Skyline, Reservoir, Molly's Spring Loop via Long Pond Parking (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Skyline, Reservoir, Molly's Spring Loop via Long Pond Parking (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Hike Type: -Oo- Loop

Distance: 2.24 miles

Elevation: 220 feet

Time: 45 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

It's concert day! Whenever I have a day where I need to be at school at night, I try to get at least a little bit of time in in the Fells to get out of the building and get outside. It was 26 degrees out with a nice little snowpack (I probably should have brought spikes with me) and I didn't have much of a plan at all! I started on Molly's Spring Road and turned onto the Skyline Trail, mostly because I needed to pee! The Skyline Trail was less packed down, but still fine for bare boots. I accidentally got off of the Skyline Trail at one point and landed on the possible closed to public use West Dam Road, but it was pretty! I jumped onto the Reservoir Trail/Mountain Bike Loop for a bit and continued to hike out, and then I found out a plumber came to my apartment and made an absolute mess AND the pianist for my chours got sick... The stress had arrived! I turned around and made my return trip on the Reservoir Trail to Molly's Spring so I could get back to school and start solving problems. Thankfully, I heard an owl hoo-ing to cheer me on, which did lift my spirits!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Long Pond Parking Area.

- Start hike on Molly's Spring Road.

- At B4-4, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At B4-13, accidentally turn left and follow mapped, and then unmapped path to West Dam Road.

- At West Dam Road, turn right.

- Realize you are on West Dam Road, and then merge right onto Reservoir Trail.

- At Gate 12, turn around.

- At B5-4, continue on Mountain Bike Trail.

- At next jct., continue straight onto Reservoir Trail.

- At B4-6, turn left onto Molly's Spring Road.

- Return to car.

Middlesex Fells Reservation Map

Photo Album

Skiing Dartmouth Skiway (Day 12/Indy Day 10)

Skiing Dartmouth Skiway

Sunday, January 19th, 2026

Runs: 10

Distance: 8.82 miles

Elevation: 9.780 feet

Max Speed: 29.9 mph

Avg. Speed: 13.0 mph

Moving Time: 41 minutes, 30 seconds

Total Time: 2 hours, 29 minutes, 35 seconds

Final day of the long weekend! I woke up at the Gale River Motel to a surprise coating of snow on my car (and on the roads), which led to a longer-than-anticipated drive, but taking it slow gave me no problems. I was blessed with some princess parking right at the base of the Winslow Quad and got there about 15 minutes before lifts started spinning. The ticket line didn't move the fastest, but that was the longest line I waited in all day! I got my (free) RFID card, booted up at the car, and then got to work hitting the trails on the Winslow side!

Conditions

1/19 A small coating of snow overnight will keep things skiing great on the holiday. All lifts are spinning, ski you out there!

Runs 1-4

Run 1: Winslow Quad - Upper Howard Shives - Pass Fail

[0.80 mi; 2:37; 912 feet; 27.1 mph max; 18.4 mph avg]

Run 2: Winslow Quad - Upper Howard Shives - Post Doc - Pass Fail

[0.76 mi; 3:36; 935 feet; 21.2 mph max; 12.7 mph avg]

Run 3: Winslow Quad - M.D.

[0.97 mi; 5:14; 945 feet; 26.1 mph max; 11.1 mph avg]

Run 4: Winslow Quad - Upper Thomas - Upper Howard Chives - Pass Fail

[0.83 mi; 3:31; 935 feet; 29.9 mph max; 14.2 mph avg]

The Winslow side made me giggle becuase everything was academia themed, which made sense since the skiway is run and owned by Dartmouth College! I had the delight of never needing to share the chair, even though it was a quad! My first run was the easiest way down - Upper Howard Shives (the upper lift line) and then Pass Fail, which was a delightful run with fresh corduroy. I turned onto Post Doc during Run #2, which was a natural run with styrofoamy bumps that were relatively unpleasant BUT good practice for me! M.D. was in a similar state, but much longer with some waterbars to navigate/dodge - I actually had fun with that one! I'm glad I'm in my natural terrain era. I wrapped up my runs on the Winslow side with Upper Thomas, a wonderuflly soft and short natural run that led into Upper Howard Shives and Pass Fail. There were a solid amount of families and students learning how to ski on this side, which made for some wholesome entertainment from the lift, and I was looking foward to scooting across the road to the Holt side.

Runs 5-7

Run 5: Holt Double - Big Green

[1.17 mi; 5:23; 1,014 feet; 20.0 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

Run 6: Holt Double - John Meck - The Face

[0.79 mi; 4:04; 1,004 feet; 18.0 mph max; 11.7 mph avg]

Run 7: Holt Double - John Meck - Juicer - Lyme Drop - The Face

[0.80 mi; 4:58; 994 feet; 23.0 mph max; 9.6 mph avg]

The Holt Double looked delightfully empty minus a the occasional batch of ski racers. I decided to similarly just work my around the map. My first run was Big Green, which was the long green run from the top. To my surprise, it was ungroomed and decently challenging for a beginner in terms of technicality. Lots of rollers, occasional water bars, and the last bit was sheer ice and narrow. It was a super fun trail, though!

Run #6 was down John Meck, which had some nice easy bumps and then down The Face, which was the steep headwall that led back to the chair. It was definitely more daunting from the bottom than when I was skiing down. Run #7 brought me briefly back down John Meck to Juicer, which was a short narrow connector run to Lyme Drop, which was bumpier than the others and had some whales at the end. I skied down The Face again, and then I was on my way back up!

Runs 8-10

Run 8: Holt Double - Upper Lift Line - Kelton's Gauntlet

[0.72 mi; 3:41; 1,001 feet; 17.7 mph max; 11.7 mph avg]

Run 9: Holt Double - Upper Kelton's Gauntlet - John Meck - The Face

[0.81 mi; 3:30; 1,001 feet; 26.3 mph max; 13.9 mph avg]

Run 10: Holt Double - Big Green

[1.16 mi; 4:56; 1,040 feet; 23.6 mph max; 14.1 mph avg]

The view behind from the chair was lovely. Smarts Mountain towered in the near distance with the lower slopes of Mt. Moosilauke in the distance. Run #8 brought me down the Upper Lift Line, which was in mostly wonderful shape (with just a few ice patches) and then I hit Kelton's Gauntlet, which was flagged as "experts only" - I found out why! It was comically icy with death cookies the size of cantaloupes followed by a steep headwall that was similarly frozen over. It was kind of miserable! Thankfully, my next run down Upper Kelton's Gauntlet, which was the only nicely groomed trail on this side (sans the race runs, but they were closed for racing) back to John Meck and the Face. It was nice to get a little speed!

I wrapped up my day with my 10th run and had another joyful run down Big Green all the way back to the road, and then I started my journey back to Boston! What a fun, little ski area!

Map of Dartmouth Skiway

Skiing Burke Mountain (Day 11/Indy Pass Day 9)

Skiing Burke Mountain

Sunday, January 11th, 2026

Runs: 13

Distance: 16.25 miles

Elevation: 16,247 feet

Max Speed: 35.5 mph

Avg. Speed: 11.8 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes, 12 seconds

Total Time: 6 hours, 27 minutes, 10 seconds (lunch break)

After a busy, but super fun day at Jay, I was up at 5:45am to get up and out and drive over to Burke for the first time! I had hoped Emma would be joining us, but she opted to sleep in and stay home instead. I got my Indy redemption, which took no time at 8:00am, and got ready with Sarah and Mom in the lodge upstairs before stashing our bags downstairs. It was truly a delightfully quiet morning! Once chores were done, we were outside just after 8:45am to get our first run on the Sherburne Express!

Mountain Conditions

Sunday, January 18.

Rise and shine! Or don't... Either way, the snow showed up and it's shaping up to be a great day. Snowfall continued until the lifts stopped spinning yesterday, and we picked up 5 inches in the last 24 hours. Today, look for more snow showers in the morning with a high of 29. A solid Sunday all around.

When the skiing wraps up, settle in for classic apres with Kyle Fickeisen playing live in The Bear Den from 2:30-5:30pm.

Sherburne Express, J-Bar, Magic Carpet will start spinning at 8:45am followed by the Mid Burke Express at 9am. Last chair for all lifts is 4pm.

PACKED POWDER.

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Sherburne Express - Bunker Hill

[0.80 mi; 3:03; 604 feet; 29.4 mph max; 15.7 mph avg]

Run 2: Sherburne Express - Midway

[0.38 mi; 2:34; 164 feet; 19.2 mph max; 8.9 mph avg]

Since we got on the Sherburne right when it opened, we didn't want to be waiting for the Mid-Burke to open, so we got a nice easy green lap in to start our day down Bunker Hill, which was a DREAM. Fresh corduroy the whole way down and nobody else around us. There was a little steep section near the end of it, which was surprising for a green, but super fun to ski! As we each got back to the lift we, like clockwork, all went "that was WONDERFUL!" Our second run was up the Sherburne again and down Midway to the Mid-Burke Express. We didn't know we needed to get speed on this run, so we had some skating to do. There was a small crowd at the lift, but nothing too bad!

Runs 3-6

Run 3: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Willoughby - Lower Willoughby

[1.12 mi; 4:31; 1,637 feet; 30.3 mph max; 14.9 mph avg]

Run 4: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Bear Den - Ledges - Lower Bear Den

[1.18 mi; 7:23; 1,683 feet; 30.9 mph max; 9.6 mph avg]

Run 5: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Fox's Folly - Deer Run - Big Dipper

[1.36 mi; 6:12; 1,677 feet; 35.5 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

Run 6: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Dipper - Wilderness - Powderhorn - Cavemen - East Bowl - Dipper Doodle - High Meadow Pass

[2.19 mi; 15:11; 2,096 feet; 26.3 mph max; 8.6 mph avg]

Our first run off the Mid-Burke was delayed becuase we couldn't stop talking about how beautiful it was up top! Snow-covered trees in a wide area for everyone to get their bearings (it was extra fun for me because I knew this unload area was the top of the auto road that I had drive up years ago). We decided to work our way across the map, starting with Upper and Lower Willoughby. They were both a little busy, as it seemed many others also started with this run, but it was fun! Surprisingly steep (which would become a theme for the day). The snow felt GOOD, too!

We got adventerous for Run #4 - first following Upper Bear Den from rfthe top, which was ungroomed and very fun with soft snow, and then down the first black run of the day, Ledges, which was also ungroomed and bumpy. There was, to no surprise, a steep series of ledges that were bumped up and a little icy, but nothing too wildly out of my comfort zone. Sarah and Mom did a great job being my cheerleaders! We followed Lower Bear Den, which was groomed, back to the lift.

