From Phil Caracci on April 11 2024

April 5-8, 2024 Trip : What can possibly Eclipse this weekend???

Sorry but I had to get that word in the title… This 3-day car trip to our lodge was offered for skiing and for viewing the solar eclipse from within the Path of Totality. The day would become night and night would become day all in a 2-minute span. That’s rather unique by itself but combine that with excellent spring skiing conditions and you really have something memorable!

This is Miramar’s 75th year and it’s most likely the first time that a total solar eclipse would occur in the Mad River Valley. What should we expect? How should we manage the lodge usage? The wise leaders decided a bus trip would not be best since there might be multiple options for experiencing the eclipse and thus a car trip gave everyone an opportunity to do it their way. We wanted to have our cook on duty as the small local restaurants would never be able to handle the crush.

March of 2024 was very kind to the Green Mountains. There were several major storms measured in feet of snow in the weeks leading up to the eclipse, the last storm ending Friday morning.

Over the three days we had various groups skiing Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Stowe and Killington. That’s one heck of a lineup! In addition the nordic skiers enjoyed the Von Trapp trails and some hikers found hills to conquer too. (and others went snowshoeing)

Spring skiing for those unfamiliar is a bit different. Generally the snow starts off firm and gradually softens to the point that by 2:30pm, most people would rather sit out in the sun with a beer than ski or ride on the “slush”. The cold winter wind is replaced with a gentle 50 degree breeze.

As the eclipse day approached the frenzy (everywhere) grew. Lawsons was even brewing a Path of Totality IPA just for this occasion!!! Every bed in the Miramar lodge was spoken for. A full house…. 53 people. Wow!

What may not have been completely anticipated is the number of cars to get all those people up here might exceed the number of parking spaces. We have more land but it was all covered in snow and blocked by the barrier created by the snow plow one day earlier.

The weekend was a sunny one… except for the actual moment of the eclipse! OK, not to overemphasize this…. But there were thin clouds following 2 days with no clouds at all. Some members & guests watched the eclipse from the lodge. Some “chasers” raced north and east to outrun the clouds and view it in clear skies.

I decided it was a ski day and decided to watch it halfway down from the summit on a completely empty trail. I was set up with a zoom lens and a tripod waiting for totality listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album played by a live band at the Sugarbush base off in the distance.

… And if the cloud bursts thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon

By Emily from Mar 27, 2024
This week’s trip began as always.  Us Manhattanites met at the large green doors of the Masonic Temple in Manhattan. I’m curious what goes on in there, but basically, it’s just a meeting spot and a place for Miramar members to store their skis. I’m still curious what goes on in there. Shortly after the bus ride begins, we’re offered little plastic cups of brandy by David, carrying the brandy around his neck and wearing a miner’s headlamp.  The bus ride to Vermont was jovial and fun.  We got into a conversation about the history of Miramar, and it’s rumored that in the 70s it served as a swingers’ club. Needless to say, it’s no longer a swingers’ club but a good number of members met and married on a Miramar ski trip. Just saying. 

Saturday morning, we got up bright and early and had a sumptuous breakfast of pretty much everything you could ask for– yogurt, toast, eggs, pancakes, muffins, peanut butter, etc. etc. We hit Sugarbush by 9am.  Conditions were, well, northeast ice, but not a skating rink and could have been worse. Sun was shining. I skied with a lovely group of talented skiers who were all a lot more elegant on ice than me, and I was beyond happy to ski with them. Lunch at the main lodge with a bunch of Miramartians.  Several more skiers joined our group in the afternoon, and we did more skiddy blues. I bailed after that and met the après ski group at Rumbles where we drank and compared ice experiences.

Big gap in my note taking but suffice it to say that that Saturday dinner was lovely. A whopping 13 first timers and second timers introduced themselves at dinner, and there were a bunch of new members as well. After dinner people lingered and socialized. I took the down time to do some work and went to bed early.

Sunday at Killington. Not too crazy icy. Again, I skied with a group of lovely, ice proficient and elegant skiers. I geeked out on ski technique, tried to understand ice and just chilled with the friendliest skiers on the Mountain. Total lack of recall on the rest of the trip, but I got home Sunday evening feeling physically tired but energized by a weekend of skiing and connected to my ski-loving brethren.

By Phil Caracci from Mar 26, 2024
Spring skiing is special. The days are longer, the biting winter wind & cold has subsided and the snowpack has deepened. Yes, you heard me… deepened. Often March is the snowiest month in VT. Certainly this year!

