Breeze, Tucker, and North Boyce Hills Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Breeze, Tucker, and North Boyce Hills Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: -OO Loop

Distance: 2.91 miles

Elevation: 407 feet

Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x)

The Hike 

We had just gotten 18ish inches of snow, again, and I was really avoiding going hiking becuase the temperatures immediately warmed up, which was going to make for some less-than-ideal snowshoeing. Nevertheless, I pushed myself down to the Blue Hills after work and decided to romp around the Tucker Hill area, hoping to connect some needed trails there. The drive down was delightfully painless, and it was a nice, 43 degree day with sun and some wind. I could hear the snow rapidly melting, and there was a LOT of it. I parked in the visitor parking for the State Police, got suited up at the car, and soon, I was off!

I walked a bit of Headquarters Path, which varied from slippery slush to dry ground to deep mud - nice! There was a tractor working on moving snowbanks for parking at the Bugbee/Skyline entrance, and the Bugbee Path was basically plowed up to the turn to Houghton's Pond. I put snowshoes on for the continuation of Bugbee Path, but I probably could have survived with bareboots. The snow was living up to my expectations - bad!

Once I turned onto the Tucker Hill Path I really had to start working. There were just one set of tracks and they were comically deep post holes. I tried to tramp them down, but found it to simply be easier to make my own fresh tracks instead. 

I turned onto the Skyline Trail and suffered up Tucker Hill, which was covered in slippery slush. The summit was ridiculously wet, and I had a tough time navigating the scrambles off the top in snowshoes (I should have taken them off, but instead I just kept flinging myself down the hill). There were some sled tracks, though, which looked fun!

After Tucker Hill, the Skyline Trail became a posthole nightmare. My relatively strong ankles were no match for these. I did my best to make super intentional steps, but that was only slightly effective. The top of North Boyce continued to be post hole city, and I was more than delighted to finally get off of the Skyline Trail.

I turned onto Doe Hollow Path, which only had one set of snowshoe tracks on it, and it was the best yet! Afterwards, I turned onto the Boyce Hill Trail, which was FULLY unbroken, and now I was back to WORKING. The snow was deep and heavy, and I was moving slowly. The trail remained unbroken on the Barre Trail and Quincy Path, too. The NEMBA bridge was a little sketchy with over a foot of snow on it.

I thought I was going to get relief once on Dark Hollow, but the only thing that had been on it recently was a singular deer! It wasn't until I got near the Skyline Trail again did human tracks begin to appear, and they were postholes by the sledders. I was having quite a rough time (the sled people also went way rogue into the woods, I hope they had fun!). 

Life slightly improved after the Skyline Junction, but then I saw my first flying insect of the season! This hike was TESTING me! Bugbee Path was well broken out with trenches and tire tracks, but I kept the shoes on, even though it was wildly unpleasant in the wet snow. I took the snowshoes off just before the pavement, which turned out to be a mistake. The suffering with them on was better than the suffering without them. 

I slowly worked my way down the Bugbee Path, slipping over four times on the last flat stretch, and exhaled a massive sigh of relief once back at the car. For a 2.9 mile hike, this one kicked my butt!

Step-by-Step

- Park at State Police Visitor Parking near Park HQ.

- Turn left onto Headquarters Path.

- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail/Bugbee Path.

- Before 2070, turn sharply left onto Tucker Hill Path.

- At 2072, turn right onto Ayer Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At 2141, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.

- At 2151, turn left onto Boyce Hill Trail.

- At 2130, turn right onto Barre Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Quincy Path.

- At 2112, turn left onto Dark Hollow Path.

- At 2096, veer right onto Bugbee Path.

- Follow Bugbee Path back to Headquarts Path, and then the car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Skiing Tenney Mountain (Day 28/Indy Day 23)

Skiing Tenney Mountain

Tuesday, February 24th, 2026

Runs: 12

Distance: 14.90 miles

Elevation: 15,217 feet

Max Speed: 36.9 mph

Avg. Speed: 15.1 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 3 minutes, 39 seconds

Total Time: 4 hours, 11 minutes, 42 seconds

Surprise! February Break isn't over, apparently! We had a snowday for The Blizzard of '26, and another one today for storm cleanup. Thankfully, Boston was cleaned up enough where I could make it to Tenney Mountain no problem! Tenney was the only Indy in a 3 hour radius that I'd never been to, so I was happy to finally be making it happen! I was up at 6:00am and out the door soon after. I had a lovely stop at Hooksett for breakfast, and I was at Tenney just before 8:30am - fifth car in the parking lot!

I got in, redeemed my Indy Pass, and slowly got booted up upstairs, which was a huge, beautiful lodge with a cafeteria, bar, and couches! Bag storage would be downstairs, which was fine with me, especially becuase it freed up wall space for endless windows! Lifts spun at 9:00am, and I was one of the first on the Hornet Double to start the day!

Snow Report

HAPPY TUESDAY: We will be operating the Hornet Double, the Eclipse Triple and the Platter Pull today. The Rope Tow will also run beginning at noon. All trails and glades are open today, with the exception of Lynn's Left. We've got more snow expected in the forecast, with some smaller snowstorms on Wednesday and Friday this week. Coming up, we have the World Pro Ski Tour returning to Tenney Mountain from February 26-28. You don't want to miss this year's event!

2026/27 Season Passes are now available! Your pass to more powder days, glade runs, and park laps is just a few clicks away. Lock in next winter while prices are at their lowest of the year.

Trails: All trails and glades are ready to go. Please be aware that some of our terrain is not groomed and is considered 'experts only'. These trails include but are not limited to: Upper Racer, Lower Racer, Lower Hornet, Sweet William, Sunflower, & Black Sheep.

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Hornet Double - Morning Glory

[1.16 mi; 4:09; 1,365 ft; 31.2 mph max; 16.8 mph avg]

Run 2: Hornet Double - Upper Hornet - Morning Glory

[1.20 mi; 3:15; 1,421 ft; 36.9 mph max; 22.2 mph avg]

The snow report said they were 100% open, but there were some closures as crews got some interesting race course prepped. The chair was SLOW, but very peaceful. Skies were blue with only a slight breeze and cold air. Higher up, there was a spectacular view out and up to the Whites, with the Tripyramids, Flume, and Liberty standing strong and with Moosilauke and the rest of the Kinsmans and Franconias in the clouds. There were maybe five people ahead of me on the chair, so there was endless untouched corduroy. My first run was down all of Morning Glory, a wonderful blue run that could have been a green at some harder mountains. It was lovely!

Run #2 was a bit of the same, but instead I skied Upper Hornet. When it transitioned to Lower Hornet, I turned back onto Morning Glory. I tried to remember the line I skied to I could check my tracks from the lift, but per usual, no luck there. I think these are blues because there is one little steep pitch near the end of the run that picks up some speed. The snow was soft and wonderful - the day was going great!

Runs 3-5

Run 3: Hornet Double - Upper Racer - Morning Glory - Edelweiss - Last Chance - Morning Glory

[1.43 mi; 8:40; 1,411 ft; 27.0 mph max; 9.9 mph avg]

Run 4: Hornet Double - Shooting Star - Pitcher - Edelweiss

[1.31 mi; 4:26; 1,478 ft; 30.7 mph max; 17.8 mph avg]

Run 5: Hornet Double - Upper Hornet - Lower Hornet

[1.15 mi; 6:19; 1,378 ft; 35.9 mph max; 10.9 mph avg]

I got a little adventerous for Run #3. I found Upper Racer, which was ungroomed and had some comical snow drifts to navigate. The upper stretch was more of a traverse, but then I got steep and bumpy with just a few exposed rocks. It was fun! I was disappointed to see that Lower Racer was closed. I made my way back to Morning Glory and then did a little Wiggle down Edelweiss, Last Chance, and linked back up at the bottom of Morning Glory to finish things out. Edelweiss, while a green, had the worst snow of the day so far!

Run #4 was my first time turning right off of the lift. I wanted to follow Shooting Star all the way down, but the lower part was closed for whatever race prep was happening. I turned onto Pitcher, which crossed a bridge over a stream (lovely) and had a small uphill (not lovely), to Edelweiss, which brought me back to the lift.

Run #5 was my "advanced" run - all of Upper and Lower Hornet! Upper Hornet was a breeze, and Lower Hornet alternated bumps with groomed spots. The bumps were in shockingly wonderful shape. Good coverage and soft. The final pitch was a bit steep, but nothing too hard. I felt good and skied right to the lodge becuase I had to pee!

Runs 6-7

Run 6: Hornet Double - 10E Highway - Screaming Eagle Glades - Supernova Glades - Edelweiss - White Out - Pitcher - Cub's Corner - Trillium - Edelweiss

[1.40 mi; 6:23; 1,414 ft; 28.6 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

Run 7: Hornet Double - 10E Highway - Fisher Cat (Groomed) - Sunflower - Trillium - Pitcher - Edelweiss

[1.42 mi; 4:51; 1,365 ft; 32.0 mph max; 17.6 mph avg]

After my potty break I hopped back on the Hornet. I was cold! I decided it was time to check out some trees, especially since the groomers were freezing me (It wasn't actually that cold out, but the air temp was in the teens and there was a slight breeze. That paired with a slow lift got to me!). I turned into the Screaming Eagle Glades and continued into the Supernova Glades - they were a TREAT! Great snow, not too steep, not too tight, just fun tree skiing! It allowed me to practice connecting turns without too much fear, which was needed, too. I dumped out onto Edelweiss and then I turned onto White Out, which was a bit steeper and narrower than the main blues. This brought me to Pitcher - I crossed the bridge and skied uphill, and I turned left onto Cub's Corner, which was just a ~30 foot connector trail to Trillium, which brought me back to Edelweiss to wrap this one one.

