Category: Ski Vermont
October 19, 2012 at 8:49 am by Jim Shay
 Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont is one of the areas offering discounted tickets to Connecticut Ski Council members this winter. Photo courtesy Yukon Kornelius/Okemo Mountain Resort. The preliminary list of dates for ski areas offering discounted lift tickets is out.
And again, it’s absolutely the BEST DEAL going!
We’re talking about more than 50 percent off tickets at such prime Vermont areas as Stratton, Okemo, Sugarbush and Killington, many of them on weekends.
How cheap? How about $34 ticket for Mount Snow on Sunday, Dec. 16? Or 44 bucks at Okemo on Sunday, Jan. 6? Or $43 at Killington on Sunday, Feb. 10? A steal when you consider the walk-up-to the-window price can be in high $80s-range. Ouch!
And many of the discount days are arranged so you can plan an affordable ski trip around these dates. Ski one cheap area one or two days; move ontoa nearby resort for its discounted day.
All you have to do is have a Connecticut Ski Council membership card, be at the designated ski resort … on the designated day … at the designated ticket window … and get you cheap ticket. Yes, it’s that easy.
So easy, I’m always amazed at people griping about the high cost of lift tickets when they can, with some planning and flexibility, save hundreds of bucks this winter.
The list is brought to you by the good folks of the Connecticut Ski Council, a group of clubs through the Nutmeg State made up of people like you who have a good time on, and off the slopes.
All you have to do to reap the benefits of these cheap lift tickets is join a ski club. It’s not a huge investment; dues can be as low $30.
That will not only give you the coveted membership card (that you need to show at the ticket window), but options for day bus trips, ski vacations, business/equipment discounts and the chance to meet some great people who love sliding down a mountain as much as you do.
But you need to take some time to find the best club for you. THE site for learning all about that is the Connecticut Ski Council’s website that provides direct link to individual clubs.
Many clubs allow you to simply download a membership form, send in a check and bang, you’re in. No required meeting attendance or baking cookies. Involvement in a club is up to you.
So drum roll please, click on Awarenessdays below to see the list of discounted tickets. After reading it, there’s a good chance you’ll be signing up soon to be a ski club member.
Awarenessdays
October 18, 2012 at 11:41 am by Jim Shay
Riding Killington’s K1 gondola this winter will be a mooving experience.
Sorry for the pun, but I couldn’t resist it when I read the Vermont’s ski resort’s announcement today that it plans to power the K1 by using cow manure.
 Yes cow manure.
Here’s how Killington describes the process:
“Farms collect cow manure throughout the day, mixing it with wash water from the milking equipment which is then pumped into an anaerobic digester. The slurry flows through a digester for about three weeks at 100 degrees Fahrenheit allowing bacteria to convert the manure into biogas, about 60% methane gas and 40% carbon dioxide. The biogas is then delivered to a modified natural gas engine, which drives an electric generator to create electricity. Finally, the energy generated is fed onto the GMP electrical system which ultimately powers the K-1 Express Gondola.
 The K1 gondola at Killington in Vermont will be powered by gas created by cow manure. “The left over manure in the digester does not go to waste; it is separated into solid and liquid portions. The liquid portion is used as enhanced fertilizer and the solids, consisting of plant fibers including grass, corn stalk fibers, grain hulls, etc. can replace sawdust as bedding for the cows.”
The full release is here.
So don’t expect a barn full of cattle at The Beast this winter or the scent of manure at the K1 base area. What you’ll probably seen are signs reading “K1 Gondola: Powered by Cows.”
Yet maybe Killington will get a new knickname: The (Bovive) Beast.
Using green power is becoming more common at ski resorts.
In fact, the Snowbowl ski resort in Arizona plans to use recycled sewage wastewater to make snow.
Guess Killington’s and Snowbowl’s plans are all part of a bigger movement.
Post script:
Killington opened its season last Saturday with limited skiing and snowboarding in its upper mountain North Ridge area. But it was only available for season pass and Express Card holders. Not everyone was happy with the decision to announce the opening on late Friday afternoon. Killington explained the decision in its blog.
