2016-17 the rise of the PARKS Artisan Cheese

Plus: Mountain Bike Revolution Food Fun for Kids Hats Off to Hats! “The PiTcher inn May Be VerMonT’s BesT resTauranT” The new york TiMes The freshest seafood, locally sourced meats, Vermont artisan cheeses, locally gathered wild mushrooms and native fruits are artfully combined with fresh and seasonal vegetables and herbs from nearby farms. Dinner is served in our romantic dining room—275 Main—or perhaps in Tracks, our firelit tavern with classic pub fare and craft beers. The Pitcher Inn is a culinary “true north” for localvore Vermonters celebrating special occasions as well as those visiting the Mad River Valley renowned for an abundant variety of year-round activities. A Relais & Châteaux property and a Condé Nast Top 100 Hotel. The Pitcher Inn

Warren, Vermont 05674Warren, 802-496-6350 Vermont www.pitcherinn.com

Pitcher_Sugarbush ad 6.14.indd 1 6/15/16 1:55 PM HJvB

28 Everyday Eden Planning the perfect ski day, whatever the conditions, from downhill to cross-country to backcountry By Peter Oliver Plus: A Day with the Big Dog

36 The Sugarbush Study Since 1971, Dr. Robert Johnson and his team have been conducting one of the largest studies on skiing and riding injuries in the world. By Candice White 42 Happy Trails The Mad River Riders and other stakeholders are spurring a mountain biking revolution in the Valley. By Kelly AUlt Plus: VMBA Festival at Mt. Ellen 48 The Rise of the PARKS How community and creativity came to define the terrain parks at Sugarbush Sugarbush passholder Alix Klein getting fresh tracks on Castlerock By JOHN BLEH SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Inside Lines JA president 4 One on one with Win Smith, owner and Winthrop Smith Jr. president of Sugarbush Resort Food EDITOR Candice White 6 the cHeese course Artisan cheese making is helping the von Trapp Managing Editor Farm thrive for a third generation. Katie Bacon Plus: Stops along the Vermont Cheese Trail 10 play with your food! production Editor Camps and classes in the Valley where kids 6 Amy Stackhouse

can put on their chef’s hat HJvB Plus: Kid-friendly dining Art director Audrey Huffman Wintertime 12 helping hand advertising MANAGER Roy Tuscany and his High Fives Foundation Jen Schonder have helped more than 100 athletes recover from major injury and return to the sports they love. contributors Plus: The U.S. Paralympic Adaptive Ski Kelly Ault Race Camp comes to Sugarbush Cory Ayotte Training Ground John Bleh Kelly MacIntyre 16 Trial By Snow In a one-of-a kind program hosted at Sugarbush, Peter Oliver participants boost their leadership skills 10 staff Photographers through physical and mental challenges. John Atkinson Plus: Corporate bonding Hans Jonathan von Briesen HJvB Summertime 20 cracking the code contributing A lesson with Roger King, Sugarbush’s new golf pro PhotographerS Behind the Scenes Eugene Krylov Jason Morris 22 Water Works Michael Riddell The story behind Sugarbush’s water system Jeb Wallace-Brodeur Mountain Life 26 #SBDISCOVER Sugarbush Resort 1840 Sugarbush Access Road Style Warren, VT 05674 34 TOP HATS 800.53.SUGAR Sugar-Kids sugarbush.com 52 Mind games Discover Sugarbush with a crossword puzzle, ON THE COVER word search, riddles, and some jokes WINTER: Snowboarder Seph Niquette 12 in Riemergasse Park

ja son m orris 56 Dining Directory Photographer: John Atkinson 60 Lodging Directory SUMMER: Kelly Ault, third place age-group winner in the USA Cycling National Timeline Championship cross-country division, 62 A quick history of Sugarbush riding the Revolution trail Photographer: John Atkinson Sugarbush Close-Up 64 Facts and figures about the mountain and the latest developments there 70 Events Calendar 2016–17 34 73 Closing Shot 2 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE – NeWLy ReNoVaTed iN 2016 – 3 miles from Sugarbush Rustic Farmhouse Chic Style with riverfront access to the 12 Standard Rooms Mad River, hiking & biking trails. 5 Efficiencies 1 Three-Bedroom House We offer room blocks for 5 Condos 1/4 mile from Lodge weddings and special events.

(802)496-3084

731 Route 100 Warren, VT 05674 [email protected] TheWarrenLodge.com h INSIDE lines JA

There is no question that last winter’s El Niño did not make for a great ski season in the Northeast. At Sugarbush, we had only 156 inches of snow at the summit and a mere 70 in the base area—far below our 250-inch norm. In fact, it was the second-lowest snowfall since Sugarbush opened in 1958. However, history shows that other meager snowfall years have been followed by average or above-average years. We certainly hope that history repeats itself. However, hope is never a method. The investment we made in upgrading our snowmaking system has paid dividends. Our new low-energy snowmaking guns Win picks a nice line through Slide Brook. and towers allow us to maximize the water that can be pumped up the mountain and converted into snow. This technology also allows us to use less electricity—a win against climate change. Last winter, we made significantly more snow but used 25 percent less electricity than two years prior. While we have the ability to make snow on 70 percent of our trails, not all are conducive to snowmaking. Natural snow is integral to the uniqueness of places like Castlerock. Fortunately, our location in Vermont is a great advantage: our northern location, higher elevation, and proximity to lake-effect snow from Lake Champlain usually allows for mountain snow even in tough winters like last year. This explains why we were one of the few ski resorts to be 100 percent open last season. Another advantage at Sugarbush is our strong sense of community, and we love to celebrate those from our area who have made a special difference to others. This issue of our magazine, for example, features an article about Roy Tuscany and his High Fives Foundation. After a catastrophic injury of his own, Roy dedicated himself to helping other injured athletes. We are proud and privileged to support Roy. We also talk with Dr. Robert Johnson and his colleagues Carl Ettlinger and Jake Shealy, who have been working at Sugarbush since the early 1970s, making invaluable contributions to skier and rider safety. Another community legend is John Egan, who grew up skiing here at Sugarbush. John loves to share that while he has skied all over the world, he calls Sugarbush home. John is available for private lessons, but do not be surprised if he just skis up to you and offers to show you some of his favorite spots. In addition to John, we have a terrific coaching team in our Ski & Ride School. My children, grandchildren, and I have all benefited from their instruction, and there are now three generations of Smiths enjoying the mountain. While I love the winter months, summer here at Sugarbush is wonderful too, though still somewhat undiscovered. I am very proud of the condition of our Robert Trent Jones Sr.–designed golf course. I’ve witnessed some spectacular weddings here, including mine and Lili’s five years ago. I can personally vouch for the beautiful venue, as well as the top-notch cuisine and service. Our craft brewers festival in June is not to be missed. Mountain biking grows each summer, and we look forward to again hosting the VMBA festival at Mount Ellen in July. If you have young children or grandchildren, give our day camps a try—they are tons of fun. We partner with one of the world’s top tennis programs, New England Tennis Holidays, which oversees our tennis offerings. And, of course, the Valley is filled with great places to dine, fabulous farms whose products are for sale at the farmers’ market and served in our kitchens, numerous swimming holes, and many other recreational opportunities. At Sugarbush, we like to say that Life is better here in the Mad River Valley. We try to better ourselves each year, and we invite you to do the same. The entire Sugarbush team is excited about the upcoming year—both winter and summer—and is committed to making your experience here unforgettable.

Cheers,

Win Smith

E ugene K rylov President, Sugarbush Resort Win and his son Win, competing in the Fat Ski-A-Thon at Mt. Ellen last year

4 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Stunning Mountain and Valley Views Two-, Three- and Four-Bedroom Condominiums Ski-In/Ski-Out Residences located in Lincoln Peak Village WHOLE OWNERSHIP Pricing from $725K to $1.3M

SugarbuSh reSort real eState | 800.806.1070 | SugarbuSh reSort, Warren, Vt | SugarbuShliVing.com food The Cheese

Artisan cheese making is helpingCourse the von Trapp Farm thrive for a third generation. by katie Bacon JA Sebastian von Trapp carrying a set of plastic molds where whey is draining from milk

hen Sebastian von Trapp was growing up on his parents’ small dairy farm, bought by his grandparents in 1959, he never imagined he would want to build a life there too. But after four years at the University of Vermont and five years working W for a software company, von Trapp realized that he missed the farm and wanted to go back. The only problem was that the small milking operation of around fifty cows couldn’t support anyone other than his parents. They had already transitioned the farm from conventional to organic milk, which commands a higher price. But even so, with fluctuations in the milk market, they didn’t have control over the price of their product. What they needed was a new product, and one for which they themselves could decide how much to charge.

Fast-forward about a decade: now, the works on the farm. They added a cheese- Hill’s extensive cellars, along with cheeses milk from all the cows on the farm goes making facility onto the early-twentieth- from about a dozen other small Vermont into four different kinds of von Trapp century milking barn and bought a variety producers.) “Making cheese involves a very Farmstead organic cheese: Mt. Alice, a of equipment, including white plastic molds steep learning curve, and there wasn’t a Camembert-style cheese, named after the in which the whey drains from the milk, ‘Cheese University’ where I could get a good peak overlooking the farm; Savage, a hard, leaving curds that harden into cheese, and education. I just had to pull together all the alpine-style cheese, aged for eight to twelve a giant dumbwaiter to transport the cheese right things to learn how to make cheese months and named after the man who from where it’s made to where it sits a floor and put together a business plan that would originally settled the farm in the 1700s; Mad below, aging and getting brined in a warm, work on our farm,” von Trapp told me, on River Blue, a mild, creamy cheese aged for climate-controlled room. After spending the sunny but chilly day in April when I about three months; and Oma, a Tomme- hours per batch of cheese washing all the visited the farm. style cheese reminiscent of those made in equipment by hand, they also bought a I got a sense of some of what von Trapp has the Swiss and French Alps, and named in giant dishwasher. learned over the years when he took me into honor of von Trapp’s grandmother. All the To learn the cheese-making business, what he called the “laboratory” area of the cheeses except for Mt. Alice are made from Sebastian von Trapp spent time at farms business. There, he showed me the starter raw milk. in England and France, as well as almost cultures for all their cheeses: different Sebastian and his brother Dan developed a year working for Jasper Hill Farm formulations of mold, bacteria, or yeast, the cheese business together, though Dan in Greensboro, Vermont. (Von Trapp in little plastic containers, most of them has moved on to other things and no longer Farmstead’s Oma cheese is aged in Jasper ordered from France. After the cows are

6 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE h

Your Perfect Retreat. Where rustic charm and luxurious comfort combine to welcome you to your home away from home. Three Course Gourmet Breakfast Cozy, Well-Appointed rooms Gas Fireplaces, Steam Showers hWhirlpool Tubs

1661 E. Warren Road, Waitsfield, VT 802.496.2276 www.theroundbarn.com milked, the milk travels through sterilized on April 12, the day before my visit. The JA pipes to a 400-gallon vat, where von Trapp oldest was from February 11, and there or one of the other six people who now work was a note next to it saying, “Taste at your at the farm add a tiny bit—maybe 40 grams, own risk.” The workers there sample the he estimated—of the cultures from the cheese frequently, to make sure the taste fridge. “Each cheese has a slightly different is consistent, to figure out how to improve process,” he explained. “Different things it, and to ensure that they’re aging it just happen in the vat, different temperatures, long enough—for Mt. Alice, usually about we cut the curd to a different size, we stir for a month. “Cheese is kind of like a living different amounts of time. That all makes a thing,” von Trapp said. “It’s got a life cycle; difference in the final product.” there’s an age range where it’s good to be consumed. Before that it’s ripening, How long the cheese is aged, of course, developing; then the peak; then where it’s also has an effect on the taste. In the lab, too ripe and it’s going south.” von Trapp showed me a tasting panel of twelve samples of Mt. Alice cheese made The differences between the cheese Stirring milk at von Trapp Farmstead on different dates. The newest was made samples were dramatic. The youngest one had a mild, buttery, slightly grassy flavor, stops along the Vermont Cheese Trail and a texture a bit like cheesecake. The You could spend many happy days driving and eating your way along the Vermont next one I tasted was creamier and had a Cheese Trail, a collection of forty-eight farms throughout the state, from Spoonwood salty, nutty savoriness to it. That one, made Cabin Creamery, within a few miles of Massachusetts, to Boston Post Dairy, up near on March 8, was, in von Trapp’s view, at the the Canadian border. At many of them, you can tour the cheese-production facilities ideal age. Last, I braved the oldest cheese, and taste the various cheeses (make sure to call ahead). Others, including von Trapp which was gooey, with a slight tang of Farmstead, are smaller operations, where you leave money in a jar in exchange for ammonia to it. “The thing about cheese is cheese that you grab from the fridge. a lot of it is about personal preference,” Here are a few favorite stops: von Trapp said. “Some people would love At Cabot Creamery Cooperative, visitors can tour the factory in Cabot to see how the this cheese. It’s got a lot going on.” cheese is made, then try a range of the company’s cheddar and other varieties. More Von Trapp is thinking of adding more types than a thousand dairy farms in New England and New York are part of the cooperative, of cheese to the lineup—maybe a Gouda or and much of the milk is processed into cheese at the Cabot factory. (Cabot Creamery’s a cheddar—but not without more milk and corporate offices relocated to Waitsfield in 2014.) a bigger facility. “It’s been really tough at Grafton Village Cheese Company, located in both Brattleboro and Grafton, is best times,” he told me. “Start-up businesses known for its cheddar cheeses, from wax-encased Vermont-style cheddars aged from aren’t easy.” For now, though, he’s happy to one year to more than five, to an English-style cheddar wrapped in cheesecloth and have found a way for a third generation to aged in a cheese cave in Grafton Village. make a living on this family farm. Visit Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro for some of their Bayley Hazen Blue. While many of (Von Trapp Farmstead cheeses are available the cheeses aged at Jasper Hill are made elsewhere (including von Trapp Farmstead’s locally at the Waitsfield farmers’ market, Oma), Bayley Hazen is made on-site. It’s been called “one of the most important Mehuron’s, the Warren Store, and the American blue-veined cheeses” and was also named the world’s best unpasteurized East Warren Community Market, as well cheese at the World Cheese Awards in 2014. as further afield in places like Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Shelburne Farms has been making cheddar from the raw milk of its primarily grass- some Whole Foods Markets, and Murray’s fed Brown Swiss cows for the past thirty-five years. Their cheese-making process is on in New York. The farm also sells meat from display in the Farm Barn, part of a larger pigs who are fed on leftover whey from the complex in Shelburne that includes historic cheese-making process, day-old Red Hen buildings, walking trails, and an inn. bread, and spent hops from Lawson’s Finest Thistle Hill Farm in North Pomfret Liquids. And, yes, Sebastian von Trapp is the concentrates on one kind of cheese only: great-grandson of Captain von Trapp of The Tarentaise, an alpine-style cheese made Sound of Music fame.) using the same traditional methods as on Katie Bacon, a writer and editor based in farms in the Savoie region of the French Boston, is the managing editor of Sugarbush Alps. Like cheese from those farms, Magazine. She is a former editor at the Tarentaise gains some of its distinctive Atlantic and her work has appeared in the flavor from being made in a custom copper Boston Globe and the New York Times, vat, the only one in Vermont. among other publications.

8 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Route 100, Waitsfield, VT 802-496-3272 www.sportiveinc.com food HJ V B

Play with your FOOD!

Sugarbush Kids' Cooking Class Camps and classes in the Valley where kids can put on their chef’s hat by cory ayotte

he Mad River Valley has been at the heart of Vermont’s local food movement for years, and local establishments offer unique hands-on experiences involving the Valley’s locally sourced food by bringing it directly to kids. In kid-specific cooking classes and specialty food camps, it is now acceptable for kids to play with their food.