Continuing to work my way looker's right, Run #7 brought me onto 10E Highway to Fisher Cat. Fisher Cat had a groomed line (right side) and an ungroomed one (left side, also the power line). I followed the groomed side and continued onto Sunflower, which was also groomed. Fun! Cold! Same ending as before with Trillium, Pitcher, and Edelweiss.

Runs 8-10

Run 8: Hornet Double - 10E Highway - Fisher Cat (Ungroomed) - Sweet William - Trillium - Witch Hazel - Edelweiss

[1.46 mi; 6:30; 1,394 ft; 29.3 mph max; 13.4 mph avg]

Run 9: Hornet Double - 10E Highway - Sweet William - Kel's Kamikaze Glades - Trillium - Edelweiss

[1.60 mi; 7:51; 1,394 ft; 30.1 mph max; 12.3 mph avg]

Run 10: Hornet Double - 10E Highway - Ski's Chute Glades - Widow Maker - Trillium - Hall's Meadow

[1.44 mi; 6:38; 1,355 ft; 29.0 mph max; 13.0 mph avg]

I was back to being frigid, so I went inside for a hot chocolate break, which truly brought me back to life. After another bathroom break I hopped back onto the Hornet, took 10E to the ungroomed half of Fisher (immedaitely hit a rock) and then made it to my favorite trail du jour - Sweet William! Wide and full of soft bumps. Super fun and super manageable! Willy brought me to Trillium and I detoured onto Witch Hazel, which was similar to White Out but shorter, and then back to Edelweiss.

Sweet William was my favorite main trail, and next I'd discover my favorite glade! Run #9 was down 10E to Sweet William and then I skated over to Kel's Kamikaze Glades, which were marked with red diamonds. These glades were long, open, and fun! I did almost fall into a stream, but besides that coverage was great and the snow was a dream! I had a lot of fun in her, practicing linking faster turns since the pitch was not steep at all. I eventually emptied out onto Trillium and followed Edelweiss back to the Hornet.

My final run on the Hornet was the final pod of glades that I needed to hit off of 10E - Ski's Chute Glades and Widow Maker Glades (Widow was a double black). Ski's Chute was similar to Screamin' Eagle, and Widow Maker was wide open with soft snow, just steep! Nowhere near as difficult as other double black glades I'd skied (looking at you, Dixiland). I giggled throughout most of it, and then hit Trillium and followed it to Hall's Meadow, bringing me to the Eclipse Triple for the first time!

Runs 11-12

Run 11: Eclipse Triple - Jacob's Ladder - Eclipse

[0.60 mi; 2:06; 673 ft; 29.3 mph max; 17.3 mph avg]

Run 12: Eclipse Triple - Jacob's Ladder - Rachel's Run - Black Sheep - Rachel's Run - Zig Zag

[0.72 mi; 2:31; 666 ft; 28.4 mph max; 17.2 mph avg]

I had to pee from my hot cocolate, but planned to leave Tenney no later than 1:00pm, so I figured I'd get just a couple runs off the Eclipse before packing it in for the day. Run #11 brought me down the lift line - Jacob's Ladder to Eclipse. Snow was good, but firmer than the Hornet side. The bumps on the middle bit of Jacob's Ladder were fun! This is actually a great side of the mountain for newer skiers, and it's great that they have it!

My final run was back down Jacob's Ladder to Rachel's Run and then Black Sheep - the only black run on this side. It was narrow, steep, and a sheet of crunchy ice - yikes! It spat me out onto Rachel's Run, which I followed to Zig Zag, accidentally made it into the park where some folks were seriously park skiing, so I maneuvered around the perimeter until I was back at the lodge.

I did my pack-up chores, bought a sticker, and drove to the Common Man in Plymouth for a grab-n-go lunch. While there, I learned that two of my friends were also at Tenney! Funny we just missed each other. NOW, break was officially over, and I was feeling proud and satisfied. 

Map of Tenney Mountain

Skiing Burke Mountain (Day 27/Indy Day 22)

Skiing Burke Moutnain

Sunday, February 22nd, 2026

Runs: 13

Distance: 14.52 miles

Elevation: 14,301 feet

Max Speed: 36.7 mph

Avg. Speed: 14.0 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 6 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 26 minutes, 13 seconds

And now it was the final day of February break... Sad! Thankfully, we had plans to go to Burke Mountain for the day. It was going to be Emma, Sarah, Me, Emma's Dad, and Emma's Mom would be lodge mom for the moring. Emma's parents were planning on staying just a half day because another massive snow storm was coming to southern New England (the Snowology report said I was fine to take my time, thankfully). I was running ahead of the game, per usual. I got to the lodge and booted up quietly and slowly by myself and planned to lap the Sherburne Express until everyone else had landed. I ran into Sarah and Emma right as I was heading out for my first run du jour. It was a cold morning, but it was supposed to heat up througout the day to the upper 20s, and no wind (again!). 

Mountain Conditions

Sunday, February 22

Winter is still clearly winning the game up here! Yesterday's 6 inches of fresh snow gave the mountain a fun little refresh, and today we're cashing in on the leftovers. Expect packed powder groomers with pockets of the goods tucked away in the woods. Clouds will be on the increase but temps will hang out in the sweet spot around 30 degrees. It's a Sunday Funday in the Bear Den today - check out live music 2:30-5:30.

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Sherburne Express - Binney Lane

[0.75 mi; 2:18; 607 ft; 32.1 mph max; 19.7 mph avg]

Run 2: Sherburne Express - Bunker Hill

[0.79 mi; 2:49; 614 ft; 29.8 mph max; 16.9 mph avg]

Run 3: Sherburne Express - Midway - High Meadow Pass

[1.04 mi; 4:31; 607 ft; 23.6 mph max 13.8 mph avg]

Man, I just love this mountain! I hit the three non-park green runs during my solo jaunt. Binney Lane is more or less the lift line and had wonderfully soft corduroy. I tried to hug the looker's left side of the run so I could see my tracks (and how well I'm using my edges), but I did not succeed. Run #2 was down my favorite - Bunker Hill. It has a nice, steeper pitch towards the end! Run #3 was down Midway to High Meadow Pass, past many wonderful properties that I would personally love to own (and went over one bridge that's always super fun). After these runs, I went in to pee, and I saw the Emma, Sarah, and her Dad were all ready to go!

Runs 4-6

Run 4: Sherburne Express - Midway

[0.36 mi; 1:59; 154 ft; 24.5 mph max; 10.8 mph avg]

Run 5: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Willoughby - Lower Willoughby

[1.12 mi; 3:50; 1,683 ft; 36.7 mph max; 17.5 mph avg]

Run 6: Mid-Burke Express - East Bowl - Dipper Doodle

[2.15 mi; 9:38; 1,686 ft; 30.7 mph max; 13.4 mph avg]

It was fun to be all together - I hadn't skied with Emma's Dad since Jay's closing day last year (I'm better now, I swear!). Run #4 was down Midway and apparently you can scootch through a small tree island to get a little more speed on Midway.

Run #5 brought us to the top for pole and potato pictures, and then we skied down Upper and Lower Willoughby - such a fun trail. I'm getting better at carving on steeper slopes at higher speeds, but I'm nowhere near "there" yet. 

Emma suggested we hit East Bowl for Run #6 while our legs were still fresh - I was down! I had so much fun on East Bowl last time, I was more than excited to get back to it! We skated across the traverse, gawked at the partial view of the Whites, and then... skied? We were waiting for the bumps and drops and... they never came? The WHOLE run was groomed! It was a fun run, don't get me wrong, and would be categorized as a blue in my opinion, but where was the challenge! I will say, a groomed runout is nice. Maybe they were trying to preserve snowpack? We kept saying "it got Upper Milked!" At least I got a Strava PR! A whole 12 minutes faster than my last time!

Mountain Conditions

THE SHERBURNE EXPRESS IS ON HOLD. 

We will communicate any updates here.

Runs 7-10

Run 7: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Dipper - Wilderness - Dixiland - East Bowl - Deer Run - Big Dipper

[1.59 mi; 12:34; 1,680 ft; 31.9 mph max; 7.6 mph avg]

Run 8: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Dipper - Big Dipper

[1.32 mi; 4:47; 1,683 ft; 31.7 mph max; 16.5 mph avg]

Run 9: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Fox's Folly - Upper Bear Den - Ledges - Lower Bear Den - Graham Slam

[1.15 mi; 6:09; 1,670 ft; 35.2 mph max; 11.2 mph avg]

Run 10: Mid-Burke Express - Deer Run - Big Dipper

[2.16 mi; 9:06; 1,677 ft; 30.5 mph max; 14.3 mph avg]

Once we got back to the Mid-Burke Express we noticed that the Sherburne Express was down - bummer! We got back on the Mid-Burke. Lines were getting longer, but we never waited more than five minutes. Lines also go faster with friends! We skied Upper Dipper to Wilderness and then went into the trees at Dixiland - my first double black at Burke! The glade started off pretty steep, and then got steeper with a few reprives. The snow was low tide on the steeper spots and we all took turns hitting rocks. I felt validated becuase both Emma and Sarah said that this was a difficult run (Emma's Dad was flying). Sarah was my biggest cheerleader here - after one impressively steep spot she said "look - you did that!" which was very nice! We had a few small traverse sections, and eventually we came to a wonderful, mellower, open area where I could make some decent turns, and soon enough we were back on the East Bowl runout. Sarah and Emma led us onto Deer Run and Big Dipper, which has a short uphill stretch that nearly took us all out!

