Free Day At Stratton Friday

Like Stratton on Facebook and you can ride there for free this Friday. Pretty sweet deal. Click below the pic to go to the fb page.

 

Free Friday

Hidden gems of New England

When your go-to mountains become overrun with college kids home on break and elementary school groups it might be time to check out some of these lesser known mountains. Many have a lot better prices than the big guys (Ktown is charging $86!) and fewer crowds means the trails will be less scraped-off... maybe you'll even find some sweet untouched snow stashes!

Bromley
Peru, Vt
Ever been riding gondola at Stratton bemoaning the flat light and icy conditions, looked out and saw a peak bathed in sunlight not too far away? Often over shadowed by the better-known resort, Bromley should not be overlooked. The mountain boasts 43 trails winding through 163 acres of state and national forest with glade runs and park features all serviced by ten lifts. The south-facing slopes get lots of sun and tickets are $65, $57 on Sundays as compared to $87 at Stratton.


Burke Mountain
East Burke, VT
Over 100 acres of glades and 50 New England-style tight and windy trails, just the way they should be. One of the coolest things about this mountain is that it naturally separates out the different levels: the bottom half of the mountain is green trails only, while the top half has a nice mix of blues, blacks and double blacks. This keeps the noobs in their own area and not side-slip scraping all the snow off your favorite trails. They also get an average annual snowfall of 200 inches, while they may fall a little short this year they did get 4 inches in the last 72 hours which is better than a lot of places around here.


Magic Mountain
Londonderry, VT

If you're into those New England style trails, natural bumps and cheap ticket prices this is definitely the place for you. Magic doesn't have a ton of trails- that's not what it's know for. This is the mountain you come to if you love powder stashed trees, bombing cliff drops, natural freestyle features and plenty of off-piste goodness. It had some of the most challenging terrain around and is low cost to boot: only open Fri-Monday and powder days (6" or more) peak ticket prices top out at $59.


Saddleback Mountain
Rangeley, ME
Awesome summit views of the beautiful Rangeley lakes are just an added bonus of checking out Saddleback. It's also one of the few mountains in New England to offer above tree-level riding, boasting some sweet snowfields only a short hike up from the summit lift. In addition to having some nice steep headwalls to drop down, they also recently expanded to include the stellar 44 acre Casablanca glade: only the first part of an on-going glade expansion that will be progressing in the next few years. Peak tickets are a mere $59.


Black Mountain
Jackson, NH

This is another old school mountain with tight trails, a few steeps,  and fun glades. It definitely doesn't have that posh resort feel of some of the other mountains in the area, all the chairs are fixies and the largest is a 3-seater. What it lacks in amenities it makes up for in charm, no lift lines, and cheap tickets: peak price of a whopping $45. It also happens to be the oldest ski mountain in NH.





Ps. Don't hate me for including your "secret spot", just trying to help out my fellow riders.

January is learn to Ski and Snowboard Month!

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2012 and the possible end of the world? I'm starting to think all the hype might be a little more valid as I look out my window at a snow-free and fairly warm January 1st. I can't remember the last time (if ever in my lifetime) there wasn't a single speck of the white stuff on the ground at this point in the season. Conditions at Wachusett yesterday were warm with the soft, wet snow I've grown to associate with spring riding. However, I remain optimistic that when it does come it will dump and we will have glorious heaps of powder like last year.

More please!

Although I am doubtful I will beat my past record of 87 days on snow, I still try to set goals for every season to improve my riding. In years past these have been things like improving my switch riding or learning how to do 360s. I find that giving myself something to strive for each season keeps me more engaged in my riding and on the days where conditions aren't stellar for cruising I can focus on trying to take little steps to get closer to my goal.

As an instructor it is a lot easier for me to acknowledge and be aware of my own weaknesses in my riding- I am trained to do movement analysis on my students so I can give feedback and help them improve. At the same time, I often struggle with knowing how to fix innate issues with my riding and it really helps to have an outsiders opinion. I love that I have easy access to my fellow instructors' assistance and try to take advantage of this to improve my personal riding as much as possible. It's amazing to me how much better my riding has become since I started teaching!

Click here for details

I encourage everyone to take a lesson or clinic this month and see what a difference it can make for you too. Throughout the month free or discounted lessons are available at many mountains in New England:

In NH “free week” is January 7 – 14. First timers receive a free lesson, rentals and beginner’s terrain lift ticket. You must register and print a coupon from Ski NH then reserve your spot at the mountain of your choice.

Maine ski areas will be offering free Learn to Ski or Ride packages for all of January as well. Register at Ski Maine.

Lastly,Vermont has $29 Learn to Ski or Ride packages including lesson, rentals, and lift ticket. Sign up at Ski Vermont.

Bring your friends as well and you could be eligible to win a a four day trip to Utah. During January, any current skiers or riders who sign up a friend for a beginner lesson could win a trip for two to Utah and the opportunity to ski/ride with a SKI magazine editor. Check out skiandsnowboardmonth.org for more details. Skis.com and Snowboard.net are also offering a gift card for up to $50 to anyone who takes a lesson from a professional instructor at any ski/snowboard area during January.

How to get the best deals on trips this winter

If you need to get your riding fix and there's no snow in your backyard or at your local mountain, plan a trip!  Many daily deal sites offer discounted lift tickets, rentals, and multiple day ski and stay packages. Check out some of the following sites to see if there are deals up for your favorite mountains:

Buy With Me Boston
Groupon Boston & Getaways
Living Social Escapes - check out the main LS site and "adventures" too!
Dealfind Boston
TravelZoo 

Discount cards are another way to get great deals on lift tickets and some offer coupons for lodging as well: The Vermont Travel Club Card- $44 pp gets you from $10-$30 off each ticket at participating mountains throughout Vermont and a few in Maine as well. The Ride & Ski Card offers similar discounts throughout New England for $49. A portion of the proceeds from the card go to the Childrens' Hospital of Dartmouth, NH and they also do promotions at a different mountain each weekend sponsored by Harpoon (meaning lots to drink!), extra cheap tickets, and prize giveaways.

Lastly don't forget about trips organized by your local ski clubs and shops. Boston Ski and Sports Club and The SnowRiders both do day and weekend trips with transportation and discount tickets as well as vacations a few times each season.

Always take a moment to check out the resorts' sites as well- many offer last minute deals on ski and stay packages and often there are discount days like Okemo's Food Drive days (bring in canned food and get a cheaper ticket). Mount Snow's upcoming College Week packages start at $282 for 5 days of riding and 5 nights accommodations.