Forget hot cocoa. Some stiff competition will heat up the slopes at Killington on Nov. 26-27, when the Vermont resort hosts the Audi FIS Ski World Cup—the first time a World Cup event has been held on the East Coast since 1991. The weekend’s festivities include a free concert by O.A.R., and it’s also free to watch the races, which are set to draw members of the U.S Ski Team, like the New Hampshire-bred Mikaela Shiffrin. We checked in with Shiffrin, 21, for some pro tips about the competition and her old shredding grounds.
What has you most excited about racing at Killington? I’ve heard that it starts steep and has some false flats, so you think you’re in the clear but you’re not. It’s going to be tough; that’s what I know about it. But I’m excited for the challenge of the hill. I’m excited to go to a new venue that nobody has been to, because a lot of venues that are new to me—even five years into the World Cup—a lot of the other girls have been to. I like the feeling of competing at home. Because I feel like the crowd is really cheering for me.
You’ve skied Killington recreationally in the past—what do you like most about it? This is weird, but I remember this awesome waffle house at the bottom of the gondola. I got this waffle and I went up the gondola, and I was like “Oh my God, I have chocolate on my waffle—this is great!” [Laughs.]
What were some of your favorite places to ski growing up in New England? The ski club I raced with was based off the Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme, New Hampshire, which is the town that I lived in. That’s one of my favorites. … There’s this other little mountain, Storrs Hill, in Lebanon, New Hampshire—it’s tiny and has this star at the top of the hill. There’s just one palma lift, with ski jumps on the side. So they produce all these great skimeister athletes, because they have ski jumping, Nordic skiing and a training hill. And it’s all condensed. There was night skiing and you could always tell you were getting close because you would see the star all lit up with Christmas lights. We would drive after school pretty much every weekday. My brother and I would be sitting in the back of our minivan doing homework, and when we saw the star we’d know we were getting close.
Any advice for a new skier who wants to ski competitively? Everybody says this, but it’s true: It’s so important that you try to have fun with it. So many people get so caught up in taking it so seriously—and I’m one of those people. … But I think there’s a time and place for distraction and goofing off and hanging out with your buddies and not thinking of anything productive. And then there’s a time that, when you’re doing the sport and you want to succeed with it, you do have to put effort into it. You have to be OK with the pain of being the odd man out when there’s so much goofing off. You just need to know when to turn it on and off.
Killington Resort, 4763 Killington Road, Killington, Vermont (802-422-6201) killington.com
Cold Calls
9 Reasons to Get Pumped for the Snowy Season
By Meghan Kavanaugh Oct. 28, 2016
Winter Warmer
New Hampshire’s Omni Mount Washington Resort takes après-ski tippling seriously—so much so that the team traveled 1,000 miles in pursuit of its new signature bourbon. Released this summer after a successful launch of an inaugural blend in 2014, Mount Washington Woodford Reserve II features hints of brown sugar, maple and vanilla, tastes chosen when staff traveled from Bretton Woods to the Kentucky distillery to work with Woodford Reserve’s master taster. “After tasting each barrel individually, we compared notes and discussed which two barrels we thought would be interesting to blend,” explains Robert Hunt, the resort’s assistant director of food and beverage. “In the end, we chose a blend that consisted of the two barrels with the most subtle presentation of flavors.” Guests can try bourbon from one of the batch’s 180 bottles on the rocks or in signature cocktails like the Elevation, made with New Hampshire maple syrup and lemon, or the Blueberry French Toast Martini. “A glass of Mount Washington Woodford Reserve on the veranda, overlooking New Hampshire’s beautiful Presidential mountain range, is an extremely unique experience,” Hunt says. “Amazing view, amazing bourbon.”
Omni Mount Washington Resort, 310 Mount Washington Hotel Road, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (603-278-1000) omnihotels.com
By Jacqueline Houton | Photo Credit: Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, Bequest of Walter P. Chrysler Jr.
Mounting an Expedition—and an Exhibition
True adventurers can experience “the world’s worst weather” with a trek to New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Observatory, which offers day and overnight snowcat trips and guided climbs to a peak where winter conditions can rival those of the poles. But views of New England’s highest summit are easier to come by at Manchester’s Currier Museum of Art, where newly opened exhibit Mount Washington: The Crown of New England is on display through Jan. 16. The show gathers 40 paintings—including Albert Bierstadt’s massive 1870 work The Emerald Pool, pictured here—as well as 100 vintage prints and photos, scientific reports, period guidebooks and other artifacts relating to the mountain. Head online for deets on special events, including an after-hours celebration on Dec. 1 and a Dec. 11 talk with author Tom Ryan, whose book Following Atticus chronicles his experience climbing 48 Granite State peaks with his canine companion.