Run #8 was another cruiser - we took Upper Dipper to Big Dipper, and it was just lovely! Such a fun, wide, steep trail with a few reprives. It reminds me of Ullr's Dream at Jay, but bigger, mightier, and truly, better. 

Run #9 was down Upper Fox's Folly - the old lift line. It was fun! Felt like a spooky abandoned land. We then continued onto Upper Bear Den, which was scrapey between bumps. I will 20% blame my skis lack of tuning for my poor skiing on the scrapy stuff recently. We then hit Ledges, which split partway down. Sarah and Dad took the main ledges and Emma and I took a narrower chute that had better snow. Once back on the main Ledges trail, I hit a patch of ice, lost my edge, and slammed into the trail. Ouch! We wrapped this run up with Grahahm Slam (great name), which was a fantastic cruiser. Emma was also having some problems, but the opposite of mine. She was saying her skis were over tuned, or something, and the shop tuned her tips and tails so it's hard for her to get out of a turn. I have no idea what that means, but I support her!

Run #10 was Emma's Dad's two more skip the last, as we were meeting her Mom at The Bear Den for lunch before they headed back to Rhode Island. We decided to follow all of Deer Run, which let me just say is such a delight! It's a little tricky to follow at times, but we corrected any mistakes and successfull connected all the dots, finishing up on Big Dipper!

The Bear Den is a phenominal, cozy little dive at the Mid-Mountain lodge. There was one bartender (and she was STUNNING) who was preparing drinks and serving up either soup or chili, and in the main Mid-Mountain Lodge there was a hot dog stand that was equally as wonderful. We had a nice lunch, enjoyed a pendant-ski drink, and then said goodbye to the parents!

Runs 11-13

Run 11: Mid-Burke Express - Upper Willoughby - Lower Willoughby - High Meadow Pass

[1.93 mi; 7:15; 2,110 ft; 35.4 mph max; 15.9 mph avg]

Run 12: Carpet - Learning Area

Run 13: J-Bar - Carter Country

[0.17 mi; 1:04; 131 ft; 18.7 mph max; 9.8 mph avg]

We were also ready to put a bow on things for the day, so the three of us got back on the Mid-Burke Express and took Willoughby down to High Meadow Pass. I did eyeball the magic carpet and I proposed a baby run, and they reluctantly agreed (of course they had fun). Emma, pretending she didn't want to do this, then said "does that mean we also need to hit the J-Bar?" This was somehow also Sarah's first J-Bar! We rode up (Sarah got stuck after we got off... again), and hit the XS/S Park "Carter Country" to wrap things up, and this was truly my favorite run of the day. We held hands the whole time, went over the rollers going "whee" on each one, hit the banked turn, and attempted a sharp turn back to the lodge (we had to let go for that one). What a DREAM.

We all quickly wrapped up and I decided to blast off from there to get home before dark and the snow (they had talked about going to beloved Parker Pie). I did stop in Littleton to hunt for a new snow shovel (no luck), and made it home around 7:00pm - just in time to get another 18" of snow!

Map of Burke Mountain

Skiing Jay Peak (Day 26)

Skiing Jay Peak

Saturday, February 7th, 2026

Runs: 22

Distance: 18.34 miles

Elevation: 21,224 feet

Max Speed: 29.8 mph

Avg. Speed: 10.8 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes, 40 seconds

Total Time: 7 hours, 33 minutes, 9 seconds

WE'RE BACK! I was really excited to get back to Jay Peak after my Maine trip. I was feeling way more confident in my skills (and areas for growth) and was, for the first time, feeling excited to hit the new trails instead of scared! I usually don't see Emma and Sarah that much on patrol days, but I was hoping to get at least one run in with them - we'll see how that goes! We were up nice and early for patrol O'Clock. Sarah was going to drive with her fancy new car (and new snow tires), and thank goodness she did! The snow was not well plowed at all, especially in the beginning of the drive. We did make it to the mountain with only one bad fishtail. Emma left her passes at home, so Sarah got to be my sugar daddy for the day (I am eternally grateful for the patrol passes and will be getting them both end-of-season gifts for letting me ski for free). I got my pass, went up to the Bullwheel/lodge, and slowly got suited up for the day. I was hoping to get on the Tram, but with the recent snowfall, I wasn't expecting any luck. 

Snow Report

SATURADY FEBRUARY 21 AT 7:20AM

All-Time Saturday Setup

We're planning to spin all 9 lifts on time this morning on weekend hours: lower mountain lifts 8:00a-4:00p an upper mountain lifts 8:30a-4:00p. If there's a mechanical, wind, or snow-related delay, you'll see updates here first.

5" to 6" of fresh snow fell overnight, snapping a 3-day streak of sunshine in the best possible way. It came down heavy early last evening, then kept at it through the night, stacking into a deep fresh blanket of medium-density February goodness. The kind that floats but still has a little backbone under your skis and powder planks. Fresh snow, calm winds, wall-to-wall coverage. This one has all-time weekend powder day written all over it.

That pushes the season total to 348", a pretty substantial number with more than two months still to go.

We're looking at a high around 26F at the base and 19F at the summit, with minimal wind and essentially 100 percent open terrain. It's still snowing lightly as of this report, but flakes should taper this morning, clouds should gradually thin, and we may even sneak in a little sunshine for good measure.

Tomorrow looks like another beauty. No new snow expected, but sunshine, a high near 31F, and plenty of leftover goodness will keep both groomers and glades feeling fresh and fun.

You can't ski and party if you don't ski and party, so our apres music scene turns up at the Bullwheel from 4-7 with the ripping guitar and wailing vocals of local favorites Seth Yacavone and his Blues Trio. On Tramside, catch Sneaky Pete Downing playing all the favorites at Tower Bar from 4-7. And Nate Michaud brings his solo guitar virtuosity to Sis Boom Burgers from 5-8.

Weekend warriors, this is your Saturday. Enjoy it.

Runs 1-4

Run 1: Taxi Quad - Queen's Highway

[0.70 mi; 2:21; 554 ft; 28.0 mph max; 17.9 mph avg]

Run 2: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Raccoon Run

[0.79 mi; 2:39; 571 ft; 27.9 mph max; 17.9 mph avg]

Run 3: Village Chair - Chalet Meadows

[0.21 mi; 1:20; 121 ft; 18.3 mph max; 9.4 mph avg]

Run 4: Taxi Quad - Kangaroo Trail

[0.46 mi; 1:41; 374 ft; 26.9 mph max; 16.6 mph avg]

My first run was a classic Taxi to Queen's Highway right after 8:00am. I gasped at how crowded Tramside base was! The line for the Tram was already backed up to Alice's and even The Flyer had a huge crowd. The Metro was delayed (apparently it was a patroller's fault HAHA), but thankfully at that hour the single's line was empty, so I scooted on there and it opened soon after.

Run #2 was down Perry Merril to Raccoon - I had to accept that I was unlikely to hit any PR's today due to the slower, fresh snow. I took the Village Chair to Chalet Meadows for Run #3, and then Taxi to Kangaroo to the Bonnie for Run #4. Even though there were people, it was a nice, calm start the morning!

Runs 5-9

Run 5: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Upper Milk Run - Taxi - Lower Milk Run - Paradise Meadows

[1.28 mi; 6:20; 1,480 ft; 26.9 mph max; 12.1 mph avg]

Run 6: Jet Triple - Haynes - Mont l'Entrepide

[0.75 mi; 4:49; 1,257 ft; 23.8 mph max; 9.3 mph avg]

Run 7: Jet Triple - The Jet - Heaven's Road - Sweetheart - Stateside Glade - Lower Jet

[0.86 mi; 5:48; 1,250 ft; 22.6 mph max; 8.9 mph avg]

Run 8: Jet Triple - Kitzbuehel - Heaven's Road - Sweetheart

[1.00 mi; 7:20; 1,257 ft; 23.1 mph max; 8.2 mph avg]

Run 9: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Catwalk - Northway - Taxi - Micky

[1.25 mi; 6:28; 1,217 ft; 27.6 mph max; 11.6 mph avg]

Now it was time to start getting adventerous. Run #5 brought me up the Bonnie and I was going to scope out something that I heard about... They started grooming Upper Milk Run and redesignated it as a blue! They only groomed the skier's right side, though, and did it before the snow fell, so skiing it was... confusing? I truly wasn't sure what was happening with my lower body. I think a combination of multiple snow surfaces, me not being used to 6" of fresh, heavy snow, and also just not being warmed up. Lower Milk was more of the same, but I skied it moderately better? From there, I followed Paradise Meadows over to The Jet to get some laps over there.

