What’s New in Vermont For 2023/24
Photo by Peter James Eisenhaure on Unsplash
The Green Mountains of Vermont turn white each winter, with the snow we downhillers and XC enthusiasts love to enjoy. Here’s what’s new in Vermont for the upcoming season, including new lifts, terrain and snowmaking, to make the season better and last longer, along with some special anniversaries, too.
In alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way –
Bromley
The resort has upgraded snowmaking for better coverage.
Burke Mountain
Known for churning out Olympians, Burke Mountain is a top destination in the Northeast Kingdom. There is upgraded snowmaking this season, including increased water pressure delivery to its high efficiency snow guns, allowing it to open more terrain faster and more efficiently.
Killington
The Beast of the East continues to upgrade and improve its snowmaking system, replacing large sections of pipeline and adding more low-energy snowguns to their arsenal. Folding in the variable speed electric compressor from last season, there is more efficiently-made snow that ever before. Killington is also adding a new Pinoth Bison X groomer and winch to their technical grooming fleet. The winch increases snowmaking accuracy by providing snow depth readings, ensuring snow goes where it’s needed and eliminating waste and saving time. The Canyon Quad got a motor rebuild.
Lydon Outing Club
Small but mighty and with a passionate crew, Lyndon Outing Club rolls into the season with a new groomer and new terrain park features. The area is one of the state’s few places offering night skiing.
Mad River Glen
The iconic and beloved resort celebrates its 75th season. The traditional 75th anniversary gift is diamonds, which is fitting since Mad River continues to be a staple for those seeking expert terrain on natural snow in northern Vermont. Mad River Glen comes into the new season with upgraded snowmaking for the lower mountain and it’s increasingly popular kids’ ski school program.
Magic
Magic doubles uphill capacity this season with the anew Summit Quad. Combined with the continued 1,500-ticket-a-day cap (including holidays) and the new RFID POS system allowing new and returning skiers to skip the ticket window, the area promises little to no lift lines. An expanded snowmaking pond and upgraded intake pipe more than doubles the snowmaking abilities.
Mount Snow
The resort has reconfigured its beginner area and upgraded its administration building.
Okemo
Okemo now participates in the My Epic App program, along with all other Vail Resorts destinations in North America. The hands-free program is new this season, allowing pass holders to keep pass information on their phones for ticketless access, eliminating the need for even an RFID card. It’s also in use at Mount Snow and Stowe.
Pico
A local favorite, Pico got a new haul rope on the Summit Express. The complete overhaul of the ski area’s pump house and addition of 25 new low-energy snowguns triples snowmaking capacity, which means making snow faster over a larger area with less energy.
Stratton
Stratton starts this season with a reimagined Learning Zone, complete with three new covered magic carpets in the main base area, new park locations on East Byrnes Side and Betwixt, and the new Stratton Boardercross (formerly Big Ben). There’s also new snowmaking technology which can double output. The time saved can be spend running the area’s new Prinoth Bison X groomer. New RFID scanning at all major lifts means quicker lift loading for more time on the slopes. Ski Butlers is also now available as a rental service.
Stowe Mountain Resort
Stowe is introducing the updated My Epic App with Mobile Pass hands-free technology, which allows guests to buy their pass or lift ticket online, activate and store it in the app, put their phone back in their pocket, and be scanned automatically when loading the lift, via low-energy Bluetooth. The technology is available at all Epic Pass locations in the US this season.
Sugarbush
Continuing to invest heavily in snowmaking upgrades with another $3 million dedicated to enhancing snowmaking infrastructure, Sugarbush focused on projects on Mt. Ellen this summer. These investments cap a multiyear effort to improve snowmaking systems, including energy-efficient upgrades to Northstar, Inverness, and the Summit Quad terrain. Combined with new pumps, the upgrades allow Sugarbush to make snow across the mountain faster and with less energy, to recover more quickly from thaw-and-freeze weather events.
Trapp Family Lodge
The family-owned XC destination has replaced and repaired culverts and landscaping, and improved brush management. There are plans to install a new HKD fan gun to cover more ground and expand the ski season. Apres ski often means a glass or mug of crisp Austrian lagers from the in-house Trapp Brewery.
INDY XC PASS – THE NATIONAL SKI PASS FOR CROSS COUNTRY SKIERS
Most dedicated winter sports enthusiasts are familiar with the major season passes such as Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective and Indy Pass, among others. Until recently, these multi-ski area passes have been geared only toward Alpine skiing and snowboarding. Not anymore! Make way for the season pass specifically for cross country (XC) skiing and a deal that highlights XC skiing for Alpine skiers and snowboarders.
