Weekend Warmth: Positive Digits!

Alert, newsflash, attention: It's cold!!! BRRRR. Oh, you already knew that? Okay, moving on. 

Friday Deal:

Coming to see us today, 1/25? If you're buying a full-priced lift ticket, you'll pick up a 50% off voucher for your next lift ticket this season. It's our way of rewarding your toughness. The cold is no match for you! 

Weather:

Yup, it's cold. It's also winter. In Vermont. So, this is not necessarily a surprising phenomenon. We've had several days of very cold temperatures, and that trend looks to continue into the weekend. We should celebrate the fact that the temps could warm from anywhere between 4-14 degrees on Saturday and Sunday...that's a whole 20 some degrees warmer than our temps this week. It's also worth mentioning that we've picked up some small snowfalls and snow is in the forecast both Friday night and Saturday morning. Most long-range forecasts are calling for temperatures to get back to average at the start of next week. 

Trails and Conditions: 

Our trail count will pop up starting Friday as Timberline rejoins the roster. We project nearly 50 trails for the weekend, with favorites such as Hard Luck, Cobrass, Wood's Hole and Showtime. There will be plenty of terrain to choose from for folks of various ability levels. And with 5 lifts spinning this weekend, the traffic on the mountain should be spread out, making things all the more enjoyable. Wilderness will remain closed, which is a bummer. Unfortunately, there is just not enough natural snow for the upper section of that mountain. We would really appreciate a ginormous snowfall to kick Wilderness back in to high gear, but for right now, we're waiting on a snowpocalypse.

Snow surfaces are primarily packed powder and frozen granular. The snow remains fairly soft despite the cold temps and under that layer sits a very firm base. Sticking to the groomed stuff is again a good bet this weekend for the best possible skiing and riding. 

Events and Entertainment: 

Saturday

• Saturday the 26th is PHAT Helmet Day where you can get lots of great info on helmet use and enter the raffle for a free helmet giveaway. We're also offering 20% off helmets (and 30% off for season pass holders) at BV Sports.
• We'll have another evening of Bolton After Dark with $19 night skiing, $2 draft beer, soda and flatbread slices. We’ll begin our film series with Head for the Hills from Meathead Films.
• Starting at 8pm we host Lenny Noel to bring you into après ski paradise. PBR is on special and the tunes will keep you going until 11pm. 

Sunday

• It's a backcountry extravaganza, with the 5th annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival! This is a truly unique event that both showcases the incredible terrain and provides a full backcountry experience for skiers from novice to pro. For a full schedule, more info and to register for the Festival, check out the Catamount Trail Association's website. 
• Trivia returns! After last week off, Mike Germano is back to host a brainy brawl from 6-8pm. Long Trail and Budweiser specials will be flowing, so don't miss it! 