Turns out they moved the single's line from the outside to the inside - I didn't realize until it was way too late (even the lifty was complaining that it was moved). There was NOT a race, so I FINALLY got my full Haynes/Mont l'Entrepide run in! Haynes was spicy, Mont l'Entrepide was... confusing. I wasn't sure I actually knew how to ski at this point in the day.

Run #7 was down The Jet, which was... spicy and confusing. I turned onto Heaven's Road, since I needed the stretch between Stateside Glade and Sweetheart for my map, and then skied part of Sweetheart which was... nice! Okay, I was starting to remember how to ski. I bounced briefly into Stateside Glade just to get some turns in, and then popped out onto the Lower Jet to get back into the single's line. I was feeling... better than before?

Run #8 was a brave one! I took The Jet up and skied Kitzbuehel (the steep side, too!). At this point, I was BACK. I skied it shockingly well, doing basically everything right. I was trailing this couple that did not know what they were doing, calling this a double-black and basically making facts up about the mountain. I turned onto Heaven's Road and skied all of Sweetheart. I texted the patrollers and told them "I AM SO BACK."

Run #9 was up The Jet and down Montrealer, which was approaching spicy, but again, I was back! I noticed extreme new signage at both headwalls saying "STATESIDE BASE ONLY," which I wanted, but I was confused? I skied to Catwalk and then onto Northway (which was spicy). Apparently they're rerouting traffic from Vermonter/Montrealer to alleviate congestion at the Wiggle Fence... I don't think they made the best choice, but that's not my job! I followed Taxi to Micky and did a B- job, which is good for me!

Runs 10-13

Run 10: Bonaventure Quad - Can Am - Lower Can Am - Kangaroo Trail

[1.00 mi; 7:37; 1,440 ft; 28.0 mph max; 7.9 mph avg]

Run 11: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - 601 - Micky

[1.03 mi; 8:24; 1,417 ft; 26.9 mph max; 7.4 mph avg]

Run 12: Bonaventure Quad - Upper River Quai - Goat Run - Queen's Highway - Doe Woods - Chalet Meadows

[1.03 mi; 7:46; 1,476 ft; 23.1 mph max; 8.0 mph avg]

Run 13: Bonaventure Quad - Everglade - Alligator Alley - Green Mountain Boys - North Glade - Deer Run - Ullr's Dream

[1.42 mi; 12:55; 1,608 ft; 25.3 mph max; 6.6 mph avg]

Onto the Bonnie! Run #10 was truly the moment I'd been waiting for - my innaugural trip down Can Am. I wanted to do this one with friends, but they were still busy with patrol and I was riding the high of skiing Kitz well, so here we go! It was daunting at first, the view was stunning, and I did okay! The upper stretch had a few rocks to dodge (I also stayed FAR away from the lift!), the middle stretch was challenging in it's pitch, and the lower stretch was solid! The challenging thing for me with steeper bumps, I think, is that I try to make tight turns, which usually results in me skidding down into the nearest trough, slamming into it. As I get more comfortable linking turns, I'm starting to widen my turn radius on larger bumps, and when I turn like that it seems to go and feel better! Lower Can Am was just soft and fun, and I followed Kangaroo Trail back to the Bonnie.

Run #11 was for the next on my list - 601. 601 was a bit more challenging than Can Am due to the double fall line and having more exposed rocks. The trail was also more narrow, so if and when there were people around it got a little awkward. I wouldn't say I loved this trail, but it felt good to ski it! Similarly to my run down Can Am, when I allowed myself to take wider turns (and keep weight forward, shoulders down the fall line, blah blah blah), I felt much stronger and in better control. It was also satisfying to connect 601 to Micky and ski the full line!

Run #12 was the final trail I had on my list for the day, and it lined up so my favorite patrollers could join me! I got off the Bonnie and waited by the Vertigo sign for around five minutes as Emma and Sarah wrapped up their sit. They joined me, and we got to Upper River Quai! There's apparently two entrances and no sign for either - one that cuts to the Tram tower and one that skis down Can Am and cuts in on the left. I wanted the FULL experience, so Tram tower it was! This trail felt basically like a love child between Can Am and 601. Double fall line, big bumps, super steep, some rocks, etc. I think it was the most challenging of the three, too. I took one nice fall that landed me upside down - thankfully the snow was soft. I think I fell because of the tight turn issue mentioned before. Anyway, I got back up, and we finished it up - I was SUPER excited to color these in on my map! I wanted to connect to Lower River Quai and basically ski the rest of the Tram line, but Tramside was still a nightmare and team Patrol wanted to hit Doe Woods - so we wiggled over that way and had a wonderful time.

We had a quick intermission in the patrol room for a bathroom break and then back to the Bonnie! Emma and Sarah had been wanting to take me into North Glade for a while now, and I was still running the confidence high from Saddleback, so I was truly down for anything (sans the chutes up top). We skated over from the Bonnie to the entrance to Everglade, which was tight and steep but truly not an issue. We then skied along Alligator Alley to Green Mountain Boys (which was in BAD shape). The entrance to North Glade was on the left of Green Mountain Boys, and it was a DREAM. Similarly spaced trees as Stateside Glade, but a little bit steeper. The snow was an absolute dream, and we giggled the whole way down. This might be my new favorite glade, upstaging Stateside! We popped out onto the beloved Deer Run and finished out on Ullr's. We did a quick bathroom and caffeine stop at Tramside and then started a series of a few silly runs.

Runs 14-17

Run 14: Tramside Carpet - Interstate

Run 15: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Grammy Jay

[0.85 mi; 2:47; 502 ft; 29.8 mph max; 18.2 mph avg]

Run 16: Village Chair - Chalet Meadows

[0.21 mi; 1:00; 138 ft; 19.5 mph max; 12.6 mph avg]

Run 17: Stateside Carpet - Chalet Meadows

Emma and Sarah (and I, lets be real) always love to hit every lift for the bit, so our next few runs were aimed at that goal (realizing now that I forgot the Flyer existed. The Tram doesn't exit in my mind). Run #14 was up the Tramside Carpet with our caffeines and down Interstate. Run #15 was up the Metro and down Perry Merril and the Grammy Jay (Emma and I essentially went for the Chinese Downhill from Hot Dog... The Movie - she won). Run #16 was up the Village Chair and down Chalet Meadows, and Run #17 was up the Stateside Carpet (I learned to not have your poles on the carpet proper, becuase you can accidentally stop the carpet when you get off... oops!) and down Chalet Meadows to the lodge. Emma and Sarah needed to get a run in on the Taxi, but I did not need that again so I went inside to use the bathroom.

Runs 18-19

Run 18: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Canyonland - Taxi - Lower Can Am - Queen's Highway - Doe Woods - Chalet Meadows

[1.14 mi; 10:31; 1,414 ft; 22.3 mph max; 6.5 mph avg]

Run 19: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Hell's Woods - Sweetheart - Stateside Glade - Sweetheart

[1.32 mi; 9:15; 1,440 ft; 21.0 mph max; 8.6 mph avg]

Once reunited, we got back in line for the Bonnie (I was equally grateful and proud of them for waiting in the peasant lines with me all afternoon). I had never skied Canyonland before, so that's where we were off to! Sarah mentioned this one area in the glade called the "Bowling Alley," so that was the goal. Northway was full of carnage, so we were happy to dip off onto 601 and then Canyonland. We traversed over for a while (she said people usually dip in further down off of Northway to get this line), until we made it. It was a fun natural mini-half pipe near Upper Milk Run (RIP). The rest of the woods were steep and fun - just a little busier than North Glade. Afterwards we made our way over to Doe Woods again.

Run #19 was our final run on the Bonnie, as they had to get ready for sweep. We skied all of Northway, which was either matte ice or bumps (unpleasant). We thought we'd continue to Hell's Crossing, but with the new funneling from Montrealer, this usually quiet area was BUSY (and the snow was even more unpleasant). We decided to dip into Hell's Woods instead, which was very pleasant! From there we skied Sweetheart (pleasant), cut into Stateside Glade (wonderful), and finished up on Sweetheart (a dream) to get in line for The Jet.

Run 20-22

Run 20: Jet Triple - Hotshot Derick - Willard - Mont l'Entrepide

[0.79 mi; 5:12; 1,243 ft; 28.9 mph max; 9.1 mph avg]

Run 21: Jet Triple - U.N.

[0.80 mi; 6:56; 1,250 ft; 26.7 mph max; 6.9 mph avg]

Run 22: Jet Triple - Montrealer - Catwalk - Northway - Taxi - Lower Can Am - Queen's Highway - Doe Woods - Chalet Meadows

[1.45 mi; 7:30; 1,207 ft; 21.5 mph max; 11.6 mph avg]

We rode The Jet up and team patrol went into the top shack to wait for their sweep. They noticed many skis outside the shack, including a set of rentals, and were displeased. Apparently a patroller had family/friends up for a birthday party? Emma and Sarah offered for me to join them on sweep, I decided I'd ski a bit more and then decide. Run #20 was a solo lap down Derick, which was... awful? I was surprised, but apparently they'd been grooming Derick this season, and I could tell. I would hit a bump, turn, and then skid 20 feet to the next bump. Unpleasant! The upper bit of Willard was no better, so I cut across to Mont l'Entrepide to finish out, which was much nicer.

