Opening day and the stoke is real!
They were all saying, 'winter is coming.' But not anymore, because winter is here! Today was opening day at the Stowe Mountain Resort. Skiers and snowboarders lined up early in the morning to get their first ride of the winter. The excitement levels have increased over the last two days because of new snow falling on the mountain. Added to all the man-made snow things were looking pretty good!
The beautiful town of Stowe, Vermont.
I got to the mountain a little before the first lift opened at 9am. They were still handing out breakfast sandwiches. I think I got the second to last one, and scarfed it down while I waited in the lift line. At the end of last season I was injured with a sprained ankle, so I missed a few days at the mountain, so I was extra hungry to get up there this morning. The sandwich helped hit the spot.
I joined the opening celebration with free breakfast sandwiches!
The parking lot was packed with folks as eager as me. The mountain looked beautiful, covered in snow. From a picture it would be hard to tell that it was opening day, and not midway through the season. The first couple of runs were pretty crowded, and there were definitely some bottlenecks, since there was only a few trails open. However, everyone was in high spirits and jovial, and excited to be back on the mountain.
I ended up snowboarding six runs for 12,000+ vertical feet. I didn't want to push it too much past that on opening day. But my ankle felt good, and the movements and motions of snowboarding came back to me very quickly. The six pack and the quad lifts were open, but I stuck to the quad to get the max distance and elevation. It takes you up from the base to 3,548ft. Looking at my stats is says that my 6 runs equaled 17 miles of snowboarding today! Love it.
First ride up and already covered in snow.
I couldn't help but take some photos of the little town of Stowe on my way. It is such a quintessential New England town, and the snow only makes it feel even more cozy. It is a wonderful place to base yourself when visiting the mountain. Hopefully today is a sign of things to come, and we will have a winter for the ages!
Calm conditions at the top of the quad, Stowe Mountain. 3,548ft.
Getting excited on my first ride up. Some folks skinned up the mountain early and laid some tracks on under the lift.
Some sticks still showing up through the snow, but its a good start!
The parking lot at 8:55am was bustling.
This is who was waiting for me when I got back from the mountain!
Opening day, and the woods at the summit look like this!
Where to go? Well, not many choices on opening day, but the trails that are open are pretty nice!
So many excited people for opening day. Although, not overwhelming and just a great vibe on the mountain!
Stowe this morning. Looking down Main Street towards the famous Stowe church. The steeple is still down, getting worked on.
Not a bad place to stroll after a fun day on the slopes.
Another angle on Main Street, Stowe.
I flew my drone up to get this shot. You can just make out the ski slopes on the Mountain in the background. This was taken from about 300ft above my house.
Our little slice of Stowe heaven.
Beautiful winterscape in downtown Stowe this morning.
The kids getting a sled ride through the Christmas tree farm.
Still riding a high!
As always, keep traveling and keep posting.
- Dai Mar