’ town meeting, and chair lift rides. www.madriverglen.com 1 7th Annual Bean and Brew Festival, Jay Peak Jay Peak’s annual Bean & Brew Festival features locally roasted coffees coupled

with New England brewed beers. Enjoy the coffee and beer sampling, while listening to live music, and playing lawn games. www.jaypeakresort.com 1-2 Triple Crown Enduro, Burke Burke Mountain Bike Park hosts the second of a three-stop series, with riders competing on Burke’s downhill trails for more than $30,000 in cash. www.skiburke.com 1-2 20th Annual Stowe Oktoberfest, Stowe The town of Stowe and the resort host a weekend Oktoberfest with a parade, beer tent, German cuisine and live music, including yodeling. www.stoweoktoberfest.com 5-9 ITVFest, Mount Snow Mount Snow hosts this festival showcasing the world’s best independently produced television shows, web series, multimedia and short films. www.itvfest.com 9 Fifth Annual Burktoberfest, Burke Burke celebrates the changing of the seasons with the fifth annual festival that includes hayrides, pumpkin painting, and local craft vendors. Meanwhile on Burke’s downhill trails, riders can participate in a best-trick contest. skiburke.com 9 Mad Dash, Waitsfield Runners enjoy mountain views, fall foliage and covered bridges during this 5K and 10K run on the Mad Path in Waitsfield. www.runvermont.org 8-10 Columbus Weekend Celebration, Stratton Stratton Resort moves into fall over Columbus Day weekend with activities including the Annual Craft Brew Festival, Chili Festival and the North Face Race to the Summit. www.stratton.com

SKI SWAPS

THE GEAR IS STILL GOOD FOR THE NEXT FEW SEASONS AND THE PRICES ARE BELOW BARGAIN BASEMENT. HERE’S WHERE TO LOOK 1-2 OCT. PICO SKI CLUB ANNUAL SKI & SNOWBOARD SWAP Equipment drop-off: At the Pico Retail Shop on Sept. 24 from 3 to 5 p.m.; Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to noon; and Sept. 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. At the Pico Base Lodge on Sept. 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. and Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sale hours: Sept. 30 from 5 to 9 p.m.; Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

7-9 OCT. KILLINGTON SKI CLUB MONSTER SKI AND BIKE SALE Equipment drop-off: Oct. 1–6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ramshead Base Lodge. Sale hours: Oct. 7 from 5 to 9 p.m.; Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

22-OCT. MONTPELIER REC. DEPARTMENT SKI AND SKATE SALE Equipment drop-off: No straight skis or clothing of any kind will be accepted. Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Montpelier High School Gymnasium. Sale hours: Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Montpelier High School Gymnasium.

12-NOV. WAITSFIELD PTA SKI & SKATE SALE Equipment drop-off: Nov. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Waitsfield Elementary School. Sale hours: Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Waitsfield Elementary School.

18-NOV. OKEMO MOUNTAIN SCHOOL SKI AND SNOWBOARD SWAP Equipment drop-off: Nov. 12, 13 and 16 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. in the Sitting Bull bar. Sale hours: In the Clock Tower Base Lodge Nov. 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

58 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

vtf16cal.indd 58

9/9/16 2:12 PM

8 Fall Into Winter, Okemo Okemo hosts a family friendly foliage festival with live music, hayrides, pumpkin painting, a pie-eating contest and lots of apple cider. www.okemo.com 8-10 Community Weekend, Sugarbush Sugarbush hosts a fall festival with pumpkin carving, lift rides, hikes, fall-inspired dining and live music. www.sugarbush.com 8- 9 Harpoon Oktoberfest, Windsor The Harpoon brewery in Windsor hosts an Oktoberfest with lots of Harpoon beer, live oompah music, chicken dancing, keg bowling, fall foliage and the Harpoon Oktoberfest race. www.harpoonbrewery.com 8–9 19th Annual Oktoberfest, Mount Snow Mount Snow hosts their 18th annual Oktoberfest with plenty of oom-pah music, 25 German and domestic breweries and schnitzel plus games and activities for the kids. www.mountsnow.com 8-9 43rd Annual Harvest Arts & Crafts Show, Mount Snow Get a jump on their holiday shopping at Mount Snow with over 50 vendors including local artisans, specialty food makers and more. www.mountsnow.com 15 Trapp Mountain Marathon, Stowe Trails around the Trapp Family Lodge host half and full marathon distances at the height of fall foliage. This is a 2016 USATF-sanctioned event. All finishers get a custom glass filled with von Trapp beer. www.trappmountainmarathon.com

