Vermont

VTrans begins preliminary planning for Amtrak expansion

Published

9 months ago

March 12, 2024

VTrans begins preliminary planning for Amtrak expansion

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont is on track to receive federal funding as the state considers an Amtrak expansion.

A million dollars could be the ticket to the Ethan Allen Express adding stops in Manchester and Bennington. Vermont Agency of Transportation says this plan is in the very early stages and this initial funding is to study how expansion could happen.

Town leaders in the impacted areas say it would be a win for their communities.

Rutland connects northern and southern Vermont and is also the gateway to Albany, N.Y., and beyond thanks to the Ethan Allen Express. Rutland Mayor Mike Doenges says the Amtrak route is commonly used for weekend excursions, but there’s potential for the Ethan Allen Express to expand in southern Vermont, offering one service a day.

Doenges said the expansion could offer “convenience for business travelers and the ease of commute for them, and the ability to bring skiers up here on the weekends without having them having to drive.”

Doenges says while this plan isn’t necessarily a commuter rail, he likes the idea of continued connection among communities and would love to see a commuter line too.

“I think would be very helpful in what we see is currently a housing affordability crisis,” he said.

As would Manchester Town Manager Scott Murphy.

“The only Thruway from on the southwestern side is a non-high speed highway. You know, Route 7 is the only north-south, all kinds of street lights and things like that,” said Murphy.

Dan Delabruere of VTrans says federal funding, which is coming from the Corridor Identification and Development Program, will help establish which routes are and aren’t feasible for Vermont, its neighboring states, and Canada.

“It’s in our statewide rail plan to look at whether it makes sense to keep the Amtrak Ethan Allen in Vermont longer and go down through Manchester and Bennington. We don’t have all the data on that. We don’t know if that makes sense. Although in concept you would think it could make sense,” said Delabruere.

Delaburere says they’re working on receiving the funding and will have a handful of months to come up with the scope of the plan, and what this expansion could look like.

“Now that we have sort of a holistic view of the entire network and how all the corridors tie together, I think you’re going to see a difference over the next decade. You know, how people expand and use Rail,” he said.

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Vermont

Mikaela Shiffrin Could Win Her 100th World Cup Next Weekend in Vermont

Published

2 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Mikaela Shiffrin Could Win Her 100th World Cup Next Weekend in Vermont

Mikaela Shiffrin, 29, recently took home her 99th World Cup win in Gurgl, Austria after her slalom victory. The astonishing skier is already an impressive record holder, but she continues giving each competition her all.

In her recent women’s slalom, she finished with a time of 1 minute and 40.22 seconds. Following behind Shiffrin was Lara Colturi at 0.55 seconds and Camille Rast at 0.57.

“It was a spectacular day,” said Shiffrin. “I am so excited! It was two really good runs.”

Next weekend, Shiffrin will be competing in Killington, Vermont, her home turf, where she may earn her 100th World Cup. At this event, a giant slalom will take place on Saturday while a slalom will occur on Sunday. In previous years, Shiffrin has dominated the slalom in Killington, winning six out of the seven years.

“It’s not impossible [earning her 100th win] but so many things have to go right. So, from the outside, it looks like it is supposed to happen this way but it’s certainly not easy – I am not taking that for granted…,” she stated.

While winning her 100th World Cup would certainly be a monumental moment in her career, and in the ski world, she remains focused on the task at hand.

“I guess there is a bit of pressure around it, but I try to ignore that,” Shiffrin said. “If it happens, it’s wonderful, if it doesn’t happen it’s kind of nothing to cry about in the grand scheme, but I hope to have a really good performance in front of the home crowd.”

Despite enduring a brutal downhill accident in January, Shiffrin has continued to be a leading force in the alpine ski world. Since the knee injury, she has won all four slaloms she has competed in, as stated by USA Today. Her determination and love for the sport is evident.

To watch Shiffrin in her upcoming competition in Killington Vermont, visit Peacock where the exciting events will be streamed.

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Vermont

Killington Women’s World Cup skiing returns to Vermont: 2 skiers with Western Mass ties to compete

Published

10 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Killington Women’s World Cup skiing returns to Vermont: 2 skiers with Western Mass ties to compete

This is a biweekly column about all things skiing and snowboarding in New England.

Since the FIS Women’s World Cup ski racing returned to the Northeast eight years ago, American Mikaela Shiffrin has dominated the slalom, winning six of the seven races and earning two bronze medals in the giant slalom.

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Vermont

VT wins big in USA Today’s 10 best ski and snowboard awards. Here’s a full list of winners

Published

18 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

VT wins big in USA Today’s 10 best ski and snowboard awards. Here’s a full list of winners

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe opens for the season

Skiers and snowboarders flock to Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe on opening day 2024.

Planning a winter ski trip? Consider heading to the mountains of Vermont.

USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards just released its best of ski and snowboard rankings, and Vermont won a total of 11 awards. The annual 10Best awards highlight the best in travel, food and lifestyle, and winners are chosen by a public voting poll after being nominated by industry experts. This year’s best of ski and snowboard awards ranks lodgings, locations and services for the winter sports across the United States.

In addition to Stowe placing as the third best ski town in the country, Vermont ski accommodations placed in the following categories: best apres-ski bar, best ski restaurant, best ski shop, best place for snow tubing, best cross-country ski resort and best ski hotel.