T HJ V B Sugarbush Kids’ Cooking Classes Sugarbush Farm-to-Plate Summer Camp On select evenings throughout the year, During this five-day program, campers visit Sugarbush’s culinary team develops tasty, the Barn Yard Camp in nearby Roxbury. creative, hands-on culinary experiences While there, they mix traditional camp that dive into different food cultures, activities with working with food grown including those of Vermont, Italy, and right here in Vermont. While honing their Asia. Students learn important kitchen cooking skills, they learn about nature and skills, from vegetable peeling and proper get a chance to work with farm animals. oven operation to knife safety and food Campers pick fresh veggies from the handling—all while they prepare a three- garden—tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant, course meal. (Previous menu items have cucumbers, and more. Using what they included homemade pasta, potato wedge have harvested, the kids make items like fries with homemade ketchup, salad with cucumber-hummus cups, black bean dip maple balsamic dressing, and maple and veggie sticks, rainbow spring rolls, and pudding cake.) Fresh local ingredients zucchini brownies for their families at the are at the center of all the dishes the conclusion of the program. participants make. And who knows? The sugarbush.com/camps/adventure-camp interactive learning experience might nudge a young chef or two toward a lifelong love for the culinary arts and good food. Prepping a rainbow pizza at the Sugarbush sugarbush.com/events-calendar Kids' Cooking Class

10 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE A. Huff ma n Fun Dining Spots for Kids American Flatbread (Waitsfield) Timbers Restaurant (Sugarbush) While you wait for your table, head Take a break from your mountain outdoors—a warming bonfire awaits you adventures and recharge your child’s throughout the year, and volleyball and batteries just steps from the slopes of cornhole boards are available during the Lincoln Peak. With a special kids' menu summer months. With plenty of room featuring local Vermont products, there is to roam, kids can run around freely something for everyone—even the pickiest while parents kick back and relax with a of eaters. Vermont craft brew—and delicious pizza, Zach’s Tavern at Hyde Away Inn (Waitsfield) of course. Kids feel right at home in this casual setting Mad River Barn (Fayston) with dinner choices like nachos, wings, Upstairs in the Pub & Game Room, you’ll and a grilled cheese with add-ins like fried find entertained kids and relaxed parents. onions, North Country smokehouse bacon, Card games, a comfy couch with TV, and avocado. foosball, air hockey, and shuffleboard The Blue Stone (Waitsfield) tables create a fun and friendly dining Known for their Old World hand-tossed atmosphere. pizzas, the Blue Stone also offers standard Round Up on The River (Waitsfield) fare like burgers, salads, and wings. Every Wednesday from July to September, Special side entrance for takeout orders. you can join local food vendors and musicians along the Mad River on Bridge Street in the Waitsfield Historic District for an evening of music, swimming, food, local beer on tap, and visiting with neighbors. Round Up on The River

The Store (Waitsfield) Located on historic Main Street in Waitsfield, The Store is a foodie paradise for kids (and adults, too). In The Kitchen, a welcoming open space located in the rear of The Store, the informative and entertaining chef John Lumbra teaches interactive, often family-oriented bakEry & café cooking classes. Classes such as Après Ski— • • Fondue and Panini (with comfort food like apple pastries custom cakes espresso cider cheese fondue, grilled macaroni and cheese panini, and bananas Foster panini with caramel fondue) and Butter, Sugar & Sin— Sweet Crêpes (including maple cream mousse crêpes and caramelized apple in cinnamon crêpes) are particularly kid friendly. Families can also mark a birthday by cooking and then eating a custom-designed celebratory meal together. “Learn, Create, Eat” is the motto behind every class. Each participant leaves with a folder containing recipes of their creations, coupons to shop at The Store, and full stomachs. kitchenatthestore.com

Cory Ayotte works for the marketing department at Sugarbush Resort and has experience at nu- merous ski resorts throughout New England. 279 Elm Street, Montpelier, VT • 802-223-0200 • [email protected]

2016/17 11 wintertime JA

Helping Hand Roy Tuscany and his High Fives Foundation have helped more than 100 athletes recover from major injury and return to the sports they love. by john bleh

e’ve all had them: those sudden “Whoa!” moments of almost crashing while skiing. Maybe you were cruising too fast and caught an edge, maybe you almost hit a tree, or maybe you misjudged W the landing on a jump. For most of us, the moment comes and goes before we have time to process it. But others aren’t so lucky. Take Vermont native Roy Tuscany. In 2006, she realized she didn’t have enough speed; JA SON M ORRIS in the Mammoth Mountain Terrain Park in her front tire grabbed a rut, throwing her California, Tuscany suffered a major crash: over the bars and straight onto her back. “I he gained a little too much speed while never thought I would be able to be as active launching off a jump, and overshot the as I am today, and I attribute all of that to landing by several feet. He fell brutally hard. High Fives,” she said. “They have given “When I went to sit up,” he later told the me my life back. They have supported my Burlington Free Press, “everything felt like a every athletic endeavor and even given me million pounds below my belly button. . . . I a chance to get more therapy than I would couldn’t wiggle my toes.” Lying in a hospital have been able to afford.” Now Runkel can The U.S. Paralympic Adaptive Ski in Reno, Nevada, Tuscany was diagnosed be seen out on the ski slopes, surfing waves Race Camp Comes to Sugarbush with a burst fracture of his T12 vertebra, in with other High Fives athletes, and traveling Over three days in February 2016, thirteen his lower back, compromising 45 percent of the country independently. athletes from the Northeast took part in his spinal cord. The injury left his lower body Or take Maxwell Elles, who was injured the U.S. Paralympic Adaptive Ski Race paralyzed, and doctors told him he would in 2013 when he hit a hidden ditch while Camp, hosted by Sugarbush, the High never walk, let alone ski, again. snowboarding at Killington and broke his Fives Foundation, and Vermont Adaptive But Tuscany isn’t one to give up, and he back. He received help from High Fives Ski & Sports. immediately made a decision: through a with funding, training, and rehabilitation World Cup Champion and ten-time U.S. simple action, a high five, he would try to therapy (including massage, acupuncture, National Champion mono-skier Chris make a connection with each of the doctors and structural integration). “It’s difficult to Devlin-Young worked with campers on and other medical professionals who came explain the full effect of High Fives in my the fundamentals of skiing and advanced into his room—he would try to get them to life,” Elles told me. “Not only have I been techniques in the racecourse, including stay positive about him and the possibility adopted into a family network of amazing gate training, tuning lessons, mono-ski of recovery. people all around the world, so have my setup, and video analysis. (Known by most As it turned out, the doctors and physical family and friends.” He went on to credit as CDY, Devlin-Young has the longest- therapists didn’t give up on him, and neither Tuscany. “Roy is as concerned with the well- standing winning streak in U.S. Alpine did the ski community. With the emotional being of my mom, dad, and brother as he is Skiing history.) All of the invited athletes and financial help of local skiers, community with the relevant issues in my life.” have suffered sports-related spinal cord members, friends, and family, and through High Fives is based in Truckee, California, injuries and are working their way back significant rehab and medical procedures, but it has strong roots in the Valley, with into competition. Roy stepped back into skis two years after many locals and Sugarbush employees The High Fives Foundation paid all of the his accident. active and involved in the organization athletes’ expenses at the camp, which was Tuscany was so overwhelmed by the (and many of them sporting Big Truck hats based out of Mt. Ellen’s Vermont Adaptive community support he received that he with the High Fives logo). That’s because center, a nationally recognized nonprofit was inspired to start a foundation to help Tuscany spent most of his early ski career organization that empowers people of athletes in similar situations. Named after shredding terrain at Sugarbush as part of all abilities year-round through inclusive that act of connection in the hospital, High the Diamond Dogs, Sugarbush’s cream-of- sports and recreational programming. the-crop freestyle team. Fives (founded in 2009) has so far helped Two athletes from the camp were awarded 112 athletes across 23 states recover from Sugarbush holds a kickoff party with Mad an invitation to the U.S. Paralympic major injuries and return to the sports River Glen every November, “The Big Kicker,” Nationals, hosted at Loon Mountain: they love. In the last year alone, High Fives which features presentations, raffles, and Greg Durso from Stony Brook, New York, received ninety-one applications from giveaways from High Fives with Tuscany on and Emily Cioffi from North Easton, athletes and was able to approve sixty the stage. Later in the winter, Sugarbush Massachusetts. of them. The organization raises money hosts the High Fives Fat Ski-A-Thon off JA through a combination of grants, individual the Summit Quad at Mt. Ellen. (This year, donations, and events. Last year’s total was the event moves to the Valley House Quad $1.1 million. at Lincoln Peak.) Raising money for the One of those athletes is Lindsey Runkel, foundation through pledges, more than a who broke her T5 and T6 vertebrae while hundred skiers lap the chair all day, seeing mountain biking in 2014, leaving her how many circuits they can complete before paralyzed from the waist down. Runkel was the lifts close. Last winter the event raised attemping a drop she’d never tried before, over $150,000, with top fund-raising honors down about fifteen feet onto a tough section going to a pair of Sugarbush skiers named full of rocks and roots. As she was landing Rubi (twelve years old) and Mae (ten years

< Roy Tuscany taking a run at Sugarbush 2016/17 13 R esort RPaesorr tnerst Par tners

old) Murphy, who together raised almost EUGENE KRYLOV $21,000. (Rubi and Mae are the daughters of Jesse Murphy, director of development for the foundation, and Heidi Witschi, a member of the Sugarbush Resort Real Estate team.) Sugarbush and the High Fives Foundation stay connected in other ways as well. The resort has hosted the High Fives Charity Golf Tournament for several summers, with wacky rules for each hole, like using air guns to tee off or trying to hit an old Sugarbush gondola on the first drive. Sugarbush also helps sponsor a new BASICS film (Being Aware Safe in Critical Situations), released annually by the foundation and focusing on different aspects of skier safety. The partnership between Tuscany’s new foundation and his old home mountain should keep on growing along with the success of High Fives. As Tuscany continues Roy Tuscany (right) with Jesse Murphy, HIgh Fives' director of development (left), and Rob to help athletes and build his foundation, DiMuccio (center), from High Fives foundation partner Smith Optics he hasn’t forgotten about his roots. “When that view of my old mountain.” This past made me the skier I am.” Even though he you make that turn at the corner of Route season, for the first time since his accident, only ended up skiing five days, to him it was 100 and Route 100B, and you catch your Roy had a season pass to Sugarbush, thanks a magical number. High five. first glimpse of Lincoln Peak, there’s really to his relationship with the mountain. “It felt John Bleh has worked for various ski resorts nothing like it,” Tuscany told me. “To this day so good to have a pass again to my favorite throughout Vermont over the years. He currently I still get chills returning home and seeing resort, my home resort, and the place that works in communications at Sugarbush. SponsorsSponsorsA liateAs liates

Official SOft Drink Of SUGARBUSH RESORT

14 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE 802.583.2511 VermontNorth.com 48 Sugarbush Access Rd, Warren, VT 05674 SAleS/DemoS/ReNTAlS/PRo Ski AND SNoWboARD TuNiNg AcceSSoRieS & APPARel foR The Whole fAmily

chAm 2.0

“Cham 2.Oh my...”

John Egan VT NorTh Pro Team member aT Large

Stop in and try the next generation of all mountain skis from Dynastar. photo: John Atkinson/ Sugarbush Resort photo: John training ground JA Trial by SNOW

In a one-of-a kind program hosted at Sugarbush, participants boost their leadership skills through physical and mental challenges. By Katie Bacon

January's Abundance Leadership students testing out their snow cave ix years ago, after dinner together in Allyn’s Lodge, Anthony Panos, an expert in E Qni m ity corporate leadership and a longtime visitor to Sugarbush, started asking extreme- Sskiing legend John Egan to tell him stories about his adventures. One particular tale, about Egan’s attempt to summit Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak, grabbed Panos’s attention. As Egan told him about the failed expedition—in which one person died and several others, including Egan’s brother Dan, nearly died after they made the decision to head for the summit in the eye of a brutal storm—Panos started looking at the story through the lens of leadership. How did poor leadership undercut the expedition? How did good leadership decisions, by Egan and others, save some people who otherwise would have perished?

The next January, Panos, his colleague branching decisions and events that got Laura Freebairn-Smith, and Egan created them where they are; and participating the Abundance Leadership Immersion in intensive individual coaching sessions; Corporate Bonding Program at Sugarbush—a four-day among other activities. The goal is for A selection of activities for corporate intensive workshop for executive managers people to understand themselves as leaders groups, on the mountain and in the Valley. that uses a case study of the Mount through their successes and failures. “We ✔ Golf outing on Sugarbush’s eighteen- Elbrus expedition as a jumping-off point. want them to be more connected with hole Robert Trent Jones Sr.–designed “Abundance leadership” is a concept themselves, who they are and how they take course. explored by Freebairn-Smith, who founded that into the workplace,” says Panos. As one the Organizational Performance Group with participant described it, “Basically you’re ✔ Disc golf on the mountain, either on Panos and wrote her doctoral thesis about stripping down the onion.” the super-easy nine-hole course in the the idea of abundance versus scarcity and As a stark way to understand abundance and base area (new in 2017), on the eighteen- their effects on an organization. Abundance scarcity leadership, the group examines the hole course at the base, or on the more leaders see the world optimistically, as full Mount Elbrus case study together. “It’s pretty challenging nine-hole course at the top of of resources, and believe that power and obvious to see where our expedition falls Gadd Peak (new in 2017). information can and should be shared. apart,” says Egan. “So we relate this to the ✔ Team-building and leadership Scarcity leaders, on the other hand, feel competencies you find in an organization.” programs at EQnimity—working with the need to hoard resources and be in Some of those who survived on Elbrus built horses as a way to improve collaboration control. According to Freebairn-Smith’s snow caves to protect themselves from the and understand the power of nonverbal research, abundance leadership leads to storm. During the Abundance Leadership communication. healthier, happier, and more successful seminar, the participants are divided into organizations. Freebairn-Smith argues that groups and told to build their own snow ✔ Guided cross-country skiing, on the abundance-versus-scarcity model helps caves. “We want them to feel what it was groomed trails at Blueberry Lake or explain why some people seem like natural like for those people up there who had Ole’s, or through the backcountry. leaders and others don’t. “Why do some never tried to dig a snow cave, never tried leaders create such joy, and people want to to survive on their own,” says Egan. He ✔ Cooperative cooking classes, either follow them anywhere? And others create and his colleagues look for examples of through Sugarbush or at The Kitchen at this sense of deep discomfort and angst in abundance and scarcity leadership in how The Store. their followers?” JA ✔ Group downhill skiing or riding Throughout the program, the team tries to lessons, and organized downhill ski help people identify and develop the skills races. of an abundance leader. Each participant goes through an extensive 360-degree ✔ Tennis tournament organized through review by their colleagues before they get New England Tennis Holidays. to Sugarbush. Once at the mountain, the group—usually about twelve people from a ✔ Yoga class on the deck of Allyn’s Lodge variety of companies around the country— or by the pool at Clay Brook. faces a series of physical and mental ✔ Guided hike on the Long Trail, which challenges designed to test and expand their runs along Sugarbush’s ridgeline. leadership capacity: hiking up the mountain on snowshoes; doing improvisational work ✔ Working on survival skills on a guided to force them out of their comfort zone; hike in the backcountry. crafting a life map to help examine the Abundance Leadership coach John Egan 2016/17 17 HJ V B activities outside pushed some people a little bit over the limit. The activities forced us to really look into ourselves and what each of us brings to the table.” For many of the participants, it’s not just the carefully planned-out exercises and the leadership coaching that’s helpful. It’s the abrupt break from the daily routine, in a beautiful place that gives them the time and space to think. Ignat particularly valued the group’s “phenomenal” dinner up at Allyn’s Lodge, where after a difficult day’s work of intense thought and evaluation, they could relax and eat a meal together on the mountain, in front of a fire, before skiing or riding in the cabin cat back down to Clay The Abundance Leadership group dining fireside at Allyn’s Lodge Brook. As Darius Paduch, the director of the groups interact to create the shelters; Egan says, brings out competencies that are sexual health and medicine in the urology later, they talk about those dynamics with “displayed in our human nature, and when department at Weill Cornell Medical the whole group. “It’s really interesting to that comes into the business setting it can College, told me about his experience this watch,” Egan says. “We’ll have people say, be very disruptive.” past January, “As a leader I knew I needed ‘Okay, I was out of my comfort zone, and to change, but it’s difficult to leave on you’re right, I did act weird, and I did take Ana Ignat, a department administrator at Friday and come back on Monday changed. it out on others.’ Or they might remember, Weill Cornell Medicine, said that the snow Taking these four days away taught me a ‘I just hung back and didn’t do anything cave exercise and the snowshoe hike set lot of new ideas, and helped me see how because I saw that others knew what they this program apart from other leadership others perceive me. It was the best money were doing.’” An exercise such as this one, programs she’s tried. “Doing the winter and time I’ve spent in a long while.”

“Abundance Leadership changed my perspective of what leadership meant…”

ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE GROUP “These four days have Abundance Leadership been a life changing Immersion Program experience…” A journey to achieve maximum leadership impact and organizational performance

January 30 – February 2, 2017 with John Egan at Sugarbush Resort

“I am anxious to get back to work and successfully integrate my learning.” 203.288.6688 organizationalperformancegroup.com

18 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE 16 SB magazine 300 dpi CMYK.pdf 1 6/27/2016 8:33:47 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K summertime JA Cracking the code A lesson with Roger King, Sugarbush’s new golf pro by Peter oliver

A golfer practices his swing during a lesson with Roger King.

s a kind of rite of initiation for Sugarbush’s new head golf professional, Roger King, I presented him with a golfing challenge equivalent to cracking the Enigma code: repair my seriously problematic driver swing. If he was up to solving that convoluted A riddle, well . . . surely he was a genius, and a perfect choice for the job. Not that I should have had any doubts. King, JA oriented. “I love the customer interaction,” most recently the general manager of the says King, who by his own account enjoys Country Club of Barre, arrived at Sugarbush meeting new people and seeing them get with a well-credentialed resumé. He was better after taking lessons. Tackling my highly respected by his peers as president of driving deficiencies, then, would be right the Vermont Professional Golf Association, in his wheelhouse. We had just met, and and a guy who had already proven his chops. getting better was all but assured, given the technical nadir from which we would After a year at Northeast Missouri State, be starting. the Illinois native embarked on the nomadic life of the fledgling teaching pro, spending At the heart of all good instruction is the winters in Florida and summers in New bond nurtured by a teacher with his pupils. England, at courses from Massachusetts to PGA Pro Roger King As King and I set up on the practice tee, he Maine. It wasn’t just about teaching hackers settled comfortably into connecting with me like me; after he signed on at Barre fourteen and competitive playing time to win the 2012 while analyzing my flaws and guiding me years ago, he immersed himself in all Vermont PGA Match Play Championship. toward corrections. Without hoopla or grand aspects of the golf business—teaching, retail Perhaps most important, he is a people philosophical pronouncements, he flowed sales, membership management, corporate person, a great character asset in a job smoothly into the process of tightening the sales, and marketing. In between all those that, from the course to the practice loose technical nuts and bolts of my swing. duties, he managed to fit in enough practice range to the pro shop, is decidedly people There was none of the know-it-all self-

20 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE assurance that some golf professionals let play within 100 yards of the green. “I don’t JA slip into their teaching methodology. He care how good your putting and short game went about his business with a calm and are,” he says; if you give him a little time to unassuming demeanor. fine-tune all the short but delicate shots that are critical to lowering your score, He spoke with clarity and courtesy in noting “you’re going to get better.” immediately that my alignment—aimed too far right—was out of whack. Misalignment He also enjoys the cerebral part of the was coupled with a lack of lower-body game, likening it to a chess match. Golf, engagement, and King talked about he says, is about “having the discipline to “building a ground floor” in my swing— play to your strengths”—to know when to activating the bigger, stronger muscles be aggressive and when to be conservative, of my legs and hips. Over time, straighter, to be clearheaded about the risk-reward longer drives would be the payoff. evaluation in choosing a shot. He likes conducting on-course clinics that focus My efforts to incorporate King’s recom- less on swing technique—something you mended changes were often comical, but can tinker with on the practice range— he remained patient and encouraging as King adjusts a golfer's putting stroke. than on decision making. When is it smart I flailed in attempting corrections, at one to go for the green with a long iron, and Golf is a game, not just an athletic activity, point even making a complete whiff at the when does it make sense to lay up? When and tactics and technique need to find a ball. In tone, he managed to find a nice bal- should you go for a lofted flop shot, and happy medium. But hitting long, straight ance between professionalism and humor when should you go for a low-trajectory drives sure helps, and King sure helped in critiquing my swing. pitch? Given your own personal skill set, me. I went from the lesson to the first tee It was all extremely helpful—but did not, what chance do you have of executing any and striped my first drive high and straight, in King’s assessment, necessarily take full particular shot successfully? When should just left of the fairway center. But after advantage of his expertise. A slender man, you risk a challenging shot, and when three-putting the first green, I realized that he is not a big hitter and has thus built his does a different, more manageable shot there was still plenty of work to do. Next up: own competitive success around honing his make sense? tapping into King’s short-game expertise.