As the forecast picture started to form, the trip registration started to grow until we had nearly filled our 50-bed lodge. NYC was looking at a drenching rain but colder air up north indicated a very different picture. The snow started shortly after our arrival on Friday night and continued for about 24 hours! Every turn on Saturday at Sugarbush was leaving fresh tracks in the powder. Yep, real like-you-see-in-Utah powder!

The best of the best found their way to the Slide Brook Wilderness for some tree skiing which leaves you on a road between the two peaks where you can flag down a shuttle bus to get back to base. This was a first for most in that group. Truly an epic day of skiing.

Another unique aspect of this trip was that 3 of our members invited their adult daughters to join them adding to an already unusually youthful group. This is Miramar’s 75th season and if you wanted a glimpse into the future I think you might have seen it right here with an outstanding group of new members and guests that bonded almost immediately.

Our new chef Matt made sure we were well fed and ready for the following day. His crème brûlée french toast at breakfast is amazing!

A day of nonstop snow is great but for me, the day after that when the sun is out is even better. And so it was on Day 2 at Killington where 24” of new snow blanketed their 7 peaks. We woke up an extra 30 minutes earlier to get here and savor every minute of this amazing day. Wow!

As you might imagine, the bus ride home was LOUD. There was so much joy and excitement. How could we top this? There was one idea…. A Flash Mob dancing in the middle of the Thruway rest area!!! Crazy fun! And when we got rolling again it was time for some bus ride karaoke! “Sweet Caroline… good times never seemed so good, SO GOOD, SO GOOD!”

Every trip is different. You won’t always get fresh powder and a flash mob but when you do you know you’ve reached the pinnacle of weekend skiing in VT and since 1949, nobody does it better than the Miramar Ski Club.

By Phil Caracci from Jan 21, 2024

There’s cold and then there’s damn cold! What else could you call a weekend that stayed consistently between 0 and 10 degrees.

But we’re eastern skiers so we know there’s no bad weather, just bad preparation for it. But still…..

Northern VT was getting snow (finally) after a few weeks of warm air and rain closed a few trails. But I think we saw about 4 feet of new snow in the two weeks leading up to this weekend. I’ll take it!

While I am not a tree skier, it seems that is where the best snow could be found. A few folks headed into the Slide Brook Wilderness area and found their way down to the road where they were scooped up by the Sugarbush shuttle that runs from Mt Ellen to Lincoln Peak. Someday I’ll try this.

Besides the cold weather, the other thing that stands out in my mind was the relative quiet of this group. I’ve been in Miramar more than two decades and this stands out as perhaps the quietest bus ride ever! And even the after dinner party was less rowdy than most. And no game of Left/Right/Center either!

Continuing on this theme, it was easy to talk at dinner but I attribute that to the sound absorbing panels that Richard, Chris and John installed in our dining room 2 weeks prior on a Work Weekend.

2023-4 continues to be the season of try-outs to be the club’s new cook. This weekend’s kitchen team is certainly a strong contender! Stay tuned to see who lands this coveted job.

Day 2 was still all about the cold. The mountain was cold, the bus was cold and someone said their pajamas were cold too. Should I explain?

I went to Mt Ellen, a.k.a. Sugarbush North, for the first time this winter. It started out sunny with no wind at the base. But halfway up the GMX the wind kicked into high gear and in a matter of minutes all lifts here were shut down. Brrr! Fortunately a short time later I was gliding down the slopes at Lincoln Peak and there was no wind at all. Only 2 miles apart but very different conditions!

Our ride home did involve a mechanical failure that left us with a cold bus. But that too was fixed as we crossed paths with a much warmer bus and arrived home on time and had the chance to make new friends too.

And as for the cold pajamas….. well maybe I’ll leave you guessing! LOL

By Phil Caracci from Dec 10, 2023

The emotions leading up to the first trip of the ski season have elements of the first day of a new semester in school as well as  the premier of a heavily-hyped movie.  There is expectation of greatness because you’ve been talking about it for months. “Winter is coming!”  “Think snow!!”  Like school, we know we will see our “classmates” again. The old routine will become the new routine but this year we may have some different “teachers”.

OK, I’m done trying to make this analogy work!  LOL. By now you figured out that classmates is in fact fellow members of this ski club and the teachers represent the employees, in this case the cook and the bus driver to name a few.

Carolyn, who cooked for us for 28 years, retired over the Summer and now we will discover what’s  next. But before we talk about food, let’s talk about snow.

