Trip report - Craftsbury, Vermont - 2 Feb 2006

I skied today at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Conditions were fair.
Given the bad weather, it was impressive that they had almost all their
trails open. Snow cover was generally good; there were only a couple of
places we saw all day where there was a gap in the snow. And tracks
were set just about everywhere where you would want them. As good a job
as the people at Craftsbury do, I can't call the conditions "good",
though, because the snow was either hard-packed or starting to melt.

We had a great time, skiing from the touring center down to Craftsbury
village and back. There are very few places in New England (Jackson,
New Hampshire is the only other place I can think of) where you can have
a "Norway-type" experience of skiing across the town. Back at the
touring center, we skied on one of the more conventional
"touring-center-style" trails, Ruthie's Run, and that was fun, too.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so it's unclear what happens next for
ski season in New England ...

Lew Lasher
Stowe, Vermont and Cambridge, Massachusetts

I agree with your comment about ski touring. Craftsbury provides the
only true Scandinavian type touring that I have seen in the Northeast.
Within a few K you can ski over a lake, through fields, forest, past
farms, in and out of town. It is my favorate XC center. Even at Mt.
Sainte Anne you still feel like you are skiing in circles on a
preserve. Jackson doesn't come close, where I have skied a golf course
with next to no snow and been hailed for my trail pass multiple times
in one morning (at a non-profit center, no less).

I skied Craftsbury at New Year's and they did a lot of nice patching of
bare spots, by hand, to make the trail conditions pretty good.

Lew Lasher wrote:
I skied today at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Conditions were fair.
Given the bad weather, it was impressive that they had almost all their
trails open. Snow cover was generally good; there were only a couple of
places we saw all day where there was a gap in the snow. And tracks
were set just about everywhere where you would want them. As good a job
as the people at Craftsbury do, I can't call the conditions "good",
though, because the snow was either hard-packed or starting to melt.

We had a great time, skiing from the touring center down to Craftsbury
village and back. There are very few places in New England (Jackson,
New Hampshire is the only other place I can think of) where you can have
a "Norway-type" experience of skiing across the town. Back at the
touring center, we skied on one of the more conventional
"touring-center-style" trails, Ruthie's Run, and that was fun, too.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow, so it's unclear what happens next for
ski season in New England ...

Lew Lasher
Stowe, Vermont and Cambridge, Massachusetts

preserve. Jackson doesn't come close, where I have skied a golf
course
with next to no snow and been hailed for my trail pass multiple times
in one morning (at a non-profit center, no less).


Has anyone skied Jackson under really good conditions? The only time I
was there it was 4:15 PM and the temp was around 6 F so I didn't
venture too far from the lodge, but I get the impression that there is
quite a large and diverse trail network in and around the village.

Over new Year's I was at Far Hills (a bit north of Montreal) and they
do provide a similar type experience--and perhaps a bit more as well.
(Only downside is their grooming is not exactly world-class).

The have nice trails in a park that connect different toouring centers,
that also connect with backcountry trails that go behind small
villages, that also connect with an enormous "rail trail" that goes for
a few 100 k (passes through Tremblant).

We passed an older couple on the rail trail, skiing with their fresh
baggets slung over their shoulders. (Too cute...)

Speaking of Far Hills, the New Jersey Nordic Ski Club is running a trip
to the Laurentian's from Feb. 26 to March 4. They're not staying at
the Far Hills Inn, but the pricing of $455US PP double occupancy
including breakfasts, dinners and bag lunches is great. The club has
run the trip for 15 years, so all the kinks have been worked out.
Contact Herb at for more information. NJ Nordic
is the only Nordic only ski club in the NY metro area. They also have
a yahoo group at njnordic.