New England Outdoor Adventure Blog from YankeeMagazine.com

Vintage Ski Posters on Light Switch Plates

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

At some point, if you are skier/rider, you are going to need to give someone a ski house gift. I love this one. Artist Kristen Anderson of Crested Butte, Colorado, creates light switch plates using vintage ski posters. For New England fans, she sells switch plates for Mad River Glen, Cannon, Ski New Hampshire, Ski Maine, and Tuckerman's Ravine.

The vintage ski poster images on switch plates are available at shops and ski museums from or through Freckle Face Designs at www.freckle-face.biz. Retail prices start at $12.

Sunday River Ski Resort Opens First in East

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Sunday River in Bethel, Maine, won the honor of first ski area to open in the East with one trail and one lift turning yesterday, October 14. This is the third year in a row they've opened first. They plan to remain open through the weekend, then close temporarily mid-week.

Here are some prospective opening dates for other ski areas this season. I'll update these with other resorts when I learn more.

Opening Dates 2009 - 2010 (updated 10/19/09, courtesy of Ski Vermont and Ski New Hampshire):

Vermont Ski Areas

Bolton Valley--December 8

Bromley, Vermont--November 27

Jay Peak, Vermont--November 27, possibly earlier

Killington, Vermont--Early November

Middlebury, Vermont--December 12

Magic, Vermont--December 19

Mount Snow, Vermont--Early November (open for weekend of Oct. 17)

Okemo, Vermont--November 21

Smugglers' Notch, Vermont--November 27

Stowe, Vermont--November 21

Sugarbush, Vermont--November 21

New Hampshire Ski Areas

Attitash, New Hampshire--TBD

Black Mountain, New Hampshire--December 12

Bretton Woods, New Hampshire--November 26

Cranmore, New Hampshire--December 5

Crotched Mountain, New Hampshire--November 21

Dartmouth, New Hampshire--December 12

Granite Gorge, New Hampshire--December 18

Gunstock, New Hampshire--December 4

King Pine, New Hampshire--December 11

Loon, New Hampshire--November 21

Ragged Mountain, New Hampshire--November 27

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire--November 21

For the most up to date reports, go to: Ski Vermont and Ski NH

Best Snow Resorts for Families

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

The first wave of ski excitement started appearing a few weeks ago. It's usually inspired by the change of season (summer to fall), or the first big drop in temperature (how can 40 feel so cold), or the first, however-slight-it-may-be, dusting of snow (last week in the mountains), or the first ski area opening (Loveland Ski Area in Colorado opened yesterday).

I am not sure what causes Yankee Magazine's Editor Mel Allen to get excited about the upcoming ski season, but I know when it happens because he starts forwarding me interesting tidbits to share with blog readers. And today, the ski bug bit Mel because he forwarded me the first ski news of the season.

So, here it is: Congratulations goes out to three eastern resorts for making it to Parents magazine's first-ever "10 Best Snow Resorts For Families" list.

According to the story in Parents magazine, "From more than 100 contenders, we narrowed the field by evaluating the family activities on site and at nearby ski areas, the quality of ski lessons for young children, the standard room size and amenities, child care services, kids' clubs or supervised play areas, and the price tag."

For more information about great family ski vacations in New England (penned by Mel), visit YankeeMagazine.com.

US Paralympic Team

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Last week, my good friend's Facebook status said she spent three days in the athletes' dorms at the US Olympic/Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Erin is the executive director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports (VASS). VASS is a non-profit organization that provides sports and recreational opportunities to individuals with disabilities/handicaps, regardless of their ability to pay. I thought Erin's Facebook status was pretty cool so I decided to find out more.

Erin gave me the update. She was at the Center with other professionals from adaptive sports programs from across the country during which time they shared best practices and determined ways to work collaboratively. Some of the workgroup discussions also focused on marketing and branding in order to raise awareness of the Paralympics.