802.583.6725 sugarbush.com #SugarbuSh

Play one of Mother Nature’s

A Robemasterpieces.Rt tReNt JoNes, sR. desigN a SamPling of our golf ProduCTS: golf gold PaSS fore20S golf PaSS TwilighT golf PaSS fore PaCK Unlimited golf, cart and range. Golf anytime Monday–Friday, Golf anytime after 2 PM early and Save more than 40% on four Discounted event entry, and and after 12 PM on weekends. late season, and after 3 PM peak rounds of golf with cart. Visit special passholder events. Cart and range included. season. Cart and range included. sugarbush.com for details.

2016/17 21 Behind the scenes JA Water Works The story behind Sugarbush’s water system By Kelly macintyre

Clay Brook at Sugarbush

t’s a bright early-summer day when I drive to meet Gene Martin, Sugarbush’s director of utilities and chief wastewater operator. My mission is to get a handle on the process involved in water and wastewater treatment at Sugarbush, and today it’s not hard to think I about water. As I sail up the Access Road, the Clay Brook is running contentedly, on its way to the Winooski River and eventually Lake Champlain, and the trees are still wet from the heavy rains the day before.

When I arrive, Martin is standing in front of manholes at the resort. It’s a daunting The first step in obtaining water for the the wastewater treatment facility with Doug task, when you consider this: water usage mountain is pumping it from the wells. Kyser, assistant chief wastewater operator, at Sugarbush during February 2016 was Martin and I ascend the steep dirt roads in no doubt discussing the myriad testing 1,888,270 gallons. And certified water and his truck until we reach the top of Village and maintenance tasks they’ve already wastewater operators are in charge of Road. We park, admire the view, and walk completed today. Sugarbush’s water system more than just collecting and processing into the woods a few hundred feet, until we essentially has three components that water—they are responsible for protecting come across an unassuming metal device operate as private companies owned by human health and the environment. It’s not that looks like a cross between a fire hydrant Summit Ventures: Mountain Water Company a nine-to-five job. During emergencies, like and a parking meter. (MWC), Lincoln Peak Wastewater Treatment a fire or a water main break in the middle “That’s a well?” I ask. (LPWWT), and Mountain Wastewater of the night, Martin and his team have to be Treatment (MWT). Mountain Water Company there to route water to where it’s needed “That’s a well,” he responds. It’s a far cry is concerned with the acquisition, treatment, the most. The task becomes even more from the wood-and-fieldstone structure storage, and distribution of drinking water daunting when you consider that Martin and with Lassie barking next to it that I had for all of Sugarbush, including the SHaRC his team of four employees also operate pictured in my mind. Sugarbush’s wells are (Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center) numerous other water and wastewater strategically scouted out by professional and the homes on Village Road. LPWWT facilities, including those for Mt. Ellen, the hydrologists and require permits for every collects and processes all wastewater from Sugarbush Inn, and Sugarbush Golf Club. step of their construction. It can take the Schoolhouse and the Clay Brook, Rice Water is collected from thirteen bedrock three to four years of planning, permitting, Brook, and Gadd Brook complexes, and has wells scattered throughout the mountains drilling, and construction before a well can additional capacity for future development. above the base area, and from the Clay be used as a water source. (A fourteenth Mountain Wastewater Treatment collects Brook, whose water is filtered and treated at well, intended to provide water to the and processes all the remaining wastewater a recently rebuilt facility several steps from resort’s next phase of development, is that runs down drains, sinks, toilets, and the new Valley House Quad. currently being permitted.) (cont'd on p. 25) 22 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE

AT THE FLYNN NOVEMBER JANUARY 1 Tuesday at 7:30 pm 3 Tuesday at 7:30 pm MARCH Macbeth Cirque Mother Africa 10 Friday at 8 pm 2 Wednesday at 7:30 pm 13 Friday at 8 pm Ladysmith Black 20th Anniversary Tour Le Patin Libre Mambazo Rent Vertical Influences 27 Monday at 7:30 pm 18 Friday at 8 pm 27 Friday at 8 pm Broadway National Tour AXIS Dance Company Balé Folclórico da Bahia 42nd Street 29 Tuesday at 6 pm APRIL Enchantment Theatre FEBRUARY Peter Rabbit 12 Sunday at 7 pm 20 Thursday at 6 pm MOMIX Wild Kratts – Live! Opus Cactus DECEMBER 22 Saturday at 8 pm 1 Thursday at 7 pm 16 Thursday at 7:30 pm Joey Alexander Garrison Keillor Nebraska Theatre Caravan 25 Tuesday at 7:30 pm A Christmas Carol 27 Monday at 7:30 pm Broadway National Tour 8 Thursday at 7:30 pm The Chieftains Annie Vienna Boys Choir

Great music, dance, theater, PERFORMING ARTS comedy, and Broadway Season Sponsor ALL YEAR LONG! WWW.FLYNNCENTER.ORG or 802-86-FLYNN (cont'd from p. 22) water—which, when processed properly, is The well water is pumped from depths of safe to release into the environment—and up to 800 feet and then is treated for any what Martin poetically calls the “blanket of bacteria with chlorine; at the same time, sludge”—the solid refuse carted away by Artisans’ Gallery the water’s pH level is adjusted with soda truck to a Montpelier treatment facility. FINE ART AND CRAFT ash, to keep the water from corroding the The idea is to separate and clean the old lead pipes. (Last fall MWC started adding wastewater, a comprehensive process that orthophosphate, a food-grade substance, involves filtration, aeration (to promote to further reduce the potential for lead in bacterial and physical breakdown), and drinking water.) The water is then stored in disinfection. a network of five underground reservoirs that communicate electronically and replenish The aeration is done in two ways: inside with each other’s supplies when they run low. big industrial mixers, and outside in open-air lagoons. Wastewater from the Schoolhouse, To supplement well water, surface water and the Clay Brook, Rice Brook, and Gadd is taken from Clay Brook at a site just Brook developments is routed to a facility off next to the Valley House Quad. This water Inferno Road (LPWWT), where it is stirred 20 BRIDGE STREET requires more careful treatment than the by giant mixers and aerated by industrial WAITSFIELD, VT essentially pristine groundwater pumped bubblers, like an oversized fish tank. As from the wells, as water from the surface we stand on a grate watching the machine HANDPICKED is exposed to more natural contaminants, do its thing, it is surprisingly odorless. HANDMADE like particulates and bacteria. MWC water Wastewater from the buildings constructed 802.496.6256 is tested frequently in accordance with before the Clay Brook complex is sent to federal and state standards, which mandate an older treatment facility behind SHaRC sampling for a range of contaminants (MWT), where wastewater is aerated in including coliform, lead, and copper. Sugarbush’s outdoor lagoons. vtartisansgallery.com Polly Wellford Pottery Just as important as clean drinking water is At LPWWT, the wastewater also goes through how the water is left after it’s used: treatment anaerobic (non-aeration) cycles, in which the of wastewater is an essential aspect of the liquid is left to sit while the bacteria do the We decide to check out the tank stationed near resort’s environmental mission. The two work. If the bacteria are sluggish, sugar is SHaRC behind a set of shallow, rock-lined by-products of this process are treated added to the mix. (If anyone at Timbers is pools. On the way I pick a tiny wild strawberry JA missing a 400-pound sack of white sugar, as a snack, but decide against eating it as I check with Martin and his team.) remember we are standing on a very green stretch of grass between two “lagoons”—the Finally, the mix is left to settle and decant—a industry term for untreated wastewater. term some may recognize from the wine world, wherein sediment is allowed to I climb a ten-foot ladder while Martin sink to the bottom of a container in order steadies it so I can look inside. “Intimidating” to separate it out. The top few feet are isn’t the word for the experience—it is, in fact, skimmed from the surface and sent through thrilling to peer over the edge of such a large a sand filtration system, then zapped with industrial structure in the middle of a natural UV light to kill any harmful bacteria, and haven like Sugarbush. I shout my name, and finally distributed into leach fields, a few it returns to me in an echo three times. cleared acres that are deemed fit (by the The huge tank is a reminder of the size state) for the release of treated water. and importance of the job of managing Because things tend to dry up on the Sugarbush’s water system. Yet if all is mountain in the summer, from June through working as it should—clean water in, and November Sugarbush holds all of the clean water back out—few beyond Martin treated water from MWT in a tank instead and his staff give the process a second of discharging it. In order for treated water thought. What does command attention to be distributed effectively, there must be around the resort are the many clean ample naturally occurring surface water streams and brooks, part of the ecosystem for it to mix with and disperse into. It is not that provides the drinking water for close to your average water tank: it is a 9.1-million- a half-million guests every year. Gene Martin collecting water samples from gallon, open-air stadium of a tank. It is so Kelly MacIntyre is a writer and photographer Clay Brook large, it has dam permits. living in Colchester, Vermont.

2016/17 25 mountain life #SBdiscover Over the course of last year, members of the Sugarbush community posted over 3,200 photos on social media with the hashtag #sbdiscover. Here are some of our favorites . . .

@alissakh @jennifermartel

@birchrunbob2 @dreamlovephoto

@air_cooled

@mtb802 @tacopatt

@_jhayy @kat1fish @apreskibums

26 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE construction for more responsiveness underfoot. As legendary skier Glen Plake put it, it, put Plake elansports.com Glen visit details skier more For all.” it has ski legendary “this As underfoot. sidewall responsiveness SST more as for well as construction grip; edge and maneuverability maximum for profile Amphibio challenging VaporTip most with It has also our ride. patented the on-snow and a Woodcore rebound smooth, in powerful TubeLite it delivers a and inserts, combining terrain technology, TNT toughest with the Built on conditions. excel skiers all helps Ripstick YOUR CONFIDENCE YOUR IMPROVE ENGINEERED TO RIPSTICK

Glen Plake, Professional Skier JA EverydayEveryday EdenEden

Planning the perfect ski day, whatever the conditions, from downhill to cross-country to backcountry By Peter Oliver

have had great days, plenty of them, stitched into an embroidery of memory spanning a half century of skiing in the Mad River Valley. I can remember an early-November storm—two feet of new snow and all of Sugarbush an untracked, unmogul-ed field of dreams, populated by just a handful of local skiers turned euphoric by the miracle of an out-of-the-box weather event. IOr a New Year’s morning, with post-midnight revelers still asleep, when the wind had deposited three feet of new snow on the left side of Organgrinder—a day when I got first tracks with two friends, rode the empty Heaven’s Gate lift back to the top, and had only our own tracks to cross on our second run. Or a spring day when a ground fog slithered over the snow surface in whorls of gray paisley, creating the surreal illusion of powder skiing in ten inches of fog instead of snow.

The author starting off his ski day on Lincoln Peak's Spring Fling

Days like that are freakish phenomena Je b Wa ll a in the spring sugaring season, when winter arriving out of the blue, as matters of relinquishes its frigid grip and the melt- meteorological dumb luck. They are rare freeze cycle of late March and April takes threads of memory embellishing decades ce- b rodeur over. At that time of year, late morning is of possibility. the power hour, when the frozen, overnight snow softens to a velvety corn before turning In between, however, are the many, to a thick mush. But snow on the lift- many days of everyday skiing—satisfying serviced mountain is almost always—almost and sometimes exquisitely so, but not always—best first thing in the morning. necessarily vivid enough to produce long- lasting wows that forever color memory. After an overnight storm, of course, the The great days are easy. But how’s a guy morning lift opening provides entry into supposed to make the most of all those untracked euphoria; dawdle for not very tweener days? I sometimes log a seasonal long, and scribbles of other skiers’ tracks total of 100 or more on-snow days, and they are everywhere, blemishing the powder- aren’t all punctuated by exclamation points morning perfection at the start of the day. of crazy good weather or snow. In a word (or a favorite powder trail name)— Paradise! Soft, fat skis are the tool of Maybe it’s a little cold; maybe it’s little choice. I might take them to the more lightly warm. Cloudy, sunny, snowy, windy, or, God A snowy morning run at Sugarbush traveled Mt. Ellen, where Tumbler and forbid, wet—who knows? Maybe the snow is Hammerhead, protected from the wind, hold crusty, slushy, sunbaked, bumpy, powdery, whatever conditions might be in the offing. the new snow beautifully. On your average, hard-packed, or all funked up in a grab And throw in snowboards, of course, too. powdery weekday morning, I can usually fly bag of snow mutations. Snow and weather Among the variables someone like Gary solo, tumbling and hammerheading more dovetail in a movable, ever-changing feast. factors into his daily what-to-do, where- or less all by my lonesome. What’s a skier to do? to-go decision: downhill, uphill, flat, time In the morning on non-powder days—the • of year, time of day, slope exposure, snow great majority of days—swaths of fresh depth, recent snowfall history, temperature, The answer comes in a guiding principle corduroy left by overnight groomers are still grooming, time available, energy level. What at the heart of everyday skiing: make largely unsullied by the sliding urgency of ski works on one day, or at one time of day, or the most of the snow conditions on any edges. Carving skis are the tool of choice. for a particular type of snow, might not work given day, or at any given time of day. In In the latter days of my skiing life, I am so well in another situation. that regard, I take the ecumenical finding the leisurely pleasure approach favored by many of my of engaging an angled, carving Mad River Valley brethren: all kinds The ski-on-corduroy sound alone, edge with a smoothly groomed of skiing are welcomed into the mix. surface to be increasingly and To illustrate the point, I introduce like the muted fluttering of a card incredibly soul satisfying. The as Exhibit A my good friend Gary ski-on-corduroy sound alone, Kessler. Gary, who lives in Fayston, in the spokes of a spinning like the muted fluttering of maintains a stockpile of eight pairs a card in the spokes of a of skis to cover all Valley skiing bicycle wheel, is a form of spinning bicycle wheel, is a possibilities. (“I used to have ten form of musical inspiration. pairs,” says Gary, betraying the guilt musical inspiration. On a clear day, I’ll start on of an inveterate gear-aholic. “But I sun-bathed Birch Run, then got rid of two pairs last winter. I guess I am I am not so extravagant in my gear cache; move over to Snowball and still-shadowed cutting down.”) I have a mere six pairs of skis to choose Spring Fling, with its boulevard-wide, on- Why so many skis? In a valley with two from. (I think the only skis not represented the-fall-line, north-facing pitch. There I major downhill ski areas encompassing in Gary’s or my portfolio are 250-centimeter can roll my edges over through big, loopy, thousands of skiable acres, two cross- jumping skis, since there is no ski jump in wide-radius turns, pushing the accelerator country areas with close to 100 kilometers the Mad River Valley, other than the one with as much gusto as my aging legs dare of groomed trails, and a virtually limitless built for the Gelandesprung Championship to entertain. backcountry, a gear variety pack opens at Mt. Ellen each winter.) I start with a basic Even on a busy weekend, the first hour or many doors. The possibilities: powder skis, template—on most days, my go-to plan two on the mountain is never crowded, and carving skis, telemark skis, cross-country is to head to Sugarbush first thing in the in the age of high-speed, detachable lifts, skate skis, classic cross-country skis, morning, then move on to other snowbound what was once a full day of skiing can be alpine touring (or randonnée) skis, off- forms of fun from there. It is a template from jammed into a couple of hours. In the usual track touring skis—whatever is needed for which I might stray occasionally, especially absence of any early-morning lift line, I

