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Waitsfield and
Warren Downhill skiing reigns supreme and gives the valley its character. Mad River Glen, Route 17, Waitsfield. Billed as a serious place for serious skiers, Mad River has been challenging hardy types since 1948 ("ski it if you can," is its motto). There are no frills here: little snowmaking, a few lifts including the original, diesel-powered single chairlift (with blanket wraps provided to ward off the chill) to the summit, hair-raising trails like Paradise and the Fall Line, plenty of moguls and not much grooming, and a “Practice Slope” steep enough to scare the daylights out of beginners (the Birdland area is fine for intermediates). And, blessedly for skiers, snowboards have been banned here. There's a Mad River mystique (blue jeans and milk runs) that you sense immediately and attracts you back. Former Owner Betsey Pratt, who bought the area in 1972 with her late husband, still skis it every day, but the place is now owned by a cooperative of loyal skiers – the only such skier-owned mountain in the country. Sugarbush, 2405 Sugarbush Access Road, Warren. Founded in 1958 and among the first of Vermont's destination ski resorts, Sugarbush with its own “village” at its base appealed immediately to the jet set and fashion models and became known as "Mascara Mountain." From its original gondola lift to its expert Castle Rock area, from its clusters of condos and boutiques to its indoor Sports Center, Sugarbush draws those who appreciate their creature comforts – and good skiing as well (the Glades offer the best glade skiing in the East). Recently the fastest-growing destination ski resort in New England, Sugarbush was acquired in 2001 by Summit Ventures, three local skier/investors led by Winthrop Smith, owner of the Pitcher Inn. The home of famed extreme skiing brothers John and Dan Egan, Sugarbush offers the first guided backcountry skiing in the East. The Slide Brook Express connects Sugarbush and neighboring Mount Ellen/Sugarbush North (which has the valley's greatest vertical drop, 2,600 feet). Local innkeepers were instrumental in 2001 in getting Sugarbush and Mad River to offer an interchangeable lift ticket for lodging guests. Other sports. This is a four-season sports area with a difference. Yes, there is golf, at the Robert Trent Jones-designed Sugarbush Golf Club par-72 course with water hazards (pond or brook) affecting eight consecutive holes. Yes, the Sugarbush Health & Racquet Club has indoor and outdoor tennis courts, racquetball and squash courts, indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools and an exercise facility. But there's much more: this is something of an equestrian center with a number of stables offering trail rides. Among them are the Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm, which specializes in horse trekking on one of the oldest and purest breeds in the world – anything from half-day rides to four-day inn-to-inn rides to six-day mountain expeditions. The Sugarbush Polo Club, started in 1962 by skiers using ski poles and a volleyball, now has three polo fields for games and tournaments, staged Thursday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons June through September. Soaring via gliders and sailplanes is at its best from the Warren-Sugarbush Airport, where instruction and rentals are available. Biplane rides for one or two persons also go from the airport, which hosts an annual air show early in late June. For hiking and backpacking, the Long Trail is just overhead; innumerable mountain peaks and guided tours beckon. Sugarbush has a mountain biking center at Lincoln Peak. The Mad River and Blueberry Lake are ready for swimming, canoeing and fishing. The Mad River rugby team plays throughout the summer and fall at the Waitsfield Recreation Field. The Mad River Valley Cricket Club stages charity events. Finally, a round-robin English croquet tournament is staged in mid-summer. Clearwater Sports, Route 100, Waitsfield, offers canoes, kayaks, mountain bikes, snowboards and such for rent, and leads day trips for canoeing, biking and hiking. Scenic drives. The Lincoln Gap Road, the McCullogh Turnpike (Route 17) beyond Mad River Glen and the steep Roxbury Gap Road each have their rewards. For the most open vistas and overall feeling for the area, traverse Brook Road and Waitsfield Common Road out of Warren, past the landmark Joslin Round Barn and Blueberry Lake, Sugarloaf Airport and come the back way into