Submitted by: The Bolton Valley Team
To our beloved uphilling friends,
Wow, what a few years it’s been for our backcountry programs here at Bolton Valley. We’ve watched this community grow and thrive from a small group of dedicated folks to a burgeoning community of alpine touring skiers and splitboarders. Most mornings we see a steady stream of ants marching up the hill to snag first turns and a quick workout before work. Some days we bask in the glory of our uphillers and downhillers sharing the alpine terrain in harmony during lift operating hours. And it’s so fun to see the train of headlamps heading up after work in the mid-winter and to bump into friends at the top of Wilderness or Timberline in the spring to catch the sunset out across the Adirondacks.
Bolton Valley has a proud tradition of pioneering growth within the sport. Years ago as skiers and riders sought out fresh tracks, we were amongst the first to really embrace in bounds gladed trails on our trail maps. Now we aim to blaze a similar trail with respect to our uphill and backcountry community.
We’re asking for your support as we update our uphill policy in advance of the 2019-20 winter season. Starting next season, all uphill traffic will need either a lift ticket or season pass (all access season pass or backcountry/nordic/uphill pass) to be in compliance with our Uphill Trail Policy. This will include before, during, and after lift operations. Acknowledging that we don’t have a ticket window at all times, you will be able to purchase the appropriate uphill ticket or nordic/backcountry/uphill season’s pass on your phone anytime.
Additionally, we’ve heard from several of our regular uphill skiers and riders, that wish they could access the terrain off Vista Peak. We are looking for an appropriate uphill route to get you there. And while we can’t promise we’ll find it in time for next season, we are really excited to announce that starting in 2019-2020, every nordic/backcountry/uphill season pass will come with 3 one ride lift tickets. These tickets can be used all at once to bring 2 friends or take 3 separate trips yourself throughout the season.
Our mountain operations team works tirelessly day and night to keep our parking lots clear and to groom and maintain our trails. As interest in in-bounds uphilling grows, it has a corresponding impact on our day to day mountain operations. Some mornings, most of the upper base and Timberline parking lots are nearly full with backcountry enthusiasts. That makes our mountain hearts sing! It’s clear to us that in order to fully embrace this exciting evolution in our sport, it’s time to look for support from our uphill friends.
At Bolton Valley, we are all about access to the mountain and we are so grateful to be a part of this human powered, uphill revolution. As we look to the future, we are committed to offering a quality resort experience for both uphill and downhill skiers and riders every day at Bolton Valley.
We appreciate your support.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Bolton Valley Backcountry Report - 3/5/2019
Provided by: Alek Jadkowski, Bolton Valley Backcountry Guide
I got out for a quick tour this afternoon with a friend, and got a little sampling of how our snow is holding up on south- and west-facing slopes. As the sun rises higher and shines longer every day, our south-facing terrain is continuing to build a layer of sun crust, which in some places is now fully supportive. This crust was covered by snow from the storm on Sunday night, as well as the snow squalls that rolled through yesterday, and that really helped the skiing on south-facing lines. West-facing terrain has a bit of the same crust but with less strength, and after being buried under the new snow it skied very nicely. That new snow layer is anywhere from 2-8” deep depending on elevation and wind exposure. Like usual at this time of year, north-facing lines in the BV backcountry are keeping the snow cold and dry while everything else starts to warm up.
What is unusual this year is the snowpack depth; even without the epic storms of the past two seasons (cross your fingers!) there is more snow on the ground here than I have ever seen. This is really opening up the terrain as the bushes become increasingly buried, and I am seeing new lines every time I head into the backcountry. Now that the days are getting longer and the temperatures are a little more mild, it’s a great time of year to explore. Grab a friend, make a plan, and go find your new favorite backcountry line!
I got out for a quick tour this afternoon with a friend, and got a little sampling of how our snow is holding up on south- and west-facing slopes. As the sun rises higher and shines longer every day, our south-facing terrain is continuing to build a layer of sun crust, which in some places is now fully supportive. This crust was covered by snow from the storm on Sunday night, as well as the snow squalls that rolled through yesterday, and that really helped the skiing on south-facing lines. West-facing terrain has a bit of the same crust but with less strength, and after being buried under the new snow it skied very nicely. That new snow layer is anywhere from 2-8” deep depending on elevation and wind exposure. Like usual at this time of year, north-facing lines in the BV backcountry are keeping the snow cold and dry while everything else starts to warm up.
What is unusual this year is the snowpack depth; even without the epic storms of the past two seasons (cross your fingers!) there is more snow on the ground here than I have ever seen. This is really opening up the terrain as the bushes become increasingly buried, and I am seeing new lines every time I head into the backcountry. Now that the days are getting longer and the temperatures are a little more mild, it’s a great time of year to explore. Grab a friend, make a plan, and go find your new favorite backcountry line!
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