Snow, Snow, Snow (and bumps)

We picked up about 16 inches from the winter storm that blew through here on Thursday. The skiing was spectacular on Thursday and Friday with plenty of powder to be found everywhere. We groomed out about two thirds of the open trails on Saturday for some buttery corduroy.

After a brief day off on Friday, the snow clouds are at it again. We've picked up about an inch of new snow as of Saturday afternoon and we expect a few more inches will land by opening bell on Sunday. This will only help to freshen up the trails with some more powder. Also, some small bumps are starting to form on the steeper, ungroomed trails such as Hard Luck. With a few more days of skier traffic, we may have a couple legitimate bump runs to talk about. As always, keep your eye on the snow report for the latest updates.

A Foot Of Fresh And Counting

We've been absolutely blessed by the weather gods and goddesses over the past 9-10 days. Wow. We have lots of snow, over three feet in the past week.  We've had sun, low winds, reasonable temps. Love. It. 

We are in the middle of a major snowstorm. As of the writing of this post we have already received a foot of new snow since this morning. The photo below was taken on Thursday afternoon. Check out our photo gallery for more visual evidence of snow at Bolton Valley. It is forecast to continue snowing until sometime on Friday morning. The weekend looks to be a bit more settled with the possibility of some light snow and flurries with seasonable temps in the 20s.

We've added more trails day by day this week. All of our trails from the Top of the Vista Quad are open. And, Snowflake and Wilderness are now up and running and we plan to have 55 tails open this weekend including Spillway. We have a variety of terrain open from beginner to double black diamond, so you've got options in terms of runs. Surfaces will be generally packed powder. 

Oh Powder Days, Oh Powder Days...

Sing along with me! Oh powder days oh powder days, we're really glad to ski you. This stretch of snowy, winter conditions has certainly been the gift we've all been waiting for...how festive.

Maybe we've been sounding like a broken record on the Snow Report...but it's pretty much the best broken record you could hope for: new trails opening, powder. Easy as that! Come up and ski and ride on some great snow and enjoy the holidays. $25 All Access Lift Tickets just today and tomorrow.

Weekend Update: 12/21/12

17 inches of snow over the last 7 days? I'd say that makes for a good weekend. So avoid the mall and those holiday crowds, and instead, ski 'til you drop! Here's the weekend lowdown. 

Weather

Friday started off a little shaky, but turned out alright! We're still watching the weather carefully as we continue to experience high winds. Mixed precipitation has been in the forecast all day today, but it's currently showing itself as snow more than anything else. And after today, it does seem that we're making our way into an extended chilly zone. Saturday looks to bring snow and significantly colder temps for the rest of the weekend and start to next week. 

Trails Open and Conditions

Groomers will be out tonight to ensure the snow is in great shape for Saturday morning. You can also expect snowmaking to ramp right back up Saturday night as the temps take a plunge. We'll continue to hit Beech Seal as well as Butterscotch Park, and any necessary "fill in" work. 

We project at least 6 trails to be open for the weekend, and perhaps many as 20-24, serviced by 3 lifts. Keep an eye on the Snow Report for more updates as natural snowfall continues. Top to bottom skiing and riding will continue off the Vista Quad. Hard Luck Lane and Spillway Lane offer a little variety as well. We've had some great snow the past several days, and we expect that trend to continue. The Vista Quad will start off each weekend day, and we will also have Mid-Mountain and Mighty Mite spinning as well. 

We've also expanded the Hike Park off Sprig O' Pine. You can expect to see our new Oil Can in the park for the coming weekend and 8 features overall.  

Nordic

The long awaited start to the Nordic season should be just around the corner. The 19 inches of natural snowfall has helped us stack up a solid base, and inch closer to an Opening Day. 

We are hopeful for an opening this weekend, but we're still waiting to see what the rest of today's weather might do, so we’re still in a bit of a holding pattern. We suggest you stay tuned to the Nordic Snow Report for more updates. Saturday and Sunday are both calling for cold temps and natural snow, and if we can open our Nordic trails we certainly will.

Hang in there Nordic fans!

See you Soon!

Don't forget, Saturday Night Skiing, and All Access Lift Tickets are just $25 until 12/25. 

Opening Day Highlights and Sunday Funday!

Yesterday was an amazing start to the season here at Bolton Valley. Conditions were much better than anticipated, with near wall to wall coverage thanks to our outstanding groomers and snowmakers. We're continuing to add to our trail count; we've been making snow on Alta Vista since Friday evening to stack up enough to get it running for Monday. We're also making snow in the Butterscotch Park, and on Sprig O' Pine. 

