Capturing the Moment

  The gondola here at Stowe, with a winter wonderland behind. Well I certainly can't complain about this winter, here in Stowe, Vermont. For all the skiers and snowboarders, it has been a winter consistent snow and below freezing temps that have opened up just about every trail and glade that you can do on the mountain. I took advantage of having the epic ski pass for Stowe, and clocked 45 days, 199 lifts ridden, and over 300,000 vertical feet on my snowboard. I entered the trees and glades for the first time ever, and had multiple weekends with my entire family on the slopes. I explored more over on the Spruce Mountain side, and avoided any injuries. I watched my three year old go from stepping into skis for the first time, to getting off the lift and heading down an entire run, all on her own. My five year old showed me a new trail through the woods, and my seven year old improved her turns and headed off to ski with her friends several times. All three got to ski with their scho...

  A cute, Vermont town, with a frozen river running through it, getting snowed on. It has been a winter to remember here in the small mountain town of Stowe, Vermont. We've had over 200 inches of snow this winter up on our ski mountain, Mount Mansfield. But the amazing thing, is that over the months of January and February, the temperatures have remained below freezing, so the snow has accumulated. A couple of inches here, and a couple more there have really started to add up. With the temperatures remaining so low, the snow coverage coats just about everything, giving off the vibe of a winter wonderland. The rivers are mostly frozen and covered in snow, and the cute little towns, with their main streets and tall, steepled churches remain covered with a white blanket as well. Everywhere I look, it is like I'm staring into a painting. I imagine this will all bring a heck of a mud season later, when it does all finally melt, but I am going to enjoy it for all its worth now. I...

  Its such a nice day for a hike! After several snowboarding runs on the mountain (they finally opened up the high speed gondola today!), I headed out into the woods, along Vermont's famous Long Trail, to try and get some good winter landscapes. Today was a beautiful day here in Stowe, Vermont. The temperatures hovered just above freezing, and the recent rains didn't wash away the snow in the forest. After a few runs on the high speed gondola at Stowe Mountain Resort, I headed off deeper into Smuggler's Notch to do a bit of hiking off the beaten path. Right at the entrance to the Notch, which is closed to all vehicle traffic for the winter, is a boardwalk trail that is part of the bigger Long Trail. I still had my snowboard boots on so I was prepared for some deep snow hiking. It was a good thing because I did find some pretty deep snow. It seems that not a lot of people have ventured here since winter has set in. But this is one place that I know is beautiful in just about...