Look for the Sugar Sherpas in the blue jackets next time you need help with your skis. (Marti Mayne photo).

There’s no sugar coating it. Sugarbush is one sweet ski resort for the whole family.

Our family ski experience there started with  “May I help you carry your skis?” and ended  with “have a great day!” I later learned the young men and women in the blue jackets are referred to as “Sugar Sherpas,” and it’s clear their role is to ensure you start and finish the day with a friendly greeting. This is just one of the many details that go into making Sugarbush Resort one incredible skiing experience for everyone from families to couples, skiers to boarders and first-timers to old-timers.

We visited Sugarbush on Martin Luther King’s birthday weekend after a blizzard dumped two feet of snow two days earlier. We anticipated crowds, and indeed we joined the exodus of skiers and boarders making “the big schlep” from the parking lot to the lodge. Yet with its campus of base lodges, ski school buildings and ticket sales locations, once to the base we were easily able to find a place to sit, stow gear and suit up, even with six of us.

We were skiing with friends and our family which includes two “tweens”. The key to a successful day on the slopes with tweens is managing attitudes, and at that age there is plenty of attitude to go around. As long as the parents remember that the world revolves around the tweens, all is well. This means keeping kids warm, skiing where they like to go and ideally bringing additional friends along. Sugarbush makes it easy to keep them happy with short lift lines, plenty of skiing options and mid-mountain lodges for hot chocolate.

They key to Sugarbush’s family success is the variety of options off each lift. Almost all lifts access at least one if not many beginner green and intermediate blue trails, along with black and double black options too. If your family is like mine, the Mom (me) is the slower skier, and the kids and Dad want to go for it. We could all ride the chairlift together, then split up.  I could take a cruiser, while the rest of the mogul hounds pounded through the bumps. This kept everyone happy; remember it’s all about managing attitudes.

Sugarbush is a mountain of split personality. It offers five  distinct mountain settings including Gadd Peak, Lincoln Peak, Castlerock Peak, North Lynx Peak, and Mount Ellen, all easily accessible from one another and serviced by a network of quads, triple and double  lifts and multiple base and midstation lodges. Mount Ellen, more distinctly separate yet still accessible to the rest of the trails via the Slide Brook Express quad, running in both directions,  has more of a classic New England ski area feel with equally fine lifts and trails yet a smaller price tag for lift tickets, making it the value choice.

Three generations of Smith skiers - Win Smith, Jr, grandson Cole and Win Smith III. (Marti Mayne photo).

Sugarbush  has multiple base buildings, including the brand new Schoolhouse kid’s ski school building offering an impressive array of murals and paintings by local artists and a state-of-the art ski school program. Touring with Sugarbush President, Win Smith Jr. and his son Win Smith III, along with Director of Marketing, Candace White and Win’s financee, I felt a bit like royalty.  Smith explained that the new Schoolhouse building was designed entirely for ease in registration and all operations are designed to get kids out on the snow as fast as possible.  One look at the kid’s equipment rental room made it clear this is a well-organized operation.  The Schoolhouse is dominated by hand painted murals from local Vermont painters depicting wildlife indigenous to Vermont. Be sure to look closely for “Rumble”, Smith’s Bernese Mountain Dog, carefully incorporated into a few of the murals.  Smith shared that recently a woman approached him and asked if the “President” on his name badge referred to his last name or his title.  Upon learning it was his title, she lost no time in telling him the Sugarbush children’s ski school was the best in the country, in her opinion.

Next we toured the new Farmhouse building home to the adult ski school, ski tuning, day lockers, changing rooms and the new Sunrise Café. Another  slick rental facility in the Farmhouse is the perfect way to start the learn-to-ski process and the First Timer to Life Timer Program hooks new skiers with the promise of a season pass after three lessons.  Smith explained they’ve already given more than 100 season passes this year to those who’ve completed the program.  We spent some time observing the Wintersteiger Trimjet machine in the Tuning Shop located in the Farmhouse.  The only one of its kind in the Valley, this machine puts  factory finish on the ski edge; I was amazed at the before-and-after look of the ski, especially after the entire tune-up process was complete, and made a mental note to drop off my skis that night.

