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Cross-country skiing

Photo of skier in woods with sticks sticking up out of snow

Exploring the woods on skis & praying for more snow

Posted 1/9/21

Over the last month, the Skimeister and I have worked to counteract cabin fever by heading out into the woods. It's great to slide around and listen to the wind and the woodpeckers — even if there…

Photo of Jay Peak Resort from a distance showing the tram

Jay Peak and Burke Mountain ski resorts to close for the season due to coronavirus threat

Posted 3/13/20

Update on 3/14/20: Middlebury Snow Bowl will close for the season on Sunday afternoon, as will Rikert Nordic Center. They said Middlebury College is taking measures “in response to current health…

Photo of skier bashing through some powder

Lotsa snow in northern Vermont!

Posted 3/2/20

What a weekend in northern Vermont. Ski resorts got between 1 and 3 feet of snow over the past week and skiers and riders rejoiced! Photos courtesy: Bolton Valley Resort Jay Peak Resort Sugarbush…

Photo of cross-country skier and tall pine trees

On today's agenda: A ski tour at Camel's Hump Nordic in Huntington, Vermont

Posted 2/16/20

In the shadow of Vermont's third-highest peak (Camel's Hump) sits a low-key, nonprofit trail system called Camel's Hump Nordic Ski Area. We did a very nice ski loop there this morning. Camel's Hump…

Photo of the Skimeister making his way up the trail

A satisfying cross-country tour at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont

Posted 1/25/20

We're getting some weird weather again this weekend in northern Vermont. We decided to get some cross-country striding in before the mixed precipitation started.  The Skimeister and I clicked into…

Photo of red skis on a snowy trail

A quiet, mellow ski tour on the first day of winter

Posted 12/21/19

Welcome, winter! After a week of work it felt great to get out into the quiet woods! I took my waxless skis with three-pin bindings and did a mellow ski tour on the Bolton Valley Nordic trails. At…

Photo of a Nordic skier skiing away surrounded by frosty trees

Frosty trees and a thin crust layer at 1,800 feet

Posted 11/29/19

Today the Skimeister and I drove up to about 1,800 feet elevation here in northern Vermont to see what the snow was like. We brought our light ski touring gear, including older waxless* skis. We knew…

Photo of classic ski tracks and the tips of skis

Some nice cross-country skiing for November

Posted 11/17/19

I took advantage of another sunny day today. I took my skinny skis and went to Catamount Outdoor Center in Williston, Vt. We don't always get to cross-country ski in November at this low elevation, so…

Photo of skier making turns at Smugglers' Notch in sunshine with mountain view

When do ski resorts open in Vermont for 2019 - 2020 season?

Posted 11/12/19

Updated 12/14/19 Please check our direct links to Vermont ski area snow reports before you make plans to go! In November and December, check for midweek closures. Sometimes ski areas are just open…

Photo of red skis in fluffy, white snow

Sliding on snow in November in Vermont

Posted 11/10/19

On Saturday morning I headed up to about 1800 feet in elevation here in northern Vermont. I found five inches of fluffy snow. And no base. But that's OK because I had on my old waxless, three-pin…

Snowy rocks, trees and cliff at the top of the gondola on Mt. Mansfield

October snow gets us psyched for the coming ski season!

Posted 10/20/19

On Thursday, October 17, it rained a lot in Vermont. But when the clouds later lifted, they revealed bright white high peaks! The highest spots in the state had snow on them and it was lovely. On…

Classic ski tracks in the woods with beech and pine trees

Warm, sunny cross-country skiing this weekend; a bit of snow on the way

Posted 3/3/19

We stayed closed to home this weekend and hit our local cross-country skiing center. The snow is holding up pretty well at Catamount Outdoor Family Center in Williston, Vt. We skied on the woods side…

Cross-country skiing in Stowe, Vermont.

Primo cross-country skiing conditions today

Posted 2/17/19

Today I skied with a group at the Trapp Family Lodge Nordic center. The snow was amazing! Apparently when we got rain in the Champlain Valley this week, the higher elevations in northern Vermont got…

Frozen granular cross-country skiing after the rain, thaw and freeze

Posted 2/9/19

I went to ski at about 2,100 feet in the northern Green Mountains today. First, the good news: There's still a deep snowpack! Now, the bad news: The top layer is frozen solid. In fact, it shines in…

Sunday skiing in Stowe in a snow globe

Posted 1/27/19

I skied through the snowflakes today in Stowe! I enjoyed a loop on the cross-country ski trails at the Trapp Family Lodge.  The parking lot was almost full when I got there at midday. However, I…

Panoramic cross-country cruising at Catamount Outdoor Family Center

Posted 1/13/19

It was below zero this morning when we were making French toast. We lazily drank coffee and waited until things warmed up. With the sun shining brightly, we clicked into our skinny skis and hit the…

A tricky cross-country ski tour today

Posted 12/29/18

I'm going to reiterate the request that I shared at the end of our last blog post: Pray for snow, people! This week's rain did more damage to the snowpack. We took our metal-edged Nordic skis out for…

Keep calm, and ski on

Posted 12/23/18

After rain fell at the end of the week, you had to wonder how things were holding up in the mountains. I took advantage of a sunny Sunday to find out. On my drive to the mountain, the Winooski River…

A whole lotta snow falling in Vermont to close out November!

Posted 11/27/18

The 24-hour snow totals at most Vermont ski resorts are being reported in the teens. You know, like 13 inches or more! Some southern Vermont ski areas are reporting about 20 inches. There was so much…

A little April snow = nice cross-country skiing

Posted 4/7/18

The southern part of Vermont got several inches of new snow on Friday. Up in Stowe, it was more like two inches, but it was enough to make for some very nice groomed cross-country skiing today. The…

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