Staytripper, January 2021
Umiak’s Winter Adventure Tours; Seven Sledding Hills to Try This Season; Skating the Loop at Lake Morey
It’s All Downhill at These Seven Vermont Sledding Spots
Choosing the “best” sledding hills in Vermont is a fool’s errand, akin to picking the best beaches in California or the best pizza in New York City. Once the Green Mountain State turns white, word of mouth and a modest amount of searching will reveal a plethora of opportune spots for getting your adrenaline rush…
Umiak Outdoor Outfitters Offers Wintry Adventures for Everyone
Ski resorts like Stowe, Sugarbush and Jay Peak are world-renowned winter playgrounds — but they’re not the last word on winter fun in Vermont. There are myriad ways to enjoy the snowy Green Mountains beyond blasting through powder on skis and snowboards. Whether you’re a hard-core winter junkie craving backcountry thrills or a family looking…
Getting Lost, and Found, on Montpelier’s North Branch Trails
Sometimes I’m in the mood for the exact midpoint between hiking and walking, which is rambling. A ramble is a hike without a destination, or a more arduous form of walking. An ideal ramble involves no route planning whatsoever and a moderate probability of getting a little lost. By this definition, Montpelier’s North Branch Trails…
Making Fresh Tracks Into 2021 With Vermont’s ‘Staytripper’
A new year symbolizes a clean slate. It might not be easy to wipe away the challenges and heartbreak of 2020, but we can enter 2021 with renewed hope for the days ahead. With a new president set to take office and more COVID-19 vaccines on the way, change is already in the air. Here…
Three Easy Ways to Enjoy Winter in Vermont
Haymaker Bun/The Arcadian 7 Bakery Lane, Middlebury, 989-7026 On the aptly named Bakery Lane in Middlebury is a two-in-one business — Haymaker Bun and the Arcadian — that’s joined by ownership, locale and a menu item that’s pop-in-your-mouth delicious. The owners are married couple Caroline and Matt Corrente. Caroline is the pastry chef at Haymaker,…
Skate the 4.5-Mile Outdoor Loop at Lake Morey Resort
For anyone whose vision of ice-skating involves tight loops at an indoor rink, dodging the flailing limbs of children and hearing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” blasted through speakers, the skating loop at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee may come as a surprise. The four-and-a-half-mile loop, which the resort touts as the longest…
In Clay Mohrman’s ‘Radiant Thought’ Exhibition, Everything Is Illuminated
Clay Mohrman’s installation “Radiant Thought” might be the most comforting artwork ever. As you enter the darkened second-floor gallery in Burlington’s BCA Center, parting heavy curtains to do so, the suspended assemblage greets you with slowly pulsing lights. You’re immediately aware of sound — oceanic oscillations, a heartbeat, a disembodied female voice. “As you settle…
