Ski Local

Who says you need to "ski like a local" when you can simply ski locally.

T&S

Good Morning Skis

These pics are from a few weeks back - we woke up to some fresh snow and got out there before day break on the trails around our house. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise, awesome powder snow, and the best, most refreshing wake-up there is.This is such a great way to start the day!

Get Out and Backcountry Ski! (Festival) at Bolton Valley Nordic Center

Sunday afforded us blue skies, sunshine, and beautiful snow, a welcome change from what has become the norm. It was the perfect day for the Catamount Trail Association's 4th Annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival, a day of backcountry skis, gear, and folks sharing their enthusiasm for the sport they love: skiing, in the backcountry, by their own muscle power.That's something we can certainly relate to! The day was so great, I don't think anyone even noticed the near-zero temperatures. And the skiing was some of the best of my life.

T and I were at the Backcountry Festival with Onion River Sports with a full set of backcountry skis from Fischer, Madshus, Rossignol, Voile, and others plus Scarpa T4 and Garmont Excursion boots for participants to try. If you're in the market for a new backcountry setup, the best thing you can do is try the skis for yourself. I tried no fewer than 5 different skis - many of them on multiple outings - before buying my first pair of backcountry skis, my Karhu 10th Mountains. Plenty of folks came and tried out the gear and everyone had a smile on their face. And after the festival participants were all set up, us shop folks got to go and ski the touring center trails for ourselves - a real treat. I had no idea the Bolton Nordic Center was so awesome! 

On our first outing, both on our Rossi BC 125's, T and I split up. I stuck to the groomed s-curves of World Cup, an intermediate trail in the groomed network. This trail was a lot like your favorite groomer, except through the woods and no lifts. The snow was soft, coverage was great, and there was plenty of room to practice your telemark turn. T, on the other hand, followed a patroller up Bryant to Cliff Hanger and then came down through the woods. We were only out for 40 minutes, but we were hooked! And we couldn't wait for the chance to get out for more.

Finally, at about 4pm, we were able to sneak away for another little tour. This time we skied together - me on my Rossi's again and T trying this year's new Vector BC from Voile, a hot little number that you should definitely check out. We skied up Bryant Trail to Bryant Camp, a really cool little cabin for the backcountry enthusiast who wants to spend a couple of days in the woods around Bolton, Cotton Brook, Sterling Valley, Little River State Park, and the famous trip over to Trapp's Touring Center. That adventure is for another day....On this particular day, we met a lovely man on his way up to the Cabin where he was meeting a friend; they were going to ski Gardner's Lane back down. He described this trail as overall mellow with some fun descents and fluffy snow. And this trail delivered all these things, with the backdrop of a beautiful sunset. It was, hands down, the best ski I have ever had. The turns came easily and the snow was soft and edgable; the terrain reminded me of a mellower version of Tear Drop, for those familiar with the famed CCC trail off of Mt. Mansfield. There were features and turns and drops to navigate; much like mountain biking, you had to find your line and commit to it. Super fun! And totally rewarding. We were hooting and hollering the whole way down, and I can't wait to get back out and ski some more of the Bolton backcountry - and for only $17 for a day (or $13 after 1pm), this is a steal! And it's exactly how skiing should be: relying on muscle power to climb up into the mountains for some thrilling descents down uneven and exhilirating terrain. What a gem! And, remember, if you're accessing the backcountry from Bolton's Nordic Center, a pass is required; for that matter, it's required at any and all touring centers (Trapps, for example). Even if you won't be spending the day on touring center trails, this is an important way to support our local mountain, our highest-elevation touring center, and an all-around really great experience.Even better, a season pass is a deal and grants you continual access to this great place!


As for the festival, this is another great gem, put on by a gem of an organization, the Catamount Trail Association (CTA). Jim Fredericks, CTA Executive Director, did an exceptional job putting together the whole event. The day ended with a multi-media presentation by David Goodman, author of the book Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast: 50 Classic Ski Tours in New England and New York (If you don't already own this book, you should! Go - now - to your local independent book store or gear shop and pick up a copy.)

Definitely check out the 5th annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival to try the latest in skis, boots, and gear, plus meet good people, get plenty of information, and attend skills clinics (work on your telemark turn, anyone?). And while you're at it, join the CTA and gain access to the hundreds of miles of groomed and backcountry skiing made available to us lucky Vermonters through the hard work of the CTA, and buy a pass to Bolton's Touring Center. We hope to see you there! And we'll definitely see you in the backcountry.


Happy trails!

Notching It Up

It seems the classic winter-in-Vermont outing for us is the trip to Stowe to head up into the Notch for some touring and some turning. (For those not in-the-know, this is Vermont Route 108 which is closed between Stowe and Cambridge/Jeffersonville in the winter.) We made a wonderful afternoon out of a quick trip to the top of the Notch, and  then we made our first turns of the season on the way back down. I love making trips to the Stowe area for skiing. The Notch is a classic favorite, as are the sections of the Catamount Trail through Nebraska Notch and the Sterling Valley, and Trapp's keeps up a wonderful set of trails that I hope to explore more. This is truly a special place for us here in Vermont.

As the Notch is probably the only location where you can really tour in Vermont right now (please snow more!!), we are heading out there again today. This time, we'll go up and over the Notch to the Jeffersonville side and come back, and we'll make more of a day of it with snacks and a thermos of something warm to drink. And, while I don't think we'll do this today, the ultimate Notch trip would be to head up the Long Trail and descend Smugg's, then skin back up and over to Spruce, and finish a long day by gliding back down that side of the mountain. We've been dreaming of this one - maybe this is the year!

Anyways, for those looking for some snow to glide on - and a chance to use those touring muscles again - the Notch is pretty good right now considering our winter here in VT. There's the typical uneven surfaces from the walkers and snowshoers, the snow is soft enough to carve through the choppiness. And there is always some powder to be had along the edges of the road - just don't mis-calculate and end up in the stream! Just watch out for thin cover in spots - I actually carved right down to pavement, shooting sparks everywhere! Actually, it was kind of cool...but not good for the ski, I'm sure. And what gives?! Why don't we have more snow yet?? Well, regardless, we're headed back out there shortly - we hope to see out there! Happy trails!

A Bluebird Day

T, Odin, and I headed off into the forest near our house to do some exploring, and stumbled across this gem. It was a long enough run to practice 5 or 6 turns, and we lapped it about 85 times. While I had the stomach flu! (I was tired...) You know, that's just how we do.

It was a gorgeous day, as evidenced here...

I also got to try T's ski, which is mounted with a three-pin hardwire binding. That is definitely the best binding for the Rossi BC 125. I have mine mounted with a three-pin cable, and I rarely use the cable because it feels like it makes no difference, anyways. But I am promptly switching to the three-pin hardwire.