The lift line was now getting LONG, so we started hitting the singles line, which was definitetly the faster move for the day. We followed Upper Fox's Folly (the old lift line) to Deer Run (the auto road), eventually landing on Big Dipper, which was a wildly wide run with a series of steep sections split up by flat ones - similar to upper Ullr's Dream up at Jay. It was FAST and FUN! We were all really loving this mountain!

We did a quick stop at the Mid-Mountain Lodge for water and a potty break before heading back up for Run #6. We were feeling good and warmed up and were on the hunt for some trees. We followed Upper Dipper to Wilderness, which was a mix of soft bumps and icy troughs, to Powderhorn and then into the Caveman woods, which were just beautiful! A little icy, not too soft, but simply beautiful. Sarah and Mom both continued to be excellent cheerleaders. We hit a hiccup at the end of the glade, though. Sarah exited the run and turned right, crashing into another skier (a man in his 50s-60s not wearing a helmet). Neither of them were hurt, but she was super frazzled about it. The man was super kind and they both kept checking in on each other and Sarah apologized a bunch of times - I think they handled it really well and accidents happen! He was in a blind spot and had some speed because of the East Bowl runout - we didn't know! Once everyone was back on their feet we essentially cross-country skied out of the East Bowl runout, which was a doozy! Sarah's Mom was more frazzled than Sarah, so she gently nudged us to head back to the Sherburne Lodge for a break and some lunch! Our run ended with Dipper Doodle (incredible name) to High Meadow Pass, which passed many condos and homes that looked beautiful (most featuring hot tubs!). 

Runs 7-10

Run 7: Sherburne Express - Midway

[0.36 mi; 2:22; 167 feet; 19.9 mph max; 9.1 mph avg]

Run 8: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Dipper - Carriage Road - Deer Run - Big Dipper - Deer Run - Mountain Marsh - Little Dipper

[1.33 mi; 7:23; 1,670 feet; 28.8 mpph max; 10.8 mph avg]

Run 9: Mid-Burke Express - East Bowl - Deer Run - Big Dipper

[1.93 mi; 16:49; 1,655 feet; 29.8 mph max; 6.9 mph avg]

Run 10: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Dipper - Deer Run - Flaming Eddie's - Deer Run - Little Dipper

[1.29 mi; 7:42; 1,654 feet; 29.6 mph max; 10.0 mph avg]

After a nice lunch we hopped back on the Sherburne Express and were shocked at how extreme the lift line had become! We all took a deep breath, reminded ourselves that it was a holiday weekend, and got back in teh singles line. Run #8 was more or less just a wiggle down the mountain. Carriage Road was a little scrapey, but super pretty. Deer Run was lovely. Big Dipper was fast and fun, and a little scrapey now. Deer Run pt. 2 was also lovely, and passed an intermediate glade called "Flaming Eddie's" that we pinned for later. We cut through the woods and popped out on Mountain Marsh - an ungroomed blue run that was, to no surprise, a little scrapey, but still fun! We ended on the groomed Little Dipper, which had some of the best groomed snow we'd skied all day! We did another quick bathroom break at the Mid-Mountain Lodge before getting back in line.

Run #9 was our adventure run - we went to tackle the East Bowl, which started with a little hike/skate through the woods (it reminded me of getting to Tight Line at Saddleback) before a long series of drops and flats, all bumpy and super fun! Some were icier than others, some were trickier than others. Sarah and Mom continued to be the best cheerleaders and coaches, and we all had a really great time! With fresh fresh snow, this would be an insanely fun run - even still, I think it was my favorite run of the day just for the variety of terrain, the challenge, and the sense of accomplishment. It was also SO quiet, which was in contrast to the busy rest of the mountain. I had to take off my balaclava, mittens, and shell by the runout because I was SWEATY.

Run #10 was much more calm. We decided to connect the dots with the dippers by hitting all of Upper Dipper before checking out the Flaming Eddie's glades. Sarah and Mom went in first and a bunch of ~13 year old kids came right up to the entrance after them. I told them that I was going to be super slow and they said "oh we're not going in, but we are going to watch you now!" I jokingly said "we'll you're allowed to boo if you need to!" and they said "No way! We're going to cheer you on!" - and they did. I made one turn and they all started hooting and hollering - it was genuinely one of most wonderful moment and maybe the kids are going to be alright?!

Anyway, the glade was pretty skied out at this point, and exiting the glade was tough - either a jump off a rock or a narrow, scrapey chute - fun!

Runs 11-13

Run 11: Mid-Burke Express - Deer Run - Big Dipper - High Meadow Pass

[2.84 mi; 12:29; 2,106 feet; 25.8 mph max; 13.7 mph avg]

Run 12: Sherburne Express - Binney Lane

[0.72 mi; 2:35; 551 feet; 24.0 mph max; 16.8 mph avg]

Run 13: Sherbune Express - Bunker Hill

[0.76 mi; 2:57; 597 feet; 29.0 mpph max; 15.4 mph avg]

At this point, we were all beat. We decided to start our victory tour of the mountain with one last ride up the Mid-Burke Express and following Deer Run all the way down, and then High Meadow Pass ALL the way down. This was a DELIGHTFUL run. Deer Run was in good shape the whole way and just a pleasure to ski through the tree tunnel. It did get a little busy at times, but no complaints! High Meadow Pass was wonderful again, and after a nice long time skiing, we were back on the Sherburne Express. 

We hit Binney Lane, which was mostly the lift line, since we had not skied it yet, and then our final lap was down Bunker Hill to put a nice book-end on the day. We all LOVED skiing at Burke and are hungry to come back for more on a non-holiday day!

We were going to apres upstairs, but they had no food and we were all a little hungry. We ended up at Estella's Bar & Grille in Lyndonville, and it was perfect! Reasonably priced, good food, easy in and out. Afterwards, I drove to the Gale River Motel in Franconia to spend the night while Sarah and Mom had a long drive home.

Map of Burke Mountain

Skiing Jay Peak (Day 10)

Skiing Jay Peak

Saturday, January 17th, 2026

Runs: 21

Distance: 20.59 miles

Elevation:  20,558 feet

Max Speed: 35.2 mph

Avg. Speed: 13.7 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes, 56 seconds

Total Time: 7 hours, 22 minutes, 15 seconds

Back to Jay Peak, this time with Sarah and her mom (and Emma and Patrol Sarah, legally speaking). I was emotionally prepared for LINES, and just hoped to get as many runs in as I could stomach. Thankfully, the skiing at Jay (and my goal of getting as many trails this season as humanly possible), put my brain in a good minset to suffer through crowds. I got to the mountain just after 7:30am with surprise princess parking, so I got to take my time getting booted up. Emma and Patrol Sarah were already doing their ski patrol duties, and Sarah and her mom were about an hour behind me. Just after 8:00am, I was fully suited up and ready to go!

SNOW REPORT

SATURDAY JANUARY 17 AT 7:01 AM

Cooperative Conditions

9/9 lifts will run this morning

Weekend lift operation hours:

Lower Mtn Lifts - 8a-4p

Upper Mtn Lifts - 8:30a-4p

Today's version of winter is far more cooperative than yesterday's. Temperatures are moderating and it's noticeably more pleasant than yesterday's combination of cold snow and colder wind. Winds have settled down, and we're not expecting any disruptions with lift operations this morning, which is always a nice way to start a holiday weekend.

We picked up a dusting to an inch of new snow in the past 24 hours, and snow showers are expected to keep chipping away at the total as the day goes on, nudging us past 266 inches on the season.

This past week has been a full sampler platter of conditions. Cold. Then pretty warm. Then very cold again. Each swing in temperature laid down another little layer of snow, and those layers quietly added up to another 1-2 feet over the course of the week. We're now on a fresh streak of seven-plus straight days with snow, which feels right.

Looking ahead, TK likes Sunday as well. Temps start around 15 degrees under mostly cloudy skies with a little more snow, maybe another inch or two. An arctic front slides in Sunday night into Monday, bringing colder air and another 2-4 inches Monday afternoon and evening. Beyond that, he's already eyeing 10-15 more inches by late next week, and this time it looks like it'll come in clean, without any weird stuff mixed in.

Runs 1-4

Run 1: Taxi Quad - Queen's Highway

[0.70 mi; 1:56; 551 ft; 31.2 mph max; 21.8 mph avg]

Run 2: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Grammy Jay

[0.91 mi; 2:46; 564 ft; 31.0 mph max; 19.6 mph avg]

Run 3: Village Double - Chalet Meadows

[0.22 mi; 1:16; 118 ft; 18.0 mph max; 10.4 mph avg]

Run 4: Taxi Quad - Kangaroo Trail - Paradise Meadows

[0.52 mi; 1:47; 404 ft; 31.1 mph max; 17.6 mph avg]

I started my day with my usual routine - Taxi to Queen's Highway, see that the Tram line is too long for my liking (plus it apparently broke down during trail check and didn't open until near lunch time - SO GLAD I didn't wait!), and then take the Metro to the Grammy Jay. I took the Village Chair to Chalet Meadows, and at that point it was just about 8:30, so I took the Taxi to Kangaroo Trail all the way over towards the Jet. Lower mountain snow was good! Also, no lines so far (minus the first chair crowd at the Bonnie). 

Runs 5-7

Run 5: Jet Triple - U.N.

[0.73 mi; 7:22; 1,240 ft; 23.1 mph max; 6.0 mph avg]

Run 6: Jet Triple - The Jet

[0.68 mi; 2:20; 1,207 ft; 35.2 mph max; 17.6 mph avg]

Run 7: Jet Triple - The Jet - Stateside Glade - Sweetheart

[0.84 mi; 5:02; 1,260 ft; 23.2 mph max; 10.0 mph avg]

I watched the broken Tram dangling (securely on the cables, to be clear) at the point where it is furthest from the ground, naturally, as I rode the Jet up by myself. I decided it was time to be brave and knock off another trail from my map - U.N.! I was nervous only because I had hyped it up too much in my head - it was literally fine. The bumps were either styrofoam or soft, which made turning interesting. My only wish was that I did an easier bump run like Micky or Lower Milk first to warm my legs up - I did NOT ski my best, I can absolutely do a better job! I happily made my way down and got right back on the Jet - still riding solo!

Run #6 was down the Jet proper, which was in solid condition! I got some nice turns in - I feel like I'm really starting to get used to actually carving on steeper runs versus just skidding (naturally I was still skidding at the steepest part). I also got a PR on Strava, which is fun!

