Where to Go, When to Go

A guide to wintertime recreation in the Mad River Valley backcountry. Backcountry skiing has a season and a place. When and where to go are the two big questions for BC enthusiasts. Where can depend on when, and vice versa. Here is a short essay on when and where to go for wintertime backcountry adventures in the Mad River Valley. Though I do not … Continue Reading →

A Day in the Phen Basin with the MRVBC

March 2022 On a loverly Saturday morning in March, the Mad River Valley Backcountry Coalition (MRVBC) led a successful tour into the Phen Basin Wilderness of the Camel’s Hump State Park on the Catamount Trail. Our destination on Section 19S from the trailhead parking area at the Battlegrounds on Mill Brook Road was Hemlock Hill for some exploration of Vermont’s natural backcountry. This section … Continue Reading →

Hall of Giants

A back country ski adventure in the Phen Basin Wilderness. Yesterday was another magical day in the Phen Basin Wilderness Area in the Green Mountains of Vermont. I booted up the Hemlock Hill Trail for about 1/4 mile to where the disappearing spring snow was continuous enough to ski. It was a cold morning just after dawn in early April. The snow was hard … Continue Reading →