While it looks fake, the snow on those trees are the real thing. Photo by Lincoln Fuller.

We skied Lincoln Peak and Castlerock Peak  the first day, taking advantage of the new snow.  I was convinced we lucked out with the best conditions of the season, until we received another seven inches of snow the second day there and were treated to a bona fide powder day. Covered in new snow, the pine trees reminded me of a winter Christmas scene.  They almost appeared plastic with so much perfect snow hanging from the boughs.

Always in search of powder, my husband likes to ski along the edge of the trail. An expert skier, he rarely falls, but this time he took a header into the woods, and his last fleeting thought before hitting the tree was how glad he was that he was wearing a helmet. I skied by without noticing the crowd that gathered to make sure he was alright, but managed to reach him after he called out my name. Luckily, he was fine; he got off with a bent pole and the bruise to his leg was nowhere as bad as the bruise to his ego. He managed to climb out of the woods and ski the rest of the day, testimony to his tenacious passion for skiing.

Having lost my sunglasses on the first run and sacrificed the balaclava at the base lodge, the wind and cold feet necessitated a hot chocolate stop in the Allyn Lodge at midstation. The kids were all for it too. I was impressed by the composting toilets and the commitment to eco-operations; for instance, food in the children’s ski school is carefully composted. Yet there’s still a sense of whimsy here.  I spied the plastic flowers and the whirly gigs at the top of the Super Bravo Quad and had to smile.

It started snowing around noon; big fluffy flakes. It didn’t stop snowing for the rest of the weekend. The second day of our visit, we opted for Mount Ellen and we were treated to undoubtedly the best skiing day of the year. While the base lodge was crowded, we were all amazed at the ability to move people up and around the mountain.

Powder run after powder run was our tweens idea of fun until the younger one took a head plant.  Sadly, that was the end of the day for her. The rest of us powered through soft bumps and powder on runs like Joe Cruiser, Rim Run, Elbow, Tumbler and Which Way. We never waited in a lift line longer than a minute or two, and on many lifts we were able to ski up and on. Part of me wished the lines were a little longer; the ride up was barely enough time to give my legs time to recover before the next run.

Kim Han Fuller still has enough energy after a day of skiing to play in the snow at Sugarbush. (Marti Mayne photo)

When asked at the end of the trip what they liked best, our oldest took no time to express that her favorite part was the moguls and the snow. A true bump buster at heart, she’s always in search for the ultimate mogul run. The youngest loved the food and the great snow, and my husband could only answer that they had lovely woods! Hitting such an incredible snow weekend was a bonus for all of us.

Keeping the Tips Up:

A few tips to make your Sugarbush family experience even better:

1) Take the Sugar Shuttle up from the parking lots rather than doing the big “schlep” or let the Sugar Sherpas help; it’s well worth it.

2) On a crowded day, try the new Sunrise Café in the Farmhouse building; it’s brand new (opened in December) so it’s still a relative secret.

3) On holiday weekends, don’t miss the Farmer’s market at Timbers Restaurant for a wonderful taste of Vermont (I tasted spicy Yak sausage).

4) They’ve hidden opportunities for delighting kids throughout the mountain. Look for culverts-turned-slides and an old enclosed gondola and you’ll see smiling faces.  For adults, there are firepits and plenty of pubs or finer dining opportunities to help manage Mom and Dad’s attitude too.

5) Check the activity calendar – when the lifts close there’s still plenty to do.  On holiday weekends, Sugarbush hosts torch light parades, fireworks, kids and teens night out parties, and much more.  Every weekend cabin cat tours are offered, along with dinners at the midstation Allyn Lodge with guided skiing by head lamp down to the base to top off the night.

That’s not the kind of forecast that gives you warm fuzzies…in fact, it might even send a chill down your spine.  Cover every square inch of skin, use handwarmers, 6 layers of clothing…and take 2 runs, then go into the lodge and warm up.

Or, go to Black Mountain in Jackson, NH.

