Skiing Bolton Valley

Skiing Bolton Valley

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

Runs: 10

Distance: 9.41 miles

Elevation: 8,100 feet

Max Speed: 27.4 mph

Avg. Speed: 11.9 mph

Moving Time: 47 minutes, 27 seconds

Total Time: 3 hours, 7 minutes, 18 seconds

Sadly, it was now officially the last day of break. We got up around 8:00am to get a DELICIOUS breakfast at Rustic Roots in Shelburne, VT with Kyle and Gabby, and then we went our seperate ways. Gabby and Kyle went over to Burlington and then the Ben & Jerry's factory, and Emma and I decided we'd get a few more laps in at Bolton Valley! We parked at the park and ride and then Emma's car (thankfully) made the drive up the dreadful access road, and I'm glad she did, because it was snowing up there! We parked in the Timberline lot since the upper lot was full, and got a great spot thanks to an English guy leaving early. We fully suited up at the car, got our Indys for the day, and headed right to the lift!

Snow Report

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

Folks, it's just too good out there. No Sunday scaries allowed!

We were showered in another 2-4 inches of snow overnight and we'll be seeing some more flurries throughout the day. Some light winds pushed some of that into the trees towards the top of the mountain overnight, which means the good are still in the woods.

We'll be seeing mild temps again today with a high of 24. Truthfully, this is just about the 'warmest' it's been all season which makes for really comfortable days on the mountain. Great for the kiddos and lessons ;). 

Conditions are feeling soft and cushy on groomed trails, with tons and tons of powder throughout the woods. If today is anything like yesterday, and it will be, it's going to be one of the best days of the season.

Keep an eye out for Babe Force in the backcountry today as they continue to shred it up. Be sure to stick around after the lifts close at 4 for Trivia Night in the James Moore Tavern. Have fun out there! We know we will.

Runs 1-3

Run 1: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Lower Villager - Lower Bentley

[0.66 mi; 3:16; 410 ft; 20.9 mph max; 12.2 mph avg]

Run 2: Snowflake Lift - Sprig o' Pine - Bear Run

[0.30 mi; 1:20; 259 ft; 21.4 mph max; 13.6 mph avg]

Run 3: Vista Lift - Alta Vista - Sherman's Pass - Bull Run - Enchanted Forest - Primer Loop

[1.14 mi; 5:26; 1,004 ft; 26.9 mph max; 12.6 mph avg]

After getting on the Timberline Lift, which pinched my calves so badly I thought skin was ripped off, we made our way up past the mid-station and up to the top. We first thought we'd go to the Wilderness side and then work our way back. We followed Upper Village to Lower Villager, both skied wonderfully with fresh, soft snow, and then Lower Bentley, which was even less touched and just delightful. Only bummer was that Lower Bentley spits out way below the Vista Lift, and the nearest lift was the Snowflake, which still required some upshill shuffling. We shrugged our shoulders and decided to work smarter not harder and got on the Snowflake Lift (installed in 1966 along with Mid-Mountain and Wilderness), and then followed Sprig o' Pine to Bear Run. 

We still hadn't made it to the Wilderness Lift, so we decided we'd work our way across and ride every chair as our silly goal. Next up was the Vista Lift! We were joined by two strangers - one of which was chatty. Unfortunately, I couldn't chat much, because something about the vibrations of the chair awakened a beast inside of me, and by that I mean I had to POOP. We got off the chair and when discussing where to go my only answer was "DOWN." We followed Alta Vista to Sherman's Pass, both of which were fun but not fast enough for the budding emergency. From there we hopped on Bull Run and did a quick jaunt through the beautiful but louge-y Enchanted Forest to Primer Loop and then I RAN into the lodge's basement to christen that toilet. The drowned burger bit back. 

Runs 4-7

Run 4: Mid-Mountain Lift - Glades - Primer Loop

[0.42 mi; 3:01; 361 ft; 21.3 mph max; 8.3 mph avg]

Run 5: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Old Turnpike - Upper Wilderness Woods - Lower Wilderness

[1.16 mi; 5:53; 1,024 ft; 20.3 mph max; 11.8 mph avg]

Run 6: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Coyote - Unmarked Woods - Work Road - Lower Wilderness - Abenaki Trail

[1.27 mi; 6:46; 1,020 ft; 22.2 mph max; 11.2 mph avg]

Run 7: Mid-Mountain Lift - Glades - Primer Loop

[0.37 mi; 2:47; 351 ft; 16.5 mph max; 7.9 mph avg]

After that crisis, we were back! Snow was continuing to fall and we hopped onto the Mid-Mountain Lift. At the top, we turned a sharp left and went on the trail called "Glades," which was actually just a bump run with 3ish trees - it was actually delightful and became our pick of the day! It was quiet, super snowy, and fun to practice on. I kept talking to myself and accidentally sent it over just one bump, no more! We followed Primer Loop down and around to the Wilderness Lift after.

The Wilderness Lift and I have some long-standing beef, as I had a hell of a time on it last March. Twice my ski got caught on the ground and another time my ski fully popped off - not sure if it was the guy bumping the lift or if I was just too relaxed with my ankles, but it was NOT a good time. Thankfully, today was much better. The lifty immedaitely complimented my pants and bumped the chair perfectly for our long, slow, lovely ride up. At this point we had both agreed we didn't really need to hit anything too steep and our goal was just to explore. We followed Peggy Dow's down to Old Turnpike, which was in rough shape. Super scraped off or super snowy with no in between - I did launch out of my skis at one turn when I wasn't expected the variable conditions. In the spirit of exploration, Emma brought us into the Upper Wilderness Woods where I... survived! Made it out fine, but did not perform very well. We followed Lower Wilderness back to the chair.