Run #7 was my last solo run du jour, and I took Jet to Stateside Glade, which was not as fun as last time I skied it. The snow was also syrofoamy and just not nearly as pleasant as last time. Regardless, I had a nice time, and popped onto Sweetheart to finish out the run. I saw Sarah and Mom at the front of the new line for the Jet, so I hopped in the singles line and met them up top!

Runs 8-12

Run 8: Jet Triple - The Jet

[0.62 mi; 2:03; 1,148 ft; 33.3 mph max; 18.0 mph avg]

Run 9: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Taxi - Bonaventure Glades - Lower Milk Run

[1.36 mi; 8:18; 1,260 ft; 32.2 mph max; 9.9 mph avg]

Run 10: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Taxi - Queen's Highway - Grammy Jay

[1.74 mi; 7:11; 1,427 ft; 30.7 mph max; 14.5 mph avg]

Run 11: Village Double - Raccoon Run

[0.50 mi; 1:54; 364 ft; 33.6 mph max; 15.8 mph avg]

Run 12: Village Double - Queen's Highway

[0.47 mi; 2:09; 312 ft; 21.7 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

I met Sarah and Mom up top and we got to work! They weren't sure what they wanted to start with, so I proposed hitting the Jet while it was still on its best behavior - and it was! The parking lot was about full at this point, and the line for the Jet Triple was LONG. There were also these younger folks in baggy pants throwing snowballs in the line, which was simply annoying. We hopped on as a trio and eventually made it back on. Run #9 was down the beautiful Montrealer to Taxi and then the Bonaventure Glades - which were better than Stateside, but not a dream. I did a decent job! I'm definnitely getting better at bumps and trees, which is nice for me! Also fun to feel myself getting better. We followed the runout of Lower Milk to the Bonnie, but then saw how insane that line was and conitnued to ski over back to the Jet.

We hopped in the singles line this time, which was definitely the move. We rendez-vous'd up top and did a nice long run from Montrealer all the way to Grammy Jay. At this point, Team Snowboard was on the mountain (they had to park FAR away on Tramside) - we all agreed to meet at the double (Grammy Jay was EXCELLENT, and I managed to PR!). 

We saw the snowboarders right as we were getting off of the double, so we skied Raccoon Run to  meet them. Somehow Sarah had never met Elizabeth or Snowboard Emma, which was conceptually crazy to me. Comically, Elizabeth noticed that I kept saying "we" while talking to her on the phone, but I was sitting alone on the chair, so she was very confused who "we" was. We all rode the double back up and followed Queen's Highway to the insanity that was the Tramside base.

Runs 13-16

Run 13: Green Mountain Flyer - Ullr's Dream - Beaver Pond Glade - Kokomo

[1.70 mi; 12:11; 1,683 feet; 27.8 mph max; 8.4 mph avg]

Run 14: Green Mountain Flyer - Ullr's Dream - Beaver Pond Glade - Kokomo

[1.77 mi; 10:28; 1,703 feet; 25.1 mph max; 10.1 mph avg]

Run 15: Green Mountain Flyer - Northway - Goat Run - Buckaroo Bonzai - Taxi - Queen's Highway - Grammy Jay

[1.80 mi; 9:07; 1,765 feet; 29.5 mph max; 11.9 mph avg]

Run 16: Village Double - Chalet Meadows

[0.21 mi; 1:14; 148 feet; 16.2 mph max; 10.0 mph avg]

We originally thought to get on the Metro before the Flyer, but both lines were insane, so we skied right over to the Flyer and hopped in the comically long singles line. That being said, the line flew and we were on the chair in less than 10 minutes - yay! Our next batch of runs weren't big in quanity, but HUGE in quality! Run #13 had us skiing down Ullr's Dream (Sarah and Snowboard Emma went down Poma Line, which was groomed, and they said it was unpleasant) to the Beaver Pond Glade - a new one for me. Beaver Pond and Andre's Paradise have both been scary in my brain, so I was nervous about getting in there, but thankfully I was with four skiers and snowboarders who were comfortable and better than me, so I felt good. It was the most challenging glade I had done so far, but still well within my skill set as long as I went slowly. Plus, the snow was a DREAM. 

We took our sweet time getting down (Mom was my BIGGEST cheerleader), and eventually discovered the flat runout at the ski area boundary - thankfully it was hard to miss! The runout brought us to Kokomo, which was just a delight. Back at the Flyer, the single's line had doubled in size, but we committed. It took longer, but still faster than the normal line. Run #14 was the same as #13, but with a bit more confidence on my end. We also discovered a few "holes," which was exciting! I REALLY liked it in there. I wouldn't go in there alone yet (I feel fine going into Stateside or Bonnie at this point), but definitely want to go back!

Run #15 was back up the Flyer once more, down Northway to Goat (which was icy at the turn, but delightfully bumpy at the curve - Sarah went down Upper Upper Expo and regretted it) and then into Buckaroo Bonzai. I have a video of my butt sliding down Buckaroo Bonzai holding on ski in hand from last season, so this was my redemption run - and I succeeded! I didn't realize it conitnued down past Taxi, so I'll have to go back. We followed Taxi to the Shenanigans intersection and then Queen's Highway back down to the beloved Grammy Jay - a TREAT!

Runs 17-21

Run 17: Taxi Quad - Queen's Highway

[0.59 mi; 2:12; 545 feet; 25.9 mph max; 16.1 mph avg]

Run 18: Green Mountain Flyer - Alligator Alley - Goat Run - Green Mountain Boys - Racer - Bushwhacker - Ullr's Dream

[1.55 mi; 7:19; 1,722 feet; 31.9 mph max; 12.7 mph avg]

Run 19: Green Mountain Flyer - Northway - Taxi - Lower Milk Run - Paradise Meadows

[1.61 mi; 7:04: 1,427 feet; 28.5 mph max; 18.7 mph avg]

Run 20: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Catwalk - Northway - Taxi - Queen's Highway - Grammy Jay

[1.86 mi; 7:04; 1,427 feet; 28.5 mph max; 15.8 mph avg]

Run 21: Village Double - Chalet Meadows

[0.21 mi; 1:14; 148 feet; 16.2 mph max; 10.0 mph avg]

We planned to hop on the Bonnie for Run #17, but the line was still insane (around 2:00pm), so we got in line for the Taxi, which unfortunately was the longest line of the day (time-wise). At the top, Team Snowboard decided to go back to Tramside and Sarah/Mom decided to ski back to Stateside for a late lunch - I wanted to keep pushing until 4:00pm, so I followed Team Snowboard and got back to the Flyer, which basically required a hike up to the singles line!

Run #18 was to get some needed trails - specifically Alligator Alley and Racer. It was getting windy up top, which made the ride unpleasant, but it was nice to have some introverted time. Emma and Patrol Sarah saw me on Alligator Alley (unfortunately, I was NOT skiing well when they saw me!), and the trail was pretty icy. Goat was still fun and bumpy, and Green Mountain Boys was NOT. Racer was completely fine - a compromise. From there, I dipped into Bushwhacker, which was similarly scrapey, and ended with the Ullr's Dream run out.

Run #19 had a much shorter line (thankfully) and brought me all the way down Northway to Taxi. I was on the right-hand side of the trail to turn onto Lower Milk Run when I heard "F***" and a guy who was flying down the trail crashed into me. He double ejected, I lost one ski. He was visibly pissed, but after comparing notes with my patrollers, I was not at fault (even if I cut across Taxi I legally wouldn't be totally at fault, but I was already on the right side). I asked if he was okay and he rudely said yes (never asked if I was), we got our skis back on and went our seperate ways. Rude! He also apparently gashed my top sheet, which I didn't notice until I packed up for the day. Accidents happen, and I firmly believe it's important to be kind and civil about it. Whatever! Lower Milk was medium at best - I wanted to hit Micky since the snow is usually better, so I went back to the Jet.

Run #20 was down Montrealer, onto Catwalk to skip the icy headwall, but I managed to aggressively turn on a sheet of ice at the Wiggle fence and smashed my hip into the ice... ouch. At this point, I read the room and followed Taxi all the way to Queen's Highway and then down the Grammy Jay - which was a win I needed. I got on the double just before 4:00pm and skied down Chalet Meadows to finish out my day of 21 runs. Even with getting beat up, it was a great day!

Sarah, Mom, and I got changed and apres'd at Howie's, where it was MUCH quieter. Emma and Patrol Sarah joined us later on, Sarah and Mom left, and the three of us went to the bar for one more drink before heading home.

Map of Jay Peak

Skiing McIntyre Ski Area (Day 9/Indy Pass Day 8)

Skiing McIntyre Ski Area

Friday, January 16th, 2026

Runs: 10

Distance: 2.10 miles

Elevation: 1,650 feet

Max Speed: 25.6 mph

Avg. Speed: 13.0 mph

Moving Time: 11 minutes, 26 seconds

Total Time: 43 minutes, 52 seconds

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend! The plan is to head up to Emma's for a couple nights and ski with Sarah and her mom (and Emma if the day allows). Jay Peak on Saturday and Burke on Sunday! I decided to sneak in a few turns on the drive up at McIntyre Ski Area, too! The drive after work was slow, but it was nice to get a nice hour-long break in Manchester on the way up!

Runs 1-4

Run 1: Mercury-Redstone - Sandler's Trail

[0.20 mi; 1:56: 165 feet; 25.4 mph max; 6.3 mph avg]

Run 2: Mercury-Redstone - Gilman's Race Trail

[0.20 mi; 1:01; 165 feet; 25.5 mph max; 12.0 mph avg]

Run 3: Mercury-Redstone - Weston Trail - Gilman's Race Trail

[0.25 mi; 1:17; 165 feet; 23.7 mph max; 16.0 mph avg]

Run 4: Mercury-Redstone - Weston Trail - Gilman's Race Trail

[0.20 mi; 1:00; 165 feet; 22.6 mph max; 9.4 mph avg]

I parked in the overflow lot, redeemed my Indy Pass inside (small line, but super easy, and their RFID was only $1!), and then booted up at the car before blasting off! I hopped on the Mercury-Redstone double, which runs parallel to the Apollo 14 double, and got to it! Tragically, when putting my goggles on, my lens popped right off partway up. Thankfully, a kind ~12 year old child saw it happen and moved it next to the tower - the kids are alright sometimes!

My first run was down the lift line, Sandler's Trail, mainly to get my lens back. The snow felt good! The mountain was not crowded, and the sun was starting to set! Run #2 was down Gilman's Race Trail, which was wide and fun with more good snow. I didn't encounter any ice the whole hour I was there!

