by Stephen Templeton | Apr 8, 2026 | Trip Report
By Karen McFarlane
On the bright or partly sunny evening of March 27, 2026, one of the last (but not least!) Miramar bus trips of 2026 took off from the streets of New York with 42 hearty ski souls aboard and Mike filling in for Al, our usual driver, at the helm. In a first in a long time, the bus was able to park on 6th. Ave. without any of us getting arrested. There were a lot of first time, second time and third timers on this trip, just showing that Miramar is continuously growing and expanding, especially this late in the ski season!!
The bus ride up is very different in March, when spring has sprung! Instead of leaving in the dark, you get sunlight until 7:30 or so and you see sights you never usually see – like trees and sky…!!!
Saturday was a terrific day at Sugarbush! Although the temperature was in the teens to 20’s, it felt almost balmy! In fact, before I got on my first lift, I moved my hand warmers from my mittens to my jacket pocket, where they rested all day. (By the way, for those who don’t know it, hand warmers stay warm all night- I always take mine out and use them as heating pads in the bed for a comfortable night…!!!)
Following a great happy hour, we had a lovely chicken repast cooked by our wonderful chef, Matt, assisted by Maddie. After that, an attack of dancing broke out with the apres dinner crowd and a good time was had by all!!
On Sunday, we traveled to Killington for another fantastic day of skiing. Basically, both days consisted of fabulous Vermont style hard pack, seasoned with a little topping varying between a dusting of snow and scratchy ice, which makes a lovely sound!! We East Coast skiers know what to do with this – Western powder skiers would be crying in their beer if they even attempted to get on our beautiful slopes!!
We had a great ride back on the bus, made all the more wonderful by the catered delicacies created in the Panera test kitchens and served to us by uniformed waitstaff, with gold plated silverware and flagons of wine, accompanied by roving bands of minstrels, jugglers and magicians…(perhaps I had too many flagons???!!!🤪🤪🤪).
by Stephen Templeton | Mar 26, 2026 | Trip Report
By Phil Caracci
It’s time for March Madness 2026!
NCAA Basketball fans certainly look forward to this time of year but guess what??? So do skiers!! Less layers, less wind, more sunshine, outdoor parties and March can often be the snowiest month in VT. So bring on the Madness!!!
This trip kicked off in high gear. Full trip! No empty seats! Lots of energy on the Friday night bus ride with snow falling on our way to VT.
Sugarbush had about 4 inches of new snow on the ground when we got there. It wasn’t particularly crowded at Lincoln Peak with the sun occasionally peeking out of the clouds.I started out with a group of maybe 10 members and guests cruising mostly on Intermediate trails. A few missed a turn and the group shrunk followed by a split decision to eat lunch at the base or mid mountain.
I along with two guests opted for Allyn’s Lodge at the top of the SuperBravo chair. It was a lively scene unlike the nearly empty lodge we experienced on a freezing cold January afternoon. Such is spring skiing!
By mid afternoon we had migrated over to Mt Ellen to meet up with some of our other friends who were skiing there. We discovered a “frat party” in the woods off a trail reachable via the North Ridge Quad. The music pulled us in so we said hello and were offered cold beer and grilled sausages. Cool!!! I’m not saying anything more about this, but it was a first for me!
I almost lost track of the time and suddenly we realized we needed to speed down nonstop top to bottom to catch the shuttle back to Lincoln Peak. By now the sun was out and the snow was soft and the crowd was gone making this just one incredibly delightful run. I’m still smiling just thinking about it.
Every year, Sugarbush picks a day in March for their Pride celebration. Hundreds of people filled the plaza outside the Gatehouse Lodge drinking beer and dancing to the DJ’s party tunes. It was quite a festive scene! I hated to leave.
by Stephen Templeton | Mar 8, 2026 | Trip Report
By Adam Sanderson
Another incredible long weekend in the books! Our President’s Day trip (February 13-16) was a sold-out affair led by Cesar and staffed by Ellen, and despite some seriously frigid temperatures, the energy and enthusiasm never wavered.
