We donned our snowshoes and started north on the Long Trail shortly after 10:00AM. Our intrepid party was greeted by about 12 inches of new powder over a deep, consolidated base.

At first the route was obvious but one third of the way to the top, the trail became obscure and we zigzagged upward in flurries. Along the way Rich spotted a cedar waxwing. Occasionally we would spot a blaze in the open woods but after what seemed a very short time we were forcing our way through spruce thickets. At about 3100 ft we “discovered” a Jay Peak ski trail. Eschewing the ski trail, we plunged back into the spruce until luck brought us to another ski trail near the summit with a sign marking “The Long Trail”. By 12:15 we were enjoying lunch and drying our gloves on a hot radiator in the tram summit station.

The snack bar was closed so Rich did not get the hot dog he craved. Rested and fortified, we climbed the stairs to the summit and then started our descent. With the exception of a few “fanny slides” over ice-covered rocks, the descent was uneventful and we reach the cars before 3:00PM. As we approached the cars Joanie remarked on the beauty of the woods in the snow, “This is why we live in Vermont”.

Participants – Rachel Moulton, Jenny Lynch, Rich Larsen, Sheri Larsen, Constance Quintin, Joanie Vaccarelli, Peter Cottrell