Run #21 was down U.N. The snow was in significantly better shape with just a few hard patches. I also wanted to redeem myself after my last U.N. jaunt - which I mostly did minus one fall! I was thinking about sweeping with them, but then I rememebered how awful the groomers were and opted against it. 

My final run du jour was down Montrealer (unpleasant) to Catwalk and Northway (downright bad - folks were down on the sides missing equipment, some were hiking down, it was rough). Then I fought for my life to get down Taxi to Lower Can Am to Queen's Highway, finally ending in the wonderful Doe Woods. 

Back at the Bullwheel, the carnage continued. It was PACKED. Also there were kids scaling the cubbies? One kid was litterally on my pizza box. Crazy. I grabbed my stuff and scurried to the back stairs (cut off the band, sorry!) and did my chores downstairs in the cafeteria level. Thankfully I brought my own cider. 

I met Emma and Sarah around 4:40pm - they told me all about the crazy birthday party. We then drove over to the Belfry for dinner, which was just wonderful. Our waitress adored us (of course), and Patroller Kim joined us. Sarah and I did get a little silly, and Emma was kind enough to drive Sarah's car home. We didn't stay up too late afterwards, because we were going to Burke in the morning!

Map of Jay Peak (2025-2026 UPDATED Mid-Season)

Skiing Cochran's Ski Area (Day 25)

Skiing Cochran's Ski Area

Friday, February 20th, 2026

Runs: 5

Distance: 1.85 miles

Elevation: 1,942 feet

Max Speed: 32.3 mph

Avg. Speed: 12.7 mph

Moving Time: 9 minutes, 1 second

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes, 39 seconds

After a mandatory day of rest (not very restful, but I did not hike or ski!), I was back at it! I met Emma, Patrol Sarah, Snowboard Emma, and Elizabeth at our beloved Cochran's Ski Area for $5 Friday! We met up in the parking lot, and it was snowing! The plan was some silly skiing and then parking lot hot dogs. We booted up at the car and walked up to get started!

Runs 1-3

Run 1: T-Bar - Allison's Alley - The Elbow - Ginny's Way

[0.52 mi; 2:18; 410 ft; 24.4 mph max; 13.6 mph avg]

Run 2: T-Bar - Allison's Alley - The Face

[0.41 mi; 1:26; 407 ft; 28.2 mph max; 17.1 mph avg]

Run 3: T-Bar - I-89

[0.19 mi; 1:25; 410 ft; 30.2 mph max; 8.0 mph avg]

We lapped the T-Bar for four out of our five runs. Our first run was down Allison's Alley, The Elbow, and Ginny's Way - the widest way down. The trail was hard and fast with a inch of fresh snow on top. They had Ginny's Way lit this year, too! Last year it was pitch black. The hill was reasonably busy with never more than few minutes' wait. There was a higher half of Ginny's Way that was surprisingly bumpy - not with moguls, but the world's most aggressive mini-rollers.

Run #2 was down The Face, which was simply a delight with a little steep pitch near the middle. Run #3 was down I-89 (a name in which I adore), which was really fantastic with 2" of fresh snow (it was COMING DOWN). Snowboard Emma had never ridden a T-Bar before, so she was riding up solo, while the other four of us kept rotating who was with who. 

Runs 4-5

Run 4: T-Bar - The Race Trail

[0.38 mi; 1:24; 404 ft; 32.3 mph max; 16.3 mph avg]

Run 5: Rope Tow - The Race Trail

[0.35 mi; 2:28; 312 ft; 25.4 mph max; 8.6 mph avg]

Run #4 was up the T-Bar and then we turned left to hit The Race Trail. The Race Trail was in the best shape with the fresh snow and solid grade. Naturally, we HAD to run the Rope Tow for our final run. Team Snowboard skipped it this time (lame). I had my leather gloves on this year, and I was LAUNCHED up the hill - it's comically fast! We finished with another lap of The Race Trail, took a break at the porta potties, and then skied and walked back to the car for hot dogs. 

We did taste test of Oscar Meyer 100% Beef and Oscar Meyer 100% Tasty... the beef won, and unfortuantely they were double the price. The snow was absolutely dumping, which would have been fun to ski in, but it was definitely time to get home. The drive started as dicey and then got ridiculous - we were only guided by the rumble strip in the middle of the road (sometimes) and hopes/prayers. We did eventually make it home safely, and I picked up a pizza I had ordered on the drive. We chit chatted and had a drink before a relatively early bed time - back to Jay tomorrow!

Map of Cochran's Ski Area

Skiing Lost Valley Ski Area (Day 24/Indy Day 21/Vacation Day 6b)

Skiing Lost Valley Ski Area

Wednesday, February 18th, 2026

Runs: 14

Distance: 3.75 miles

Elevation: 3,261 feet

Max Speed: 29.8 mph

Avg. Speed: 11.2 mph

Moving Time: 20 minutes, 30 seconds

Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes, 39 seconds

We had a super easy 1-ish hour drive from Black Mountain of Maine to Lost Valley, and we were delighted to see that the parking lot was by no means full. We landed around 2:00pm, but we weren't feeling pressed for time since they have night skiing (or so we thought!). We got our Indy redemptions (we learned they do different colors for different days of the week - last year we came on Friday and it was red, this year it was on a Wednesday and it was orange) and booted up in the basement downstairs. I also took my hardest fall of the trip here... in the bathroom. Concrete bathroom flooring is a crazy decision! I slammed my hip into the ground - a man in the bathroom saw it happen and said "I hope the only thing that's bruised is your ego!" - not helpful! Either way, we were booted up and made our way to Chair #1 just before 2:30pm!

Runs 1-5

Run 1: Chair #1 - Logging Trail

[0.34 mi; 2:29; 246 ft; 27.2 mph max; 8.2 mph avg]

Run 2: Chair #3 - Logging Trail - Raccoon - Logging Trail

[0.19 mi; 1:08; 233 ft; 22.5 mph max; 10.3 mph avg]

Run 3: Chair #3 - Logging Trail - Lynx - Logging Trail

[0.19 mi; 1:06; 240 ft; 27.5 mph max; 10.3 mph avg]

Run 4: Chair #3 - Coyote

[0.11 mi; 1:02; 243 ft; 17.1 mph max; 6.6 mph avg]

Run 5: Chair #3 - Coyote - Coyote Crosscut

[0.19 mi; 1:21; 217 ft; 23.3 mph max; 8.5 mph avg]

We had basically the same goal as last time - ski the whole ski area! We were going to go from looker's left to right, more or less. Run #1 was up Chair #1 and down Logging Trail, which was a little scrapey but fun! All these trails are comically short, so after a (very) short skate, we were at Chair #3 and on our way back up!

And then right back on our way down again! Run #2 was down Raccoon, which was spicy. Basically a narrow ice luge where you Tokyo Drift the whole way down. Run #3 was down Lynx, which was in a slightly better mood, but not a great one, and Run #4 was down Coyote, which was at least wider? Gen had a spill and slide on this one, but she was undamaged! We talked about edge angle, but I also told her that I'm not skiing it well either. Run #5 required us to hit Coyote again to get to Coyote Crosscut, so we both had a slight redemption run!

Runs 6-8

Run 6: Chair #1 - Bull Moose

[0.25 mi; 1:14; 240 ft; 28.0 mph max; 12.3 mph avg]

Run 7: Chair #1 - Pine Grove - Big Buck

[0.30 mi; 2:13; 236 ft; 26.3 mph max; 8.0 mph avg]

Run 8: Chair #1 - Pine Grove - Deer Run - Bobcat

[0.41 mi; 1:47; 233 ft; 26.1 mph max; 13.7 mph avg]

We were both glad that we got those trails out of the way right away, beacuse everything else was truly wonderful! Run #6 was down the final black in this pod, Bull Moose, and it was in similar shape as Coyote, but we were both skiing it better. Our favorite route was on Run #7 - Pine Grove to Big Buck. We joked about ripping the trees and turning around the pines that were spaced ~20 feet apart. Big Buck was a great (short), wide race slope that skied wonderfully. Run #8 brought us through Pine Grove and continued onto Deer Run to Bobcat, all of which were still wonderful and fun. 

Runs 9-12

Run 9: Chair #2 - Fisher - Porcupine

[0.21 mi; 1:00; 230 ft; 26.8 mph max; 12.5 mph avg]

Run 10: Chair #2 - Chipmunk - Foxhole - Porcupine

[0.35 mi; 1:32; 213 ft; 23.4 mph max; 13.8 mph avg]

Run 11: Chair #2 - Skunk - Lower Foxhole

[0.31 mi; 1:44; 233 ft; 20.3 mph max; 10.7 mph avg]

Run 12: Chair #2 - Beaver - Porcupine

[0.24 mi; 1:11; 230 ft; 25.6 mph max; 12.2 mph avg]

We pivoted to Chair #2 for the final pod of trails on looker's right. First, we ripped the (short) liftline, down Fisher and Porcupine (which was signed as Lower Fisher on the hill). Run #10 was down Chipmunk to Foxhole to Porcupine, which was nice and gentle. Runs #11 and #12 were both favorites (along with #9). First we took Skunk to Lower Foxhole and then Beaver to Porcupine. Both Skunk and Beaver were nice "blues" that were short but had a nice little pitch (also I just love the name Skunk). 