This year, Vancouver, British Columbia, will host the Paralympic Games. Six hundred and fifty athletes from 45 countries are expected to compete in the Games. Athletes from the United States will compete in alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, curling and sled hockey. Disability groups include athletes with visual impairments, cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, amputees, and intellectual disabilities. The first Paralympic Winter Games were held in Sweden in 1976. The Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee and since 1992 share the venue with the Olympics.

According to Erin, the US Olympics are hoping to strengthen their alpine and cross country skiing teams over the coming years, and are looking to programs like Vermont Adaptive to help.

"Vermont Adaptive will be taking a bigger role in identifying athletes and getting them into Level 1 competition, so we can help feed the system and plant the seed to bring home the gold. In addition to working on alpine skiing, we are targeting Nordic (cross country) skiing opportunities with a specific emphasis on identifying folks with physical disabilities; visual impairments and women," says Erin. "The East has been providing some of the best racers into the US system. There are three New Englanders on the Alpine team now: Chris Devlin-Young of Campton, New Hampshire; Laurie Stephens of Wenham, Massachusetts; and Tyler Walker of Franconia, New Hampshire."

This winter, Vermont Adaptive will be hosting an event called Winter Carnival with the US Association of Blind Athletes. People of all ages will come to learn to ski or race in either or both Nordic or Alpine over Martin Luther King Weekend. And maybe one of those people will someday make it to the next US Paralympic team and bring home a gold (or silver, or bronze)!

For more information on Vermont Adaptive, visit: http://www.vermontadaptive.org

To help support Vermont Adaptive, consider buying a $50 raffle ticket to win a Honda Fit: https://www.vermontadaptive.org/carraffletix.php

Fall Foliage in New England

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

According to a non-expert (me), this one of the most remarkable foliage displays in recent memory. The reds have been popping in my neck of the woods. According to the experts, the abundance of rain earlier in the summer provided wonderful growing conditions for trees and leaves which has a positive impact on fall foliage and colors.

Hiking, driving, biking...it's beautiful out there.

As you plan your adventures for fall, be sure to check out and update Yankee's peak map. Each day you submit a report, you will be entered to win a two-night spa getaway at Stoweflake Spa and Resort in Stowe, Vermont. That is a mighty good prize. If you are snapping some great shots, you can enter those on the map also. Or better yet, enter the photos for our photo contest. Lots of contests at YankeeFoliage.com this time of year. There are also lots of foliage fans who live outside of New England who visit our Web site, and they need to live vicariously through your adventures, so please share!

If you have ever stopped by our foliage site, you've probably read something posted by the biggest foliage fanatic we've come across at Yankee, Jeff "Foliage" Folger. He won our photo contest a few years back, and now he blogs about his experiences and chats with interested folks in our foliage forum and Facebook foliage page. I just got an email moments ago and he is traveling in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

Hope you get a chance to chase some foliage this season! And when you do, we cannot wait to hear about it!

PS - If you are a kid (13 years or under), you should enter Yankee's drawing contest. Submit a drawing or painting of a fall scene and you could win some fun prizes too.

Time to Go Apple Picking

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Just the thought of biting into a freshly picked Empire makes me salivate. I am not alone. This time of year, people get apple crazed.

I am sure you've noticed the delicious apple recipes Yankee's food editor, Annie B. Copps, developed for our September/October issue. Before you make any of those recipes, you need to get yourself some apples. I suggest going straight to the orchard to have a little apple adventure. You might have a favorite local orchard. Mine happens to be Alyson's Orchard in nearby (to me) Walpole, NH. I must admit, I stopped by a couple weeks ago, and instead of going apple picking I opted for peach picking. It was still August and I did not want to rush anything. Now that we've hit the middle of September, it is officially time to pick those apples. If you are thinking about going destination apple picking, check out New England Apple Grower's Association's apple orchard map.