The Indy XC Pass has doubled the number of participating XC ski areas for the 2023-24 season with now more than 40 XC ski areas providing two days of trail access for $99 adult and $49 youth (12 and under). XC skiing is also offered as an add-on pass to the regular alpine/snowboard Indy Pass that was available (during specified dates for $399 for adults. The Indy XC Pass for alpine/snowboard passholders is $79 add-on for adults and $39 add-on for kids at 180 alpine ski areas, where applicable.
The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA), which is an organization of XC ski areas) partnered with Indy. Check the Indy Pass website for the full list of participating XC ski areas. Some of the significant XC ski areas that are located in different regions where XC skiers can ski two times at each area include:
EAST
High Point XC Center, NJ; WhiteGrass Touring Center, WV; In Vermont the Indy areas include Woodstock Nordic Center, Rikert Nordic Center, Trapp Family Lodge, Jay Peak XC Ctr and Catamount Outdoor Family Center; in NH Jackson XC and the Adventure Center at Waterville Valley; the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center (on the banner photo at the top of the article) and Quarry Road Trails in Maine, and Garnet Hill, NY.
CENTRAL, MOUNTAIN and WEST
Maplelag Resort, MN; Treetops Resorts in Gaylord, MI, Minoqua Winter Park, WI; Enchanted Forest Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoe Area in NM; Crosscut Mtn Sports Ctr in Bozeman, MT; and Bear Valley Adventure Ctr in CA and Methow Trails in WA. There are 8 others in these regions.
Alpine ski areas that have XC skiing on the Indy Pass include Black Mountain of Maine; Jay Peak, VT; Waterville Valley, NH; Andes Tower Hill, MN; 49 Degrees North in WA; and Meadows Nordic Center at Mt Hood, OR.
Canadian resorts are participating, too including Whistler Olympic Park, Manning Park, Sovereign Lake, Nickel Plate XC Ski Club and 9 others in British Columbia.
The Indy Pass XC ski areas provide a wonderful cross section of experiences and destinations and it is anticipated that the Indy XC Pass will extend to more XC ski areas in future years.
Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash
Depending on where one lives, that cost for XC skiing can be reduced with the Indy XC Pass. For example, those who live in the northeast can receive two visits at each of participating resorts in New England and New York within reasonable driving distance for the $99 Indy XC Pass or about $8 per visit. However, the $99 price tag allows XC skiers to discover new areas to visit and also offers an attractive enticement to those who are interested in learning the sport.
Most XC ski areas charge about $25 for a day pass to ski on their marked, maintained, and groomed trails. Many of these trails have set manicured tracks that make it easy for anyone to ski. Taking advantage of the Indy XC Pass will save a small amount and help XC skiers to discover some new ski areas to visit.
Promoting the Indy XC Pass will increase awareness of XC skiing and it will educate nonskiers and Alpine skiers about XC skiing at areas that provide marked and regularly groomed trails. The image of XC skiing to many people is going out to ski at parks when it snows, breaking trails, or skiing in a previous skiers’ tracks in ungroomed snow conditions. Cross country ski areas use machines to groom the trails to provide consistent ski conditions all winter. Additionally, there are more than 50 areas that can produce machine-made snow because sometimes Mother Nature can be snow-stingy in the winter.
Preliminary result findings about redemptions of the Indy XC Pass in the first year show that many of the users were Alpine skiers going to the Indy XC Pass areas. This was a great way to introduce XC skiing to Alpine skiers and encourage them to try it. The fact is that the Indy Pass is the only major pass offered to skiers that offers either or both Alpine and XC skiing.
XC skiers who go to a few XC areas because of the Indy XC Pass may very well discover the joy of XC skiing regularly and raise it to a higher status as a prime recreational endeavor in their quiver of things to do in the winter. For more information, see https://www.indyskipass.com/ or https://xcski.org/
Heading into the New Season
Phil Johnson, Richard Lambert, and Mike Roth at Boston Snowbound Expo 2022.
From the Publisher –
What gets you most psyched up for ski season? For me there are a few things. The first snowfall of the season is always exciting, and there are few sounds I enjoy more than my car tires crunching freshly fallen snow. When my kids were growing up, going to the fall ski swap was a family ritual.
This year I eagerly await visiting the Snowbound Expo in Boston in early November. Last year was the first show after a two-year pandemic hiatus. I was both amazed and delighted to notice how long the line was to get in. The passion of my fellow snow enthusiasts was palatable.
I hope your list includes your SeniorsSkiing subscription and the articles we bring to keep you informed and entertained this season. Please don’t hesitate to share your stories and story ideas with us. Think Snow!
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