2017/18

EGAN’S VERTICAL REALITY INDEPENDENTS’ DAY Plus: Woods Craft Valley Shopping Spree Artisan Bread & Butter sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARBUSH

Adventure Awaits There’s something more to the Sugarbush experience than our legendary terrain variety, meticulous and grooming, fabled history, and authentic mountain setting.

Come discover what makes Sugarbush different.

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

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Good times is what Elan is all about, and the best times are those spent with friends and family in the mountains. Whether it’s a family weekend road trip to your favorite local destination or a backcountry adventure with your best buddies, it’s always good times when you surround yourself with the ones you’re closest to. HJVB

29 Independently Yours In a resort economy increasingly defined by corporate conglomerates, Sugarbush and neighboring Mad River Glen stand out. BY PETER OLIVER Plus: Sugarbush Joins the Mountain Collective 37 The Wilderness Among Us The well-loved Green Mountain National Forest, with its 900 miles of multi-use trails, celebrates its eighty-fifth anniversary. BY KELLY AULT Plus: Life on the Long Trail

42 Getting Schooled At Green Mountain Valley School, students don’t need to choose between elite and school life. BY KIMBERLEY REYNOLDS Plus: Launching Pad 48 Vertical Reality legend John Egan has made a career of testing his limits—and teaching others to test theirs, too. BY KATIE BACON

Photo: Green Mountain Valley School’s Abi Guimond racing on Inverness SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE JA Inside Lines PRESIDENT 6 One on one with Win Smith, owner and Winthrop Smith Jr. president of EDITOR Wintertime Candice White 8 WORKING HIS MAGIC MANAGING EDITOR An afternoon out on the slopes with Terry Barbour, Katie Bacon Sugarbush’s new Ski & Ride School director Plus: Specialty Camps and Programs PRODUCTION EDITOR Amy Stackhouse Summertime ART DIRECTOR 12 LESSONS FOR A LIFETIME 12 Sugarbush’s offerings for junior golfers go Audrey Huffman beyond the basics of the sport. ADVERTISING MANAGER MAD RIVER GLASS GALLERY Food Jen Schonder 14 VALLEY FARM TO TABLE CONTRIBUTORS Where to find local meat and produce from some of Kelly Ault the Mad River Valley’s larger farms Cory Ayotte John Bleh Shopping Nadine Mumford 16 RETAIL THERAPY Peter Oliver Finding high style and one-of-a-kind items in a Kimberley Reynolds valley (thankfully) low on chain stores 16 Plus: Local Ski and Ride Shops STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS John Atkinson Environment Hans Jonathan von Briesen 20 GREEN MOUNTAIN CONTRIBUTING How Sugarbush is shrinking its carbon footprint Plus: Meet the SEW Committee PHOTOGRAPHERS Eugene Krylov Training Ground Brian Mohr/Ember Photography 22 WOODS CRAFT Jason Morris From Eden to Paradise and beyond: Tips for Jeb Wallace-Brodeur skiing in the trees at Sugarbush SUGARBUSH RESORT Mountain Life 1840 Sugarbush Access Road JASON MORRIS 26 Photos of the Sugarbush community. Warren, VT 05674 Style 800.53.SUGAR 34 ARTISAN BREAD & BUTTER sugarbush.com 34 Sugar-Kids ON THE COVER 54 MIND GAMES WINTER: John Egan on Lift Line Discover Sugarbush with a crossword Photographer: John Atkinson puzzle, word search, and riddles SUMMER: A view from the Long Trail, 58 Dining Directory looking south toward Mt. Ellen. Photographer: Brian Mohr/Ember Photography 62 Lodging Directory For comments or suggestions about Timeline Sugarbush Magazine, contact us at [email protected]. 64 A quick history of Sugarbush Sugarbush is operated Sugarbush Close-Up under special use 66 Facts and figures about the mountain permit with the Green Mountain National and the latest developments there Forest and is an equal 72 Events Calendar 2017–18 opportunity provider. HJVB 73 Closing Shot 22

4 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Route 100, WWaitsfield,aitsfieldTVT 802-496-3272 wwwwww.spor.sportiveinc.comtiveinc.com

The Largest Bogner Selection in Northern INSIDE LINES JA

People often ask me, “What is your exit strategy for Sugarbush?” As we approach our seventeenth year owning the resort, and with the growing consolidation in our industry, this is a logical question to ask. Sugarbush is owned by a small group of families, with my family holding the majority interest. We enjoy being independently owned because it gives us the freedom to manage Sugarbush in a way that we feel is best for our guests and for the Mad River Valley community. This is a responsibility we take very seriously. As the ski industry consolidates, the question arises of whether smaller, independently owned and operated resorts can compete with the emerging Goliaths. We respect the larger corporations, their financial firepower, and their breadth of reach, but we believe there is room for independents like us. To be successful, we have to offer a quality product and excellent service to those guests who value what we have to offer. By remaining independent and privately owned, we can focus on the long term and not be intimidated by and beholden to quarterly performance. We do not have to grow for the sake of growing, and can make quick decisions, placing our guests’ interests first. Our decision makers are not located in a remote boardroom, but, rather, in the lift lines, on the mountain slopes, in the restaurants, and on the golf course with you. This year we joined the Mountain Collective, a group of sixteen independently owned ski areas in the and , with affiliates in Chile, France, and Japan. As the only eastern resort in the Collective so far (we took Stowe’s place upon Vail’s announced purchase of the resort), we are honored to partner with such an exclusive group of western mountains. (See “Independently Yours,” page 29.) Our mission here at Sugarbush is to cultivate a spirit of lifelong adventure and camaraderie. Decades ago, my family chose Sugarbush over other ski areas for those two notions: adventure and camaraderie. We came not only to enjoy skiing and recreating, but also for the camaraderie we discovered here. Since our earliest days, we have felt that life is better here in the Mad River Valley. Now, as owners, we are committed to making Sugarbush even better in the years ahead, operating in as responsible an environmental as we can, and supporting our local community along the way. We begin the 2017–18 season with two new fixed-grip quad : the Village Quad at and the Sunshine Quad at Mt. Ellen. These will greatly enhance our beginner experience at both mountains. We replaced the snowmaking pipe on Which Way at Mt. Ellen, making the trail more accessible to all levels of skiers and riders. We purchased additional low- energy snowmaking guns, and replaced an older air compressor with a new adjustable compressor that allows us to control the amount of air we produce, and thus reduce our energy consumption. We just replaced our scanners with RFID gates, significantly enhancing the guest experience in the lift lines. Since our purchase of Sugarbush in 2001, we have installed seven new lifts, and invested $65 million in the mountain. I have enjoyed seeing our community expand as families have moved into Clay Brook, Rice Brook, and Gadd Brook Slopeside—our newest condominiums. When you visit us next, I hope you will stop in and see these ideal four-season homes, which represent one of the last opportunities to own slopeside—with ski-in and ski-off convenience. We look forward to seeing you this season and sharing some adventure and camaraderie with you. Cheers,

Win Smith President, Sugarbush Resort

6 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE An unmistakably authentic atmosphere. A genuine Vermont country setting. A local spirit that reflects the diversity of characters who live here – farmers, artisans, and adventurers, to name a few. Come discover Sugarbush living. Two-, three-, and four-bedroom slopeside homes now available at Gadd Brook Slopeside.

SUGARBUSH RESORT REAL ESTATE Sugarbush Resort, Warren, VT 800.806.1070 SugarbushLiving.com JA WINTERTIME Working His Magic An afternoon out on the slopes with Terry Barbour, Sugarbush’s new Ski & Ride School director BY JOHN BLEH

Sugarbush Ski & Ride School director Terry Barbour

8 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE h

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1661 E. Warren Road, Waitsfield, VT 802.496.2276 www.theroundbarn.com t was an incredible April day, full JA of the type of peel-away corn snow photographers dream about when they Ilook to shoot spring skiing. I’m not talking a 65-degree day with push-piles of mush. This was true corn snow that had frozen overnight before thawing just enough in the afternoon to make stellar conditions. I had planned to take a run or two with the new Sugarbush Ski & Ride School director, Terry Barbour, before heading indoors to interview him. But it turned out that the skiing was just too good, so we combined interviews with spring turns as I took in pointers from Terry. I’d learn about him on the lift; he’d improve my skiing on the hill. It seemed like a more appropriate way to get to know a director. Terry—or T-Bar, as he is most commonly known around the resort and the ski Terry, with Sugarbush passholders, sporting his usual smile industry—is usually sporting a smile. He is It was a pretty big honor, even if he didn’t The good for you are those tough conditions pleasant and agreeable, humble and soft- state it that way to me—there are usually you don’t like to ski—ice, rocks, breakable spoken. In fact, when he first applied for a only fifteen skiers on the Alpine Team, crust. Those conditions are meant to make job as a ski instructor, in 1978, the staff at with tryouts every four years for four-year you better. Greek Peak in central New York wouldn’t positions. You get judged on skiing, coaching Like most ski gurus, Terry has a multitude hire him, citing that he was too quiet. skills, presentation skills, and coachability. of metaphors for skiing. “Skiing is like a But Terry was not deterred, and wound From Stowe, Terry moved on to be the ski three-part dance with the mountain, gravity, up teaching at Greek Peak for seventeen school director at Mad River Glen, where and snow.” “Skiing is like riding a bike or a years. In 1987, he became a Professional he stayed for fifteen years, until coming to motorcycle: you don’t whip your rear wheel Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) Eastern Sugarbush. around to turn, you roll ever so slightly Examiner, furthering his teaching and lean into the turn.” “You should always credentials. Several years later, he and his Halfway down our first run, I noticed the use gravity to your advantage, not fight it.” wife, Tange, moved to Vermont, when she conditions change when we came across “Focus on DIRT: duration, intensity, rhythm, started working at IBM. Terry accepted a job a more northern-facing slope with firmer and timing.” The list goes on. at Stowe as the training supervisor for ski snow. Naturally, I complained about it. Terry Focusing on efficient movements is instructors and stayed there until 2001. The quickly reminded me that “there are only two the backbone of Terry’s teaching, and he job left him time to join the PSIA National kinds of skiing: good and good for you.” The instills this theory in his staff. “Terry talks Demo Team, training instructors nationwide. good is what we had most of the afternoon. about skiing efficiently a lot,” says Meridith

JA SPECIALTY CAMPS AND PROGRAMS FIRST TIMER PROGRAM ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: Offered throughout the winter season Saturdays: January 27–February 10, Multiple programs designed to introduce February 24–March 10 first-timers (age 13+) to skiing and riding. ALL MOUNTAIN RIDERS CAMP Graduates may receive a free season pass, Snowboarder-focused camp for riders and a pair of Elan or Rome comfortable on black diamond terrain. (supplies are limited). BLACK DIAMOND CLUB WOMEN’S DISCOVERY CAMPS Lesson series for expert skiers January 26–28 and March 5–7 comfortable on black diamond terrain. SKI MOUNTAINEERS An enriching two-and-a-half-day experience for An introduction to alpine touring skills women focused on blending learning and fun. and equipment for skiers comfortable ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS: BOOMER on black diamond terrain. Tuesdays: January 10–24, February 27–March 13 For more information, go to sugarbush.com. Technical skill development in a social To sign up for these or other programs, atmosphere exclusively for those 65+. call 888.651.4827 or email [email protected].

10 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE JASON MORRIS & Ride School director at Sugarbush, yet those who haven’t skied in a while or are skiing with him you would think he’s been frustrated, he hopes he can reenergize here all his life. Of the hundred people their passion for the sport in a fun and we shared the mountain with that spring adventurous way. afternoon, he probably knew half of them. His time at Sugarbush is just beginning. We couldn’t stop to buckle our or get With a year under his , Terry hopes to on a lift without a fun-loving “Hey, T-Bar!” simplify the offerings at the Ski & Ride from a guest or a lift attendant. You could School to make options more approachable. argue that he had a head start getting to Look for him to continue many of the popular know people around here from his time at learn-to-ski programs while streamlining Mad River Glen, but I have a feeling it goes others. He believes that as long as he and deeper than this. his staff get people passionate about the After a while, my feet started barking sport, they’ll see long-term success. at me; too many bumps in too-old boots. I His own passion for the sport certainly made a side comment about it halfway down rubbed off on me that afternoon. Eventually, Ripcord. Terry quickly corrected my stance, with a quiver full of new pointers, I had Terry demonstrating his technique having me focus on standing on the arch of to head back to the office. It was only McFarland, the adult programs coordinator my foot rather than the front while working appropriate that Terry quickly found in the Ski & Ride School. “If you ski efficiently, on moving diagonally forward in the cuffs of someone else he knew, and continued you can ski forever. It allows your body to my boots. I skied back to Heaven’s Gate with skiing to the end of the day. And so I left rest in motion. Just look at Terry. He skis noticeable improvement. Barbour in his element: on the snow, after with a flow, an effortless movement over Terry explained that one of the best parts spending the afternoon working his magic— any terrain or condition.” The more efficient of his job is being able to show people an and helping me reenergize my skiing. your movement, the better the chance that experience they probably wouldn’t have you will be able to enjoy the sport your whole if they were on their own. As they improve life—and that goes for both staff and guests. their abilities, the sport and the experience John Bleh has been a member of the Sugarbush This season will be Terry’s second as Ski become that much more enjoyable. For communications team since 2011.

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2017/18 11 SUMMERTIME JA Lessons for a Lifetime Sugarbush’s offerings for junior golfers go beyond the basics of the sport. BY NADINE MUMFORD

Sugarbush’s head golf pro, Roger King, teaching a Junior Golf Camp

hen a child learns the game of golf, they learn a multigenerational sport. It’s a game they can play with their friends, parents, and grandparents. Roger King, Sugarbush’s head golf professional, introduced his five-year-old daughter to the game last year. As the youngest kid out there, butterflies on the course distract her, and she talks to her father about things that have nothingW to do with pitching, putting, or chipping. Roger smiled at the memories of the two of them taking on Sugarbush’s course, and said, “It’s four or five hours with my daughter, outside and unplugged.”

Roger teaches young new golfers that them teach each other, which also helps technicalities of learning a new game, it’s okay to swing and miss the ball. He is break through any age barriers. The kids and the goal of the kids’ programs is not determined to keep golf fun for the younger easily make friends while simultaneously to create flawless players. A person’s golf generation. “We want kids to want to come improving their golf game. Meanwhile, swing will change with their body and their back,” he said. So he invents versions of Roger applauds their successes—and experience as a player. It is the etiquette and kickball involving a Nerf ball and a golf driver. restores their confidence if they’re edging sportsmanship golf demands that shape They play games in which the kids try to drive toward a frustrated meltdown. kids as players and, more importantly, as a ball far enough to hit a large target out in At the end of each program, Roger follows people. Roger is dedicated to teaching kids front of them, and Roger always makes time up with parents to discuss the skills their honesty, integrity, social skills, eye contact, for the kids to ride around in the golf carts. child is learning. He encourages parents to and hand-eye coordination through golf. He Sugarbush’s specialized golf programs let their children show them their new skills, said, “It’s more than just golf. It’s activity. It’s draw in children of all ages, and he often along with what they are excited about. conduct. It’s movement. It’s athleticism.” pairs older kids with younger ones. He has The value in kids’ golf goes beyond the And with Roger, it’s also fun.

12 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Sugarbush Junior Golf Camps Junior Golf Clinics SNAG Program This four-day camp starts with a warm-up, On select Saturdays throughout the Learning to play golf can be a challenging where the kids play soccer, run, and stretch golf season, Roger offers kids (ages experience, especially for younger kids. in preparation for a morning of golf. Roger six to seventeen) a two-hour golf clinic. SNAG (Starting New At Golf) offers a kid- explains and demonstrates the technicalities Junior golfers will gain course knowledge friendly way to teach new learners the of a golf swing. Campers work on their full and learn golf etiquette while playing fun basics. The equipment involves colorful golf swing and their short game in between games and strengthening their skills. This shapes, lines, and fun targets for kids golf cart rides and silly golf-related games. is a great time for parents to sneak in a to work with. SNAG takes place in the At the end of each morning session, campers quick nine-hole game, and maybe even a Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center, enjoy lunch together in Hogan’s Pub. Kids drink at the pub. allowing golf to be a winter sport, too. between six and seventeen are welcome.