Run #6 followed Peggy Dow's again, with a goal of making our way to the top of the Mid-Mountain Lift to hit Glade (we were unsuccessful). We took the little chute to bypass the headwall on Peggy Dow's and then made our way to Coyote, which was fun and fully natural. Emma dipped us into some unmarked woods, which weren't great, but fine. From there, we followed Work Road to Lower Wilderness to Abenaki, back to the Mid-Mountain Lift.

Instead of trying and failing to find it from the top, we just hit Glades again from the Mid-Mountain, which was again, delightful. I was back to linking turns - yay! We were both ready to get back on the Vista to check out the Vista Glades, so off we went!

Snow Report

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

1:05 PM Update: We're upping our snow totals for today from 2-4 to 4-6 with these fresh flurries. More to come throughout the week and we're stoked for it!

Runs 8-10

Run 8: Vista Lift - Vista Glades - Sherman's Pass - Swing - Work Road - Fanny Hill - Abenaki Trail

[1.19 mi; 7:00; 1,027 ft; 21.8 mph max; 10.2 mph avg]

Run 9: Vista Lift - Cobrass - Five Corners - Timberline Run

[1.96 mi; 8:44; 1,673 ft; 27.4 mph max; 13.5 mph avg]

Run 10: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Sure Shot - Timberline Run

[0.95 mi; 3:06; 968 ft; 26.5 mph max; 17.7 mph avg]

Run #8 brought us to the Vista Glades which were a damn treat! Soft, bumpy, only a few scrapey rocks, and super beautiful. Also, well within my skill-set. I had to stop a couple times just to look around and actively think about where I was going, which is a good thing! Again, we waited to find Glades from here, and did not succeed. We got onto Sherman's Pass, then took Swing, Work Road, Fanny Hill, and finally Abenaki Trail. Good effort!

We were getting COLD now, so we decided to work our way back to the Timberline side. We got back on the Vista and somehow got on our own chair (they didn't have a lifty pairing people up, so the folks in front and behind us all made groups of four, leaving just the two of us - no complaints! Also, the lifties put up a whiteboard that read "Who is better at keeping chairs on the lift? Bolton or Attitash (Vail)" which got many laughs! From the top we followed Cobrass, which was super fun! Super variable conditions, from packed powder to glare ice to massive bumps - it kind of felt like a final exam for the week! We had a blast though. Next, we turned onto Five Corners. One of the "GNAR" rules we made for Jay Peak was "When you smell weed, loudly say "I didn't know they had skunks here,"" in honor of something Emma's mom genuinely says whenever she smells the devil's lettuce. We did that, LOUDLY, and then skied past the two middle-aged men sharing a joint. It seemed like they did hear us, but got a chuckle out of it, thank goodness! From Five Corners we continued onto Timberline Run for a nice, long route back.

At the chair, I was starting to feel the Sunday Scaries™ and we were both cold, so we called two more skip the last. We got the chair to ourselves again, it was still dumping snow, and we were in store for a lovely run. We got our pole picture at the top of Upper Tattle Tale, and then made our way over to Sure Shot for a nice cruiser. We exchanged "I'm gonna rip the shit out of this run"s and "I'm a better skier than you"s and eventually landed back at the Timerline Lodge, which had a bar in it! Naturally, we stopped for a quick apres, before the long journey home.

In reflection, this was one of my favorite February breaks ever. I skied with so many different friends, I got so much better, and it's just such a gift to spend 9 out of 10 days on a mountain. The season's not over yet, though!

Map of Bolton Valley

Skiing Bolton Valley

T-one day until the eclipse! Our day got started with a planned craft and unplanned... The planned craft was spraying bleach around a plate on a black t-shirt to make eclipse shirts (it worked!), and the unplanned craft was my Jell-O shots... more on that on my next post... After our crafts Gen and I drove down to Bolton Valley, which has become one of my favorite ski spots! My lovely CRV made it up the access road like an absolute champion, we got our passes, and were on the snow just after lifts opened at 10am. 

Snow Report

7am Update: Happy Sunday Funday and Total Eclipse Weekend at Bolton Valley. Snow continued lightly for much of the day yesterday, keeping things fresh out there with nearly 3 feet of snow over the last three and a half days. A pretty trememdous way to head into this momentous occasion with Mother Nature with the the snow clouds now giving way to sunshine and (hopefully) building right through tomorrow's spectacle in the sky around 3:30... We're so excited about it, we're gonna do some dancing with DJ Fattie B from 1-4pm (outside, weather permitting, but TBD). 

        Today we plan to pick up with lifts and trails where we left off yesterday with warmer temps, drier skies and that bright yellow thing in the sky coming back out to play... We'll run 4 lifts - Vista, Snowflake, and Mighty Mite from 10am to 5pm and Wilderness 10:30am to 5pm. Tomorrow we plan to run a similar lift mode, but with Timberline in place of Wilderness and will spin Vista until 6pm to help folks spread out their departure a bit as the roads could be crowded just after the moment of truth if all the hype proves true. Today we expect to have about 80% of our terrain and tomorrow closer to 90% with all trails served by open lifts on each day.