Runs 13-14

Run 13: Chair #2 - Squirrel Run

[0.39 mi; 1:26; 233 ft; 29.8 mph mas; 16.3 mph avg]

Run 14: Chair #1 - Pine Grove - Big Buck

[0.26 mi; 1:14; 240 ft; 24.8 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]

When we got back to Chair #2 we were told this was our last run on this chair since it was closing. Strange, becuase last year all three chairs were open during night skiing, but okay! We followed Squirrel Run down, completing our map sans the park runs. With Chair #2 closed, we skated across to Chair #1 and did a wonderful repeat of Pine Grove to Big Buck to wrap up our vacation. 

We did a quick change in the lodge's basement and drove about an hour to get some Taco Bell (and go to REI as a treat). I dropped Gen off at home, and made it home around 8/9pm. This was such a wonderful Maine trip full of friends, beautiful weather, fun memories, and a LOT of progress. I was coming out of this trip feeling exponentially more confident in skiing difficult runs, including bumps and trees, and I was feeling really excited to get back to Jay Peak to ski some more "new-to-me" trails.

Map of Lost Valley Ski Area

Skiing Black Mountain of Maine (Day 24/Vacation Day 6a)

Skiing Black Mountain of Maine

Wednesday, February 18th, 2026

Runs: 7

Distance: 6.93 miles

Elevation: 7,871 feet

Max Speed: 43.2 mph

Avg. Speed: 13.0 mph

Moving Time: 37 minutes, 6 seconds

Total Time: 2 hours, 52 minutes, 2 seconds

Last day of Vacation! We had a 7:30am wake up to clean up the AirBnb before checking out and heading (to Dunkin first) to Black Mountain of Maine for a morning of skiing! It was their Free Ski Day, so we expected crowds, but were excited nonetheless! It was another beautiful day (6 days a row of beautiful weather and relatively comfortable temperatures) with sunshine and a light breeze! Gen and I decided we'd ski a half day, drive for a bit, and then redeem our Indy Passes at Lost Valley for a bit of afternoon skiing since we weren't using the Indy at Black. 

The parking lot was already filling up at 8:30am, and the ticked window was simply handing out printed tickets. Vibes were busy and fantastic! The lodge was slammed, but everyone was so kind and just happy to be there! None of us were particularly in a rush, so we slowly got ready and mosied out onto the snow. There was surprisingly no line at 9:00am and hardly one at 9:30am!

Mountain Report

Free Skiing & More

Wednesday, February 18th 9am-4pm

Poland Spring Natural Spring Water & Mahoosuc Land Trust have teamed up to highlight their shared commitment to caring for the forest that ensures clean drinking water & providing recreational opportunities we all love--from our ski slopes to the backcountry glades & trails on MLT's Rumford Whitecap Preserve. And to celebreate, they're giving you a FULL DAY of FREE winter fun! That's a pretty great partnership.

The lifts will be spinning and the tubing park will be open from 9am-4pm*& our friends from Poland Spring & Mahoosuc Land Trust will be on site with stickers, samples & more!

FREE Lift Tickets simply pick up your FREE lift tickets at the ticket window. This includes nordic and snowshoeing tickets. Tubing tickets are available online beginning February 9th.

$35+tax Alpien ski & snowboard rentals *does not include uphill rentals. Online ski rentals are sold out. A limited number of ski rentals will be available on-site on the day of the event, on a first come first served basis. We still have a limited number of snowboard rentals available online. Once those are gone, all rentals will be first come, first served. Quantities are limited. The rental shop will open at 7:30am to service those who have prebooked online & will then open up to the general public at 8am. Save time at the rental window by filling out this waiver & bringing it with you. Please DO NOT email the waiver, we will not be able to check email that day. Waivers are available onside as well.

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Summit Lift - Androscoggin

[0.80 mi; 2:35; 1,115 ft; 40.5 mph max; 18.5 mph avg]

Run 2: Summit Lift - Sticky - Upper Rapid - Kennebec - Lower Androcoggin

[0.80 mi; 2:22; 1,115 ft; 43.2 mph max; 20.3 mph avg]

Our first two runs had all five us skiing together - Sarah, Andre, Mom, Gen, and I! Run #1 was the whole of Androscoggin and Run #2 was v2 with Sticky, Upper Rapid, Kennebec, and Lower Androscoggin. These runs were hard and FAST. I broke my all-time speed record on Monday here at Black Mountain of Maine, and managed to break it again today on Run #1, and then again on Run #2! When these groomers are uncrowded, they are simply FUN. That being said, I still want to get better at carving on steeper pitches and at high speeds. 

Runs 3-4

Run 3: Summit Lift - Upper Allagash - Allagash Woods 3 - Allagash - Songo

[1.11 mi; 5:15; 1,109 ft; 33.5 mph max; 12.6 mph avg]

Run 4: Summit Lift - Upper Allagash - Allagash Woods 4 - Allagash - Sandy - Lower Rapid

[1.18 mi; 6:07; 1,125 ft; 35.0 mph max; 11.5 mph avg]

Andre went off on his own after the second run, which is something that he's mentioned he enjoys doing. The lift line was also getting a little beefy, so we started riding the single's line, and never had to wait for more than a few minutes. I was glad I was able to finally calm down and have a more realxing day skiing! My goal for the was to hit the remaining Allagash Woods, since I skied 1 and 2 on Monday. 

Run #3 was down Upper Allagash and into Allagash Woods 3, which had two entrances not far from one another. The snow was soft and almost spring-like and FUN! These woods were such a blast and right at my skill level. Gen positioned herself right at the exit and got photos of us on the way out. We wrapped this one up with the rest of Allagash and then Songo.

Run #4 started the same, but we hit Allagash Woods 4, which was the shorest and seemed to be the steepest of the four Allagash Woods (on a similar note, I had recently noticed there's a "new" Allagash Woods 5 on skier's right of Allagash, guess we have to do that too...). I had also officially found all four signs, too, which was fun! This run was a bit more challenging because of the pitch, but we made it out fine. We finished the run with Sandy and the rollers on Lower Rapid. 

Run 5

Run 5: Summit Lift - Upper Allagash - Pocwok Woods - Kennebago - Songo

[0.86 mi; 8:29; 1,152 ft; 30.1 mph max; 6.0 mph avg]

Run #5 was a surprise adventure run for Sarah, Mom, and I. Gen was off doing her own thing now and we jumped in the woods after Piscataquis, not really knowing anything. After maybe 100 yards of skiing, we found the sign - Pocwock Glade! I remembered seeing this on last year's map. The run started similar to Allagash Woods - soft snow and nicely spaced trees. Further on, the glade narrowed with a steep drop on skier's right. We continued on and came to a more manageable drop that we did ski down (it looked like you could continue straight for an even easier one). The glade mellowed out, ultimately flattening soon after the drop. I was skiing... moderately at best. The interesting thing about my skiing is that when I'm feeling cautious, I find myself leaning back and skiing wildly poorly. Things to work on! The final bit of the trail was a long run out that was just narrow and steep enough where both Mom and I were struggling to ski it properly, but we survived! This dropped us out onto the end of Kennebago, and we followed Songo back to the lift.

Run 6-7

Run 6: Summit Lift - Upper Allagash - Allagash Woods 5 - Allagash - Lazy River

[1.11 mi; 7:06; 1,132 ft; 27.2 mph max; 9.3 mph avg]

Run 7: Summit Lift - Upper Allagash - Allagash Woods 2 - Allagash - Sandy - Lower Rapid

[1.09 mi; 5:12; 1,122 ft; 34.0 mph max; 12.6 mph avg]

Run #6 brought us into Allagash Woods 5, which was open and delightful with more soft, playful snow. We decided to punish ourselves afterwards by exploring Lazy River, a new-to-me trail this trip, and it was... fine. It would actually have been fun if it had enough snow, but it was super bony and rocky. A steep, narrow trail with a sharp turn and skate at the end. We all kind of moped around the bumps trying to not destroy our skis, and were more than happy to be back on the lift line.

We had a redemption run with our seventh run. Sarah wanted to hit Allagash 2 to complete her map, and I happy obliged! I was back to skiing well and it was a really fun way to wrap up this phase of vacation! I gave hugs goodbye to Sarah and Mom at the end of the run, collected Gen from the lodge, waved to the spirit of Andre (we had no idea where he was), and headed back to the car! Gen pulled her ice cream out of a snowbank that she purposefully placed (genuis), and we started off towards Lost Valley!

I will say, I was feeling very medium about coming back to Black Mountain this year. I felt like I had basically done it all last year, but getting into more advanced terrain, including the trees and Moxie, has me NEEDING to come back and explore every last inch of this place!

Map of Black Mountain of Maine (2025-2026)

Skiing Saddleback Mountain (Day 23/Indy Day 20/Vacation Day 5)

Skiing Saddleback Mountain

Tuesday, February 17th, 2026

Runs: 25

Distance: 25.35 miles

Elevation: 27,421 feet

Max Speed: 35.1 mph

Avg. Speed: 9.4 mph

Moving Time: 2 hours, 35 minutes, 26 seconds

Total Time: 6 hours, 47 minutes, 28 seconds

Back to Saddleback! We basically had a carbon-copy routine as Sunday's voyage, and we were ready with Mom in tow! Gen and I drove my car, Alec went home in his and Sarah's car, and Mom, Sarah, and Andre were in Mom's car. The drive to Rangeley was completely painless (a rare treat!), we got settled in, we got our breakfast, and we were on snow just after lifts started spinning! Mom was running a few minutes behind, so she told us to go get a run in and she'd find us. It was going to be a cloudy day, but a warm day (low 30s!). 