JA Junior Golf Pass Junior golfers (ages eleven to eighteen) can enjoy unlimited access to the golf course and range balls for $299 per season. (Children ten and under are free.) Golf as a family activity is growing at Sugarbush, and in the last two years purchases of the Junior Golf Pass have tripled.

To sign up for these or other programs, call 802.583.6725.

Nadine Mumford is a born and raised Vermonter and works in communications at Sugarbush Resort. Young golfers tee up at the driving range.

802.583.6725 sugarbush.com #SUGARBUSH

Play one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces. A ROBERT TRENT JONES, SR. DESIGN A sampling of our PREMIUM GOLF PASSES (unlimited golf, cart & range balls included) FAMILY GOLD PASS $3098 FALL | $3398 EARLY | $3598 REGULAR Includes spouse and dependent children GOLD PASS $1549 FALL | $1699 EARLY | $1799 REGULAR Ages 40 and up FORE30S PASS $899 FALL | $949 EARLY | $999 REGULAR Ages 30 – 39 FORE20S PASS $419 FALL | $499 EARLY | $549 REGULAR Ages 19 – 29 FALL RATES THRU 11/1/17 | EARLY RATES THRU 3/31/18 | REGULAR RATES BEGIN 4/1/18

2017/18 13 FOOD

A 100 Fayston Elementary School, Green irp or Mountain Valley School, Harwood t R Valley Farm Union Middle and High Schools, d. ORN’ Waitsfield and Warren Elementary H S F TS A Schools, Yestermorrow Design/Build R R A M School. American Flatbread, Big H to Table Picture Café and Theater, Canteen The Mad River Valley is a working landscape of Creemee Company. Lareau Farm Inn, Inn at Round Barn Farm, West farms whose products make their way to local Hill House B&B. The Butchery, East L FA schools, restaurants, inns, and grocery stores. Warren Community Market, Irasville EIL RM N Here’s a look at some of the larger farms in town, Country Store, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Mehuron’s Market, Paradise and where you can find the food they grow. Deli, Village Grocer, Warren Store.

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American Flatbread, Home Plate, Peasant, Sugarbush. Lareau Farm Inn. Mehuron’s Market.

100 BEEF URY SB FA American Flatbread, G R The Sweet Spot. IN M K LAMB Mehuron’s Market.

PORK bus ugar h S A c Air c ess R port R POULTRY d d. . -beef -lamb --pork FRUIT --poultry -fruit -vegetables VEGETABLES

14 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE

SHOPPING AH

Retail Therapy Finding high style and one-of-a-kind items in a valley (thankfully) low on chain stores BY CANDICE WHITE

Items on display Upstairs at the Warren Store

here was a time when it was difficult to do any substantive shopping in the Mad River Valley. I don’t mean necessity shopping, like underwear or , but more the thrill-seeking, depression-smashing splurge shopping made famous by the likes of Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. You’d still be hard pressed to find Manolo Blahniks here (but seriously, when and where could you Tactually wear those in Vermont?). However, the Valley has a coterie of stores that pack some punch in their areas of expertise: art, jewelry, , and play. And what you purchase here won’t be seen staring back at you from urban window displays in every city you visit. Here’s my list of go-to stores:

The Artisans’ Gallery (Bridge Street, glassblowers and metalsmiths are tempting Shopping Center, Waitsfield, 802.496.6055) Waitsfield, 802.496.6256) represents over too. Open daily: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. as my occasion store—Father’s Day, Mother’s 150 Vermont artisans whose work ranges Whether it is the wide pine flooring, the Day, birthday parties, and Christmas gifts. from photography and watercolors to hand- big sunny windows overlooking Bridge Their back room is dedicated to kids—crafts painted bird houses and pottery. I covet Street, or the complimentary miniature such as face-painting kits and art supplies, the hand-painted wooden fish by artist coffees from their Illy espresso machine, LEGOs, temporary princess tattoos, and fisherwoman Rachel Laundon. Woody a sophisticated sense of style permeates “paper” dolls (actually made from wood), Jackson’s iconic Holstein cows appear on 4orty Bridge Boutique (Bridge Street, stuffed animals, and classic board games brightly colored oil and watercolor canvases, Waitsfield, 802.583.4022). Discover unusual (remember those?). Unique home and gift and, more affordably, on giclée prints. items for your : a Mongolian lamb items range from vintage ski signs to moose Gary Eckhart’s watercolor scenes of rural purse; Italian in solids and designs; and bear pillows to hooked floor rugs. The Vermont evoke emotions ranging from calm cashmere with whimsical phrases snorting you hear in the background? That’s serenity to unease. Multi-sized wooden (“Pray for Snow”); cozy striped wool ; Lily and Miska, the resident pugs, who add bowls (originally created by Peggy Potter, and gorgeous handmade silver , some character to an already whimsical now made by Cobalt & Curry) painted in rich , rings, and bracelets with precious shopping experience. Open daily: Mon.–Sat., colors like eggplant and lime green make and semiprecious stones made by owner 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. the perfect wedding gift. And items like Sheri DeFlavio. Open daily: Sun.–Wed., 11 (until 3 p.m. in the summer). woodpecker door knockers, hand-wrought a.m.–5 p.m.; Thurs.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Whippletree Designs (Mad River Green iron fireplace tools, and earrings made by I think of The Collection (Mad River Green Shopping Center, Waitsfield, 802.496.9694)

16 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE ALPINE SHOP VERMONT

(802) 862-2714 AlpineShopVT.com 1184 Williston Road, South Burlington, VT /AlpineShopVT

2017/18 17 MAD RIVER GLASS GALLERY book, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold . Open daily: Mon.–Fri., 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sat.–Sun., 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Before Cheryll Patty, the owner of Sportive (Main Street, Waitsfield, 802.496.3272), reveals her charming Australian accent, you’ve already noticed her impeccable sense of style. Her store is a reflection of that: timeless, ageless ski and après-ski wear made by some of the world’s finest designers. Fur-hooded , cashmere sweaters and , and tech layers from the likes of Bogner, Kjus, , Sportalm, and PJ’s. You may see some of the same merchandise in the storefronts at Beaver Creek, but priced far higher than what you’ll find right here in Waitsfield. Open daily 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. in winter; weekends and limited weekdays off-season. Everyone knows the Warren Store (Main Street, Warren, 802.496.3864) for their “Number Six” turkey sandwich, the “Long Trail” cookies, and Lawson’s Finest beer, but the treasures found Upstairs are unexpected. Beaded bracelets, colorful leather clutches, embroidered belts, and unusual sweaters for women; plaid , Unconventional blown glass on display at the Mad River Glass Gallery cotton Ts, leather gloves, and ties for men; embroiders anything, from colorful tote and bright Zutano outfits and classic toys bags and tea towels to baseball and for children. Gift items include pottery sweatshirts. I recently admired a plush white coffee mugs and bowls in luscious colors, Artisans’ Gallery toddler embroidered with the child’s reusable lunch bags, and hand-crafted FINE ART AND CRAFT name on the chest, as well as a stack of white candles. Open daily: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–6 chef’s inscribed in red thread with the p.m., weekends and holidays, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. bride and groom’s names and engagement The display at Mad River Glass Gallery party date, to be given as party favors. Initials, (Main Street, Waitsfield, 802.496.9388) will family crests, farm logos, favorite animals— blow your preconceptions of blown glass you name it, Heidi will embroider it. Open out of the water. The Fish Vase collection daily: 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. presents orange clown fish and pink and Do you have memories of a favorite toy yellow angelfish literally swimming out of store, with a wooden doll house in the corner tall, slender blue vases; the Kyoto Lantern whose tiny family was at work making series includes a lantern that’s a red dinner, a perfect stack of blocks decorated rectangle with thin and wavy horizontal with farm animals, and a back room filled black stripes sitting on four black legs, with a small selection of children’s books? topped by a small bundle of black twigs Peanut & Mouse (Mad River Green Shopping and illuminated from within. Owner/artists Center, Waitsfield, 802.583.3669) is such a David and Melanie Leppla’s Sea Urchin, Sea place. Owner Jill Rickard stocks eco-minded Fan, Safari, and Cairn series offer further children’s items—trucks made from recycled unbelievable twists on conventional blown 20 BRIDGE STREET plastic, kid-sized watering cans, play food glass. Open daily: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. WAITSFIELD, VT like petit fours and bananas made from felt, HANDPICKED • HANDMADE 802.496.6256 bath toys, junior-sized picnic baskets, and Candice White has written for publications 4 made-in-America all-cotton and that include Vermont Life, Mothering online, vtartisansgallery.com shirts. She even has a small book collection and Seven Days Vermont. She has worked at

Pastel by Marilyn Ruseckas that includes my all-time favorite Easter Sugarbush since 2008.

18 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE LOCAL SKI AND RIDE SHOPS Alpine Options (Sugarbush Access Road, Warren, 888.888.9131): Member of America’s Best Bootfitters for alpine and backcountry fittings. Here you’ll find rentals, try-before-you-buy demos, and junior lease programs, as well as a large selection of outerwear for the whole family. Brands include Arc’teryx, Eider, Hotronic, Lange, Marmot, SCARPA, Völkl, and many more. Open year-round: daily 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. in winter (expanded hours on Fridays and Saturdays); 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in summer. Clearwater Sports (Main Street, Waitsfield, 802.496.2708): Equipment for telemark and , snowshoeing, and rocket . Full line of outdoor gear needs, including headlamps and skins. Seasonal guided tours on snowshoes, sleds, kayaks, and canoes. Brands include Patagonia, Teva, prAna, and Merrell. Open year-round: Mon.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Wednesdays in late spring. Farmhouse Rental and Repair (Lincoln Peak, Sugarbush Resort, Warren, 802.583.6504): Friendly, veteran staff specializing in rental and demo skis and for all abilities and conditions. Wintersteiger equipment provides a factory-edge tune. Demo skis from Völkl, K2, Head, Elan, and Fat-ypus; demo snowboards from Burton, K2, and Never Summer. Rental skis from Elan and Head; rental snowboards from Burton. Open daily from mid-November through early May, half hour before lifts open to half hour after lifts close. Infinite Sports (Mehuron’s Shopping Plaza, Main Street, Waitsfield, 802.496.3343): Rentals, demos, and junior seasonal lease program. Custom boot fitting and Wintersteiger tuning equipment. Vast selection of outerwear for the whole family from Spyder, Ibex, 686, Hestra, Oakley, and CandyGrind. Skis from Dynastar and Scott; boots from Dalbello and Lange. Open year-round: Sun.–Thurs., 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat. and Christmas week, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Mountainside Ski Service (Mountainside Drive, Warren, 802.583.9299): Members of America’s Best Bootfitters providing full assessments for alpine, telemark, backcountry, and snowboard boots. Full-service ski and snowboard tuning; alpine daily and seasonal rentals; alpine demo center for Rossignol, Elan, Dynastar, and Head. Open daily during ski season: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed non- holiday Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Splinters Boardshop (Sugarbush Access Road, Warren, 802.496.7441): A dedicated snowboard shop run by snowboarders for snowboarders, providing equipment, outerwear, , and accessories for the whole family. Brands represented include Vans, Burton, Volcom, Dinosaurs Will Die, and CandyGrind. Open daily in winter: 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Vermont North Ski Shop (Sugarbush Access Road, Warren, 802.583.2511): Run by professional skiers (Vermont North Pro Team), specializing in Dynastar, K2, Rossignol, and Kästle skis; Poc and Smith goggles; and Flylow, Obermeyer, Scott, and Helly Hansen outerwear for the whole family. Also stocks Ski the East and bigtruck. Open Columbus Day through Easter: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed non-holiday Wednesdays.

2017/18 19 AH ENVIRONMENT Green Mountain How Sugarbush is shrinking its carbon footprint

BY CANDICE WHITE

Summertime at Lincoln Peak village

ow does clearing your tray at Gate House Lodge relate to climate change? Putting four-stream waste receptacles in the Gate House cafeteria is one of the many ways in which Sugarbush is working to slow the change of the earth’s climate. These receptacles allow guests to divert a portion of their trash out of the landfill and into recycling, composting, and reuse. (Mostly eaten grilled-cheese Hsandwich: compost; hot chocolate cup: trash; remaining hot chocolate: liquid; cup and empty water bottle: recycling; reusable plastic plate: washtub.) Over the past two years, the resort has increased landfill diversion rates by 5 percent and composting tonnage by 200 percent. Those numbers mean less trash in the landfill, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and more reuse and recycling.

Fighting climate change is not new Wade, director of planning for Sugarbush, Resort emissions and fuel consumption to Sugarbush, but the resort has grown who heads up the data collection. “It took are tracked through close monitoring more nimble in its ability to quantify its us three years to get a comprehensive of biodiesel use (powering vehicles like efforts and set goals for future reduction. understanding of the different data inputs.” groomers and heavy equipment) and of In 2011, Sugarbush joined the National Ski For example, the resort has forty-five the power and fuel needed for facility Areas Association’s Climate Challenge, a separate Green Mountain Power accounts heating and cooling. To cut down on voluntary program to help ski areas develop that feed into the data and allow the resort emissions, Sugarbush implemented a greenhouse gas inventories, set goals for to track power usage and associated resort-wide no-idling policy for all vehicles. carbon reduction, and decrease their overall emissions. Since 2012, Sugarbush has Since investing in the four-stream waste carbon footprint. The Climate Challenge reduced electrical usage by more than three receptacles, Sugarbush has been carefully helps resorts track emissions and waste million kilowatt hours (roughly 25 percent) tracking waste reduction and expanding disposal along with use of petroleum fuels, by investing in energy-efficient snowmaking the implementation of composting and electricity, wood, and solar energy. guns, phasing in LED lighting, and, more recycling around the resort (along with “The Climate Challenge has allowed us to recently, supporting a Vermont-based solar encouraging practices such as the use of our arms around the data,” says Margo array development. refillable water bottles). Incidentally, Act

20 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE 148, Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law, JA bans all recyclables (as of 2015) and food scraps (as of 2020) from the landfill. Not all of the resort’s environmental initiatives are tracked in the Climate Challenge. Tesla charging stations were installed in the underground parking garage of Clay Brook Hotel in 2015, and the resort provides 30 percent of the annual financing to fund public transportation with the Mad Bus. The resort’s green housekeeping uses nontoxic, biodegradable cleaning products, and supplies resort properties with bath products packaged in biodegradable or recycled material. Clean water initiatives include storm water and runoff management, and stream and brook repair to protect aquatic habitat. Rumble’s Sugarbush’s four-stream waste receptacles in Gate House Lodge Kitchen (formerly Timbers) is a member of 1% For The Planet, which has guided preservation of open space in Vermont While the Climate Challenge does not the resort to donate more than $50,000 (Camel’s Hump State Park, Blueberry track all environmental initiatives, it has to environmental organizations (including Lake National Forest, Scrag Town Forest, helped the resort get a handle on its overall Vermont Land Trust, Friends of the Mad and Bragg Barn). And the ongoing efforts carbon footprint. With that understanding, River, the Mad River Path Association, of the resort’s Safety/Environment/ resort leadership can continue to set and the Vermont Fresh Network). The Wellness Committee (see sidebar) have policies for further reduction . . . right down Winthrop H. Smith Family Foundation contributed to the staff’s embrace of to dealing with the crusts of that grilled- has made significant contributions to the effective environmental initiatives. cheese sandwich.

MEET THE SEW COMMITTEE What do recycling, drinking (water), and needed to be met without compromising waste receptacles in Gate House Lodge a regular fitness regimen have in common? business objectives. Early policies started by last year with a team of “Trash Talkers”— All are part of the mission of Sugarbush’s the Green Team included resort-wide waste staff members and volunteers who Safety/Environment/Wellness Committee. reduction, energy reduction, and recycling educate guests about the new system. The SEW began in 2014 as the next iteration of initiatives, as well as participation in the installation of the first water bottle filling the resort’s original Green Team, started Resort Green Up Day (a staff-wide spring station in the fall of 2016 was another SEW fifteen years before. The Green Team’s cleanup) and the Way to Go! Commuter initiative to promote the use of reusable charter was to initiate enhancements Challenge (staff commuting alternatives water bottles and allow employees to fill throughout the business by preventing like biking to work and carpooling, to lessen their company-provided collapsible water pollution and environmental degradation, greenhouse gas emissions). pouches. (This also satisfied an employee while using resources more efficiently and The SEW Committee combined the wellness and safety initiative: statistics improving recycling efforts. These goals Green Team’s initial charter with the added show that well-hydrated employees are

JA challenge of improving staff wellness less susceptible to workplace accidents.) and safety. Recent wellness initiatives Implementation of the resort-wide no-idling include the introduction of the thirty-day policy began in earnest in the fall of 2016 fitness challenge, a contest that inspires to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, employees to log their daily jogs, bike rides, with SEW’s help. Current projects include and yoga classes to win prizes. Safety increasing the number of recycling and initiatives include improved nighttime composting receptacles in public and lighting in parking areas, office ergonomics private resort locations. training, and regular evaluation of resort While the SEW Committee has quickly procedures ranging from staff knowledge earned a following among employees, its of the Skier/Rider Responsibility Code recognition extends beyond the resort: since to lift evacuations. On the environmental its inception, the committee has received side, the SEW Committee augmented the three Governor’s Awards for the good work Sugarbush staff practice how to clean up a toxic spill. resort’s implementation of four-stream it is doing.

