Staytripper, November 2020
Hoofing it with Lajoie Stables; Pre-Ski Season in Stowe; Tips for Hiking Into Winter
Lajoie Stables Guides Horseback Riders Through the Green Mountains
Few recreational activities are more pandemic-proof than riding a horse through an open meadow overlooking the western slopes of the Green Mountains. Social distancing is a breeze because the horses don’t let riders get too close to one another. At Lajoie Stables in Jeffersonville, nearly anyone — young or old, novice or expert — can…
Jen and Kip Roberts Share Winter Hiking Wisdom
Jen and Kip Roberts, co-owners of Onion River Outdoors in Montpelier, are the epitome of “type 2 fun” people — the kind of fun that you enjoy having had, but doesn’t necessarily register as pleasant while it’s happening. One winter, they were caretakers at the Monroe Ranger Cabin in Camel’s Hump State Park, which didn’t…
Vermonting: A Pre-Ski Visit to Stowe
The old adage that Vermont has more cows than people is not true: Humans outnumber cattle in the Green Mountain State by about 2.5 to 1. But if you happen to be in a pasture at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, the cows prevail. I was part of a human herd of two dozen people…
Seven Winter Driving Tips Even Some Vermonters Don’t Know — or Observe
Let’s be clear: There’s no such thing as a car “accident.” Whether you call them crashes, wrecks or “Oops! Get me a fresh pair of undies,” drivers across the United States slide, collide and roll into other objects and people 16 million times a year, almost invariably because of their own bad decisions. Though the…
Embracing ‘Friluftsliv’ Ahead of a Vermont Winter
Ah, November, that ornery, ashen month of plunging temps and four o’clock sunsets! Winter is coming, all right, and under the shadow of a global pandemic that prevents cozy, light-filled indoor gatherings, the season ahead might seem very dark indeed. But November is also traditionally a time for gratitude, and this month’s Staytripper aims to…
Late-Fall Fun in Vermont, From Rock Climbing to Destination Dining
Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School 105 Briggs St., Burlington, 657-3872 Since COVID-19 flipped the world upside down, many people have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, navigating unexpected and disruptive changes to daily life. At Burlington’s Petra Cliffs, however, getting stuck between a rock and a hard place is a…
The Inn at Mountain View Farm Is a Sanctuary for Humans and Animals
If there’s one thing Vermont has in abundance, it’s jaw-dropping scenery. You can find stunning panoramas in every corner of the state, from the breezy shores of Lake Champlain to the rugged peaks of the Green Mountains to the pastoral hills of the Upper Valley. And then there are the wilds of the Northeast Kingdom.…
Obituary: Hunter Moulton Mackey, 1977-2020
Carpenter, farmer and outdoorsman “loved with every bit of his heart”