Weekend Update

You can't live in New England without being familiar with this saying: "Don't like the weather? Just wait a minute." Well, we waited more than a minute for that pesky January thaw to leave, but leave it did and we're well on our way to having the mountain in good shape for the weekend.  Weather: This week has been consistently cold and wintry, and the weekend should bring more of the same. Friday starts off pretty chilly, with highs in the single digits and a chance of light snow. The thermometer will be on the rise during the day, taking us into some more reasonable temps for Saturday and Sunday. Both weekend days will have highs in the mid to upper 20s with moderate wind. There is white stuff in the forecast as well, with Sunday looking like the better bet for us to add to our snow totals. With new snow on the ground from this week combined with the hard work of our groomers and snowmakers, we've made significant progress! Trails and Conditions: Mondays are by far the most depressing day of the week. And on Monday morning we had downright icky and warm daytime weather, with the freeze hitting us late in the evening. That led us to Tuesday's trail count of 7. Ya, that just won't do. But the great news is that we came back in a big way. By Wednesday we were up to 16 trails, Thursday it was 25, and for this weekend, we're able to project 30 trails and 5 lifts. Unfortunately, Wilderness has not been able to bounce back as quickly as we would have liked, but Timberline will be up and running starting on Saturday with a few trails for you to get at. Butterscotch Park and Jungle Jib are also open for our terrain park fans.  We've done a lot of grooming this week to break up icy snow on the thinner trails to allow for more skiable snow surfaces. The open trails this weekend will all be groomed and you can anticipate the snow surface to be a mix of both frozen granular and packed powder conditions. The snow is skiing well, with the recent snowfall making conditions feel fresh. The base feels solid, but not crusty and turns can be made easily. We've had some good output in terms of snowmaking, and guns fired up on several different trails this week. All of our efforts have really helped us climb back from the warm spell, and we hope you enjoy the trails this weekend. Know that we're in good shape, and we only stand to see improved conditions as favorable weather is expected to continue.  Events and Entertainment:  Don't miss another evening of Bolton After Dark with $19 night skiing, $2 draft beer, soda and flatbread slices. We’ll begin our film series with Prime Cut from Meathead Films. On Saturday from 8-11pm, take in some "outlaw country" with Donna Thunders and the Storm. Wind down your day of skiing with a little fiddle, banjo and mandolin. While you're at it, get yourself a Labatt or Vermont's own Magic Hat #9, 'cause it'll be on special.  Sunday brings back the Dewey Drive Band for a return appearance! This band is well known in the JMT, playing a wide variety of originals and B-sides including country, swing, blues and rock & roll. Catch them from 8-11pm, with Labatt and #9 again on special.  We have also two special events coming up in the last weekend in January, so mark your calendar. PHAT Helmet Day: We will host PHAT Helmet Day on Saturday January 26th. PHAT encourages you to Protect your Head at All Times. Look for their table in the Base Lodge which will be filled with helpful info on helmet use for skiers and riders. Sign up to get your name in the raffle for a free helmet giveaway too!  5th Annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival: The following day, Sunday January 27th, is the 5th Annual Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival. This is an event for both experienced and novice backcountry skiers alike. Take a guided backcountry tour on our beautiful terrain and then check out workshops to build skills and understanding about all things backcountry. There will also be an opportunity to demo the latest equipment on the market. And, what day on skis would be complete without an après party? The event is $40 for Catamount Trail Association members and $60 for non-members. Find out more about the festival and register through the CTA.

Thaw/Freeze Recovery

Recovery from the thaw/freeze cycle is under way. We are pleased to announce that the Jungle Jib will join our trail count at opening bell on Wednesday and we'll have the Butterscotch Park and Sprig O' Pine open by the time the lights come on for night skiing on Wednesday.

By doing a little math on a cocktail napkin we can project a trail count of nearly 30 by the weekend, and that's without any natural snow. Here's the quick version of how we'll get there. In addition to pulling out our original edition of 101 Snow Dances from Around the World, it'll be all about snowmaking and grooming. We started the recovery by grooming the trails that had a decent base depth thanks to snowmaking. We are now moving onto thinner areas to break up the icy snow and create a skiable surface. Those should be ready by the weekend. We are also making snow at Timberline in order to get a number of trails over there open by the weekend too. So, it looks like we'll be able to get the mountain back into decent shape relatively quickly. Throw in some natural snow (and there is some in the forecast over the next couple days) and things could get even better.

Weekend Update & Timberline Opening

Taken on 1/7/13...A beautiful end to a day at BV.

Weather:

Bust out the bikinis and board shorts people. We've got ourselves a little warm up a-comin'. Alright, you've probably heard we're in for a January "thaw" this weekend, and maybe you're crying a snowflake shaped tear. Fear not says Bolton Valley. Our weekend weather projections show Friday to be the trickiest day with temps between the mid to upper 30s and a chance of mixed precipitation. After we clear that hurdle, both Saturday and Sunday look to be warm and dry with temps in the mid 30s to upper 40s. We'll call this our spring skiing preview weekend. Thanks to ten feet of snow so far this season, our base should stay in good shape; there is a lot of snow on the mountain! The snow will be soft, you'll have one less itchy wool sweater on and the skiing and riding will feel great before the temps dip down and smack you in the face again. 

Trails and Conditions:

The trail count jumps up to 68 trails and 6 lifts as this weekend we celebrate the season debut of the Timberline Quad. We know you have been anxiously awaiting its opening. A few things to remember as you enjoy the terrain down at Timby. 

The grooming will be limited in this area. We will hit Upper Villager and Timberline Run, but the remaining sections of the mountain will be mostly ungroomed. In addition, with the warmer weather, you can expect the deep snow to do some melting, making it significantly heavier. Skier traffic will also cut up the terrain, leaving the surface on the rugged side. With all of this in mind, it's important to "level up" the trails on Timberline this weekend. For example, if you're hitting a blue square, know that it is more likely to ski like a black diamond. Black diamonds will be more in line with double blacks, and so on. We suggest that only solid intermediate, advanced and expert skiers and riders tackle the trails at Timberline this weekend. Expert skiers and riders should be the only guests exiting the Timberline Quad at the mid-station due to trail conditions. Also, be sure to watch for thin cover and other obstacles despite the deep snow you may encounter. For those of you ready for the challenge, get out and enjoy it! 