I jumped on Weston Trail for #3 and #4 - the trail was basically split longways with an upper groomed section and a lower groomed section. Many kids were using the split as a way to get some airtime in - I did not :). There was a park too, and I flirted with going in for the bit (and to ski all the open trails), but it was FULL of pre-teens and I was not going to add myself to that mix.

Runs 5-8

Run 5: Mercury-Redstone - The Queen's Trail

[0.22 mi; 1:11; 165 ft; 24.0 mph max; 11.3 mph avg]

Run 6: Mercury-Redstone - Sandler's Trail

[0.23 mi; 1:12; 165 ft; 23.0 mph max; 19.8 mph avg]

Run 7: Apollo 14 - The Queen's Trail - Don's Pass - Sandler's Trail

[0.20 mi; 1:02; 165 ft; 24.8 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

Run 8: Mercury-Redstone - Sandler's Trail

[0.20 mi; 1:00; 165 ft; 25.6 mph max; 12.0 mph avg]

I was going to hop on the Apollo 14 double for the trails on looker's right side of the hill, but it was full of ski school kids (and stopping much more frequently), so I stuck with Mercury-Redstone. Run #5 was down the green-rated Queen's Trail, which didn't feel that much different than Gilman's Race Trail - basically the whole hill is one big green run, but I guess the blues are technically a little steeper? 

I was back to Sandler's Trail for #6, and did a mashup of Queen's and Sandler's via Don's Pass for #7. The sun was down, the hill was getting busy with families, kids, and a few school groups, but lines were still quickly moving and I was having fun!

Runs 9-10

Run 9: Mercury-Redstone - Gilman's Race Trail

[0.20 mi; 1:00; 165 ft; 22.8 mph max; 14.0 mph avg]

Run 10: Mercury-Redstone - Gilman's Race Trail

[0.20 mi; 0:47; 165 ft; 25.6 mph max; 15.8 mph avg]

I told myself the plan was either ski for an hour or 10 runs, whichever came first. To my joy, they came at almsot the same time! Run #9 and #10 were both bonus lap down Gilman's Race Trail - probably my favorite du jour. I had to dodge some kids where the park and Weston's let out, but other than that, it was smooth sailing! I did get VERY cut off by a ski school instructor, though... 

Either way, this was just a wonderful pit stop on my way up to Vermont, and I would absolutely do it again. A great way to spend an hour! Dinner followed at whatever gas station I found, and then I slowly made my way up to Emma's (which wasn't really that slow - I-89 was in great shape for once). 

Map of McIntyre Ski Area

Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (Blue Hills Reservation)

Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 4.56 miles

Elevation: 1,191 feet

Time: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026; Great Blue Hill Summits

The Hike 

Oof. I had a great start to my Tuesday morning followed by a very heavy and stressful phone call from my mother that more or less sent me into an emotional spiral that resulted in me leaving school early - not too great! The positive, I guess, is that it was actually a really beautiful January day - sunny in the low/mid 40s, so I took it upon myself to head back to the Blue Hills in an attempt to get my body regulated. 

Thankfully, the second I stepped outside, I knew I had made the right call. I started climbing up the Eliot Path, dodging little bits of residual ice. After the road, I skirted around the usual ice flows and enjoyed smelling the crisp, fresh air. I truly could have worn shorts it was so nice out - I had the Walmart sweatpants that I always wear with an REI wool shirt on top (the one that ALWAYS has my itching and chafing... I need to replace it with something new) and I was a bit sweaty.

I hit the summit and the connector trail was still closed, so I followed the gravel path down toward the Skyline Trail and followed it over to the Tower, which had a nice, slightly hazy view to the hills, the ocean, and Boston. A very pretty Blue Jay followed me for a bit, too.

I hiked past patches of needle ice and I descended Great Blue Hill and climbed Wolcott. There was no owl (I will forever be looking in that one spot) and eventually I passed a guy who was walking like 0.1 mph slower than I was. There were many blowdowns in a formerly burned area. I hiked through Downtown Crossing and climbed up Hemenway Hill and then down and back up again to Hancock.

The descent off Hancock was very wet, but manageable. I passed a well-behaved, leashed dog that looked like it was dragged out of hell (MASSIVE dog, German Sheperd-ish build, but had eyes dark as night - spookyt!) and made my way onto Hancock Street, where the horses were out! It's crazy to me how massive horses are, and it really does surprise my every time.

I had a shockingly strong climb up Houghton (I was NOT humbled) - I think partly because I was hiking slower than I had been and my pack wasn't weighed down, but I'll still take it! Both streams were running pleasantly, and I made it back up Great Blue Hill without much issue either (and dodged the ice flows at the headwall). I hit the summit again and then made my way down Eliot Path back to the car. I REALLY needed this hike.

Step-by-Step

- Start hike from Trailside Museum parking on Eliot Path (red dots).

- At terminus, turn right onto Eliot Circle. 

- At next jct., turn left onto Summit Road.

- At next jct., turn right onto spur trail to Summit.

- Hike around observatory building clockwise.

- Follow gravel path to Skyline Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Descend summit towards Skyline Trail South.

- Turn left onto Skyline Trail, and then right onto Skyline Trail North.

- At Hillside St., turn right onto Hillside St.

- After stables, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.

- Follow Skyline Trail South to Eliot Circle.

- At Eliot Circle, turn left.

- At gravel path (same as before), turn right to summit Great Blue Hill.

- From summit, retrace steps to Eliot Path and to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Skiing Pats Peak (Day 8/Indy Pass Day 7)

Skiing Pats Peak

Sunday, January 11th, 2026

Runs: 29

Distance: 17.19 miles

Elevation: 14,045 feet

Max Speed: 31.1 mph

Avg. Speed: 14.7 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, 15 seconds

Total Time: 6 hours, 37 minutes, 20 seconds (lunch & pendant break)

One year ago, Gen and I planned to ski at Pats Peak, but a patch of black ice on the Everett Turnpike in Nashua, around mile marker 4, had Gen and I doing pirouettes at 65mph in my 2013 Honda CRV. We hit the concrete barrier on the left and then spun into the drainage ditch on the right. She and I were both fine (more than fine, completely physically unscathed), but my poor car was totaled. Today, it was time for my redemption. I didn't realize it was exactly a year later, but it was! It felt poetic in a way. I was caravanning with Sarah and her Mom, and as I do I got there plenty early, about an hour before them.

When I was redeeming my Indy Pass I ran into two parents of kids I teach at the high school - they're absolutely wonderful so I was more than happy to see them! They have apparnetly been working at Pats Peak for over 15 years and are currently ski instructor trainers. I called Sarah and playfully said "we are not safe" - she thought I flew off a highway again... Whoops! I clarified and we both had a good chuckle. I booted up at the car since I had princess parking, and got to it right when lifts started spinning at 8:30am!

SNOW REPORT

The whole mountain is open with 100% of trails ready for skiing and snowboarding. Our snowmaking and grooming teams are locked in, focused on maintaining consistent coverage and smooth, top-to-bottom conditions across the mountain.

Our terrain parks are refreshed and riding great, thanks to the hard work of our park crew and grooming team. Our crews have been busy building and maintaining features for all ability levels. Get out and enjoy the variety!

Runs 1-4

Run 1: Turbulance Triple Chair - Downdraft - Turbulance

[0.40 mi; 1:41; 374 ft; 25.1 mph max; 14.4 mph avg]

Run 2: Turbulance Triple Chair - Puff

[0.65 mi; 2:25; 371 ft; 23.7 mph max; 16.2 mph avg]

Run 3: Turbulance Triple Chair - Whisper

[0.52 mi; 1:44; 371 ft; 27.2 mph max; 18.0 mph avg]

Run 4: Turbulance Triple Chair - Downdraft - Twister

[0.34 mi; 1:16; 295 ft; 29.8 mph max; 16.0 mph avg]

The Turbulance Triple Chair was the closest to my car, so I walked right on over, put my skis on, and hopped on! I figured I'd start my day in this smaller area to get warmed up, especially because I wasn't sure when Sarah and Mom were going to land. My first run was down Downdraft, which was nice! It's always funny remembering that every mountain has a different blue-black scale - Downdraft was similar to Subway at Jay - maybe just a little steeper, but not by much. Still fun! 

Fog was rolling in and out throughout these first few runs with occasional windows to the surrounding hills and mountains - it was a really beautiful morning, and it was above freezing! My second run was down Puff, the winding green trail, which was just lovely. Run #3 was down Whisper, which was actually a park (it wasn't labeled as such on the paper map, but it's fine). I thought about being brave and hitting a box, but I opted against it. The snow was really nice this morning!

Sarah and Mom weren't ready yet, so Run #4 I went back on Downdraft and hit the lower stretch of Twister, which had a little bit more pitch than Downdraft. The hill was delightfully quiet at this hour.

Runs 5-6

Run 5: Vortex Double Chair - Cyclone - Squall Line

[0.74 mi; 3:16; 728 ft; 30.7 mph max; 13.6 mph avg]

Run 6: Peak Triple Chair - Cyclone - Tornado - Squall Line

[0.70 mi; 2:56; 719 ft; 28.7 mph max; 14.2 mph avg]

Run #5 was up the Vortex Double, which was a fast-moving fixed grip. I wanted to hit Twister all the way, but it wasn't clear if it was open from the top or not, so instead I turned left and went down Cyclone, which had great snow and a fun pitch! Squall Line was the run-out, but thankfully it never got too flat.

I meant to go to the lodge to find Sarah and Mom after Run #5, but I overshot and didn't want to hike back up, so I hopped on the Peak Triple chair for my final solo run of the morning. I went down the double-black run Tornado, which was a little scrapey, but by no means any more challenging than anything I'd skied before in my short career. I followed Squall Line over to the Valley Lodge to find my friends!

Runs 7-9

Run 7: Peak Triple Chair - Twister

[0.65 mi; 2:36; 725 ft; 27.3 mph max; 15.0 mph avg]

Run 8: Peak Triple Chair - Duster - Squall Line

[0.70 mi; 3:07; 643 ft; 24.3 mph max; 13.5 mph avg]

Run 9: Vortex Double Chair - Backdraft

[0.43 mi; 1:54; 269 ft; 23.6 mph max; 13.6 mph avg]

Goals of the day were to have fun but also to keep applying all of the technique stuff I've been working on this season. Sarah, Mom, and I hopped on the Peak Triple Chair and first went down Twister, which was a fun trail! A little scratchy, but still fun. After we hit up a blue run - duster, which had super fun, almost spring-like snow. By Run #9, the Cascade Basin had opened for the day, so we followed Backdraft all the way there. I had never skied at Pats before (famously), I'm not sure if Sarah had or not, and Mom had only skied here at night, so the Cascade Basin was new for her, too! Backdraft was nice and easy with really nice snow.