THE NEW SKI MOVIES RUIN AND ROSE, NOV. 15, 18 Matchstick Productions’ latest release “Ruin and Rose” features pros Mark Abma, Sammy Carlson, Zack Giffin and more skiing in exotic locales including Alaska, Austria, British Columbia, Bulgaria, California, and the deserts of Namibia. Nov. 15, The Higher Ground, Burlington, Vt.; Nov. 18 at The Rusty Nail, Stowe, Vt. www.skimovie.com HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE, NOV. 30, DEC. 1, 2 One of the best ski movie parties of the season rolls into Vermont with the premier of Warren Miller’s 67th edition. Pros like Ingrid Backstrom, Seth Wescott and Collin Collins ski challenging lines in Greenland, Montana, Switzerland, Boston’s Fenway Park and more.

Nov. 30–Dec. 1, Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, Vt.; and Dec. 2 at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington, Vt. www.skinet.com TIGHT LOOSE, DEC. 4 - 5 Teton Gravity Research celebrates its 21st birthday with “Tight Loose,” a worldwide ski tour from India to Alaska that showcases the talents of athletes throughout TGR’s 21 years. Angel Collinson, Ian McIntosh, Tim Durtschi and others explore Golden, British Columbia; Kashmir, India; Tordrillo, Alaska; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Dec. 4-5 Zero Gravity Brewery, Burlington, Vt.

Mount Snow Timber Fr ame Home

Prime Location & Sweeping views of Mount Snow, Haystack & BEYOND! Spectacularly built & sited Timber Frame Home that features views from many rooms! Covered front porch entry, spacious mud room with separate laundry room, covered back porch, enclosed 3-season room, front deck, open concept living, floor to ceiling fieldstone masonry fireplace, beautiful wood flooring, kitchen w/granite counters, tile & pantry. Main floor has master suite w/ walk-in closet, steam shower & Jacuzzi tub. Walk out lower level family room, bedroom & bath. Extensive trails throughout your own woods & fields. Direct VAST Access. Also available w/100.9 acres for $1,450,000.

Being Offered at $1,095,000 4BR/3.5 Baths 4276 q. ft 35.40 Acres

183 Route 100, West Dover, VT 05356 | Office: 802-464-3055 / Fax: 802-464-2069 | Info@HermitageDVRE.com

vtskiandride.com Fall 2016 59

vtf16cal.indd 59

9/9/16 2:13 PM

THE GREEN MOUNTAIN CALENDAR 10/22 CircumBurke MTB Challenge and Trail Run, Victory Kingdom Trails, Conservation Collaborative and the Burke Area Chamber of Commerce present mountain bike and cross country running races on a 25-mile trail loop around Burke Mountain. www.circumburke.org 28 39th Annual New England Ski Museum Meeting and Dinner, Sugarbush The New England Ski Museum honors one of Vermont’s most famous ski families, the Cochrans, with the Sprit of Skiing Award. www.newenglandskimuseum.org

NOVEMBER 3 Vermont Backcountry Forum, Rochester The Vermont Backcountry Alliance, the Catamount Trail Association and the Rochester Area Sport Trails Alliance gather for a town hall-style meeting complete with potluck dinner, raffle, and discussion on growing Vermont’s backcountry skiing experience. www.rastavt.org 18 Projected Opening day at Craftsbury The northern Vermont ski area welcomes cross-country skiers back with a week of snowmaking s and training for clubs and teams before Thanksgiving. www. craftsbury.com

YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE

18–20 Craft Vermont, South Burlington The Sheraton in South Burlington hosts an art and crafts show with vendors and exhibits showing techniques, materials and finished products. www. vermonthandcrafters.com 19 The Big Kicker, American Flatbread, Waitsfield Mad River Valley’s two ski areas start the winter season with a rail jam at American Flatbread along with food, drinks and giveaways. www.sugarbush.com

franklin_gothic_book_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" franklin_gothic_book_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '"

19 Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum Hall of Fame Dinner, Stowe Spend an evening at Stoweflake Resort recognizing key figures in the state’s rich ski history with films, a silent auction and dinner. www.VTSSM.com

franklin_gothic_medium_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" franklin_gothic_medium_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" franklin_gothic_demi_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" franklin_gothic_demi_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '"

