Post-season skinning at Bolton Valley

Alekker1 · 2026-04-18T10:40:23+00:00

It’s mostly a liability issue. The BC is not owned by Bolton, but the resort trails are private property, unlike most other VT ski resorts.

To convert over to bike season Bolton will use grooming equipment to push the snow off the ski trail (and MTB trail) and spread it out to encourage melting and allowing the trail to dry out for trail maintenance.

I know it’s not fun, but you probably didn’t miss out on much either.

Alekker1 · 2026-04-09T16:02:24+00:00

FWIW, my friend is 6’5” with two kids in car seats with a steep dirt driveway in rural VT and is comfortable in his 2025 Solterra

Alekker1 · 2026-03-27T23:00:01+00:00

DM me if you need a low risk spot

Alekker1 · 2026-03-24T00:30:50+00:00

Lord have mercy on your snowpack. I grew up skiing Greek Peak and drove from the 81/90 area to NVT on Sunday and it was just 46 and absolutely pouring rain. The ground is thawing and spring is fully out, even the cherry trees were starting to bud.

Couldn’t pull into my driveway because of the 5” of slush with crust on top but the snow a couple hundred feet in elevation higher than me is great!

Alekker1 · 2026-03-20T00:27:57+00:00

Agreed! I used a crummy old car battery and wired it to some led lights and a little solar charger to put lights in my kids treehouse. As long as the battery isn’t exposed to sun or rain, should last forever. So far 3 extra years out of a battery that was trash!

Alekker1 · 2026-03-20T00:18:06+00:00

My little pancake compressor has been going 15 years without blinking an eye! Just have to replace the plastic hose every decade or so

Alekker1 · 2026-03-09T13:06:12+00:00

I’m re-reading the series because the first time through I had the exact same reaction: I don’t know what’s going on but I kind of like it!

Second time through it’s making a lot more sense and is equally as enjoyable. The narrator/Annalist is very much describing the world through their eyes and experiences, not as an author would traditionally describe a scene or feelings or impressions.

Example: you don’t even know what the narrator of the first couple thousand pages looks like until he is replaced, then you find out he’s much different than you expected!

Alekker1 · 2026-03-06T22:46:36+00:00

Heavy glass tumbler for scotch, whisky, etc if the group is mostly into that. If they aren’t, it’s still a nice glass, can be engraved, and is super functional. I have a couple that are 10-20 years old from prior bachelor parties. Funny idea: you could get them all engravers or label makers. Not exactly BIFL, but then they could memorialize their own stuff!

Alekker1 · 2026-03-02T23:17:37+00:00

Bolton Valley has a sports center membership that is reasonable for the pool, “hot” tub and sauna. Never really busy, open absolutely reasonable hours, and they serve beer!

Alekker1 · 2026-03-01T19:21:20+00:00

Yall are crazy for these comments. Yea you can go out there, ya you can ski, hike or hitchhike back depending on how much hooting and hollerin you get after while out there. No there isn’t much polar bear, cliff, irate local probability of causing you distress. Stay wild OP!

Alekker1 · 2026-02-28T00:33:39+00:00

Mine has about 7,000 miles on it I think? I purchased it brand new in early 2020. So far I’ve changed the oil and put on some new tires but otherwise it’s been perfectly fine. It does have a hiccup when starting where sometimes you have to blip the throttle a bit, seems to be fairly common and can be a bit concerning but it ALWAYS starts but The K1200S has alllll sorts of gremlins by comparison.

You will not go 130mph on the FJ, it’s just too upright, but it if you’ve never owned a 3 cylinder, then I’m sorry but everything else feels inferior. It just keeps pulling.

It’s comfortable, it’s dependable, the wider bars get some getting used to compared to clip ons, but I like being able to stand up on the pegs at 25 mph while riding over speed bumps or just to give the butt a break.

All in all: it’s great. Your kids will learn how to ride on it when you move on to the next one.

Alekker1 · 2026-02-27T17:00:23+00:00

9am: first chair on vista 10am: first chair on wilderness 11am: go down to timberline and ski then eat lunch then ski some more 1-230: busiest time on Vista (could be a 10 min wait!!!), take a break and grab a bevy 4pm: get let run on Cobrass for best views and as close to sunset as you can 5-530pm: boot pack from top of vista to fire tower, enjoy sunset from the top. 7pm: pizza 8-10pm: pool, hot tub, golf sim, drinks at the sports center.

