INN VERMONT : EDSON HILL
Rossignol skis , poles , and boots , MSR snowshoes , and fat bikes are available at Edson Hill ’ s Nordic Center for an additional fee , as well as limited ski tuning services . Jackets , gloves , hats , ski wax , and other accessories are also sold at the Nordic Center , and informational pamphlets and trail maps can be found at the counter . Private lessons and guided snowshoe tours can be booked through the Nordic center , and customized group and family tours and lessons are also available upon request . Guests interested in pursuing such options should contact the Edson Hill Nordic Program staff in the weeks leading up to their stay to arrange plans . For complete newcomers and beginners , Erik Stacy highly recommends sticking to the “ teaching circle ” to work on the fundamentals . He also recommends booking a lesson . “ We also have some really nice , gentle slopes closer to the Nordic Center that are good for basic skills training . If you go up in the hills , the trails get steeper and much more difficult . You should definitely be comfortable with basic control and stopping maneuvers — such as the snowplow — before you head out on the tougher trails .” Those who are vacationing at Edson Hill can use the trails freely without any extra cost . Local residents and visiting tourists who are not staying at Edson Hill are also permitted to purchase a day pass or seasonal pass , which grants them unrestricted access to Edson Hill ’ s trail system . The trails are open from 8AM-4PM , weather permitting . For guests who wish to warm their hands and decompress while sharing stories from their ski runs with their friends , an après ski fire pit is open from 12PM-4PM daily . In the warmer months , the three horses that live at the Edson Hill ’ s on-site stables wander freely in their horse pastures . Although horseback riding is not part of Edson Hill ’ s outdoor activity program , horse lovers and families with young children are always welcome to watch the horses as they happily graze in the fields . “ It ’ s a nice little scene there ,” says Erik Stacy . “ We go above and beyond to make sure that everyone enjoys their time here at Edson Hill , and the horses are no exception .”
ALL THE DETAILS : edsonhill . com
72 VERMONT MAGAZINE