Ski Bus Trip Feb 3, 2023

by Stephen Templeton | Feb 11, 2023 | Trip Report

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!

Ski Bus Trip Jan 20, 2023

by Stephen Templeton | Feb 11, 2023 | Trip Report

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

Ski Bus Trip MLK Weekend 2023

by Stephen Templeton | Jan 24, 2023 | Trip Report

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.

Columbus Day 2022 Trip

by Stephen Templeton | Oct 22, 2022 | Trip Report

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!

Labor Day 2002 Trip

by Miramar | Sep 23, 2022 | Trip Report

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.