Runs 10-15

Run 10: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Cascade Brook

[0.45 mi; 1:53; 341 ft; 26.2 mph max; 14.3 mph avg]

Run 11: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Blizzard

[0.38 mi; 1:50; 354 ft; 29.3 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]

Run 12: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Temptest (Black)

[0.38 mi; 1:45; 341 ft; 31.1 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

Run 13: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Temptest 

[0.37 mi; 1:30; 341 ft;  25.2 mph max; 14.9 mph avg]

Run 14: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Nor'Easter

[0.40 mi; 1:34; 341 ft; 25.2 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]

Run 15: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Cascade Brook

[0.44 mi; 1:43; 344 ft; 28.1 mph max; 15.5 mph avg]

We spent a while in the Cascade Basin area, lapping the Cascade Basin Triple Chair. Plan was to ski the map from looker's left to right. Cascade Brook is the wide, green trail and it was WONDERFUL. Mostly fresh corduroy the whole way and a fun, winding trail. We just wish it was longer! Next was the lift line, Blizzard, which had some fun rollers at the end (I got a little too fast and almost launched myself into oblivion). Temptest is another fun blue run with a short split near the end. The first time we did it we took the black side, which was a short steep little headwall (super fun!) and the second time we took the blue side which wound around that little headwall. Nor'Easter was similar, but labeled as a fully black run - just so much fun! We decided to get one more lap of Cascade Brook before heading back to the main side. 

Runs 16-20

Run 16: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Zephyr - Zephyr Woods - Blast

[1.25 mi; 4:44; 787 ft; 28.0 mph max; 15.9 mph avg]

Run 17: Hurricane Quad Chair - East Wind - Lower East Wind - Lower Tornado

[0.86 mi; 3:58; 715 ft; 27.6 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

Run 18: Hurricane Quad Chair - Cyclone - Squall Line

[0.76 mi; 3:24; 715 ft; 30.0 mph max; 13.4 mph avg]

Run 19: Hurricane Quad Chair - Tornado - Lower Tornado

[0.63 mi; 2:27; 712 ft; 30.8 mph max; 15.4 mph avg]

Run 20: Hurricane Quad Chair - Duster - Squall Line

[0.71 mi; 2:40; 705 ft; 28.4 mph max; 15.9 mph avg]

We were beginning to get peckish, but wanted to put off lunch for a bit longer and see if we could hit some trails we hadn't yet. Run #16 brought us down Crosswind to Zephyr (we were back in the land of 1,000 people!) and then into the double-black-rated "Zephyr Woods" - which was no harder, and arguably easier than Doe Woods up at Jay, but I get why they would want to rate it double-black at Pats. It was fun to get some "glades" in!

Now we started taking the Hurricane Quad Chair - which was still labeled as a double along on-mountain signs. We followed East Wind to Lower Tornado, which was another fun run! The snow was getting heavy (temps were in the mid-upper 30s), but it was fun to ski, especially now that I'm good enough to effectively ski it! #18 brought us down Cyclone again, which was starting to get skied off, and #19 was back down Tornado, which was icy now - only a small strip of skied-off snow on skier's right had any grab. Thankfully, it's a small hill and every trail is decently short, so it was over before we knew it! #20 brougth us back down Duster, which was just a treat. 

We skied down back to the Valley Lodge for bathroom and lunch! I got a really good panini (that took a LONG time to make) and ran back into the parents from before. I also got one of the famous giant cookies, and it DEFINITELY lived up to its reputation - DELICIOUS! We sat outside and marinated in the "warm" sun for a while - it was delightful!

Runs 21-23

Run 21: Valley Double Chair - Puff

[0.55 mi; 2:26; 331 ft; 22.1 mph max; 13.6 mph avg]

Run 22: Turbulance Triple Chair - Downdraft

[0.40 mi; 1:54; 367 ft; 26.9 mph max; 12.7 mph avg]

Run 23: Turbulance Triple Chair - Downdraft - Twister

[0.44 mi; 2:07; 374 ft; 27.7 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]

After lunch we went back to the Turbulance side of the hill, taking first the Valley Double Chair to Puff, then the Triple to Downdraft, both skied well! The temperature dropped back down just enough to firm trails back up, which made for some interesting conditions every now and then! Run #23 was back to Twister from the Turbulance Triple Chair, which was much icier than before - getting exciting!

Runs 24

Run 24: Hurricane Quad Chair - Breeze - Zephyr - Zephyr Woods - Blast

[1.09 mi; 4:08; 712 ft; 28.2 mph max; 15.9 mph avg]

Back to the Hurricane Quad - we did a lap of the easiest way down with another dip into Zephyr Woods. Blast was a nice runout, too, with a few small tree islands here and there.

Sarah's Mom knew that she wanted to get a drink at the Xstream Mobile Bar at the top of the hill, and I was not going to say no! We took the Quad back up and each enjoyed a drink up top, talked about our various ski adventures, and enjoyed the shockingly beautiful January day!

Runs 25-29

Run 25: Hurricane Quad Chair - Backdraft

[0.45 mi; 1:57; 279 ft; 24.2 mph max; 14.0 mph avg]

Run 26: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Nor'Easter

[0.43 mi; 1:52; 348 ft; 28.8 mph max; 13.9 mph avg]

Run 27: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Temptest (Black)

[0.37 mi; 1:22; 344 ft; 31.0 mph max; 16.2 mph avg]

Run 28: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Cascade Brook

[0.43 mi; 1:31; 344 ft; 25.1 mph max; 17.2 mph avg]

Run 29: Cascade Basin Triple Chair - Crosswind - Zephyr - Squall Line

[1.24 mi; 4:33; 755 ft; 28.3 mph max; 16.4 mph avg]

We headed back to the Cascade Basin for the last few runs du jour. Backdraft was still nice and. Nor'Easter and Temptest were just a joy to ski, and Cascade Brook was just a delight! I was really impressed with how not-overly-crowded the whole hill seemed. Slim to no lift lines and minimal congestion on more popular green trails. If it were a bit taller/longer, the Cascade Brook area would be hands down my favorite part of the mountain.

The final run of the day was down Crosswind to Zephyr and then Squall Line. Sarah and Mom got a few more runs in after I left, but it was about 3pm and I was ready to for the Sunday Scaries to take me away. It was so much fun to ski with them again!

Map of Pats Peak

Wright's Tower Loop (4x) (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Wright's Tower Loop (4x) (Middlesex Fells Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop-Loop-Loop-Loop

Distance: 2.34 miles

Elevation: 479 feet

Time: 49 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

It took 9 days, but time for the first hike of 2026! I had my work holiday party at 4pm and got out of work at 2:45pm, so I drove over to the fells to lap Wright's Tower, which was actually a perfect way to kill an hour! It was a warm 46 degrees out, all I had were jeans and my waterproof boots, and I was off! I first did the loop clockwise, but did counter-clockwise for the second, third, and fourth loops so I could ascend the yellow trail. Trails were WET. Like bad mud season wet - a combination from snowmelt and rain. There was just a little bit of ice at the junction of Quarry Road and Wright's Tower Road, but not a problem at all. The yellow Wright's Tower Trail was pretty dreadful with the slippery mud, but I made it work! Before I knew it, four laps were done, and it was time to get over to the Great American Beer Hall (only five minutes away!).

Step-by-Step

- Park at Bellevue Pond parking area.

- Start hike at Gate 5/Quarry Road.

- Before D6-1, turn right onto Wright's Tower Road.

- At Wright's Tower, continue on Wright's Tower Trail (yellow).

- At D6-5/Wright's Tower Road, turn around.

- At Wright's Tower, descend along Wright's Tower Road.

- At terminus, turn left onto Quarry Road.

- Repeat loop two more times.

- After hitting the tower four times, follow Quarry Road back to car.

Middlesex Fells Reservation Map

Photo Album

Happy 2026!

Happy 2026! Per usual, I got behind on my blogging, but NOT on my journaling! I started a new system where I would still do my best to do the writing soon after an adventure, but I would pin the photos for when I had a rainy day, downtime, or just until after the fall daylight savings time. This system seemed to work well for me, because I was able to get the important work done first (the writing), and the photos went back to being leisurely (instead of feeling a pressure to get it done), which I liked and will likely be continuing in the new year.

I'm really proud of my adventures, both hiking and skiing in 2025, and I'm really looking forward to more! Of course the standouts are skiing both Black Mountain's and Jay Peak's closing days, which was my goal for the season, and finishing both my New Hampshire 48 and 52 With a View (plus the Vermont 5!). It was a good year for mountains (and patches), and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this year brings!

Now, checking up on the goals I had last year...

1. 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet

I did it! I hit new records in all three categories. I did 135 hikes (up from 105, up from a record of 113), over 713.23 miles (up from 641.36, up from a record of 667.06) and 173,774 feet (up from last year's record of 147,720 feet). Really proud of these numbers! I think it would be fun to one day get to 1,000 miles or 200,000 feet, but I don't feel a need to make it a goal. I am happy with my 100/500/100,000.

2. 52 Hike Challenge

Complete! I still like doing this one just for compatibility. I wish I was better at November, but it is always hard.

3. Complete the 52 With a View + Delisted Peaks

Complete! That Shelburne Moriah hike will always be one of my favorites. I'm also glad I finished the delisted ones, too. I love exploring these mountains.

4. Complete the New Hampshire 48

Complete! Literally insane I finished them. I also love that Sarah and Emma were there, and that I was able to join Sarah for hers!

5. Complete the VT 5

Complete! I hiked Killington on a HOT summer day and Camel's Hump on a beautiful Labor Day weekend. I want to do these again in winter!

6. Hike Mt. Monadnock at least once more

Did it at least four more times! I actually finished the Monadnock Redliner for a second time.

7. Work towards the NYAT this summer

Technically, yes! I hit part of the NY AT near Bear Mountain, but I shifted to just logging as many miles and feet as I could in the Tourne.

I also had completed the Friends of the Wapack trails and the Harriman Shelter Challenges, which were on my original goals for the year. It's been a very successful year in tangible goal achievement, but also just in quality and quanity of adventures!

