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!