The Saturday opening made Killington – and tiny Woodbury ski area in Connecticut – as the first areas to open in the East.
March 22, 2012 at 9:16 am by Jim Shay
Who’s still skiing and snowboarding in New England? Mostly those with season passes, locals, college kids looking for some fun on spring break or strong-legged baby boomers who have second homes in Ski Country.
But for most of us the season is over. The end came earlier than normal when the snow stopped falling and temperatures soared into the 60s, then 70s and likely today, the 80s.
 The scene near the summit of Mount Snow in Vermont. No wonder they are planning to end its season on Sunday. I expect this weekend will be the last for many ski areas this season. By mid-April, all lifts should stop turning everywhere.
Mount Snow in southern Vermont has already decided to pack it in on Sunday. “As you can imagine, snow does not react well to temperatures in the 60′s and 70′s, and that’s exactly what Mother Nature threw our way this week,” Snow posted this morning.
Okemo in Vermont also announced today that its final day of the season will also be Sunday.
“As the warm weather is making the days enjoyable, it is also melting away the snow that our snowmakers worked so hard to make all season. While we gave a gallant fight, the warming sun has been too much – so get on up here and enjoy your last turns while you can,” Okemo posted on Facebook today.
While there is still some good skiing and snowboarding, usually in the early morning and on high-elevation trails, conditions … for most people … are difficult.
Like many areas, Okemo is encouraging people to bring the sunscreen and “work on your goggle tan.”
The southern Vermont area gets the prize for the best take on the day: ”The best part of spring is the music you can hear in the air, as the sun rises each morning, and the days get longer, the birds return and their songs fill the world with joy.”
But what about the snow conditions at the areas still open???
 Finishing a run down Superstar at Killington on Wednesday. Killington's average snowfall is 250 inches. This year it received only 130 inches. Read Stratton in Vermont’s “snow report” for today:
“Our terrain is challenging, bumpy and absurdly fun these days, and spring conditions mean that bare spots, puddles and other unmarked hazards exist on open terrain. There is fun to be had out there, so bring your rock skis or boards and be ready to hop, skip, and walk to get to that spectacular soft spring snow.”
“Conditions are rapidly changing each day and some walking is required to get to the hidden gems of soft snow.”
And Bolton Valley‘s report, also from Vermont:
“The good news: today has the potential to be the warmest day of the year thus far, which means T-shirts and sunglasses are skiing and riding essentials. The not-so-good news: that sun is quickly melting the snow pack, causing the rest of our days to be numbered. Solution: The beach will be there for the rest of the summer, so you might as well get your last turns of the season in, before you have to wait until next year.”
Vermont still has lots of trails open, but the number is dropping daily.
Even the mighty Beast of the East, Killington, sees its days are numbered. Today, it has a mere 14 trails open.
On its Facebook page this afternoon, Killington posted: “We lost more snow than we expected last night and have closed the K-1 Gondola and Snowdon Triple.”
It makes me sad to read this report:
“Walking is required to ski or ride Outer Limits and there is no beginner terrain available. Additionally spring conditions exist, they can change rapidly and create unpredictable surfaces, so please pay close attention when you’re out on the trails and check back often for updates.
“We will be spinning the Bear Mountain Quad and Superstar Express Quad. Please note the unseasonably warm temperatures this week have caused our snow pack to melt faster than we hoped and although we’re skiing and riding down two peaks, they are both isolated. So, if you’re interested in skiing or riding on the isle of Bear Mountain and you want to return to K-1, simply hop on a shuttle – they’ll be going back and forth from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.”
In New Hampshire about 10 areas remain open with about a quarter of their trails open.
Personally, I think spring skiing is overrated. I’ll take a cold day with some powder or packed powder over a warm and slushy one with spring crud. I’d rather be cruising than getting grabbed by some slushy puddle.
Add the unadvertised fact: Many ski areas do not groom many trails so they can preserve the snow for the larger weekend crowds. Groomed trails lose their snow quicker.
