The plan for today didn’t call for Bolton Valley. But I woke up to unexpected reports of more than half a foot of fresh across the Spine of the Greens. I expected one to three inches and I had planned to burn a free voucher at nearby Gunstock after a late start. You know, just to get out there a bit while awaiting the big snow totals later this weekend. The reports this morning had me scrambling for a plan B.

So, much like my last trip there, I got a late start and drove like hell for 7-9″ at Bolton Valley. Unlike my last trip there, I knew the lay of the land and felt much more confident in my decisions on how to work the mountain. I missed first chair by only half an hour so I took a lap off the Vista Quad in Cobras Woods and made my way towards the soon to open Timberline Quad.

Remembering repeated epic runs down Spellbinder, I got started there via mid-station laps. Skiers left yielded ample boot deep untracked two runs in a row. Absolutely sensational. The lift was ski on yet Spellbinder was still getting tracked out fast so I began working the woods from skier’s left to right. The lower angle woods might seem mellow but the undulations of the low angle terrain made my back a little sore after a few runs. After two hours, I was ready for a break and lunch.

After lunch, I decided to try the Wilderness Double which was on wind hold during my last visit. The terrain off this chair dumps steeply off the peak but flattens out to an epic long runout after only 200 vertical feet of good terrain. I found some amazing steep and tight off map tree shots and chutes. But the long run out made me uninterested in further exploration or repeated runs. At least the trees off Vista Peak offer more than a dozen quality turns.

Speaking of Vista Peak, that is where I finished my day. Vermont 200 (pictured below) is perhaps the best trail at Bolton Valley. It is fairly steep, somewhat narrow with great bumps and rhythm. And like most of Bolton’s finest offerings, it is over far too soon. The glades surrounding this trail are really nice.

But Preacher and Devil’s Playground is where Bolton really shines. These trees don’t get old but the runout back to the lift sure does. These woods only lack for vertical drop. The lines, pitch, and variety are all stellar and the untracked pockets of powder were still plentiful in the afternoon hours.

Bolton remains an enigma. It is frustrating that the mountain has so many quality lines; yet they are so short and always are followed by a lengthy run out. If the full length of every lift retained the pitch of the upper mountain, Bolton would be one of my favorite mountains in New England. It has so many incredibly challenging pitches and drops, often with mandatory airs, that are followed by six turns and then nothing. The trees end just soon after they start to get really exciting. It is a bit of a tease.

But I still have had two incredible days at Bolton and I think I will still keep coming back occasionally despite my reservations. The trees really are that good. The snow quality and lack of crowds combine for enticing sleeper powder day potential. And I have had an absolute blast both times I’ve skied there.