Runs 1-5

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

[1.34 mi, 6:10, 997 ft, 25.2 mph max, 12.8 mph avg]

Run 2: Vista Lift - Sherman's Pass - Bull Run - Mouse Hole - Fanny Hill - Abenaki Trail

[1.20 mi, 3:36, 994 ft, 31.2 mph max, 19.8 mph avg]

Run 3: Vista Lift - Cobrass - Cobrass Run - Bear Run

[1.13 mi, 4:34, 994 ft, 31.5 mph max, 14.6 mph avg]

Run 4: Vista Lift - Sherman's Pass - Bull Run - Mouse Hole - Fanny Hill - Abenaki Trail

[1.14 mi, 3:51, 1007 ft, 27.5 mph max, 17.0 mph avg]

Run 5: Vista Lift - Sherman's Pass - Swing - Work Road - Coyote - Fanny Hill - Abenaki Trail

[1.28 mi, 6:21, 1063 ft, 28.4 mph max, 12.1 mph avg]

Our first five runs were all on the Vista Lift - the one lift (excluding the rope tow) that I've never been on! It is a quad, and the culture of Bolton valley is that no chair goes un-filled, which was fine. It was a shockingly bluebird day with excellent views towards Lake Champlain and the ADK, along with frosty trees up top and full snow cover! We took some photos at the summit area, including a classic "Emma Photo" - stabbing both poles into the snow and looping the phone camera in the straps - which came out blurry. Our first was was going to be the easiest way down via Sherman's Pass, which was truly lovely. A few sharp turns and overall gentle grades mixed with beautiful scenery - just lovely! Only downside was many people, especially children, so Gen and I split for the second run - she did a repeat, and I turned off at Bull Run to hit Mouse Hole, my beloved Fanny Hill, and Abenaki Trail. The snow was fresh and felt great! We even got to watch a toddler not ski away from the lift unloading zone, a woman ran the kid over, causing the adult's ski to pop off. The dad of the child was curious at the child, the woman was crying, and the dad of the child made the child carry the adult-sized ski back to the woman and apologize. Iconic!

Our third run was more challenging - down Cobrass - with steeper sections and choppier snow, but the views and surroundings continued to be beautiful. I could tell that this trail would get bumpy in a few hours, so we did not come back becuase we are #lazy. Run four was a repeat of run two, and we got fancy on the fifth by taking Swing to Work Road to Coyote, which started as more groomed but ended up being frozen and bumpy at the end, but landed back on the lovely Fanny Hill. Only complaint were the children, but they're kind of part of the deal here, and that's okay! We went to the car to shed some layers and use the bathroom, and then we were off to the Wilderness Chair!

11am Update: Gorgeous bluebird day out there with warm temps and soft snow. You may want your sunscreen for this daydream. If the "Upper Lots Full" sign is out at Timberline, park there and the bus will bring you up. We'll have Timberline Lift spinning for Eclipse Monday.

Runs 6-8

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

[1.18 mi, 4:35, 1001 ft, 25.3 mph max, 14.6 mph avg]

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

[1.21 mi, 4:05, 1001 ft, 27.2 mph max, 17.2 mph avg]

Run 8: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Wilderness Liftline - Lower Wilderness - Abenaki Trail - Lower Fanny Hill

[1.20 mi, 5:01, 968 ft, 26.3 mph max, 18.3 mph avg]

Wilderness Lift time! I was excited to head back over here as I simply loved the trails last time. Also, having no line was nice. Also, not having to share the chair with strangers was nice, too. I was a bit clumsy getting on the slingshot of a chair - my ski even got caught on the ground below, but we were soon heading up on the beautiful, rustic, slow chair. Up top we took the uphill route down, which is truly just lovely and fun. A bit flat at first, but followed by a narrow chute and some steeper banked turns (note: I'm writing this after skiing Haynes at Jay, so steep is definitely subjective), and ending with a nice cruise through the groomed woods. 

My second lift ride was humbling embarassing. I, again, was a little clumsy getting on the lift, my ski got caught again, but this time it fully popped off and they had to stop the chair for me - first time for everything! The lifty was insanely kind and even popped my ski back on for me (I basically begged for him to put me out of my misery and hand it to me, but he insisted on getting it back on, which was definitely the right move for many reasons). Following the humiliation, we had another great run down the same route.

The third and final lift ride was better... I said flat out to the lifty "this is my redemption," and my foot got caught again. After HOURS of introspection, I think I was sitting down too low to catch the chair, which ran higher than normal, so I was tipping forward... awful. Either way, I yelled in anger, he said "are you okay," I said "yes I'm just being dramatic," and I vowed to never return. To keep myself in check, I took the bumpy Wilderness Liftline down after Peggy Dow's, which kept my tail in between my legs. In an act of solidarity, Gen's calf cramped up after this run, so she took a break. 

12:30pm Update: DJ Fattie B is firing up on the tavern deck shortly to keep the vibes flying high. Gorgeous bluebird day out there with warm temps and soft snow. You may want your sunscreen for this daydream. If the "Upper Lots Full" sign is out at Timberline, park there and the bus will bring you up. We'll have Timberline Lift spinning for Eclipse Monday.

Runs 9-10

Run 9: Vista Lift - Sherman's Pass - Swing - Work Road - Coyote - Fanny Hill - Abenaki Trail

[1.17 mi, 3:49, 1004 ft, 28.2 mph max, 18.3 mph avg]

Run 10: Vista Lift - Sherman's Pass - Swing - Work Road - Fanny Hill - Abenaki Trail

[1.18 mi, 4:17, 1024 ft, 28.2 mph max, 16.0 mph avg]

Final two runs were back on the Vista Lift. The first was without Gen and I humbly repeated my stint on Coyote, which was starting to soften up. The lower mountain was transitioning to sticky snow, which also kept things interesting. I found Gen at the bottom and she was ready for our last run, taking Sherman's Pass to Swing to Work Road to Fanny Hill to Abenaki, which was excellent. A great way to wrap up our morning - and as a reward, we bought souvenirs and rice balls!