30 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE what can be one of the resort’s most jaw- side of the mountain, enjoying Sleeper— rattling runs. like so many kids do—as a sun-mottled natural terrain park of rolls, fall-offs, and Last winter, Smith recorded 116 days on jumps. “There are so many good options,” the mountain. He is not a multiple-choice says Smith. “I don’t want to become a skier like so many other Mad River Valley creature of habit.” residents. Although cross-country skating remains a must-do on his bucket list, lift- That’s why you might also find him at Win Smith and his dog Rumble serviced downhill skiing is his thing. Mt. Ellen on Hammerhead or Tumbler— or rummaging around in the woods He likes to get to the mountain early, before A Day with the Big Dog alongside. The absence of skier traffic at the lifts begin spinning, “to get a sense of Sugarbush president Win Smith has had his Mt. Ellen may not be good for business, what the day is going to be,” then devises share of dreamy ski days. After all, he logs as but for someone who loves skiing as a game plan accordingly. The Valley House many as 130 ski days in the season—plenty much as Smith does, it is chicken soup for area is a favorite morning playground, of opportunity for good things to happen. But the soul. But a steep trail like Stein’s or where fast cruisers on Snowball and Spring when asked to recall one day in particular, Middle Earth with fresh powder after fresh Fling provide unblemished grooming and he thinks back to a morning when eight to grooming—that’s something truly special, sunrise views to the east. However, “if ten inches of new snow covered Castlerock’s dessert topped with sweet whipped cream. Stein’s has been groomed and has powder, Middle Earth after a rare overnight grooming And you’re bound to get a few runs like that’s definitely my first choice.” job had left the subsurface deliciously bump- that every year if you spend as much time free. The result was Elysian flotation down Still, he will sometimes start on the sunny on the mountain as Smith does. can spin through five or six laps an hour to 8,000 skiers on a busy day at Sugarbush; needed to withstand the chill of lift riding on Super Bravo, a turnover rate that might maybe 300 on the busiest day at Ole’s), the and downhill skiing, and dress myself slow a little only if I mix in bumpier favorites snow at Ole’s usually stays fresher longer. in lighter stuff to lessen the chance of like Lixi’s Twist or Domino. By the time What’s more, snow on the flatter cross- overheating. the rest of humanity makes its way to the country terrain doesn’t get scratched off At Ole’s, I am likely to run into other mountain later in the morning, I can have and pushed downhill by sharp metal ski members of the ecumenical congregation— close to 20,000 vertical feet under my belt. edges or snowboards. It stays in place for friends like Audrey Huffman (a Sugarbush I’m ready to shift skiing gears, usually to most or all of the day. No need to rush to employee who designs this magazine) or cross-country skating. Ole’s early in the morning to be assured of Mike and Joanie Kavanaugh, who all are agreeable conditions. multi-ski devotees. Their daily game plans • After completing a morning session at are often similar to mine, though possibly Time out for a little background. I have Sugarbush, I am likely to stop by the rearranged by personal preferences. Audrey been downhill skiing since I was seven and Warren Store for a sandwich on the likes to swap back and forth between only came to cross-country skiing—skate great French bread that the team in the telemark and skate skis, while Joanie and skiing in particular—later in life. I quickly bakery makes daily. I am a glutton for the Mike rank skating above all other forms of became hooked. For fifteen years, I have Smoke on the Water—smoked salmon sliding on snow. Joanie’s take on a perfect been working and teaching skiing at Ole’s and Boursin with capers and red onions— day (or perfect afternoon): “skate skiing on Cross Country Center, based at the Warren– but I like the Number Six, too, which a bluebird day with no wind and fresh snow.” Sugarbush Airport, across the valley from combines roast turkey with cranberry You can’t beat that. the ski mountain. I am a skating apostle, mayo. Fortifying stuff before heading five and I want to spread the gospel. I might join Audrey or the Kavanaughs on minutes up the road to Ole’s. the Deer Run trail, five miles of blissful And so . . . together, downhill and cross- A quick change of gear reminds me of two skating terrain rolling gently through woods country skiing fuse for me in a harmonic more truths: cross-country equipment is and farm fields, with expansive views of balance—yin and yang, sweet and savory, blessedly light and comfortable compared Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, and Camel’s mortise and tenon. Here’s an important with downhill skis and boots. My entire Hump as a backdrop. As Joanie rightly truth within that balance: when the snow is skating setup—skis, bindings, boots, and says, “What makes a perfect ski day is the great for downhill skiing, it is often too soft poles—weighs not much more than a single company you’re with.” for good skate skiing, and when conditions downhill boot. And cross-country skiing is • are too hard and slippery for good downhill one of the best ways to stay warm on a cold skiing, the skating can be fantastic. Perfect. winter day; sustaining an average heart Not everybody abides by my perfect-ski-day Another truth, and the reason I usually rate of 120 beats or more per minute, my formula. For example, my friend Rob Rosen downhill ski before heading to Ole’s: given body becomes a cardiovascular furnace. likes to flip my daily plan; I’ll often see him the enormous difference in skier traffic (up I shed the thicker layers of insulation arrive early in the morning at Ole’s with

2016/17 31 his alpine boots slung over his shoulder, JA But these days, when the afternoon sun is intending to head for Sugarbush later in the bright and warm, I might gather with friends day after about fifteen kilometers of skating. on the stone terraces at the Lincoln Peak base, for noshing on food and beverage Jon Jamieson, another guy with more skis director Gerry Nooney’s scrumptious pizza than he knows what to do with, also prefers while indulging in one or two of the the cross-country-first approach. “It’s great fabulous brews concocted by my neighbor, to get the snow at Ole’s when it’s fresh,” he Sean Lawson. Lawson’s Finest Liquids is says, because there is something almost developing a national reputation, and for intoxicatingly special about laying the edge of good reason. If a die-hard wine lover like me a skating ski onto untracked corduroy. After can take a liking to Sean’s well-tempered that, he is likely to head for Mt. Ellen, where, beer, he must be doing something right. equipped with alpine-touring gear and climbing skins, he’ll ride the lift to hike the Then it is off in the evening alpenglow long ridgeline to Lincoln Peak, then ski down to the comforts of home and the furry to Castlerock Pub for a well-earned beer. welcome of my faithful canine sidekick, Trombone. At that point, exhaustion Every once in a while, he’ll switch it up by and the Lawson’s I’ve savored will likely starting (as early as 5 a.m.) or ending the day drive me very early to bed. There I will with a hike up on skis to the Mt. Ellen summit, drift quickly into the unconscious, flitting followed, of course, by a fast descent. “Mt. across a starry dreamscape of memorable Ellen is the one with the payoff, because it The author topping off a perfect ski day at Timbers with friends ski days yet to come. has the killer views,” he says. “Sunsets over the Adirondacks are stunning.” too—playing skittles many years ago in the I am not one to follow Jamieson’s lead and basement of the Tucker Hill Lodge, dancing Peter Oliver is the author of six books, and ski down after dark with a head lamp. But like deep into the evening on the roof of the former, his feature articles have appeared in many Jamieson, I am always thinking of the day’s and sorely missed, Blue Tooth, basking in national publications. In 2012, he was named final decision: where to go for après-ski. I’ve spring warmth on the great second-floor deck by readers of Vermont Sports magazine as had a few memorable moments on that front, of the Mt. Ellen base lodge. the best Nordic instructor in the state.

sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARBUSH

getting schooled is better at sugarbush Perfect your style with a Sugarbush Ski & Ride School professional. Options include first-timer lessons, single and multi-day group programs, specialized season-long programs for children and adults, terrain park and backcountry coaching, and private lessons for the most customized one-on-one learning experience. Book now for winter.

32 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE 2016/17 33 Style. Top Hats

(1)

(3)

(2) (5)

(4)

(1) Lengenda (4) MinI by Starling Hats Warren Store, Warren Sugarbush Adventure Gear, Warren

(2) Handmade 100% Wool Cap (6) by Vermont Artisan Betsy Beresford Artisans’ Gallery, Waitsfield

(3) Eugenia Fur by Toni Sailer Sportive, Waitsfield

(5) Frenzy (6) Rowe by Pistil Designs Warren Store, Warren

(7) Alpine Hat of the Men’s Collection by Skida (7) Sugarbush Adventure Gear, Warren

(8) Classic Collection by No Hats 4orty Bridge Boutique, Waitsfield

Photography by Jason Morris. Styling by Nadine Rowell. (8) JA SON M ORRIS The Sugarbush Study Since 1971, Dr. Robert Johnson and his team have been conducting one of the largest studies on skiing and riding injuries in the world. By Candice White

n a sunny morning this past April, Dr. Robert Johnson sat on a swivel chair in front of a computer at Sugarbush’s University O of Vermont Medical Center Orthopedics Clinic. Johnson, a tall figure sporting eyeglasses and a head of thick, white hair, was poring over data collected from the past few weeks. At his fingertips was a trove of information that he and his team have been collecting since 1971: comprehensive data on injuries to skiers (and, in recent decades, to riders) and analysis of how those injuries were caused. This wealth of information has informed some of the most groundbreaking studies Dr. Johnson at the UVM Medical on skiing and riding injuries and prevention in the world. Center Orthopedics Clinic 2016/17 37 courtesy of k a rl ettlinger & ja s p er h e a ly courtesy of k a rl ettlinger & ja s p er h e a ly JA SON M ORRIS

The research trailers at Mt. Ellen Ettlinger's son, Kris, demonstrates how to The original testing equipment In the clinic, Johnson works with a small use the Vermont release calibrator. group of colleagues who check in and knee,” Johnson recalls. He was going to Ettlinger came on the scene one year after treat patients, collect information, and return to Iowa after the Air Force, but the Johnson, fresh out of a master’s program perform X-rays, all with a calm that mirrors position he planned to take lost its funding, in engineering at UVM, where he had Johnson’s placid demeanor. The staff moves and he found himself accepting a job at collaborated with a PhD student on the between two large, open rooms. One room the University of Vermont Medical Center. engineering of ski bindings. (Ettlinger’s is lined with medical beds occupied by Johnson had envisioned a sports medicine own master’s thesis was entitled “On patients, often accompanied by Ski Patrol career in Iowa concentrating on football, the Prevention of Ski Injuries.”) His life’s members who have escorted them down but his relocation to Vermont necessitated work has been devoted to analyzing the the mountain. The second room, toward a change in disciplines—Vermont colleges relationship between the ski boot, the the interior, is where Dr. Johnson (or his are not known for their football teams. binding, and the ski—and how making adjustments to those elements can influence colleague of twenty-six years, Dr. Stan Grzyb) Johnson began practicing orthopedic and reduce the risk of injuries in skiing. attends patients, which could involve casting surgery at Medical Center Hospital of He runs a company called Vermont Safety a tibia fracture, wrapping a muscle, treating Vermont (now UVM Medical Center) in Research, based in Underhill. Ettlinger a shoulder or wrist dislocation, or diagnosing August of 1971. That same fall, Dr. John plays something of the “mad scientist” a potential torn anterior cruciate ligament Saia, a family-practice doctor in the nearby role in the Johnson triumvirate (the third (ACL). (Patients are also seen by orthopedic Mad River Valley, suggested to Johnson that is Jasper Shealy, a professor emeritus residents and fellows.) There is virtually no he open an orthopedic clinic in the area; at at Rochester Institute of Technology who turnover in the clinic staff: Bobby Foster has that time, the Valley had three ski areas and holds a PhD in industrial engineering), and been a medical and research assistant at no clinic. In December of that year, Johnson as he takes me on a tour of the lab where Johnson’s side for close to forty years; Steve opened shop in a partial room at Glen Ellen he has been conducting his research for Mason, a research and X-ray technician for (now Mt. Ellen), laying the groundwork for over forty years, he talks in a steady stream, over twenty years; Lynne Brophy, a research the analysis and treatment of on-snow handing me pamphlets and booklets like assistant for seventeen years; and Carol injuries that would come to be known as Alpine Binding Installation and Inspection Blair, an X-ray technician and research “the Sugarbush study.” Johnson began a and Tips for Knee-Friendly Skiing, while assistant for close to fifteen years. grueling winter schedule of working at the listing the many programs he, Johnson, and • hospital during the week and at the ski Shealy have influenced through their work: area’s orthopedic clinic on the weekends. Bob Johnson grew up in Iowa Falls, Iowa. the International Society for Skiing Safety Forty-five years later, he is still at it. His initiation to skiing did not foreshadow a (ISSS), the American Society of Testing and groundbreaking career in the ski industry. • Materials (ASTM), and the International At age twelve he was given a six-foot-long Shortly after meeting at the clinic, Johnson Standardization Organization (ISO), to name pair of skis, slid down a hill, attempted to and I drive over to Mt. Ellen to meet one of a few. I lose track of time in the tiny quarters, jump a creek, and broke the skis in half. his two key research collaborators since perusing part of Ettlinger’s collection of ski Johnson graduated Phi Beta Kappa from 1972, Carl Ettlinger. As we approach an equipment that dates back to the 1950s, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and unassuming building just past the base of inspecting a machine called the Vermont subsequently earned a medical degree from the Sunny Double lift, Johnson jokes that release calibrator (the ski installation and the University of Iowa. He did not attempt Ettlinger has been under strict orders to inspection station he created), and listening to ski again until his early thirties, when “clean the place up and turn on the heat” so to Ettlinger talk about the early days of his he was in the Air Force, serving as chief it is appropriate for visitors. (Comfort is not collaboration with Johnson and Shealy. of orthopedics at the USAF hospital on high on Ettlinger’s priority list.) The building Loring Air Force Base in Maine. That second is, in fact, three trailers fused together, and Shealy, known as Jake, spent his graduate introduction to skiing resulted in a “black- it offers sufficient space for Ettlinger to school years studying the systems- and-blue bruise from my hip down to my carry out his research. engineering side of “how and why accidents

38 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE occur,” and both his graduate and doctoral JA SON M ORRIS theses focused on ski injuries. In the Sugarbush study trio, Shealy directed the statistical analysis, Johnson presided over the orthopedic clinic, and Ettlinger collected data from both the injured and a control group. They sought information like boot height, skier foot length, boot-to-binding friction, ski length and dimension, binding release test results, and environmental conditions. All this information was used to draw conclusions on the cause of the injury—and on how it might have been Ettlinger and Johnson analyze a ski binding. prevented. In Shealy’s words, “It was only by the use of the Sugarbush study that the boot toe piece, forcing the boot and “The evolution of changes and upgrades to both the medical and mechanical aspects binding to jam together and prevent binding safety has been coming from here— of the injury equipment could be observed release. Findings like these drove Johnson, from Carl and Dr. Johnson and Shealy,” says simultaneously.” Ettlinger, and Shealy to collaborate with Brook Weston, owner of Mountainside Ski several other entities (including the Service in Warren. One significant change Since the early 1970s, Johnson, Ettlinger, National Ski Areas Association and Skiing to emerge from conclusions drawn from and Shealy have published over a hundred magazine) to create a set of national the Sugarbush study was the evolution of articles, papers, abstracts, and book standard ski shop practices as well as low-friction materials in binding systems, chapters on the prevention of ski injuries. a ski shop standards course. (This “Ski important for a consistent release of boot Johnson has been awarded more than and Snowboard Mechanics Workshop,” from binding. Weston sends his binding $2.5 million in research funding to originally run by ski industry impresario mechanics to Ettlinger’s workshop each year, study issues such as knee and ligament Jerry Simon, was taken over by Ettlinger in and refers to the Alpine Binding Installation injuries along with ACL reconstruction and Inspection booklet as his bible. and rehabilitation, from organizations like “"The evolution of changes and the National Institutes of Health and the upgrades to binding safety Countries that follow standard shop Arthritis Foundation. He has been awarded practices—including the United States, has been coming from here more than thirty-five academic awards and — Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—have honors over the course of his career, and from Carl and Dr. Johnson and seen a significant decrease in lower leg has chaired various organizations, including Shealy,”" says Brook Weston, injuries since the 1970s. And as Johnson’s the ISSS and the American Orthopaedic team observed in a 2009 paper, “countries owner of Mountainside Ski Society of Sports Medicine. that do not adhere to ISO/ASTM standards Service in Warren. have a two- to five-fold higher risk for tibia • fractures than those observed in the US.” 1990 and subsequently sold to SnowSports When Johnson and his colleagues first For his work on writing ASTM standards Industries America in 2015.) First released started in this field, the predominant injury for ski binding test devices, adjustment of in the early 1970s, these standards was the broken ankle. As the sport and alpine binding systems, and shop practices, contained instructions for conducting equipment evolved, the broken ankle was among others, Ettlinger was presented with release checks on skis and boots; since the replaced by the broken tibia. Johnson and ASTM’s Award of Merit in 2011. his colleagues treated the injuries, studied early 1990s, it has included the tuning of the data from those injuries, and drew snowboards. Not only did the standard shop Some of the conclusions reached by conclusions concerning ski binding release practices teach ski shop technicians how Johnson and his colleagues addressed systems and the compatibility of boots to inspect equipment to prevent injuries, proper fitting of equipment: “Poor boot fit is with bindings (or lack thereof). They asked the standards also began to influence the a major factor leading to lower leg fracture questions such as: How could the injury ski and binding manufacturers to make and sprains, especially in children,” and, have been prevented? Was the binding set improvements in their designs. “Young children need the best possible to release properly? Did it release as it was equipment available.” Reading this forced “Learning by doing was key,” recalls Ettlinger. supposed to? me to recall the day back in 2005 when “Everyone in the workshop was able to tighten my four-year-old daughter broke her leg the screws”—literally—“and see what it feels Their research findings exposed a variety while skiing on Crackerjack at Mt. Ellen. like to apply the necessary, but not excessive, of scenarios. For example, some bindings How much attention had I given to her torque to the binding.” The workshops were were designed so that the center of rotation equipment fit and inspection that year—or, collaborative. Shop owners and technicians was inappropriately placed, preventing the more truthfully, had I even had it inspected? binding from releasing in certain situations; merged with binding manufacturers in an other bindings were incompatible with environment of shared learning. As boot-binding compatibility and binding 2016/17 39 release systems improved, Johnson, Shealy, a backseat position with the inside edge of the industry. Several hundred people filled and Ettlinger saw the risk of lower leg the downhill ski engaged. The boot-induced the room. injury drop by half every six years for the injury is caused when a skier lands a jump Win Smith, president of Sugarbush, thanked first seventeen years of the study. “Early on, on the tails of his skis, with knees locked Johnson for the remarkable contribution our goal was to prove how to get rid of the and legs straight, thus causing the boot he has made to the sport. Parker Riehle, tibia fracture, the skier’s injury. We worked to hit the calf muscle and drive the shin president of the Vermont Ski Areas to show how appropriate modification of forward, tearing the ACL. Association, presented to Johnson, on the equipment would allow it to release That following season, Ettlinger’s team behalf of the National Ski Areas Association, when it needed to,” recalls Johnson. The introduced an “ACL Awareness Training” an Impact Award, for his “substantial team concluded in a 2000 paper that there program for ski patrol and ski school staff at contribution to NSAA and the ski industry.” was “little doubt that the major factor in twenty participating ski areas. The program Jake Shealy and Carl Ettlinger gave a improvements [was] better designed and involved instructing participants in “avoiding presentation identifying the highlights of functioning ski boot binding systems.” high-risk behavior,” “recognizing potentially their team’s research over the years: their However, as the rate of lower leg injury dangerous situations,” and “responding study has spanned more than eight million began to plateau, a different injury began to quickly and effectively whenever these skier visits and almost 30,000 injuries, and emerge. Johnson recalls seeing “alarming conditions are encountered.” Through they estimated that the Sugarbush study, increases in rates of severe knee sprains.” instruction and video analysis, the by leading to specific steps to avoid injury, The team conducted many studies where participants were coached to develop a has saved American skiers tens of billions they attempted to link binding settings to personal strategy for responding to the of dollars in medical expenses—not to ACL injuries, but overall concluded that mention saving them from the pain and there was no link. “Releasable bindings for Over the course of the inconvenience of an injury. Alpine skiing have helped to reduce the risk three-year study, a total Perhaps most telling of all were the of many types of skiing-related lower leg of 179 serious knee sprains personal tributes from Johnson’s longtime injuries but have not been very effective in colleagues on the clinic staff. Bobby Foster reducing the risk of injury to the ACL of the were evaluated. ACL injuries spoke first, poking fun at himself for having knee,” Johnson, Ettlinger, and Shealy wrote declined by 62 percent in the been hired “only because the attractive in the journal Sports Health in 2009. But the study group; there was no woman in the bar who was offered the job binding improvements seemed to have left didn’t show up.” He then went on to tell the door open for a different type of injury. decline in the control group. of his default responsibility of informing So Johnson and his colleagues continued Johnson of staff antics “the mountain” various scenarios for potential ACL injury. researching the problem. In the winter of may have been concerned with, such as a Some key components of the training to 1992–93, at Sugarbush alone, Johnson and bikini-clad medical student sunbathing avoid injury included: don’t straighten your his colleagues recorded 128 ACL injuries. on a gurney outside the clinic. Other staff legs when you fall; don’t try to get up until ACL sprains and tears, which had been members followed Foster, laughing as they you’ve stopped sliding; when you’re down, creeping up each year since the late 1970s, told stories about working with Johnson, stay down; and try not to land on your had reached epidemic proportions. When who has characterized his career as “a hand. Another twenty-two ski areas were asked how the team made headway on the hobby that went out of control.” assembled to form a control group. Over ACL injury, Johnson remembers, “Carl went the course of the three-year study, a total It wasn’t so much what Johnson’s colleagues berserk and pestered people to death.” of 179 serious knee sprains were evaluated. said, but more the emotions they struggled He refers, admiringly, to the information ACL injuries declined by 62 percent in the to keep in check when they spoke. It was Ettlinger was able to uncover that allowed study group; there was no decline in the clear to the crowd in the room that Johnson’s the team to study the injury. Ettlinger went control group. work has benefited not just the thousands of out and conducted interviews with people patients he has treated through the years, but who had injured their ACLs or had seen • also the committed team that has dutifully people injure them, and obtained videotapes surrounded him for decades. To have made of injuries from both ski races and relaxed Bob Johnson and his colleagues have spent an impact on an industry to the extent that family ski outings. The team analyzed the over half their lives studying skiing injuries, Johnson and his colleagues have influenced injuries Johnson was seeing in the clinic, as shop practices, tibial plateau fractures, and skiing is remarkable; to have done it in a well as the data leading up to the injury, and ACL sprains; in recent years they’ve started manner that is compassionate and fun is of made some conclusions. “We recognized examining riding injuries and helmet usage another level entirely. two mechanisms of ACL injury: the phantom as well. The Sugarbush study, which they foot, and the boot induced,” recalls Johnson. began in 1971, is still going strong. This past Candice White has written for publications The phantom foot injury can be described spring, friends and colleagues gathered at that include Vermont Life, Mothering online, as the tail of the ski (the “phantom foot”) Sugarbush’s Gate House Lodge to honor and Seven Days Vermont. She has worked at causing an ACL tear when a skier falls in Johnson for the work he has contributed to Sugarbush since 2008.

