On a June day in 1922, the month of the summer solstice, Vermont's first poet laureate wrote "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Six months separated Robert Frost from the cold, dark days of winter, yet he immortalized the season for generations of Vermonters. With its official arrival in two weeks, winter once again moves from imagination to real life. These are the days when Vermonters consider the question: What should we do when the sun sets at four o'clock in the afternoon and it's 12 degrees outside? While it's tempting to crawl under a blanket with a cup of cocoa and a book of poetry, it's exhilarating to don a pair of skis or swim in an outdoor, heated pool as snowflakes fall. Continuing a series started last year, we asked five Vermonters to share their favorite winter activities and destinations — the things they do and places they go not simply to survive winter, but to celebrate it. None of them suggested reading Frost's poem, but bookseller Kari Meutsch said she loves "any book where winter is as much a part of the story as any human character." Winter weather is a central theme in Vermont for at least four months a year. Here's hoping these suggestions from fellow Vermonters will help brighten and enliven the season. Jonny Adler Town: Stowe Occupations: Entrepreneur; cofounder of the Skinny Pancake; founder of a base camp for bikers and skiers opening in Waitsfield in 2023 Age: 43 You're a super experienced downhill skier. When you want to push the Alpine envelope, where do you go for backcountry skiing? Oh man, where to start?! David Goodman's Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast is the single best resource to get into the sport, with 50 classic ski tours, almost all of which are doable as day trips from anywhere in Vermont. To self-guide your way into the sport, I highly recommend Braintree Mountain Forest and Brandon Gap because they have fantastic terrain and they are mapped and maintained by the backcountry heroes at the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective. For a little more help, Bolton Valley is your spot. You can get instruction and even hire a guide to tour around thousands of acres of mostly north- and east-facing terrain. For a unique adventure that's off the beaten path and super scenic, check out the Willoughby State Forest zone maintained…
On a June day in 1922, the month of the summer solstice, Vermont's first poet laureate wrote "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Six months separated Robert Frost from the cold, dark days of winter, yet he immortalized the season for generations of Vermonters. With its official arrival in two weeks, winter once again moves from imagination to real life. These are the days when Vermonters consider the question: What should we do when the sun sets at four o'clock in the afternoon and it's 12 degrees outside? While it's tempting to crawl under a blanket with a cup of cocoa and a book of poetry, it's exhilarating to don a pair of skis or swim in an outdoor, heated pool as snowflakes fall. Continuing a series started last year, we asked five Vermonters to share their favorite winter activities and destinations — the things they do and places they go not simply to survive winter, but to celebrate it. None of them suggested reading Frost's poem, but bookseller Kari Meutsch said she loves "any book where winter is as much a part of the story as any human character." Winter weather is a central theme in Vermont for at least four months a year. Here's hoping these suggestions from fellow Vermonters will help brighten and enliven the season. Jonny Adler Town: Stowe Occupations: Entrepreneur; cofounder of the Skinny Pancake; founder of a base camp for bikers and skiers opening in Waitsfield in 2023 Age: 43 You're a super experienced downhill skier. When you want to push the Alpine envelope, where do you go for backcountry skiing? Oh man, where to start?! David Goodman's Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast is the single best resource to get into the sport, with 50 classic ski tours, almost all of which are doable as day trips from anywhere in Vermont. To self-guide your way into the sport, I highly recommend Braintree Mountain Forest and Brandon Gap because they have fantastic terrain and they are mapped and maintained by the backcountry heroes at the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective. For a little more help, Bolton Valley is your spot. You can get instruction and even hire a guide to tour around thousands of acres of mostly north- and east-facing terrain. For a unique adventure that's off the beaten path and super scenic, check out the Willoughby State Forest zone maintained…