25 28th-Annual Putney Craft Tour, Putney Glassblowers, potters, jewelers, stained glass artists, fine art painters, woodworkers and weavers—even artisan cheesemakers and wine makers—welcome visitors into their studios to discover one-of-a-kind handcrafted objects. The tour also raises money for the Putney Food Shelf and collaborates with local restaurants and theatre groups to create a weekend of arts, food and stage. www.putneycrafts.com

✺❁❐❆✿❄❉■❇❂❁▼▲❁❂❃❄❅❆❇❈❉❊❋●❍■❏❐❑❒▲▼◆❖◗❘❙❚❀✑✒✓✔✕✖✗✘✙✐✍✝✻✽✼✛✌✎✏ ✡✢✣✤✥✦✧★✩✪✫✬✭✮✯✰✱✲✳✴✵✶✷✸✹✺❞✁✠✃✄☎✾✆☛✈✉✿☞❛❝❜✚✓✜✞✟❂ marriot_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € ≠≠ marriot_light_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € marriott_med_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € ≠≠ marriott_med_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € ≠≠ marriott_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € marriott_bold_italic_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? åç´ƒ©˙ˆ˚¬µ˜øœ®ß†¨¥`¡™£¢§¶•ªº–“‘«…æ÷ ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜،‰Íˇ¨„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±"'»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" €

BECAUSE YOUR VACATION SHOULD BE EVERYTHING YOU EXPECT.

marriot_condensed_light_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € ≠≠ marriot_condensed_medium_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" €

26-27 Audi FIS World Cup, Killington Skiing greats from around the world (including Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn) take to the Superstar trail in this FIS slalom and giant slalom event. The weekend also features movie premieres, live music and lots more. www.killington.com

marriot_condensed_bold_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz`1234567890-= [] \;’,./≠ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:”<>? å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω`¡™£¢ §¶•ªº–≠“‘«…æ≤ ÷≠ÅıÇÎ´Ï˝ÓˆÔÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿ Á¸`⁄‹›fifl‡°·‚—±”’»ÚƯ˘¿|áéíóúâêîôûàèìòùäëïöüÿãñõÁÉÍÓÚÀÈÌÒÙÄËÏÖÜŸÑÃÕÂÊÎÔÛ ”“’‘ '" € ≠

Nestled in the heart of Vermont's Green Mountains, count on Fairfield Inn & Suites Waterbury Stowe to provide the unique experience and comfort your family deserves.

To reserve your room, call 1-802-241-1600 or visit Marriott.com.

Central Vermont’s Local Ski & Snowboard Shop Custom Boot Fitting Season Leasing

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott® Waterbury Stowe

92 River St. Montpelier, VT SlopeStyleVT.com

Waterbury, VT Rates are per room, per night, based on availability, not available for groups of 10 or more rooms.

Full Service Repair Daily Rentals

(802)225-6320

60 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

vtf16cal.indd 60

9/9/16 2:13 PM

VT

DRINK

The Green Mountain State is home to some of the best breweries, wineries, cideries and distilleries. Many of them use the finest Vermont products, including local apples, grapes and 100% maple syrup to create their unique libations. For more information, links and maps to each location check out www.vtskiandride.com.

Steve Parkes and Christine McKeever, owners of Drop-In Brewing and the American Brewers Guild, pride themselves on educating brewers and creating worldly beers with Vermont character. In a small but fun atmosphere, customers can try our 7 beers on tap in our tasting room and take home any of three different sized growlers.

3597 VT-74, Shoreham, VT 802-897-2777 www.champlainorchards.com

Open daily 9-5. July-Nov. Please call ahead.

We offer guided tastings of our locallymade hard cider including our Original Hard Cider, Mac & Maple, Limited Edition Ginger Spice as well as our Pruner’s Pride and Honeycrisp Ice Cider. All our ciders are made onsite with our ecologically grown apples. 100% of our electricity is generated from our solar orchards. 2015 Winner of Vermont Cider Classic.

WhistlePig showcases the tremendous flavor potential of rye while maintaining a smooth and balanced profile, identifying it with the most acclaimed whiskeys in the world.

46 Log Yard Drive, Hardwick, VT 802-472-8000 www.caledoniaspirits.com Caledonia Spirits is a craft distillery in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Raw honey distinguishes our Barr Hill vodka, Barr Hill gin, and Tom Cat barrel aged gin by imparting a pure and soft botanical essence into each bottle. All of our spirits reflect our deep connection to the land and Vermont’s agricultural heritage.