2017/18 21 JA TRAINING GROUND

Woods Craft From Eden to Paradise and beyond: Tips for skiing in the trees at Sugarbush BY JOHN ATKINSON

Finding untracked snow in the Sugarbush woods

t’s a beautiful day in the Mad River Valley, and the stars have aligned. I’m off for the day, the kids are in school, and the mountain got several inches of fresh snow last night. After a few runs tracking up the trails and evaluating the snow, a group of us is ready to wander into the trees. IWe do something easy to test things the techniques to get into the woods and When you’re comfortable in these gentler, out, a run that mimics the elevation and find good snow? And where are the good wider glades, next steps include steeper, aspect of a bigger route we’ve been eyeing. places to start? tighter runs like Christmas Tree, Gangsta’s We roll off Heaven’s Gate and drop into Grotto, Tumbler, and Exterminator Woods. Paradise, playing close to the trail, ducking Progression Sessions Mastering tough trails like Rumble and Black in and out of the woods. The steep pitches The best way to into the trees is to Diamond are great training tests too. When are balanced by the general openness begin with trails like Sleeper, Murphy’s, you’re ready for the toughest off- terrain, of the trees, but speed control is always Birch Run, and Moonshine that have widely look to the tops of the mountains in between important, and we gather frequently to spaced trees. Practice making turns next the expert trails and along the ridgelines. ensure that everyone is safe. to the trail edges and around the trees. Get All goes well on the first foray—the comfortable in the bumps; you’re likely to All About That Base conditions are prime. Then we’re off to find them off-piste, too. A proper snow base is essential for explore wilder ways. After a bit of hiking, we Once you feel ready, start in Eden, Semi- keeping you above most of the hidden enter the chute, the sun breaks out, sparkly Tough Woods, or some of the Lincoln Peak stumps, roots, shrubbery, and downed trees snow fills the air, the line is fresh, and we mountain bike trails like Grand Stand and that typically line our forest floors. That float the run in giddy glee. Big Birch. Eden is great because you can doesn’t mean you should stay out of the Sounds great, doesn’t it? So what are easily exit back to the trail if needed. woods before there’s a good base; you’ll just

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Tap Room and brewery tours at 160 Flynn Ave. Burlington, VT switchbackvt.com @SwitchbackBeer 802-651-4114 JA at the highest elevations closest to deep snow can be a lifesaver. Carry climbing the summits. Aside from temperature skins or snowshoes, in case you get lost or inversions, which are uncommon, higher cliffed out. elevations are typically colder and preserve • Use your phone as a phone: Charge it snow better. Orientation is the direction that and leave it in your pocket as a backup safety slopes face, which can influence how much tool to call for help. Live-tweeting your run sun and wind affect them. and shooting pictures is fun, until you really In a windy, mountainous place like need your phone. Sugarbush, snowfall is almost never evenly • Tell someone trustworthy about your distributed. With Sugarbush’s prevailing travel plans. northwest winds, common leeward areas ©BRIAN MOHR/EMBERPHOTO where snow piles up extra deep include east-southeast-facing spots like Paradise, Castlerock, and near Lower FIS. Solar gain can also play a major role in snow quality and depth, especially later in the season when the sun is higher in the sky. Even if it’s cloudy, strong rays can still warm the snow enough to change its texture. South-facing slopes are most affected, like North Lynx, Gate House, Inverness, and Sunshine Quad (formerly Sunny D). After a thaw-freeze cycle, these A Sugarbush launches a jump in Slide areas are usually the first to re-soften when Brook Basin. temps start to climb. need to look at it as an adventure that may not include actual turns. Safety First (Or At Least Third) John Egan, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall Some good basic pointers for woods skiing of Famer and Sugarbush’s chief recreation are well known: travel in groups of three or officer, says, “I start foot-packing my favorite more; wear goggles and ; and take runs early in the season before it is deep off your pole straps. Preparing for uphill travel in the woods enough to ski. That way, I get to inspect But there is much more to staying safe, and improve the lines before any big storms especially as you head deeper into the woods Make a Plan, Stan hide obstacles. Foot-packing is also a great and into more advanced terrain. Before you Just knowing where to go is usually escape strategy, if you get somewhere leave the trail, use this mental checklist. not enough. You’ve also got to know why, and determine it’s not quite ready.” (Foot- Remember, you don’t have to be far from the when, and how to go. If you’ve done your packing is like side-stepping, but with more trail to be far from help. homework, all of this information and emphasis on packing the snow.) • Know where you’re going—or don’t go: planning can add up to great runs all day For clues on how well the woods have Exploring new places is fun, but plan first. and all season long. For an off-piste master filled in, test the conditions on a natural Use topographic and other maps to help class, book a clinic with Egan or another snow trail like Lixi’s Twist, Semi-Tough, or determine entry and exit points, along with coach on the Ski & Ride School team to Domino. If these are skiing well, the off-piste locations of streams, cliffs, and other land learn more about these techniques. might be too. features. Identify escape strategies along Skiable lines exist between (and beyond) While there is nothing as good as your route. Carry a compass and know how most of the trails at Sugarbush. There are checking for yourself, you can also refer to to use it. nearly 4,000 acres to explore from Brambles the Sugarbush snow report or ask at Guest • for success: Wearing proper to Jester, so build your skills and knowledge Services for more information. clothing is essential. Consider carrying to wander far and wide. an extra layer or small bivy sac to use for Location, Elevation, Orientation shelter, in case of unplanned delays or To take a lesson with John Egan or another Real estate agents have one rule: weather issues. tree-skiing coach, call 888.651.4827 or “Location, location, location.” Skiers and • Fixer-upper: Carry a small multi-tool email [email protected]. riders can follow a similar rule: “Location, that works with the fittings on your bindings John Atkinson is Sugarbush’s senior photo- and boots. One loose screw can ruin your elevation, orientation.” The closer to the grapher and lead snow reporter, and serves ridgeline, the deeper the snow: mountain- run or your day. as executive director of the Mad River Riders enhanced snowfall reaches its maximum • Skin to win: The ability to go uphill in alliance.

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2017/18 25 MOUNTAIN LIFE Adventure & Camaraderie Scenes from the past year at Sugarbush

26 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE 2017/18 2725 Season Sponsor flynn visit www.flynntix.org/series general public:August2 July 18 members: Tickets onsale

highlights season 17/18 Compagnie Hervé Koubi Compagnie Hervé Hamlet Bedlam Theater: Thousand Yard Stare Jessica LangDance: Machine deCirque Altan Urban BushWomen Dianne Reeves Pilobolus: Company Second CityTouring Neighborhood Live! Daniel Tiger’s Christmas A CelticFamily & DonnellLeahy: Natalie MacMaster Cabaret Cinderella Jazz Orchestra the LincolnCenter Wynton Marsalis& & theHolyGrail Monty Python John Cleesepresents Stott & Kathryn Yo-Yo Ma Kinky Boots Boys Shadowland In a economy increasingly defined increasingly economy In a ski resort Sugarbush and conglomerates, by corporate out. stand Glen neighboring Mad River BY PETER OLIVER Independently Yours Independently Win Smith and Rumble

JA ALAN HURWITZ

Lincoln Peak verybody, it seems, knew Rumble. run by their type of management. For the last year or so has been the explosive Handsome, athletic, and engaging, he longtime Sugarbushers, a sense of psychic growth of multi-resort conglomerates. The might emerge from his daytime do- ownership comes with a mountain where a biggest kid on that block is Vail Resorts, micile, a small hut at the Lincoln Peak base, strong independent streak breeds loyalty. which recently added in to meet and greet, canine style, or to pose Independence, both as a business British Columbia and in selfies taken by incoming skiers. Rumble framework and a definition of character, is in Vermont to a star-packed, fourteen-resort was a centerpiece in many a family photo. something Sugarbush shares with its Valley portfolio that includes, of course, Vail itself So when the Bernese mountain dog, best mate Mad River Glen. In a ski resort world as well as Park City Mountain Resort in friend of Sugarbush’s principal owner Win that is increasingly becoming swept up in a and Heavenly Valley Resort in California. Smith, made a peaceful passage to Pet corporatization trend, independently owned More recently, Vail has been given a run Heaven this spring, social media was flooded areas stand out. for its corporate money by the Aspen Skiing with Rumble remembrances. Photos were Just a handful of noteworthy independents Company (Skico), which has gone on its own posted. Loving tributes were stacked one are still out there on the North American aggressive spending spree. In partnership atop another. Heart and sad-face emojis were landscape, including in Utah, with a private equity firm, Skico this spring ubiquitous. At Lincoln Peak, Rumble’s empty Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming, bought Intrawest, whose major resorts home was anonymously included Steamboat festooned with a garland For long–time Sugarbushers, a sense of psychic ownership comes Resort in , and paper hearts. Tremblant in Quebec, “I think about you in with a mountain where a strong independent streak breeds loyalty. and Stratton Mountain the daylight and when the This is their type of mountain, populated by their type of skiers, Resort in Vermont. stars shine bright,” wrote That was quickly one heartbroken eight- imbued with their type of atmosphere, and, by extension, run by followed by the year-old as a eulogy to their type of management. purchase of Mammoth Rumble. A confluence Mountain as part of a of personal love and loss mixed with the and Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico. Indeed, four-resort California package. Powdr, owner collective grief and sadness that are shared Michael Berry, outgoing president of the of , and Boyne Resorts, whenever a cherished member of the family National Ski Areas Association, estimates owner, prominently, of Big Sky in Montana is suddenly gone. that the number of major independent ski and and Sunday River in Maine, are That Rumble touched so many people areas is only about a dozen. Sugarbush and other big players in the multi-resort game. so intimately says a lot about a ski area Mad River are prominent among them. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that has cultivated its own, unique identity If there is an analogy here, however the trend toward consolidation. From a along with a streak of independence. imprecise, it is that independent resorts are business perspective, it can make great A sense of loyalty and connectedness, like family-owned inns in a world of Hyatts sense to be part of a corporate behemoth. kinship and belonging—a sense of soul— and Radissons. Carrying that analogy right Size typically affords relatively easy runs deep. Skiers who have become into the Mad River Valley, think of an elegant access to large chunks of capital when Sugarbush regulars over the years take establishment like the Pitcher Inn in Warren improvements or new developments are in their bond with the area personally, just making a go of it in a world of sleek, high- order, and bigger companies can typically as they took Rumble’s passing personally. rise hotels. negotiate better deals with suppliers. This is their type of mountain, populated This needs to be put into the context of Want a new, high-speed lift or a spiffy new by their type of skiers, imbued with their the current state of the ski resort industry. base lodge? Boom! The money is there, type of atmosphere, and, by extension, Making big news in the world of skiing in and construction begins. It’s not always so

30 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE easy for the independents, who have less have a few of their own cards to play. For one, Pam’s brother Al runs Nashoba on behalf of financial leverage. Vail Resorts is said to they can be much more nimble in responding the family and is out on the mountain every be investing more than $100 million in to customer wishes and demands. “The nice day to make sure all is up to snuff. “It’s a company-wide improvements just this year. thing about Sugarbush is that Win is there,” personal touch on the hill,” said Pam. “As Braced by the Economics 101 principle of said Berry. “People know he is accessible. a privately owned company, you’re able to economies of scale, conglomerate resorts He’s an engaged owner.” implement any change quicker and easier can also offer skiers season passes at Say you want a change in the grill menu in . . . and possibly with a little more charm.” reduced rates; their exponentially expanded the Gate House Lodge. Heck—the guy sitting A more important card in the independents’ customer base assures a healthy revenue next to you on the chairlift could very well deck is the nebulous but primal concept flow even if profit margins are smaller. This be Smith, indulging in one of his more than of character. No ski area in America has past winter, Vail Resorts reportedly sold 120 skiing days of the year. Or you might find been more successful in carving out its own 650,000 of its Epic Passes. At Stowe, locals Smith tucked into his tiny Gate House office— character niche than Mad River Glen. Owned were overjoyed when the Vail Resorts not much more than a closet with a desk by a cooperative of ski area enthusiasts, acquisition was followed immediately by and a chair—attending to paperwork before Mad River is about as far from the world a slash in season pass prices. Not only heading out on the mountain for another run. of corporatization as you can get and still that, but season function as a business. passes could be It might seem that, in a business dominated by multi-resort giants, Nobody, big or small, out- sweetened with characters Mad River. various privileges independents like Sugarbush and Mad River Glen At the core of that and discounts at don’t stand a competitive chance. But the independents have character is the adhesive other resorts on the ethos of community. “The conglomerate menu. a few of their own cards to play. part that hits home is Finally, a corporate family—the idea of the brand identity usually assures consistency Tell him what you want, and a menu change Mad River family, looking out for one another,” and quality of service; when you book a room might be in place the next day. No need for said Mad River regular Chuck Derrick. “The at a Hyatt or a Radisson, for example, you’ve the request to filter through multiple tiers of community aspect is as important as the got a good idea of what to expect. However, a corporate management, where, as in the old skiing itself.” slide toward the cookie-cutter homogeneity kids’ game of telephone, the message can Familial togetherness is something you’d that corporate consolidation often implies become more muddled and incoherent with expect at a place like pint-sized, family-run is unlikely. Ski resorts are not hotels. Even each exchange. Cochran’s Ski Area in nearby Richmond. But if they fly the same corporate flag, Vail, Someone with a fine-tuned perspective on it exists at Mad River, too, where many skiers, Whistler, and Stowe are profoundly different the merits of independence is Pam Fletcher, as members of the owning cooperative, mountains topographically and profoundly former U.S. Ski Team member and a frequent pitch in like a family in the governance different resorts culturally, and each retains Sugarbush visitor. The Fletcher family and maintenance of the place. Small-hill its own discrete and loyal following. founded (in 1964) and still owns Nashoba intimacy and internationally acclaimed big- Indeed, it might seem that, in a business Valley Ski Area in Westford, . mountain skiing are not mutually exclusive dominated by multi- JA concepts. “It’s not just a resort giants, indepen- family experience,” said dents like Sugarbush Derrick. “It’s a killer and Mad River Glen skiing experience.” don’t stand a competi- A big part of Mad tive chance. And it won’t River’s character also be easy. The season derives from an atavistic pass deals now offered connection to its origins by the corporate guys almost seventy years ago. have put the squeeze on Mad River is an enduring the independent guys to anachronism and a living respond. One strategy shrine to its founder, Sugarbush took a few Roland Palmedo, who months ago to get into brought the area into the multi-resort pass existence in the late game was to link up with 1940s, not long after the Mountain Collective helping to found Stowe. (see sidebar). (In fact, when Mad River And the independents Win, Lili, and family celebrating the holidays at Lincoln Peak replaced the original,

