Jan 29

Jan 29 Rediscovering Burke Mountain

Ask anyone in Vermont that spent time on snow last year what they thought about the 2016 Winter season and they’re most likely going to give you the same answer…grim. It appeared to be the undertone of the year, on and off the snow. Surely there must be some sort of silver lining, a last minute sense of salvation...a high note to end on.

With this mindset, we set off for Burke Mountain on an attempt to redeem what was being offered before 2016 came to a close…snow! The Northeast Kingdom is renowned for their snow and an inviting sense of what Vermont truly is. So we packed up the car and set off to explore more of what has always been right here, tucked away in the upper right hand corner of our map. There could be no better way to close out a dismal 2016 season than with a short trip to the Northeast Kingdom for a taste of what their terrain had to offer.

Winter Storm Fortis would close the books on 2016 and its dismal snow totals. Seeing as this storm blew in during the peak of the holiday vacation, large crowds and traffic were expected. We arrived early, got prime parking, and lined up at the Mid-Burke Express with a crowd of hungry snow enthusiasts eager to close the door on 2016 and start off Winter 2017 with a clean slate.

What seemed like a crowd at first quickly dispersed out amongst the generous terrain that Burke has to offer...something for everyone. Steep pitches, open woods, power line trails and more which is all accessed by a high speed quad that keeps the lines short and moving along swiftly. Lap after lap left us amazed at how we had neglected to put Burke on our map of resorts that must be frequented. Burke has seemed to master the art of code switching from a small-resort vibe entrenched in big-resort amenities. Be it the plentiful terrain, a new high speed quad, the old-time feel of the Mid-Burke Lodge, or the newly introduced Burke Mountain Lodge. There is so much to keep you coming back to explore more of what this mountain and its surrounding area have to offer.

Photography by Nathanael Asaro

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Tomas Ruprecht

Born in Argentina, Tomas Ruprecht grew up in Killington, VT where he witnessed the documentation of an emerging snowboard scene. The creativity and chemistry between the rider and photographer inspired him at a young age and remains an enduring source of his motivation. Tomas’s photos and stories have been featured in Snowboard Magazine, The Snowboarder’s Journal, Snowboarder, State14 and Analog Companion, and used by brands like Ben & Jerry’s, The Good Life! and Anon Optics. These days he lives in Burlington, VT working the occasional odd job or two while freelancing photos and words. When not tied up with work you can catch him hiking around the woods of Stowe, cooking at home, biking, or out with his dog, Pablo.