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FeedWhite on Green
You don’t need to know how to ski to have winter fun in the mountains of Southern Vermont—but it doesn’t hurt.
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T
o ski or not to ski? Whether you do, don’t, or want to but haven’t yet, the only real question is how much on- and off-slope fun you can fit into one winter getaway to the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont.
If you’re looking for the quintessential small-town New England experience, situate yourself in Manchester, Bennington, Dorset, Arlington, Peru or one of more than a dozen other neighboring villages—collectively known as the Shires of Vermont. Nearby, you’ll find two major Alpine skiing and snowboarding destinations, miles of groomed cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails on a historic estate, and ice skating at an Olympic-size community rink.
Visit a sugarhouse (or two) to see how the state’s famous maple products go from tree to table. Sample artisan-crafted cheeses and chocolates. Shop for everything from housewares to haute couture at country stores, boutiques and outlets. And take in the local talent at any of Southern Vermont’s visual and performing arts centers.
With its more than 40 trails covering 300 acres, an over-1,300-foot vertical drop and 10 lifts, Bromley Mountain (3984 Route 11, Peru; 802-824-5522, bromley.com) offers varied Alpine terrain, from the winding but beginner-friendly West Side to the expert-caliber Black Diamond East Side trails. New England’s only slopes with Southern exposure, Bromley is nicknamed “Vermont’s Sun Mountain.” Go mid-week and adult lift tickets cost $39 ($63 on weekends); check out the discounts for kids on Family Fridays and “Lift and Lunch” packages on Tuesdays. Bromley has a particular affinity for slope novices. Beginner Circle lessons for newbie skiers and boarders ages 13 and up are $104 for a full day and guarantee results (or another lesson is free).
If, after you’ve tested the terrain for an hour at Stratton Mountain Resort (5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain; 800-STRATTON, stratton.com), conditions aren’t to your liking, you’ll get a free lift ticket for another day with the property’s “Great Snow Guarantee.” Located on the highest peak in Southern Vermont, with a vertical drop of more than 2,000 feet, Stratton has 92 easy-to-expert trails on 600 acres with 14 lifts (adult tickets range from $59/weekdays to $78/weekends). Long renowned for its snowboarding school (one-hour adult beginner group lessons are $45), Stratton will celebrate its 25th year as the home of the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in March.
Guided nighttime snowmobile tours are available on Saturday nights at Stratton. Adults can ride the trails for one hour for $85 ($25/passenger), and kids can get a 10-minute mini-version for $15. For snowmobiling in Green Mountain National Forest, go to Equinox Snow Tours (6 miles from Manchester at the junctions of routes 11 and 30, Winhall; 802-824-6628, snowmobile.com). Cost for an adult driver is $107 ($40/passenger); 15-minute, private-trail mini-tours for drivers ages 5 and up are $15.
It’s a winter tradition for families in the Manchester area to gather for ice skating at Manchester’s Olympic-size indoor Riley Rink (Hunter Park Road, a few miles off Route 7; 802-362-0150, rileyrink.com; $5/adults, $3/children, teens and seniors). On Saturdays from 4 to 10 p.m., the outdoor rink at Stratton Mountain Resort’s Village Common is open to the public for free skating (skate rentals also free).