2017/18 31 JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR SUGARBUSH JOINS THE MOUNTAIN COLLECTIVE The Mountain Collective is an international alliance of independently owned ski destinations collaborating to offer one pass giving access to every resort in the program. The pass covers two days of skiing or riding at each participating resort, plus a 50 percent discount off their day ticket price after that. (Early purchasers receive a third day at one “designated” resort.) Pass pricing begins as low as $399 for adults and $1 for kids twelve and under, depending on time of purchase. (Sugarbush Premium Passholders enjoy an automatic 50 percent discount off their day ticket price at the Mountain Collective resorts.) Mad River Glen’s general manager, Matt Lillard, enjoys some fresh powder there. Participating resorts include Alta, Aspen Mammoth Mountain—Dave McCoy. Squaw the onetime Olympic downhiller. Put another Snowmass, Banff Sunshine, Coronet Valley—Alex Cushing. Jackson Hole—Paul way, Smith skis as often as he does not Peak/The Remarkables, Jackson Hole, McCollister. Taos Ski Valley—Ernie and Rhoda just as a means of supervising the smooth Lake Louise, Mammoth Mountain, Blake. Sun Valley—Averell Harriman. Alta— running of the business but also because Revelstoke, , Snowbird, Squaw Alf Engen. Vail—Pete Seibert. Killington— he’s crazy about skiing. And that passion, Valley Alpine Meadows, Sugarbush, Preston Leete Smith. The list goes on. re-stoked on an almost daily basis, inevitably Sun Valley, Taos, Telluride, and Thredbo And the list includes Sugarbush, the percolates throughout the Sugarbush Alpine Village. Mountain Collective global brainchild of Damon and Sara Gadd and organization, to be shared by everyone from affiliates Chamonix (in France), Valle Jack Murphy in 1958. During the course of its the ticket checker to people in the highest Nevado (in Chile), and Hakuba Valley (in history, after various sales, the resort went tiers of management. You’re not likely to Japan) offer two days of skiing or riding, through its own incarnations as a corporate find that kind of top-down contact high at a but do not include the 50 percent discount entity, most notably in the late 1990s, as a corporate conglomerate. off day tickets. part of the American Skiing Company, the In a time of sweeping corporatization, Passes are available at Les Otten–owned conglomerate of resorts independently owned ski areas might seem www.mountaincollective.com. in New England, Colorado, and California. like orphaned waifs in the company of giants. So when Sugarbush was bought in 2001 by a Challenges certainly abound, especially —JB partnership led by Win Smith, in some ways in the cutthroat arena of season pass and aging single chairlift in 2007, it spent an it represented a full-circle return to its roots. day ticket pricing; it is not unlike the local extra $500,000 for a custom-built, historic No more absentee ownership or chip off the hardware store trying to battle Home Depot restoration that was an exact replica of big corporate block; this was like the good on the price front. Palmedo’s original—“right down to the old days, with the owner on board on a daily But no one is clamoring for either wooden slats,” according to marketing basis, invested not just financially but also Sugarbush or Mad River to jump aboard director Eric Friedman.) In 2012, Mad River emotionally in the resort’s success. the corporate train. There’s no risk of getting became the first ski area to be added to the Like a mother raising kids, Nashoba’s sucked into the maw of corporate consolidation National Register of Historic Places. Pam Fletcher has watched over the years as anytime soon. Character, community, family, In the early years of the industry, this skiers have come through the mountain’s ski personal connection—independently owned was the blueprint for almost every ski area school and moved on in the world of skiing. areas can dish out such soft-focus stuff in in the country: from the 1930s into the ’60s, She talks of an almost spiritual connection spades. And sometimes it might be delivered ski areas weren’t just independently owned, that comes from transmitting a love for the in the warm breath and nuzzling greeting of a they were independently conceived as the sport to generation after generation of skiing friend named Rumble. dreams-come-true of founding visionaries. fledglings. The lifeblood of Nashoba is the That’s as true of many resorts now under the Fletchers’ evangelical enthusiasm for skiing Peter Oliver is the author of seven books, corporate as it is of independents that touches all who ski there. and his feature articles have appeared in like Sugarbush and Mad River, even if the So when Fletcher visits Sugarbush and many national publications. He is a previous original vision of the founders may have skis with Smith, she feels a kindred bond to winner of the International Skiing History changed over the years with changes in the fervor with which he takes to the sport. Association’s Ullr Award and Colorado Ski ownership. Scroll the credits, west to east: “He loves to ski and he loves to ski fast,” said Country’s Lowell Thomas Award. 32 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Experienced Real Estate Team Proven success in complex commercial and residential This ski season, public development projects and real estate transactions transit in the Mad River Members Continuously Recognized by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America Valley has a new look!

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Photography by Jason Morris. Styling by Bear Productions. 36 www.mountainsideski.com (9299) 802-583-WAXX in Warren, Vermont. Residences Slopesideand RiceBrook Gadd Brook next toConveniently located Village inSugarbush &Accessories Equipment Children’s Leasing Seasonal Equipment Fitting Boot Custom TuningSki/Board &Repair Ski Rentals &Demos Providing high quality equipment and expertise intheMad RiverProviding highquality Valley equipment and expertise SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE To signup, visitwww.GreenMountainPower.com orcall 888-835-4672. important to you, let’s talk. Saving whatyoucanwhereispure#VTFrugal. EST. 1995 hyper-efficient heatpump.Cool andheatyourhome It’s amatch madeinheavenfor Vermonters you. like At GMP, we’re onboard,which iswhy weoffer the If beingresourceful is by usinglessenergyandsavingmoremoney.

JOHN ATKINSON / SUGARBUSH RESORT THE WILDERNESS AMONG US ©BRIAN MOHR/EMBERPHOTO

The well-loved Green Mountain National Forest, with its 900 miles of multi-use trails, celebrates its eighty-fifth anniversary.

BY KELLY AULT

Author Kelly Ault and Audrey Huffman skin up Mt. Abe. t was April, with temperatures in the WAITSFIELD HISTORICAL SOCIETY sixties, when my friend Audrey Huffman I and I skied off the Heaven’s Gate chairlift at Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak. We met Brian Mohr, who was leading us on a ski tour beyond the resort boundary to the summit of Mount Abraham. A local photographer, Brian has been at the forefront of the state’s development of backcountry ski trails as a board member of the Catamount Trail Association. Leaving the wide trail and skier traffic behind, we entered an opening in the woods and immediately found ourselves awkwardly maneuvering a steep, narrow, and twisted chute. Trusting Brian as our guide, Audrey and I followed with quick turns in the needle- laden snow, ducking beneath low-hanging The Mad River Valley over 100 years ago branches. I spied a white-painted blaze on a tree trunk, the signature trail marker of Hampshire’s White Mountains, New York’s function as it should. These places have the Vermont’s Long Trail. Adirondacks, and as far away as — greatest biodiversity.” “I call this the Long ‘Tunnel’ in winter,” said DeBonis hinted that Taylor may have had Brian was referring to the surrounding Brian, smiling, when we caught up with him. conservationist intentions. “He believed that if Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF), “This trail is designed for hiking, not skiing.” Vermonters had a relationship with the land, which encompasses more than 400,000 It is true that the Long Trail was designed they would care about it, and would become acres and is the largest contiguous expanse in 1909 to be America’s first long-distance better stewards of it.” of public land in Vermont. We were skiing in hiking path. It was the vision of James P. an “alpine/subalpine special area,” a GMNF Taylor, secretary for the Vermont Chamber of Brian, Audrey, and I continued to ski past designation, which balances both recreation Commerce, who hoped to “make the Vermont intermittent white blazes, within a deep use and ecological protection. Although mountains play a larger less restrictive than part in the life of the Vermont’s historic flood of 1927 was a turning point in the GMNF “wilder- people.” He drew up the ness” designation to first map of what would Vermonters’ disposition toward the forest. As a response the south, this desig- eventually become the to the flood’s devastation, the National Forest Reserve nation’s explicit charge Long Trail, stretching Commission established the GMNF through a series of to educate recreation- 272 miles up through ists mirrors Taylor’s the state between the purchases between 1932 and 1935. pioneering philosophy: Massachusetts and People who experience Canadian borders (see “Life on the Long forest that I imagined to resemble author C. the mountain environment will tread lightly JA Trail,” page 40). S. Lewis’s Narnia. We serpentined through and take care of it. Also inspired by Taylor, the Green Mountain stunted spruce trees draped with lichen and The unique ecological features of Club (GMC) was formed the next year, with a by mossy caverns, the likely residences of Vermont’s forests were not always valued, mission “to protect and maintain the Long bobcat or black bear. A fluttering partridge nor was protection guaranteed throughout Trail system and foster, through education, startled me out of my reverie, and the song history. In the 1800s, merino sheep farming the stewardship of Vermont’s hiking trails of black-capped chickadees regularly and potash production initiated the large- and mountains.” The GMC spent the next two punctuated the stillness. scale clearing of Vermont’s forests. decades constructing the trail and was later Not long after reaching the 3,900-foot Combined with unregulated logging to recognized by the Vermont state legislature saddle just south of Mount Little Abe, we meet the demands of the nation’s building as “the founder, sponsor, defender, and paused at an east-facing vista. The Mad River of factories and homes, Vermont’s lumber protector” of the Long Trail. Valley’s pastoral landscape splayed below. production reached its peak in the early Mike DeBonis, executive director of the Audrey pointed out the striking juxtaposition 1900s. Consequently, Vermont’s land base GMC, describes Taylor as a great salesman. of the Valley’s agricultural patchwork as seen was 80 percent deforested and at risk for “He had the skills and gumption to sell the from our perch in the remote wilderness. fires and floods. idea, and he got people behind it.” Although Brian noted the importance of the lack of Ethan Ready, public affairs officer for the Taylor was influenced by the growing roads in the forest where we stood. “We need GMNF, identified Vermont’s historic flood development of hiking elsewhere—in New to set aside large areas of land to let nature of 1927 as a turning point in Vermonters’

38 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE ©BRIAN MOHR/EMBERPHOTO Brian expressed different concerns: the various kinds of development pressure on land across the state. He cited an overall reduction of forest cover during the last decade, due to overdevelopment, fragmentation, and energy development. “Much of Vermont’s land is private, and although there is solid support for keeping lands intact, we do take our forest for granted,” he cautioned. At the same time, Brian is optimistic about the ability of public land managers, private landowners, conservation and recreation partners, alpine ski areas, and businesses to prioritize protection. “There are great organizations that support all the activities that Vermonters and visitors enjoy,” said The Mad River Valley today, from Scrag Mountain Brian. “As a community, we have the disposition toward the forest. Overflowing communities across the state to discuss opportunity to work together to maintain the waterways widely damaged villages and civic and business matters. interconnected landscapes we have.” farmland, highlighting an urgent need This landmark issue in Vermont’s history The GMNF counts on partnerships in for watershed protection. Towns began to was a victory for the members of the GMC who order to manage its nine hundred miles reforest by planting trees. viewed the parkway as a threat to the Long of multiple-use trails. “We have a long This newfound desire for restoration co- Trail and the Green Mountains. The visibility of history of collaborative trail and recreation incided with a political opportunity from the public discourse voicing a clear preference partnerships in Vermont,” said Holly Knox, Washington, D.C. Ready explained that the for preserving Vermont’s unspoiled natural district recreation program manager for U.S. Congress had passed the Weeks Act environment over economic development the GMNF. “Our partnerships work together in 1911, allowing the federal government to fueled a land conservation movement. to share resources, knowledge, finances, incorporate lands into the National Forest and labor to provide outstanding trail and system. As a response to the flood’s devasta- Today, Vermont’s forest cover statistic recreation activities.” And the National tion, the National For- Sugarbush Resort’s collaboration with the GMNF Forest System Trails est Reserve Commis- Stewardship Act, which sion established the dates back to the 1950s, when the resort was granted passed the U.S. Congress GMNF through a series permission to construct the ski area, which over time in 2016, directs GMNF of purchases between staff to augment their 1932 and 1935. would cover 1,745 acres of national forest. It is one paid seasonal trail At the same time, a of three alpine ski resorts and six Nordic ski areas to crews with increased controversial proposal operate through a lease agreement in the GMNF. volunteers to help with by the National Park National Forest System Service to build a scenic highway along the is reversed, with over 80 percent of the trail maintenance. ridge of the Green Mountains was dividing state blanketed by woodlands. “Reforested One of the GMNF’s natural allies Vermonters across the state. Heated debate mountains and hillsides provide forest products from the beginning has been the GMC. about the “Green Mountain Parkway” was and recreational opportunities,” said Ready. Beyond maintaining the Long Trail, the reported in the media to be so polarizing At the same time, he continued, “the GMNF organization educates hikers about that “every citizen in the state became a is one of the most recreated National Forests the forest’s ecosystem. GMC executive parkway or anti-parkway man.” During in the nation . . . with three to four million director Mike DeBonis described how the 1935 Vermont state legislative term, visitors annually. These outdoor enthusiasts summit caretakers are employed during disagreement between the house and are contributing significantly to our local the summer months to point out alpine senate chambers prompted the governor communities and the overall economy.” vegetation to hikers and direct them to to call a special session, where lawmakers As positive as that is for the state, Ready clearly marked footpaths. “Mount Abraham supported the proposal. However, the acknowledged the potential impact of the is a priority,” said DeBonis. “It is one of issue was ultimately decided by public seventy million people who live within a three summits in Vermont with a unique referendum. In March 1936, Vermonters day’s drive. “Public land is under increasing composite of alpine tundra vegetation, soundly voted down the parkway on Town pressure to serve the people of this region in plants that are remnants of the last ice Meeting Day, an annual gathering in a variety of ways.” age.” This “soft stewardship” approach is

2017/18 39 COURTESY OF CORY AYOTTE

LIFE ON THE LONG TRAIL “Are they naked?” my wife, Lauren, asked. Just two hours into our thru-hike of Vermont’s famed Long Trail (stretching from Massachusetts to Canada), and the first couple we met was completely naked. We realized then that the journey was going to be more than just a long-distance hike. We anticipated sore muscles and mountaintop views during our sixteen-day, 272-mile journey. But it was the unique events we couldn’t predict that made our adventure extraordinary. Near Glastenbury Mountain, in the heart of the “Bennington Triangle” (an area feared by Native Americans and in which several people have gone permanently missing), we met one Appalachian Trail thru-hiker (the two trails are conjoined for 100 miles) whose belongings were sprawled all around him. As Lauren and Cory Ayotte with their dog, Tenney, on the Long Trail we got closer, we could hear a staticky JFK speech effective in protecting fragile areas, he projecting from his radio. Locking eyes with us, he repeated multiple times, “Hi! added. “People with good information I’m DC on the AT.” Not sure what to make of his greeting, we booked it toward the tend to make good decisions.” summit, where a fire tower provided spectacular views of the wilderness around us. As we gazed over the land below, we wondered if “DC on the AT” was really a hiker or Sugarbush Resort’s collaboration with if he was one of the mythical creatures that allegedly inhabit the Bennington Triangle. the GMNF dates back to the 1950s, when Several days later we met a group of the 10,000 free-spirited members of the Rainbow the resort was granted permission to Family of Living Light. They had chosen Forest Service Road #10 in southern Vermont construct the ski area, which over time for their annual gathering, a crossing point on the trail. Arriving at this remote dirt road, would cover 1,745 acres of national forest. we immediately felt their presence. Law enforcement vehicles lined the road to ensure a It is one of three alpine ski resorts and six peaceful assembly. The lush green forest turned into a sea of tie-dye with hordes of folks Nordic ski areas to operate through a lease coming back from Little Rock Pond. One individual stopped us to explain at length how agreement in the GMNF. (Sugarbush also our dog, Tenney, was the master of the universe and that we must follow her lead through works closely with the GMC. In 1997, for life. (Fortunately for us, Tenney had a keen sense for staying on the trail.) instance, the resort granted the GMC a trail easement permanently protecting the 162 As we continued, the strange encounters dwindled, but never the majesty of the trail. After acres of privately held land along Mt. Ellen’s roughly 150 miles we hopped over the ridgeline between Lincoln Gap and Appalachian ridgeline that hosts a portion of the Long Gap. This was one of our favorite sections: the tremendous views of the spine of the Trail.) “A variety of tools are necessary to Green Mountains coupled with the view of Lake Champlain validated why we live in this work together in mutual and collaborative area. This high-elevation ridge is home to Sugarbush, and every step we took, we found ways,” explained Margo Wade, director of ourselves pointing out favorite Mad River Valley spots and ski trails, and retelling epic planning and compliance for the resort. stories of years past. Hiking through home territory and seeing friends rejuvenated us for Wade listed numerous guiding and operating the mountains that still lay ahead. documents, including biannual operating The area north of Mount Mansfield was rugged. We were constantly going up and down plans, special-use permits, and a master steep mountainsides like yo-yos. After a day of hiking twenty-four miles, our exhausted development plan, that clarify federal bodies arrived at Tillotson Shelter, where we met Green Mountain Club trail workers. requirements for operating, maintaining, Expecting rain the next two days, they were heading out of the woods earlier than and expanding resort infrastructure. In the expected. With loads of food still remaining, they cooked a large stir-fry for hungry master development plan, said Wade, “we hikers, generosity that was much appreciated after our toughest day. Roughly thirty- set out the existing conditions—where we eight hours after that glorious meal, we hit the end of the trail—the Canadian border. Our are today with ski area operations—and our transformative experience was over. I was elated; a long dream of mine had just come hopes and dreams—where we hope to be in to fruition, with some surprises along the way that I couldn’t have foreseen. For me, the future.” looking back, the Long Trail is more than just a hike through Vermont’s wilderness, and Projects, such as new or expanded trails, my appreciation for our journey has continued to grow. lifts, and facilities, often require a formal — Cory Ayotte environmental analysis to mitigate impacts Cory Ayotte works in the marketing department at Sugarbush Resort and has experience at on wildlife, from black bears to bats, as well numerous ski resorts throughout New England. as on air, water, and humans. In recent

