Subscribers to Sugarbush Resort’s snow report, an email and online post about snow conditions, got more than just a powder primer on Saturday. In addition to promises of “fresh pow,” snow reporter Lucy Welch, who’s been letting skiers know about conditions there since 2023, delivered a critique of the administration of President Donald Trump and urged skiers to “use their voice.”
While the message was posted on Sugarbush’s site and also emailed to subscribers, Welch had one skier in mind in particular: Vice President JD Vance, who took his family to Sugarbush last weekend.
On Saturday, hundreds of people throughout the Mad River Valley protested Vance’s visit, lining roads and holding signs with messages such as “Spineless fascists can’t ski.”
Welch, who is 25, took a riskier approach. She called out the administration for failing to address climate change, targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community and cutting National Forest Service funding. Sugarbush is in the Green Mountain National Forest.
“I can only assume that I will be fired,” Welch acknowledged. “But at least this will do even a smidge more than just shutting up and being a sheep.” She concluded: “What a gift to be a Sugarbush snow reporter. I hope that everyone has a fantastic day, and power to the freakin people.”
On Monday, Seven Days reached out to Welch, who declined to comment. The Massachusetts native is a 2022 University of Vermont grad.
While her post was taken down within hours, screenshots of it quickly went viral. “I stand with Lucy Welch,” some people posted on Instagram. “Powder to the people!”
Environmentalist Bill McKibben declared Welch “a hero for the moment” on Substack. A few people on Reddit shared that they had emailed the resort commending Welch and asking that she not be fired.
It is unclear what Sugarbush — which did not respond to a request for comment — will do about Welch. But she certainly made a mark.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Powder to the People”
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2025.
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