Mount Washington Observatory, 2779 White Mountain Highway, North Conway, New Hampshire (603-356-2137) mountwashington.org; The Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, New Hampshire (603-669-6144) currier.org
By Jacqueline Houton | Photo Credit: Sarah Brunson
Snow Screen
After picking up his first 8mm movie camera in 1946, Warren Miller could hardly put it down. From 1950 till 2004, he produced a feature-length ski film every year, bringing screenings to dozens of cities as an official kickoff to each snowy season. But the pioneering director hasn’t been involved with the franchise that bears his name in the dozen years since. That changes with the release of Here, There & Everywhere, which features new interviews with the 92-year-old, along with jaw-dropping feats of skiing, snowboarding, dogsledding, snowmobiling, pond skimming and more. See the Swiss Alps, Montana glaciers and even a cameo by Fenway Park—host of last February’s Big Air competition—on screen at the Berklee Performance Center on Nov. 5 and at the Somerville Theatre on Nov. 16 and 17.
Berklee Performance Center, 136 Mass. Ave., Boston (617-747-2261) berklee.edu/bpc; Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville (617-625-5700) somervilletheatre.com
By Jacqueline Houton | Photo Credit: Louis Joseph: Dave Bradley; Alps & Meters: Shem Rose
Serious Slope Style
Louis Joseph has sped down mountains around the world, but he took a particularly daring leap in late 2014, leaving his job as global director of strategy and innovation for PUMA to found alpine sportswear line Alps & Meters. The Boston-based men’s brand has been selling its wares online and in a handful of stores in spots like Vail and Stowe; now they can also be found at a new pop-up shop, an intimate space near Fenway. It’s open through the end of the year for shopping and special events, like a screening of the Robert Redford drama Downhill Racer that helped inspire Alps & Meters’ new Classic Shell Jacket. We tapped Joseph to learn a little more about the line.
How did the idea for Alps & Meters start? I’ve skied all over the world, and the genesis for the brand was an old knitwear piece that I’ve worn in Argentina, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, places in Europe. Wherever I went, people would pull me aside in the lift lines and the ski lodge to ask about that particular garment. It got incredibly consistent to the point where I felt like “Somebody should build something like this.”
Where did you find it? I bought that in Åre, Sweden. It’s a northern resort in Sweden, a well-known destination among skiers. I bought it in an old thrift store there. It’s a proper ski sweater. Rarely are people knitting garments nowadays. Everything is very synthetic. We’re knitting the piece that was derived from that sweater, which is called the Shawl Collar Jacket. But the original is buried somewhere in my ski closet. I’ve probably had that sweater now for 10 or 15 years. I bet it would still hold up if I brought it out and dusted it off, but now I’ve got plenty of Alps & Meters to do that particular job.
What’s your favorite piece from the new fall/winter collection? My favorite piece is the Alpine Winter Trouser. It’s a personal favorite of mine because there’s no other pant like it in the market. If you can bring to mind an old tailored ski pant with wonderful paper characteristics, woolen-face fabric, a beautiful traditional suspender kit, and bundle that with today’s contemporary technology, I think that describes the product we produced. That piece really resonates with me and captures the personality of the brand. But the favorite of our digital director is our Alpine Anorak, which is inspired by garments worn by the 10th Mountain Division in World War II.
What are some of your favorite places to ski? I grew up skiing in North Conway, New Hampshire. I have a real affinity for very traditional mountain environments. I cut my teeth and learned my pizza wedge at places like Cranmore and Attitash. I spent a lot of time at Sugarbush here on the East Coast and plenty of time on the snow on mountains like Alta and Jackson Hole. It’s hard to be East Coast and not put Cannon or places in Vermont like Stowe at the top of our list, but I think out west it’s sort of a Jackson Hole, Alta universe in Utah for me. It sounds corny to say, but I love every place I ski. I’m not the hard-charging soul I used to be. I just love being in the mountains. If I’m with good friends and there’s good snow—I’m not a snow snob—it’s a slice of heaven for me.
Alps & Meters, 1369 Boylston St., Boston (802-798-3137) alpsandmeters.com
By Alexandra Cavallo
Getting an Edge on the Competition
Forget hot cocoa. Some stiff competition will heat up the slopes at Killington on Nov. 26-27, when the Vermont resort hosts the Audi FIS Ski World Cup—the first time a World Cup event has been held on the East Coast since 1991. The weekend’s festivities include a free concert by O.A.R., and it’s also free to watch the races, which are set to draw members of the U.S Ski Team, like the New Hampshire-bred Mikaela Shiffrin. We checked in with Shiffrin, 21, for some pro tips about the competition and her old shredding grounds.
What has you most excited about racing at Killington? I’ve heard that it starts steep and has some false flats, so you think you’re in the clear but you’re not. It’s going to be tough; that’s what I know about it. But I’m excited for the challenge of the hill. I’m excited to go to a new venue that nobody has been to, because a lot of venues that are new to me—even five years into the World Cup—a lot of the other girls have been to. I like the feeling of competing at home. Because I feel like the crowd is really cheering for me.