40 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Naturally Epic

Photo credit: ©Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto

madriverglen.com

Sugarbush FP Ad 2017.GO1.indd 1 8/15/16 4:55 PM JA Happy Trails

Margo Wade and her son Ross ride Fayston’s Revolution trail.

The Mad River Riders and other stakeholders I eagerly pedaled my mountain bike under the hardwood canopy are spurring a mountain biking revolution in of the Green Mountain National Forest at the Blueberry Lake trail the Valley. I network in Warren. This cloverleaf-shaped network was one of the By Kelly Ault more refreshing places to be on a steamy Memorial Day. My friend and I were following a colorful trio of twelve-year-old boys up the switchbacks of the Lenord’s Loop trail. The five of us weren’t alone in starting the holiday on trails and ending with a dip in the adjacent pristine lake. The diversity of other riders that day—from a two- year-old child balancing a Strider bike along the Tootsie Roll trail to a retired professional downhill racer flowing through Suki’s Alley—clearly illustrated the accessibility of these woods to a wide variety of ages and abilities. sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARBUSH discover SUMMER SCENIC LIFT RIDES MOUNTAIN BIKING GOLF HIKING DISC GOLF ZIPLINE WEDDINGS WEEKLY EVENTS

2016/17 43 maintenance, and resolving local issues.” an intermediate-level trail to the mostly The new trails expert-level trail network in the Valley. The Knox described a process that began well at Blueberry new trails also link a business located at before the designation of a trail system the bottom of the Valley to isolated trails on Lake have for the parcel in 2011. “Public feedback state land situated high on the hillside. inspired a had highlighted a lack of beginner and whole new intermediate trails in the Mad River Valley, Clay Westbrook, the president of American and it was a goal from the start to help fill Flatbread, said the working farm was a generation of that void,” she said. natural partner. Part of their business approach “is to attract people to the farm riders in the Another goal was to maintain the ecological by offering recreation or experiential visits.” Valley. integrity of the area; to that end, the Forest Hosting a family-friendly trailhead was one Service and the Mad River Riders brought I marveled at the brilliantly built trail way to do that. Although it’s too early to in the professional trail-building legends network. By appearance, the smooth berms measure the financial impact on the business, Hardy Avery of Sustainable Trailworks and and wide corridors gave off an impression Westbrook said that early indications point Brooke Scatchard of Sinuosity. Avery’s and of easy riding; however, the undulating to increased inn reservations and diners. Scatchard’s reputations for trail design trails were deceptively arduous. Trailside “The positive benefits certainly outweigh any across Vermont have made them household wildflowers, including jack-in-the-pulpit possible concerns.” names. Both apply guidelines from the and red trillium, provided me a welcome International Mountain Bike Association, a It is clear that the longtime owners of the distraction from the taxing climbs. Observing national advocacy, education, access, and Lareau Farm and founders of American the crumbling rock wall boundaries of a trail-building organization, such as building Flatbread, George Schenk and his wife (also former farm pasture turned my thoughts to contour trails to minimize tread erosion and named George), are involved for reasons that the land’s human history. I noticed natural avoiding the fall line or flat areas to ensure go well beyond expanding their own patron features that had thoughtfully been turned proper water drainage. These standards base. Westbrook reflected the Schenks’ into trailside amenities, such as a rock not only ensure sustainability, but they also community philosophy in explaining that a “bench.” My sightseeing ended when the make the trail ridable for beginner and vibrant trail network has untapped potential trail dipped into a descent. I happily followed intermediate riders while still enjoyable for leveraging economic vitality across the the boys as they pumped berms and sprang for advanced riders. This “has kept people Valley. “Weddings and skiing are great for from trailside boulders. coming back,” said Knox. “It is a small trail the economy, but we have to diversify” the • network, but people are willing to travel reasons people visit, he said. He pointed out here to introduce new riders [to the sport] the opportunity to attract new community The popular trail network at Blueberry or to enjoy a change of pace from the steep, members who have the flexibility to work Lake didn’t happen overnight, and it took technically difficult trails that exist in many from home or are looking for places to which the proverbial village. Holly Knox, the areas of Vermont.” These new trails have they can relocate their business. “There trails and recreation coordinator for the inspired a whole new generation of riders in is a whole generation that is influenced by Green Mountain National Forest, explained the Valley. “I can’t count the number of young recreational amenities . . . in deciding where that the project would not have happened or new riders I meet who talk about learning they want to live and raise a family.” without local, town, and regional support. to ride at Blueberry Lake,” Knox said. The Forest Service conducted field trips with • local officials and interested members of • Early in May, I met up with John Atkinson, the public, but “without a partner that was The iconic Lareau Farm sprawls along Route executive director of the Mad River Riders willing to adopt the trail system . . . we likely 100, marked by cultivated fields on the Mad JA would have walked away,” she admitted. River and a smattering of historic buildings The Mad River Riders, a thirty-year-old including a barn, farmhouse inn, outdoor recreation organization that manages more shelter, and the famous American Flatbread than forty-five miles of multi-use trails for restaurant. Beyond cords of firewood stacked biking, hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing in at the edge of the forest, a mounted bike the Valley, stepped forward to work with wheel marks a trailhead, hinting at the the Forest Service on leading many aspects unusual nature of this working farm. of the project. “When an organization can The trailhead is the access point to the provide a unified voice to the Forest Service, Revolution trail, a multi-use corridor we are able to be more effective and efficient built in 2012 and 2013 through a model at addressing their needs,” Knox said. partnership between American Flatbread, The Mad River Riders are, she continued, the Featherbed Inn, the Dana Forest Farm, “a phenomenal partner . . . in seeking and the Mad River Riders. The project funds, designing new trails, completing fulfilled a multidimensional vision by adding Brooke Scatchard excavating a new trail

44 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE JA (and Sugarbush photographer and snow trails, particularly on public land,” he said. reporter), in the American Flatbread parking The Mad River Riders successfully worked lot. As we biked up the Revolution trail, he with the state on reinstating access to acknowledged that the trail was intentionally mountain biking in Phen Basin. (Today, one named for the marked effect the project had of the expert-level trails in the basin, Chain in expanding trail access for various abilities, Gang, is a rider favorite, and major reroutes to as well as in forging model partnerships. improve the trail were started in 2015.) Echoing Knox’s point about the dearth of The next big step came in 2006, when trails for beginners and intermediates, the Vermont Mountain Bike Association Atkinson told me that if you wound back the (VMBA) received official recognition by the clock a few years, you’d find that nearly all state of Vermont as “trail stewards,” which VYCC is an important partner in the process of the trails in the Valley had a reputation as meant that the statewide organization and trail building. “hard to find, follow, and ride.” Landowners its regional chapters could be potential were drawn to the community approach of partners with public land managers in the and regulatory] concerns, while at the same opening up more types of terrain to more building and maintaining of local trails. This time making a trail more ridable and fun by types of riders. Atkinson described how included trail permissions for the Mad River adding a [natural] feature here or there, we the popular concept attracted enough Riders, as an association chapter, making are hitting it all,” Nerenberg said. donations and in-kind contributions, mountain biking a designated recreational Nerenberg is optimistic about another including volunteer labor and equipment, to use on an existing network within the Howe generation of trail development in Phen expeditiously build the trail. Today, Lareau Block of Camel’s Hump, in addition to the Basin that could connect to other parts Farm’s Revolution is one of the most popular trails in Phen Basin. of the Valley’s network. The long-range trails in the Valley for bikers and walkers, “We had spent years building and maintaining management plan for Camel’s Hump second only to Blueberry Lake. trails on state lands . . . and could prove State Park is pending approval. “The Mad Near the top of the trail, we stopped at we had the knowledge, community, and River Riders have an extensive vision for a junction and Atkinson pointed out a the capacity to be legitimate,” Atkinson trails” in the park, Nerenberg said. “If rough path cut through thick ferns. The explained. “We could point to these official they are designed in the right place with positive response to the Revolution trail permissions on public land, which made consideration for other values”—like water had reenergized conversations with private talking to other public land managers—as quality and wildlife—“we apply for recreation landowners and spurred an improved trail- well as private landowners—about projects grants . . . and start building.” planning process with public land managers. much easier.” • I was looking at the early construction phase Jason Nerenberg, the Essex District Adam Greshin, the co-owner of Sugarbush of two new trails, aptly named Evolution and stewardship forester for the Vermont Resort and a Vermont state representative, Evolution Phase II to symbolize progression Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, told me that when he and his wife purchased on many levels. The Evolution trails will pointed to the cooperative relationship land in Warren that included trails by Eurich provide a key link between Revolution and between his agency and mountain bikers Pond, one of the first calls he received was other popular intermediate and expert trails as one that has ended up benefiting the from a group of mountain bikers. They were in Camel’s Hump State Forest, such as landscape. “Mountain bikers know the trails curious, he said, about “our intentions for Enchanted Forest and Cyclone, eliminating better than we do and are our eyes and ears,” allowing mountain biking . . . which we fully an unpopular climb up Dana Hill Road. he said. “By calling attention to something, supported.” • more work gets done. And they have energy Over the last eleven years, Greshin has to do a lot of maintenance.” The relationships between mountain bikers witnessed firsthand how much the mountain and public land managers haven’t always Many considerations go into building and bike scene has evolved. He cited a key trend been so strong. According to Atkinson, 1999 maintaining trails, but Nerenberg described that he feels bodes well for the Valley’s marked a turning point for trail access. The a process in which everyone puts their heads future: an embracing of public access and catalyst was trail closings in Phen Basin, together to figure out the best approach. trail building on private land. “Vermont has a part of Camel’s Hump State Park, which The state’s interdisciplinary district long history of people using private property shut down access to trails that mountain stewardship teams make sure that projects for recreation purposes,” he told me, but bikers had been using without permission. avoid sensitive areas, such as those that are “landowners across the state are increasingly Atkinson described the situation as a “wake- prone to erosion, or home to endangered posting their land, essentially taking it out of up call that trails could be lost if we weren’t species or unique habitat features. The public use.” In the Valley, though, he has seen involved.” Although it had always been a goal state trail crews work with the Mad River a “slow but noticeable reversal in this trend,” to gain official access to protected lands, “it Riders and the Vermont Youth Conservation due to a “demonstration by recreation users” was Phen Basin that started the process Corps in aspects of design and construction. that they can responsibly ride on private land of how we propose to build and maintain “If we can address our primary [ecological “as well as the general sense that recreation

2016/17 45 is important to the community and the state.” well as other key entities—drive the vision, The Vermont Mountain Biking negotiations, and logistics behind these Festival Comes to Sugarbush Land conservation organizations are also trail networks. However, financing the playing a role in securing recreational This past July, the Vermont Mountain Bike purchase, development, and maintenance access to trails. After longtime landowner Association (VMBA) brought its annual is also critical to success. Foundations are Skip Tenney donated his 280-acre hill festival to Sugarbush. True to form, the key, such as the Winthrop H. Smith Family farm in Fayston, the Vermont Land Trust festival was an amalgamation of activities, Foundation, which supported the projects brought in a new farmer to steward the from vendor bike demos, to clinics, group- at Blueberry Lake and in Dowsville. Other revival of agricultural activity and the led rides, downhill mountain biking, funding sources from the Forest Service, protection of productive forestland and activities for kids, food, and live music. Recreational Trail Program grants, the Mad ecological resources. As part of the River Valley Recreation District, the Mad VMBA’s vision behind the event is to conservation package of the land, the River Valley Rotary, and private donations bring riders together while showcasing trust engaged several partners, such as have paid for everything from professional model mountain biking trails and work by the Catamount Trail Association, the Mad trail builders and staff time to signage and mountain biking chapters around the state. River Path Association, and the Mad River free programs for kids and women riders. Matt Klein, president of the Mad River Riders, to enhance vital links in the local As Atkinson put it, “It’s one thing to build a Riders, sees the festival as a great way to recreational trail network, including by trail network, but it’s another thing to take let more riders know about the Mad River rerouting Techie—a popular expert-level care of it over time. We need to think about Valley’s growing trail system. Riders got a trail—and the Catamount Trail to better- the long-term capacity and funding needs chance to try out the “wider, flow trails that suited locations, as well as by identifying of the system.” more people can ride comfortably, as well a future site for a small parking lot on as the surrounding expert-level trails on Marble Hill Road, which can be used to • more rugged terrain.” access the network. Matt Klein, president of the Mad River But more importantly, he sees the festival as “When we consider an opportunity to Riders, sees the stars aligning for the next a chance for mountain bikers to get together conserve a working farm or forest, we decade of multi-use trail development in the to have fun. “We wanted people to learn the strive to balance many objectives which are Valley and across the state. He described a trails and appreciate the natural beauty of important to Vermonters, including wildlife short-term focus on building “connector” this place that we call our backyard and habitat and water-quality protection, local trails. “We plan to link the Blueberry Lake enjoy every day,” he said. Adam Greshin, food production, sustainable forestry, and, trails to Warren Village and then the rest the co-owner of Sugarbush, agreed that certainly, recreational access to land,” of the Valley. We want the Revolution and the festival was a “way to broadcast to the said Liza Walker, the Mad River Valley Evolution trails to lead riders all the way riding community, that the Mad River Valley director for the Vermont Land Trust. “The up to Sugarbush.” Although the trails at is a point on the map that they should presence of local partners, such as the Sugarbush are mostly gravity oriented, consider. Now that we have more variety to Mad River Path Association and the Mad requiring downhill bikes and a trail pass, offer in our trail system, we hope riders see River Riders—who can design, build, and popular intermediate cross-country trails this as a unique destination that deserves manage the trails and respond to the needs encircle the resort, allowing riders to their attention.” (The 2017 VMBA festival is of the landowners—is absolutely essential utilize resort amenities. planned for July 21–23 at Mt. Ellen.) to the success of this effort.” JA According to Klein, longer trail options Another conservation project in 2016 has could attract tourists to stay and eat in the created excitement among trail users. Valley, thereby benefiting the economy. The Trust for Public Land purchased 2,085 Additionally, more options make the area acres in Duxbury and is transferring it to the “a place for locals to get into the sport or state of Vermont as an addition to Camel’s work on bike-handling skills on any given Hump State Park. The property—known as day,” boosting community health. “It’s the Dowsville Headwaters, a tributary of already noticeable this year how many the Mad River—includes areas that have more bikes you see on cars and how many long been frequented by mountain bikers kids you see on bikes.” and other recreationists. Plans are under These ambitions are not so far-fetched. way to secure new access to these trails as Klein pointed to the Mad River Riders’ track part of the state park from Dowsville Road, record in doubling trail miles between 2006 Ward Hill Road, and Sharpshooter Road. and 2016, and their relationships with more The multi-tier partnerships—between than three dozen landowners and land nonprofit organizations, the Forestmanagers, connections that are based on Service, and the towns of Fayston, Warren, trust and mutual respect. Membership Matt Klein at the VMBA festival Waitsfield, Moretown, and Duxbury, as in the Mad River Riders encompasses

46 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE more than 200 bikers and hikers, and collaboration with local trail stewards and other associations is leading to creative THOUGHTFUL AND ideas for working together to best serve the community. INTEGRATED BUILDINGS Project locations already abut trail THAT PERFORM FOR networks in neighboring communities, THE ENVIRONMENT which Klein believes will lead to increased cohesiveness with VMBA chapters and networks in Waterbury, Duxbury, Northfield, Hinesburg, Huntington, and Stowe. Like the Mad River Riders, other VMBA chapters, including the Stowe 69 Union St. Winooski, VT 05404 (802) 655-1753 Mountain Bike Club and the Waterbury lnconsulting.com Area Trails Alliance, are forging ahead with numerous trail projects, with public and private landowner relationships and sustainability trail design at the core. Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Back at the intersection of the Evolution trail, Atkinson pivoted his bike to face back down and Fire Protection Design Revolution as he exuded enthusiasm for what he sees as abounding opportunity. “We are helping lead the way in terms of access Renewable Energy Design to the four main types of land in Vermont— national forest, state forest, town forest, and private land. We’ve developed a successful Energy Consulting relationship with all these landowners and land managers.” Atkinson’s rationale for why trails are good for the community is MADE FOR A convincing: “They are a sustainable public resource that is free, always open, high- quality, and accessible for all abilities, LIFE______WELL LIVED offering health, educational, and economic benefits to the community.” Atkinson and I Quality craftsmanship. Unrivaled energy e
ciency. Endless personalization options. ® began our descent, training our eyes ahead These are the reasons why Marvin Windows and Doors are truly Built Around You. on the unfolding switchbacks and roller coaster–like undulations. We found balance points over the pedals as we navigated sturdy bridges and shallow stream crossings. Exiting the forest, we rolled past the staked bike wheel to stop in the American Flatbread parking lot, grins on our faces. One thing was clear: there is plenty of momentum for the future of mountain biking both in the Valley and across Vermont.