One thing to note is that  my watch misbehaved, said I got 35 runs in, but also undershot my mileage and elevation for the day, so most of my data is from Google Earth estimates and a few runs that were accurately tracked. 

Daily Report

Tuesday, February 16, 2026.

Morning Report 6:56AM

We've got snowflakes coming down! Happy Second Day of February Vacation Week. Or maybe it's Day 3 if you count Sunday. However you count it, you can count on Saddleback to make it crazy-good, because we have yet another day of all lifts operating, all trails open, and a perfect weather forecast. And if you're the type that wants to lay down first tracks, the gates at every single lift we own and operate (there's six of 'em) open at 8:30 AM. Even the Molly Chunkamunk. Please note there was no particular reason to single out the Molly Chunkamunk. We just picked it cuz it's the funnest one to say.

The skiing has been tremendous, and we will be enjoying highs in the low 30s today. As an added bonus, we'll be dishing out snow showers. Just because we can. So get up here, and then, since it's February vacation, feel free to act like you're a kid again. You remember how to do that, right? Maybe we can help... let's think... maybe stick your tongue out and catch a snowfkae? Just make sure nobody's looking.

Please ski in control and respect posted signage when on the mountain. Hazards do exist in natural terrain. Ski with a buddy or two in the trees and look before you leap in the parks.

Tonight, Saddleback will be hosting Kid's Movie Night! Drop your kids off (who doesn't love doing that?) in the Snowsports Room downstairs in the lodge for a cozy movie night from 5:30-7:30pm. While they're doing that, treat yourself to a kids-free evening in the Pub! Kids can wear pajamas, bring a blanket or a stuffed animal, and enjoy a family-friendly movie with snacks provided. Cost is $20 per child.

The NEST and Sneaky Pete's open at 10am every day this week, and the Pub stays open til 8pm!

Enjoy!

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Green Weaver - Lower Green Weaver

[1.17 mi; 1,175 ft]

Run 2: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Royal Coachman

[0.95 mi; 1,175 ft]

Run 3: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Green Weaver

[0.45 mi; 610 ft]

Run 4: Kennebago Quad - America - Hudson Highway - Silver Doctor

[1.48 mi; 5:09; 1,637 ft; 29.3 mph max; 17.3 mph avg]

Run 5: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Grey Ghost

[0.90 mi; 3:12; 1,188 ft; 31.5 mph max; 16.8 mph avg]

The four of us rode up the Rangeley, all giddy with excitement for the day to come. The summit was socked in, so we kept to the Rangeley for our first few runs. We got to the top, decided to hit the full Green Weaver run, and heard "WAITTTT" - Mom ended up being only a few chairs behind us! We got our pole pictures, helmet potato pictures, and we were off! I'll maintain, Green Weaver is a fun trail! It's just a bummer that it gets so scraped off so quickly. 

Run #2 was up the Rangeley and down the Royal Coachman which was fast and FUN! Gen stuck to Grey Ghost, even though Coachman was barely steeper than Grey Ghost and she totally could have handled it. 

There were delightfully no crowds at all, so we skied right back on for our next run! Andre and I tragically rode up on Chair #70 with the other three behind us. We were getting ready to head to the Kennebago for our first America run of the day! Green Weaver was holding up nicely, and soon we were on the Kennebago!

Sarah, Andre, and Gen rode up on Chair #68, and Mom and I got Chair #69! It was a vacation miracle! The clouds were DENSE up top, which made America delightfully spooky. From America, we hit Hudson Highway and then the Silver Doctor (we originally planned on Blue Devil, but we remembered how scrapey Silver Doctor got on Sunday, so we wanted to hit that one first). 

We wrapped up our series of delightful groomers with the Grey Ghost. All of the blue runs on this mountain are just fun! I think Red Devil is my favorite, then Blue Devil, Royal Coachman, Silver Doctor, and then Grey Ghost, but all are so much fun!

Runs 6-9

Run 6: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Peachy's Peril - The Pass

[0.40 mi; 4:01; 597 ft; 19.4 mpjh max; 6.0 mph avg]

Run 7: Kennebago Quad - Dazzler - Casablanca Chute #2 - Casablanca Glades 1-4 - Nymph

[0.84 mi; 9:21; 991 ft; 19.3 mph max; 5.4 mph avg]

Run 8: Kennebago Quad - Tri-Color - Firefly - Dark Wizard Glades

[0.62 mi; 7:24; 984 ft; 19.9 mph max; 5.0 mph avg]

Run 9: Kennebago Quad - Dazzler - Tight Line - Lower Tight Line

[1.42 mi; 5:13; 1,627 ft; 35.1 mph max; 16.4 mph avg]

We had one more group ride on the Rangeley, and then Sarah, Mom, and I broke off to do some adventure runs. To mix things up, Run #6 was down Peachy's Peril to The Pass. A fun surprise was that Peachy's was no longer the soft-snow bump haven it was on Sunday, but instead it was full of giant, car-sized lumps of hard snow and ice! Made for a bit of a challenge, but we made it down unscathed (Mom and I each went down once). 

We planned to get our Tight Line run in for Run #7, but the headwall was fully socked in and there were MANY people standing around talking about this being their first time on Tight Line, which simply did not interest us. We opted to continue on towards Casablanca, unsure of which to hit. Instead of taking the side cut from Black Beauty, we adventured over to Casablanca Chute #2. The snow was hard with some stumps to dodge, but overall it wasn't too bad! Once we were in Casablanca proper, we had a hard time deciding where we wanted to go. We thought we'd follow the "2" signs, but there didn't appear to be any? A mystery! Sarah had a small boot crisis - they've been running tight since she got her new boots for this season, and her feet were numb. Somehow I then became the line leader and just kept traversing over to Casablanca #4, which was a bit silly, but I guess fun to technically ski all four! The upper stretch was still crusty but it soon filled in with wonderfully soft snow. By the bottom we were back to giggling with every turn! Partway down, Mom took a selfie and said "MATT GET IN!" so I squatted down to fit the frame and she said "you look like you're taking a poop in your purple poopy pants!" and continued to cackle the whole way down. I then managed to get myself into a deep pocket of powder in a flat spot, so I tired to waddle my way out and knocked snow off of a tree onto myself. Mom was making fun of me, and then hit a "massive tree" (a 6" branch) and spun out, too. We were a mess! The ride out on Nymph was great, and we teehee'd all the way back to the Kennebago.

Our next run was aimed at the Dark Wizard Glade (GREAT name). We checked out the top entrance, which looked skiable but unpleasant, so we turned right off of the lift, skied down Tri-Color just a bit, and then made a sharp right onto Firefly and skied over to the lower entrance. These woods were tight and steep and the snow was a DREAM. Only complaint was that they were busier than Casablanca, which I guess made sense considering how massive and hard to get to Casablanca is. The snow was just delightful in Dark Wizard, and of course we pretended to cast Harry Potter spells on each other! Mom and I each took a few silly falls into the soft snow. This one was definitely a favorite!

Run #9 was back to the Tight Line, which was equally as socked in but with significantly fewer people this time. It skied scrapier than Sunday, but still good! There were a few kids down on the side near Firefly, but I was going too fast to stop to check on them in time. Thankfully, Sarah and Mom stopped to check on them. I notice at the bottom there was a snowboarder just... walking around? I would later learn that the snowboarder was the kids' brother, and his snowboard popped off while strapping in at the headwall, flew down the run, and landed somewhere in the woods... Kid was toast. I'm just glad that nobody got hurt! We followed Lower Tight Line from there, which was an absolute dream. Mom and Sarah were going in for a bathroom break, and I was in the zone so I was going to get another run in in the meantime. I could have gone all the way down, but I didn't want to sit on the South Branch Quad...

Runs 10-12

Run 10: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Professor - Lower Professor - Lower Jane Craig

[0.98 mi; 6:11; 1,224 ft; 22.1 mph max; 9.5 mph avg]

Run 11: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Upper Jane Craig - The Pass

[0.47 mi; 567 ft]

Run 12: Kennebago Quad - America - Hudson Highway - Wooly Bugger Glades - Hudson Highway

[1.73 mi; 1,567 ft]

Run #10 was by myself and I followed Professor all the way down (then into Lower Jane Craig - a loose goal of mine for the day was to connect all these trails that are split up by The Pass). Upper professor was soft and bumpy and fun! Sarah warned me that were was a little cliff section that could be skipped in the woods on the side. I made it to the cliff, stared at it, and SENT IT. By send it, I mean carefully chose a line with a little bit of snow and turned the second I landed, swore, and "stomped" it! I giggled and took a photo for posterity. Lower Professor was fun, mellower, and surprisingly bumpy. Lower Lower Jane Craig had some smaller bumps and was just as fun. I love this mountain!