One of Tim’s “Forgotten Favorite” ski mountains, Black has two things going for it that most areas don’t.  First, it faces south…instead of the sun disappearing over the back side for most of the day, it warms you on the slopes and on the lifts.  Second, it sits in the shadow of Mt. Washington…and when I say shadow, I really mean “windshadow.”  The prevailing winds that come off that rockpile go around Black Mountain.  On days when other ski areas are shutting their lifts down for safety reasons, it’s calm at Black.  That’s a valuable thing to know…even if your ski trip is at another mountain in the Mt. Washington Valley, you may be able to save a lost day!

But on this day, Black Mountain was the intended destination.  In 1935, an inventor named George Morton designed the first overhead cable lift in the country; and he just happened to live in Bartlett, right  around the corner…and the rest is history.  Black became perhaps the first ski area in New Hampshire, one of the first in the country, and has operated ever since.  And, how can you have a 75th anniversary without a party???

And, to steal a phrase, they partied like it’s 1939.  The Swingtones, a local 14 piece band that specializes in Glenn Miller-era big band had the dance floor packed.  Well, except for when a group of skiers and boarders recreated a torchlight parade from Black Mountain’s history…and it was worth shivering outside to watch the lights swinging and swaying down the mountain.

Owner Andy & daughter Nicole take a break from serving to "cut a rug" (David Shedd photo)

Back inside, the party continued, with stories of Black Mountain’s history filling in gaps between food and dance.  And the nature of Black was brought home by realizing that one of the owners was carving and serving the ham on the buffet…and his kids were doing the serving and cleaning up.  Truly a family mountain, Black has been owned by two brothers, John & Andy Fichera, since 1996.  They grew up skiing on the mountain, and bought it to retain its original character.  John moved his family up from Massachusetts when they bought it, and basically lives and breathes the mountain; his 18 year old son is an active part of the mountain operations.  Andy’s still down in MA, but obviously comes up with his family to help when he can!

And they’ve been successful in retaining the mountain’s original charm.  Black is a classic old-style skiers mountain.  No wide open cruisers here; the trails are narrow and twisty, winding through gnarled trees to the base area.  Until you know the mountain well, you may be surprised when you come out into the open and find yourself in a totally different place than you expected!  We were worried about the conditions we’d find; this was Saturday, and on Monday we’d had one of those horrible January rainstorms, dumping nearly 4 inches and melting everything in sight.  Our fears were unfounded, though…virtually no boilerplate, and most of the runs a firm corduroy that took an edge easily.  Even Susan, a relative beginner, had no problems, and later in the day was flying down the trails, having a total ball!  This is the kind of mountain where anyone can have fun…enough steep areas, enough twisties to keep you focused, and no crowds.  On a sunny Saturday, we literally didn’t wait in a lift line behind more than two groups at any time.  Like the slopes, the lifts are in the wind shadow, so we had comfortable, quiet trips up…perfect for enjoying our companions.

Old style lifts, old style trails, and old fashioned fun define Black Mountain (David Shedd photo)

In an era of mega-mountains, of more trails, faster lifts, bigger terrain parks, the charm of areas like Black Mountain really hits you.  There’s a totally different pace; people aren’t pushing to get into the lines (WHAT lines?) to make sure they get that one extra run in.  Perhaps its because they aren’t feeling as much wallet pinch…if you manage to buy the most expensive lift ticket possible, you’re out a whole $39.  Juniors, from 6-17, set you back $25…that’s weekend and holiday pricing.  But keep your eyes open for deals…if you’ve got a group going up, drop them an email and see what they can do for you.

Or take advantage of the deals they’ve worked out with area lodging.  We stayed at the Eagle Mountain Resort, a historic hotel that looks across at Black Mountain, and sits directly on the Jackson XC trails.  An old-style “grand hotel”, it was built in 1916 and looks a bit like a pocket-sized Mt. Washington Hotel.  Packages here are very affordable…their “Ski & Stay” package, which gets you a room, full breakfast, access to the fitness/spa area, and a ticket at Black or other local downhill or nordic areas, runs $124/person.  There are family-friendly packages as well; you can spend a weekend skiing with your family here for less than one airfare to a Western resort!