Open daily 12-5 for free tours and tastings at the distillery.

5 Bartlett Bay Rd South Burlington, VT 802-658-BREW MagicHat.Net Where ancient alchemy meets modern-day science to create the best tasting beer on the planet. Come watch our spores dance and play! Visit the Artifactory for FREE samples, FREE tours and the most unusual shopping experience!

Warren, VT 802-272-8436 www.lawsonsfinest.com Lawson’s Finest is a small artisanal brewery located in Warren, VT, producing an array of hop-forward ales, specialty maple beers, and unique creations of the highest quality and freshness. Find our beer at lawsonsfinest.com.

316 Pine Street, Suite 114 Burlington, VT 802-497-1987 www.citizencider.com We are cider makers who love to take fresh local apples and ferment them into delicious, refreshing, dynamic, clean and fulfilling cider!

We use 100% locally sourced apples and cider for 100% of our products, 100% of the time. Never made from concentrate, ever!

Our goal is bold, yet simple: Make cider for the people, by the people. Visit us on Pine Street in Burlington for tastings and a great meal.

VERMONT BEER, WINE, CIDER + SPIRITS

610 US Route 7, Middlebury, VT 802-989-7414 www.dropinbrewing.com

52 Seymour Street Middlebury, VT 802-897-7700 whistlepigwhiskey.com

sponsored content

Drink VT September.indd 1

9/9/16 2:47 PM

150 Main Street, Newport, VT Near Jay Peak 802-334-1808 www.edenicecider.com

622 Keyser Hill, St. Johnsbury, VT 802-745-9486 www.duncsmill.com

This working farm is the northernmost brewery in Vermont. It has a greenhouse for food production, a Black Angus beef herd for spent grain and trub recycling, a geothermal cooling system and wood-fired hot water... we are Vermont Green.

Founded in 2007 on an abandoned farm in the Northeast Kingdom, Eden produces high quality ice ciders, aperitif ciders and naturally sparkling hard ciders from heirloom and true cider variety apples grown at our own and 5 other local orchards. Slow Food Snail of Approval, Good Food Award Gold Seal, Great Lakes International Cider Competition Best in Show 2015.

At Dunc’s Mill, we know that true craft spirits take time, care and effort. That’s why we try to do everything the right way. We have one goal: to create from scratch the highest quality spirits that can be produced. We do every step of the process by hand, and it’s all done in-house. Find our rums at over 50 locations around Vermont, or call and arrange a time to come visit.

632 Laporte Road, Route 100 Morrisville, VT 802-888-9400 www.rockartbrewery.com

von Trapp Brewing 1333 Luce Hill Rd. Stowe, VT 802-253-0900 www.vontrappbrewing.com

4445 Main St, Isle La Motte, VT 802-928-3091 www.hallhomeplace.com

Enjoy samples of our beers during your visit and have a growler filled to take home to enjoy later. We have the best selection of our beers on tap. You’ll also find great Rock Art swag, Vermont foods and wonderful items from local artisans.

von Trapp Brewing is dedicated to brewing the highest quality Austrianinspired lagers with a Vermont twist.

Experience “a little of Austria, a lot of Vermont,” in every glass. Plus come visit our new bierhall at the brewery!

VERMONT BEER, WINE, CIDER + SPIRITS

353 Coburn Hill Road Newport, VT 802-334-7096 kingdombrewingvt.com

276 Main Street, Jeffersonville, VT Barrel House Tasting Room 2657 Waterbury Stowe Rd. Waterbury Center, VT 802-309-3077 www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com Drawing on the alchemy of a father/ son dream, Smugglers’ Notch Distillery creates Vermont inspired, small batch, and remarkably distinctive vodka, bourbonbarrel aged rum, hopped gin, 802 Blend gin, bourbon and wheat whiskey.

Open daily for tastings at both locations 11 to 5.

64 Vt. Route 104, Cambridge, VT 05444 802-644-8151 www.BoydenValley.com Experience Vermont’s award-winning Winery, Cidery, & Distillery. Crafting a variety of products including VERMONT ICE using sustainable agriculture and socially responsible practices. Tastings, Free Tours, and seasonal Gourmet Cheese Plates available. Two convenient locations: Cambridge – Winery & Tasting Room (only 7 miles from Smuggler’s Notch) and Waterbury - Tasting Room Annex at Cold Hollow Cider Mill (minutes from Stowe). Visit our website for hours and tour times.

