This winter hasn’t been very enticing for skiing or snowboarding on account of the poor snow conditions. When the ski club departed for the Vermont Ski Trip I signed up for I told myself not to set high expectations.

The group stayed in Burlington, Vermont and went to 4 different ski hills. On the first day we went to Bolton Valley, a quaint ski hill. Unfortunately, due to a warm spell just before our trip the snow was icy and not all of the lifts or runs were open. It was a good warm up day for a 4 days of skiing. I spent most of my time on Timberline Peak and some black diamonds on Vista Peak. The old chairs gave a few of some knocks or know downs.

On our second we skied Sugarbush. Which turned out to be one of my favourites. It was a fairly substantially sized hill with a variety of runs. The quality of snow was pretty good considering. The Slide Brook Express Quad was a fun lift that takes skiers across a valley from Lincoln Peak to Mt. Ellen. Alternatively there are shuttles. Back on Lincoln Peak side I found some fun glades and even spotted Saskwatch. Overall this is a very professional and classy ski resort. We stopped off at the Burton headquarters on the way back to the hill.

Jay Peak was our third day ski hill. I could see why this is a popular hill among so many Canadians. It is close to the Quebec border, has a waterpark and a variety of runs. Unfortunately, we were there on a very icy day. We made the best of it and enjoyed the sun. The black diamond run called “The Jet” was particularly challenging with the hard packed icy snow. Another interesting feature is the ‘haunted house” at the top of the Ariel Tram. On this night, we got our wish. It snowed.

With all the fresh powder that accumulated overnight, Smugglers’ Notch was a dream! I think we did it all. This resort has 3 mountains of fun and we did it all. Carving through pow filled my heart! Smugglers became my favourite hill! This area also has an interesting history. Back in the 1800s, these mountains and their caves were a popular smuggling route for embargoed goods to cross from Canada to the US. This route was used again for the prohibition.

Meanwhile back in Burlington, the group stumbled upon Lincolns. This speak easy style establishment caters to this college town crowd. Even if your uni years are well behind you, you’ll enjoy this discovering… if you can find your way in.