Ski and Snow Update 2003/2004

Michael, December 06, 2004

We got hit and hit hard by the big Nor'easter. Fifteen inches are on the ground here at the inn with more falling. I've swept/shoveled thirteen times already since last night and the fun hasn't ended. Fortunately for my back, it's light, powdery stuff. Mad River Glen had 20 inches as of their 6:30 AM ski report, with another 8-12 expected. Thanks to the weather, they're opening this morning, a week earlier than planned. Sugarbush opened last week with a minimal of trails but with all this new powder, they're expanding up and down and in all directions.

It's a great time to come visit, with the snow great and the mountains relatively free of crowds. The rates are also lower at the Golden Lion during early season.

Here are some pictures from the recent storm.

Michael, November 16, 2004

It is mid-November as I write this and the excitement is definitely building here in the Mad River Valley. We had an excellent snow storm this past week, with close to a foot on the ground and more on the mountains overlooking the inn. I was sore for a couple of days from the shoveling; seems the warm summer months have sapped the strength from my muscles. No matter, winter will solve that problem soon enough.

The snow brought a flurry of activity from the inns, restaurants, and resorts as we all work hard to prepare for the coming season. Everyone and everything is busy. Even the birds have been hitting our feeders hard, as if in a rush to fatten up before winter. There's a orange-crowned woodpecker picking through the seeds even as I type this, his tail flatted up under the feeder for balance, while a bunch of smaller birds chirp at him from the railing, waiting impatiently for their turns.

Birds, skiers, we're all impatient. Sugarbush is scheduled to open in just nine more days, on the 26th of November. Another good storm or two and Mad River Glen will open early. Otherwise, play for mid-December. Either way, I'm planning to hit the slopes this winter whenever I can slip away from the inn for an hour or two.

Farmers Almanac is predicting another snowy winter. Bring it on!