In total, I completed the following patch challenges:

- Great Blue Hill 50 Summits (No Patch)

- Friends of the Wapack (72.54 miles, 15,443 feet)

- Harriman Shelter Challenge (52.16 miles, 8,822 feet)

- Operation Alaska Benchmark Challenge (Gold) (No Patch)

- Vermont 5 (36.37 miles, 11,216 feet)

- 52 With-a-View (352.85 miles, 113,733 feet)

- New Hamsphire 48 (318.02 miles, 97,824 feet)

- Monadnock Redliner (2x) (65.69 miles, 18,650 feet)

- 2025 52 Hike Challenge 

Again, it's been a really fantastic year of adventures. Some of my favorites are the sunrise at Pitcher Mountain, the late March hike of Carter Dome and the wildly stunning views, the big hike of Mt. Washington via Lion Head all the way to Mt. Isolation and down Glen Boulder, seeing the bear(s) in Worthington State Forest, getting back up Mt. Moosilauke, Franconia Ridge, and the Osceolas on my "Farewell Tour," hiking Camel's Hump with Emma (and her kidney infection), tackling the terrifying North Tripyramid and Flume slides, visiting my first Maine 4,000 Footer, Old Speck, finishing my 52 and 48 on the Moriah's, and being with sarah as she finished her 48 on Cannon!

Now, my goals for 2026...

1. 100 hikes, 500 miles, 100,000 feet.

2. 52 Hike Challenge

3. Hike at least two new trails in the Belknap Range.

4. Hike at least two new Terrifying 25 Trails.

5. Hike at least two Maine 4,000 Footers.

6. Hike at least two Downstate New York peaks.

7. Complete either the winter or 3-season map of the Blue Hills (again).

I'm noticiing the goals here are less completion-oriented, and I think that's becasue I've completed a lot of the patches that I have been closing in on, and I don't want to hyper-fixate on one patch/region. I think the "at least two" goals will be a good starting point, and when I hit my mid-year re-evaluation, I can see how it's going and adjust as necessary.

Ski Goals

Might as well include ski goals while I'm here, too! These are more subjective...

1. Keep having fun.

2. Actively think about turns 75% of the time.

3. Continue to challenge myself with steeps, bumps, trees, "thin cover," and "variable conditions."

4. Look better than I did last year on closing day(s).

5. Ski as many runs at Jay Peak as I humanly can.

Here's to a great year of adventures in the hills and mountains!

Skiing Jay Peak (Day 7)

Skiing Jay Peak

Saturday. January 3rd, 2026

Runs: 21

Distance: 24.81 miles

Elevation: 25,240 feet

Max Speed: 33.3 mph

Avg. Speed: 14.0 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes, 9 seconds

Total Time: 6 hours, 11 minutes, 48 seconds

Emma and I had a nice, chill night in and watched Bride Wars before heading to bed. She was up and out by 6:05am, but I slept in and left at 6:30am since I was driving seperate. Roads were unpleasant but no worse than I am used to. I fishtailed around the Jeffersonville rotary (normal) and did NOT skid at the stop sign by the winery or the left turn at the bottom of the hill, so a win! I also did most the drive without anyone behind me, which was NICE. A nice line of cars did start to appear behind me once I got to Montgomery, but they simply would have to deal with it because I was not going to go any faster. 242 was a bit rough, and the final push had my car UNHAPPY. The descent after the height of land was also super sketchy, but I made it in one piece, and did NOT skid into the snowbank when entering Jay! It might be time for snow tires... The slower-than-planned drive had me at the resort a little later than I wanted, but I did all of my chores (including buying toe warmers because I ran out) and on the snow around 8:10 - not too bad!

Snow Report

SATURDAY JANUARY 3 AT 6:32 AM

Early Morning Report

Temperatures are staying in the single digits today, and the wind will knock wind chills into the negatives at times. Bundle accordingly.

Wind is in the forecast today and it can impact upper-mountain lift ops.

A dusting of snow overnight and into this morning, not quite an inch, but enough to freshen up surfaces and give the wind somehting to work with, smoothing things out along the way.

Snowmaking has shifted to JFK and Upper Alligator Alley, which means closures while work is active on the trail. JFK, Wedel, Alligator, Everglade, and Staircase are a few of the notable closures.

Terrain Parks: All five terrain parks including Rabbit, Rusch, Shakedown, Rabbit Hole, and the Gully are expected to be open and ready for laps today.

Uphill Travel: The anticipated uphill route for today are the Northway and Ullrs routes up to SkyHaus. Patrol will conitnue assessing conditions and updates will be posted here.

Our Nordic Center is fully open and groomed with 15 km of scenic trails ready for skating.

Snow Report

SATURDAY JANUARY 3 AT 6:59AM

Windy Start, Cold Temps, Snow on the Ground

Lower Mountain lifts: 8:00a - 4p

Upper mountain lifts: 8:30a - 4p (The Flyer may have a delayed start)

It's already blowing up high this morning, and those winds could affect upper mountain lift operations today. Please check back here for updates throughout the day in case of delays or hold times.

A light dusting of snow this morning is refreshing surfaces across the mountain, adding a 15-inch snow stretch over the past 5 days. Our season total sits at 234 inches and counting, still deep and solid.

It's cold today, with highs in the single digits and partly sunny skies. Make sure to bundle up and keep any exposed skin covered. Those temps are ideal for snowmaking, and crews are currently spraying away on Alligator and JFK. Both trails are slated to reopen tomorrow thanks to that work. Starting tomorrow and into Wednesday, snowmaking shifts over to Ullr's Dream to keep building out coverage over there.

Snow Report

SATURDAY JANUARY 3 AT 8:31 AM

Update 8:30 AM - The Flyer will have a delayed start. All other lifts are loading public on time.

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Taxi Quad - Queen's Highway

[0.73 mi; 2:12; 584 ft; 29.4 mph max; 20.0 mph avg]

Run 2: Tram - Northway - Ullr's Dream

[2:15; 8:08; 2,073 ft; 30.2 mph max; 15.9 mph avg]

Run 3: Flyer Express Quad - Poma Line - Ullr's Dream - Kokomo

[1.83 mi; 7:46; 1,804 ft; 30.0 mph max; 14.1 mph avg]

I started the day with my classic Taxi - Queen's Highway run to Tramside - Queen's Highway was in good shape! The line for the Tram was NOT bad, which was absolutely shocking for a Saturday, but I guess the absolutely frigid temperatures and it being the tail end of a holiday week helped my cause. I got on the second tram du jour, and my main goals for the day were 1) to get better and 2) ski as many "new" trails as possible ("new" meaning trails that I have not yet skied this ski season, as I'm trying to color in my map). Run #2 was down the Northway from the tippy top and for the first time, I took the little chute to Ullr's Dream (I somehow had missed that the other times I'd been up there, probably because I would be trying to get back to Stateside or just flying down Vermonter). Ullr's skied well! The main headwall was a bit scratchy, but not bad at all. I flew down the fun part, and only had to skate a little bit during the run out (fun fact - this was apparently only the second time I'd ever done Ullr's in it's entirety, as I switched to Kokomo early on). 

In line with my daily goal, I hopped on the Flyer next and took Poma Line to Ullr's to Kokomo. Poma was... unpleasant. Weird, sometimes soft, sometimes frozen, sometimes styrofoam windswept bumps. I still have a hard time stopping correctly/controlling speed on narrower bump runs - I think because I've been mostly practicing on wider ones where I can traverse to think (as I'm writing this, I should practice more on mellower bump runs but stick to a narrow sub-section - instead of traversing to think, work on stopping to think). Ullr's was good, and Kokomo was WONDERFUL. There was one hole opening up at the entrance, but beside that it was wonderful.

Runs 4-6

Run 4: Flyer Express Quad - Goat Run - Green Mountain Boys - Bushwhacker

[1.49 mi; 5:15; 1,775 ft; 27.0 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]

Run 5: Flyer Express Quad - Goat Run - Queen's Highway - Grammy Jay

[1.84 mi; 6:21; 1,795 ft; 29.2 mph max; 17.4 mph avg]

Run 6: Village Chair - Chalet Meadows

[0.20 mi; 1:17; 138 ft; 20.5 mph max; 9.4 mph avg]

I decided to keep working on the Flyer from here, now hitting a few trails off of Goat Run (Wedel/Alligator/JFK all had snowmaking, so I couldn't visit them today). From the Flyer, the S-curves on Goat were already looking nice a shiny, and they skied... okay. Patrol upgraded Goat to a black run, which I think was a solid move considering the conditions. I did make it down fine, and then I followed all of Green Mountain Boys down - both the blue and black sections were in good shape, and I was really focusing on the tighter turns with better weight distribution and edge engagement the whole time - I think I'm getting better! From here, I had a delightful run through the groomed track in Bushwahcker. I decided for my map, I'll do the groomed tracks in Bushwahcker and the Moons, and anytime I hit real glades (or go off the groomed track), I'll draw a little wiggle on my map (Doe Woods already has four wiggles). 

Run #5 was down all of Goat (the lower portion was great!) and to my all-time favorite run, the Grammy Jay! I was going for a PR, but the cold snow held me back! Plus, a child learning... whatever...

My pole got stuck in the ground while trying to load the Village Chair (embarassing), but I pulled myself together, got on the chair, and finished out this pod of runs on Chalet Meadows to have some breakfast.

Runs 7-10

Run 7: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Taxi - Micky

[1.34 mi; 5:14; 1,503 ft; 29.2 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]

Run 8: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Upper Milk Run - Lower Milk Run - Micky

[1.26 mi; 6:56; 1,476 ft; 31.8 mph max; 10.9 mph avg]

Run 9: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Taxi - Queen's Highway - Raccoon Run

[1.80 mi; 5:20; 1,696 ft; 33.3 mph max; 20.2 mph avg]

Run 10: Village Chair - Queen's Highway

[0.49 mi; 1:46; 328 ft; 26.0 mph max; 16.8 mph avg]

I had a loaded hash brown from Maplefields in the car, but was too stressed while driving to have the sandwich I bought, so that was breakfast now! Emma and Sarah were always on the opposite side of the resort as I was, so I figured I'd just find them when they had their sit at 11:30. After my breakfast, I hopped on the Bonnie on the search for some bumps to practice on (and to redeem myself after my jault down Poma. I took the Northway to Taxi, which were both in good shape, and landed on Micky, which turned out to be exactly what I needed. I really focused on where my weight was and linking my turns, and it was (starting to) feel good! The run out after it merges with Lower Milk was lovely, and soon I was back to the Bonnie!

I was feeling braver for Run #8 and hit Upper Milk Run, which was kind of a bad time! The bumps were hard as rock and the troughs were ice luges. I managed to smash my hip into a bump, and it did not feel good! That being said, still good practice! The upper part of Lower Milk was equally as scrapey, but it got better about halfway down.