End of Day Stats: 10 Runs, 12.02 miles, 10,049 feet, 31.5 mph max, 47:20 skiing, 3:37:37 elapsed.

Map of Bolton Valley Resort (2024)

Skiing Jay Peak & Cannon Mountain

Day #15, and it was one of my favorites! We got just over two hours of sleep and were out the door by 3:00am heading toward Jay for the sunrise service/free tram ride. I was shockingly awake for the drive, which is especially impressive considering I was abstaining from caffeine (I did not trust my bowels after two days of heavy, creamy pasta meals).

Jay Peak

Snow Report

Day 124a: Early Word (6:20a)

        It's looking like a bright and sunny Easter here at Jay Peak with our Sunrise Tram Service finishing up, an All-day Easter Buffet at Alice's Table and an Egg hunt for the kiddos at noon over at the waterpark. That west wind is still existent but has diminished generously and should hopefully allow us to run most lifts today.

        We'll see a high of 37 degrees and with lower temps at night causing the snow to re-freeze, the upper mountain conditions will continue to take on a frozen granular consistency this morning before that sun softens things up to more of a playful corn snow through the afternoon.

        Confidence is increasing in a possible "long-durration" April winter storm that would hit us roughly Wednesday through Friday. The verdict is still out on how much snow we'll see and we don't want to jinx it, but things could get deep here at Jay once again next week.

Run 1: Tram - Northway - Goat Run - Queen's Highway

[2.02 mi, 7:25, 2100 ft, 35.2 mph max, 16.3 mph avg]

I landed to the parking lot right at 4:00am, which was a bit stressful because I hadn't parked Tramside since my very first day skiing over two years ago. I figured it out, went for a walk to scope things out, and decided I had a bit of time to sit in the car. I eventually got dressed and carried my gear over to the Tram around 4:30am, which got me in line to make it on the second Tram of the morning. I was joined by Emma's coworker/my new friend Elizabeth, which made for a fun morning of chit chats. Riding the Tram for the first time in the dark was not for the faint of heart - it truly felt like we were going to fall into the abyss every time we went past a tower, but thankfully we made it up in one piece. There was free hot chocolate and coffee, but tragically I forgot my Irish Cream... next year! We met up with Emma on the ridge to watch the beautiful, but cloudy sunrise, and then we had to wait until the service was over to ski down. 

Following the service, we booked it out of the building to grab out equipment. There were just a few people ahead of us, which made for some really excellent skiing. The views were even more breathtaking than usual - the Northway from the top to the Flyer is really a lovely trail that gives you the "top of the world" feeling. I screamed "ARE YOU KIDDING ME" at the views numerous times. The curves on Goat Run that usually leave me humbled were simply a delight to ski down, and we took a pit stop at the Green Mountain Boys junction to say to Emma who was working very hard making sure the downhillers don't get into any mischief. 

The second half of our run brought us to Queen's Highway and then back to the Tramside Base. I've never loved a run this much - only thing that comes close was skiing America at Saddleback, but this was just two miles of freshly groomed snow with literally no one else around (turns out many people hang out up top for a while before skiing down). Elizabeth and I went back and forth on whether or not we'd stay to ski some more, but the four hour drive home got me moving (I also pressured Elizabeth into coming to the Eclipse with us) - maybe I'll stop at Cannon since it's LITERALLY on the highway? I made a reservation just in case.............

Cannon Mountain

Mountain Report

        "I tell you, we are here on earth to search for easter eggs at Cannon, and don't let anybody tell you different." - Kurt Vonnegut

        Happy Easter Cannon Family! The Yeti took it upon himself to hide easter eggs all over the Tuckerbrook area. They are filled with ful little toys and easter stickers! Big kids, keep your eyes peeled for the golden egg! It could be hiding anywhere on the mountain and stuffed inside is a two-night stay at the Woodstock Inn & Brewery and two 24/25 Cannon Lift Tickets. The hunt is on as soon as the lifts are open! Don't forget, spring ticket rates are in full effect, adult tickets are just $79. See below for more details and pricing

        The Groomers were out on 47 trails overnight. You can expect machine groomed, loose granular conditions across the mountain. Clouds will be clearing into the afternoon and temps are expected to reach into the high 30's at the base. So we expected surfaces to soften up towards the end of the day. Groomers have been working hard to get trails into the best possible shape after this weeks thaw/freeze cycle and each day the trails get a little better. For the best conditions get here early to enjoy the fresh crospy cords!

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Big Link - Middle Ravine - Lower Ravine

[1.16 mi, 3:29, 1378 ft, 34.8 mph max, 19.9 mph avg]

Run 2: Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Big Link - Middle Ravine - Lower Ravine

[1.04 mi, 3:11, 1312 ft, 32.8 mph max, 19.6 mph avg]

Well, as expected, I couldn't resist stopping in for a few runs at Cannon. It also perfectly split up my ride from Jay Peak to Boston. Thankfully, I knew my way around the base area now, so I pulled in, used the bathroom, suited up at the car, and got right on the slope! I got right to it from the Peabody Express Quad, hidding Easy and Big Links, Middle Ravine, and Lower Ravine. I'm not sure if its just becuase I was on day three of skiing or the conditions were better, but I felt like I was doing a MUCH better job at it! Also I was cruising faster than usual, which felt very fun. Also, less death cookies. I was delighted to see no lines or crowds, either!