You’ve skied Killington recreationally in the past—what do you like most about it? This is weird, but I remember this awesome waffle house at the bottom of the gondola. I got this waffle and I went up the gondola, and I was like “Oh my God, I have chocolate on my waffle—this is great!” [Laughs.]
What were some of your favorite places to ski growing up in New England? The ski club I raced with was based off the Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme, New Hampshire, which is the town that I lived in. That’s one of my favorites. … There’s this other little mountain, Storrs Hill, in Lebanon, New Hampshire—it’s tiny and has this star at the top of the hill. There’s just one palma lift, with ski jumps on the side. So they produce all these great skimeister athletes, because they have ski jumping, Nordic skiing and a training hill. And it’s all condensed. There was night skiing and you could always tell you were getting close because you would see the star all lit up with Christmas lights. We would drive after school pretty much every weekday. My brother and I would be sitting in the back of our minivan doing homework, and when we saw the star we’d know we were getting close.
Any advice for a new skier who wants to ski competitively? Everybody says this, but it’s true: It’s so important that you try to have fun with it. So many people get so caught up in taking it so seriously—and I’m one of those people. … But I think there’s a time and place for distraction and goofing off and hanging out with your buddies and not thinking of anything productive. And then there’s a time that, when you’re doing the sport and you want to succeed with it, you do have to put effort into it. You have to be OK with the pain of being the odd man out when there’s so much goofing off. You just need to know when to turn it on and off.
Killington Resort, 4763 Killington Road, Killington, Vermont (802-422-6201) killington.com
By Alexandra Cavallo
Rollin’ in the Deep (Snow)
The slopes aren’t the only incline of note at New Hampshire’s Gunstock Mountain Resort, which unveiled a new mountain coaster this August, to the delight of adventurous leaf peepers. This winter, guests can get some thrills in the chill, as Gunstock recently announced that the outdoor family-friendly coaster would stay open all season, operating daytime hours on weekends and holidays. We ran down some pertinent numbers for those planning to get a ticket to ride.
719 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford, New Hampshire (603-293-4341) gunstock.com
By Alexandra Cavallo
Fat Chance
Cold weather enthusiasts looking to keep their winter spare tire at bay can work up a sweat with a fat tire…bike that is. Fat-tire biking is a winter alternative to mountain biking, with tires designed for snow-packed trails that are twice the size of those on a traditional mountain bike. “It’s a little slower and much more comfortable,” says Kate Boehmer of Maine Huts & Trails, a nonprofit network of backcountry trails and eco-lodges that now offers fat-tire biking. “Think a luxury sedan versus a vintage European race car.” However, that’s not to say bikers won’t get a workout. When asked to describe the experience, Boehmer says, “Combine skiing, biking, dancing, horseback riding and trail running, and you’d be getting close.” Maine Huts & Trails boasts a variety of trails for fat-tire biking, many with markers delineating the level of difficulty, not unlike those on the ski slopes. But novices needn’t fear if they accidentally find themselves on a slightly advanced trail: “Unlike skiing, it’s not really a big deal to end up on a trail you’re not quite ready for,” Boehmer says. “Unless you’ve ended up on a serious downhill, simply walk your bike through challenging sections and get back on when you’re ready. Worst-case scenario? You’re just walking through the woods—and that’s pretty awesome.”
Maine Huts & Trails, 496C Main St., Kingfield, Maine (207-265-2400) mainehuts.org
By Jacqueline Houton | Photo Credit: Warrior Ice Arena: Brian Babineau
Lace Up Your Skates
There are two new skating options in town—one near the pros and one near the pols.
City Hall Plaza should get a lot cooler this season with the addition of an 11,000-square-foot custom-designed skating path, slated to open after Thanksgiving and operate through February. Once you work up an appetite on the ice, pop by the adjacent Holiday Shopping Village, where vendors will be selling food and gifts in dozens of wooden chalets during the month of December.
1 City Hall Square, Boston. facebook.com/bostoncityhallplaza
Fans are welcome to come watch the Bruins practice at the new Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, but they don’t have to stick to the 660 seats behind the boards. The rink is hosting Tuesday skating lessons, Friday hockey lessons, Wednesday pickup games and public skating hours five days a week. But the facility’s state-of-the-art training room—complete with an underwater treadmill—is just for the Bs.
90 Guest St., Boston (617-927-7467) warrioricearena.com
By Meghan Kavanaugh
Spruced Up
Vermont’s Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak have long drawn skiers and snowboarders to Stowe Mountain Resort, but this season there’s a new summit to scale: Stowe Rocks, an indoor climbing gym featuring replicas of local rock formations, including a 40-foot tower that recalls nearby Elephant’s Head rock. It’s part of the resort’s recently unveiled 30,000-square-foot Adventure Center, which also features a canteen, a movie screening area and a kids’ ski school, all nestled next to the new Spruce Peak Village Center boasting boutiques, restaurants, private residences and a 10,000-square-foot outdoor ice rink.
7416 Mountain Road, Stowe, Vermont (888-253-4849) stowe.com
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