Waitsfield. Shopping. Waitsfield has three shopping complexes, each worthy of exploration: the Mad River Green and the Village Square along Route 100 and the Bridge Street Marketplace beside Vermont's second oldest covered bridge, newly revitalized following a disastrous 1998 flood. Check out the new Artisans’ Gallery, other art and craft galleries, antiques shops and the fine Bridge Street Bakery. It offers great Portuguese breads, baked goods and snacks (cranberry buns with orange crème, gorgeous fresh fruit Danish pastries, ham and Vermont cheddar croissants, and maybe even a hearty sausage stew with French bread). Our first stop at every visit is The Store in the red 1834 Methodist Meeting House along Route 100. Owner Jackie Rose, dean of the area's merchants (hers was the first store at Sugarbush Village), has an exceptional and vast array of Vermont foods, books, accessories, gifts, Christmas things, and a lovely collection of handmade quilts and pillows. A rear children's room resembles a giant toy box, while the second floor is stocked with antique furniture. The well-known Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was founded in the Mad River Green, and the Three Mountain Café here continues to feature its coffees. The Collection, “three stores in one,” offers high-quality American arts and crafts, antiques and accessories as well as gifts and toys. A Schoolhouse Garden shows dried floral designs, Vermont-made furniture and accents for home and garden. A farmers’ market with produce and crafts is a highlight Saturday mornings from May into October. In Village Square, the Blue Toad flower shop also offers particularly nice, inexpensive baskets from twenty countries and good greeting cards, as well as English tin boxes and jelly beans. Tulip Tree shows Vermont crafts and art, including lots of cows and many of the prints by Sabra Field, our favorite Vermont artist. Along Route 100 are Luminosity stained glass and Cabin Fever Quilts, stocking a wondrous array of handmade quilts in the Old Church. Waitsfield Pottery sells nice lamps and vases, mostly in greens and blues, produced in the basement of an 1845 house. You can watch glass blowers in action at Mad River Glass, a studio and gallery. In tiny Warren, everything you need and a lot you don't expect is found at the Warren Store, a lively old-fashioned general store with provisions, fine wines and a deli, plus upstairs, the More Store, with handicrafts from around the world, kitchenware, jewelry, apparel and cards. Lots of the things here are from India. Owner Carol Lippincott's criterion is "products with integrity." Up the street, blue and white stoneware made on the premises is displayed on the lawn in front of the Warren Village Pottery. The Bradley House shows some whimsical crafts and furnishings among its sophisticated stock. We were struck by the unusual candles, bowls painted with Vermont scenes, and "Memories of Skiing," a box of old skis for a cool $500. Next door, Parade Gallery offers fine art and photography. Down the street is Barn-It-All! for antiques and collectibles. The von Trapp Greenhouse, run by Maria von Trapp's grandson Tobi, off a dirt road east of Waitsfield Common, is worth a visit (open May-July, limited hours). Beautiful display gardens surround the family's alpine-style house. There's a retail shop in front of one of the two greenhouses, which furnish lavish floral arrangements and produce for the valley's inns and restaurants. All Things Bright and Beautiful, 27 Bridge St., Waitsfield. In two houses next to the covered bridge is the ultimate collection of stuffed animals – mainly bears, outfitted in everything from a London bobby's uniform or a wedding dress to ski vests that proclaim “Save the Bear.” Twin sisters Bonnie and Gaelic McTigue preside over an enterprise that "started with Christmas and teddies" and just keeps expanding. A cheery "hello" emanated from Gael hidden behind a Christmas tree at a desk painting Christmas ornaments one summer day when we entered the Tree Top Christmas Shop. In the Teddy Bear Shop in the other house, Bonnie was assisted by Bridget the cat atop the cash register and Megan the dog on a wicker loveseat in front of one of twelve rooms chock full of character. We picked up a few of Gael's remarkable hand-painted birds for Christmas presents. It's a bit overwhelming, but the twins are both characters and their shops are not to be missed. (802) 496-3997. Open daily, 9 to 6.
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