The 23-24 ski season got off to an above average start.  There were a few good snow storms at the end of November and into the first week of December and even Mad River Glen, which relies on natural snow, opened up a day or two before my first ski day in VT.

There is always a lot of excitement for Opening Day of the Miramar season but the anticipated good conditions amped it up even more. And Saturday’s skiing at Sugarbush did not disappoint!  It was so good to see the gang and do what we do again!  Great snow!

Our cook that weekend was a new face for most of us and he delivered superbly crafted meals. Nobody left the table hungry!

As a special treat this weekend I invited Steve Joslin to come for dinner and talk about his family’s history in the Valley.

Steve has recently been part of a local project called “Take Me Back” where he, and others, were interviewed on a local TV station to tell the story of the early days of Waitsfield.

The Joslin family has a library named after them and a road and perhaps some other places too.  But it’s special for Miramar because the ski lodge was once the Old Joslin Mill in the early 1900’s.

Steve told the story of how the hydraulic powered mill got water from the Mad River to grind the grain and that same flow continued on to power a saw mill right next to it.  In 1944 a fire burned both structures, The following year another structure was built on the mill’s foundation but it was now used to sell 100 pound bags of feed for cattle.

While club members like to say the lodge was once a mill the reality is it was once a “bag feed store” (built on the foundation of a mill).  Not as exciting as it being a grist mill!!! LOL

Saturday was such a good day that few of us seemed to care that it rained rather convincingly on Sunday before changing over to more snow by night.

Any time you engage in an outdoor activity you have no choice but to accept the weather you get. One thing I have found consistently is that skiers and snowboarders seem to just roll with it instead of complaining about that which cannot be changed.

This season just started.  We know there will be many more good days to come.

By Phil Caracci from Mar 12, 2023

“I’m going to ski in Steamboat Springs, CO for a week with Miramar! When I get back I’ll probably skip one VT weekend and sign up for the following bus trip”.

That’s what I thought and that’s what I usually do. However, this time I knew I had to get to Vermont NOW. I would not skip this weekend!

In my idle minutes last week in Colorado I was monitoring what was happening in Vermont. What was happening? SNOW!!! A few FEET of snow! The best skiing of the season was waiting for me.

The trip started off great. The Hampton Jitney sent us an Ambassador bus. We’re traveling in First Class with lots of leg-room, fold-down tray tables and a kitchen in the back. Cool!

The ride up was the usual good time. I was meeting new people and I was drinking good wine. I was being offered tasty chocolate treats, cookies, etc.. I was sharing my cheese and crackers with the folks around me. The storm was rolling in, but we were ahead of it and our drive was on dry roads with no traffic. Perfect.

Early Saturday was not particularly sunny. I was skiing with Elizabeth and Linda, a brand-new member, and a brand-new guest. But by late morning, the sun was breaking through the cloud cover and it was turning into an amazing ski day. I decided to pick up the speed a bit and I switched ski groups joining my buddies Chris and John for the rest of the day. The snow was soft. The temperature was mild and the sun was shining. I couldn’t believe there weren’t big crowds. It seems a lot of people don’t realize March and April can be the best ski months of the season!

My Irish brothers and I decided to ride the 2-mile chairlift to Mt Ellen after lunch because the sunshine was just outstanding and I wanted to take in the breathtaking views from that peak looking all the way to the Adirondacks in NY State. Lincoln Peak was not crowded but Mt Ellen was completely empty and we were skiing all over the mountain having a ball. So much so that we missed the connection back to the main base and missed the Miramar bus back to the lodge. No problem, there is craft beer on tap and a town shuttle as a backup!

And speaking of that shuttle…. We needed it the next morning as our bus had a slight problem and we returned to Sugarbush and this time went directly over to Mt Ellen for another day of great sunshine skiing with Bonnie and John. It was again a glorious sunshiny day.

The clock change last night was giving us even more daylight today. After a long outdoor lunch including Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine to emphasize the point, I returned to the top of the mountain and savored a nonstop run of the 2400 foot vertical drop just in time to catch the bus home.

Oh yeah!!!

By Jorene Chai from Feb 5, 2023

Freezing temperatures on the record did not stop us this weekend to head up to the lodge! 19 of us were up for the freezing weekend but we made the most of it. As a new staff-in-training, I got to peer behind the scenes of what it took to make a trip successful. There were reunions all around: former club presidents Linda and Phil met again for the first time after Linda moved south to Florida and long-time friends Janice and Wendy were elated to get onto a bus trip again.

