Oh, yes, we just had to head to the slopes one more time this ski season! The snows of Vermont were calling us, and we simply could not resist. Mark and Janet had received the call, too, so on Friday afternoon we set off for Ludlow and The Echo Lake Inn http://www.echolakeinn.com/ . Mark and Janet were married at the inn, and they wanted to share their special location with us. Fortunately we were able to get some rather last minute reservations, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay in such a lovely and typical New England country inn.
We arrived in Ludlow at the base of Okemo Mountain by 10 PM on Friday, and we were in the bar at the inn by 10:15. After a couple of glasses of wine, it was time for bed in order to be up and on the slopes as early as possible. Although it was very cold in the morning, the forecast was for sun and temps warming to the upper 40's. We thoroughly enjoyed the delicious Vermont country breakfast provided at the inn, and the pancakes were the best I had tasted in years! In fact, they tasted just like the pancakes my grandmother, Gran, used to make, and she was always the pancake queen in my eyes. We were on the mountain by 9, and we made the most of our day on Okemo. It is one of the nicest areas we have experienced in the East, and we had a great day. We stopped for lunch at the Jackson Gore base area for grilled treats and cold beers in the warm sun. All day we had the feeling that we might run into a Conioca Ski Tour participant, and sure enough, who did we spy on that sunny terrace area but Terry Nelson! He was skiing with his brother-in-law who has a house at Okemo, and it was great to see him. By 3, the sun had warmed the snow to a rather soft and slushy mess so we called it a day and bar hopped to Sitting Bull Bar in the base lodge and then to The Potbelly Pub in Ludlow to watch the sad for Terp fans Memphis-Maryland game :-(. Back at the inn Dale napped while Mark, Janet and I enjoyed the therapeutic hot tub. After showers, we regrouped in the bar at the inn for cocktails and a chat with the very affable and interesting owner of the inn, Laurence Jeffery. He was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to a English/German family who had emigrated there in 1640 and found his way to Vermont after a long career in the international hospitality industry. A very yummy dinner followed at Capuccino's in Ludlow after which we returned to the inn for a nightcap in front of the living room fire. The inn has an acclaimed restaurant, but it is not open for dinner during the month of March. We will just have to return in peak season in order to have that dining experience, not that we will need an excuse to return to Ludlow and Okemo.
Sunday we had decided to go to Stratton Mountain, so after breakfast and checkout, we drove the 40 minutes south for our next ski experience. Stratton is an Intrawest resort, and its village is much like that at Snowshoe and Blue Mountain, Ontario. We also found it to be a very skiable and excellent location. We have added it to our list of absolute Vermont favorites. Although the weather was sunny when we arrived, the clouds rolled in, and we skiied a good bit of the day in falling snow. The forecast highs in the 40's DID NOT occur on Sunday. The snow stayed cold and fast, and the skiing was surprisingly good for this time of year. In fact, it was very, very hard to take that last run knowing that it most likely was the last of this wonderful 2008-2009 season. Dale, Janet and Mark stopped one run before I did; I simply had to go up one more time. That last run down White Birch was mine alone. There was not one single soul on the trail until I hit the merge close to the base. Can you guess what song I sang all the way down?
Stratton is known for its grooming, and their efforts have paid off in making the late season snow conditions so pleasantly skiable.
The sun came out to illuminate Stratton Village just as I began my final run down to the base.
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