Run #9 was a full lap of Northway and Taxi (the corner onto Taxi was getting rough in terms of carnage and ice) and then down to Raccoon Run (I got my 2nd best time...). It was about 11:00am at this point, so I had a few more runs in me before I'd visit my two favorite patrollers. I took the Village Chair to Queen's Highway, landing myself back at the Flyer!

Runs 11-12

Run 11: Flyer Express Quad - Goat Run - Upper Upper Exposition - Lower River Quai - Quarter Moon - Queen's Highway

[1.67 mi; 6:06; 1,801 ft; 27.0 mph max; 16.4 mph avg]

Run 12: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Chalet Meadows

[0.57 mi; 2:52; 374 ft; 25.2 mph max; 11.9 mph avg]

When Goat is in good shape, one of my favorite runs on the mountain is taking Goat Run to Lower River Quai to Quarter Moon - I just wish that it got me back to Stateside! At this point, Goat was in BAD shape, so I took Upper Upper Exposition to bypass the curves, which I think was a good move? It was all brutal, though. Lower River Quai (a couple on the lift called it "River Quail," which I loved) was in excellent shape (and nicely steep), and then I took the little bypass of Perry Merril that spat me out at Quarter Moon. I followed the groomed path through Quarter Moon, which was fantastic, to Queen's Highway and scooted over to the Metro for a quick Perry Merril - Chalet Meadows run back to Stateside.

Runs 13-15

Run 13: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Northway - Hell's Crossing - Sweetheart

[1.21 mi; 7:10; 1,316 ft; 22.3 mph max; 10.1 mph avg]

Run 14: Jet Triple - Jet - Stateside Glade - Sweetheart

[0.84 mi; 4:08; 1,309 ft; 24.3 mph max; 12.2 mph avg]

Run 15: Jet Triple - Jet - Stateside Glade - Lower Jet

[0.77 mi; 4:04; 1,283 ft; 30.1 mph max; 11.3 mph avg]

I was asked to supply caffeine to our favorite patrollers, so I ran into the Stateside Cafeteria, got some Celsius and Red Bull (and a cookie for me), and wiggled my way over to the Jet. At this point in the day, I was chilly! The hot hands brand of toe warmers don't work as long as the ones I bought from Costco (although they get MUCH warmer initially), so my toes were starting to feel it. I stayed up at the patrol shack for a bit to play Bananagrams, but the day was starting to rev up in terms of patrol calls due to the ice, so Patrol Sarah had to leave early on, but I stayed with Emma until her sit was over so I could get at least one run with a friend! She had to re-drill a slow sign in on the Montrealer, which was another glacier of ice, but fun for me to watch as people FLEW past her! We ice skated on the Northway to Hell's Crossing, literally glided into Sweetheart, but then had a nice run on Sweetheart to wrap it up.

Emma had to bring the drill back to the top of the Jet but she said she was all set with skiing in these conditions - I was not! I wanted to hit the Stateside Glade and the Jet wasn't looking TOO horrible, so I decided I'd give it a go and see what happens. Thankfully, the upper Jet was in pretty good shape (meaning, I have skied it in MUCH worse conditions). The steepest stretch was a little scratchy, but still not too horrible. I realized that my tendency is to make a turn and then skid until I slow down, so I was working on turning more often and just really digging those edges in. I might have been over-counter-flexing my upper body, because my back was feeling a certain type of way... oh well!

Stateside Glade was a DREAM. I verbally kept going "oh thank god" to myself - soft snow, nice turns, and the trees are wonderfully spaced (I think it's only a black glade because it's inaccessible from blue trails). I NEEDED another run. I popped out and got back on Sweetheart and then right back on the Jet!

Run #15 was more of the same, but I popped out of the woods onto Lower Jet to wrap things up. The Stateside Glade is probably my favorite woods on the mountain (at least until I get better!). 

Runs 16-18

Run 16: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Catwalk - Northway - Taxi - Micky

[1.28 mi; 9:36; 1,293 ft; 28.6 mph max; 8.0 mph avg]

Run 17: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Taxi - Queen's Highway - Grammy Jay

[1.92 mi; 6:11; 1,699 ft; 32.7 mph max; 18.6 mph avg]

Run 18: Village Chair - Queen's Highway

[0.49 mi; 1:37; 331 ft; 27.3 mph max; 18.1 mph avg]

I knew I was in the "starting to wrap it up" phase of my afternoon, but I was still having fun! I decided I'd get back over to Micky for some more bump practice. The Angel's Wiggle/Taxi corner was BAD. Lots of folks down and hardly any way to stop. Micky was still skiing great, and I could feel myself getting better the more I did it!

Back on the Bonnie for Run #17 - they had officially closed Goat Run! That made sense. I followed the Northway to Taxi all the way to Grammy Jay where I BOOKED it - still didn't PR - need to shave off 4 more seconds! I really want to get faster than Emma's PR, but she had the advantage here...

#18 was up the Village Chair and down Queen's Highway to check out the Tram line.

Runs 19-21

Run 19: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Half Moon - Queen's Highway

[0.66 mi; 3:05; 541 ft; 23.2 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]

Run 20: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Full Moon - Queen's Highway

[0.71 mi; 3:21; 548 ft; 19.8 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]

Run 21: Flyer Express Quad - Northway - Taxi - Micky

[1.56 mi; 7:07; 1,572 ft; 32.2 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

It was about 2:30pm at this point and I was past chilly and I was cold, but I was NOT done! The Tram line was too long for a painful, icy run, so I hopped on the Metro and decided I'd get the other two Moons. Half Moon was fun and windey, and Full Moon had two steeper spots that surprised me (apparently the day before somebody broke their collar bone at the "drop" on Full Moon, which did create a few jokes...). 

The Flyer had no line, and I figured it would take the same amount of sitting time regardless if I took the Metro or the Flyer, so I got on the Flyer, which lived up to it's "Freezer" nickname! This was the first time in my skiing career that I was shivering - it was COLD and windy. I happily skated away one at the top and ran the Northway back to Taxi back to Micky for a final run. I emotionally wanted to stay out for the last 45 minutes, but I was FROZEN. Overall, though, it was a fantastic day of getting better!

I found Emma's family (surprise to me), did my chores, and chugged some Gatorade. Two of my toes were borderline white, which was a new thing for me! Thankfully, I defrosted in no time, and then I later met Emma and Patrol Sarah for a drink at Howies for apres. I had a LONG drive home, but it was so worth it for the fun and success I had.

Map of Jay Peak

Skiing Bolton Valley (Day 6/Indy Pass Day 6)

Skiing Bolton Valley

Friday. January 2nd, 2026

Runs: 22

Distance: 19.62 miles

Elevation: 17,385 feet

Max Speed: 32.8 mph

Avg. Speed: 11.3 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes, 48 seconds

Total Time: 6 hours, 57 minutes, 31 seconds

Back at it! It was the final Friday of the holiday vacation and I was planning to visit Jay for at least one day, and when Sarah asked if I wanted to ski Bolton Valley with her, how could I say no! She drove up the day before, but I was in ZERO state to be driving on January 1st, so I woke up at sunny 4:00am for a nice, long drive! I ended up making fantastic time (I left ample time becuase I-89 is famously unpredictable - it was in shockingly good shape with only a few flurries near the height-of-land near Montpelier). I did a quick power nap at the rest stop near the NH/VT border, but not for long because it was very cold and I didn't want to keep my car idling and the single-digit high temperatures didn't bode well for a comfortable nap!

I made it to the parking lot around 8:15am, and Sarah was not far behind! We got our Indy tickets, got booted up, and got to it soon after lifts started spinning at 9:00am!

Alpine Snow Report

Friday, January 2nd, 2026

Were rolling righ tinto 2026 with classic mid-winter conditions at Bolton Valley today. We picked up a little dusting of snow since yesterday morning, with some light flurries sprinkling down again this afternoon to keep things fresh. Expect mostly cloudy skies and cold temperatures in the single digits. Overall, it's shaping up to be a solid winter day to get out and make some turns.

Big news: Timberline is opening today! Yay! We'll be starting the day with Villager, Sureshot, and Timberline Run available. We expect to drop some more ropes throughout the day over there after patrol takes a peek. Note that there will be no unloading at mid station.

Cold temps will help preserve the snowpack, groomed trails are skiing and riding well, and there are still plenty of soft pockets to be found across the mountain. For this weekends events, Saturday we are hosting the USASA Northern Vermont Series Race, plus the Fireside Music Series from 6:30-9:30 PM with the Seth Yacavone Band to keep the stoke going after a day on snow. Then on Sunday the USASA racing continues, followed by Trivia Night at the James Moore Tavern from 6:00-8:00 PM - bring your A-game and win bragging rights.

Lots of fun on the menu for the weekend. Bundle up, enjoy the winter vibes, and we'll see you out there. 

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Vista Lift - Alta Vista - Sherman's Pass - Bear Run

[1.19 mi; 4:01; 1,079 ft; 31.0 mph max; 17.7 mph avg]

Run 2: Mid-Mountain Lift - Beech Seal

[0.44 mi; 2:14; 377 ft; 26.7 mph max; 11.9 mph avg]

Run 3: Mid-Mountain Lift - Enchanted Forest - TFR - Primer Loop

[0.47 mi; 2:31; 354 ft; 21.3 mph max; 11.2 mph avg]

Everytime I've been to Bolton Valley, the Vista Lift got busy quickly, so we decided to hop on that chair first thing! We took Alta Vista to Sherman's Pass to Bear Run, which was a wonderful warm-up run. I always forget that ski mountain ratings aren't universal - Alta Vista does not feel like the same genre of blue that the blues at Jay Peak are! Bear Run popped us out at the bottom of the Mid-Mountain Lift, so we decided to hop on there for #2 - skiing down Beech Seal, which was a wonderful run where I got to practice my proper turns. We joked about hitting the rope tow, but opted to ski down to the Wilderness Lift next... only to realize it wouldn't open until 10:00am! We had to schlep back uphill, Sarah went in to use the bathroom, and I hopped back on the Mid-Mountain Lift and scratched my way through the icy Enchanted Forest and TFR (frozen bumps!) before meeting back up with Sarah at the Vista.