Saturday morning started off with -20 degrees. Many resorts in the area reported that lifts were thawing and were not in operation until later in the day. We waited with bated breath; Blythe and new guest Tehila decided to relax at the Sugarbush spa while Phil and guests Nancy and Luther decided to brave the cold to get on the first chair. The rest of us were at the lodge and Janice made a call to Blueberry Lake and we had a new option for the rest of the afternoon – snowshoeing! Linnea, Shawn, Janice, Wendy and I snowshoed 4 miles around Blueberry Lake and before we dropped Johanne off at Sugarbush to work on conquering some moguls. Trip leader Amy and her twin boys Thomas and Thaddeus kept the lodge cozy for our return! The evening was delightful as usual with a mini birthday celebration for former club president Phil, which also marked his 26th year with the club! Guests and members relaxed by the fireplace before retiring for the evening.

We were hopeful for a good day on Sunday but were met with unexpected news – Killington lost power. The lodges were affected and lifts had delayed openings. But nothing was going to stop us from a balmy day on the slopes. We made the most of lifts that were open; a big thank you to trip leader Amy’s flexibility, our bus driver Sam’s dexterity and the amazing crew who joined the trip this weekend. Lifts did start opening up throughout the day! Tehlia started her first of three ski lessons at the ski school and guest Luther dominated the slopes with over 35 miles covered. Shawn, Linnea, Phil, Wendy, Janice and Luke skied to their hearts content while Nancy shredded the slopes and even coached some beginner snowboarders!

There is never a dull moment with Miramar ski club. Wait no more and sign up for a trip today!

By Phil Caracci from Jan 22, 2023

My first bus trip of the season is always exciting because it’s the return to an activity that I’ve enjoyed for the last quarter century.

When people hear I’m taking a 6-hour bus ride to ski VT they think I’m crazy. But they don’t realize this bus ride is not a mere commute. It’s a time to enjoy a party with some friends you haven’t seen in a while (some since the pandemic), a chance to meet and welcome the first-timers with Miramar. It’s also dinner time, a time to catch up on email/text/social media and if done right there’s a nap in there too.

The Friday night ride lived up to my expectations! I saw Wendy on the bus for the first time in years! David and Jim joined veteran Trip Leader Amy as the organizers for this weekend. I met guests Nancy and Clina both doing their first trip with us. Other friends like Thirsty Kirsty, Kas, Azra were there as well. It was a marvelous reunion!

This is the 3rd weekend of January and typically by now I’ve been on 2 or more bus trips. Why the late start? Well winter had a late start in the East. There was some nice snow in December but right as the clock struck 2023 the rain and meltdown began. I actually skied in VT that first week of January and there was grass sticking up through a thin layer of snow. The ski resorts work so hard to be open by Thanksgiving but that head start was washed away so we were starting over.

Don’t get me wrong. There was enough snow by now for skiing and snowboarding. In fact there was enough snow for racing! Yes, every year Miramar, under the direction of our Race Chair Chip, reserves the NASTAR course for our exclusive use where we battle head-to-head running the gates against the clock to take home the Gold. In my case I settled for the Bronze. But please understand I’m in the category called “Why Are You Racing?” LOL

I won’t bore you with every detail of our Saturday night. In summary I gave a tour of Waitsfield including the famous Beer Cave, we enjoyed a Happy Hour in the lounge with food and open bar followed by a 5-course dinner served in our dining room by our cook. The evening concluded with more drinks around the fireplace and a few people shaking it on the dance floor.

I can’t overlook this. One activity on Saturday night was writing out birthday cards to a VERY longtime member who turned 99 that week! Harry isn’t skiing anymore but he still gets a Gold Medal.

Sundays are usually spent at Killington and this was no exception. But they did direct our bus to park in a different base area. They have a bunch to choose from. So our day started and ended at the Skyship base. It is one of the lower elevation bases and the last ride of the day is a long winding Green trail or an easy Blue that goes more direct but you had to jump a stream mid way down!

Overall it was a fine day skiing “The Beast” as Killington in called. It was a gray sky wintery looking day. More snow is on the way.

On the way back I couldn’t help but sit there looking our the window and smiling. I also couldn’t resist the urge to sign up for the following weekend’s trip because these are just great weekends now as they have been since my first time in 1997

By Chris Wright from Jan 13, 2023

MLK Weekend: The 2023 Season Begins

My traditional first ski trip of the season started this MLK weekend. The first “run” is walking down the bus aisle and seeing who’s who. Something old (members), something new (Huntley graduates), something borrowed (guests), something blue (bright new gear). Each Miramar trip starts with a bus seat intro to your skiing comrades-in-arms for the next three days. We eat, play and chore together 24/7. By the end, everybody gets to meet everybody. A truly special experience.