Speaking of Sprig O' Pine, a big highlight of Opening Weekend has been the Hike Park located there. It's loaded with 6 rail features, and was a busy spot Saturday. Yesterday I heard more than a few guests literally laughing down the mountain...a good sign! People seemed to be enjoying the snow and were appreciative of the changing seasons. 

Today we have some great deals going on for skiing and riding including:

• Santa Skis Free
• Subaru/Hyundai Customer Appreciation Days
• $25 All Access Lift Tickets for Happy Holidays Week

The Vista Quad has already started up this morning and will continue until 4pm. We'll also have Mighty Mite and the Mid-Mountain Chair running today as well. Our five trails remain the same as yesterday including top to bottom skiing and riding on Sherman's Pass to Bear Run.Trails were groomed last night and the snow surface is frozen granular. Skiing and riding for today will end at 4 pm. For all you night owls...night skiing will begin on Wednesday, December 19!

Tonight there's trivia in the tavern. Come join us from 6-8pm. Hope to see you out there soon! 

Opening Day on for Saturday, 12/15!

Tracks on Sherman's...soon to be made by skiers and riders!

Are you ready for Saturday? 'Cause we are.

Starting bright and early at 8:30 am, we'll be running the Vista Quad for all of you who want to be first to leave your tracks on the slopes. A little later in the morning, the Mid-Mountain Chair and Mighty Mite will start up for 3 lifts total. We'll be featuring 5 trails on Saturday, with top to bottom skiing and riding on Sherman's Pass to Bear Run. You'll also be able to take a spin on Hard Luck Lane and Spillway Lane.

Snowmaking will take a break this afternoon and into tomorrow morning as slightly warmer tamps move in. We will start right back up Friday evening on Alta Vista in the hopes of getting it opened up for Monday. And as we look into our crystal ball, we may see a rail feature in our future this weekend. No promises at this point, but we're working on it. 

It's on! Come on out Friday night to the James Moore Tavern to celebrate Saturday's Opening Day. Continue to check back for more updates and our expanding trail count. Here you can find the Alpine Snow Report to stay up-to-date. 

Back to Snowmaking

The good news is that we picked up about an inch of snow before the weather warmed up and precipitation turned into the non-frozen variety. Also, more good news, once this warm mess moves out of here later this evening temperatures will be dropping and staying cold for the next few days and nights. This will allow our snowmakers to get back to work in preparation for Opening Day on Saturday, December 15th.

Opening Day Postponed

Opening Day was originally planned for Saturday, December 8th. However, our snowmakers were only able to make snow on the upper portion of the mountain before warm weather settled in on Saturday morning and forced them to stop. We will not have enough cold weather before December 8th to complete snowmaking to the bottom of the mountain. Due to this, Opening Day is now scheduled for Saturday, December 15th. The first night of night skiing will be on Wednesday, December 19th. In the meantime, we'll be hard at work making snow whenever temperatures permit. 

Pass Pick Up and Pop-Up Sales

The past week sure has felt like winter. We've picked up over a foot of snow in the past seven days, thanks in large part to 7"-9" that fell on Thursday night. Our snowmakers have been hard at work since Sunday making snow around the clock. We are on track to open on December 8th. So, what can you do to prepare yourself for Opening Day? I'm glad you asked.

Today we'll be printing and selling season passes and Powder Passes at the Richmond Holiday Market from 9:00am - 3:30pm. We'll be located in the Teen Center on the bottom floor of the Town Hall. This is a great opportunity to pick up your pass early and avoid having to do it on your first day at the mountain.

The Powder Pass is a great option for the person not yet ready to commit to a season pass, it gets you five All Access Lift Tickets for just $199 for adult and only $149 for youth/college/senior. The tickets are valid any day with no blackout dates and you may redeem multiple tickets in one day. This also makes a great gift.

Yeah, I said "All Access Lift Ticket". Yes, this is new this year. The All Access Lift Ticket not only gets you on the lift for the day but it also gives you access to 100km of Nordic and backcountry terrain as well as access to the Sports Center with pool, hot tub, sauna and games for the kids. Now you can enjoy a free soak in the hot tub after a day on the slopes.

Next week we'll be "popping up" in two shops in Montpelier and selling a limited number of $39 All Access Lift Tickets. These tickets are valid all season long with no blackout dates. Again, a great gift, or something to keep for yourself. We'll be at SlopeStyle Ski and Ride on Tuesday, December 4th and Onion River Sports on Friday, December 7th. Both sales run from 4-7pm or until we sell 250 tickets. Limit two tickets per customer.