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text: ben kopke northern DITCH THE GLITZ Escape the resorts. Strap on some snowshoes and follow the trail up onto Stowe Pinnacle for its views of Mt Mansfield and the Green Mountains. The trail entrance is located off the small state parking lot on Upper Hollow Road, about 4.5 miles outside of Stowe Village. Call Greg Speer at the Inn at Turner Mill to arrange other snowshoeing, backcountry skiing and ice-climbing trips in northern Vermont at 802-.253-2062. LAURA'S SPECIAL GAME Got cabin fever? All you need is a frozen pond, a ball and a few friends. Oh yeah, you'll each need a broom too. The game is broom-ball and the rules are simple. While the specifics are subject to change from game-to-game, it's basically hockey without the skates. Just remember, they're your friends so be nice. southern BOARD THE BIRTHPLACE Board where it all began. Twenty years ago Jake Burton rode some of the first modern-style snowboards on Stratton Mountain. Today, you could lose yourself for days on Stratton's 90 trails. Try World Cup for a steep run and Tamarack for a more winding route. Escape the elements on nasty days and cruise down the sheltered Sun Bowl. Beginners can con tact Stratton's snowboard school, the nation's first and easily among the best. The mountain opens in mid-November, weather permitting. Weekend lift tickets are $50, for more information call Stratton Mountain Resort at 800-STRATION. DOWNHill, FLEXIBLE FLYER STY LE Mountain fun never ends. Although Mt. Snow's slopes officially close at 4 PM, you don't have to park on the barstool until much later. Shed the skies, throw on some warmer clothes, and hop on a sled. Lighted runs stay open until 9PM for sledders. tobogganers and tubers. If you don't have one handy, sled rentals are available at the lodges for about $2. Contact Mt. Snow for more information on sledding, skiing or boarding at 802-464-3333. SKI THE GLEN Can you ski it? Clip-into your tele skis and find out. Mad River Glen, America's only cooperatively-owned mountain, opens over 30 trails for skiers in December. Home to the North American Telemark Organization, the Glen is probably the most tele friendly mountain in the East. Try Palisade and Fall Line for gladed runs. Mad River Glen charges $32 for weekend lift tickets, for more information call 802-496-3551. central KILLINGTON For many people, Killington is synonymous with East Coast snowsports. Six peaks, over two hundred trails and eight month seasons draw skiers and boarders to Killington in droves. Deal with the lift crowds and you could spend weeks on Killington without ever tracing the same line. Start out with the longer runs on Sunrise Mountain and Skye Peak before checking out the tree runs on Snowdon's Low Rider. Weekend lift tickets are $52, contact Killington for information and snow conditions: 802-422-3261 . SWEET STUFF Don't eat the yellow snow-but do try the brown snow. Head to the Okemo Mountain Resort on December 30th where you can try Green Mountain Sugarhouse's maple syrup, served on the mountain's natural snowfall. For more information call Okemo at 802-228-4041. Massachusetts up the Eastern side of Vermont, onto 84 west in Hartford will lead you to highway 7 more scenic but slower route up Vermont's western at least 4.5 hours to reach southern resorts like Mt Snow, River Glen and other northern spots will take six hours.