Do You Believe in Magic (Part 2)
Hopefully you enjoyed our story on skinning and skiing Magic Mountain last December. With February vacation week upon us (and the masses descending on the ski resorts), here’s five other ski resorts in Vermont that are uphill friendly.
Burke Mountain: Whether it’s the adventurous spirit of the Northeast Kingdom, its isolation from other resorts, or the desire to carry-over the bike-built fitness to winter, Burke Mountain is one of the best destinations in Vermont for uphill skiers. Burke is open to uphillers during both operational and non-operational hours, but the mountain asks that skiers obtain a free uphill pass and identifying armband. follow a few simple guidelines. Additionally, uphillers should stick to the sides of the trail, wear highly visible clothing, and choose a route that keeps you in plain sight of downhill skiers. When accessing the mountain in off hours, ski with a partner, and avoid mountain operations.
Bromley: A short drive down the road from Magic in Peru, is Bromley Mountain. Better known for being one of Vermont’s most family-friendly resorts, Bromley may soon find itself with a reputation for being one of the state’s accommodating mountains to uphill skiers. Uphillers are welcome on any of the mountain’s open trails during operational hours with the only restriction being that they must stick to the edges of the trail.
Okemo: In addition to offering the most vertical drop in Vermont (2,200 feet) Ludlow’s Okemo Mountain also offers one of the state’s best uphill policies. Uphill skiers are extended almost unfettered access to the mountain—they’re only asked to avoid going uphill in advanced terrain, ski only on open trails, and to stay out of the way of mountain operations like grooming and snowmaking. It’s prefered that uphillers use the mountain during operational hours, however, if using the resort off hours they ask that you comply with a few simple requests, such as skiing with a light, wearing something reflective, and to avoid skiing alone.
Jay Peak: Access Jay Peak’s more than 350 inches of annual snow—and its legendary backcountry—under your own power with Jay Peak’s free uphill pass. Much like Okemo, Jay Peak prefers uphillers to stick to skinning during the mountain’s operational hours. Check in with customer service before heading up the mountain to sign an acknowledgment of risk agreement, get your uphill pass, and discover the designated uphill route.
Ascutney Outdoors: Looking for something a little different? Look no further than Ascutney Outdoors, formerly Ascutney Mountain. Blurring the line between resort and backcountry, Ascutney currently has a free rope tow that services the lower slopes of the mountain with plans to install a T-Bar that will take skiers to the middle of the mountain. Uphill travel at Ascutney is free an permitted at any time. Even more appealing, is that many of the upper mountain’s old trails are being re-opened and are only accessible by human power—making them a perfect place for powder hunting.
Looking for more on our content on uphill? Check out these tips for becoming an uphill star and this piece about everything you need to know for uphilling at the resort.
By Doug Martland & Tim Peck
