Bromley Mountain Offers Quick and Easy Day Trips from Saratoga
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Editor’s Note:
Full disclosure: In previous SkiStyle blog postings, Carrie and Lisa paid 100 percent of the costs involved. For this Bromley trip, they were provided with free lift tickets in return for their honest review of their experiences, and paid for all other expenses (e.g: gas, parking, food, beverages, etc.) All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are their own and are not influenced by any outside parties in any way.
– AG
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New Terrain
Carrie Rowlands Johnson
PERU, VERMONT – Warm white fur wraps cozily around four fingers. Tucked deeply into the folds, each digit borrows a few degrees from its neighbors, adding to the heat as they wriggle like little kids on a sugar high. The white, waterproof fabric of ski mittens covers the fur, sealing in warmth, their confidence enhanced by the black Rossignol logo stitched across the side.
The temperature temporarily spiked, fingers regain control, curling inside the fur, pushing against the hard of the poles as they fulfill their mission.
Gripping slim black poles. Reaching forward. Forcing the bands of metal lightly against the snow, just shy of planting them into the packed natural powder.
Thighs burn as they press shins against boots, driving the knee until it forces the turn.
The body obediently responds, trusting its commander as it descends the snow-covered mountain, its silhouette lit by the sun overhead.
I’m at Bromley Mountain in Peru, Vermont, a sun-facing playland nestled into the Green Mountains. My blogging partner and one of my besties, Lisa Champagne, waits patiently in front of the next trail head as a very kind ski patrolman attempts to fix my skiing, broken today for any one of a numbers of reasons I try to rationalize: my boots are a size too big, my skis are freshly waxed and sharpened, my legs are halfway through an off-day.
Excited by the reported three feet of fresh snow lying across the face of Bromley, the product of yet another Nor’easter, Lisa and I left from Saratoga earlier that day (Sunday, March 11) for the hour and a half drive to the mountain neither one of us had ever skied.
Before even typing Bromley into Google’s search engine, there were two facts we had heard about this mountain from other skiers. First, it is sun-facing, meaning even with 30-degree March temperatures we might boost our serotonin enough to somewhat sanely withstand a few more (weeks) of winter. Second, they offer a great deal on lift tickets this time of year. Done and done.
In 2014, Ski Magazine ranked Bromley within the top three “Kid Friendly” mountains in the East. The reason was clear as we walked onto the property. Children rolled in the snow and ran between parents throughout this adorable mini-village laid with red brick roads. Pop music pumped through loudspeakers, energizing skiers and boarders as they waited in line for the high speed Quad, one of the mountain’s nine lifts.
Writing these ski blogs has been interesting as it repeatedly forces us to experience new terrain. Lisa and I have discussed how much easier it is when you are familiar with the mountain and its trails. But, being that neither of us usually picks something easy, here we are ready to tackle yet another mountain we have never before skied.
Intermediate skiers at best, Lisa and I do share the unwritten rule that we ski greens our first run. This helps acclimate us to the day’s snow, the grooming and our legs. After that, we typically move on to blues… and stay there. That said – every mountain seems to grade greens, blues and blacks differently. On top of that, the only thing skiers in the Northeast can count on is the unpredictability of conditions.
I’ll speak only for myself here. Even on this new terrain, I started my first run with the confidence of a woman who has skied all winter and the seven winters before, with a bagful of lessons under her belt. Then out of nowhere, just as my ski legs said hello and were obediently propelling me across the snow, something threw me off balance and my legs jellied. It could have been one of the fifty children that blew past me on the mountain. It could have been the bumps scattered around the top of our first blue. Most likely it was that my freshly waxed and sharpened skis exacerbated my too-big boots. Some combination of those things stole my control as my ankles swam inside my boots, clumsily pushing my skis out from under me and forcing us back to greens.
Half a run under the expert eye and equally as skilled instruction of one of the members of the ski patrol and here I am, back on track, proper ski techniques relearned and returned to my pocket. Mr. Ski Patrol’s radio signals his return to his real job so he sends me off to the Quad with confidence and the promise of improvement with one more practice run.
Lisa politely declines the last ride up and skis toward the lodge, following her own tempting images of the tasty cocktail that will keep her company as she waits.
Fingers curl back around poles and I push off toward my ride, the day a healthy reminder that nothing worthwhile is ever easy and it takes constant practice to end up anywhere near even a diluted version of perfect.
Thank you, Bromley. See you again next year, probably skiing with my own kids… and boots that actually fit.
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Bromley Mountain — Fun in the Sun
Lisa Champagne
While many Saratogians prefer to escape the cold this time of year and seek out warmer temperatures, Carrie and I opted to embrace the snowy remnants of the latest nor’easter – and head to the slopes. We hopped in the car and made our way to the “Green Mountain state” with a plan to have our very own fun in the sun— at Sun Mountain that is! Bromley Mountain is easy to get to – located just seven miles east of Manchester, VT – about an hour and half from Toga.
Like most ski resorts, premium parking is tough to find but valet service is available for about $25 bucks a day ($450/season). The cost may seem steep but it’s a nice option if you’re traveling with the family. Besides, Bromley’s lift tickets are around $80—much less than larger resorts (and great discount promotions – see Carrie’s post,) so you can save some money there. Lugging ski gear is no treat when you have a couple of kids in tow. Is there any better way to start a ski day then being dropped off at the door?
It didn’t take long to realize this was a terrific place for familyfun. The adults to kid ratio appeared to be about 3:1. In fact, on our very first run we were followed by a train of young skiers learning the ropes from their instructor. As they made their way carefully down the mountain it reminded me what a great sport skiing is, and one that these tykes will enjoy for years to come. Bromley has a slew of programs available to both young adult skiers. Check out their website HERE to view all of their offerings.
Though I didn’t pick up skiing until my early twenties, I’m certainly glad I did. I probably have as much to learn as these young skiers but for now, I’ll just enjoy the fresh air, beautiful views and the excellent conditions Mother Nature bestowed upon us on this day.
And a beautiful day it was! The view from the peak was picturesque. Off in the distance you could clearly see the snow covered trails of Stratton—Breathtaking!
Bromley has a total of 47 trails divided equally for skiers of all levels. Carrie, myself, and a friend started our day on the easiest of trails (green). It typically takes us a run or two to get into our “ski groove.” Unfortunately for Carrie, an equipment malfunction prevented her from getting into HER groove pretty much all day. However, the trooper that she is, she continued to ski—even the intermediate blue trails, moguls and all!
That made our Sunday afternoon at Bromley a success! Ski conditions were great, trails were well groomed, and Mother Nature blessed us with a beautiful day. If you’re looking for a family friendly place to ski, try Bromley! Despite Carrie’s challenges, I know she enjoyed the day as well. Especially the best part – our very last stop at The Boars Head Restaurant + Bar…
Cheers! 😉
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Editor’s Note:
Full disclosure: In previous SkiStyle blog postings, Carrie and Lisa paid 100 percent of the costs involved. For this Bromley trip, they were provided with free lift tickets in return for their honest review of their experiences, and paid for all other expenses (e.g: gas, parking, food, beverages, etc.) All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are their own and are not influenced by any outside parties in any way.
– AG
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