In addition to Timberline, we expect the rest of our trails to be in nice shape, with soft packed powder snow surfaces. There are spots of untouched of powder to find here and there as well. This week the parks crew has been out building in Butterscotch Park, so we hope to have that up and running for the weekend as well.

Lots of options to choose from + an expanding trail count + some pleasant temps = happy weekend. 

Events and Entertainment:

Last weekend we saw a great turn out at our first Bolton After Dark of the season and we can't wait to do it again this Saturday. The Perks of Bolton After Dark? I'm glad you asked. 

• Starting at 4pm, you ski/ride the most extensive night skiing terrain in Vermont for $19.
• Also at 4pm, Fireside Flatbread fills you up on the cheap: $2 flatbread slices, $2 sodas or PBR drafts.
• You get your football fix with a 101.3 ESPN party from 5-7pm where you can win prizes (lift tickets anyone?) and watch the NFL playoffs roll on the big screen.

And next Saturday we'll head back to our regularly scheduled programming starting off with Meathead Films, Prime Cut. Check out the film line up for the rest of the season. 

Here are some of this weekend's entertainment offerings from the James Moore Tavern.

This Thursday (yes, tonight) catch The Woedoggies in the tavern from 8-11pm. The Woedoggies play classic and simple acoustic country for your listening pleasure. Sierra Nevada will be on special.

On Saturday, don't miss The Dewey Drive Band, also from 8-11pm. This band is well known in the JMT, playing a wide variety of originals and B-sides including country, swing, blues and rock & roll. Sierra Nevada will again be on special.

And Sunday night means trivia with Mike Germano from 6-8pm. Bring your team, or join one when you get here and sip on Long Trail and Budweiser specials. 

Check out the events calendar for what's coming up next week too!

Weekend Update

It's been a beautiful start to the new year here at Bolton Valley. After a stretch of grey weather, we've seen beautiful bluebird days, and some pretty magnificent sunsets. And that's without even mentioning the snow! Check out our weekend update. 

Weather:

Bored of the same old story? Want a little variety? Then head to The Keys. 'Cause we have gotten into the groove of incredible ski and ride weather. I must say, I'm very happy to sound like a broken record in the first week of January. This weekend looks to be....in the low 20s with a chance of snow. In other words, perfect. 

Our snow total so far this season is over 109 inches and on the rise as I pen this update. Over the last seven days, we've received about 23 inches of snow. If you like powder, and I'm guessing you do, you need to pay us a visit this weekend. 

Trails and Conditions:

Maybe you don't need to read my projections, maybe all you need to do is check out this gallery from Wednesday afternoon. Conditions are expected to remain outstanding. Snow surfaces are primarily powder and soft packed powder. We're expecting to have 55 trails open for you to enjoy, served by 5 lifts. Another high point is that we are starting to see some bumps on our steeper trails. You'll want to check out the trail section of the daily Snow Report to find out where those bumps are present. This week also saw the grand re-opening of our terrain park in its new location, Jungle Jib. It's open with 5 rail features and one jump, so have at it!  

A note on Nordic as well, all of this new snow has really helped us build a solid base, and the backcountry is in incredible shape for adventures of all kinds. Be sure to keep up on conditions with our Nordic Snow Report. There you'll find skate and classic track grooming info as well as the wax of the day. 

Goings On:

This Saturday night, we welcome back Bolton After Dark. Start the evening off with a little night skiing from 4-8pm for a mere $19. Then head to Fireside Flatbread, where slices, sodas and PBR drafts will run you just $2 a piece, also starting at 4.

Even more excitement begins at 8, and since we know you're ready for some football, we'll be showing NFL Playoff games on the big screen. 101.3 ESPN will sponsor our apres party where you could win lift tickets, movie tickets and other great prizes.
And if you can't make it this weekend, our football theme continues next Saturday the 12th. Game on.

Sunday, January 6th is the second of four great opportunities for Subaru and Hyundai owners to ski and ride for free thanks to Subaru/Hyundai Customer Appreciation Days. Here's the deal: Bring your current Subaru or Hyundai registration to guest services on Sunday for one complimentary All Access Lift Ticket beginning at noon. You can also take advantage of 50% off the retail price of three additional lift tickets, also beginning at noon. Not only will your AWD Subie get you up the hill, but it'll get you skiing and riding for free!