40 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE years, agreed-upon strategies to protect Range lay to the south—Mounts Grant, In addition to being a helpful reference point the Bicknell’s thrush, an at-risk eastern Cleveland, Roosevelt, and Wilson. Beyond for where we were headed, they symbol- North American songbird, have led to them, the ski trails of Killington Resort ized the stark contrast between the rugged avoiding resort activity—such as vegetation were visible on the flanks of Vermont’s mountain and the modern uses of Lincoln removal—in the species’s upper-elevation second-highest summit, Mount . “This ridge links today’s escape into habitat during the nesting and breeding (4,241’). To the east, Mount Washington the wilderness with our responsibilities season, from May 15 to July 31. (6,289’) loomed white on the horizon as the back home,” Audrey said. As the GMNF celebrates its eighty-fifth high point of ’s Presidential The public’s desire to enjoy Vermont’s anniversary this year, public access to the Range. To the north, one of the highest forests and mountains has been a driving forest is more valued than ever. Knox points sections of the Green Mountains, known as value in decisions about public and private to the emerging sports of backcountry the Monroe Skyline, stretched toward the land over the last century. And that desire skiing and riding—involving hiking up to ski distant Camel’s Hump (4,081’). And west will continue to counter the pull of industry or snowboard down slopes in the woods, across Lake Champlain, the conical Mount moving forward. “Recreation opportunities often beyond resort boundaries—as one of Marcy (5,343’) was in clear view within the are dynamic over time, necessitating that the growing uses of the forest. “It’s been Adirondack Park. we work together to plan for what uses are exciting to see partners, like the Catamount Taking in the 360-degree panorama of compatible with what landscapes,” said Trail Association, run with new ideas and this forest mosaic, framed by bluebird DeBonis. “Vermonters’ long history with be resourceful with opportunities,” she skies, I knew that Taylor had it right. Even collaboration will help us continue to find said. Sugarbush has also responded to the my brief exposure on the ridge that day was the right balance into the future. None of us popularity of off-piste skiing by establishing awe inspiring. It was easy to imagine how can do it alone.” safety and uphill skiing rules. countless Vermonters and visitors over the decades have come for a day hike or a multi- Emerging from the woods, Brian, Audrey, day journey along “Vermont’s footpath in the Kelly Ault is the public engagement director and I skied up to the 4,005-foot summit of wilderness” and left as ambassadors. of the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance and a Mount Abraham and found ourselves encircled As we began our ski back, Audrey pointed freelance writer. She lives in Middlesex but is by some of the tallest peaks in the Northeast. out a grouping of radio and telecommunica- usually found exploring Vermont’s woods with Part of the Green Mountains’ Presidential tion towers appearing faintly on the horizon. her husband and two teenage sons.

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2017/18 41 JILL NOLAN

Getting Schooled At Green Mountain Valley School, students don’t need to choose between elite skiing and school life. BY KIMBERLEY REYNOLDS t’s 7:45 a.m. on a Tuesday in May, and the GMVS campus is awake. Some students hurry to the Weiss Academic Building to buckle down for classes, while another stream of students heads over to the Racing IPerformance Center, or RPC. Each one has a locker in the newly minted 30,000-square-foot center, a state-of-the-art facility with a multipurpose gym. They lace up their indoor-only trainers, split off into age groups—U16s, U19s, etc.—and head into the weight room. Strains of Drake waft through speakers, mixing with the thrum of the Keiser pneumatic resistance squat racks. Free weights thud onto the Mondo Sportflex flooring, and the students change stations in their rounds of circuit training. The U19 women move through their stretching routine—calf, hamstring, hip flexor, ab-/ adductor, quad—and then head to the machines. The movement is almost balletic, as commands are barked out by the women’s head coach, Dani Koch. “We never really stop training,” he comments. The temperature, although climate controlled, heats up as the groups move through a tough strength routine, followed by a stretching and cool-down period. When the students walk out the door, it’s 9:30 a.m., just in time for

GMVS’s Hannah Utter on the Inverness Race Course at Mt. Ellen morning classes. The rest of the day will be filled with afternoon classes, more training, maybe even a lacrosse game (GMVS offers both men’s and women’s Division II soccer and lacrosse), dinner, and then an evening of homework. This is a typical non-winter day at the Green Mountain Valley School, a small ski school academy nestled in the Mad River Valley. Winter gets even busier. Breakfast at 7 a.m., gate training at Mt. Ellen by 8 a.m., all the way through until a late lunch, and then classes until 6 p.m. Homework and ski tuning must be completed before bedtime, often as late as 10 p.m. But then, GMVS has always been a place COURTESY OF GMVS where a student could do it all. “The heart of the school is—ironically, with the focus on skiing—a place where students do not have to give up dreams of academic greatness or other sports, or theater, or the school prom,” said former headmaster Dave The early days of GMVS, at the Schultzes’ home in Moretown Gavett. “I think few schools are able to offer students access to truly being ‘all that you an economics major and the other with a individual tutorials were held wherever can be.’” Vermont teaching certificate. space could be found. This is in sync with the GMVS philosophy: The students arrived in the winter for a The pictures from that era capture the develop the whole person, and create well- five-month tutorial program; they lived at heady atmosphere. One shows a group rounded scholars, athletes, and citizens the Hobarts’ ski chalet on Bragg Hill and in of forty kids and coaches standing on a who live by the ideals GMVS endorses huge snowbank, as well as atop the roof in its mission statement: “Discipline, The GMVS philosophy is to of the Schultz home and barn (the second Responsibility, Respect, Independent campus for the fledgling academy), bundled Initiative, Total Commitment, and Effort.” develop the whole person up in down puffs and sweatshirts, wearing This credo echoes the steady day-to-day and create well-rounded broad smiles, and hardly dreaming that pace of academy life and has shaped legions their experiment would blossom into a fully of student-athletes who have passed scholars, athletes, and accredited school with its own curriculum through the school’s doors. and campus. Now in its fifth decade of operation, the citizens who live by the The academy moved to its current site school has just begun a new chapter. In ideals GMVS endorses on Moulton Road in 1978. The dorms were July 2017, it welcomed Tracy Keller as head built around a cornfield, which later became of school, a role that Dave Gavett filled for in its mission statement: a soccer field, and the whole “Let’s give it nearly thirty years. a try” attitude burgeoned and grew into the "Discipline, Responsibility, community we see today, complete with a GMVS, or “The Mad Acad,” opened for LEED-certified library, the Weiss Academic business in the winter of 1973, with twelve Respect, Independent Building (renovated in 2014–15), the Racing winter-term students. Al Hobart, along Initiative, Total Commitment, Performance Center, the Dave Gavett with his wife, Jane (a local elementary theater, additional dormitories, two sports teacher), Ashley Cadwell, Bill Moore, and and Effort." fields, and a student center. John Schultz, were at the helm. Ski school The facilities GMVS uses to train at academies already existed, but Hobart and a rented chalet nearby, and brought their Sugarbush have gotten more sophisticated his crew wanted to wow the competition by work from their home schools. Far from over the years, too. The school has its building an impressive academic résumé. today’s routinized organization of school own dedicated training area at Mt. Ellen, This included an MBA from Dartmouth, a and sports, the operation ran by the seat the Kelly Brush Race Arena, boasting a Wellesley graduate with a master’s degree of its pants. Transportation to and from T-bar, revamped Poma, and the Inverness from Brown, a Pure Math graduate from Mt. Ellen and Sugarbush was in Hobart’s and Brambles trails, all maintained MIT, and two Middlebury graduates, one station wagon or Cadwell’s ailing van; by Sugarbush. With the mountain’s

2017/18 43 snowmaking capabilities, GMVS can get LAUNCHING PAD athletes on snow in early November; in GMVS skiers have gone on to train and compete at the highest levels. Here are a couple addition, Sugarbush is able to host some of recent highlights. of the first races of the season in New England. (The area is used not just by USSA National Training Group GMVS athletes but also by U.S. Ski Team Out of all of the U19–21 ski racers in the entire country, three GMVS athletes were members, thanks to GMVS’s designation as named to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association’s National Training Group (NTG) for the a U.S. Ski Team High Performance Center 2016–17 season: Hannah Utter (’17), Jimmy Krupka (’16), and Ben Ritchie (’19). To put and, together with Sugarbush, a U.S. Ski this in perspective: only four women qualified in the U19–21 age category, and only five Team Development Site.) spots were available on the men’s squad, with two GMVS athletes filling those slots. As the school and mountain facilities have The NTG is the premiere venue for young athletes to hone and develop their skills. changed, the student body has grown to an Athletes are selected based on objective criteria built on international rankings, perfor- enrollment of 117 students—both alpine and mance, and head-to-head competition. Nordic skiers—but one thing is constant: As Krupka wrote from Park City, Utah, where he and Ritchie were currently training the vision remains true to its 1973 roots of with the Development Team: “At GMVS, the importance of fundamental skills is stressed developing the whole person. from a young age. . . . When I joined the NTG, I had a solid base to work from.” Utter credits GMVS with much of her success. “A lot of my teammates came into [the This resonates with the current leadership. NTG], and they weren’t really ready for the demands of the physical training and the time Tim Harris has served as interim head of management,” she said. school for the past year. “We attract people Ritchie adds that his year with the NTG “was amazing. The travel, the coaching, and that are drawn to our mission of developing being able to train and race with the top guys was unbelievable. You get to see where you the whole child,” Harris said, as he ticked stand against some of the guys that race World Cup.” off the core tenets that comprise the GMVS

JA mission statement. Harris commented U.S. Ski Team that the families who embrace GMVS, and The year that Drew Duffy graduated from GMVS the students who attend, “clearly see that (’13), both he and his brother Danny were nominated we are different, and that we have a strong to the U.S. Ski Team. That might bring to mind one of academic program, a great college record, the winningest duos in skiing history: twins Phil and and that we also have an athletic program , who took gold and silver (respectively) that can satisfy the needs of a world-class at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. But while athlete as well as someone who is working Danny has moved on to a successful academic and on the goal of becoming a top-level athlete.” ski racing career at St. Michael’s College in Vermont, GMVS even manages to put on a full- Drew has thrived on the team (and has been spon- Drew Duffy at Sugarbush scale musical production each fall. Recent sored by Sugarbush since last year). productions include Shrek, Beauty and the “I mean, this is my dream. I feel I’m still on the lower end of where I want to be. I want Beast, Les Misérables, and Legally Blonde, to be racing with the big guys, like Nyman [Steven, U.S. downhiller and Super G skier] complete with live orchestra and Broadway- and Ligety [Ted, Olympic Gold medalist]. It’s a tough process.” inspired singing. As Gavett recalled, “I asked He said it can take longer than an athlete anticipates. “Not everyone is Mikaela Shif- Al Hobart and Ashley Cadwell my first year frin or Henrik Kristoffersen [the youngest male Olympic medalist in ]. I think at GMVS if I could start a theater program, a lot of people, when they’re eighteen and graduating high school, think, ‘Oh, I’m not and, in true GMVS fashion, they simply said, even close to that level.’ But give it a few more years and maybe.” ‘Go ahead.’” He said luck sometimes plays a pivotal role. In 2015, he won the Super G event at U.S. Past and current students capture this Nationals, starting from the thirtieth position. “That was completely unpredicted. I was spirit. Thomas Walsh (’13) had starring having a terrible season, and . . . I shouldn’t have really won, but I don’t really know what roles in several theater productions during happened that day.” his time at the academy. “GMVS taught me to be respectful, self-reliant, independent, List: fiscally responsible, and to take ownership Also keep an eye on the following GMVS athletes who will compete on the World Cup of my actions. What I learned at GMVS has Circuit in the coming year: spilled over into everything I do,” he said. • AJ Ginnis (’11)—U.S. Ski Team member and 2017 U.S. Alpine Slalom champion Thomas will likely compete on the U.S. • Ali Nullmeyer (’16)—Canadian World Cup Team member Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team in the 2018 Paralympics in Pyeongchang, • Charlie Raposo (’14)—British National Ski Team member South Korea. (In 2009, at the age of • Thomas Walsh (’13)—U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team member fourteen, just days before Thomas was to

44 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE R esort RPaesortr tners Par tners

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2017/18 45 JA parent,” she said. As the years passed, and she assumed more responsibilities, she realized that she wasn’t going to attend law school, so instead got her master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Nevada, Reno. One thing led to another, and when the head of school stepped down, she served as interim head, eventually assuming the top role after a nationwide search. She held that role for ten years. Keller was not deterred by the fact that the world of ski racing—both in terms of who coaches at the highest levels and who leads the ski academies—is heavily dominated by men (she is one of only two women heading a GMVS’s training ground at Mt. Ellen—Inverness and the Kelly Brush Race Arena ski academy in the U.S.). “A lot of it, I attribute to being a member of the Women’s Ski Team attend GMVS, he was diagnosed with Ewing “Well, I think you can’t be fully prepared for at Dartmouth and being surrounded for four sarcoma, a rare disease in which cancer anything, but just getting your ass kicked for years by women who really didn’t see [being cells are found in the bone and soft tissue; five years gets you ready.” a woman] as a barrier,” she said. “For me, he had a series of major surgeries, including being a part of that team fostered the sense on his pelvis and his lungs.) When I spoke by phone with the incoming that we can do whatever we put our minds to.” Daron Rahlves (’91), a U.S. Ski Team head of school, Tracy Keller, her husband and With families shopping an array of choices member and World Cup champion who their two-year-old son were heading out the in independent and charter schools, from participated in four Winter Olympics, said, door to ski. After a misplaced ski was STEM education to a focus on the arts, “The perseverance and work ethic I learned found and Keller’s family left for the mountain, Keller believes that ski academies have their from GMVS in the classroom, gym, and we settled in for a brief but uninterrupted own niche, which gives them an advantage. outdoors . . . propelled me into an amazing If students want to ski competitively, she ski career that lives on to this day.” With families shopping explained, the easiest path is to be “on the Mike Riddell, the father of GMVS student an array of choices in ground at a ski academy.” Part of her role Lydia (’20), loves to see his daughter doing will be to articulate what that ski academy what she is passionate about, both on and independent and charter experience has to offer. off the snow. “What the GMVS kids learn She thinks another part of her role as about themselves and life goes much further schools, from STEM education head of school is to honor GMVS’s history than going around red and blue gates,” he and culture. At the same time, she said, said. “GMVS is supportive and invested in to a focus on the arts, new “We are at a point where we can expand in guiding Lydia’s growth and development as head of school Tracy Keller the ski academy market, and say, ‘Hey, the a student- athlete. It’s a fabulous training ski academy model is valuable in so many ground for life.” believes that ski academies different ways.’” She hopes to take GMVS Hannah Utter (’17), who was in the U.S. to the “next level,” and incorporate some Ski Team’s 2016–17 National Training Group have their own niche, which of the work she did at Sugar Bowl. During (NTG), valued the dual demands of skiing gives them an advantage. her tenure there, Keller helped bring the and academics. “Being a student-athlete, school and ski club to new heights, earning instead of just an athlete who just does CAIS (California Association of Independent school, prepares you to manage your time conversation, her four-month-old daughter Schools) accreditation, achieving U.S. Ski & and to work a little harder,” she said. She’ll happily cooing in the background. Snowboard Association Gold Certification soon be skiing for Dartmouth College, where Keller grew up in Rutland, Vermont, and (a measure of a school’s organizational she’s a member of the class of ’21. started ski racing when she was six years and athletic success), doubling enrollment, Jimmy Krupka (’16), who, like Utter, was old. She went on to race for Dartmouth. By and spearheading a successful $13 million part of the 2016–17 NTG (and was selected her senior year, she was captain of the ski capital campaign. again for 2017–18), said he was pushed along team and thought she was going to attend A daunting challenge? Perhaps, but Keller by GMVS’s “grueling” training program and law school, but first she wanted a fresh start is tough, thoughtful, and not afraid to take high-level facilities. “GMVS prepared me in a new environment. on that task. With her at the helm, GMVS is very well for skiing at a higher level with the “Sight unseen, I took a job at Sugar Bowl ready to start on its next chapter. Development Team,” he said. Academy [not far from the Donner Pass in Perhaps Utter summed it up best: California] as a teacher, coach, and dorm Kimberley Reynolds lives in Warren, Vermont.

