Today’s Vermont: Gearing up to Embrace Winter
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the one year anniversary edition of Today’s Vermont.
The tamaracks were blazing on bare purple hills when this monthly column came into being last November, and every month since then I’ve enjoyed sharing observations about Vermont with State14 readers. Thank you for being here, and thanks for all of your kind notes and useful comments along the way.
We’ll get to the usual round-up of timely Vermont travel ideas, seasonal commentary, real estate opportunities, and events to note in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, but first, some exciting news: Breezy Hill Marketing is now sponsoring Today’s Vermont as a Friend of State14.
Breezy Hill is a marketing firm based in Williston that specializes in helping Vermont businesses and organizations reach their audience by crafting smart, savvy inbound marketing campaigns, social media strategies, and websites that blend form, function, and cutting edge search engine optimization. Loyal readers of Today’s Vermont know that I love exploring opportunities in the world of Vermont real estate, and I’m a particular fan of the work that Breezy Hill does to design Vermont real estate websites for folks like Sarah Harrington and Lea Van Winkle.
(I need to make a special shout out to Lea here, who was an amazingly helpful resource for my wife and I when we bought and sold homes in Richmond and Jericho).
If you need an excellent website or professional marketing help and would appreciate white-glove service from highly capable Vermont neighbors, I encourage you to get in touch with our friends at Breezy Hill. When you do, be sure to thank them for sponsoring Today’s Vermont.
Alrighty, let’s get to it! The fires of foliage on Vermont mountains are now smoldering under cold gray skies as the first winter storms of the season frost the dark spruce forests and snow flurries dust our dooryards. Vermonters know that the best way to survive a winter here is to embrace what the season has to offer, so that’s what we’re going to do in this edition of Today’s Vermont. How, you ask? Well, for many of us, gearing up to greet a Vermont winter with open arms goes hand in hand with getting stoked for skiing and snowboarding.
This season I’m eagerly anticipating the release of 100 North, a film about snowboarding in northern Vermont that features the immensely talented State14 contributor Nathanael Asaro. 100 North is sponsored by Bonfire Outerwear and Darn Tough, and supported by our pals at Zero Gravity Craft Brewery. Catch the 100 North trailer on Vimeo, and keep your eyes peeled for showings around the state.
I’m particularly fond of Vermont ski areas that have a local flavor. Now that I’m living in Richmond, Vermont, I’m excited about skiing under the new lights at Bolton Valley, celebrating powder days at Mad River Glen (sorry snowboarders), and hanging out at Cochran’s, a classic family-run ski area just past the Richmond Round Church that offers skiing for only $5 on Friday evenings.
Skiing and snowboarding can get expensive, of course, but there are lots of ways for thrifty and resourceful Vermonters to ski and ride without incurring too much financial hardship. The most time tested strategy for many devoted ski bums is to pick up just enough work at a ski resort to qualify for free season passes and tap into the wellspring of local knowledge held by Vermonters who work at the mountains.
If a ski area job isn’t the right choice for you, keep an eye out for discounted lift tickets, and deals that aren’t quite a full season’s pass but still knock down the cost of lift tickets throughout the season. The Bash Badge offered by Smuggler’s Notch is one affordable option, and I also recommend participating in the perennially awesome Ski and Ride with The Point program for half-price Friday lift tickets and terrific apres-ski events.
When shopping for ski and snowboard gear, look for items that are durable and high quality, but try to buy them used or on sale. I found some sweet Kjus Systems ski pants for only $30 at the (wonderful) Richmond Food Shelf & Thrift Store last week, and I also keep my eye on Front Porch Forum for used gear that still has plenty of life left in it. Ski swaps are yet another great resource, and the folks at Ski Maven have compiled a comprehensive list. Just don’t skimp on safety whatever you do - a good helmet is worth every penny when you’re ripping through the glades.
There’s nothing like returning to a warm, cozy house after a day on the mountain, but home heating can get expensive too, especially if you’re stuck with a fossil fuel furnace in your basement. As I first mentioned in the August edition of Today’s Vermont, one of the best ways to save money and stay warm this winter is to take advantage of generous incentives for home weatherization. This year most Vermonters will qualify for 50% off home weatherization projects (up to $4,000). This is a great deal because even without $4,000 in free money, home weatherization is often the best bang for buck investment you can make. If you’re hesitating to invest in home weatherization this winter but you have money sitting in the stock market, smarten up and do the weatherization. You can thank me later.
Remember that 132-acre farm on Chamberlain Hill in Albany, Vermont, that I wrote about last month? It sold at auction of $175,000 a few weeks ago. As a friend texted me afterward: “That’s crazy cheap”.
I don’t have any Vermont real estate auctions on my radar this month, but I am intrigued by 338 Coburn Hill Road, a house for sale in Craftsbury that’s located across the valley from my homestead on Mountain Hill Road and right next to the local blueberry farm. Four bedrooms and three baths on 23 acres with high-end finishes is a good deal for $359,000, and a recent price cut gives me a hunch that the owners would like to sell before winter.
In a similar price range, I have my eye on 924 Frog Hollow Road a gorgeous old farmhouse on the Hubbardton / Castleton line that sleeps up to 10 people and is listed for $393,000. This property includes almost 100 acres of land and solid outbuildings where I happen to have fond memories involving champagne, New York City lawyers, and a sheep named Tristan. And no, I will not offer a link to that story.
Do you have any Vermont real estate tips to share? How about a favorite place to ski, or a bed and breakfast to recommend? Want to brag about a Vermont thrift store score? Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #todaysvermont, and thanks, as always, for reading.
Big thanks to Breezy Hill Marketing for sponsoring this column and helping us spread the word of Today’s Vermont. Read more about this friend of State14.
