Just about two weeks have passed since lift service reopened at Stowe Mountain Resort for the winter of 2020-21. There has been modest but not overwhelming participation so far, which should come as no great shock to anyone. After all, this pandemic is no laughing matter and it has forced many to think about just what kind of skiing will justify the risk of being out in the public arena. Beyond that is the reality that without much significant snowfall, there hasn’t been much to whip up enthusiasm among the locals.
Having painted perhaps a less than rosy picture, The Scribe would like to add that all things being considered, the skiing has been pretty decent on the five days to date that he has visited the hill. With so many days where the temperature at its coldest has been in the low 30s, the snowmaking team has often been forced to tread water. When the nights have turned cold, however, the tower guns come on.
Terrain options are limited for sure. To date it has been two roads off the top — Ridgeview and upper Lord, aka Panic Alley. Then come Centerline, Sunrise and Middle Lord, the last better known to your scribe as Skimeister. From the elevation of the top of the triple chair you will either be on North Slope, or perhaps 5th Avenue, to Standard to Lower Lord. Everyone comes back together at Crossover to enjoy the final drop down the old Practice Slope, as it was known in the heyday of the single chair and the Mansfield T-bar, for the return to the quad loading area.
Skiers and riders have enjoyed relatively peaceful descents for one simple reason: social distancing has ensured that lifts are operating at around half capacity. The math is simple — fewer folks up the hill, fewer folks down the hill. The Scribe began his skiing in Stowe in the early winters of the 1950s. A long relationship with Mount Mansfield brings the benefit of perspective. On the other hand, his descents now take place at a more measured pace. Happily, he has not yet been buzzed by speeding skiers or snowboarders.
This past Friday was his first weekday visit and you could ski right onto the quad. At 9 a.m., the corral was empty. It was mild, the snow was soft and there was only the faintest hint of wind. It was overcast up high but with so few skiers and riders with whom to share the run — on this day only one route off the top was open —you felt almost alone on the hill. Saturday the weather had grown colder, the guns were on and the crowds were more noticeable. The parking lot was probably three-quarters full, which is about normal for the first Saturday in December when it hasn’t really snowed yet.
At mid-morning, it was time to pop into the Octagon. No more than a couple of dozen skis and snowboards could be seen outside the building so it seemed like a visit would not be fraught with peril. The resort is also limiting occupancy to comply with the rules. So far, most people don’t seem to have much appetite for visiting these lodges.
This brings up an interesting question. The state has been very vocal in instituting its quarantine rules. In essence, visitors from out of state are asked to quarantine for two weeks before venturing out in public. Yet at the same time, every effort is being made to keep the ski resorts operating. But as The Scribe was returning to his car on Saturday morning, his route led him along a line-up of parked vehicles. The license plates were Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Texas, and so on. Masks and social distancing come easily to this sport, thus providing a significant amount of protection. But how does that quarantining thing work? This seems to be akin to being on the horns of a dilemma.
Returning back to the weekend, on Sunday morning arriving skiers and riders learned that high winds up high had forced a shutdown of the quad. If you wanted to take a run, you were going to be riding the triple chair. Fair enough, this is nothing new, losing access due to wind. In a way, it felt almost re-assuring, after all in a normal winter, this is the sort of thing that happens periodically. In fact, that may have been the highlight of the winter to date, since every other day has felt, well, a bit strange. For this skier, though, he soon reached the conclusion that this was going to be a one and done day. It’s nice to ride the triple once in awhile for a change of pace, but when it’s the only game in town, it is a different story.
Early seasons without much snowfall are nothing new at a mountain that has offered lift service to its skiers for over 80 years. Some winters start fast and end quietly, other winters are just the opposite. When there’s not much snow as Christmas approaches, panic begins to set in among local hoteliers, restaurateurs and resort staff about the prospect of a green Christmas week. Then the mercury plummets, the guns fire up big time, a storm rolls up off the coast, another one swoops across the northern plains and the next thing you know, everyone is raving about how great the winter has been. It is very early yet, so don’t give in to pessimism.
Kim Brown lives in Waterbury Center with his very understanding family.
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