Holiday Week Events Schedule

Holiday Week Events Schedule:

Monday, December 26

10 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.                 The Sportscenter is open. Come enjoy the pool, sauna, hot tub, a                                                             bounce house and games for the kids.

Noon - 8:00 p.m.                       Retro DJ Party in the James Moore Tavern and around the Base                                                             Lodge. We'll be playing music from the 60's through the 90's all day.                                                       Come dressed in your best retro ski clothes from any decade and join                                                          us at 4pm in the Tavern for a retro ski gear contest. The overall                                                                 winner will receive a 2016-17 All Access Season Pass.

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.                         Face painting in the Base Lodge

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.                        Candlelight yoga all levels

4:00 p.m.                                   Retro ski clothing contest in the James Moore Tavern

4:30 p.m.                                   The debut of the first segment of our 50th Anniversary film. This                                                           piece explores the founding and development of the Backcountry.

Tuesday, December 27

10 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.                   The Sportscenter is open. Come enjoy the pool, sauna, hot tub, a                                                             bounce house and games for the kids.

4:30 - 6:00 p.m.                          Camp fire, cookies and hot chocolate. Sit and warm up or just stop                                                         by in between runs! Fire will be help slopeside outside BV Sports.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.                          Yoga all levels.

Wednesday, December 28

10 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.                     The Sportscenter is open. Come enjoy the pool, sauna, hot tub, a                                                             bounce house and games for the kids.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.                         Yoga all levels

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.                             Yoga for skiers and riders

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.                             Free magic show in Fireside Flatbread, upstairs in the Base Lodge.

Thursday, December 29

10 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.                      The Sportscenter is open. Come enjoy the pool, sauna, hot tub, a                                                            bounce house and games for the kids.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.                             Family Yoga

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.                             Yoga all levels

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.                             Free Ice Cream Social and kids' movie at Fireside Flatbread.

Friday, December 30

10 a.m. - 10 p.m.                            The Sportscenter is open. Come enjoy the pool, sauna, hot tub, a                                                            bounce house and games for the kids.

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.                              DUX the Balloon Man: Free balloon sculptures for everyone!                                                                 Located in the main base lodge near Guest Services.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.                              Slow flow yoga all levels

Saturday, December 31

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.                     The Sportscenter is open. Come enjoy the pool, sauna, hot tub, a                                                            bounce house and games for the kids.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.                           Yoga all levels

8:00 - 8:30 p.m.                               Torchlight Parade

8:30 - 9:00 p.m.                               50th Anniversary Fireworks: best viewed from the base lodge.

9:00 - 11:30 p.m.                             New Year's Eve Family Fun Night with DJ, inflatable attractions                                                           and the pool in the Sports Center.

9:00 - 1:00 a.m.                               New Year's Eve Party in Fireside Flatbread.

Opening Day Pushed up to Dec. 9

Good news skiers and riders! We had good snowmaking production over the weekend and were also aided by Mother Nature with some natural snow. In lieu of this, we have pushed Opening Day up by one day and will open for the season Friday, December 9. Lifts will run from 10am - 4pm with no night skiing.

While we have had two feet of snow in the past week, keep in mind that the snow fell on warm and wet ground. Water bars are still flowing and there are still plenty of thin spots. Our snowmakers are currently on a short break due to warm temperatures but will get back at it as soon as temps drop again. The mountain ops team is constantly assessing conditions and we'll have a better idea of what lifts and trails we can open by Thursday. As always, head over to the snow report for the most up to date info. See you Friday!

Opening Day Set For Dec. 10

Our snowmakers and mountain ops teams have been hard at work getting the mountain ready over the past week. Snowmaking began at the top of the Vista Quad and has moved down Sherman's Pass as production has allowed. Currently we are making snow just above the top of Mid-Mountain, and will continue to work our way down the mountain as temperatures allow.

