The VT Blog

Magic: Steeps, Trees, Bumps and an Indy Vibe

Posted on by Brownski

Every year when we re-up our Indy Pass, Magic Mountain is high on my list of destinations. Every visit has been magic. Our fondness for the place lined up nicely with last week’s weather and our patrol schedule.

Red Chair

We made plans; my son logged in and made reservations Thursday night. Friday night we got our gear together and set our alarms- not all that early though. We weren’t on a mission for first chair or anything — just a relaxed day at a great hill.

When Junior and I pulled into the parking lot on Saturday at 9 AM, the place was hopping. We knew it would be busy, given the fresh snow and Presidents’ week.

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Tagged: Indy Pass, Magic, VT12 Comments

Winter Starts When Killington Says So

Posted on by Brownski

Winter starts when Killington says it does. That may sound like marketing hype, but it rings true to me. In addition to being big and burly and awesome, Killington is known for doing whatever it takes to extend its season on both ends. As soon as temps drop low enough, even if it is still October, Killington’s snowmakers get the mountain open.

K1 Lodge

This year that turned out to be Wednesday — November 12. I wanted to be there for opening day but couldn’t get away midweek so I settled for Friday.

Killington is a long haul for me. I don’t do well getting out of bed before 5 AM, so I cheat a little to day-trip the place.

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Tagged: Killington, VT14 Comments

A New York Skier’s Season in Photos: 2024/25

Posted on by Steve Aaron

Ski season is over in the east, and it was an interesting one with good snow cover in the heart of the season and then a quick ending with warm temps and no big late season storms. I got my days in, had my fun and took a bunch of photos as the camera is always in my pocket. Here are some of my favorite images from 2024/25.

Hunter Mountain snowmaker

My season opened at Hunter, where I caught this image of the snowmaker looking back to make sure that everything was right. The footsteps in the untouched snow with the lone person initially caught my eye while riding the lift. Behind the scene was this person’s attention to detail, doing what was needed to help ensure opening day was a good one.

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Tagged: Adirondacks, Catskills, VT13 Comments