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Allen_Lumber_Sugarbush_Ad_June.indd 1 6/19/17 4:01 PM 2017/18 47 Vertical Reality PHOTO PROVIDED BY: DEGAN MEDIA Extreme skiing legend John Egan has made a career of testing his limits—and teaching others to test theirs, too. BY KATIE BACON

o understand John Egan as a skier and as a person, it helps to understand the story behind the hot-pink one- T piece he had a habit of wearing as he was filmed skiing some of the toughest lines on the planet. The suit was a gift from John’s idol, Patrick Vallençant, a French extreme skier who had several first descents of slopes previously considered too steep to ski. On John’s first trip to ski in the Alps, he would trail Vallençant and his crew, climbing up a couple of hours behind them and

John Egan in his lucky pink , with brother Dan close behind PRESENTS photos: John Atkinson / Sugarbush Resort photos: John

John Egan US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame member THE Sugarbush’s Chief Recreation Officer MYTH THE MAN VT North Pro Team member at large The Church: Sugarbush, VT

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John and Dan Egan checking out their lines on the set of a Warren Miller film. then skiing the same spots. One day John in unison, John behind Dan, down along skiers. (As John told me, “Back in the day, ran into Vallençant off the mountain, and told the edge of a cornice at Wyoming’s Grand pink was not a big color for guys. One-piece him that he and a friend had been following Targhee. John saw Dan hit what looked like pink really were not. So to wear that, the French skier around. Vallençant had a puff of snow, and heard a loud cracking you better ski like a badass.”) Over the years, noticed, and admitted that his group had sound. A block of snow the size of an as the Egan brothers built their own extreme waited for John on the far side of a couloir, eighteen-wheeler started crumbling away skiing entertainment business, they would wondering how he would cross it without sponsor other skiers—but only if they wore a rope. As John remembers it, Vallençant ’’““I’’’ve never really cared the pink suit. “I can’t tell you how many great asked him, in his French accent: “‘How did about being better than the skiers have worn that pink suit,” John says. you get down the other day? We wait and “Patrick’s magical powers went with it, I other guy, ”I wanted to be laugh for over an hour because you never guess. I felt like the suit was a good omen.” come!’ And I said, ‘Oh, that was scary, man, better than I was yesterday; you had to climb back up an extra 150 feet I wanted to push my limits John grew up testing the limits of speed and get more speed and jump over it.’ He and see where my limits and danger, but as a drag racer, not a skier. said, ‘You jumped? You jump, we ski!’” After His best friend’s father raced cars, and John that, John started guiding with Vallençant, were. Really for me it was a would spend weekends at his house or at and representing his sportswear company, challenge between me and the racetrack, tinkering with motors to try to Degré7. In early 1989, Vallençant shipped the mountain.””” get them to go faster. By the time John was the pink suit, made by Degré7, to John, twelve, he had a go-cart that could reach along with a note. The suit was still stuck right in front of John, leaving him with the 98 miles an hour in a quarter mile. He also in customs when Vallençant died in a rock tips of his skis over a thousand-foot abyss. raced bikes, and, as he grew older, a pro climbing accident. Instinctively, using the tails of his skis as stock car. He tried to keep his mother in the The way John thinks about it, that suit springboards, he changed direction midair, dark about it all by storing his trophies at his saved his life twice. Once he was wearing landing back on the snow—but just barely. friend’s house. “My mom had no idea what I it when he was caught in an avalanche. The clip of John defying death became the was doing on the weekends, but one day she Another time, in what has become perhaps opening segment of Warren Miller’s 1991 found all my trophies, which had the name, the most famous clip in ski movie history, film Extreme Winter, and the pink suit went date, and how fast you went, and she flipped John and his brother Dan were skiing fast on to become a of sorts for extreme out. She was not happy at all.”

50 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE Meanwhile, the Egan family—five boys tour. But he found over time that his heart JA and two girls—grew up skiing at Cranmore wasn’t in it—those types of competition didn’t in New Hampshire, and at Blue Hills, near capture what he loved about the sport. “I’ve where they lived in Milton. But it wasn’t never really cared about being better than the until John decided to ski-bum at Sugarbush other guy. I wanted to be better than I was instead of going to college—another choice yesterday; I wanted to push my limits and see that did not sit well with his mother—that he where my limits were. Really for me it was started on the path to extreme skiing. a challenge between me and the mountain.” When John arrived at Sugarbush in It was John’s brother Dan, younger by 1976, the head of the ski school was Sigi six years, who showed John that extreme Grottendorfer, an Austrian ski racer who skiing could be a career. Dan brought a spent the rest of the year teaching at business degree and marketing expertise Portillo in Chile. Instructors could follow to the partnership, which helped them Grottendorfer from Vermont to Chile and build Egan Entertainment Network, as back, which made Sugarbush an appealing well as businesses running extreme skiing place for excellent teachers for whom skiing clinics and guiding other skiers. But he also was both their year-round livelihood and matched John’s sense of daring, and their their passion. As John describes it, “You blood connection helped them figure out John, up close and personal had the best of the best here, and they together how to take on ultra-challenging were all sharing their secrets. But it was new slopes while skiing in fluid unison. going somewhere and proving we were the nothing that was pretentious. They were (Dan points out that there’s lots of footage best skier. It was about doing these things like, ‘Hey, kid. Try this.’ They saw potential, of the brothers skiing in side-by-side that made us feel good. I think that was the and they shared what they knew.” It was at couloirs, separated by thick walls of snow, biggest point of skiing to me—I was drawn to Sugarbush that John first started “exploring yet matching each other turn for turn.) If the what was left to explore,” he said. the woods and the landscape and not really two climbed up a slope together, they’d talk worrying about how to get down a trail, but about what they saw along the way and how Even when John started a family, he kept how to get down a mountain.” It was also at on exploring the world—in the early years Sugarbush that John first started making John’’”s title as Sugarbush’’s he’d often bring his son Johnny with him, a name for himself. Tom Day, who grew up ““chief recreation offfiicer””” and by the time Johnny was three, he’d in Montpelier and would go on to film John hints at the sense of fun and already skied on three continents. When he and Dan and now films for Warren Miller was nine, he climbed with John and twenty- Entertainment, remembers hearing about adventure he brings to his four of his clients up to 15,000 feet in the “this guy John Egan,” and then coming to role helping people of all Andes and then skied down. (Johnny is now Sugarbush and seeing him from a lift. “I saw ages and levels fififfiind where an extreme skier based out of Montana.) him ski down under the chair and was blown But around the time John and his wife had away. It’s his combination of power, fluidity, their edge is—— that place their second child, Willy, Win Smith—in his control, and how fast he can ski and keep it that’’s challenging and new role as majority owner of Sugarbush— together. He flows like water down the hill,” a little bit scary. made John a proposal: why not work at Day said. the mountain full time, and see if clients, Around the same time, John started skiing to ski it. And whichever one was “feeling after following him around the world, would out West, and got a job driving an eighteen- it” that day would head down first. “Both follow him to Sugarbush? That is how John wheeler and delivering produce around the of us have a unique way of approaching the became the mountain’s “chief recreation country. The schedule suited him perfectly, unskiable. Between the two of us, one would officer,” a title that hints at the sense of fun since he could drive during the growing unlock it for the other. Having that mirror and adventure he brings to his role helping season and ski during the rest of the year. image was what other skiers didn’t have,” people of all ages and levels find where their But he kept on returning to Sugarbush, and said Dan. edge is—that place that’s challenging and in 1978 was discovered there by Warren Together, John and Dan guided groups a little bit scary. “That’s the best part about Miller, who had asked around to find the down first descents in remote parts of the skiing and the best part of my job: I get to best skiers on the mountain. John appeared world, from Greenland to Kamchatka to share what I love with people.” And these in the film Ski a la Carte, the first of his the tip of . These trips got days, John continued, “I don’t have to go more than a dozen Warren Miller films, and at the very heart of why John has chosen prove to myself that I won’t die on something also the beginning for him of skiing as a to build his life around skiing. “We went each day, because I can get the same thrill profession, not just as an intense hobby. to these remote places that were difficult out of making five people better.” In the early 1980s, John skied on both to ski, and tried to ski them before other Over the years, his job has also expanded the pro mogul tour and the pro gate-racing humans had skied them. It wasn’t about to include a more strategic role at the resort,

2017/18 51 JA

Dan and John Egan at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April 2017 along with helping to run leadership retreats make this his home mountain,” said Smith. reasons. Maybe it’s the way things slow drawing on his expertise making decisions Part of the reason is the sense of community down for him while he skis—he explained in dangerous, tight situations. As Smith sees John’s found: this is the place where he has that it somehow feels as if time is being it, “You have to have a little bit of flexibility. raised his sons, where he’s built houses, stretched, the way it is during action scenes He’s not a round peg. You have to find the where he enjoys the four seasons and the in The Matrix. “There’s a mellowness to it, a things that are going to excite him, then he’s challenging terrain, and where he’s found a peacefulness, a zen, and enlightenment that going to excite others. And the enthusiasm crew of friends who are as fun to ski with allows you to live through a lot of dangerous he has for this place rubs off.” as anyone in the world. “It’s not always the things,” he said. Maybe it’s the attention For John’s part, Sugarbush and the valley mountain you’re on, it’s who you’re skiing surrounding it are home. “He could ski with. There are people who will push my anywhere in the world, but he’s chosen to limits right here every day.”

HJVB John has been skiing extremes for forty years, a record of longevity especially impressive in a sport that is defined by the risks people take and that values the newest and flashiest tricks. This past spring, John and Dan were recognized for their pioneering place in the world of extreme skiing when they were inducted into the U.S. Ski & he’s paid over the years to what’s around Snowboard Hall of Fame. The beginning him (observing how snow is affected by of the video introducing the Egan brothers temperature and the mountain’s pitch) and hinted both at the unique flair they’ve within him (listening to his gut instincts). brought to the sport and at how much the “There’s that sixth sense that allows you sport has changed: “Decades before GoPro, to say, ‘Today’s not the day that I’m going YouTube, and cell phone video, these crazy to go do that situation over there.’ I had brothers from New England were jumping really good partners. We made a lot of good cliffs and skiing steeps.” decisions out there, we trusted each other, When asked what has played into that and we didn’t do things we thought were longevity, and what has enabled him to ski at silly. We always thought we were calculated the edge for so long (though that edge may about what we were doing.” Maybe it’s that have necessarily shifted a bit as the years he has lived so much of his life at high John giving some pointers on Rumble have passed), John comes up with a range of speed that when he needs to he’s able to

52 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE EUGENE KRYLOV

John teaching woods-skiing techniques intuit how to move, instead of pausing to think. “By the time you take a second to think, life has already happened, that cornice is breaking. It didn’t stop while you stopped to think. It didn’t stop at all until it hit the bottom.” Or maybe it’s just, as he said, the “luck of the Irish”—or the luck of the pink suit. That suit, with its late-’80s style, was retired from the ski slope a while back, and passed along to someone else in the Valley. But the next time you’re out and stay fit Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center (SHaRC) about in the area on a cold day and see is a fully-appointed year-round fitness and someone working on their burn pile, look racquet club. Whether you seek group classes, closely. He just might be wearing a piece personal training, tennis, swim instruction, of skiing history. family entertainment, or relaxation, a visit to SHaRC will enhance your Sugarbush experience. Learn from the master by taking a lesson Open to members and non-members. with John Egan. Whether you’re interested MASSAGE & BODYWORKS in tree skiing, , backcountry ski POOLS & HOT TUBS , or improving your turns SPIN CLASSES VALLEY ROCK GYM on tamer runs, he’ll help you push yourself PERSONAL TRAINING to your next level. Pricing and options are SQUASH & RAQUETBALL spelled out here: www.sugarbush.com/ GROUP FITNESS CLASSES lessons/egan-adventures/. YOGA & PILATES CARDIO & WEIGHT TRAINING Katie Bacon, a writer and editor based in TPI–PERSONAL TRAINING , is the managing editor of Sugarbush FOR GOLFERS Magazine. She is a former editor at the NEW ENGLAND TENNIS HOLIDAY INSTRUCTION Atlantic and her work has appeared in the Boston Globe and , For more information, call among other publications. 802.583.6700 or visit sugarbush.com

2017/18 53 JASON MORRIS SUGAR KIDS

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JA Across Down 1. kids’ favorite trail 2. PARKS home 3. Winding trail down from Heaven’s Gate 7. Castlerock Extreme course 4. elevation 4083 ft 9. elevation 3975 ft 5. Gadd Peak hot chocolate stop 10. woods-skiing area with a bus 6. specialty grilled-cheese found here ride at the end 8. woods trail off Snowball 11. GMVS training ground 10. classic, steep bump trail 12. follow the old gondola route JOKES! 1. What do you get when you cross a bear with a forest? 2. What does Murphy Moose do if he calls when you are not home? 3. Why does Murphy Moose lift weights at the SHaRC?

54 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE family fun

GIFT SHOP • TOY STORE • HOME DECOR Everything from Sofas to Slinkies Monday - Saturday 9:30 am - 5:30 pm 5 out of 4 People Shop Here! Sunday Something for Everyone 10 am - 5 pm Miska and Lily are Waiting for You 10 am -3 pm (summer) Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center (SHaRC) offers an array of Rt. 100/Mad River Green, Waitsfield, Vermont WINTER ACTIVITIES 802-496-6055 vtcollection.com for kids of all ages. SWIMMING POOL & HOT TUB 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

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2017/18 55 JA SUGAR KIDS Mountain Fuel WORD SEARCH Sugarbush’s restaurants, bars, and cafes offer a wide variety of food options year-round – can you find your favorite place and food hidden in the letters? BROWNIE G Y A K F W S H X Y G G A K M Q Y C W K G J M B N BURGER N R K Z X T C Q T A W R E D E I X D W T O Q U X H CASTLEROCK PUB O D E E S H G C K A U I A C A V R E B U N P T O D CHICKEN WINGS T N N E G L J F A Y N L U I F T H O T F K A T J O CHICKPEA FRIES N L P C N N I U Y P D L R I N K S Q I C B C O N C CREPE MONSIEUR O T P F O M W H L G E E S U Y B Z O O R H X Q U V DRAGON BOWL W T U N A P O N Z U R D N H E M O R T O E A L T X GRAIN BOWL R X C T A P A U B B B C A S F I E W C A Z G C B H JA GREEN MOUNTAIN LOUNGE E C N O X Q H E N O A H G J R L S O L Z N O R K P GRILLED CHILI CHEESE T H G O D T O H C T R I O M T O L N I T U U L U F HOGAN’S S I S V C F W X G S A L H S A A O P O N P W T T B HOT CHOCOLATE B C R Q T W X M W U H I A X T C A T T M O G C U I HOT DOG O K I N S E H G T Q I C N E E G A R B B E P I T X LOBSTER WONTON L E T V V E P T X S R H U L S J Y N E E L P Q N F MAC AND CHEESE J N T U Y B F W R U H E S E O S N L D Q E F E N I NOODLE BOWL PIZZA T W M L Y L Q L M M W E F C A U D O V C E R G R I ROOT BEER C I Z W F J D B H W T S G L O O N V D T H Q B E C HJVB RUMBLES U N F O N K L F U K B E A R O N E G G A X E C N B SKINNY PANCAKE V G G B O E Y B F Y H D S N N P P Z E F E K E R K TUNA PONZU Q S Y N S I P S K I N N Y P A N C A K E I N O S P TUNA TOSTADA E T G O H B C B J R C A F H B X H B X I R W K S E VT COUNTRY SALAD R A L G W Y F U F W S U Y V V V W C E J N Y S W I WAFFLE HOUSE S V K A W A L T S G M X E C U Z L B O I R Y O I Y WALT’S S E I R F A E P K C I H C E S U O H E L F F A W P WUNDERBAR S S L D I A M O C L D Y C I J W M S M X S I Y U P

JASON MORRIS

Jokes. Fur trees. 2. He’ll leave a detailed moose-age. 3. He wants big moose-les. big wants He 3. moose-age. detailed a leave He’ll 2. trees. Fur Jokes.

