South West Vermont

There are plenty of places to ski in south west Vermont if you’re willing to pay - Bromley, Wild Wings, Viking, Prospect, and Hildene are just a few that come to mind. But what if you’re interested in free XC? There aren’t a ton of options, but there are enough.

Perhaps the best skiing and easiest access is the Equinox Trail system at the base of Mt. Equinox in Manchester. If traveling north on 7A into Manchester Village, turn left onto Prospect or Seminary Ave. Parking can be found at Equinox Pond Road or at the end of West Union St.

Maps of the trails can be found at the Equinox Hotel on 7A and at the Southern Vermont Arts Center. All of the trails are very well marked and a map can be found at the Equinox Pond entrance.

If entering from West Union Street I recommend trudging up the Red Gate trail straight up the hill and bearing to the left both times the trail forks so that you end up going downhill eventually. This will put you on course to pick up the flat pond loop. From there you can retrace your journey back to your starting point on the Snicket or any of the other trails that run parallel.

Another option from the Red Gate Trail is to pick up the SVAC trail loop that goes to the north. I’m a little hazy on exactly how that works, so check a map first before attempting that!

We’re supposed to get 2-3 feet of snow this Wednesday and Thursday, so happy skiing!

Technorati Tags: Manchester - Vermont - ski - XC - cross-country+skiing