Stratton Village

Stratton Center
Originally uploaded by wereldmuis.

I went on a ski vacation with a friend last week. This year, after considering my perennial favorite, France, and also looking into options in Quebec, we decided to give the Northeast US a try. The exchange rate was a big factor here.

We decided on Stratton, given the large number of easy and intermediate trails, and the convenience (within reasonable driving distance).

We had good luck and bad luck. The week prior to our vacation, the northeast had been through a few frigid days (in the teens), with a good snowfall. This must have helped to build up the snow base at Stratton.

However, by the day that we arrived, Sunday, January 6, the weather had begun to warm up. On Monday, it had become unusually warm, in the 40s. Snow was rapidly melting. The photo here was taken on Tuesday. By that time, practically all the snow was gone from the center.

Something else you can notice in this photo is the lack of crowds - indeed the lack of people altogether. Apparently during this particular week, the one after Christmas week, there is a lull at Stratton (perhaps this is true of all US ski resorts?). Since I hate crowded skiing conditions, this helped a lot. It is something that I will keep in mind for my next trip.