By Megan James and Angelo Lynn
VERMONT — Art Farrington drives the Beast like he’s had a handle on 500-horsepower, dual-turbocharged grooming machines since the day he was born. His foot thrown up on the dash, the radio crooning, he backs onto the first climb of his shift at Okemo one recent evening. The Beast, technically known as the Prinoth BR500, is the resort’s newest addition to its grooming fleet and the most monstrous of the six cats growling over the trails tonight.
“This thing is a dream,� Farrington says, and he should know; he’s been tilling the trails at Okemo for 22 years.
Located at 535 Lost Nation Road in Craftsbury Common in Vermont’s remote Northeast Kingdon, the Craftsbury Nordic Center is an inspiring place to experience the great outdoors. Not only is it remote, but its expansive views across rolling hills and open meadows is unparalleled in the state.
As importantly, for Nordic skiers, the facility hosts some of the best groomed tracks on the East Coast. High enough to attract abundant snowfall, the center usually has the earliest snows of the season and is able to keep its snow throughout the year far better than warmer climes. Plus, the trails have been worked throughout the years to a smooth, level surface that undulates with the terrain but doesn’t have the off-slope angles on the track that are common at many Nordic centers.
SAM AND KRISTINA VON TRAPP
By Meredith Scott
STOWE, Vt. — The Stowe Free Library and the Vermont Ski Museum hosted a story telling event at the Shed, Stowe’s infamous après ski destination, to reminisce about Stowe in the ’50s and ’60s.
Before the event, The Museum interviewed a variety of people to get a sense of Stowe at that time.
Each person was asked these 5 questions:
1. What brought you to Stowe and how old were you when you started skiing here?
2. Who do you remember – someone who influenced you or a larger than life personality?
3. What do you remember about the Mountain and skiing here?
4. What was your favorite piece of equipment and your favorite outfit?
5. What is or was your favorite hot spot and your fondest memory of being there?
Here’s a sample of their stories, with much more to be gleaned from each story-teller through a visit to the museum in Stowe.
• Bob Katz entered UVM as a freshman in 1952 and started skiing at Stowe.
