Woodward Mountain

Katy and I spent three days skiing with our friends Dan and Sue in mid-February. On the second day we skied the Woodward Mountain tour, a 6-mile backcountry trip from the summit of the Bolton Valley ski area to the Waterbury Reservoir. Conditions were excellent (maybe a foot of light, fresh snow over a sound base), and we had a great time.

This trail is described in David Goodman's Backcountry Skiing Adventures: Vermont and New York. The Maple Ridge Mansfield Region Nordic Skiing & Snowshoe Trail Map covers this area in detail; you can pick up a copy at the Bolton Valley Nordic Center, where you can also check conditions and get the single-ride ticket you need to start the tour. It starts near the top of the Vista Quad lift, winds over Woodward Mountain and down to a parking area near the Waterbury Reservoir.

Dan, a short way into the trip. The snow was great.

From Woodward Mountain tour, Feb 2009

We had beautiful weather for the trip; it was cool enough to keep the snow fresh, but not too cold.





There's a lot of up and down on this trip; here's Alex enjoying some down.










The deep, fluffy snow made for great skiing, but it was challenging if you fell.













There are plenty of nice views on this trail. Here's look south toward Camel's Hump.




Skiing, of course, is what it's all about.



There are more pictures in the online album.

Woodward Mountain tour, Feb 2009