Saturday brought us to Sugarbush where conditions were excellent. The adventurous among us ventured into the Slide Brook off-piste area and were rewarded with great snow and plenty of excitement — exactly the kind of terrain that makes these trips so memorable. After a full day on the mountain, we returned to the lodge where the chef Matt outdid himself with fresh tuna steaks, mixed vegetables, and a warm apple cookie topped with ice cream and whipped cream. The perfect way to refuel.
Sunday, about 30 trippers hopped on the bus for a day at Stowe. Quick tip for anyone using Epic buddy passes: if you send the pass online, your friend can activate it right on their phone — no need to visit the ticket counter. The only catch is the main pass holder needs to get their pass scanned at any lift first. If you want a physical pass, everyone has to stop by the desk, but it’s still a pretty smooth process.
Now, about those temperatures… let’s just say Sunday was cold. Wind chills at the summit hit 30 below zero. Most of us wisely stayed off the summit and found amazing snow in the trees and on the lower runs. Sometimes the best skiing is knowing where not to go!
Monday wrapped up the trip at Killington, where a group of adventure seekers made it their mission to explore every tree run they’d never done before. They went off the beaten path and discovered some incredible new lines — the kind of exploring that keeps you coming back for more.
Throughout the weekend, the high spirits and great energy were everywhere. New friendships formed, stories were shared, and the camaraderie that makes these trips special was on full display. And yes — the maple margaritas made another triumphant appearance on the bus ride home, once again stealing the show. At this point the people have spoken: long live the margaritas!
Here’s to another fantastic trip, and many more adventures ahead.
by Stephen Templeton | Feb 15, 2026 | Trip Report
By Phil Caracci
There are so many great trips but the Super Bowl Weekend Trip is quickly becoming a “must do” event. Even if you don’t care a bit about football, that game has a huge impact on this trip.
Here’s how:
A. We watch the game in the lodge on Sunday night which means this “weekend trip” returns on Monday.
B. The extra day is a non-holiday Monday which means fewer people are skiing.
C. On Sunday, many people leave around noon to go to their Super Bowl parties and therefore, fewer people are skiing.
D. The extra day follows all the Super Bowl parties which means fewer people are able to get up and ski! 🍺🍷🍸
E. It’s 3 days on the slopes vs 2. Who wouldn’t want that?
F. The extra “middle” day allows us to ski Stowe as an option.
G. You can enter the Super Bowl Box and win real cash! Enough to cover a third of a single-day lift ticket at Stowe!! 😁
H. The extra day gives our guests more time to get to know the members and really feel connected to this club.
It’s no wonder with all of these things going for it that the trip was completely SOLD OUT weeks in advance. I registered 2 months in advance and suggest you do that next year.
Lots of positives listed above but there was one little negative. It was cold. How cold? Too cold!
On Saturday we woke up to temperatures below 0°F. That was at the lodge. On the mountain it was colder… with wind. The “real feel” was probably around -35°F!
As we like to say… “put on every bit of clothing you have”… and go out and enjoy the day. This brutally cold day did limit the number of crazies on the chairlifts at Sugarbush while every bit of indoor space was packed to capacity. Hot Chocolate was the preferred Drink of the Day!
Sunday at Stowe was even colder but thankfully the wind was less of a factor making it more manageable. I added an extra layer to my upper body and glove liners which allowed me to handle this high dose of winter quite well. Stowe has long been a favorite of mine and I’m sad that the industry has made us choose between EPIC and IKON. Our lodge is nearest an IKON mountain so the choice is obvious. But Stowe is epic in any sense of that word.
The Big Game on Sunday dominated the evening but there was still time to celebrate 3 birthdays, one of them mine. I must say, we have some great voices in the club. The Happy Birthday song never sounded this good!
Our bonus day at Killington was actually above 0° and felt relatively balmy. The gorgeous sunshine from start to finish really made it feel so much better. As predicted, no lift lines at all on a Monday. It was sweet.
We don’t all ski/ride together basically because the skill level varies from beginner to expert. Some like bumps. Some like the trees. Some like a waiter-served lunch with a linen tablecloth. For the record, I’m not in any of those groups!
