Stowe / Bolton Valley Winter 21-22

[echo_VT]

Since we have a MRG / Sugarbush thread, figure we need one for Stowe and Bolton Valley!

I have gone opening weekend, attended training, and went again today.

last weekend: Snow is great, especially upper and lower Mansfield
this weekend: Meadows is open on Spruce side, and snow is great, people are going in the trees off toll road, and the snow on toll road is amazing. however it's bumped up and icy just about everywhere else. any of the trails thru the trees are fairly decent as it snowed in there quite nicely and stayed there.

that said the upper lord narrow trail off main lord trail is hard and moguly. very big moguls the size of children.

Not a ton open.

 

[ilovepugs]

Just chatted with a friend who went to Bolton Valley today. Only the mid-mountain lift is open today but hoping for more terrain soon. I’m eager to start skinning the Wilderness side and get my cardio going!

 

[echo_VT]

Went up to the resort today since we had snow overnight.

Skied from 8:30-9:30 am. A Madhouse, mad dash. Lift lines were empty for the first run, not so much for the second. By the third it was getting crowded and we decided to leave.

Some nice turns but there’s a lot skied off / ice sheets … t-line was not fun. There was some crusty stuff as it rained during the week. Last weekend upper Mansfield was a LOT better. This past weekend a lot of breakable crust, frozen granular.

I enjoyed toll road and the woods off toll road. Basically, stay away from the big runs and take the long scenic route even if slow, the snow is so much better. And, I definitely don’t want to be clipped this early in the season!

other than that, went for a ski tour today off ranch brook / Adams camp area. Beautiful day in the woods.

we are about to be rained on and the weather is going to 50F tomorrow. Prepare for sad tears!!

 

[echo_VT]

@ilovepugs let’s do some ski touring! Let me know if this coming weekend you can do anything. I won’t be able to go the weekend after sadly

 

[echo_VT]

It’s snowed rained snowed again and we just got freezing rain on Christmas Day. Luckily it snowed 1 in overnight. But it was icy with black ice all over the roads. It was okay today but ice underneath in weird places when you least expect it. Not as bad as I expected it to be, considering the ice on top of the car…!

did some touring on Christmas Day which was nice! The rain didn’t really get us while going up in the trees

 

[SallyCat]

Lol, went for a snowshoe on the mountain Sunday because it was just so ICY everywhere. It was a beautiful walk and a good workout having to stomp through the hard crust. The hardest part was jamming my poles through the crust on steep pitches; they tended to just slide along the icy top layer unless you forced them down with some muscle. Putting my stuff away in the car a young guy pulled up and asked me how it was. CRUNCHY! I said.

Then he parked and pulled out a pair of really nice skis with expensive touring bindings and started to get ready.

I drove away wondering what kind of experience he was going to have and whether there was some state agency you could call to report ski-abuse.

 

[ilovepugs]

Just skinned up Wilderness at Bolton! The snow was surprisingly rideable but there were a ton of water bars that were challenging for me. I fell on my face a few times… in front of a different all-woman crew of snowboard instructors than @echo_NY rides with! I think I want to take another snowboarding lesson sometime, might be the right time!

 

[ilovepugs]

@jthree @echo_NY - any interest in doing Friday night lights at Cochran’s this Friday? I just got back from a splitboard run there this morning and it’s looking nice. (I guess this post fits in this thread bc it’s pretty close to Bolton…)

 

[jthree]

@ilovepugs yes I would love to meet up! Was actually already thinking about going with my daughter. We were going to have a first ski this Sunday but she wound up getting together with a friend instead.

what time are you planning to go?

 

[ilovepugs]

@ilovepugs yes I would love to meet up! Was actually already thinking about going with my daughter. We were going to have a first ski this Sunday but she wound up getting together with a friend instead.

what time are you planning to go?

5-530ish? I’m pretty flexible!

 

[jthree]

5-530ish? I’m pretty flexible!

That sounds good! So my daughter is likely coming too, although she’s 14 so there’s always the chance she will end up hanging with friends and not her mom…

I have only been to Cochran’s once and it was pre COVID. I know they are selling tickets online now. Is there a window to pick up a paper ticket?

Where do you suggest we meet up?

 

[ilovepugs]

It’s a tiny base area. We can meet in front of the ticket windows/lodge! I’ll DM you my contact details. Honestly though, I don’t know if they issue physical tickets at this point? We can ask when we meet up.

 

[echo_VT]

I totally missed this, I've been on a trip in British Columbia, but I'm back now

 

[jthree]

I totally missed this, I've been on a trip in British Columbia, but I'm back now

Welcome back!
I’m thinking of going this Friday, although the current weather forecast has another cold front coming in midday. So, depends on the weather! Hoping to do a few more Fridays though.

 

[ilovepugs]

Welcome back!
I’m thinking of going this Friday, although the current weather forecast has another cold front coming in midday. So, depends on the weather! Hoping to do a few more Fridays though.

I won’t be able to go this Friday but chances are high I’ll go next Friday! I’m considered night skiing at Bolton tomorrow though.

 

[ilovepugs]

I totally missed this, I've been on a trip in British Columbia, but I'm back now

Are you going to do a trip report???

 

[knolan12]

I'll be at Bolton Valley next Monday and Tuesday (2/7 & 2/8) if anyone is around for a few runs! We rented a condo for a couple of nights onsite and I'll be splitting childcare duties with my husband so I'll be on and off the mountain. I'm not the most adventurous skier and generally stick to greens and easier blues, but I have a lesson Monday at 12 so hopefully will feel more adventurous after haha

 

[echo_VT]

Hey Divas, I didn’t see any posts! So sorry for the lack of response.

I should do a trip report but it’s not a resort, it’s a touring destination.

I have been busy skiing. I have been skiing a lot at Stowe and at Bolton on weekday evenings.

What can I say. The temps were ridiculously low the last two weeks of Jan.

we have had 4 snow dumps this season: Nov 26 (black Friday), Dec 18 Saturday, Jan 17 Monday MLK, and Feb 3 Thursday to Feb 4 Friday. It’s been slim pickings.

We have hit above 40F for much of early season December, and this past week. On Saturday morning during my lesson I wore a spring jacket. It was extremely warm and the snow was slow and sticky. On Sunday, it froze again and the snow was pretty bulletproof.

Bolton Valley evenings have been good. I have been enjoying it.

I went out to Stowe this morning and we got a new layer of fresh snow. It was great.

 

[echo_VT]

@knolan12 @ilovepugs @jthree and @SallyCat

any plans this week to next?

on Thursday and Friday I’ll look to ski in the early mornings. Friday I’ll also do an evening session.

 

[SallyCat]

I'm staying close to home through the Presidents' holiday period. Will probably just goof around at Whaleback.