I'm happy to report that there is some fresh snow up in the mountains of northern Vermont!
The Skimeister and I headed to Bolton Valley's cross-country trails to do some classic nordic skiing today. The conditions on the groomed trails were pretty good and the fresh snow on the side of the trails measured to about five inches or so. Nice, fluffy white stuff. Of course, we would like much more to really cover up the ice-covered base that's under there, but this is a start!
On our skinny skis, we stuck to the groomed and tracked trails. Departing on Broadway, we then cruised out on the Maple Loop and found some exhilarating downhills. While Broadway is wide, well traveled and perfectly groomed, Maple Loop is narrow and twisting and has quite a few divots that leave a rippled surface in several places. When faced with these snow waves during downhills, I thrust my hands forward for balance and prayed!
All I can say is that I'm glad I have a very solid snowplow/wedge! Comes from years of teaching beginner alpine skiers.
Despite full parking lots today, we didn't come across many nordic skiers. After enjoying some downhills, we connected with Broadway again and started the climb back up to the nordic center. At Bolton, alas, you are either going steadily down or steadily up. But Broadway is a comfortable place to work on technique as you work your way up and up, and it's a great workout.
The temperature felt like it was dropping and it put me in the mood for a warm drink. We decided to check out the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) café in Waterbury, Vt.—one town over. I had heard that they renovated the old Waterbury train station but had yet to visit.
People who know me know that I like coffee and tea. So I was more than tempted by the list of hot drinks on the board in the café. I went for the Chai Latte while the Skimeister selected the Maple Supreme. After a sip of his, I knew that he had made the best choice. My Chai was good, but the Maple Supreme with its coffee, maple syrup and hot milk was scrumptious. And they didn't doctor it with too much maple. Yum!
GMCR did a nice job with the renovation. The barista said they had been there about a year and a half. The café has just about nine seats to relax in and read a paper over some coffee. GMCR coffees, K Cups and mugs are available for sale. In the room nearby they've created a small coffee roasting exhibit. And yet one more room over there's a history exhibit about Waterbury, including information on the infamous flood of 1927. And yes, the Amtrak train still stops at the station every day.
Since Waterbury is a crossroads for Route 100 and Interstate 89, skiers often drive through this town heading to Stowe, Sugarbush, Bolton Valley and the variety of nordic centers nearby. If you need a cup of joe for the road, GMCR's
cafe should do the trick. You can actually smell GMCR's coffee roasting (and beckoning you) when you are on the interstate near the Stowe-Waterbury exit!
All in all we had a good maple-themed day; a nice ski on Maple Loop at Bolton and a delectable Maple Supreme. Sweet.