That said, I heard of a few stories that sounded intriguing. One group which included a first-time guest entered the Slide Brook Wilderness at Sugarbush which is essentially an off-piste tree-skiing run that drops you out on a road where a shuttle bus can be flagged down to return you to base. She loved it and the entire group did it a second time!
Then there was another guest that likes to pile up his daily stats skiing to the very last minute. Unfortunately the lift operators weren’t of the same mindset and shut down the lift he needed earlier than scheduled and he was stranded at Killington far from our bus, Luckily another stranded skier called his wife who picked them both up and he got a ride back delaying our departure by just a few minutes.
The bus ride home was loud! Everybody was so excited about this trip. Painkillers and Maple Margaritas got us home with smiles that still haven’t faded. Oh, if you’re wondering who won the game, I’d say we did 😊
by Stephen Templeton | Feb 12, 2026 | Trip Report
By Adam Sanderson
What a weekend! Our January trip brought 32 members and 15 guests up to Vermont for three incredible days on the slopes, and it’s safe to say this one will be remembered for a while.
The adventure kicked off Friday night on the bus, where the energy was electric. New faces mixed with familiar ones as everyone swapped stories of their best (and worst) ski adventures, shared snacks and drinks, and got the weekend started right. By the time we pulled into the lodge, friendships were already forming — though everyone was ready to grab some sleep before hitting the mountain.
Saturday morning, Matt the chef worked his magic with a breakfast spread that had something for everyone: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, fresh fruit, muffins, and plenty of coffee to fuel the day ahead. There had been some worry about conditions — a few members who’d skied the previous weekend reported things were pretty icy. But Mother Nature came through for us. Temps had dropped, fresh snow was falling, and when we got to Sugarbush, conditions were excellent. Fresh powder, minimal ice, and temps hovering around 20 degrees. Skiers and snowboarders of all levels had a blast, from mellow green runs to challenging black diamonds.
That evening, the fun continued back at the lodge with a full open bar, a roaring fireplace, and delicious appetizers. Sunday brought more of the same great conditions. Some folks headed to Mad River Glen, others explored Mt. Ellen, and reports came back glowing from every direction. The Slide Brook chairlift was even running — and if you know, you know: that chair only spins when conditions are really good.
Sunday night was another fantastic evening courtesy of Matt’s cooking, more time around the bar, and plenty of games and conversation. On Monday, we wrapped up the trip at Killington, where the tree skiing was outstanding and deep snow made for an unforgettable final day. It was a bit colder, but nothing that slowed anyone down.
The bus ride home was full of the kind of tired, happy energy that only comes after a great trip. New friendships were cemented, stories were retold, and — in a move that may have just changed Miramar history — margaritas replaced the usual Bloody Marys for bus drinks. The reception was overwhelmingly positive, and we’re hoping this becomes the new standard.
All in all, an amazing long weekend with great snow, great people, and plenty of memories made. Here’s to many more trips ahead!
by Stephen Templeton | Jan 15, 2026 | Trip Report
By Phil Caracci
I often volunteer to write this blog after a Miramar Ski Club trip. I start by staring at a blank screen and say “how can I write something that sounds any different from my prior posts?”.
It isn’t easy because there’s a definite pattern to our weekend bus trips: ride the bus to VT; sleep in the lodge; breakfasting the lodge; ski Sugarbush; aprés ski at the mountain; more aprés ski at the lodge; dinner; after dinner party; sleep; Sunday breakfast; ski Killington; ride home.
Yes it’s a pattern but believe me it’s never the same. Take this from me because this is my 29th year in the club. No two trips are ever the same. Like fingerprints…. Or snowflakes (a more apt analogy for skiing).