Kelly Ault is the public engagement director of the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance and a freelance writer. She and her husband took their twelve-year-old sons riding across the country last summer, documenting their Serving Vermont for over 128 Years! adventures on www.thedirtpack.bike. At the Proud to be your local Marvin window and door dealer. 2016 USA Cycling National Championships, she placed third in the cross-country event WAITSFIELD | BARRE | MONTPELIER | ST. JOHNSBURY for the category 1 45–49 age group and 1-800-696-Wood | www.allenlumbercompany.com second in the enduro event for the 40–49 age group. She lives in Middlesex, Vermont. Allen_Lumber_Sugarbush_Mag_Ad1.indd 1 2016/175/27/16 1:19 PM47 JA

The Rise of the

How creativity and community came to define the terrain parks at Sugarbush By John Bleh

hen I was in college at the University of Vermont (Class of 2011), most of the people I knew skied at Stowe; Sugarbush wasn’t really on my radar screen. You see, terrain park riders—the Wkeystone species in the college ski and ride environment—had a huge influence on other college kids. Even though I wasn’t much of a park guy (barely landing 360s was about as far as I went), I tended to go where the masses went. In my college days, that wasn’t Sugarbush.

Diamond Dog development team member Hazel Harris in Riemergasse Park Things have changed. These days, the S ug Sugarbush terrain parks are alive with a r b us h R esort The Farmhouse college kids, as well as families escorting their kids down the trail. Cheers echo from the chairlift as skiers and riders perform cool tricks, flocks of riders approach sets tune of features in unison, and kids hang out on the bleachers at the base of the trail, to the Shop steady beat of music. In the years following my graduation, Sugarbush PARKS emerged from the woodwork, drawing a large share of the Vermont college market. TransWorld Snowboarding magazine named it a Top 5 East Coast Park in 2012, knocking out the larger and better resourced Killington. Why? What had changed? Former PARKS manager Tony Chiuchiolo To understand, here’s a little historical (center) and two of his staff dressed up for a context. When freestyle started getting big PARKS event in the 1990s, there weren’t a lot of eastern community for the riders, and focused resorts on the bandwagon. But Sugarbush particularly on attracting college students, had Gondolier (at Lincoln Peak), one of the leading Sugarbush’s college marketing first dedicated freestyle terrain parks. Big efforts and traveling to college events to local names like Seth Miller, Seth Neary, let students know about the mountain. “I and Jesse and Lucas Huffman started figured out which skiers and riders were the flocking to the resort. The combination of leaders at these schools and recruited them the dedicated freestyle park, Sugarbush’s to help get people to us,” Chiuchiolo told me intense, big-mountain terrain, and the last spring. “It all came down to providing exploits of local pros helped put Sugarbush these kids with a place to come together.” He at the forefront of the freestyle scene. also managed to bring the UVM Snowboard But after the American Skiing Company Team over to Sugarbush from Stowe, and purchased the resort in the mid-’90s, they other college students followed. hired an outside group to build a snowboard- Chiuchiolo built a dedicated park posse only terrain park on Snowball (also at around him—skiers and riders who were Lincoln Peak). Over the next few years—due involved in the park culture, knew what mainly to lack of care and promotion—the he had done, and would know how to freestyle scene at the mountain declined. continue it even after he was gone. (He left Things started turning around a few years Sugarbush in 2014, but returned in 2016 as after Win Smith and Summit Ventures events manager.) Today, Sugarbush PARKS purchased the resort. The new owners is managed by Trevor Borrelli, one of the hired Tony Chiuchiolo as manager of members of Chiuchiolo’s old core group. Wintersteiger the resort’s terrain parks, someone who Borrelli, who lives in the Valley with his wife had grown up shredding the Sugarbush and their two dogs, didn’t grow up skiing Tune equipmenT park terrain and had a good idea of what or riding, though he did play competitive Get the most from your gear. freestyle skiers and riders were looking ice hockey and race BMX bikes. When he Olympic-quality base grinds and for. Crucially, he was also willing to listen eventually tried snowboarding, he fell in waxes for any mountain condition. to their feedback, and he worked to provide love with the freedom and self-expression the types of features and atmosphere they the sport allowed. As Sugarbush started to Full Tunes, 10-Tune wanted, not what he thought they wanted. reemerge on the terrain park map, he made punch cards, and Under his leadership Sugarbush became the move from the town of Stowe to the Mad known for having unique features and River Valley. quick Waxes available approaching park layouts in an unusual Borrelli has been with Sugarbush PARKS Located in The Farmhouse at Lincoln Peak way. And it was all being done in-house. for seven years, and 2016–17 will be his sugarbush.com 802.583.6504 Chiuchiolo helped to create a sense of second year as manager. His first year

2016/17 49 wasn’t easy: in one of its worst snowfall A lot of the inspiration at Riemergasse comes from seasons, Sugarbush wasn’t able to open the Riemergasse Park (now the main terrain urban settings. One of the park’s staples is its plaza-style park area) until January. (While January sets, with features combined to emulate cityscapes. was late for Sugarbush, most parks in the East opened later, and with fewer features.) The head of the Parks crew told me that whenever Even after the opening, continuous freeze/ he’s in a city, he can’t turn his brain off: he’s constantly thaw cycles made it tough to maintain the terrain and build new features. But the looking around, finding ideas in the architecture. Sugarbush PARKS crew, a group of about in what the Sugarbush PARKS crew refers to told me that whenever he’s in a city, he can’t fifteen staffers, persevered: both of their as the “chop shop”: their in-house welding turn his brain off: he’s constantly looking Mt. Ellen terrain parks, Riemergasse and bay, fully outfitted with an inventory of steel, around, finding ideas in the architecture. Sugar Run, were open almost all year, with plywood, and tools. The idea stage is first, “There’s a lot you can pull out of urban smaller parks at Lincoln Peak open in the where they think through their current fleet settings,” he said. “Skateboarders take early and late season. of features and determine what’s missing advantage of what city architecture has to • or where industry trends are moving. Ideas offer—why can’t we do the same?” For Borrelli and his crew, the day starts early. then move to paper and the CAD program Typically he’ll take a photo of an object, They gather at the “park shack,” a small Google SketchUp to determine how much maybe a city railing or a staircase, and building at the base of Riemergasse, to boot of each material will be required, which return to the crew and SketchUp to see if up and review the terrain park grooming angles to cut, and so forth. Rich Picarelli, it’s possible to insert that rail, staircase, or plan. Everyone gets out on the hill to fix any another core crew member and the lead other feature into the park. The inspiration hazards from the prior day before heading fabricator (with a degree in product design/ has led to some crazy features, like the to the base lodge for a hearty breakfast. development and technology studies from Catfish Rail, a forty-two-foot-long expanse From there the crew is split into shifts Keene State), then meticulously levels and of metal, or Wallenburg, a pyramid-shaped raking out features, which they typically do squares each piece during the welding hit inspired by a feature in a Chicago park. a couple times a day. Each night, Borrelli’s process. Picarelli has the second-longest “Planning, planning, and planning,” Borrelli grooming team resurfaces the parks. In the tenure on staff, following Borrelli, and came said. “I can’t stress enough that having a early building stages, workweeks usually to Sugarbush from Granite Gorge in New plan is the most important part of the job. hover around 80 to 100 hours. Hampshire. It was there, during college, We have a lot of different moving parts, that he started working at terrain parks and At any one time the parks typically have and planning saves time and money, and mastering his fabrication skills. around sixty features, and Borrelli and his helps keep everyone safe.” For example, team don’t let things grow stale—about ten • when building most new features, the crew new features rotate in during a season. Along The first time I saw Riemergasse, I thought creates a list of materials that documents with building new features, the crew recycles how similar it felt to a skate park. It’s true—a everything the piece could entail, right down outdated rails and boxes, chopping them up, lot of the inspiration at Sugarbush comes to the nuts and bolts. reconfiguring them into another creation, or from urban settings. One of the park’s For each new feature, the crew also takes into scrapping them for raw materials. staples is its plaza-style sets, with features account the easiest form of promotion: video. This all happens at the base of Riemergasse, combined to emulate cityscapes. Borrelli Features and lines are set with consideration for how a friend might film you. Thanks to j e b w that kind of planning, the park has an almost

a ll endless stream of video content coming out of it, both from sponsored park riders and ce- b rodeur the public, giving exposure to the skiers and riders who want it. One of the most popular edits is the Bush League video series, which features a mashup of park footage with different riders. These videos stay fresh because you can approach a run through the park hundreds of different ways, thanks to the numerous rails, boxes, and other features scattered across the trail. While the park also has some big jumps, there’s not one specific PARKS features plaza-style sets designed to emulate cityscapes. linear run that most people take, unlike in 50 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE JA The Farmhouse Rental Shop

The SideSurfers Banked Slalom event a typical terrain park. This layout promotes neighborhood at Mt. Ellen. Park riders can conversations between riders on what type hang out all day and lap features without of line to take, as enthusiasts argue over the having to leave the Sunny Double area. best order of operations. Last spring, I spent the day hanging around Phototographs are another source of the park during the SideSurfers Banked promotion. A lot of good photography comes Slalom competition, a snowboard-only out of the park, and is featured on Facebook, event complete with race gates, banked Premium Instagram, and on freestyle-oriented turns, and fun jumps. About two minutes websites like Newschoolers.com. Ashley into my visit, while standing near the finish Demos Rosemeyer serves as the resident park line, I began to sense what Borrelli was Volkl, K2, elan, Head & Burton photographer, in addition to her photography talking about. Conversations between riders work at a Burlington studio and for Too Hard, on the lift and on the ground were constant: an all-female snowboard squad. chatter about the course, call-outs to each HigH Performance other, and enthusiastic cheers for riders as • rentals they competed. Most surprising to me was Volkl & rossignol Beyond the DIY working style of the park the age range of the competitors—not just crew, “what really separates our park from teens and millennials, but riders as young others is the community,” Borrelli told me, as six and as old as fifty. sPort rentals echoing Chiuchiolo. “Having a group of guys Sugarbush parks do not have the biggest and girls passionate about being here is key, (standard fleet) jumps, the largest budget, or the greatest Head, Burton, & rossignol but that doesn’t mean it’s an exclusive club. expanse of terrain. What they do have is It’s just as important to make first-timers to something a lot of other parks lack: heart the park feel welcome.” That’s not always and creativity. An extremely loyal and beginner- the attitude when it comes to terrain parks. passionate crew provides the foundation Moving the park to the Riemergasse trail at for a landscape where almost any feature SPecific equiPment Mt. Ellen a few years ago was integral to the is possible, given the imagination. It took Head & Burton park’s community feel. The Sunny Double, years to pull this together, but creating a one of Sugarbush’s only remaining original welcoming environment, amid a constantly snowshoe chairs (the Village Double is the other), runs evolving landscape, has brought many right up the trail, providing an opportunity skiers and riders to Sugarbush, both on the rentalS for spectating, cheering, filming, and park terrain and across the resort. This time, good-natured ribbing. Riemergasse and thanks to the park crew’s continuous desire Located in The Farmhouse at Lincoln Peak the beginner-oriented Sugar Run Park to push the envelope, that influx doesn’t sugarbush.com 802.583.6504 on the adjacent trail make up their own seem in any danger of slowing down. 2016/17 51 sugar-kids Discover Sugarbush! Crossword Puzzle

Across 2. ride down a snowy hill in this 3. dunking place on a hot day 4. kids’ favorite hot winter drink 5. smooth mountain bike corner 8. fresh fallen snow 9. frozen water 10. snow bump 11. bonfire treats 13. large hibernating animal 15. snow sport 17. hiking trail marker Down 1. snow house 2. snow travel footwear 4. snowman’s nose 6. game, set, match 7. fun narrow bike trail 10. large animal with antlers 12. mountain top 14. smoothed snow trail 16. birdies and slices game JA

I’m usually found on a mountain but I’m not a yeti I’m long and thin but I’m not a hiking trail I help you to go downhill fast but I’m not a set of wheels I get put on your feet but I’m not a pair of socks I help you slide on frozen water but I’m not a pair of ice skates... What am I?

I have a chain but I’m not a prisoner I have a frame but I’m not a photo I have wheels but I’m not a car I have a saddle but I’m not a horse I have pedals but I’m not a piano... What am I? Answers on p. 54 monday - saturday gift 9:30 am - 5:30 pm sunday shop 10 am - 5 pm 10 am -3 pm (summer) toy store Rt. 100/Mad River Green everything from sofas to slinkies Waitsfield, Vermont 5 out of 4 people shop here! 802-496-6055 home something for everyone vtcollection.com decor miska and Lily are Waiting for you

ExplorE Burlington on an environmentally-friendly SEgway stay fit Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center (SHaRC) is a fully-appointed year-round fitness and racquet club. Whether you seek group classes, personal training, tennis, swim instruction, family entertainment, or relaxation, a visit to SHaRC will enhance your Sugarbush experience. Open to members and non-members. MASSAGE & BODYWORKS POOLS & HOT TUBS SPin CLASSES VALLEY ROCK GYM PERSOnAL TRAininG SQUASH & RAQUETBALL GROUP FiTnESS CLASSES YOGA & PiLATES CARDiO & WEiGHT TRAininG TPi–PERSOnAL TRAininG Segway Tours and Electric Bike FOR GOLFERS Rentals & Sales nEW EnGLAnD TEnniS HOLiDAY inSTRUCTiOn www.burlingtonsegways.com For more information, call 277 Pine Street, Burlington, VT • (802) 489-5113 802.583.6700 or visit sugarbush.com #1-rated Tour in Burlington – Trip Advisor

2016/17 53 sugar-kids

Q W Z S T S W E E r M Y T L G K C X E F Word D o C C K S T M K A A o H n S L U r C M Y K F o K I I E D I r E I P I n U r n o Search M T A o E J A D I C B M B M r T I A U o G o Z K S I A T H n M n B r n U D E o S There are many activities, events and animals R B U I K S V L H I S H I E A Z M B B E to discover at Sugarbush year-round can you – P E P n H L I o K o S C V A F G C I S M find them hidden in the letters? J r C G T G E S M X n D Q S T D U S n I ADVENTURE MOUNTAIN BIKE S F Q D H A D V Z C A M P V X n P S n T BEAR MOUNTAIN JAM BLAZER MOVIE K E A T C n I F o U r T H o F J U L Y G BOUNCE MURPHY R S T C o I K n U S V C F Y X Z M o E n CAMP OKTOBERFEST O T U P M C V Y J M I n I B E A r D M I CASTLEROCK PARADE W K C o r E L T S A C o G L E C A K Y r CLIMB PIZZA COOKING POND SKIMMING E U A n E T r L A P M G I Q C r U A B A EASTER RAIL R Q B X r F A W J S K Q o Y A M F U S G FIREWORKS SKIATHON I D E A S T E r r J J G F P H D H I P U FOURTH OF JULY STEINS MAD DASH SUGAR BEAR F M Z A Z Z I P L P P r Q S L n I o K S MINI BEAR SUGARING TIME D K W L P K o F A H X n F I L J o B n X MOOSE TORCHLIGHT A Q C L r B X S X J B F A W o r K n Y P L E A r S D B X Z S o r E Z A L B D P J ja son m orris

What did the big furry hat say to the warm woolly scarf? “You hang around while I go on ahead.” How did the big mountain know that the little mountain

was fibbing? Because it was only a bluff.

What am I? Answers: Skis, Bike Skis, Answers: I? am What

singletrack. 10. moose. 12. summit. 14. groomer. 16. golf. 16. groomer. 14. summit. 12. moose. 10. singletrack.

