Vermont Spring Break Ski Trip - March 2-4, 2026

Monday, March 2 - Amsterdam, New York, to Plattsburgh, New York

I left home early evening [Picture] to make my next day's morning ride to Jay Peak a lot shorter. I chose a Comfort Inn and Suites in Plattsburgh for my overnight. The ride there was uneventful. My room was fine (and pretty huge) [5 Pictures], but the rest of the hotel was a disappointment from the service at the front desk to the odd configuration making it hard to get around, to the neglected fitness center, to the poor quality breakfast. Still, it was good to shorten my morning drive by over 2 hours.

Tuesday, March 3 - Plattsburgh, New York, to Jay Peak to South Burlington, Vermont

I got going early from Plattsburgh and I was parked in a good spot at Jay Peak's Tramside area before 9 under a bright sun. I found my way into the lodge and made my Indy redemption. I starting with a run up the Metro Quad to get a feel for the condtions: hard and fast but nice on the groomers. I explored most of the mountain, sticking almost exclusively to groomers. It was fairly busy so I almost always had company on the lifts but many were French Canadians who were either unable or uninterested to chat and a few literally turned their back on me to talk with their groups. I did have some good conversations with some regulars, though. The line for the tram always looked pretty long so I never got up there. There were lines at most a minute or two everywhere else. Things softened a bit in the afternoon but I wasn't feeling confident enough to try many bumps or any glades. It was a good day even though the snow wasn't the great packed powder I've been fortunate to ski for so much of this season. I hope my next visit is on a day where I'll be more willing to get off the groomers. It was 20 years between my first and second Jay days, and I don't plan to wait that long for the third [16 Ski Day Pictures]. After the ski day, I made my way down to the Burlington area for a pleasant night at the Best Western Plus Windjammer in South Burlington. I went back out for some food from Al's Frys but that was about it. [25 Pictures from the Roads]

Wednesday, March 4 - South Burlington, Vermont, to Bolton Valley, to Amsterdam, New York

After the overnight in Burlington, I woke to a fresh coating of snow and made my way over to Bolton Valley for my first-ever visit (ski area #74 lifetime). As I drove up the access road, the snow got a little deeper. I arrived after 9:30, I parked not too far from the lodge and made my way up cautiously through the snow (they were still shoveling paths). I got ready, did my Indy redemption, and was on snow right around 10. Just before I went out, a ski patroller walked through the lodge and proclaimed the conditions "perfect". And yes, they were really good. The sun was bright and the temps started out a little below freezing. There was about 4" of a super pleasant powder and plenty of it to find fresh tracks all day. With such nice conditions I was a lot more confident to try it all including bumps and steeps and glades. I mostly followed really good routes but once ended up along a stream that required a little more work to get out. The powder got a little heavier as the temps climbed up into the low to mid 40's, but still very pleasant and forgiving. I had the chance to ride lifts with a lot of regulars who all really love the place (the first was very excited to tell me when to turn around and get the first crystal clear view across Lake Champlain to Whiteface) and many were more than willing to give me suggestions on what to check out. I wrapped up a fantastic day after 2:30. It was one of my best ski days of the season, and it's been a really great season. [21 Ski Day Pictures] My ride home was fine, but there sure is no fast way to get back from northern VT. I decided to cross Lake Champlain via the Crown Point bridge. Overall, a very successful trip. These were days 33 and 34 for me. [19 Pictures from the Roads]