So as I search for the unique aspects of this weekend I offer the following:
We had a first-time Trip Leader (TL). Cesar has been in the club several years and has stepped up to a leadership role in a few areas. This was his first trip as a TL for a winter trip. Let me restate the obvious. We are a SKI CLUB. Without Trip Leaders there are no trips and hence no club. So it’s a huge deal when a member puts up their hand and says “I’ll do it”. NOTE: When I say “ski” I really mean “play in the snow” which includes snowboard, Nordic ski, snowshoe, snow angels, etc…
Are you wondering if his first stint as TL was an easy one? Not really! The guests significantly outnumbered the members making it that much more challenging. Members know the drum beat that sets the pace. Wake up call, go down for breakfast, get on the bus, etc… It’s not rocket science but it does take getting used to. Even with the lack of members to coach the guests, it ran smoothly. Nice job Cesar!
The makeup or the trippers is always different. As mentioned above, there were many guests: 20 in total. 18 were first-timers with Miramar. It was somewhat unusual that half the group registered with another person. A father with his daughter, another father with his son, friends from grad school, married couples etc. Trippers who register solo tend to talk to more people (yes, I generalize). Compared to other trips this bus was relatively quiet and I attribute that to group’s makeup. Not saying that’s good or bad; just an observation I made.
Another observation was the number of snowboards on the bus. For years we had “Liz the snowboarder” because on many trips she was the Lone Rider. But on this trip she had company! Five others riding boards. That’s still a small proportion but more than it’s been.
It’s always good to see Matt, our awesome chef. I wished him a happy two-year anniversary with the Club. He’s been amazing! I happen to be sitting at a table with mostly guests for breakfast on our first morning. The surprised looks on their faces said it all. Perhaps they were expecting coffee, a muffin and a banana when we say “breakfast is included”. For the record, Matt had served us French toast, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes and bacon in addition to the buffet table featuring yogurt, oatmeal, muffins, fresh fruit, and cold cereal. Don’t try to eat all the offerings!
Now let’s talk a little bit about snow. The end of 2025 featured perhaps the best early season skiing that Vermont has seen in decades. It seemed to snow every day or every other day and remain below freezing so nothing melted. Yeah, some people complained that it was cold during those weeks, but they had amazing snow. We on the other hand had very comfortable temperatures. So comfortable, that the Friday night precipitation came in a form other than the much-desired snowflake. The start of the day at Sugarbush was shall we say “firm”. That’s what we call snow that doesn’t move. 😊 But, things softened up a bit on Lincoln Peak in the afternoon. An afternoon visit to Mt Ellen (Sugarbush’s other peak) provided lovely views across Lake Champlain to the Adirondack Mountains in NY State and zero waits for a lift.
This was my first ski day of the season and of course not the conditions I would’ve hoped for but all in all it was a fine day. I was skiing with my buddy John and a guest Perry, who was here on his second winter trip with us. Later on in the trip, Perry told me that he really wished he had discovered Miramar years ago. He really enjoyed the club experience.
At the end of the day at the base of the mountain, we gathered, listening to a singer belting out classic rock tunes while drinking some local craft beers and talking about our day. This by itself is fun!
One of our guests had an unfortunate fall and visited the clinic. Afterwards he was in great spirits at the bar telling everyone how cheap his x-ray was! The clinic at Sugarbush is staffed with volunteers so you only pay for “parts”.
When the party continued back at the lodge we saw that the old bar (since 1962) was shifted about 10 or 12 inches to provide additional space for the bartenders. As a result, they tended bar better than ever!
Another round of frozen precipitation on Saturday night resulted in ice coated chairlifts and a slow start at Killington. The same group from the prior day, now joined by Renata (returning after missing last season) and Aamir (day tripping from his home in NH), faced the challenge figuring out how to navigate The Beast riding only fixed-grip lifts. Hey, we did it!
I often dream of soft snow and blue skies, but I’ll ski whatever I get and still be happy. Miramar makes that easy. Thanks to TL Cesar, Staff Maureen, Chef Mathew, Dishwasher Maddy, Driver Mike and all the members and guests on the trip that made it a fine weekend. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks for more of this.
General Membership Meeting - April 22nd
Work Weekend - May 1-3, 2026
Staten Island Botanical Garden Discovery Walk — May 9
Miramar SnowBall - May 15