Unfortunately, we have some warm and wet weather on our way mid-week. It looks like we'll see some of that dreaded rain Tuesday-Thursday with temps ranging from the high 30's to mid 40's. Due to this weather outlook we will stick with our planned Opening Day of December 10.

Keep checking the snow report for the latest updates.

Cyber Monday Savings

Bolton Valley is offering three great Cyber Monday deals for one 24 hour period. Lock in some skiing and riding for yourself this winter, buy gifts for snow lovers on your list, or a little of both. The sale will start at 12:00am on Monday, November 28, 2016 and will be open for 24 hours, closing at 11:59pm on Monday.

$20 Early Season Lift Tickets

The Bolton Valley ski and snowboard season is set to kick off on December 10th, and when you pre-purchase your lift ticket on Cyber Monday you can ski from opening day through Christmas (12/25) for just $20 per day. There is no limit to how many tickets you can buy so plan to spend a few days on the mountain for just $20!

Ski Bum Pass: Just $199

The Ski Bum Pass is currently on sale for just $269, but on Cyber Monday it will be just $199. The Ski Bum pass is for anyone age 18-25 and is valid every day that Bolton Valley is open for skiing and riding during the 2016-16 season with no blackout dates.

Free Early Season Lift Ticket with Purchase of a $100 Gift Card

Bolton Valley gift cards made a great gift for the skier or rider on your list. You can use gift cards for all your favorite Bolton Valley goodies including lift tickets, season passes, food and beverage, lessons and more.

We are also offering a free early season lift ticket with the purchase of every $100 Gift Card on November 28. The lift ticket offer is only valid when your purchase a $100 Gift Card on November. The ticket is valid for one full day lift ticket from Opening Day through December 25, 2016.

Why Melting Snow in October Shouldn't Bother You

Seeing nearly two feet of snow fall over the last week and a half of October was awfully exciting. In fact, the 9" storm from Sunday, October 23, matched the single biggest 24-hour storm from all of last season. Although it's currently snowing again, most of the snowfall from that initial storm has melted. Let's talk about why that's not necessarily a bad thing.

First and foremost, we need water for our snowmaking ponds. Last winter's lack of snow combined with low rainfall this spring and summer has left parts of Vermont in a severe drought. Things are actually so bad in parts of the state that wells have gone dry for the first time in nearly 20 years.

You may ask yourself, "what does this have to do with all that wonderful snow that I was so excited about melting?" Simply put, any precipitation benefits us by filling up either of our snowmaking ponds. At Bolton Valley, we draw water from a dam on Joiner Brook which is pumped up to a pond at Timberline. From there it is pumped up again to a snowmaking pond at Mid-Mountain which services Vista Peak. Water that doesn't fall directly into the ponds (such as melted snow) helps snowmaking operations by flowing into Joiner Brook.

While we welcome the idea of an opening day with a 40" base consisting of all natural snow with open arms. Chances are at some point we'll have to make some snow to get the ball rolling. Plus, we've brought in an extra air compressor for the early season so we can make more snow and hopefully open more trails as needed. So as you see snow come and go during these late fall/early winter months, have no fear. Winter in all it's glory is on the way.

Changes to 2016-17 Snowmaking Plan and Lift Schedule

The fall foliage is only just starting to emerge but here at Bolton Valley we are already focused on winter. We are happy to announce plans to increase early season snowmaking and will also offer more night skiing in 2016-17.

This season we will be bringing in an additional air compressor for one month starting in late November. The additional equipment will allow our snowmaking crew to increase the amount of snow guns they have online at one time. Mother Nature will still have to cooperate by providing cold temperatures, but the increased firepower will allow the operations team to make more snow when conditions permit. Ultimately this will allow for more trails to be opened more quickly at the beginning of the season.

“The addition of the new air compressor will allow us to make snow at both the peak and the base of the mountain at the same time.” said Harold Herbert, mountain manager. “This will allow us to offer more trails to guests for early season skiing and riding.”