Stein’s, 12. Organgrinder. Down: 2. Riemergasse, 7. Lift Line, 9. Lincoln Peak, 10. Slide Brook, 11. Inverness. 11. Brook, Slide 10. Peak, Lincoln 9. Line, Lift 7. Riemergasse, 2. Down: Organgrinder. 12. Stein’s, 56 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE 10. Eden, 8. Walt’s, 6. Lodge, Allyn’s 5. Ellen, Mt. 4. Jester, 3. Sleeper, 1. Across: Answers. Puzzle Crossword 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 MADMARATHON.COM

sugarbush.com 800.53.SUGAR #SUGARBUSH a taste of sugarbush WINTER FOOD & BEVERAGE OPTIONS AROUND THE MOUNTAIN

RUMBLE’S KITCHEN CASTLEROCK PUB THE WÜNDERBAR WALT’S AT THE GLEN HOUSE Enjoy fresh, American cuisine Classic Vermont-in uenced pub A legend reborn, Sugarbush’s A refurbished Glen House at Mt. in an approachable and fun menu with outstanding craft original après hangout, featuring Ellen with a small bar and menu atmosphere. Serving breakfast, beverages. Features live music retro beers, sandwiches, hearty that includes gourmet grilled lunch and dinner. (Located in the on weekends. soups and fresh salads in the cheese sandwiches, grain bowls, former Timbers Restaurant). original Valley House Lodge. home-made soups, and burritos.

Hours vary by season. For more information, visit Sugarbush.com or call 800.53.SUGAR.

2017/18 57 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. $$$$ 802.496.6350 “This may be Vermont’s best restaurant,” writes the New York Times. pitcherinn.com Allyn’s Lodge Fireside Dining Farm-to-table four-course meal served fireside at Sugarbush’s $$$$ 802.583.6590 mid-mountain lodge. Arrive by cabin cat or hike; ski or cat down. sugarbush.com American Flatbread Farm-to-table pizza baked in a primitive wood-fired earthen oven. $$ 802.496.8856 americanflatbread.com Big Picture Café and Theater The Valley’s unofficial cultural center and café, open seven days a week $$ 802.496.8994 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. bigpicturetheater.info The Blue Stone A rustic pizza shop and tavern in the heart of Vermont. $$ 802.496.3499 Featuring 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 $$$ 802.496.FISH and Wood Mountain Fish. thebridgestreetbutchery.com Canteen Creemee Company Serving fried chicken, burgers, fries, and creemees in the heart $ 802.496.6003 of the Mad River Valley. canteencreemee.com Castlerock Pub Classic Vermont-influenced pub menu with outstanding craft beverages $$ 802.583.6594 and local beers. Open daily in winter, and on summer holidays. sugarbush.com Chez Henri Parisian bistrot in historic Sugarbush Village since 1964. Winter only. $$$ 802.583.2600 China Fun Standard Chinese; takeout only. $ 802.496.7889 Common Man Contemporary American cuisine prepared by chef-owner Adam Longworth. $$$ 802.583.2800 Full bar, diverse wine list, and warm hospitality. commonmanrestaurant.com East Warren Community Market The Valley’s local food co-op, providing prepared foods as well as local, organic, $$ 802.496.6758 and specialty items from cheese and eggs to beer and bakery items. Open daily. eastwarrenmarket.org General Stark’s Pub & Grill Full bar and table service for lunch and après in winter; $$ 802.496.3551 Thurs.–Sat. 4:30–8:30 p.m. in summer. In the Mad River Glen Basebox. madriverglen.com Hogan’s Pub Seasonal lunch menu, local burgers, well-stocked bar, and long Valley views. $$ 802.583.6723 Open daily in summer. sugarbush.com Home Plate Family-friendly Vermont-style grill with a touch of diner, $$ 802.496.9300 featuring great food and exceptional service. homeplatevt.com The Hyde Away Farm-fresh local fare featuring creative entrées, sandwiches, burgers, $$$ 802.496.2322 wings, salads, craft beers, and specialty cocktails. hydeawayinn.com Local Folk Smokehouse Serving house-made BBQ Cajun burgers and more, $$ 802.496.5623 plus twenty-five local and regional drafts. localfolkvt.com Mad River Barn Pub with burgers, entrées, and local brews; family-friendly dining. $$$ 802.496.3310 Open seven days a week. madriverbarn.com Mad Taco Offering some of the most authentic Mexican fare in Vermont, as well as $$ 802.496.3832 a small selection of fine craft and Mexican beers and tequila. themadtaco.com MINT Vegetarian/vegan cuisine located in historic Waitsfield Village. $$$ 802.496.5514 mintvermont.com Mix Cupcakerie Gourmet cupcakes, wedding and special-occasion cakes, pies, $$ 802.496.4944 soups, salads, lunch options, comfort meals, and more. mixcupcakerie.com Mutha Stuffers Eat-in or takeout deli serving a full line of Boar’s Head products and $$ 802.583.4477 local Vermont beers in historic Sugarbush Village. muthastuffers.com Paradise Deli & Market Grocery store and deli. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner takeout. $ 802.583.2757 Located on Sugarbush Access Road. Peasant Traditional rustic European food, open Thurs.–Mon. after 5:30 p.m.; $$$ 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. Rumble’s Kitchen Slopeside restaurant serving fresh American cuisine in a fun atmosphere. $$–$$$ 802.583.6800 Well-behaved dogs welcome on patio. Open year-round. Shepherd’s Pub A restaurant sourcing food from local farms, with sixteen draft beers and delicious $$$ 802.583.4373 craft cocktails using local and regional spirits. Open for lunch and dinner in season. shepherdspubvt.com Skinny Pancake Serving sweet and savory crepes with local sustainable products. $$ 802.583.7444 Located on the first floor of the Farmhouse. Winter only. skinnypancake.com Sweet Spot Café, bakery, ice cream, and spirits. Serving breakfast and lunch $$ 802.496.9199 seven days a week. thesweetspotvermont.com Three Mountain Café Breakfast sandwiches, lunch to go, pastries, sweet treats, $ 802.496.5470 espresso, and coffee. threemountaincafe.com Tracks at the Pitcher Inn Craft beers, fine wine, and imaginative pub fare. $$$ 802.496.6350 pitcherinn.com Waffle Cabin Outdoors next to Gate House Lodge at Lincoln Peak (just follow your nose), $ 802.558.5691 offering assorted beverages and sweet waffles. Warren Store Sumptuous baked goods, prepared foods, artisanal beer, and plenty of $$ 802.496.3864 wine choices. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and staples. warrenstore.com 58 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE $: budget $$: affordable $$$: moderate $$$$: fine Fit2 AMERICAN BeThai’d

• Thurs-Sun, 5:00-9:30pm • All Natural Pizza Baked in a Wood-Fired Oven • Farm to table cuisine • Local craft brews on tap • Nightly AprÈs ski bonfire ph: (802) 496-8856 americanflatbread.com

VTSki+RideMagAd_July2017.pdf 1 7/14/17 11:24 AM

BREAKFAST DINNER FULL BAR SUNDAY BRUNCH

AT C LAREAU FARM M

Y • $85-$135/night, Hearty Family-frindly, Vrmont-styl CM farmhouse breakfast incl. bar and grill with a touch of dinr. MY • Minutes from Sugarbush Amazing burgrs, salad bar, CY & Mad River Glen local br, hommad dssrts, CMY and so much mor! • Stay 3 nights, K 4th night free • Families & Pets accommodated MAD RIVER GREEN 496-9300 ph: (802) 496-4949 HOMEPLATEVT.COM lareaufarminn.com

2017/18 59 BAKERY & CAFÉ PASTRIES CUSTOM CAKES ESPRESSO

With magnificent views of the mountains and the Valley, Hogan’s Pub serves up a variety of salads, sandwiches, and burgers for lunch, and cold beer and cocktails for après. Open May through October.

Located at Sugarbush Resort Golf Club 279 Elm Street, Montpelier, VT • 802-223-0200 • [email protected] SUGARBUSH.COM 800.53.SUGAR

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...” Extensive selection of quality wines • Open 363 1/2 days a year! Over 900 WINE FACINGS in all price ranges • Located 1 mile south of the Sugarbush Access Road off Route 100. Over 300 SELECT CRAFT BEERS

~ WAITSFIELD WINE SHOPPE Vr 4330 Main Street • Waitsfield, Vermont Y 802-583-9463 (WINE) rrr www.waitsfieldwine.com

60 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE arcade » event space available

new york style eat in deli » full line of Boars Head provisions Head Boars of full line » » 12 vermont beers on draft » party platters available available platters party »

the family restaurant & bar 802.583.4477 802.583.3232 located in Sugarbush Village | open year round follow us on facebook vermont craft beers craft vermont

2017/18 61 LODGING DIRECTORY

INN/HOTEL STYLE PRICE RANGE CONTACT 1824 House Relaxed, comfortable, and tasteful B&B on fourteen gorgeous acres in Waitsfield. $$$ 802.496.7555 1824house.com The Battlegrounds One- to four-bedroom condominiums, sleeping four to twelve. Fully equiped. $$–$$$$ 802.583.3000 sugarbushvillagecondos.com Beaver Pond Farm Inn Distinctive and intimate B&B or full house rental five minutes $$$ 800.685.8285 from Sugarbush Resort. beaverpondfarminn.com Bridges Family Resort Couples or family getaway, one- to three-bedroom condos with tennis, $$$ 802.583.2922 & Tennis Club pools, and fitness classes. bridgesresort.com Clay Brook Luxury slopeside one- to five-bedroom residences with year-round outdoor $$$$ 800.53.SUGAR heated pool and hot tubs. sugarbush.com Eagles Resort Freestanding, Swedish-design, two-bedroom homes. $$$ 802.496.5700 eaglesresortvt.com Featherbed Inn Charming Waitsfield B&B with fieldstone fireplace, and home-baked pies $$–$$$ 802.496.7151 on Saturdays. featherbedinn.com Hostel Tevere Thirty beds of European hostel-style lodging; shared bathrooms $ 802.496.9222 and common spaces. hosteltevere.com Hyde Away Inn Family-friendly, pet-friendly, nine-room inn with casual accommodations. $$ 802.496.2322 Farm-fresh restaurant and classic local tavern. hydeawayinn.com Inn at Lareau Farm A classic Vermont farmhouse nestled in the Mad River Valley. $$–$$$ 802.496.4949 lareaufarminn.com Inn at Round Barn Farm Boutique country inn, twelve rooms, cozy fireplaces, farm-to-table breakfast. $$$$ 802.496.2276 theroundbarn.com Mad River Barn Family-friendly lodging with onsite restaurant, pub, and game room. $$$ 802.496.3310 madriverbarn.com Mad River Inn Relaxed atmosphere, with outdoor hot tub and BYOB lounge with pool table. $$$ 802.496.7900 madriverinn.com Mad River Lodge Brand-new (2017), standard rooms and two-bedroom efficiencies with kitchens. $$$ 802.496.6969 Located two miles from Mad River Glen and Mt. Ellen. madriverlodge.com Millbrook Inn Set in a nineteenth-century farmhouse, a homey B&B $$ 802.496.2405 with views of the Green Mountains. millbrookinn.com Mountain View Inn Beautiful inn with cozy rooms and delicious breakfasts. $$ 802.496.2426 Minutes from skiing and town. vtmountainviewinn.com Pitcher Inn Relais & Châteaux luxury with eleven well-appointed, unique guest rooms $$$$ 802.496.6350 and exquisite dining. pitcherinn.com Sugarbush Inn Comfortable and affordable family-friendly inn minutes from the mountain. $$ 800.53.SUGAR Open winter only; summer for private groups. sugarbush.com Sugarbush Resort One- to four-bedroom privately owned condos, on or near the mountain. $$$ 800.53.SUGAR Condominiums sugarbush.com Sugarbush Village Fully equipped one- to four-bedroom condominiums close to Sugarbush $$–$$$ 800.583.3000 Condominiums and Mad River Glen. sugarbushvillagecondos.com Sugar Lodge One-half mile from Lincoln Peak. Family-friendly, modern hotel rooms $$ 800.982.3465 with great ski packages. sugarlodge.com Sugartree Inn Closest inn to Lincoln Peak; nine great rooms, creative full breakfast, $$$ 802.583.3211 and outdoor hot tub. sugartree.com Tucker Hill Inn Peaceful country B&B lodging close to Sugarbush. Fireplace rooms $$$ 802.496.3983 to multi-person suites. tuckerhill.com Waitsfield Inn Historic inn within minutes of mountains, centrally located, $$$ 802.496.3979 walk to shops and dining. waitsfieldinn.com Warren Falls Inn The Olsen House, a post-and-beam structure built in 1971, offering private $$ 802.496.2977 rooms with shared baths and communal kitchen. warrenfallsinn.com Warren Lodge Newly renovated (2016), standard efficient rooms decorated with rustic $$$ 802.496.3084 (formerly Golden Lion) farmhouse-chic décor. Only three miles from Sugarbush. thewarrenlodge.com Weathertop Mountain Inn Eclectic and spacious European-style inn. En-suite guest rooms. $$$ 802.800.3625 Hot tub, game room, evening dining. weathertopmountaininn.com West Hill House B&B Award-winning B&B beside Sugarbush: comfort, hospitality, and great $$$ 802.496.7162 breakfasts year-round. Complimentary shuttle. westhillbb.com White Horse Inn A twenty-six-room B&B at the entrance to Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush Resort. $$ 802.496.9448 whitehorseinn-vermont.com Wilder Farm Inn Beautiful rooms, delicious breakfast, and wood-burning fireplaces. $$$ 800.496.8878 wilderfarminn.com Yellow Farmhouse Inn King and queen beds, private baths with Jacuzzis, and gas stoves; on shuttle route. $$$ 802.496.4263 yellowfarmhouseinn.com $: budget $$: affordable $$$: moderate $$$$: fine 62 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

L  • R • P

Farm-Fresh ~ Local

Family Friendly Tucker Hill Inn Open 7 Nights www.tuckerhill.com Food ‘til 10 496-3983 • [email protected] Classic Tavern Open Late Stay · Eat · Play

1428 Millbrook Rd (Rt 17) Waitsfield, VT 802.496.2322 ~ hydeawayinn.com [email protected] 65 Marble Hill Rd, Waitsfield, VT

2017/18 63 TIMELINE Damon and Sara Gadd, along with Jack Murphy and Lixi Fortna, open Sugarbush Resort. Sugarbush boasts the “greatest vertical rise in the East” thanks to its three–person top-to-bottom gondola. ‘58 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 and a new Valley House Walt Elliott opens Glen Ellen Ski Area. Complete with chairlift, Sugarbush begins attracting throngs of New York ‘60 Scotch-themed trail names, Glen Ellen claims “the glitterati. Vogue dubs Sugarbush “Mascara Mountain” greatest vertical descent in the East” with its tiered because of its glamorous guest list, including actress Kim lifts to the 4,083-foot summit of Mt. Ellen. Novak, the Kennedy clan, musician Skitch Henderson, and ‘63 The Gate House area opens with a new fashion designer Oleg Cassini. double chair. Olympic Gold Medalist serves as director of the Sugarbush Ski School. Each Chez Henri, a Parisian-style bistro, Sunday afternoon he performs his signature ‘64 opens in what is to become historic flip on skis. Sugarbush Village.

Roy Cohen purchases Sugarbush (in ‘66 1977) and Glen Ellen (in 1979). The two areas join under the Sugarbush name. ‘77 Glen Ellen is renamed Sugarbush ‘78 Sugarbush is featured in Warren Miller’s film Ski a la Carte. North to reflect the union. (In 1995, it is ‘79 renamed Mt. Ellen.) Roy Cohen sells Sugarbush to ARA Service. ARA removes the gondola. Super Bravo and ‘83 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, Sally at that time the fastest quad in the ‘96 Knight, and Seth Miller at Sugarbush for the film Snowriders. world, transporting skiers at Summit Ventures, a small group of local investors led by Win Smith, 1,100 feet per minute. purchases Sugarbush, and begins to lay the groundwork for a new master plan for the resort that closely reflects the values and ‘01 philosophies of the original owners, as well as the character and style of the Mad River Valley and Vermont. Lincoln Peak Village opens to the public. The new facilities include ‘06 Gate House Lodge, Clay Brook Hotel, and Timbers Restaurant. The new village is modeled on the traditional style of Vermont farmhouses, barns, and schoolhouses. ‘10 The Schoolhouse and Farmhouse open. Construction is completed on Rice Brook Residences, private homes linking Lincoln Peak Village to ‘13 historic Sugarbush Village. ‘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.