Runs 3-4

Run 3: Peabody Express Quad - Cannonball Quad - Tramway - Middle Cannon - Rock Garden - Mickey's Margin - Gary's

[1.57 mi, 5:42, 2198 ft, 27.5 mph max, 16.5 mph avg]

Run 4: Zoomer Triple - Mickey's Margin - Lower Cannon

[0.54 mi, 2:27, 571 ft, 24.1 mph max, 13.3 mph avg]

For my third run, I ended up deciding to go big! I took the Peabody to Cannonball Quad all the way up - it was snowing up top! Also quite windy, but not as bad as Friday. I flirted with hitting the Slalom or Upper Ravine, but decided to stick with a trail that I knew, especially since I knew I'd see a great cloud-less view of Mt. Lafayette! The Tramway skied very well, and I enjoy how wide it is. From there, I last-minute decided to conitnue all the way down Middle Cannon, Rock Garden, Mickey's Margin, and then dreaded Gary's, who I overall felt better about, but still not thrilled. This was a fun, long run - getting as close to a tippy-top to tippy-bottom as I could. Note for next time - with my current skills, I could have gone to the bottom of the Tuckerbrook Area to lose a few more feet of elevation. Technically the Mittersill Base is lower, but there's no direct downhill connection from the Cannon Summit.

Run #4 was a non-glamorous run from the Zoomer Triple to Mickey's Margin to Lower Cannon - I cut off of Mickey's too early, went over a sheet of ice, and then a patch of bare ground, which landed me on my bottom. Getting back up, I started to skid until I sat down again. Not glamorous! Thankfully, not damaged either. Just humbled. 

Runs 5-8

Run 5: Peabody Express Quad - Cannonball Quad - Taft Slalom - Upper Ravine

[0.76 mi, 3:21, 909 ft, 23.6 mph max, 13.7 mph avg]

Run 6: Cannonball Quad - Upper Ravine - Middle Ravine - Lower Ravine

[1.65 mi, 4:59, 1998 ft, 29.2 mph max, 19.9 mph avg]

Run 7: Peabody Express Quad - Cannonball Quad - Tramway - Big Link

[0.63 mi, 2:26, 932 ft, 25.8 mph max, 15.5 mph avg]

Run 8: Cannonball Quad - Taft Slalom - Upper Ravine - Middle Ravine - Lower Ravine

[1.71 mi, 6:08, 2057 ft, 31.3 mph max, 16.7 mph avg]

Runs 5-8 were all from the summit and all VERY fun! #5 was an exploration lap of Taft Slalom and the lower Upper Ravine. Taft was FUN. Wide, just steep enough, with EXCELLENT views - I could even see where I started my day at Jay from here! The lower stretch of Upper Ravine was fun and easy, but definitely get some speed toward the end as it flattens out a bit. Run #6 explored the full Ravine trail. Upper Ravine was a little intense in the amount and frequency of curves, but could be fun on a second try. From there, the Middle and Lower Ravines were just as fun as they were before. 

My penultimate run was to revisit the Tramway down to Big Link - I forgot that I do not care for the steepness nor iciness of Big Link... And my final run was a super fun run of Taft Slalom to the Ravines. My heart wanted to keep going, but the "Sunday" of it all pushed me back to my car to pack up shop and head home. This was a VERY fun, fulfilling weekend of skiing and friendship - and I'm SUPER excited for the eclipse next weekend!

End of Day Stats: 9 Runs, 11.09 miles, 13,458 feet, 35.2 mph max, 0:39:58 skiing, 1:46:12 elapsed.

Map of Jay Peak Resort (2024)

Map of Cannon Mountain (2024)

Skiing Bolton Valley

Ski Day #14! Emma was taking an "off-day," so I headed back to Bolton Valley to do some exploring with more open terrain while she rested. The drive was super easy and I made it just before lifts opened. The forecast for the higher mountains was WINDY, but thankfully the lower mountain areas of Bolton were rather unscathed. Wilderness and Vista started the day on hold, which encouraged me to head over to the Timberline area.

Snow Report

7am Update

        Sound the corn horn (lightly) this weekend with freezing temperatures overnight and warming temperatures (and some sunshine) as the day progresses, which typically leads to that legendary spring corn we all know and love. Conditions should remain firm in the morning hours at most elevations, but expected to loosen up a bit in the afternoon as temps rise and peeks of sunshine do their thing. We expect the softest/corniest conditions down at lower elecation (and warmer) Timberline the earliest and persisting at lower elevations in the main base areas as we ski into the sunset with lifts until 10pm for the last time this season. Hard to believe this is already the final weekend of March, and thus begins our April left schedule on Monday which is daily lifts from noon to 7pm (though we'll spin lifts 10am to 6pm on Eclipse Monday 4/8).

        Today we plan to spin all 6 lifts with 60+ trails (though Patrol will have the final word as always). Groomers for the win in the morning and ungroomed natural terrain expected to be the winner by mid afternoon at lower elevations. And then rinse and repeat for Sunday funday with a similar setup currently forecasted.

        And don't look now, buuuuuut... have you heard we could see anywhere from one to three feet in a long duration snow storm next Tuesday to Thursday? Sure sets us up real, real nice for Eclipse weekend next weekend AND hitting our planned closing date of April 14. Sorry if you'll have to navigate the roller coaster of corn snow, Bolton Beach days and pow days over the next couple of weeks, but we feel like you can handle it. #SorryNotSorry.

8:30am Update: Vista and Wilderness are currently on wind hold.

        First lift for top-to-bottom skiing an driding anticipated this morning is Timberline at 9am. Hopefully we'll get the upper mountain lifts back by mid morning, but stay tuned with that refresh button as always... current forecase calls for those wind gusts at the top to subside a bit over the course of the morning, but Mother Nature can be unpredictable in the mountains - see this week's forecasted one to three foot snow storm for further evidence of this phenomena. We'll keep you posted.