Here’s what to know about the winners:

The Belfry

Housed in a former one-room schoolhouse, The Belfry is a charming pub just minutes away from Jay Peak Resort. Between a robust beer and wine selection and a menu full of pub classics like wings and burgers, The Belfry is the perfect place to grab a drink after a day of skiing – earning the sixth spot on the list of apres-ski bars.

The Belfry is open for thirsty skiiers every day except Wednesday, with hours from 4-9 p.m. on Friday-Saturday and 4-8 p.m. every other day.

Award: No. 6 in Best Apres-Ski Bar

Location: 14 Amidon Road, Montgomery Center, VT

Cliff House Restaurant

Cliff House Restaurant, one of the restaurants at Stowe Mountain Resort, offers a mountainside eating experience at the top of the gondola on Mount Mansfield. The restaurant is known for American cuisine with a rustic Vermont flair, serving classics like chicken sandwiches and New England clam chowder.

Stowe’s Cliff House is open for lunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily once the season starts on Dec. 14. A valid ticket or season pass is required to ride the gondola to the restaurant.

Award: No. 8 in Best Ski Restaurant

Location: 7231 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT (top of the mountain gondola)

The INN Restaurant & Bar

Taking the third place spot for best ski restaurant is the restaurant at The INN, a quaint inn in Montgomery Center.

Guests have a choice of eating in the intimate dining room, lively tavern or riverside deck. The INN’s seasonal menus offer upscale comfort food made from fresh, local ingredients, completed with various craft cocktails.

The inn’s restaurant is open year-round on Thursday-Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended.

Award: No. 3 in Best Ski Restaurant

Location: 241 Main St., Montgomery Center, VT

Darkside Snowboards

Darkside Snowboards is a premiere snowboarding shop with locations in Killington and Ludlow. Just making the list of best ski shops at 10th place, this shop has everything a snowboarder could want, from performance and freestyle boards to boots, helmets, goggles and clothing for the sport. Darkside does also offer ski rentals, but mainly focuses on snowboarding equipment.

Hours for this snowboard shop are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in Ludlow and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in Killington, with extended late-night hours Monday-Wednesday.

Award: No. 10 in Best Ski Shop

Location: 1842 Killington Road, Killington, VT; 57 Pond St., Ludlow, VT

Skiology Ski and Sports

Right down the road from Downside Snowboards in Killington is Skiology Ski and Sports, USA Today’s second choice pick for best ski shop. The store offers a wide range of high-performance skis, from recreational to racing and all-mountain to powder, as well as daily ski rentals and professional tuning services.

Skiology is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Award: No. 2 in Best Ski Shop

Location: 937 Killington Road, Killington, VT

Pinnacle Ski and Sports

Pinnacle Ski and Sports, a Stowe ski shop that has been open for over 35 years, took the top spot for ski shops in this year’s 10Best awards.

Along with a wide selection of equipment and apparel, Pinnacle offers custom boot fitting, ski and snowboard rentals, ski mounting and tuning, ski repairs and a delivery concierge service. The shop is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Award: No. 1 in Best Ski Shop

Location: 1652 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

Mount Snow Resort

Ranking fifth for best snow tubing location is Mount Snow Resort, a slopeside resort in the southern Vermont town of West Dover. The resort’s tubing hill has eight lanes and a conveyor lift, with tickets for two-hour time slots available.

In addition to snow tubing, Mount Snow has 86 skiing trails, a halfpipe and large terrain park. For those who want to stay, the Grand Summit Resort Hotel, Mount Snow’s lodging property, has almost 200 guest rooms and amenities like a spa, a health club, a heated pool and many locations for dining and retail.

Award: No. 5 in Best Place for Snow Tubing

Location: 39 Mount Snow Road, West Dover, VT

Viking Nordic Center

Londonderry’s Viking Nordic Center has over 16 miles of woodsy ski trails through classic Vermont scenery along the West River. All levels and types of cross-country skiing are welcome, whether classic, skate or snowshoe. For those just starting, the resort also offers lessons and rentals.

On select nights during ski season, Viking Nordic Center lights about two miles of their trails with overhead lights and gas lanterns from the 1900s, creating a unique nighttime skiing experience.

Award: No. 8 in Best Cross-Country Ski Resort

Location: 615 Little Pond Road, Londonderry, VT

Bolton Valley Nordic Center

Located in Bolton Valley overlooking the scenic Lake Champlain, Bolton Valley Nordic Center is a mountain adventure resort with the highest elevation in the Northeast.

The backcountry terrain offers trails for Nordic skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts of all levels, earning the resort a fifth place ranking in best cross-country ski resort. Additionally, Bolton Valley has paths for alpine, night and backcountry skiing, totaling in 71 trails.

Award: No. 5 in Best Cross-Country Ski Resort

Location: 4302 Bolton Valley Access Road, Bolton, VT

Topnotch Resort

Topnotch Resort, a luxury resort and spa located in the foothills of Mount Mansfield, ranked sixth for best ski hotel. Cozy, sophisticated rooms come together with beautiful gardens and a contemporary restaurant for a charming New England stay.

Along with skiing and snowboarding through the Stowe Mountain Resort, Topnotch has over 100 acres of activities like hiking, biking and horseback riding. Amenities include a spa, a fitness center, three pools, a tennis academy and seasonal activities.

Award: No. 6 in Best Ski Hotel

Location: 4000 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

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