Today if you want to go skiing and snowboarding in the East, you have to make a long drive. And with the high cost of gas, you have to ask yourself: Is it worth it?
February 29, 2012 at 8:59 am by Jim Shay
Now that New England areas have finally picked up some deep, natural snow, what on earth are you waiting for?
March is shaping up to be the best month of the entire ski season. And it looks to get much better with more snow expected in interior New England.
The National Weather Service has posted a winter storm warning for Vermont and New Hampshire. It looks like Vermont areas like Killington, Okemo, Mount Snow and Stratton could pick up to a foot of snow.
This is wonderful news, especially after northern Vermont areas picked up more than four feet of snow in the last week. Stowe got up to 51 inches and Jay Peak, 52 inches.
Areas like Bolton, Mad River and Sugarbush got about 30 inches.
Even areas farther south like Killington got 17 inches in the last week. Incredible. Wonderful. About time.
Still giddy Jay Peak reports this morning: “The snow gods have been showering us with gifts, and today they pause to gather their strength. The conditions are still powder/packed powder across every trail on the mountain and tonight we’re only getting more. The forecast calls for 4-7″, at least.”
On Tuesday, a Snow Zone reader sent these photos from Jay. Thanks!
The White Mountains of New Hampshire are also sitting pretty with more than foot at some areas … with more on the way.
Snow conditions up north are excellent. Check them out.
We’ve got another solid month of excellent conditions. Even southern New England areas like the four in Connecticut and several in Massachusetts still have several weeks left… hopefully.
So if you haven’t done much skiing and snowboarding this season, this is absolutely the best time to go. Bases are at their deepest depths, all the holidays are over and crowds will be thinning. And, that means ski areas will start discounting tickets and offer some good deals on lodging packages.
They are doing this because it hasn’t been a great year for most. As the season heads to the home stretch, ski areas will be looking to get more people on their trails to improve the bottom line.
And that, my friends, can help you save lots of money.
The deals are already here ready for the taking.
CONNECTICUT
Ski Sundown in New Hartford has $30 lift tickets, every Thursday, till the end of the season.
Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall has a 4-hour ticket for just $20 Mondays through Friday.
Mount Southington has a $20 discount coupon good for skiing/riding this Saturday. That would bring an adult ticket down to $33 and a junior/senior one to $23. Get the coupon here.
MASSACHUSETTS
Skiing midweek at both Butternut in Great Barrington and Catamount remains one of the best deals going. Butternut charges $25 midweek; starting March 19, tickets will be $25 every day until the end of the season.
But Catamount has an even better deal if you buy midweek tickets online. The cost? Twenty dollars. You can buy them here.
Jiminy Peak has an e-coupon that lets you buy a $40 eight-hour lift ticket on Sunday, March 11. Get the coupon here.
VERMONT
Ski Vermont has a page of the latest deals. Many are popping up daily on individual ski resort websites. Here’s a few of them:
Four Killington lift tickets for $199. Ski/ride for $50 or less with the 4 Play Pass. Can be used any day till the end of the season. Details: Only one ticket per day can be used, pass is non-transferable and direct-to-lift, pass is valid for all ages. Once you’ve used four days, you can reload your card with more $49 lift tickets either on Killington’s E-Store or at any open ticket window. This is a great deal if you plan to ski/ride The Beast at least four times this season. The regular price for an adult lift ticket is $79 midweek, $86 on weekend days.
Start St. Patrick’s Day weekend early with $17 lift tickets on Friday, March 16 at Mount Snow, Vermont. Huge savings; the regular price is 75 bucks.
On Fridays at Bromley in southern Vermont, up to three kids can get a $15 lift ticket when an adult buys a $49 lift ticket.
Why walk up to the ticket window at Okemo on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and pay $79 when you can buy one online for only $49? A no brainer, but you have to buy them 48 hours in advance. Details here.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Granite State ski areas have some of the best deals in New England, including several 2-for-1 lift ticket packages. The folks at Ski New Hampshire get a big thumbs up for having one of the best deals page.