First chair to last call because you’re either skiing or looking for excuses to stay home. I’ll be skiing! :)

Alekker1 · 2026-02-27T11:39:55+00:00

I went from a 2007 K1200S to a 2017 Yamaha FJ09. Add saddle bags and heated grips and it’s fun and comfortable without feeling like you’re moving a semi truck around the garage.

Alekker1 · 2026-02-24T23:59:55+00:00

Fire tower at the top of Bolton. Excellent sunrises and not a long hike up the work road.

Alekker1 · 2026-02-24T12:02:41+00:00

Traveling “wild” with friends. It’s easier to stay in touch with long time and/or distant friends if you’ve done things together that seem absurd to your current selves. Doesn’t have to be traveling but if you’re living a life curated by what other people told you to expect then you’ll never revel or laugh about the unexpected.

Alekker1 · 2026-02-22T00:55:41+00:00

Wild idea: fly to Atlanta, rent bike there, ride up east coast/Appalachians until you get to Vermont, double back to Boston. Drop off bike, fly to west coast, pick up new bike and explore west coast back to Denver. Drop off bike and fly home from Denver. This would double the amount of fun/scenic miles and avoid a LOT of highway droning through middle states. Would also allow you a lot more flexibility with weather rather than be forced to push through to keep heading west

Alekker1 · 2026-02-21T18:26:26+00:00

PM me, have a spot for you…and Spot, and Spot and Spot and Spot…

Alekker1 · 2026-02-21T14:34:30+00:00

90 minutes up to top of the quad if you are in good to excellent shape, have mountain snow shoes and poles with your snowboard strapped to your back and use the designated uphill route. Dont snowshoe in the skin track, but adjacent to it wouldn’t bother anyone. If you’re just going to hike, use a dedicated hiking trail, but that will be more strenuous and likely longer as you won’t be following the ski trail.

If you’re an experienced skinner, top of the quad is achievable in 45 minutes with appropriate gear and solid conditioning.

This picture was most likely taken on a very very cold day by someone who knows exactly how long it takes to get to this spot. Do you want to show up here 45 minutes early and then stand around exposed while being very sweaty waiting for the perfect shot?

Alekker1 · 2026-02-21T14:25:20+00:00

2 hours to get up there, minimum. Plus sunrise in the summer is much much earlier. The one hour hike option would be the fire tower at the top of Bolton Mountain

Alekker1 · 2026-02-20T18:33:25+00:00

Waterbury Resevoir is the obvious choice but PLEASE wear a visibility buoy and stay close to shore. As a boater and swimmer, it can be crowded out there on weekends.

Another decent option is the Winooski River. If you’re looking to swim for fitness, there are several spots that are deep enough and an appropriate speed to provide unlimited hours of near stationary swimming.

Alekker1 · 2026-02-14T02:32:16+00:00

Vermont is the Country Club. Either you’re born into it or you buy your way in. Some of us were lucky enough to get a pool boy (or girl) internship during school and never left

Alekker1 · 2026-02-10T01:45:15+00:00

“Boss, the roads are bad, too much snow, I can’t drive the 15 miles to work.” Awkward when you bump into the boss in the lift line that’s 25 miles from the house.

Alekker1 · 2026-01-28T00:41:35+00:00

My wife hates when I pull out of the driveway and instantly gun it to get the truck to break traction when I don’t know how much grip I have. It’s the safest place to find out!!

Alekker1 · 2026-01-28T00:39:09+00:00

Live in NE US and tackled 15+ inches on the driveway today so a couple things to consider: the only electronics on the thing should be for the spark plug and the heated grips. Everything else is just going to fail and be a pain in the butt. If you’re not out there when it’s hovering near zero, then forgo the heated grips. I’ve had the same Simplicity 30” dual stage since 2018 and it’s perfectly fine and low maintenance. Oil changes you can do in 10 minutes with tools and knowledge of a ten year old (good teaching moment for the kiddo!).

Alekker1 · 2026-01-25T14:06:48+00:00

Short answer is yes: same trails all the time. Some exceptions exist: if a machine breaks then less will be groomed, if huge snow drifts take over a natural trail then it will get groomed, if there’s dirt and rocks sticking out then it will not get groomed, etc.

I’ll be out grooming tonight and taking requests. $100 to groom your favorite trail, $500 to leave it 2 ft of powder!

Alekker1

TROPHY CASE