The extra compressor will only be on site for one month, but it will pay benefits throughout the season. “The ability to cover more trails early in the season moves up the timeline for every other trail on the mountain.” Herbert continued.

Skiers and riders will have more time to enjoy all the snow with expanded night skiing hours. Night skiing will be offered five nights per week this season, up from four nights per week last season. Night skiing will also run until 10pm each night it is offered, last season night skiing closed at 8pm most nights.  As in the past, lift tickets will be valid from the time of purchase until lifts close that day. This means that Tuesday through Friday a full day lift ticket will get you 12 hours of skiing and on Saturdays guests will be able to ski for 13 hours, from 9am until 10pm.

In addition to the on mountain changes, those staying at the mountain will also enjoy renovated ski-in, ski-out lodging. Over the past year most suites and 25 hotel rooms have received major upgrades. Improvements include new carpet, drapes, furniture, mattresses, fresh paint, and renovated bathrooms, new mattresses and new artwork.

50th Anniversary Essay Contest Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 50th Anniversary Essay Contest this spring. The winner of the contest is Sue Brisson. Sue has been skiing at Bolton for the past 45 years. She skied here in her youth, then with her kids and now with her grandchildren. Her story exemplifies the tradition so many families have created over the years of enjoying quality family time on the mountain at Bolton Valley. Sue will be receiving a 2016-17 Bolton Valley All Access Season Pass. We have also indentified three runner up essays, all three of those authors will be receiving two lift tickets. We will share those essays at a later date.

Here is Sue's essay:

Learning of Bolton Valley’s 50-year celebration immediately elicited a plethora of personal memories, spanning back 45 years to those still being created as recently as this week!

My earliest days of skiing were all at ski areas in southern Vermont. We lived in Massachusetts, and traveled every weekend to ski. My dad was on ski patrol and taught me how to ski at Okemo mountain. Skiing  became my absolute favorite childhood activity. I participated in NASTAR races, and spent entire grade school vacation weeks on the mountain. Things changed quickly in 1971 when my parents divorced and I moved to South Burlington, VT with my mom and special needs brother. Despite a limited budget, my mother made a Bolton Valley seasons pass a BIG priority for her 12-year-old ski fanatic.

Needless to say, Bolton Valley became a bright spot for me at a most challenging time in my childhood. Fortunately, I connected with the likes of 20 or so classmates at So. Burlington Middle School who also were Bolton pass holders and skied every weekend. I’d be remiss to not mention and express gratitude for the late Stuart Hall, 40-year veteran WCAX weatherman. Stuart was an avid skier and skied at Bolton every weekend with his daughter, Sib.  Ultimately, he became our “ski taxi driver”, as he arranged to pick up as many of us as possible in his “station wagon” each Saturday and Sunday morning. As his daughter, Sib, recently remembered, “He was the reason so many of us were able to ski.”

I remember many of my Bolton skiing friends by name. . .  Sib Hall, Kathy Miller, Maureen and Leo O’Brien, Frank Hall, Lori Croker, Wright Caswell, Ralph DesLauriers, Jr., and the late Rob LaClair, Jr., just to name a few. I remember silly teenage antics on the chairlift, and run after run on favorite trails, Hardluck, Spillway, and Showoff. I remember four lifts, all with fancy names. . . lift 1, 2, 3 and 4! I remember that we were a group of rather impressive skiers! I remember sometimes skiing down the mountain road at the end of the day to meet a ride home (Mother Nature was more generous in those days!). I remember wishing that my non-skier, seventh grade sweetheart, Tony, would at least give skiing a try?! 

Jumping ahead to later in the seventies, several of us spent many Saturdays navigating the slalom gates under “lift 2”, as members of the South Burlington High School ski team. A few years later, when I was a UVM college student, that same seventh grade boyfriend, and now husband of thirty four years,  popped a big question: “Will you please teach me how to ski?!” While Tony and I moved on to enjoy many ski areas, near and far, an affinity for Bolton Valley always remained. We spent many days at Bolton teaching our son and daughter to ski, enjoyed many summer climbs up the mountain road on our road bikes, and treasured the 2007 marriage of our daughter at The Ponds.
  