The Village Double and Sunshine Double chairlifts are replaced with fixed-grip quad lifts, ‘17 and RFID gates are installed in lift lines.

6444 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE NSAA Safety Month Contest Winners During the month of January, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) encourages ski areas to promote safety on the slopes by holding weekly activities that are fun and educational. As part of the program, the NSAA holds several contests. Sugarbush had two winners in 2017!

The winner of the NSAA’s annual Safety Month Photo Contest, Waitsfield Elementary School fifth-grader Emma Riley’s winning entry showing ski patrol director Colin Cascadden giving a sled ride for the NSAA Safety Month Poster Contest (photo by John Atkinson)

2017/18 65 JA JA SUGARBUSH CLOSE-UP

SUGARBUSH THE MOUNTAINS After years of skiing at the mountain Sugarbush promise: Be Better Here. Since With expansive terrain covering 2,600 feet of with his family, Win Smith and a small 2001, Smith’s team has invested over vertical, Sugarbush brings some of the flavor group of investors purchased Sugarbush $65 million in mountain improvements. of western skiing to the East, and boasts in September of 2001. They have since Snowmaking upgrades at both mountains, one of the largest uphill capacities in the embarked on reshaping the Sugarbush in the form of new, energy-efficient northeast region. The resort offers 111 trails experience to reflect the authentic nature compressors and snow guns, account for for beginners, intermediates, and experts, of the Mad River Valley while honoring almost $7 million of that investment. More spread across two mountains—Lincoln Peak the resort’s rich history dating back to than $8 million has been spent on new lifts. and Mt. Ellen—with a chairlift and a shuttle 1958. Incorporating traditional Vermont Recently, the resort replaced the original bus that connect the two. Lincoln Peak Village architecture into the village, hosting cultural Valley House lift (in 2015), and the original offers many lodging and dining options, and events, and highlighting local agriculture Village and Sunshine Double lifts (in 2017)— also serves as home base for the Ski & Ride in the resort’s culinary offerings are just all with fixed-grip quads. The Village and School and Rentals and Repair. Lincoln Peak some of the ways Sugarbush delivers a rich Sunshine lift replacements provide a more offers extensive beginner terrain and lifts, experience for its guests. seamless experience for beginners at both and multiple First Timer programs that may In 2006, Sugarbush completed construction mountains. Two new PistenBully groomers reward participants with a free season pass, of Clay Brook Hotel & Residences and Gate were added to the fleet this season, one and a pair of Elan skis or Rome snowboard House Lodge. Four years later, two more of them specifically designed for PARKS (supplies are limited). The legendary terrain skier-services buildings—the Schoolhouse grooming. To improve guest service, the of Castlerock Peak, with its narrow, steep, and the Farmhouse—were added to Lincoln resort also just upgraded its ticket-checking and winding trails, offers seasoned experts Peak Village. Rice Brook Residences— technology to RFID reading gates. a challenge and an old-time New England fifteen new homes in three buildings—were Linking Sugarbush’s rich history, the ski experience. Snowcat adventures? Get up completed in 2013, connecting Lincoln Peak uniqueness of the Mad River Valley, early for first tracks on the Lincoln Limo, Village and historic Sugarbush Village. And and the modernity of new amenities, take the family on a sunset groomer ride, in 2016, construction was completed on Gadd Sugarbush is committed to offering the book the limo for remote fireside dining at Brook Slopeside—sixteen private homes best in customer service, four seasons of Allyn’s Lodge, or plan a private spring skiing named after the resort’s founding family. outdoor recreation, and an unrivaled and experience at Mt. Ellen. Each year, Win Smith and his entire quintessential Vermont experience. Connected by the Slide Brook Express resort team work hard to make good on the to Lincoln Peak, Mt. Ellen is the third- JA JA JA JA HJVB

66 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.

Working with Sugarbush to make their visions become a reality. Let us help you build your dream too!

Multi-Family Residential Custom Residential Commercial Institutional

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 (802) 496-2205 191 Alta Woods | Brandon, Vermont 05733 | 802-247-6527 | www.naylorbreen.com

2017/18 67 JA JA SUGARBUSH CLOSE-UP A. HUFFMAN HJVB highest peak in Vermont (serviced by the Sugarbush isn’t the only draw in the Mad LODGING highest chairlift in the state). Mt. Ellen has River Valley. Mad River Glen, just a few miles From slopeside luxury to quaint country steeps, wide-open cruisers, and some to the north of Sugarbush, boasts some of living, the Sugarbush Vacation Team can great intermediate terrain. Mt. Ellen is an the most challenging terrain in the East. assist in finding accommodations to suit a understated experience, with a rustic base The Valley is also home to two variety of needs and budgets (for reservations, lodge that’s home to the convivial Green centers, Blueberry Lake and Ole’s Cross call 800-53-SUGAR or visit sugarbush.com). Mountain Lounge, and with Walt’s at the Country Center, as well as the Catamount The slopeside Clay Brook Hotel & Residences Glen House, a mid-mountain lodge turned Trail. In Waitsfield, the Skatium Ice Rink offers sixty-one suites, ranging from king hotspot thanks to gourmet grilled-cheese provides a unique outdoor skating experience. rooms to five-bedroom suites, and features sandwich selections and local beers on ski-in/ski-out access, full valet service, a tap. Mt. Ellen is also where you’ll find the SUMMER year-round outdoor heated pool, a fitness Riemergasse Terrain Park, designed with Many locals will claim that the Mad River center, and Rumble’s Kitchen restaurant. rails, tables, and jumps for all levels, and Valley is more beautiful in summer than Down the road is the forty-room Sugarbush home to a series of events and competitions. at any other time of year. Sugarbush hosts Inn, open all winter and for private groups in The Green Mountain Valley School, a private an eighteen-hole Robert Trent Jones Sr.– the summer. The inn—with nooks for reading ski academy with Olympian and U.S. Ski designed golf course, and summer mountain and a parlor with an adjoining fireplace Team alumni, trains here. (Sugarbush and activities that include lift-served mountain room—has the cozy charm of a Vermont GMVS are both U.S. Ski Team Development biking, bungee trampoline, disc golf courses country cottage. Sugarbush also offers Sites.) Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports bases at the base and the peak, and a . a mix of resort-managed condominiums their adaptive programs here, as well. Weddings take place on scenic mountain surrounding Lincoln Peak. All Sugarbush Whether at Mt. Ellen or Lincoln Peak, tops, on the golf course, and in classic barns lodging comes with complimentary access to skiing in the trees is often the best way to at the mountain and in the Valley. Themed the Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center, find great snow. Twenty-eight marked areas summer camps for kids offer mountain which offers indoor and outdoor pools, hot provide beginner to advanced tree skiing. biking instruction and farm education, as tubs, steam rooms, the Adventure Zone for The 2,000-acre Slide Brook Basin, tucked well as traditional activities like hiking, golf, kids, rock climbing, tennis, and massage. in between Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen, is and swimming. Internationally acclaimed For additional lodging recommendations, an adventurer’s paradise. Guided trips are New England Tennis Holidays offers multi- please call the Mad River Valley Chamber of available with Ski & Snowboard Hall of Famer day tennis camps and instruction at the Commerce at 802-496-3409.

John Egan and the staff of the Adventure Sugarbush Health & Recreation Center. EUGENE KRYLOV Learning Center’s Ski & Ride School. The Mad River, which gives the Valley its Both guided and self-guided snowshoeing name, offers recreational opportunities adventures are available throughout the from kayaking and canoeing to tubing and winter, and vary in length and difficulty. swimming-hole hopping. Cross-country Sugarbush also offers a free uphill travel mountain biking and hiking trails are pass to those guests who choose to skin up abundant for all levels. And outdoor dining the mountain before or after the lifts are in on the mountain and along the river is a operation. (See our Winter Trail Use policy, at summer pleasure, particularly when coupled sugarbush.com/resort-policies, for details.) with an art or music festival.

68 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE CONFERENCES, MEETINGS & RETREATS TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES OUTDOOR ADVENTURES LIKE US ON FACEBOOK.COM/FERRO.JEWELERS including cat-skiing adventures, backcountry skills, snowshoeing, hiking, golf, and climbing wall A    DINING    ’  . from casual to elegant, indoors and out LUXURY ACCOMODATIONS on-site at Clay Brook Hotel & Residences IDEAL FOR INTIMATE GATHERINGS UP TO 450 Photos courtesy of BethanyDan.com of courtesy Photos

F ,    Please call , or       802.583.6370  @ .   email [email protected]  . ..

2017/18 69 SUGARBUSH CLOSE-UP TRANSPORTATION The Burlington International Airport is just fifty minutes from Sugarbush, with direct flights arriving from , Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, and seasonal direct flights from . 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 : 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 ELEVATION 10 quads (5 high speed) Weekends/holidays: 8 AM–4 PM ACRES 1,483BASE ELEVATION 2 triples Spring: Apr.–May 1 double 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 AVERAGE ANNUAL SNOWFALL 250 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 2017-18 JEB WALLACE BRODEUR

Oktoberfest SideSurfers Banked Slalom Pond Skimming Independence Day Celebration

10/7 Community Day will participate in classic, sprint, and 3/17 SideSurfers Banked Slalom , zipline, Celebrate autumn in Vermont with parallel sprint races throughout the John Murphy (great-grandson of hiking, the bungee trampoline, disc pumpkin carving, scenic lift rides and weekend. Sugarbush legend Jack Murphy) and golf, and more. hikes, harvest-inspired dining, music, 1/13–15 MLK Jr. Weekend the PARKS team host a communal 7/4 Independence Day kids’ camps, and mountain activities. An action-packed weekend with a gathering and friendly snowboard Celebration Oktoberfest follows on Sunday. kids’ cooking class, pizza and movie competition on a custom-built Start the day with the wacky Warren 10/8 Oktoberfest night, late-night music, specialty racecourse through gates and over Parade, followed by mountain Bavarian-inspired food, drink, and dining options at Rumble’s Kitchen banked turns, berms, rollers, and activities, a classic American BBQ, games, along with the Mad Bavarian and Castlerock Pub, and a torchlight jumps. live music, and fireworks at Lincoln Brass Band. Compete in our stein parade and fireworks. 3/24–25 Island Weekend Peak. hoisting and keg tossing to win prizes. 1/26–28; 3/5–7 Have your beach and your mountain, 7/8 Mad Marathon 10/8 Mad Dash Women’s Discovery Camp too! Spring fever takes over This scenic course sends runners A 5K or 10K run, 5K walk, and kids’ An enriching two-and-a-half-day Sugarbush, with reggae music, island along beautiful country roads in the race, supporting the Mad River Path learning experience hosted by top- cuisine and drink specials, a luau, Mad River Valley, through covered Association (madriverpath.com). notch coaches. The perfect blend of and fun-in-the-sun beach activities. bridges, past farms, and over 11/18 The Big Kicker fun, learning, sharing, and skiing and 3/31–4/1 streams. Participants can run a relay, Kick off the 2017–18 winter season riding. Video analysis, group meals, Mt. Ellen End-of-Season Party half marathon, or whole marathon. with Mad River Glen and Sugarbush après-ski parties, and optional ski Celebrate another great ski season demos included. at Mt. Ellen with live music, special at American Flatbread in Waitsfield. RECURRING EVENTS This unmatched ski-mountain duo 2/10 Junior Castlerock Extreme events, and Frendly guests. throws a freestyle party with rail jams, Talented young skiers (ages fourteen 4/1 Easter Celebration 12/30, 2/3, 3/3 Tour de Moon ski movies, local food and drink, and and under) compete in a challenging Celebrate Easter Sunday with a A moonlit skin or snowshoe up Mt. words of wisdom from the High Fives and technical run down Castlerock’s morning service at Allyn’s Lodge, Ellen. Whether you’re a seasoned Foundation and the Flyin Ryan Hawks infamous Lift Line. A qualifying race followed by an Easter egg hunt and skinner or new to the sport, this night Foundation. for March’s Castlerock Extreme and brunch at Rumble’s Kitchen. adventure is not to be missed! There 12/16 SugarBash part of the Ski the East Freeride 4/7 Pond Skimming will be guided and unguided skinning It’s time to get down and get funky Tour. Register early—this Sugarbush Take the plunge across a 120-foot and snowshoeing to Walt’s at the Glen at Sugarbush’s annual birthday classic traditionally sells out. pond at the base of Lincoln Peak. House, where you can enjoy gourmet celebration. Rock your finest retro 2/17–25 President’s Week Whether you get wet or just spectate, grilled-cheese sandwiches and gear and dance your heart out to live A nonstop week of fun, with an ice be sure to participate in this annual beverages from local brewers. Walt’s music. sculpture display, live music, local rite of spring. Awards for best stays open until 8 p.m. 12/18–22 Valley Ski & Ride Week artisan market, Sugarbush PARKS , style, and splash. Kids’ Pizza & Movie Night A tradition at Sugarbush for over fifty Feature Garden, activities for all ages 4/21 Stein’s Challenge Send the kids off for a night of fun years. Join us for five consecutive at the SHaRC, and a torchlight parade Get ready for a head-to-head with pizza and a movie while you enjoy days of ski and ride lessons led by and fireworks. showdown on one of Sugarbush’s an evening on your own. some of Sugarbush’s finest coaches. 3/4 High Fives Fat Ski-A-Thon most legendary trails, named after Castlerock Music Series 12/24–1/1 Holiday Week Lap the Valley House Quad on your the Norwegian Olympian and former Soak in the sounds of great local Celebrate the holidays at Sugarbush widest planks and give out high fives Sugarbush Ski School director Stein musicians at the Castlerock Pub and with activities for all ages, from Kids’ all day for a great cause. Raise money Eriksen. Prizes for top finishers. choose from the more than twenty Pizza & Movie Night, indoor activities to support the High Fives Foundation, 6/9 Sugarbush Brew-Grass beers on tap. at the SHaRC, gingerbread house and join the after-party in Valley Festival Cabin Cat Adventures House Lodge. decorating, and Kids’ Rail Jam to Kick off summer with Sugarbush’s First Tracks brings you to untouched, campfires with s’mores and après 3/10 Castlerock Extreme eighth annual brewfest, featuring early-morning trails at Lincoln live music all week. Bring your furry Expert skiers charge the cliffs and craft beers from more than twenty Peak on powder days and by private friend to the eighth annual Dog dips of Sugarbush’s toughest terrain Vermont breweries, tasty local eats, booking; Sunset Groomer Rides Parade and Canine Couture contest. in the twenty-first annual Castlerock and jammin’ bluegrass . provide an early-evening, hour-long Ring in the New Year at the Family Extreme. 6/12–13 Boomer Scramble adventure to the summit of Lincoln Buffet in Gate House Lodge or at 3/17–18 Sugaring Time Festival Championship Peak; Fireside Dining at Allyn’s dinner at Rumble’s Kitchen, followed Lodge offers an elegant multi-course Celebrate the start of spring and A two-day golf event for ages 65+. by a torchlight parade and fireworks. dining experience accessed by the sugaring season with a variety of Sign up as a full team or be grouped cabin cat; and Private Spring Skiing 1/25–27 Telemark World Cup maple-themed activities. Search with others. The Telemark World Cup brings its for maple nips in a resort-wide at Mt. Ellen is available in April. 6/23 Summer Mountain globe-trotting trek to Vermont with scavenger hunt, play maple-inspired a stop at Sugarbush Resort. A three- games, indulge in maple dining Activities Opening Day Visit sugarbush.com for dates, times, day event featuring world-class, specials, and enjoy tasty samples at Discover all that Sugarbush has to and more information on all events. international competitors. Racers Vermont Specialty Food Day. offer during the summer months:

72 SUGARBUSH MAGAZINE JA CLOSING SHOT

Henri Borel, proprietor of Chez Henri, shares a glass of red wine with family and friends to kick off his ninetieth- birthday celebration in January 2017. Henri came to Sugarbush from France in the early 1960s to become the manager of Ski Club 10. He opened Chez Henri in 1964. Our goal is to help you pursue yours. It’s that simple.

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