17. blaze. Down: 1. igloo. 2. snowshoe. 4. carrot. 6. tennis. 7. 7. tennis. 6. carrot. 4. snowshoe. 2. igloo. 1. Down: blaze. 17.

berm. 8. powder. 9. ice. 10. mogul. 11. smores. 13. bear. 15. skiing. skiing. 15. bear. 13. smores. 11. mogul. 10. ice. 9. powder. 8. berm. Crossword Puzzle Answers. Across: 2. sled. 3. pool. 4. cocoa. 5. 5. cocoa. 4. pool. 3. sled. 2. Across: Answers. Puzzle Crossword Thank you to Sugarbush Resort for providing us with a world-class family training venue! fun

GREEN MOUNTAIN VALLEY SCHOOL Fostering a life-long love of learning, sport, and adventure Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center (SHaRC) offers an array of Alpine and Nordic Ski Academy for grades 7-12 winter activities www.gmvs.org 802.496.2150 for kids of all ages. swimming pool & hot tub rock climbing sugarbush.com 800.53.SuGAr #SuGArbuSh tennis, squash & racquetball kids’ adventure Zone Adventure bungee tRampoline gaga ball CAmps bounCe HouSe Mini Adventure (ages 3-5) baSketball theMed SuMMer CAMpS (ages 6-17) Adventure Mountain Bike Adventure Rock Climbing Water Exploration Outdoor Skills Farm-To-Plate Junior Tennis Junior Golf

802.583.6700 | sugarbush.com

2016/17 55 DINING DIRECTORY

RESTAURANT DESCRIPTION PRICE RANGE CONTACT

275 Main at the Pitcher Inn elegant farm-to-table cuisine and fine wine in a sophisticated setting. $$$$ 802.496.6350 “This may be Vermont’s best restaurant,” writes the New York Times. pitcherinn.com American Flatbread Farm-to-table pizza baked in a primitive wood-fired earthen oven. $$ 802.496.8856 americanflatbread.com Big Picture Café & Theater The Valley’s unofficial cultural center and café, open seven days $$ 802.496.8994 a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. bigpicturetheater.info The Blue Stone A rustic pizza shop and tavern in the heart of Vermont. Featuring $$ 802.496.3499 Old World hand-tossed pizza with a New World local twist. bluestonevermont.com The Butchery Full-service butcher shop and fish market featuring local meats $$$ 802.496.FISH and Wood Mountain Fish. thebridgestreetbutchery.com Castlerock Pub Classic Vermont-influenced pub menu with outstanding craft $$ 802.583.6594 beverages. Open winter and summer when Super Bravo spins. sugarbush.com Chez Henri Parisian bistrot in historic Sugarbush Village since 1964. Winter only. $$$ 802.583.2600 China Fun Standard Chinese; takeout only. $ 802.496.7889 Common Man Contemporary American cuisine prepared by chef-owner Adam $$$ 802.583.2800 Longworth. Full bar, diverse wine list, and warm hospitality. commonmanrestaurant.com East Warren The Valley’s local food co-op, providing local, organic, and specialty $$ 802.496.6758 Community Market items from cheese and eggs to beer and bakery items. Open daily. eastwarrenmarket.org General Stark’s Pub Full bar and table service for lunch and après in winter; $$ 802.496.3551 Thurs.–Sun. 4–8 p.m. in summer. In the Mad River Glen Basebox. madriverglen.com Hogan’s Pub Seasonal lunch menu, local burgers, well-stocked bar, and $$ 802.583.6723 long Valley views. Summer only. sugarbush.com Home Plate Family-friendly Vermont-style grill with a touch of diner, featuring $$ 802.496.9300 great food and exceptional service. homeplatevt.com Hostel Tevere Full bar with great local draft beers and live music. $ 802.496.9222 hosteltevere.com Local Folk Smokehouse Serving house-made BBQ Cajun burgers and more, plus $$ 802.496.5623 twenty-five local and regional drafts. localfolkvt.com Mad River Barn Pub with burgers, entrées, and local brews; family-friendly dining. $$$ 802.496.3310 Open seven days a week. madriverbarn.com Mad Taco Offering some of the most authentic Mexican fare in Vermont, as well $$ 802.496.3832 as a small selection of fine craft and Mexican beers and tequila. themadtaco.com MINT Vegetarian/vegan cuisine located in historic Waitsfield Village. $$$ 802.496.5514 mintvermont.com Mix Cupcakerie Home-baked enormous cookies, wedding and birthday cakes, $$ 802.496.4944 bars, and pies in Waitsfield’s Village Square. Open daily. mixcupcakerie.com Mutha Stuffers Eat-in or takeout deli serving full line of Boar’s Head products $$ 802.583.4477 and local Vermont beers in historic Sugarbush Village. muthastuffers.com Paradise Deli & Market Grocery store and deli. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner takeout. $ 802.583.2757 Located on the Sugarbush Access Road. Peasant Traditional rustic European food, open Thurs.–Mon. after 5:30 p.m.; $$$ 802.496.6856 reservations recommended. peasantvt.com Pizza Soul Authentic hand-crafted, thin crust, gourmet pizza, calzones, $$ 802.496.6202 and strombolis, in historic Sugarbush Village. pizzasoul.com Reks Year-round family-friendly restaurant with a bar and arcade, $$ 802.583.3232 in historic Sugarbush Village. Skinny Pancake Serving sweet and savory crepes with local sustainable products. $$ 802.583.7444 Located on the first floor of the Farmhouse. skinnypancake.com Sweet Spot Café, ice cream, and spirits. Made-to-order custom cakes. $$ 802.496.9199 Located on Bridge Street. sweetspotvt.com Terra Rossa Ristorante italian/Mediterranean/American cuisine in a family-friendly, $$$ 802.583.7676 relaxed, and casual atmosphere. terrarossavermont.net Three Mountain Café Breakfast sandwiches, lunch to go, pastries, sweet treats, $ 802.496.5470 espresso, and coffee. threemountaincafe.com Timbers Restaurant World cuisine with a Vermont twist. Slopeside. Breakfast $$$ 802.583.6800 and dinner year-round; lunch during winter holidays. sugarbush.com Tracks at the Pitcher Inn Craft beers, fine wine, and imaginative pub fare. $$$ 802.496.6350 pitcherinn.com Warren Store Sumptuous baked goods, prepared foods, artisanal beer, and plenty $$ 802.496.3864 of wine choices. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and staples. warrenstore.com Zach’s Tavern Farm-fresh local fare featuring creative entrées, sandwiches, $$$ 802.496.2322 at Hyde Away Inn burgers, wings, and salads. hydeawayinn.com Waffle Cabin Belgian waffles with a variety of sweet and savory toppings. $ 802.558.5691 Located in the Sugarbush base areas. $: budget $$: affordable $$$: moderate $$$$: fine $$$$$: luxury 56 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Come visit us at Lincoln Peak, right across from the Schoolhouse! Fit2 Also visit our other AMERICAN BeThai’d locations at the Burlington Waterfront, Downtown Montpelier, Hanover NH, • Thurs-Sun, 5:00-9:30pm and the BTV International • All Natural Pizza Baked Airport! in a Wood-Fired Oven • Farm to table cuisine • Local craft brews on tap • Nightly AprÈs ski bonfire ph: (802) 496-8856 americanflatbread.com www.skinnypancake.com #lovelocal

a t Lareau Farm • $85-$135/night, Hearty farmhouse breakfast incl. • Minutes from Sugarbush & Mad River Glen • Stay 3 nights, 4th night free • Families & Pets accommodated

ph: (802) 496-4949 lareaufarminn.com

2016/17 57 Allyn’s lodge fireside dining

The Waitsfield Wine Shoppe offers one of the largest selections of quality wines in Vermont. With over 900 Wine facingS in all price ranges and over 300 Select craft beerS, it is your one stop shoppe for fine wines and beer. h Established 2006 by Joan Wilson ElEgant mid-mountain dining Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) Private dining for groups of 12 or more. Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Ride the Lincoln Limo cabin cat or take a private guided hike/skin to the lodge h located at the top of Super Bravo lift. WaitSfield Wine Shoppe Winter only. 4330 Main Street • Waitsfield, Vermont 802-583-9463 (Wine) For reservations, please call 802.583.6505 www.waitsfieldwine.com or visit sugarbush.com.

CastleroCk Pub

Indulgence A diverse bar food menu with local Neill is better at Farm burgers, creative sandwiches, wings, and an extensive Vermont craft beer menu. Open winter and summer Sugarbush for lunch and après when Super Bravo spins, and dinner on select nights. Farm-to-table cuisine with fine wines in an atmosphere modeled after a nineteenth-century dairy barn. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available. Open year-round for breakfast and Reservations recommended dinner, and lunch during holiday periods. 802.583.6800 sugarbush.com sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR

58 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Built in 1839, this spirited country store combines an eclectic deli and bakery, an award winning wine shop, Vermont artisanal beer and plenty of local color. From penny candy to contemporary clothing and gifts...”

With magnificent views of the mountains • Open 363 1/2 days a year! and the Valley, Hogan’s Pub serves up a • Located 1 mile south of the Sugarbush Access Road off Route 100. variety of salads, sandwiches, and burgers

for lunch, and cold beer and cocktails for “Best One Stop Shopping après. Open May through October. in Vermont” – Yankee Magazine Located at Sugarbush Resort Golf Club SuGaRbuSh.Com 800.53.SuGaR warrenstore.com 802-496-3864

2016/17 59 LODGING DIRECTORY

INN/HOTEL STYLE PRICE RANGE CONTACT

1824 House Comfortable country inn. Warm breakfasts, hearths, and hospitality. $$$ 802.496.7555 1824house.com Battleground Two- to four-bedroom condominiums, sleeping four to twelve. $$ 802.583.3000 Fully equipped. sugarbushvillagecondos.com Beaver Pond Farm Inn Quintessentially restored, beautiful B&B with hot tub. $$$ 800.685.8285 Also available as a house rental. beaverpondfarminn.com Bridges Family Resort Couples or family getaway, one- to three-bedroom condos with tennis, $$$ 802.583.2922 & Tennis Club pools, and fitness classes. bridgesresort.com Clay Brook at Sugarbush luxury slopeside one- to five-bedroom residences $$$$ 800.53.SUGAR with year-round outdoor heated pool and hot tubs. sugarbush.com Eagles Resort Freestanding, Swedish-design, two-bedroom homes. $$$ 802.496.5700 eaglesresortvt.com Featherbed Inn Charming Waitsfield bed and breakfast with fieldstone fireplace, $$–$$$ 802.496.7151 and home-baked pies on Saturdays. featherbedinn.com Hostel Tevere Thirty beds of European hostel–style lodging; shared $ 802.496.9222 bathrooms and common spaces. hosteltevere.com Hyde Away Inn Family-friendly nine-room inn with casual accomodations. $$ 802.496.2322 Farm-fresh restaurant and classic local tavern. hydeawayinn.com Inn at Lareau Farm Family- and pet-friendly farmhouse with hearty breakfast, minutes $$ 802.496.4949 from Sugarbush and Mad River Glen. lareaufarminn.com Inn at Round Barn Farm luxury country inn, twelve rooms with private baths, $$$$ 802.496.2276 steam showers, and whirlpools. theroundbarn.com Mad River Barn Family-friendly lodging with onsite restaurant, pub, and game room. $$$ 802.496.3310 madriverbarn.com Mad River Inn Relaxed atmosphere, with outdoor hot tub and BYOB lounge $$$ 802.496.7900 with pool table. madriverinn.com Millbrook Inn Set in a nineteenth-century farmhouse, a homey B&B with views $$ 802.496.2405 of the Green Mountains. millbrookinn.com Mountain View Inn Beautiful inn with cozy rooms and delicious breakfasts. $$ 802.496.2426 Minutes from skiing and town. vtmountainviewinn.com Pitcher Inn Relais & Châteaux luxury with eleven well-appointed, $$$$$ 802.496.6350 unique guest rooms and exquisite dining. pitcherinn.com Sugarbush Inn Comfortable and affordable family-friendly inn $$ 800.53.SUGAR minutes from the mountain; winter only. sugarbush.com Sugarbush Resort One- to four-bedroom privately owned condos, on or near the mountain. $$$ 800.53.SUGAR Condominiums sugarbush.com Sugarbush Village One- to four-bedroom condos, sleeping one to twelve. Fully equipped. $$ 802.583.3000 Condominiums sugarbushvillagecondos.com Sugar Lodge One-half mile from Lincoln Peak. Family-friendly, $$ 800.982.3465 modern hotel rooms with great ski packages. sugarlodge.com Sugartree Inn Closest inn to Lincoln Peak; nine great rooms, creative full $$$ 802.583.3211 breakfast, and outdoor hot tub. sugartree.com Tucker Hill Inn Peaceful country B&B lodging close to Sugarbush. $$$ 802.496.3983 Fireplace rooms to multi-person suites. tuckerhill.com Waitsfield Inn Historic inn within minutes to mountains, centrally located, $$$ 802.496.3979 walk to shops and dining. waitsfieldinn.com Warren Falls Inn & Hostel the Olsen House, a post-and-beam structure built in 1971, offering $ 802.496.2977 single beds and private rooms with shared baths and communal kitchen. warrenfallsinn.com Warren Lodge Newly renovated (2016), standard efficient rooms decorated with $$ 802.496.3084 rustic farmhouse–chic décor. Only three miles from Sugarbush. thewarrenlodge.com Weathertop Mountain Inn Eclectic and spacious European-style inn. En-suite guest rooms. $$$ 800.800.3625 Hot tub, game room, and evening dining weathertopmountaininn.com West Hill House B&B Award-winning B&B next to Sugarbush, offering comfort, hospitality, $$$ 802.496.7162 and great breakfasts year-round. Complimentary shuttle. westhillbb.com White Horse Inn A twenty-six-room B&B at the entrance to Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush ski area. $$ 802.496.9448 whitehorseinn-vermont.com Wilder Farm Inn Where farm fresh meets fashion forward. Beautiful rooms, $$$ 800.496.8878 delicious breakfast, and wood-burning fireplaces. wilderfarminn.com Yellow Farmhouse Inn King and queen beds, private baths with Jacuzzis, and gas stoves; $$$ 802.496.4263 on shuttle route. yellowfarmhouseinn.com

$: budget $$: affordable $$$: moderate $$$$: fine $$$$$: luxury

60 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE WhiteHorseInn-SugarbushAd_Layout 1 7/22/14 11:23 A

Cozy Comfort at the Center of Vermont’s Three Finest Ski Areas

At the entrance to Sugarbush Mt. Ellen & just 5 minutes from Sugarbush Lincoln Peak & Mad River Glen, our 26-room Inn serves a full breakfast in a homey setting at affordable rates. Serving Vermont beers & wines. Perfect for groups. Spacious Swedish Contemporary Homes Rentals & Sales 802-496-9448 in Fayston/Waitsfield Route 100 / P.o. Box 208 WaitSfield, VeRmont 05673 802-496-5700 www.WhiteHorseInn-Vermont.com eaglesresortvt.com

2016/17 61 timeline Damon and Sara Gadd, along with Jack Murphy and Lixi Fortna, open Sugarbush Resort. Sugarbush boasts the “greatest vertical ‘58 rise in the East” thanks to its top-to-bottom gondola. The resort installs a Carlevaro & Savio double chairlift, opening up the legendary Castlerock area. This area was immediately ‘59 known for its expert ski terrain. That reputation continues today. With a newly rebuilt access road, a top-to-bottom gondola, Walt Elliott opens Glen Ellen Ski Area. Complete a new Valley House chairlift, and varied terrain, Sugarbush ‘60 with Scotch-themed trail names, Glen Ellen claims quickly attracts throngs of New York glitterati. Vogue “the greatest vertical descent in the East” with its magazine dubs Sugarbush “Mascara Mountain” because tiered lifts to the 4,083-foot summit of Mt. Ellen. of its glamorous guest list, including actress Kim Novak, ‘63 The Gate House area opens with a new double the Kennedy clan, musician Skitch Henderson, and fashion chair, spreading skiers around the mountain, designer Oleg Cassini. opening up more beginner terrain, and Olympic Gold Medalist Stein Eriksen serves allowing ski-to access to Sugarbush Village. as director of the Sugarbush Ski School. Each Sunday afternoon he entertains the Sugarbush Chez Henri, a Parisian-style bistro, faithful with his signature flip on skis. ‘64 opens in what is to become historic Sugarbush Village. Roy Cohen purchases Sugarbush (in ‘66 1977) and Glen Ellen (in 1979). The two ‘77 Sugarbush is featured in Warren Miller’s film Ski a areas join under the Sugarbush name. la Carte. Trails highlighted in the segment include a Glen Ellen is renamed Sugarbush North ‘78 powdery Murphy’s Glades, Organgrinder, Birdland, to reflect the union. (In 1995, it is again ‘79 and Middle Earth. renamed Mt. Ellen.)

Roy Cohen sells Sugarbush to ARA Service. ARA removes the three-person top-to-bottom gondola. ‘83 Super Bravo and Heaven’s Gate chairs are installed and uphill capacity increases fourfold. With a plan to operate as a four-season resort, Claneil Enterprises purchases the mountain, ‘84 Sugarbush Inn, the racquet club, the golf course, and numerous condo and townhouse developments.

‘90 American Skiing Company purchases Sugarbush and makes major infrastructure Three new investments including installing seven new lifts, three of which are detachable quads. chairlifts are The Slide Brook Express ferries skiers back and forth to newly renamed Mt. Ellen. installed at Mt. Ellen— ‘95 Snowmaking improvements include a new 25-million-gallon pond and miles of pipe. including Green Mountain Express, Warren Miller films local legends John Egan, Doug Lewis, Jesse Murphy, at that time the fastest quad in the ‘96 Sally Knight, and Seth Miller at Sugarbush for the film Snowriders. world, transporting skiers at 1,100 feet per minute. Summit Ventures, a small group of local investors led ‘01 by Win Smith, purchases Sugarbush. Summit Ventures begins to lay the groundwork for a new master plan ‘02 Lincoln Peak Village opens to the public. The new facilities for the resort that closely reflects include Gate House Lodge and a luxury hotel and restaurant the values and philosophies of the ‘06 complex: Clay Brook and Timbers Restaurant. The new village original owners, as well as the is modeled on the traditional style of Vermont farmhouses, character and style of the Mad barns, and schoolhouses. River Valley and Vermont. ‘10 Housing children’s programs and skier services, the Schoolhouse and Farmhouse open, rounding out the base facilities at Lincoln Peak Village. Construction is completed on Rice Brook Residences, private homes ‘13 linking Lincoln Peak Village to historic Sugarbush Village. Sugarbush purchases 414 low-energy snowmaking guns, completing a five-year, $5 million plan to ‘14 upgrade the mountain’s snowmaking program.

‘15 The original Valley House lift is replaced with a fixed-grip quad, more than doubling its uphill capacity. Construction is completed on Gadd Brook Slopeside, sixteen private homes at the base of Lincoln Peak ‘16 named after the resort’s founding family. 6244 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Working with Sugarbush to make their visions become a reality. Let us help you build your dream too!