Runs 1-6

Run 1: Snowflake Lift - Timberline Line - Timberline Run

[1.21 mi, 5:16, 896 ft, 26.7 mph max, 13.8 mph avg]

Run 2: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Timberline Run

[1.32 mi, 4:36, 1033 ft, 28.8 mph max, 17.3 mph avg]

Run 3: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Sure Shot - Timberline Run

[1.08 mi, 3:35, 978 ft, 25.3 mph max, 18.2 mph avg]

Run 4: Timberline Lift - Intro - Showtime

[0.77 mi, 3:44, 1040 ft, 26.2 mph max, 12.3 mph avg]

Run 5: Timberline Lift - Intro - Showtime

[0.69 mi, 2:42, 961 ft, 26.4 mph max, 15.4 mph avg]

Run 6: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Lower Villager

[0.71 mi, 3:24, 407 ft, 23.1 mph max, 12.6 mph avg]

The first half of my morning was spent in the Timebrline area, which was delightfully unpopulated. My first run was up the red Snowflake Lift to Timberline Line and Timberline Run, which was a nice, long warm up run. There was one steeper section as Timberline Run joined Sure Shot, but it was nice to get some speed for a short while. My second run was another lovely longer run following the Timberline Lift to Upper Villager to Timberline Run. It was chilly up at the top of the lift, but overall conditions felt good! Snow was hardpack/frozen, but was nothing compared to Cannon yesterday. 

I decided my next step would be to hit Sure Shot, a short blue that acts as a short cut of my previous run. It was groomed, a bit steep, but fun and wide! Afterwards, I decided I would push myself a bit more, and hit the short black trail "Intro" to Showtime. I felt okay doing this because it was the lift line and I could see the trail as I went up the lift, which wasn't anything steeper than I'd previously done - I think it's listed as a black because it's narrow, winding, and there's lift towers to dodge. The headwall into Showtime truly felt the steepest (and iciest), but overall it was a fun run! I texted Emma about my accomplishment and did a second lap of this run, which went smoother. Finally, after a LONG lift ride (I think someone fell down at the chair base), I checked the snow report and saw that the Wilderness Lift was opening, so I did a nice commuter run back to the main base area to discover the Wilderness Lift.

At this point in the day I have met my cast of recurring characters - the snowboarding dudes and the hot mess adult family. Snowboarding dudes are exactly what they sound like - older group (40s I'd guess) of snowboarders who are just a little obnoxious but not in a bad way. Hot Mess Adult Family is also what you'd expect - a hot mess adult family who appear to be learning how to ski together. It was a journey watching them struggle down Showtime.

9:30am/11am Updates: Vista is currently on wind hold.

        Timberline, Mighty Mite, Mid Mountain, and Snowflake lifts are off and running as scheduled with Wilderness expected to join them at 10am. Brisk start to the day, but looking forward to warming temps, sunshine and decreasing winds as the day gets on here and anticipate teh currently firmer conditions will start to loosen up on natural, ungroomed terrain for that classic spring corn at lower elecations by late afternoon if we get enough sunshine over the course of the day. On the way to find out - come on up to get down!

Runs 7-11

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

[1.21 mi, 4:56, 1050 ft, 24.8 mph max, 14.7 mph avg]

Run 8: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Coyote - Work Road - Lower Wilderness - Abenaki Trail

[1.39 mi, 6:23, 1056 ft, 24.7 mph max, 13.1 mph avg]

Run 9: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Fanny Hill - Lower Fanny Hill

[1.30 mi, 5:04, 1024 ft, 28.1 mph max, 15.4 mph avg]

Run 10: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Old Turnpike - Lower Turnpike

[1.22 mi, 3:51, 1043 ft, 29.5 mph max, 19.0 mph avg]

Run 11: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Fanny Hill - Lower Fanny Hill

[1.31 mi, 5:05, 981 ft, 27.2 mph max, 15.5 mph avg]

Phase two of the day was spent on the Wilderness Lift, which I LOVED. Another old double lift that moves glacially slow, but leads to a nice network of relatively uncrowded trails. My first run was down the uphill route, which seems to have become my go-to since its almost guaranteed to be the easiest way down. The route, Peggy Dow's to Old Turnpike to Lower Turnpike, is super fun and not to challenging. Definitely get some speed off the lift because Peggy starts pretty flat then comes to a fork - one groomed and narrow and one ungroomed and steep - I FOOLISHLY took the ungroomed way first and it sucked. The Turnpikes were wide, easy, and fast. Loved it!

Back on the Wildnerness Lift, I seemed to have reunited with the Snowboarding Dudes. We all watched the Hot Mess Family try to go down the lift line, but struggling with the ungroomed terrain. Dude #1 shouted "it just gets worse, you should turn around," so they did. My second run was less glamorous - I took Peggy's to the uphill-both-ways Lower Crossover to Coyote, which was ungroomed and FROZEN. I somehow made it out unscathed, but yikes. From there, I followed the easy Work Road to Lower Wilderness to the lovely Abenaki Trail, where I had to dodge a ski school group.

Run #9 was my last new route of the day, and my favorite! Peggy's to Lower Crossover to Fanny Hill to Lower Fanny Hill. The Fanny Hills are wide, groomed trails where I felt safe to catch some speed - just really fun skiing! #10 was the uphill route again, and I finished my morning doing the Fannys one last time. I truly would have stayed longer, but the Wilderness Lift was getting dreadfully slow (my perception, that is), and Emma and I had plans to go to the Banff Film Festival in Burlington that night with her work friends, so I NEEDED to get home in time for a nap. Overall, this was a really fun morning, and I'm excited to visit again to explore Vista!

End of Day Stats: 11 Runs, 12.22 miles, 10,476 feet, 29.5 mph max, 0:48:36 skiing, 3:05:54 elapsed.