Of course, if you want the chance to pick a different kind of apple, an Apple iPod for instance, you should head to some very specific orchards in Vermont. On September 15, Vermont is launching Apples to iPods 2009. If you find a hidden wooden apple, you win an Apple iPod.

Summer Pool Parties

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0100

I have been waiting (not so patiently) for summer weather to arrive, and finally it has. It's here. I am very excited. Having spent the last week in North Carolina, where the temperature hit 100 plus, New England's balminess is fine. It's not the best sleeping weather, and I am using fans to keep things cool, but it is so nice to drive by a lake and think, wow, I really want to go swimming.

This desire brings me back to the days between the end of school and the beginning of summer (before my family moved to our lake cottage) when I would wake up in the morning and hope that someone would invite me to their pool. Water, need water now. Once we were at the lake, I had water access so the pre-occupation with finding water waned but, boy does that feeling return quickly when the temps hit 80 and I am sans water.

So, anyone having a pool party? Where are your favorite places for a summer swim?

New Hampshire Dream Vacation

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:00:00 +0100

You might think I am just a sucker for a marketing campaign, but I love the State of New Hampshire's photo scavenger hunt. It looks so fun. Basically, you print out an "I Love It Here" contest sign, then go to three locations on their scavenger list and take a picture of you, the sign, and location. You need to submit three pictures and an entry form to be eligible to win a New Hampshire Dream Vacation. To get all the details go to: www.nhdreamvacation.com..

They even have some celebrities who have joined in on the fun!

Kayak to a Lighthouse in New England

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100

Yankee Magazine's July/August issue features the ultimate lighthouse guide. In keeping with the spirit of everything lighthouse I thought I would share with you my own lighthouse adventure in the hope that my excursion will inspire one of your own.

On a recent (beautiful!!) Sunday afternoon, I found myself in the seacoast area of New Hampshire, with a couple kayaks, some other necessary equipment, and one eager fellow paddler. I've paddled on lots of lakes and many flat rivers, but this was my first experience on open ocean water.

Thankfully, and despite our lack of planning, we actually paddled to a destination, the Whaleback Light off the coast of New Castle, and explored the nearby abandoned Coast Guard Station.

With the Isles of Shoals in sight, we pondered where to go next. We began chatting with a couple local men who were also exploring the island as they took a break from their paddle. Apparently, what looked relatively close (the Isles of Shoals) was in fact six miles in the distance. The duo also told us the story of an unlucky man who recently went missing (and was later found dead) as he paddled from where we were to the Isles of Shoals. Those tidbits (and our grumbling stomachs) helped us to decide that our next destination would be lunch. (Lobster with steamers, if you are wondering.)

If you want to kayak in this area, AMC offers an itinerary for New Castle.

And if you would feel more comfortable navigating the open waters with a guide or you need equipment, check out Portsmouth Kayak Adventures.

One more and: And if you are hungry for lunch, find a restaurant right on the the coast and eat some fresh lobster washed down with a Shoals Pale Ale from Smuttynose Brewery.

My Favorite Things

rss@ypi.com (Yankee Publishing Inc.) — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100

I am not sure if you knew this about me, but besides blogging about outdoor fun in New England for YankeeMagazine.com, I am also the communications manager for Yankee. Yes, I have a day job. I am mentioning this because I am about to plug an online survey and I thought full disclosure was in order.

So, that is out of the way.

By now you must have read (from cover to cover!) Yankee's May/June Travel Guide to New England. It's packed with great ideas for travel, some fun and interesting reads and an entire section with our editors' picks, also known as "Best of New England - Editors' Choice."

Through your travels we know that you've probably found some favorites of your own. And that is the very reason Yankee is running their first ever Best of New England Readers' Choice survey online now. The results will be featured in the January/February issue. I can access all of the votes and I've really enjoyed getting a sneak peak to what you all love. I hope you will chime in and share your favorite things in New England.

Go here to tell us your favorites (please): Best of New England - Readers' Choice Survey