Check them out here.
And let’s not forget New York, there’s $25 lift tickets at Belleayre and a $58 Ladies Day package at Hunter Mountain. Still more details can be found at skiandrideny.
So again, what are earth are you waiting for?
February 22, 2012 at 8:35 am by Jim Shay
Here’s a lift ticket deal worth taking a day off next week.
To celebrate Leap Day – Feb. 29 – NEXT WEDNESDAY … Mount Snow in southern Vermont will be selling lift tickets for $29.
That’s a great deal when you consider the regular price of a weekday ticket is $75 for adults and $58 for youth (18 and under) seniors (65 and up).
TO GET BUY THIS DISCOUNTED PASS, YOU MUST BUY THEM ONLINE, IN ADVANCE.
Monday is is the last day you can buy the $29 ticket.
The ticket is only good for next Wednesday.
Here are the full details.
An even sweeter deal happens on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 when lift tickets are only $17. Better yet, it’s on a Saturday!
This season, Snow is also offering the Vernal Eternal Spring Pass that offers unlimited skiing and riding, every day starting Sunday through the end of the ski season. The cost is $299.
The pass is available for purchase online starting Saturday.
This is your classic case of doing the math; figuring out how many times you expect to ski/ride at Snow before the season ends.
Last year, after an a very snowy winter, Mount Snow closed on April 17.
February 16, 2012 at 8:19 am by Jim Shay
This morning, WTNH New Channel 8 Meteorologist Gil Simmons was talking about the possibility of a major winter storm that COULD affect the Northeast Sunday. At this stage, Gil said it’s a “tough call” to forecast whether the storm would actually develop or whether most of the precipition would be offshore.
NBC Connecticut’s weather team is calling for just a “few snow showers.”
And the good old National Weather Service? A slight chance of snow Saturday night…chance of rain/show Sunday … and a chance of snow Sunday night.
My favorite snowstorm discussion (long, but very detailed) is on Mad River Glen’s Single Chair Weather Blog.
Yeah, I know it’s way too early to get excited, but with this winter you can only hope. No pray.
That’s because this storm – and any future ones – are extremely important to how long the ski season will last in the East. While snow bases remain deep at ski resorts (mainly thanks to snowmaking) it will not last with warm temperatures, foggy and rainy weather.
 This was the scene Tuesday at Ski Sundown in New Hartford, Conn. The parking lot remains brown, but Sundown has 100 percent of its trails open. And after Presidents Week, many resorts will ratchet down their snowmaking operation to reduce costs. Most northern areas are counting on a historically snowy March to keep the lifts turning.
Yes there’s still plenty of machine-made snow (and some natural snow) on most trails for the holiday crowds next week, but a big dump would make things of so sweet! Down here in the flatland of New England it’s hard to believe that there’s plenty of good skiing and riding conditions, even in Connecticut. One of the biggest problems ski areas have face is the lack of snow in people’s backyards; the old seeing is believing reality.
If we do get blessed by this Big Snow its timing will be perfect. Next week is Presidents Week when many kids and their families will go skiing and snowboarding. It’s also the last big money-making week of the ski season for resorts that have been hurting this year.
After next week, expect to see plenty of great deals pop up as we march in spring.
The first comes from Catamount in Massachusetts that is offering an online only midweek ticket for $20. That’s $9 less than what you would pay at the ticket window. The offer, however, is not valid next week (Feb. 20-24).
In Connecticut Ski Sundown (still 100 percent open) has $30 Thursdays. It’s an eight-hour ticket that starts once you buy it. Every Thursday for the rest of the 2012 winter ski season INCLUDING NEXT THURSDAY.
In Vermont, many areas including Killington and Okemo in Vermont are offering discounted ski packages next week. The best way to find them is by trolling their web sites.
This is one Presidents Week where waiting to book at the last minute will result in big savings.
And hopefully, we’ll all be playing on some fresh snow!
