JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR
THE MOUNTAINS Sugarbush brings some of the flavor of western skiing to the East. Like many ski areas west of the Mississippi, Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak spreads out in a natural bowl of terrain. Runs at Lincoln Peak face north, south, and east and make for spectacular skiing no matter the time of day. The natural bowl also makes the trail network easy to navigate. Beginners, intermediates, and experts can all start from the same place on many lifts, find terrain suitable to their tastes, and end up together back where they started. The lift and trail network quickly disperses crowds on peak traffic days, while mid-mountain lifts serve higher elevation runs, which minimizes long lift lines in the base area. Lincoln Peak is home to the legendary terrain of Castlerock Peak, whose narrow, steep, and winding trails offer seasoned experts a challenge and an old-time New England ski experience. Powder hungry? Get up early for first tracks on the Lincoln Limo. When it’s snowing, the twelve-passenger snowcat heads to the top as early as 7 a.m., before the lifts even open. Connected by the Slide Brook Express to Lincoln Peak, Mt. Ellen is the third-highest peak in Vermont (serviced by the highest chair lift in the state). With thirty-nine trails, Mt. Ellen has steeps, wide-open cruisers, and some great beginner terrain. The base area at Mt. Ellen is a no-frills experience with a classic lodge that’s home to the convivial Green Mountain Lounge. Mt. Ellen is where you’ll find the Riemergasse Terrain Park, recognized over the last several years as one of the top terrain parks in the East by Transworld Snowboarding. With rails, tables, and jumps for all levels, the park is home to local talent and a series of events and competitions. Whether at Mt. Ellen or Lincoln Peak, skiing in the trees is often the best way to find great snow. Twenty-eight marked areas provide beginner to advanced tree skiing. Want more? The 2,000-acre Slide Brook backcountry, tucked
in between Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen, is an adventurer’s paradise. Guided trips are available with legendary skier John Egan and the staff of the Adventure Learning Center’s Ski & Ride School. Sugarbush isn’t the only attraction to the Mad River Valley. Mad River Glen, just a few miles to the north of Sugarbush, boasts some of the most challenging terrain in the East. The Valley is also home to two Nordic skiing centers, Blueberry Lake and Ole’s Cross Country Center, as well as the Catamount Trail. In Waitsfield, the Skatium Ice Rink provides a unique outdoor skating experience.
LODGING From slope-side luxury to quaint country living, the Sugarbush Vacation Team can assist in finding accommodations to suit a variety of needs and budgets (for reservations, call 800-53-SUGAR). The slope-side Clay Brook Hotel & Residences offers sixty-one suites, ranging from king rooms to five-bedroom suites, and features skiin/ski-out access, full valet service, a year-round outdoor heated pool, a fitness center, and Timbers Restaurant. Down the road is the forty-two-room Sugarbush Inn, open all winter and for private groups in the summer. The lodging—with nooks for reading and a parlor with an adjoining taproom, open on Saturdays and holidays from 4 to 7 p.m. for après—has the cozy charm of a Vermont country inn. Sugarbush also offers a mix of resort-managed condominiums surrounding Lincoln Peak. All Sugarbush lodging comes with complimentary access to Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center, which offers a pool, hot tubs, steam rooms, the Adventure Zone for kids, rock climbing, tennis, and massage. For additional lodging recommendations, please call the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce at 802-496-3409. 2015/16 69