Morning Raid on Stratton Mountain
Stratton is located about 3 hours west of Boston and 30 minutes north - or if you drive like me, less. I departed in the 5AM stilldark of the morning, chasing half a foot of snow reported by Ski the East. Day-tripping to Vermont ski destinations is adventuresome business, but I had a ski buddy with me. As far as ski buddies go, Michael “Lenny” Leonard has mastered the essential elements, which doesn’t include a mastery of skis. Adventuresome-ness, stamina, and acceptance of setbacks are more important than skiing ability - all the more so when attempting to catch first chair from another state. As we traveled, Lenny recounted little-known facts from little-known Massachusetts towns along Route 2′s Mohawk trail: Wendell, Orange, Farley, it turns out Erving is lovely place to live.
The Skiing
The movies speak for themselves - 6 inches of fresh snow, enjoyed in the sun, let rest and mix well with beers on tap. Roasted. We were rewarded for our passion. My skis, Rossignol S5 Alpine Barras, are designed for that type of snow. Wider than most New England style skis, twin-tipped, stiff and snappy, and most of all light; I got to shred:
This Is Me Shredding - Remember to turn the volume up and expand to full screen!
This is a good look at Stratton’s glade skiing. You might have to switch internet browsers, but the video is worth it! I almost hurt myself, fun!
Stratton Mountain
Apart from the half foot of new snow, Stratton really wasn’t my style of mountain. Neither very tall nor very steep, you can “do” Stratton in a day. Accordingly, it seems Stratton has positioned itself as a fantastic family mountain. The base lodge is part of a complex of faux-Swiss-town looking shops. Unfortunately, the shops are neither quaint nor Swiss - but they were faux. I was surprised I couldn’t find The Gap. The rest was palatable however, and I noticed they had free cocoa and smores for the kids at a central firepit. That seemed nice. But, at the time it was lost on me - Lenny and I were looking to grab an “apres ski” beer (pronounced a-prey, it’s French, Lenny) but all the watering holes were shared by 8-year-olds. Lenny and I don’t drink with children, we have standards. The Green Door Pub was more our style, it has no windows and leopard print carpets. At any rate, I was also impressed by Stratton’s numerous high-speed-6-person chairlifts. Stratton might not be a big mountain, but it keeps you skiing.
Trails
A double-black at Stratton is really a single diamond. However, they do a good job with glade skiing (meaning skiing in the trees). They have a funny area called “Test Pilot” which resembles toboggan sledding… on skis. The other glades I tried were nice, though without steep terrain they lacked some thrill. As for less difficult skiing, the rest of the mountain is yours!
Forward Calendar:
Stowe, VT Feb 5&6
Killington, VT Feb 12&13
So if you’re like me and your boss is curious how long “Christmas Beards” last… Stay tuned!
P.S. Lenny took the Ferry to P-Town, then took the Cape Cod Wave bus to Harwich. No bridges, no cars. (does anyone even know what I’m talking about? Check out the previous post…)