January 19, 2012 at 9:29 am by Jim Shay
Looking for a new pair of skis to Get Yer Ya Yas Out?
Then check out these classic rock skis….
Rolling Stones K2 Side Show Skis.
The cost? $875 … probably the price of a VIP ticket for a likely Stones tour later this year. And that cost does not include bindings.
Here are the skis stats:
Performance: 50% Powder / 50% Variable
Sizes: 174, 181
Radius: 20m @ 181cm length
Construction: Metal TNC, Hybritech Sidewall, Aspen/Paulownia
Binding Options: Flat
Features: Limited Edition Rolling Stones graphics, All-Terrain Rocker, Powder Tip, Progressive Sidecut, Carbon Web, Tip and Tail Holes.
Leave it to the Stones to endorse this product. After all their web site sells all kinds of Stones merchandise from T-shirts, posters, recordings, boxer shorts, shot glasses and clothing, most featuring the Stones tongue logo.
If you’re going to have these new kind of ”rock skis” you’d have to have a suitable playlist when you’re cruising down the mountain on these “all terrain rockers.”
Here’s my set list:
“Rocks Off”
“All Down the (fall) Line”
“Get Off of My Cloud” … when it’s foggy.
“Have You See Your Mother Standing in the Shadow?” … when there’s flat light
“You Got Me Rocking”
“Start Me Up” … for that first run
“She Was Hot” … enough said
“Connection” … switching trails
“Flip the Switch” … getting ready to rip it up
“High Wire” … cruising on the high terrain
“Let it Loose” … mid-day romp
If I had a lot of money, I’d probably buy them. But would probably use them only a few times.
I’m sure many years from now these skis will become a collector’s item because they are so unusual and so indulgent for Stones fans. Maybe save them for the Stone’s 75th anniversary in 2037 … the year Mick Jagger turns 94.
January 14, 2012 at 10:24 am by Jim Shay
 Mount Snow GM Kelly Pawlak writes on her blog: "Thank you for all the snowdances, prayers and for all that had faith in winter. She has arrived and graced us with over 17” of snow." Finally. We’re skiing and snowboarding on “pow pow” today!!!
And just when we were starting to think winter wasn’t going to return to New England.
This weekend is probably the best one, condition wise, this season. But as we all know with skiing in New England, there’s always something. This time it’s bitter cold temperatures.
The National Weather Service says wind chills in northwest and southern Vermont could hit minus 19 degrees. Actually, that sounds worse than it really is. Just take precautions and no exposed skin. On Sunday in Ski Country, it will be sunny and cold with temps in the upper single numbers. MLK Day on Monday looks sweet with partly sunny skies and temps in the 20s.
Just look at these snowfall totals from the past two days.
In Vermont: Jay, the winner with 23 inches … Stowe 18 inches … Mount Snow 17 inches … Sugarbush 16 inches … Killington 14 inches. Stratton … 11 inches.
In New Hampshire … Wildcat 13 inches … Waterville and Loon 10 inches … Mount Sunapee and Gunstock 8 inches.
Maine didn’t get slammed as much as Vermont; Saddleback got 9 inches, Sunday River got 6 inches and Shawnee Peak around 10 inches.
Massachusetts did nicely with 14 inches at Berkshire East … 7 at Jiminy Peak … Catamount and Butternut with 4 inches.
New York areas got a few inches, but not the Big Dump. Whiteface, Windham and Hunter picked up around 6 inches.
And Connecticut? Zilch.
That’s why ski areas in the Banana Belt of New England have snowmaking.
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Bookmarks
- Ascutney, Vt.
- Bolton Valley, Vt.
- Jay Peak, Vt.
- Killington, Vt.
- Mad River Glen, Vt.
- Mount Snow, Vt.
- New Hampshire road conditions/weather
- Okemo, Vt.
- Ride Vermont
- Ski New Hampshire
- Ski Vermont
- Ski/snow conditions
- Snow conditions
- Stowe, Vt.
- Stratton, Vt.
- Sugarbush, Vt.
- Vermont road conditions/weather
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