Proudly Announces Its Real Estate Team With Members Consistently Recognized by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America

A Full-Service Law Firm Committed To Providing Unparalleled Personalized Service Since 1955 802.658.0220 | www.gravelshea.com

Kingsbury ConstruCtion Co., inC. Performing quality work for Sugarbush and the Mad River Valley since 1978. Let us help make YOUR dreams come TRUE! Kingsburyconstruction.com Robert H. Rushford Michelle N. Farkas Timothy M. Eustace Jeffrey O. Polubinski (802) 496-2205 Real Estate, Partner Real Estate, Partner Real Estate, Partner Real Estate, Associate

2016/17 63 JA Sugarbush Close-up S ug a r b us h resort

SUGARBUSH HJvB After years of skiing at the mountain with his family, Win Smith and a small group of investors purchased Sugarbush in September of 2001. They have since embarked on reshaping the Sugarbush experience to reflect the nature of the Mad River Valley. The investor group includes Adam Greshin, a Warren resident who has also served as the state representative for Washington County. Incorporating traditional Vermont architecture into the village, hosting cultural events, and highlighting the local agricultural economy in the resort’s culinary offerings are just some of the ways Sugarbush delivers a rich experience for its guests. In 2006, Sugarbush completed construction of Clay Brook Hotel & Residences and Gate House Lodge. Four years later, two more skier-services buildings—the Schoolhouse and the Farmhouse— THE MOUNTAINS were added to Lincoln Peak Village. Rice Brook Residences—fifteen Sugarbush brings some of the flavor of western skiing to the East. new homes in three buildings—were completed in 2013, connecting The resort offers 111 trails of terrain for beginners, intermediates, Lincoln Peak Village and historic Sugarbush Village. And in 2016, and experts, spread across two mountains—Lincoln Peak and Mt. construction was completed on the next phase of development in the Ellen—with a chairlift and a shuttle bus that connect the two. Lincoln resort’s master plan, Gadd Brook Slopeside—sixteen private homes Peak Village offers many lodging and dining options, and also serves named after the resort’s founding family. as home base for the Ski & Ride School and Rentals and Repair. Each year, Win Smith and his entire resort team work hard to make Lincoln Peak offers extensive beginner terrain and lifts, as well as good on the Sugarbush promise: Be Better Here. In 2014, the the legendary terrain of Castlerock Peak, whose narrow, steep, and resort completed a five-year, $5 million upgrade to its snowmaking winding trails offer seasoned experts a challenge and an old-time New operation at both mountains, and added a new 450-space parking England ski experience. Snowcat adventures? Get up early for First lot at Lincoln Peak. In 2015, the resort invested more than $3 million Tracks on the Lincoln Limo, take the family on a Sunset Groomer to replace the original Valley House lift (built in 1960) with a fixed- Ride, or book the limo for Remote Fireside Dining at Allyn’s Lodge. grip quad. With this improvement, Sugarbush has one of the largest Connected by the Slide Brook Express to Lincoln Peak, Mt. Ellen is uphill capacities in the Northeast. the third-highest peak in Vermont (serviced by the highest chairlift Linking Sugarbush’s rich history, the uniqueness of the Mad River in the state). Mt. Ellen has steeps, wide-open cruisers, and some Valley, and the modernity of new amenities, Sugarbush is committed great intermediate terrain. The base area at Mt. Ellen is a no-frills to offering the best in customer service, four seasons of outdoor experience with a classic lodge that’s home to the convivial Green recreation, and an unrivaled and quintessential Vermont experience. Mountain Lounge. Mt. Ellen is where you’ll find the Riemergasse

64 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Clay Brook sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARBUSH AT SUGARBUSH

Clay Brook Hotel & residenCes Modern luxury meets slopeside convenience with studio to five-bedroom suites, concierge services, ski and boot valet, heated outdoor pool and hot tubs, and onsite dining. For a more casual stay, explore the classic country charm of Sugarbush Inn or our selection of over 100 privately-owned, resort-managed condos. Complimentary access to Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center and Valley-wide shuttle service included.

BE A PAL Share ‘em with a friend! Pemium LIFT TICKETS BASE VALID 2016/172014/15 WINTER SEASON. CAMP 44 NO BLACKOUTS. SAturdAyS at Mt. EllEn

For ale thru November 2016 Fuel up with wood-fired pizza and drink specials, tackle Vermont’s 3rd highest peak with snowshoes or on skins, or hang at the base and enjoy $229 cornhole and a warming bonfire. Saturdays, Jan. 7th – Apr. 2, 2017. Missed this deal? You don’t have to wait until next November. Save up to 50% on date specific lift tickets when you buy online in advance. Visit sugarbush.com or call 800.53.SUGAR today. sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARbUSh

2016/17 65 JA JA JA DENNIS CURR A N JA JA

Terrain Park, designed with rails, tables, and jumps for all levels, and home to a series of events and competitions. Green Mountain Valley School, a private ski academy with Olympian and US Ski Team alumni, trains here. Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports bases their adaptive programs here, also. Whether at Mt. Ellen or Lincoln Peak, skiing in the trees is often the best way to find great snow. Twenty-eight marked areas provide beginner to advanced tree skiing. Want more? The 2,000-acre Slide Brook Basin, LODGING tucked in between Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen, is an adventurer’s From slopeside luxury to quaint country living, the Sugarbush paradise. Guided trips are available with the legendary skier John Egan Vacation Team can assist in finding accommodations to suit a and the staff of the Adventure Learning Center’s Ski & Ride School. variety of needs and budgets (for reservations, call 800-53-SUGAR or visit Sugarbush.com). The slopeside Clay Brook Hotel & Both guided and self-guided snowshoeing adventures are available Residences offers sixty-one suites, ranging from king rooms throughout the winter, and vary in length and difficulty. Sugarbush also to five-bedroom suites, and features ski-in/ski-out access, full offers a free uphill travel pass to those guests who choose to skin up the valet service, a year-round outdoor heated pool, a fitness center, mountain before or after the lifts are in operation. (See our Winter Trail and Timbers Restaurant. Down the road is the forty-two-room Use policy, at sugarbush.com/resort-policies, for details.) The Green Sugarbush Inn, open all winter and for private groups in the Mountain Lounge at Mt. Ellen serves as Base Camp for skinning and summer. The lodging—with nooks for reading and a parlor with snowshoeing on Saturday nights, offering pizza, salad, bar service, and an adjoining fireplace room—has the cozy charm of a Vermont an outdoor bonfire. country inn. Sugarbush also offers a mix of resort-managed Sugarbush isn’t the only draw in the Mad River Valley. Mad River Glen, condominiums surrounding Lincoln Peak. All Sugarbush lodging just a few miles to the north of Sugarbush, boasts some of the most comes with complimentary access to Sugarbush Health & challenging terrain in the East. The Valley is also home to two Nordic Recreation Center, which offers a pool, hot tubs, steam rooms, skiing centers, Blueberry Lake and Ole’s Cross Country Center, as well the Adventure Zone for kids, rock climbing, tennis, and massage. as the Catamount Trail. In Waitsfield, the Skatium Ice Rink provides a For additional lodging recommendations, please call the Mad unique outdoor skating experience. River Valley Chamber of Commerce at 802-496-3409.

66 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE conferences & retreats team building activities including Cabin Cat adventures, backcountry skills, snowshoeing, hiking, golf, and climbing wall dining from casual to elegant, indoors and out A wedding to remember luxury accomodations on-site at Clay Brook Hotel in a setting you’ll never forget. & Residences ideal for intimate gatherings up to 450 Photos courtesy BethanyDan.com of

For information, please contact our experienced wedding planner Please call 802.583.6370, or at [email protected] or email [email protected] call 802.583.6370.

2016/17 67 Sugarbush Close-up TRANSPORTATION The Burlington International Airport is just fifty minutes from Sugarbush, with direct flights arriving from New York City, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, and seasonal direct flights from Toronto. Morrisville-Stowe State Airport is just under an hour away and offers direct flights from White Plains, New York. Amtrak runs trains from major eastern cities into Rutland (one hour south of Sugarbush) and Waterbury (thirty minutes north). And once you’ve arrived, Green Mountain Transit offers free public transportation services in the winter season within the Mad River Valley region via the Mad Bus. Distance from: Burlington: 46 miles Boston: 180 miles New York City: 300 miles Montreal: 139 miles (224 KM)

First-Time Visitors can find information on where to go for lift tickets, rentals/demos, Ski & Ride School, and dining options at www.sugarbush.com/discover/first-time-visitor. Mountain operation MOUNTAIN STATISTICS HOURS Winter: mid-Nov.–Apr. 4,083 LIFTS (16 TOTAL) Weekdays: 8 AM–4 PM at Mt. Ellen; 581 summit 9 AM–4 PM at Lincoln Peak Skiable 1,483 elevation 8 quads (5 high speed) Weekends/holidays: 8 AM–4 PM acres base elevation 2 triples Spring: Apr.–May 3 doubles Call for spring-adjusted hours. 53miles 2,600 Summer: mid-June–Labor Day vertical 3 surface lifts of trails drop terrain2 Sun.–Thu.: 10 AM–4 PM 28wooded parks Fri., Sat., & holidays: 10 AM–6 PM Areas inches Fall: early Sept.–Columbus Day 250 average annual snowfall Weekends & Columbus Day: 10 AM–4 PM Times are subject to change. Please call 800.53.SUGAR or visit sugarbush.com for up-to-date information. Sugarbush Resort Warren, Vermont

Legend

Easier Difficult More Difficult most difficult wooded area freestyle terrain slow-skiing area FLAT OUT snowmaking JA JA JA EVENTS 2016–17 JA

Community Weekend SideSurfers Banked Slalom Pond Skimming Independence Day Celebration 10/8–9 Community Weekend late-night music, specialty dining scavenger hunt, play maple-inspired 7/4 Independence Day Celebrate autumn in Vermont with options at Timbers and Castlerock games, indulge in maple dining Celebration pumpkin carving, scenic lift rides and Pub, Base Camp at Mt. Ellen, and a specials, and enjoy tasty samples at Start the day with the wacky Warren hikes, harvest-inspired dining, live torchlight parade and fireworks. Vermont Specialty Food Day. Parade, followed by mountain music, kids’ camps, and mountain 1/27–29; 3/6–8 3/18 SideSurfers Banked Slalom activities, a classic American BBQ, activities. Oktoberfest follows Sunday. Women’s Discovery Camp Building on last year’s inaugural live music, and fireworks at Lincoln 10/9 Oktoberfest An enriching two-and-a-half-day event success, the SideSurfers Peak. Bavarian-inspired food, drink, and learning experience hosted by our Banked Slalom returns! John Murphy 7/9 Mad Marathon games, along with the Mad Bavarian top-notch coaches. The perfect blend (great-grandson of Sugarbush legend This scenic course sends runners Brass Band. Compete in our stein- of fun, learning, sharing, and lots Jack Murphy) and the PARKS team along beautiful country roads in the hoisting, keg-tossing, and cornhole of skiing and riding. Video analysis, host a communal gathering and Mad River Valley, through covered competitions for a chance to win prizes. group meals, après-ski parties, and friendly snowboard competition on bridges, past farms, and over 10/9 Mad Dash optional ski demos are included. a custom-built racecourse through streams. Participants can run a relay, A 5K or 10K run, 5K walk, and kids’ 2/11 Junior Castlerock Extreme gates and over banked turns, berms, half marathon, or whole marathon. race, supporting the Mad River Path Talented young skiers (ages fourteen rollers, and jumps. 8/1–31 Festival of the Arts Association. madriverpath.com. and under) compete in a challenging 3/25–26 Island Weekend A month-long celebration in the Mad 11/19 The Big Kicker and technical run down Castlerock’s Have your beach and your mountain, River Valley featuring the “Taste the Kick off the 2016–17 winter season infamous Lift Line. A qualifying race too! Spring fever takes over Sugarbush, Valley Experience” culinary feast at with Mad River Glen and Sugarbush for March’s Castlerock Extreme and with reggae music, island cuisine and Lincoln Peak, the Big Red Barn Art at American Flatbread in Waitsfield. part of the Ski the East Freeride drink specials, and fun-in-the-sun Show, theatrical performances at This unmatched ski-mountain duo Tour. Register early—this Sugarbush beach activities. the Skinner Barn and the Phantom throws a freestyle party with rail jams, classic traditionally sells out in 4/8 Pond Skimming Theater, and more. ski movies, local food and drink, and advance. Take the plunge across a 120-foot 9/1–4 Green Mountain Stage Race words of wisdom from the High Fives 2/11 Henri Borel’s 90th Birthday pond at the base of Lincoln Peak. Largest Pro-Am road stage race east Foundation and the Flyin Ryan Hawks Henri, of the famed Chez Henri, turns Whether you get wet or just spectate of the Mississippi. Close to 1,000 Foundation. ninety! Come celebrate in Chez Henri’s from the crowd, be sure to participate cyclists travel to compete in some of 12/3 SugarBash Back Room, just like back in the day. in this annual rite of spring. Awards the Northeast’s most challenging and It’s time to get down and get funky Drink specials, music, dancing, and, of for best costume, style, and splash. scenic terrain. at Sugarbush’s annual birthday course, photos with Henri. 4/16 Easter Celebration 10/1 Sugarbush Cheese & celebration. Rock your finest retro 2/18–26 President’s Week Celebrate Easter Sunday with a Wine Festival gear and dance your heart out to A nonstop week of fun, with an ice morning service at Allyn’s Lodge, Join us for this special one-day live music from the Grift. Costume sculpture display, live music, Base followed by an Easter egg hunt and food and wine festival, including contest at 8 p.m. Camp at Mt. Ellen, local artisan market, an elegant brunch at Timbers. educational seminars and artisan 12/5 A Taste of Timbers Sugarbush PARKS Feature Garden, 4/22 Stein’s Challenge tastings featuring some of Vermont’s Sample items from the new Timbers activities for all ages at the SHaRC, and Get ready for a head-to-head finest cheeses. winter menu, inspired by our best a torchlight parade and fireworks. showdown on one of Sugarbush’s local and national food purveyors. 2/25–26 Mt. Ellen’s Birthday most legendary trails, named after Recurring Events Celebration the Norwegian Olympian and former 12/19–23 Valley Ski & Ride Week Base Camp A fifty-year tradition at Sugarbush. Commemorate Mt. Ellen’s birthday Sugarbush Ski School director Stein with the classic Cowbell Champagne Eriksen. Prizes for top finishers. Start your Saturday-night adventure Join us for five consecutive days of at Mt. Ellen Base Camp. Snowshoe ski and ride lessons led by some of Party, Base Camp, and special “retro” 6/10 Sugarbush Brew-Grass mountain events. rentals, skinning, fresh stone-cooked Sugarbush’s finest coaches. Festival pizza, warm drinks, friendly cornhole 12/24–1/1 Holiday Week 3/4 Castlerock Extreme Kick off summer with Sugarbush’s games, and a warming bonfire. Celebrate the holidays at Sugarbush Expert skiers charge the cliffs and dips seventh annual brewfest, featuring with activities for all ages from of Sugarbush’s toughest terrain in the craft beers from more than twenty Kids’ Pizza & Movie Night Kids’ Pizza & Movie Night, indoor twentieth annual Castlerock Extreme. Vermont breweries, tasty local eats, Send the kids off for a night of fun activities at the SHaRC, holiday 3/5 High Fives Fat Ski-A-Thon and jammin’ bluegrass bands. with pizza and a movie while you enjoy cookie decorating, and Kids’ Rail Jam Relocated to Lincoln Peak for 2017. 6/13-14 Boomer Scramble an evening on your own. to campfires with s’mores and après Lap Valley House Quad on your widest Championship Castlerock Music Series live music all week. Bring your furry planks and give out high fives all day Join us for this two-day golf event for Soak in the sounds of great local friend to the seventh annual Dog for a great cause. Raise money to ages 65+. Sign up as a full team or be musicians at Castlerock Pub and Parade and Canine Couture contest. support the High Fives Foundation, grouped with others. choose from the more than twenty Ring in the New Year at the Family and join us for an after-party in Valley 6/24 Summer Mountain beers on tap. Buffet in Gate House Lodge or at an House Lodge. Activities Opening Day elegant dinner at Timbers, followed 3/18 Sugaring Time Festival Discover all that Sugarbush has to Sunset Groomer Rides by a torchlight parade and fireworks. Celebrate the start of spring and offer during the summer months: Enjoy an early-evening, hour-long 1/14–16 MLK Jr. Weekend sugaring season with a variety of downhill mountain biking, zipline, ride in our cabin cat to the summit of An action-packed weekend with a kids’ maple-themed activities. Search hiking, the bungee trampoline, disc Lincoln Peak and the terminus of the cooking class, pizza and movie night, for maple nips in a resort-wide golf, and much more. historic Sugarbush gondola. 70 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE J E B W A LL CE -B RODEUR

DAZZLE YOUR GUESTS LET US PUT ON A SHOW FOR YOU Give your celebration the wow factor – entertain your guests with a dazzling sound & light show they will never forget. Northstar Fireworks pro crews can bring reasonably-priced, beautifully-choreographed fireworks displays to any nighttime occasion. And for a huge selection of DIY fireworks, visit one of our retail stores!

*Each display includes a free consultation & site inspection, and we handle insurance, permits & professional crew. 802.229.9690 northstarfireworks.com

Sugarbush-sponsored mountain biker Isaac Allaire on his way to winning the Eastern States Cup Enduro race

2016/17 71 061616_p_Sugarbush Ad 2016_8.3125x10.8125.pdf 1 6/16/16 2:24 PM Closing shot

A promotional poster from the early 1960s of Sugarbush Ski School director Stein Eriksen. On Sunday afternoons, Eriksen was known to perform his signature aerial flips on the Moonshine trail. He passed away, at the age of eighty- eight, on December 27, 2015. Eriksen is remembered for his gold medal in the Giant Slalom skiing for his native Norway in the 1952 Olympics, but even more so for the way he combined grace, talent, good looks, and marketing savvy to become one of skiing’s first superstars. sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARBUSH

Community is Better at Sugarbush There’s something more to the Sugarbush experience than the legendary terrain variety, the meticulous snowmaking and grooming, the fabled history, and the authentic Vermont mountain setting.

Come discover what makes Sugarbush different.

For the best deals on season passes, discount tickets, lodging and more, visit sugarbush.com.