20 Ski Resorts in 20 Weeks? Yes, I Can! 

Here's a little trivia question for you fine folk: How many ski resorts are in our little nation of Vermont?

If you answered "What's skiing?" or "Where is Vermont?," feel free to stop reading pronto-like. If your answer "Twenty, you dingleberry. Like, duh."  I'd say we have a winner! Come and claim your prizes — a handful of my business cards and some of the lesser tchotchkes that populate my desk.

That's right, friends. There are 20 alpine ski areas in Vermont and with a little luck and a lot of snow, I'm going to snowboard at all of them this year. Like in one season. (Ok, before all the Mad River folks get their ski bibs in a twist, I know I can't ride at your mountain. But don't worry — I learned how to ski over sick sheets of ice years ago at Hidden Valley Resort in Western Pennsylvania, so I can schuss with the best of them.)

Forget getting a season pass at Sugarbush or Jay Peak. That's so borrrr-ring. You ride the same trails over and over again, or in my case, you tumble down the same trails again and again. I'm all about mixing it up a bit. Variety is the spice of life or some pap like that. 

So here's how it's going to go down: I'm going to visit a different ski resort each week and write about it. It'll be a like a chronicle of the challenge, with some nuggets thrown in about unique features of each mountain. Twenty ski resorts equals 20 weeks of printed pabulum courtesy of me. You'll hate me when I'm finished. I'll also hate me when I'm finished, so don't feel bad.

But I like a challenge. Currently, I'm working on hiking all 46 Adirondack High Peaks. So far I've got seven checked off. At this rate, I'll finish when I'm 57. In the meantime, I need something a little more immediate. Twenty ski resorts in a season seems reasonable.

In order to complete this challenge, I need your help. Ideally, I won't ride at all these resorts by myself. There's nothing sadder than riding the lift by yourself run after run. Unless you get your ski pants frozen to the chairlift and can't get off the lift in the landing area and have to ride the chair back down the mountain by yourself. Or something like that.

So I need some local partners in crime. If you ski at Magic Mountain, Okemo, Ascutney, Burke or any of our other fine Green Mountain resorts, and you want to help out this reporter, hit me up on my cellie. And by hit me up, I mean just send me an email or give me a call or send me a Tweet (contact info below). 

I want, nay need, local flavor. If you're 70 and you've been skiing at Suicide Six since you were a wee tot, I want you to show me around the mountain. If you're a preteen shredder who's obsessed with Mt. Snow's Carinthia park, I want you to teach me some tricks there. Basically, I need local tour guides. I need YOU. Unless you don't ski. Then I don't really need you. But it doesn't mean I wouldn't like you if we met. 

Tell your friends, tell your loved ones — I need ski buddies. You won't be paid for your services, but you will get famous by being in the paper. If you want to nominate a someone to be my tour guide, I'd welcome that as well.

Here's how to get in touch with me:

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 802-865-1020 x27

Twitter: @OberandOut

And of course you can get in touch via the comment section below. Also, I welcome your feedback on this project as I start it. Unless you want to tell me I'm an idiot. Because I already know that. Thanks in advance.

Your pal,

Lauren Ober