Winter marches on

When the calendar says "spring," but the weather "not!," I get e-mails from grumpy readers (and the occasional grumpy editor) saying: “Enough already! Everyone is sick of winter. When are you going to start writing about things to do in the spring?”

My answer is simple: I’ll start writing about spring when there isn’t any more winter within easy driving distance.

The reason is also simple: This column is about doing things outdoors, not about wishing you could do something outdoors. There’s no greater waste of time and opportunity than to dream of what you can’t have at the expense of what you can.

This time of year, it can be difficult to find something “springy” you can actually do. You can, of course, always go for a walk or bike ride on pavement (that is, if you aren’t in the middle of a sleet or ice storm). If that’s your pleasure, dress appropriately, put on or carry your raingear and get out and do it.

But getting off the pavement can be tougher. If mud has taken hold, it’s irresponsible to hike or bike when your passage is going to cause erosion and trail damage.

If your favorite trail is snow-covered, you can still walk it. You just have to wear snowshoes or ski. So what if it’s a “winter” sport? You'll still have a wonderful time. Or just drive a couple of hours north and find snow that lets you enjoy skiing or snowshoeing while the trails you want to hike or pedal nearer home dry out and firm up.

Here’s the truth. Once the snow goes away, you have at least seven months (or more) to enjoy dry land and water sports before you have snow or ice to play on again.

Why not make the best of what’s right here, right now?

Stow mo'snow

I’m writing this in front of the fireplace at the Golden Eagle Resort in Stowe, Vermont. Marilyn and I are here to savor winter and to avoid the dreary mess that passes for early spring south of here. Who needs spring when you’ve got deep snow, fireplaces and hot tubs?

It has been snowing essentially non-stop for the past four days. The temperature is in the low teens and dropping fast. It's supposed to go to 10-below tonight. The wind is howling on the mountaintops. Though the calendar says that spring starts today, it sure looks and feels like winter!

There’s an ice skating pond outside our window and a sledding hill around the corner. We’ve got a two-mile snowshoe trail that starts inches from our door and loops through 80 acres of undeveloped property.

We’ve been cross-country skiing.

This has been a epic season for cross-country, and we are happy to hold onto it as long as we can. Stowe has four major cross-country skiing venues.

• Stowe Mountain Nordic Center offers 35 km of groomed trails and 40 km of backcountry trails (deep snow!).
• The Trapp Family Lodge, the oldest commercial cross-country ski area in the U.S., has 55 km of groomed and tracked terrain and another 45 km of backcountry.
• Edson Hill Manor offers 25 km of groomed trails.
• Topnotch Resort has 25 km of trails.

One trail pass is good for all four areas: more than 150km of groomed and 100km of backcountry trails, all interconnected.

It also includes some of the most accessible (and enjoyable) sections of the 300-mile winter-only Catamount Ski Trail. This trail winds its way up the spine of Vermont from the Massachusetts border at Readsboro to the Canadian border in North Troy.

Stowe has something for everyone, featuring perfectly groomed track, smooth, wide skating lanes, and some of the finest untracked backcountry skiing anywhere.