No snow, no problem!
Summertime on Vt. mountains offers a big dose of adventure
When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to be part of a family with a mountain getaway house. How I loved that place; the sheer “away from it all” vibe of all those winter weekends gave me a chance to chill, play and then reset for another week.
But every spring my family closed up the house and bid it — along with mountain life — farewell until next winter. It wasn't until I met my husband and he gasped, “You don't use your mountain house in the summer?” that I even considered it odd. After all, back then, once ski season ended, mountain resorts pretty much shut down. Sure, a few had scenic lift rides, but for the most part, mountain summer activity was for dedicated hikers and climbers.
All that has changed. Today, late May means most resorts have taken a short breather but are ready to launch into what is fast becoming their busiest, most active season: summer on the mountain.
From zip lining to mountain coasters to mountain biking and more, New England mountains are a hot spot for summer fun.
We'll focus on Vermont this week (with a look at New Hampshire and Maine soon). From the southern corner of the state to way up north, Vermont's Green Mountains are embracing summer.
Mount Snow (39 Mount Snow Road, Dover) has been festival central for decades. Events centered around music, blueberries, the hills, art and more have long drawn folks there. This year they kick it up another notch by welcoming the national touring Angry Orchard Rock the Roots Tour to the resort on July 7. This one-day cider and music festival will feature big names such as Sublime with Rome, Dirty Heads, Lupe Fiasco, Pepper and Matisyahu. This full day experience includes the Angry Orchard Arcade, lawn games and more fun.
Meanwhile, up on the mountain, you can enjoy mountain biking (even with a mountain biking park), hiking programs and more. There's a festival or event of some kind almost all
summer. You can check them out at mountsnow.com.
Up the road at Okemo Mountain Resort (77 Okemo Ridge Road, Ludlow), there's more than one way to zip down a summer slope. With an extensive zip line system (the entire route, including moments of rappeling) takes over an hour, but flies by. The Timber Coaster is extremely all-age friendly: you control how fast you careen down the mountain and through the thick trees.
For a fun jaunt into the woods, take one of their off-road Segway tours. There's lift-access mountain biking, too: Ride their plush chairlift up and bike down on a variety of level trails in their ever-expanding Evolution Bike Park. Or, for those who just want to soak it in, take that chair ride up and back down. Learn more at okemo.com.
There's so much more. At Magic Mountain (495 Magic Mountain Access, Londonderry), you can play disc golf on mountain trails. Bolton Valley Resort (4302 Bolton Valley Access Road, Richmond) offers disc golf tournaments as well. Burke Mountain Resort (223 Sherburne Lodge Road, East Burke) is a must destination for mountain biking, with enthusiasts of all levels including it on their bucket lists. The resort offers lessons and rentals for newbies, and with their new mountainside hotel, you can zoom in and out. Stratton Mountain Resort (5 Village Lodge Road, South Londonderry) has musical events all summer, including the Marshall Tucker Band on June 30.
True, the mountains have always been worth a summer visit for beauty and tranquility. But thanks to the summer boom, there's every kind of thrill to be found. You can find a complete list of Vermont summer activities at skivermont.com.