Map of Bolton Valley Resort (2024)

Skiing Cannon Mountain & Bolton Valley

Ski Day #13 for me! I truly am shocked and delighted it's gotten this high. I had a long weekend with Good Friday off, so I took the chance to hit Cannon for the first time, and then I would meet Emma while she technically chaperoned her school's ski club at Bolton Valley later in the day. My alarm went off at 5:45am (a full hour+ later than usual!) and I was off to Cannon!

Cannon Mountain

I find I get very anxious/nervous whenever visitng a new mountain, but never in the bad way. I knew Cannon has a reputation of being hard and icy, but I also reminded myself I don't have to do anything I don't want to do, and I have the necessary skills to make it down, even if it takes a nice, long time. I started my day in the older-feeling Notchview Lodge to redeem my Indy and use the bathroom, and I ended up booting up in the car. I then discovered the newer-feeling Peabody Lodge, where I found a paper trail map and watched the die-hards wait in line for first chair.

Mountain Report

        "Skiing Cannon is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical." - Yogi Berra

        Cannon is no stranger to thaw and freeze cycles. Temps were in the 40s yesterday but slowly dropped overnight. That makes for challenging grooming conditions for our team bu thte perfect opportunity for oyu to work on your skiing technique and skills. Temperatures are colder today with teh chance for snow showers across the mountain throughout the day.

        The Groomers were out on 47 trails overnight. You can expect firm, fast, and variable conditions across the mountain. Any ungroomed trails will remained closed. All glades will stay closed until temperatures increase and things soften up. Mittersill Summit will also remain closed today, but you will be able to access the trails off the Valar T-Bar.

        Blizzard Splash Pond, scheduled for this Saturday, has been CANCELLED due to cold, windy, and snowy conditions.

Runs 1-6

Run 1: Peabody Lodge - Brookside

[0.23 mi, 1:38, 141 ft, 13.7 mph max, 8.3 mph avg]

Run 2: Tuckerbrook Quad - Raven Ridge - Huckerbrook - Brookside

[0.51 mi, 2:44, 282 ft, 17.2 mph max, 11.1 mph avg]

Run 3: Tuckerbrook Quad - Deer Run

[0.30 mi, 1:30, 289 ft, 22.9 mph max, 11.9 mph avg]

Run 4: Tuckerbrook Quad - Rabbit Path

[0.36 mi, 2:12, 292 ft, 17.8 mph max, 9.9 mph avg]

Run 5: Tuckerbrook Quad - Turkey Trot

[0.31 mi, 1:28, 285 ft, 21.5 mph max, 12.8 mph avg]

Run 6: Tuckerbrook Quad - Raven Ridge - Huckerbrook

[0.31 mi, 2:01, 154 ft, 17.8 mph max, 9.3 mph avg]

Respecting the aformentioned anxiety, I decided I would start in the beginner "Tuckerbrook" area, which is just below the main Peabody Lodge. My first run was a ski down to the Tuckerbrook Quad, which was FROZEN corduroy that vibrated my whole body - this would be interesting. I decided I'd do a bunch of runs, hitting most of the main trails one run at a time, from skiers right to left. Raven Ridge to Huckerbrook to Brookside was flat and easy, and then Deer Run was surprisingly narrow and steep. I missed Fox and Bear because of families. Next was Rabbit, which was fun! Still very frozen, but a bit steeper and wider than Deer. I ended my short stay in this area with Turkey Trot, which was similar to Rabbit Path, just shorter. There was no lift line at 9:15am, and this was my first experience with the pass scanning guns they have at Cannon - basically you point to where your pass it and they scan you like a grocery store cashier. Interesting! I was impressed how far they could scan, or maybe they just did the action for fun. My sixth and final run in this area was my return to the Peabody Lodge via Raven Ridge and Huckerbrook.

Runs 7-13

Run 7: Peabody Express Quad - Middle Cannon - Rock Garden - Gremlin

[1.08 mi, 5:13, 1375 ft, 24.8 mph max, 12.4 mph avg]

Run 8:  Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Big Link - Middle Ravine - Turnpike

[1.20 mi, 5:28, 1348 ft, 28.6 mph max, 13.2 mph avg]

Run 9:  Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Big Link - Middle Ravine - Turnpike

[1.25 mi, 5:32, 1371 ft, 31.2 mph max, 13.6 mph avg]

Run 10: Peabody Express Quad - Easy Link - Missing Link - Lower Ravine - Chute

[1.08 mi, 4:34, 1368 ft, 25.1 mph max, 14.2 mph avg]

Run 11: Peabody Express Quad - Middle Cannon - Rock Garden - Gremlin

[1.09 mi, 4:57, 1375 ft, 23.9 mph max, 13.2 mph avg]

Run 12: Peabody Express Quad - Middle Cannon - Rock Garden - Lower Cannon

[1.11 mi, 6:27, 1378 ft, 19.5 mph max, 10.3 mph avg]

Run 13: Peabody Express Quad - Middle Cannon - Mickey's Margin - Time Zone - Lakeside

[1.35 mi, 7:32, 1453 ft, 22.4 mph max, 10.7 mph avg]

My next and longest bit of runs were off of the Peabody Express Quad. I was definitely feeling nervous based on the previous hard/icy conditions and Cannon's reputation, but I knew I could take my time. I thought of doing the Ravines first, but I could clearly see Gremlin from the lift and decided I'd go that route, and it was... fine. A little steep, very icy.  My biggest takeaway was that these runs are BEAUTIFUL but terrifying since it looks like you're skiing over a cliff (you're not). The next two runs were much more enjoyable - Easy/Big Link to Middle Ravine with a cut-through to Turnpike (the main headwall was closed, but the lower part was open). I was able to get some speed and ski like I knew what I was doing. I did discover the dreaded "death cookies," which were a bummer, but thankfully I escaped rather unscathed. I did have my one and only fall of the day when I stopped to check my trail map - I simply failed getting out of "pizza," my ski popped off, and suddenly I was sitting... oh well!