For once, a "white elephant" is a GOOD thing! (David Shedd photo)

And then there’s the rest of the story, which is the town itself.  Black Mountain and Jackson have an interwoven history, both supporting each other over the 75 years.  Drive the whole 2 minutes from Black to downtown Jackson, and find a host of shops, restaurants, and activities.  This year, Jackson decided to have their annual snow sculpting competition coincide with Black Mountain’s 75th anniversary…and the long partnership between the two paid off for them.  That miserable rainstorm early in the week wiped out their snow for the competition, but Black came to the rescue.  Their snowmaking equipment saved the day, and with the sculpting and judging moved to the ski area’s base lodge, the festive atmosphere grew.  I’ve never skied down a mountain before to be faced with a white Art Deco elephant, or a giant hand holding a half eaten apple.  Watching the sculptors at work was enlightening…the speed and precision of these people needs to be seen to be believed.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait another 75 years to see this repeated…but wait, just think what their 100th anniversary party will be like!  In the meantime, take advantage of the warm slopes and warm family atmosphere at Black Mountain, and in Jackson as a whole.

Welcome to Bolton Valley!  I skied there a number of years ago, and remembered that I’d had a lot of fun.  So, when I found myself with a day free in Vermont in January, I decided to check it out again.  It turns out that it’s the same old Bolton…and more.

So, what’s the same old Bolton?  It’s a mountain that’s easy to reach, just a few minutes off I89 between Montpelier and Burlington.

It's all right here, in one compact space, at Bolton (Bolton Valley photo)

It’s a resort that has parking right by the base lodge, and all the amenities in a compact space right there…park your car, carry your things inside, start skiing.  The slopeside hotel is attached to the base lodge (I did say “compact”), and offers good value.

It’s a mountain where the lifts feed back into the same base area, so you can stand at the bottom and watch for your kids.  Yes, there’s one lift that feeds down to the condominiums …but your kids would have to work at it to end up over there, and even that area isn’t far from the base lodge.

And, for aficionados of the Warren Miller movies, it’s the mountain where Eric and Rob DesLaurier learned their craft (you may have heard Rob’s name in the last couple of years…

Bolton's high altitude makes for great glade skiing (Bolton Valley photo)

he and his wife Kit climbed up Mt. Everest and then skiied down it!  If they could enjoy skiing at Bolton…there’s room for the rest of us!

Okay, now you know the old Bolton…here’s the “upgraded.”  A few years ago, they added a new chair that goes from the base to the summit in one run.  No more short-chair-to-another-chair-to the top…get on, ride up, get off, ski down.  Last time I went, I didn’t have a full day to spend…family obligations…so, it was perfect.  In a minimum time, I got in the maximum number of runs, had a blast, and went home happy!  In 2008-2009, they had a major snowmaking upgrade; they upgraded their pipes for more consistency, plus added new fan guns.  Result…more snow, better surface, more runs open more often.  And, they added a new Prinoth Bison groomer…that’s a mouthful, but it’s designed for varying terrain, including terrain parks, giving them a lot more flexibility in their grooming.

Of course, the powder isn't ONLY in the glades! (Bolton Valley photo)

Other things to know about Bolton include a great 64 trail system (12 of them for night skiing Wednesday-Saturday); three terrain parks for skiers and snowboarders; lots of bumps, glades and hidden tree shots for the hard core; the highest base elevation of any resort in Vermont (that means SNOW); several restaurants; and a good little deli/sundries store if you want to camp out in your room.  It’s a compact version of a Swiss ski village, without leaving the Northeast!  There’s also their Nordic trail system, which runs to about 100 kilometers…see if you can get bored doing that in a weekend.

While we’re at it, Bolton added a BIG wind turbine…it’s expected to produce around 300,000 kilowatt hours each year.  That offsets a LOT of their energy use.  They’re only the second ski

But it's not ALL serious skiing at Bolton! (Bolton Valley photo)

area in the country to put one of these beasts up (Jiminy Peak in MA was the first).  Very cool…just think, by skiing there, you’re supporting environmental initiatives!

Get out to Bolton, preferably for a couple of days or more, and enjoy the snow!