I reunited with Sarah and Mom back at the Rangeley and we followed Upper Jane Craig. Upper Jane Craig has a similar headwall to the "cliff" on Professor, but just holds snow better. Run #12 was up the Kennebago (BACK on Chair #69!) and down America to Hudson Highway. We initially thought we'd ski all of Hudson Highway, but then the Wolly Bugger Glades caught out eye. They were... an adventure! The upper stretch was flat and tight. Then it started to steepen with just a few lines to choose from. Then it would open up. Then it would hit a little cliff. Then it could get narrow again. Then it got flat again. Then it got steep again with just a few lines. Eventually the woods nicely opened up (still tight, but many lines to choose from)! Somewhere in the lower 2/3rds we found Sasquach, too! How fun! We were quite relieved to exit these woods. They weren't bad, they were just more than we all emotionally signed up for at the time. We were all ready for a redemption run, so we skied just over to the T-Bar.

Runs 13-14

Run 13: Cupsuptic T-Bar - Blue Devil 

[0.56 mi; 648 ft]

Run 14: Cupsuptic T-Bar - Parmanchene Belle (L) - Gnat - Hudson Highway

[0.87 mi; 870 ft]

I got an introverted T-Bar ride up with Sarah and Mom ahead of me - we got a nice run on Blue Devil! Mom was ready for some food, so from there she skied back to the lodge, but Sarah and I were still going strong, so we hopped back on the T-Bar!

From there, we hit the Parmanchene Belle and hit the left side of the split (since I did the right side on Sunday). It was fun! Medium sized bumps. It was steeper up top but then mellowed out and the snow was holding pretty nicely. It was also nice to hot be hitting this run super late in the day. We hit the connector trail "Gnat" on the way back to the Rangeley, which was just fun to hit something new.

Runs 15-17

Run 15: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Green Weaver

[0.45 mi; 567 ft]

Run 16: Kennebago Quad - Tri-Color - Intimiador Glades - The Pass

[0.69 mi; 959 ft]

Run 17: Kennebago Quad - Dazzler - Casablanca O - Black Beauty - Lower Green Weaver - Green Hornet

[2.02 mi; 1,567 ft]

Sarah and I had a few more adventures in us, so Run #15 was back down Green Weaver to the Kennebago and then #16 brought us down Tri-Color to the Intimiador Glades, which were just wonderful! Similar to Dark Wizard, tight and steep up top and wonderfully manageably challenging down low. These are the glades where Mom found her "inner aloha" (she came up a few years ago and met these kids in their early 20s who were have the time of their lives after MANY beers. They skied the run together, and when they parted ways they shouted "find your inner aloha, Mary!") - Sarah and I found ours, too! Once we were out, we hopped back on The Pass to get back to the Kennebago.

Run #17 was our grand adventure du jour. We wanted to ski the upper portion of Black Beauty. Since Firefly didn't even legally get us to Frost Bite on Sunday, we figured we'd ski on Dazzler to the Casablanca entrance and cut over on skier's left. I skied the entrance to Casablanca much better this time around and the first few turns in Casablanca 1 were solid! The trees were definitely tighter on this side. We kept to skiers left, but weren't noticing many tracks cutting over to Black Beauty (we really only noticed one set higher up than we wanted). We continued down, hugging skier's left, eventually finding ourselves in a relatively untracked area that was tight and steep. I am not good at tight trees, and the deep, relatively untracked snow made it more challenging for me! Mostly becuase I usually make a couple turns and stop, but this snow was not forgiving to stopping. At one point I did manage to get myself wedged between two small trees and had my knee in a precarious position - Sarah had to pop me out of my binding so I could adjust - not too fun! We continued on and we could see Black Beauty about 30 feet away at a few spots, but it would be essentially a bushwhack through deep snow which neither of us wanted. EVENTUALLY we made our way back to Casablanca 1, found the "0" sign, and popped onto Black Beauty from the same spot we did on Sunday... it was a nice try! We decided to call the run we did "Casablanca 0." I later checked the Strava Global Heat Map and it looks like people do ski the line we skied, but NOT many!

We both were ready for a groomer after that adventure, so we followed Lower Green Weaver to Green Hornet, which were like a reward after that challenge!

Runs 18-19

Run 18: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Green Weaver

[0.45 mi; 567 ft]

Run 19: Kennebago Quad - America - Hudson Highway - Red Devil

[2.05 mi; 1,567 ft]

After this run, Sarah said she was ready for some hot chocolate, so she headed inside and I was back on my own! I took the Rangeley to Green Weaver for Run #18 and #19 was a nice cruiser run down America (still in the clouds), Hudson Highway, and Red Devil (I made sure to hit the other side of the split than what I took on Sunday!).

Daily Report

Tuesday, February 16, 2026.

Afternoon Update: 2:19PM

Today's Soft turns and warm temps have resulted in smiles all around. Tuesday has been a blast up here. The corduroy is skiing exactly how we like it to be when the temperatures get above 30. The natural terrain remains challenigng, exciting, and rewarding. This afternoon we've got Rob Fowler busting out the tunes in The Pub from 3:00 to 6:00pm. We've also got Kid's Movie Night in the Snowsports room tonight at 5:30pm.

There's still time to grab a reservation for tomorrow's Taqueria Night at the NEST. Time slots are filling up so be sure to act fast if you want to join in on an unforgettable evening at 3,620 feet of elevation.

Friday's Feb Fest has a lineup full of top-notch activities from start to finish. Online registration is available for skiers and riders ages 14 and under who would like to lay down their best lineup in the 3rd Annual Gee Whiz Grom Slopestyle Open. Check-in starts at 8:00am, practice runs at 9:00am, and first runs kick off at 10:00am!

All fun, all week! Saddleback is the place to be.

Runs 20-22

Run 20: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Peachy's Peril - Lower Peachy's Peril

[1.13 mi; 1,175 ft]

Run 21: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Jane Craig - Lower Jane Craig (R)

[1.01 mi; 1,175 ft]

Run 22: Ragneley Hi-Speed Quad - Grey Ghost

[0.90 mi; 1,175 ft]

Continuing on my solo journey and my loose side quest to connect all of Peachy's, Professor, and Jane Craig, Run #20 brought me up the Rangeley and all the way down Peachy's Peril. The big bumps on my exhausted legs led to some less-than-glamorous skiing, but I made it down with only a couple tumbles! Lower Peachy's Peril was reasonably bumpy and super fun, even on my tired legs.

While the bumps were softer and smaller, Jane Craig felt a bit more challenging than Peachy's, mostly because of the drop at the end. I did NOT do a great job, and managed to fall right into The Pass. Thankfully I was fine and I only nudged someone who was standing on The Pass (I apologized, he was unbothered). Lower Jane was much more challenging than Lower Peachy's - with endless bumps. Would have been an absolute blast earlier in the day! This trail splits twice - I followed the right side both times. My legs were jell-o!

Once back on the Rangeley, I got the text that Sarah and Mom were ready to head back out, so I zoomed down Grey Ghost to meet them. I had to go slower than I wanted to because the trail conditions were super scrapey, but I was happy to be back with friends! I like these days where I get some time with friends and some solo time, too.

Runs 23-25

Run 23: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Grey Ghost - Jitterbug - Hudson Highway - Red Devil

[1.38 mi; 1,175 ft]

Run 24: Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Green Weaver - Lower Tight Line - Garrison Glades - Hummer - Royal Tiger

[1.44 mi; 1,459 ft]

Run 25: South Branch Quad - Rangeley Hi-Speed Quad - Grey Ghost - Jitterbug - Sneaky Pete - The Pass - T-Bar Line- Squirrel

[1.01 mi; 4:07; 1,198 ft; 25.1 mph max; 14.7 mph avg]

Mom only wanted to do "two more skip the last," so we followed her lead going down Grey Ghost, Jitterbug, Hudson Highway, and then Red Devil, which was holding up nicely!

Sarah and I were both wrapping up for the day, but it was also almost 4:00pm, so we decided to just push until last chair and then skip the last. Run #24 was up the Rangeley, down Green Weaver and Lower Tight Line (a DELIGHT), and then we checked out the Garrison Glades! They were fun with 1-2 lines per section, but had a ton of trail crossings. I think out of the two beginner glades, I like Mrs. Duley more. I also wish they had more lines to choose from so beginners could practice making actual turns instead of following tracks, but it was still nice!

We talked about how to wrap up, and I mentioned to Sarah that I overheard a local saying that they allow skiing on the T-Bar line once lifts close at 3:50-3:55. We went back and forth, and then decided we might as well give it a shot, and worst case get another lap on one of the Devils. To make it fun, we wiggled down on Grey Ghost, Jitter Bug, Sneaky Pete, and The Pass. There were ~3 kids and ~2 adults waiting at the top of the T-Bar Line. We waited for a few minutes until the lift officially closed, the lifty at the top shack came out and said "you're good to go!," the kids skied down first, and then Sarah and I had a WONDERFUL run. We giggled the whole way back! It was SO NICE to ski on fresh corduroy at 4:00pm, especially after skiing like poop for the back half of the day! This might become a new tradition of ours!

We wrapped up in the lodge and visited the gift shop. Sarah, Mom, and Andre went to the grocery store for pasta and meatballs for dinner, and then we had a wonderful night of food and chit chats back at the AirBnb. Only one more day of vacation left!

Map of Saddleback Mountain (2024-2025)