Runs 4-5

Run 4: Vista Lift - Spillway Lane - Spillway - Spillway Exit - Bear Run - Primer Loop - Beech Seal

[0.96 mi; 4:29; 1,083 ft; 32.8 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]

Run 5: Vista Lift - Hard Luck Lane - Hard Luck - Moose Run - Primer Loop

[0.94 mi; 5:26; 1,079 ft; 28.5 mph max; 10.3 mph avg]

Next, we wanted to get the steep runs in before they got scraped off. Run #4 brought us down Spillway Lane to Spillyway, which had an impressive pitch! I felt a moment of personal growth - seeing that run from the Vista used to TERRIFY me. It was still a little daunting at the steepest, but I knew I could get down no problem! I think I'm even starting to get better at making proper turns on steeper stretches... at least it's starting to feel better and less skiddy! We finished it up with Bear Run, Primer Loop, and Beech Seal.

Run #5 was back up the Vista and down Hard Luck Lane and Hard Luck - which I would have adored if the snow was better! Spillway was in great shape, but Hard Luck was pretty scratchy. I tried to mimic Sarah's trademark tight turns, which did help a bit! I'd find for most of the day, MOST of the ice was only bad when I wasn't distributing my weight properly. Always getting better! We then dipped into Moose Run, which was... fine? Ungroomed and hard, which wasn't fun, but I think it was overall good for me. We wrapped up with an easy final trip down Primer Loop. 

In writing this, it's really fun to reflect on the progress I've made in the past year. Less than a year ago I was up at Magic Mountain and their natural snow runs had maybe a few bumps each and I STRUGGLED on them, but now I'm only complaining because much more advanced runs aren't pleasant, which really is huge (especially since I'd be hitting plenty of bumps tomorrow at Jay... more on that later!). 

Runs 6-8

Run 6: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Old Turnpike - Lower Turnpike

[1.16 mi; 8:03; 1,066 ft; 21.1 mph max; 8.7 mph avg]

Run 7: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Cougar - Old Turnpike - Wilderness Woods - Lower Turnpike

[1.18 mi; 5:29; 1,073 ft; 25.1 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

Run 8: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Coyote - Lower Wilderness - Abenaki Trail - Primer Loop

[1.37 mi; 9:25; 1,079 ft; 25.1 mph max; 8.7 mph avg]

NOW it was time for the Wilderness Lift! The Wilderness Lift and I have some beef - the past few times I'd ridden it my ski had gotten caught and/or fully popped off, and it was FINALLY time to redeem myself! Thankfully, I DID redeem myself, and the slow, ancient Wilderness Lift and I were no longer fighting. Run #6 was down the looker's left side of the mountain - Peggy Dow's to Old Turnpike to Lower Turnpike. Upper Peggy's was wonderful, the headwall was awful, all of Old Turnpike was frozen, unpleasant bumps, and Lower Turnpike was back to wonderful! Sarah dipped into the Wilderness Woods for a bit - we met up later. One beast at a time! We also dodged a wild amount of uphill travelers.

Run #7 was a bit more adventerous! We took the narrow "chute" that parallels the headwall on Peggy's and followed Peggy Dow's to the mid-station, where we skated over to Cougar. It started off looking good, and then it got bad! A 10-ish foot wall of ice... yikes! Sarah, being the wonderful friend she is, coached me through it. I was just going to either side-slip or send it around the side, but Sarah traversed a mid-section of the glacier and then went into a jump-turn. That gave me the confidence needed to also cut across the ice, but I did not get a turn in, but it was fine - worst part over! The rest of Coyote was actually nice with medium-soft snow (and of course, hidden ice below) - a nice challenge! From there, we kept the fun going and dipped into the lower Wilderness Woods, which was... fine. My technical skills were totally fine for these woods, but the mountain bike park of it all had the woods mostly tracked out and full of endless narrow, banked turns. I just didn't feel like I was getting that much better since I was just in the trough the whole time and not really practicing my turns... oh well! Once out of the woods, we took Lower Turnpike back to the lift.

Run #8 was back down Peggy Dow's to Cougar, which had more frozen bumps and a few crevasses... fun isn't the word I'd use, but we made it down! We hit Lower Wilderness, which was medium-natural and fun, and Abenaki Trail, which brought us right back to the lodge for a potty break.

Runs 9-13

Run 9: Vista Lift - Vista Glades - Sherman's Pass - Swing - Work Road - Lower Wilderness - Abenaki Trail - Beech Seal

[1.22 mi; 6:53; 1,060 ft; 22.1 mph max; 10.7 mph avg]

Run 10: Vista Lift - Cobrass - Five Corners - Timberline Run

[1.88 mi; 7:45; 1,696 ft; 30.0 mph max; 14.6 mph avg]

Run 11: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Sure Shot - Timberline Run

[1.08 mi; 3:48; 1,030 ft; 30.6 mph max; 17.0 mph avg]

Run 12: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Lower Villager - Lower Foxy

[0.63 mi; 2:27; 423 ft; 24.1 mph max; 15.3 mph avg]

Run 13: Snowflake Lift - Foxy - Lower Villager

[0.30 mi; 1:32; 276 ft; 25.2 mph max; 11.6 mph avg]

Thankfully there was a minimal breeze all day, which made the single-digit temperatures bearable. After our break, we wanted to hit the Vista Glades before getting over to the Timberline side, which opened for the season today!

Run #9 was up the Vista and into the Vista Glades, which had a nice new sign for Vista Peak. The glades proper are extremely open, and only a little icy/scrapey! I had a good time, Sarah had a medium time. I love how pretty these glades are. I also love how they're right at my skill level where it's just challenging enough, but not terrifying. Once out of the glades, we flew down Sherman's Pass to Swing to Work Road to Lower Wilderness to Abenaki Trail to Beech Seal - it's fun wiggling down the resort with all these criss-crossing trails. 

Run #10 brought us down to Timberline. Cobrass was ICY, but windy and fun! Five Corners was in good shape (and more fun than I remembered!), and Timberline Run was long and peaceful (and full of families). Run #11 was the loop around Upper Villager, Sure Shot, and Timberline Run, and Sure Shot was in fantastic shape - one of my favorites of the day! 

Run #12 brought us back down to the main side, but we accidentally bottomed out at the bottom of the Snowflake Lift (which isn't really a bottoming out), so we hopped on that for one more run down Foxy and Lower Villager before lunch! Like a menace, I tried to avoid skating uphill by ducking the rope, and somehow both of my skis popped off? The lifty laughed and shook her head, thankfully. Back at the lodge, Sarah had some chilli and I had my favorite rice ball for lunch - we were a bit chilly!

Runs 14-15

Run 14: Vista Lift - Cobrass - Cobrass Lane - Spillway Exit - Bear Run - Primer Loop - Beech Seal

[1.32 mi; 6:16; 1,102 ft; 23.0 mph max; 12.6 mph avg]

Run 15: Vista Lift - Cobrass - Cobrass Lane - Deer Path - Deer Run - Sprig O' Pine

[1.18 mi; 6:40; 1,106 ft; 24.2 mph max; 10.7 mph avg]

We were curious about the double-black run "Preacher," but I was feeling super hesitant to dive in, so we decided to take Cobrass down to Cobrass Lane to see if we could stake out the entrance and exit before making any decisions. I was complaining about how icy Cobrass was, but Sarah seemed relatively unbothered, so in my psychotic over-analyzing technique-focused brain, I started to make tigheter turns and really focus on weight distribution and edge angle (even on the flatter stuff), and boy, it really did make a difference - thanks Sarah! The entrance of Preacher seemed unsigned and basically a woods run, and the exit seemed more of the same - I wasn't feeling overly interested, especially at this point in the day (thankfully Sarah was feeling the same).

We did see some blue woods off of Cobrass Lane, so Run #15 was more of the same, but we dipped into the Deer Path woods, which were fine. Mostly tracked out with evidence of mountain bike trails, so... the same as it's been all day really. Fun, though! I also fell the second I entered the woods, comically. Killing it!

Runs 16-17

Run 16: Vista Lift - Alta Vista - Sherman's Pass - Bear Run - Primer Loop

[1.21 mi; 4:56; 1,115 ft; 27.6 mph max; 14.7 mph avg]

Run 17: Vista Lift - Sherman's Pass - Bull Run - Bear Run

[1.36 mi; 11:07; 1,053 ft; 25.7 mph max; 7.3 mph avg]

We were starting to wind down for the day, but still having fun! We were also starting to get a bit chilly - there was now a breeze and the sun was dimming. There would have been a STUNNING sunset behind the clouds, but we still got some nice pastels. Run #16 brought us down Alta Vista, which was pretty glacial at this point in the day, and then we just followed the easiest way down, which was a treat! 

Our final run down the Vista Lift was Sherman's Pass to Bull Run, which we somehow evaded all day - it was in wonderful condition and such a fun run! We both loved it, and felt very satisfied putting a bow on the upper mountain for the day. Now the problem was that I was way too close to 20 runs to call it for a day. We did a quick warm up/bathroom break, and then started our final pod of runs. I got one solo run, which meant that we needed at least four more for Sarah to hit 20. Off to the Snowflake Lift!

Runs 18-22

Run 18: Snowflake Lift - Sprig O' Pine

[0.37 mi; 2:18; 236 ft; 23.5 mph max; 9.6 mph avg]

Run 19: Mid-Mountain Lift - Bear Run - Primer Loop

[0.47 mi; 2:01; 354 ft; 23.0 mph max; 14.1 mph avg]

Run 20: Mid-Mountain Lift - Beech Seal - Primer Loop

[0.33 mi; 1:36; 325 ft; 22.2 mph max; 12.4 mph avg]

Run 21: Mid-Mountain Lift - Beech Seal 

[0.39 mi; 1:50; 361 ft; 26.8 mph max; 12.9 mph avg]

Run 22: Mighty Mite - Mighty Mite

[0.17 mi; 2:59; 52 ft; 8.9 mph max; 3.3 mph avg]

Run #18 was up Snowflake and down Sprig O'Pine and then we scooted over to the Mid-Mountain Lift to finish out strong! Tragically, we got stuck for a few minutes and had to make jokes about freezing to death and getting eaten by wolves... It was really pretty watching the mountain's night skiing lights light up in front of us, and the sunset colors popping behind us. #19 was down Bear Run and Primer Loop, #20 was down Beech Seal and the last bit of Primer Loop, and finally #21 was a full run down Beech Seal, which was really skiing well! Visibility was rough with our normal goggles on, so we happily called it there...

...BUT I proposed we cap the day off with a real last run down Mighty Mite - the handle tow, which was actually a delight. We rode up, got off a little early due to carnage at the "top," and held hands back down to the lodge - it was so dumb and fun!

We didn't do a proper apres because Sarah was driving back to Boston, but we did the usual apres chit-chat and snack. I ordered a pizza for pickup from Stone's Throw near Emma's house, and we eventually parted ways. I had a big day at Jay in store for tomorrow!

Map of Bolton Valley