Issue link: http://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25241
• Stowe Is sure to give you all you want In a snow adventure: the Independence to lind your own way, an authentic mountain experience thafs low on flashy snow materiaUsm, chal- lenging terrain (1j8o acres with a 2,360 vertical foot drop) and the relaxed snow-bum vlbe with which the place resonates. The tiny town Is rustic and as quaint as they get So get out there, outfit your- self for riding, and don't forget your helmet BEST TRAILS: Beginner: Toll Road is the original trail that people hiked up and skied down before there were lifts. It is a winding 3.7·mile mellow, scenic trail that gives you the perfect feel for the mountain. Intermediate: lord Trail, named after the engineer who laid out Stowe's original trails, was cut by hand and follows the natural fall line of the mountain. It's loaded with character. Advanced: The most technically challenging trail on Mt Mansfield is the double diamond Goat, which is narrow, bumpy and has a double fall line. HISTORY: Stowe was settled in 1763 by early escapists that came to find a home in the beauty of nature. Zimri luce, Stowe's first official settler, arrived in 1799 from Hartland, Vermont and bought land for $2 an acre. Mt Mansfield was first skied in 1914 by Nathaniel Goodrich who used the logging road (now the trail Toll Road) for his descent. Through the vision of leg· endary Austrian ski racer Sepp Rushp and the money of insurance mogul CV Starr, who hated lift lines, the modernization and flourishing expansion of the Stowe Mountain Resort took off after 1941. WHERE TO STAY: Stowe has an abundance of accommodations, but relatively little "on·mountain," making it feel very non·commercial. The only hotel with ski·to·lift access is the Inn at the Mountain (802·253-7656) with 74 rooms. For the quintessential snow lovers' bed and breakfast check out the Stone Hill Inn (802-253-6282). When you're sore from work and play, ease your ten· sions at the Topnotch Resort and Spa (800·451-8686) or the Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa (802-253.7355). The Spas provide luxury service that will make your stay as light as fresh morning powder. To stay in the center of it all for a moderate price but with true Vermont style head to the Green Mountain Inn (800-253-7302) in the heart of the village. It's one of the oldest hotels in town, but newly renovated, and it houses the legendary restaurant The Whip where you will want to go to refuel after a full day on the slopes. GmlNG THERE: From NYC it's a six-hour drive to Stowe. Jet Blue (www.jetblue.com) offers flights to Burlington, a 45 minute drive from Stowe, for approximately $40 each way from NYC. SKI/SNOWBOARD SHOPS: On the mountain, Stowe Toys Demo Center (www.ridestowe.com/gear/toysdemo.html) is a full service shop, and is next to the lifts. Other top shops include: AJ's Bike + Ski (802-253- 4593), Plnnac\e/Snowboard Addict (802-253.7222), Misty Mountain (802-253-3040) and Cherry Bone Snowboard/Skate (802-253-3040). Umiak (802-253-2317) is the top shop for snowshoeing, and even runs moonlight snowshoe tours. A $56 lift PASS FOR THE STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT GETS YOU ACCESS TO MT MANSFIELD ANO SPRUCE PEAK. FOR MORE INFORMATION CAll THE STOW MOUNTAIN RESORT AT 802-253-3500 OR CHECK OUT WWW.STOWE.COM. 43