Storm Of The Century

This photo makes me laugh.

Ever seen Stephen King's "Storm of the Century"? Without getting too far into it, the story is centered on a small island town in Maine that is about to be hit with a colossal winter storm. Long story short, they all go out and buy tons of food, lose power for a night, wait out a few feet of new snow and eventually shovel and plow their way back to a normal routine.

Over the last 2 days, I think that's what most people in New England were expecting (or hoping) out of Winter Storm Juno. Now, if you happen to be reading this from Nantucket or other parts of southern New England, you definitely got hit the hardest. But the storm tracked East of its original path, leaving majority of our region including our little mountain, with a lovely coating of white, but certainly not the apocalyptic amounts we were promised on the news.

That's why the above photo gives me a chuckle. Can you imagine trying to dig your way out of that?

But, wait Mike. Hold on. Isn't that a bad thing? Bolton is a ski resort - why are you ok with getting less snow than predicted?

More volume doesn't always equal more fun.

It's not about how much snow, but rather what kind of snow. It's the quality of what's coming down from the sky that we really care about.

Our original forecasts last week showed up to a foot of heavy wet snow, and we were excited for a few reasons. It helps build up our base for spring, which means you can ski more trails later into the season. It also puts a nice sticky coating on everything, allowing us to open more terrain earlier than usual without worrying about wind scouring it all away. But, it's also heavier, harder to shovel and plow, and high in water content, which means it can rot out easier. If there are any painters out there, think of heavy wet snow as your primer. It covers and sticks to the surfaces but that's not what you want your finished product to look like, right?

Juno didn't drop a foot of heavy wet. Instead, it left us with about 4-7" of light fluffy fairy dust. Out west they call this "Champagne Powder" because it's the best of the best. What's do great about dry light snow? Well, that's the kind of snow you see people shredding in ski movies and postcard photos. Light dry powder is what makes skiing and riding feel effortless and floaty. You can just charge right through it and not feel a thing. Sticking with our paint example, this kind of snow is our final coat. It's the high gloss finish that looks great and makes things really pop. You get the most enjoyment out of this kind of snow.

So, why are we alright with missing out on Juno's knockout punch? Because the snow we got is better than the snow we thought we were getting. Better snow = more fun.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some secret stashes to visit.

Ups and Downs - No, Wait - All Ups

Sometimes, life throws us a curve ball and we have to adjust to a less than ideal situation. And, sometimes it tosses knuckleball instead of the curve. Good luck hitting that one. You just have to roll with it, try to follow along as best you can and swing away.

And sometimes life says, "Oh hey guys! Want some new snow? Cool! Here's a foot. And how 'bout a few days of bluebird skies? You got it. Wait, you want positive temperatures too? Ah, ok why not!"

This week has been one of the latter.

If you haven't been paying attention since last weekend, let me catch you up real quick. More than a FOOT of fresh has fallen since last Sunday and whatever days it wasn't snowing, we've had deep blue skies and sunshine you see on postcards. I'm running out of ways to say that it's been absolutely awesome up here this week, and I don't anticipate that changing at all in the next 72 hours. We plan on more than 60 trails open off all 6 lifts and all 3 mountain faces. No shortage of places to find yourself. Come visit for some soft floaty turns, creamy cord and tight tree runs.

Remember to share your photos on social media using #FoundAtBV for a chance to win free stuff!

Weather:

We're through the latest cold snap and the arctic air we've become accustomed to is moving out for the weekend. It should actually be quite comfortable up here - no facemask or hand warmers required! On Friday, snow squalls will push through the area with the chance for some accumulation. Experts say maybe 1-4", but we all know what squalls can do sometimes. Let's hope for more. Saturday will be cold and sunny to start the day but gradually warm up through the evening before giving way to temps in the 30's and cloudy skies on Sunday.

Events:

Friday: Late Night at Bolton Valley & Justice VT in the James Moore Tavern

Saturday: Bolton After Dark & The John Daly Trio

Sunday: Bonus $19 Night Skiing 

January is Learn To Ski & Ride Month!

Having trouble coming up with reasons to leave your Netflix nest in your living room over the past few days? Wondering why you live in a state where it's below 40 degrees for 6 months out of the year? I'll bet you wish there was something you could do to enjoy this frosty weather instead of lamenting it for a whole season.

Answer: How about learning to ski or snowboard?

January is Learn to Ski & Ride month across the nation, but here in Vermont we do it particularly well. We boast some of the best and most qualified instructors in the nation, along with excellent terrain for designated learning areas. You won't find any 13,000 ft elevation or 2,700 ft vertical drops here. The Green Mountains tend to be more rolling and lend themselves better to first-timers than other resorts in larger mountain ranges.

Here's the deal: Most days in January, we're offering special beginner-only learn-to packages through our ski & ride school. Just sign up here, choose your date and get a group lesson, lift ticket and 1-day rental package for just $29. Yes, you read that right. Less than 30 bucks gets you fully set up for a day on the slopes. Come try it out, let our professional instructors show you the ropes and even if it's not for you, there's a bar and a hot tub just steps from the slopes. Gotta end the day on a good note, right?

If you do have a great time, which I'm confident you will, come back for more group or private lessons from our crew to really advance your skills quickly. The best way to learn is really through a few lessons and after that, you'll be shredding the gnar like a pro!

So, if you're sick of staying inside all winter, boot up and hit the slopes with us. Bring a friend or three and you might just get addicted to a new hobby. There’s no better time to learn than January.

Layer Up, It's January

Photo taken 1/2/15

So, January is back. Welcome to 2015. It's snowing and that's a good thing. It's also kinda chilly, and that's normal.

Now, we're skiers & riders, and we live in Vermont. We embrace many different kinds of weather that some people would call "extreme'. We know our sport involves snow, sleet, wind, ice and yet we boot up each morning, throw on whatever clothing the day dictates and get out on the slopes to have a little (sometimes a LOT) of fun.

It's kind of unique actually - we're totally dependent on the weather to enjoy ourselves, yet, no matter what the weather is doing, we don't care. We adapt. We dress appropriately. We shred anyway. Keep that in mind.

Skies are partly sunny now, but here's how things look over the next few days, according to the experts:

Definitely double puffy weather.

I'd say, on average, I spend about 7 months out of the year wondering why I have so much gear, 3 months getting way too excited to buy even more stuff as the season approaches, and 2 months being really glad I have it all. This month is one of the latter.

January is a month where I'm glad I bought that 800 fill puffy jacket. I'm glad I have 4 different Under Armour options for super cold weather. I'm glad I sprung for the goose down Gordini mitts, and I'm glad I have a facemask. Most of it may sit on a shelf or hangar 7 months out of the year, but do you know why I have it all?

So I can snowboard anyway, any day.

Adapt. Layer up. Shred. Repeat. It's time to hit the mountain.