The biggest concern was ski conditions. There had been ominous reports of “no snow”. But we are east coast skiers and can brave any and all conditions. Turns out the reports were false! After the first run on the first day, I knew we are AOK. Sugarbush had plenty to offer, unless you wanted Castle Rock and death-defying plunges, but even the A-team skiers had a blast. The snow was a bit mushy and it was a bit foggy, but we were all happily exhausted on the ride back to the lodge.

On Saturday, the Sugarbush sun came out, we got cheeked burned, and the snow had been expertly groomed. A fabulous ski day for all! Happy hour at the lodge was extra-happy, dinner was gay (from bright red cheeks) and we even danced at the lounge party after dinner.

Monday was a little less sunny, but the snow at Killington was good, and we had another excellent day. I found my fav area at Bear Mountain and skied the blues and greens with my son till we dropped.

Snow is expected this week and the upcoming weekend should be even better. It was great to see the old, the new, the borrowed and that nobody was blue. I’ll be on the Jan. 27 trip. See everybody soon.

P.S. The renovated and refurbished rooms are top rate.

By Richard Baker from Oct 10, 2022

For the Columbus Day Weekend trip to the Miramar Lodge in Waitsfield, we had a wonderful time led by trip leader Lauren Franck, seconded by Maureen Cavanaugh. In addition to Lauren and Maureen, twelve members joined the weekend along with six guests, an admirable turnout.

The weather on Saturday in Waitsfield was very sunny with an occasional breeze. Twelve members and guests went with group leader Richard Carey to St. Albans, north of Burlington about 45 minutes for a bike ride on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. Richard and several other riders rented electric bikes, which helped them to complete the 22 mile round trip. Not needing an electric bike was Cesar Aguilar, a new member of Miramar, who regularly rides 70 miles with the New York Cycle Club. Other participants on the ride completed lesser distances and many of us met for fresh brewed beer at 14^th Star Brewery in St. Albans. Other weekend participants visited the well known Granite Quarries near Barre, Vermont for a hike with wonderful views of fall’s foliage. As usual we had a delicious dinner prepared by Caroline and Nate.

On Sunday, the weather was cooler, but a group of hearty souls hiked up to the Mad River Glen. Most of the group made it to the top and were able to take the single chair down despite the cool wind in the low 40s. The views of the foliage from the single chair were spectacular. Lunch was at the Mad River Glen base lodge. Later in the day, a group went to Swanson’s Inn Bed and Breakfast for tea, coffee and freshly baked pie offers, ranging from pumpkin to apple to cheesecake. Finally a delicious dinner back at the Lodge, followed by a very interesting book talk and reading by Waitsfield native Lee Hall Dufresne, a former US World Cup ski team racer and nationally ranked tennis player. Afterwards, many of us played a spirited game of LRC won by Yvonne Caracci that helped subsidize her very successful trip to the Stowe Foliage & Fine Arts Festival earlier that day!

Monday morning was cool again, but a group went for a hike at Wu Ledges while others went apple picking. Most of the group departed soon after lunch. All in all, a great weekend!

By Miramar from Sept 5, 2022

I lumbered up the Miramar porch with my backpack on, a duffel bag in one hand and my tea set in the other. Before I could set my bag down to plunk in our secret entry code, the door swung open and Bill and Robin greeted me. “We’re kayaking in 10 minutes!” they said.

“I’ll be ready in 5! By the way, my name’s Rick . . .”

With that, our Labor Day weekend was off and running (er — paddling)! Bill, Robin, and I were joined by Regina, Ruth, and Lauren for an easy afternoon exploring Blueberry Lake. Regina and I paired up to explore the inlets along the bank. We stopped whenever a particularly interesting plant or bird caught her naturalist’s eye. Our top find was a Kingfisher bird — a first for me!

The next day was filled with adventures. Robin directed me to the Appalachian Gap Trailhead at the top of Rt. 17. After wandering along it for a while I was surprised to pop out on top of Mad River Glen! From there I kept on going up and up until I found the charming and storied Stark’s Nest at the summit.

Like many fine things these days, our fun was cut short by that wily virus. However, like Helen is fond to remind us, “This is Miramar!!” As we went our separate ways I was touched by the affection members showed to each other. If anything is going to get us through the rest of this pandemic, I think it is just that. The affection we have for this special place and the generations it has touched won’t fix everything, but without it nothing’s worth fixing.