Fast forward to more recent years, when in 2014, we introduced our two young granddaughters to skiing at Bolton Valley. The oldest, Makenna, now 5, is the age that Bolton Valley was when I first skied there! She is obviously following in my footsteps and developing an undeniable love for the sport. While words cannot express the pure joy of teaching my granddaughters to ski at Bolton, there are countless photos. . . each worth AT LEAST a thousand. Many thanks and Happy Birthday to you, Bolton Valley!

~Sue Brisson

Presidents' Week Activities

Presidents' Week Activity Schedule

Thursday, February 18^th

2:00 – 7:00 p.m.                      Indoor Amusement Center: Inflatable Games and Video Games.

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.                      Camp fire, cookies and hot chocolate. Sit and warm up or just stop by                                                            in between runs! Fire will be held slopeside outside BV Sports.

Friday, February 19th

2:00 – 7:00 p.m.                      Indoor Amusement Center: Inflatable Games and Video Games

7:00 - 10:00 p.m.                     Late Night at Bolton Valley: All Access Lift Tickets for just $19 from 7-10pm.

9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.             Shady Trees will be providing live entertainment in the James Moore Tavern.

Saturday, February 20th

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.                         Demo Day: White Room skis will be demoing their one of a kind skis. While Powe.                                       Snowboards will be demoing their environmentally friendly boards.

4 - 8 p.m.                                 Bolton After Dark: We'll have $19 All Access Lift Tickets $2 flatbread slices,                                                     $2 sodas, and beer specials starting at 4pm.

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.                      Paint Night: Learn to paint with local artist Natasha Bogar.

9 p.m. - 12 a.m.                       Mountain Weekend with Woodstack Productions will be providing live                                                             entertainment in the James Moore Tavern.

Sunday, February 21st

6 - 8 p.m.                                  Trivia Night: Bolton's hotly contested trivia night rolls on Sunday.

How to Save on Lift Tickets

The return of snow has been a very warm welcome here at Bolton Valley. After a snowy start to the New Year, we went nearly a week without a glimpse of that white fluffy stuff until last night. Thankfully, Mother Nature returned in full force dropping 6" on us overnight. With more snow  on the way for the weekend, things are shaping up nicely for the MLK holiday.

We pride ourselves on being and affordable, family friendly mountain. When you visit, make sure to take advantage of the many ticket specials we offer. Here are five easy ways to visit Bolton Valley and save a buck or two.

1. Buy Online and Save: By far the easiest way to save is by purchasing your tickets in advance from our online store. Tickets are always lower than the window rate when purchased a day ahead of time.

2. Pink Powder Day: On January 22, Bolton Valley will be hosting a Pink Powder Day to benefit Susan G. Komen VT/NH. Tickets must be purchased in advance by Friday January 16 and will be only $29. $15 of your purchase will be donated to Susan G. Komen VT/NH. Remember, you must purchase in advance to redeem this ticket offer.

3. 50/50 Mondays: On Mondays, skiers and riders age 50 and over can enjoy 50% off All-Access Lift Tickets. For an added bonus we throw in 50% off rentals, groups lessons, and a special menu in the James Moore tavern.

4. Subaru and Hyundai Days: Are you a Subaru or Hyundai owner? If so, join us Jan. 29, Mar. 4, and Mar. 13 for your very own lift ticket specials. On Sundays, the promotion will allow owners to receive up to four lift tickets at 50% off the window rate for that day. On Fridays, you will receive one complimentary lift ticket with the opportunity to purchase three more at 50% off. Simply present your car registration at Guest Services to redeem your tickets.

5. Runs For Girls On The Run: On February 5 Bolton Valley will be raising money for Girls On The Run. Tickets must be purchased in advance by January 29 and will be only $29. $15 of your purchase will be donated to Girls On The Run.