We make the most distinctive Hard Cider, Ice Cider and Apple Wine in the world.

Enjoy them around your meals or as wedding favors & toasts or sitting on your front porch watching a sunset.

Pine Street Brewery Flatbread Brewpub 716 Pine Street 115 St. Paul Street 802-497-0054 802-861-2999 www.zerogravitybeer.com Visit either of our two locations for two distinct ZG experiences: The Pine Street Brewery houses a 30-barrel brew house, full canning line, tasting room, retail shop and a sundrenched beer garden in Burlington’s South End Arts District, and our original location in downtown Burlington at American Flatbread features the full line-up of ZG flagship and Specialty brews alongside some of the finest wood-fired pizza you can find. Cheers! sponsored content

Drink VT September.indd 2

9/9/16 2:47 PM

Kingston Black, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Ashton’s Bitter, Dabinett, Reine de Reinette, Belle de Boskoop....

What do these apples have in common?

You can find them in our award-winning, dry, food-friendly ciders. Our family-run ciderie handcrafts small batches of fine cider here in Southern Vermont. Taste the difference that locally-grown, traditional heirloom and cider apples make.

14th Star Brewing started as a daydream in the mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. While deployed overseas, soldiers have plenty of time to contemplate two things: Beer and getting out of the Army. 14th Star’s now owner and head brewer Steve Gagner and his buddies were doing just that in 2010 when the idea came to the long-time homebrewers: Why not open a brewery, preparing for the day we can retire from the Army? Thus started the journey from a handwritten business plan in the back of a notebook to a fully-licensed craft brewery.

1321 Exchange St Middlebury, VT 802-385-3656 www.woodchuck.com Here at the Woodchuck Cidery in Vermont, we handcraft every batch of Woodchuck Hard Cider. Our Cider Makers utilize the highest quality ingredients and meticulously oversee each small batch from start to finish. We reinvigorated American cider in 1991 and continue to lead the category through our commitment to craft innovative and refreshing hard ciders.

1197 Exchange St, Middlebury, VT 802-388-3000 www.stonecutterspirits.com Stonecutter Spirits captures complexity and tradition in their barrels of awardwinning Single Barrel Gin and Heritage Cask Whiskey. Sip samples of each--or try a seasonally-rotating craft cocktail--as you gaze at hundreds of aging barrels from their hip, cozy tasting room in Middlebury, Vermont.

740 Marshall Ave, Williston, VT 802-999-7396 www.goodwaterbreweryvt.com GoodWater Brewery blends classic beer styles with modern tastes. Come visit us at our Williston location and check out the 20 BBL brewhouse adjacent to the tasting room. Enjoy sampler flights, pints and of course, growlers and cans to go.

FIND MAPS AND MORE INFO AT www.vtskiandride.com/drink-vermont

DRINK

VT

8814 Route 30, Rawsonville, VT Junction VT Rt 30N and VT Rt 100N 802-297-9333 www.CraftDraughts.com An intimate shop with over 300 craft beers plus ciders, meads and two rotating Vermont taps for growler fills. A muststop for craft beer lovers traveling through southern Vermont.

485 West River Rd, Brattleboro, VT 802-246-1128 www.saplingliqueur.com Conveniently located just off I-91, stop in to see how all of our handcrafted spirits are made! While you are here you can pick up a few bottles and souvenirs, learn about the distilling process straight from our master distillers, and of course, taste all of our delicious liquors.

VERMONT BEER, WINE, CIDER + SPIRITS

802 254 5306 www.whetstoneciderworks.com

133 North Main St, St Albans, VT 802-528-5988 www.14thstarbrewing.com

sponsored content

Drink VT September.indd 3

9/9/16 2:48 PM

Roth’s Vermont treehouses include this one at Lincoln’s Zeno Mountain Farm as well

The Chairlift Q+A

as one at Burlington’s

BY LISA LYNN

A FREEHEELIN’ GOV? Sue Minter is running for governor with an agenda for outdoor recreation

So you must know of some pretty good backcountry stashes?

There are so many great places here, especially on Mt. Mansfield, but because Camel’s Hump is always in view from my home, I’ve always loved skiing that mountain. One of my earliest backcountry ski adventures—we’re talking the 1980s—was there. It’s a long ascent and the top is always howling windy and icy, but there are more and more good descents and secret powder runs. I’ve always come down the Duxbury side but I’ve done an organized tour around Camel’s Hump and am starting to discover some great routes on the Huntington side as well.