Next up I was going to do a redemption run on Gremlin, which was... fine. I wasn't too thrilled with it, but I guess I did a better job? Afterwards, I stayed on Rock Garden and hit Lower Cannon, which was MUCH more enjoyable. Only downside was how hard and icy the trails were, but I enjoyed how wide they were. Finally, I read that "Gary's" was a good intermediate run on the "front five," so I attempted (and failed) to ski it. I ended up on Mickey's Margin (correct) and then Time Zone (incorrect) - both of which I enjoyed. From here, I could hike back up to the Peabody Express Quad or follow Lakeside to the Zoomer Triple, which I did. Tragically, Lakeside bottomed out in a dirty, muddy slush pit that I had to slog through to eventually hit the triple. 

Runs 14-15

Run 14: Zoomer Triple - Mickey's Margin - Gary's

[0.54 mi, 3:12, 643 ft, 21.1 mph max, 10.0 mph avg]

Run 15: Zoomer Triple - Mickey's Margin - Time Zone

[0.56 mi, 2:44, 564 ft, 29.5 mph max, 12.4 mph avg]

The Zoomer Triple definitely felt more tucked away, and my pass didn't get scanned down here. My first run after the lift was actually hitting Gary's, which was... rough. Very steep, very icy, very wide though? I don't like not seeing what's ahead of me, so I went very slowly with VERY wide turns. Thankfully no one else was tackling frozen Gary at this point. I eventually got speed at the bottom to make it back to the Triple, and then I followed Mickey's Margin to Time Zone back to the Peabody, which was a fun, fast run.

Runs 16-17

Run 16: Peabody Express Quad - Big Link

[0.15 mi, 1:00, 200 ft, 16.0 mph max, 9.1 mph avg]

Run 17: Cannonball Quad - Tramway - Big Link - Missing Link - Middle Ravine - Turnpike - Lower Ravine

[1.62 mi, 7:40, 2044 ft, 31.1 mph max, 12.7 mph avg]

The cloud ceiling had finally lifted, so I decided I'd make a go at the tippy top! I took the Peabody up, followed Big Link to the Cannonball Quad, which was steeper than I'd like - I'll definitely be sticking to Easy Link from now on. The Cannonball Quad was cold, windy, but very pretty. There was a lot of rime ice on the chairs, and the trees were fully frosted up top. The wind was blowing the snow like sand in the sahara, too. From the top, I read that Tramway was a good intermediate, so I headed that way and was STUNNED by how magnificent Mt. Lafayette and the Franconia Ridge looked from up here. The trail drops down past the tram house on a steep/icy headwall - it was so windy up here that the wind was actually pushing me backwards, which was... interesting. The Tramway itself was a lovely trail. A little steep, but super wide and beautiful. Eventually, it landed at the top of the Peabody, so I followed the Middle Ravine to Turnpike route I'd grown to like back to the base lodge. I was definitely feeling a high after that run, but I had to continue my drive up to Vermont - thankfully, I'll be back in a few days!

Bolton Valley

Another ~2 hour drive under my belt, I was now at Bolton Valley to meet up with Emma as she "chaperoned" her ski club. I made it to Bolton, got my $35 pass (the first time I paid for a pass this season!), and found her just as she was finishing up her first run with her work friends, and also just as the Vista Lift closed - tragic!

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Mid Mountain Lift - Bear Run - Primer Loop

[0.46 mi, 2:46, 338 ft, 19.4 mph max, 9.9 mph avg]

Run 2: Mid Mountain Lift - Bear Run - Primer Loop

[0.54 mi, 3:26, 258 ft, 20.1 mph max, 9.5 mph avg]

Since the Vista Lift was closed, we hit up the rickety Mid Mountain Lift, which was equally charming and terrifying. Safety bar was required (my rules) as I felt like I would slip out at any moment. We skied with three of her friends on easy, beginner runs, which was fun! I've never skied with more than just Emma and Gen before, so it was a fun, new experience. The snow was very wet and heavy, which made for a WILDLY different skiing experience than Cannon.

Runs 3-4

Run 3: Snowflake Lift - Snowflake Bentley - Lower Villager

[0.34 mi, 2:16, 285 ft, 18.0 mph max, 9.0 mph avg]

Run 4: Snowflake Lift - Foxy - Lower Villager

[0.37 mi, 2:35, 302 ft, 20.7 mph max, 8.5 mph avg]

After their runs, the folks who worked today were done. Since I paid a whole $35, I decided I'd get a couple more runs in. I went over to the other rickety lift, the Snowflake Lift, for my last two runs. The first was Snowflake Bentley to Lower Villager, which was bumpy and less-traveled at first, and then flat and easy. The second was a blue, Foxy, which was rocky and frozen and terrifying, but got me enough speed to get through Lower Villager. After these two runs, I decided it was also time for a hot dog, so I packed up shop. Overall a nice, short afternoon!

[UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE] Apparently one of my families from school was also at Cannon this day and saw me! It's hard to be a celebrity... 

End of Day Stats: 21 Runs, 14.76 miles, 15,847 feet, 31.2 mph max, 1:16:56 skiing, 4:11:59 elapsed.

Map of Cannon Mountain (2024)

Map of Bolton Valley Resort (2024)