How have you seen backcountry access change in Vermont?

It’s been really exciting to see ski resorts open up access to the backcountry and also to see the whole movement grow. When we started working on David’s book in the 1980s he was rediscovering overgrown routes that had been cut in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s so we were finding and mapping all these old routes.

If you are elected governor, what’s your vision for Vermont’s outdoors?

ue Minter, 55, has an impressive résumé. She’s a Harvard graduate and the former Secretary of Transportation for Vermont. She led the state’s Tropical Storm Irene recovery efforts and has served as a state rep for her district.

She’s now the Democratic candidate for governor and has an agenda for outdoor recreation. Minter lives in Waterbury with her husband, the author David Goodman, and has two children, Jasper and Ariel. And did we mention that she’s a wicked good figure skater and a ripping telemark skier?

So if this is a chairlift interview, what chairlift would we be on?

We wouldn’t be! We’d be skinning up. I believe the ascent is almost as fun as the descent. It gives you the time to really connect with your fellow climbers.

How did you get to be such a good tele skier?

I grew up as a competitive figure skater in Philadelphia, but we often came to Stowe on holidays to ski.Years later, we were living in Boston and my husband, David Goodman, was working on his first guidebook to backcountry skiing in New England for the Appalachian Mountain Club. I had a fellowship with the Conservation Law Foundation so we moved here in 1991. I was a downhill skier and he was a cross-country skier but on a trip to Colorado we tried skiing the 10th Mountain Trail and decided to try telemarking. It came relatively easily.

Tell us about your VT-Outdoors Plan.

There are three key initiatives in it. The first is to expand our trail systems for hiking and biking. Next, I’d like to promote our existing state parks and see if we can develop a hut-to-hut system. I’ve been to the 10th Mountain Division huts in Colorado and the Maine huts system and I’d love to see that developed here by a consortium of public and private groups. Last, I’d like to recruit outdoor industries and bring more young, active people to Vermont.

Why support outdoor recreation?

Outdoor recreation is part of Vermont’s heritage and under my leadership it will be a critical part of the Vermont brand and our economy. According to the Vermont Outdoor Industry association, the outdoor recreation economy includes approximately 34,000 direct Vermont jobs, $753 million in wages and salaries, and generates $176 million in state and local tax revenue.

And will you bring back the Governor’s ski race?

Yes! I want to rekindle that race and I’m already talking about it with a candidate in Colorado who’s a really hot skier.

Photo by David Goodman

S

I want to make sure Vermont remains one of the top three destinations in the country for skier and rider visits. But we also need to think about four-season recreation and how to be proactive in developing areas for mountain biking.Trail building was actually part of our economic development strategy for our town, Waterbury, and it has helped us grow.

64 Fall 2016 vtskiandride.com

VTF16_CHAIRLIFT.indd 64

9/9/16 8:04 PM

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 11

9/9/16 10:30 AM

sugarbush.com

800.53.SUGAR

#SUGARBUSH

Upcoming EvEnts COMMUNITY WEEKEND October 8–9 Celebrate Fall: pumpkin carving, scenic lift rides, hikes, live music and more.

OKTOBERFEST October 9 Bavarian-inspired food, drink, music and games.

THE BIG KICKER November 19 Season kickoff party at American Flatbread with rail jams, ski movies, local food and drink, and more.

OPENING DAY November 19 at Lincoln Peak (weather permitting)

SUGARBASH December 3 Get down and get funky at Sugarbush’s annual birthday celebration.

VALLEY SKI & RIDE WEEK December 19–23 Get your legs back under you with Sugarbush’s finest coaches.

For more information on restaurants, activities and events call 800.53.SUGAR or visit sugarbush.com.

Fall 2016 Ad pages.indd 12

Community is Better at Sugarbush There’s something more to the Sugarbush experience than the legendary terrain variety, the meticulous snowmaking and grooming, the fabled history, and the authentic Vermont mountain setting.

Come discover what makes Sugarbush different.

For the best deals on season passes, discount tickets, lodging and more, visit sugarbush.com.

QUad pack (four unrestricted tickets)

$229 plus tax

For sale thru November, purchase four non-refundable 2016/17 Adult All Mountain lift tickets for just $229.

Quad Pack tickets are transferable, but you have to act fast, the Quad Pack is gone when December hits.

9/9/16 10:30 AM