Burke Blog

BURKE MOUNTAIN ACCEPTS TWO AWARDS AT NSAA NATIONAL CONVENTION

Fri, 11 May 2012 13:11:30 -0500

Burke Mountain was awarded two awards recently at the National Ski Areas Association National Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The first, a Sustainable Slopes Grant, was awarded to Burke Mountain for its green efforts, including the installation of our new wind turbine last summer and our new composting program that was implemented this winter in partnership with the Highfields Center for Composting. The mountain was awarded with a prize of 5 new high efficiency HKD snow guns and an energy audit with Bendle Group. We would like to thank all of our guests and employees that supported our composting program in the Sherburne Base Lodge this winter and our supporters of the wind turbine! Read full press release>

We were also selected for the NSAA Marketing Award for Best Traditional Media. Our marketing team submitted an application to the NSAA judging panel with samples of our new marketing efforts during this past season and won the award over 19 other North American Resort finalists. Thanks again to all our employees and guests who welcomed our new branding efforts over the past two seasons!

Freestyle Team Ends a Successful Inaugural Season in Colorado

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:33:43 -0500

The Burke Freestyle team worked incredibly hard all season long and as a result earned a few spots in USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, CO. This is unusual for the first year skiing on a freestyle team, but our Burkies are a special group of athletes! Congratulations to Nick, Ryan, and Luke for putting in the extra effort and making us all very proud. Nick and Ryan qualified for Slopestyle and Superpipe competitions held April 4-10, 2012.

As I am writing this it is sunny and 60 degrees at Copper- it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago we were training at Burke and competing all over New England. We arrived Friday April 6 in Colorado only to find that Nick's luggage had been lost by the airline and Ryan had come down with altitude sickness. Saturday we were off to a late start but still managed to train at The Barn at Woodward at Copper, a custom indoor training facility. The boys worked on front-flips, 540s, and misty flips on the trampolines and in the foam pit.

Sunday we hit the slopes and started practicing on the Superpipe and Slopestyle course. We put together our runs, got some sleep, and prepared for Monday's Superpipe competition.

Monday we were up early for Superpipe on a perfect spring day. The pipe was immaculate and the team threw down. Nick stomped some huge grabs, alley-oops, and even his first-ever alley-oop 360 in the pipe during his runs. Ryan came charging down with some tai-lgrabs, Japan grabs, alley-oops, 360s, and his first-ever switch alley-oop 180 during his runs. We celebrated by free skiing the rest of the day and enjoying Copper's many flawless parks and bowls.

Tuesday morning we arrived on the Slopestyle course to find another great day and perfect course. The field was stacked but we still put together some unique runs that caught the crowd's attention. Nick threw down on the boxes and pulled a switch 180 to a huge 180 on the jumps. Ryan pulled his first switch 360 followed by a huge 360 to cap his run off. After the competition we skied until the lifts closed, again enjoying the great views, parks, and wide-open soft bowls up top.

Tuesday night the team had another Barn session and worked on flips and corked spins, which we hope to take to the snow next season. Overall it has been an amazing first year and we are already looking forward to December for our season kick-off. A Special thank you goes to Burke Mountain for supporting our new program and all freestyle team members and families for helping make this a huge success.

Stay tuned and come join the team to have fun with us next year!
To register or find out more give us a call at 802.626.7324 or email us at info@skiburke.com

-Sasha Yakovleff
Burke Freestyle Team Coach

2012/13 Season Passes Now on Sale

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:33:43 -0500

Before you head out to hit the golf course, beach or embark on other far away summer adventures, don't forget to order your 2012/13 Burke Mountain season passes at the best prices of the year. Our Spring Pass Sale ends April 13th, so don't delay.

See pass products and pricing>

Order your season pass online> or call us at 802.626.7300.

Season Ending

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:04:07 -0500

See You Later.....
Although we have given it our best shot, this season was not meant to be, with the continued deterioration of our ski conditions and over ¼” of rain forecast for tomorrow morning between 8:00 am – noon, we will be forced to make today our last day of operation. I would like to thank all of our staff, passholders, and customers for their unwavering support this season which will surely go down as one of the worst ski seasons in the northeast in many decades. Although the conditions were disappointing this season, we are very excited about the ongoing improvements that have been made at the resort and we couldn’t be more excited for next season. In the meantime, we are thrilled about the upcoming NEMBAfest (New England Mountain Biking Association – June 22-24) at Burke with Kingdom Trails. Kingdom Trails and Burke Mountain are consistently recognized as one of the top mountain biking destinations in the country, so if you have not been here in the summer it’s well worth the trip. We hope you were able to make the best of this season and we look forward to seeing you soon!

--Tim McGuire
General Manager

A Burke Mountain Minute

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:28:10 -0500

A Burke Mountain Minute:

Due to this extreme sunshine (can you believe it?) The Sherburne Base Area is closed for the season. We will however have a few trails open this weekend on the Upper Mountain and the Mid Burke Lodge will be open for business. We hope you can join us for a few last runs and the Mid Burke Hawaiian Beach Party. Anyone one who dresses in tropical garb will get a $25 lift ticket all weekend!

Join us for an epic Corona Beach Party at the Bear Den Lounge and live muisc with the Starline Rhythm Boys later Saturday Night!

We will shut down all operations Monday-Friday, March 26-30, and try to open up for one last weekend March 31-April 1st. Stay tuned, we will be watching mother nature with a very close eye and keep you updated!

Now, I'm off to enjoy the out of doors!

-Hannah

Burke Update 3.18

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:41:29 -0500

Due to the unseasonable weather forecast and record breaking high tempertures, The Sherburne Base Area and trails in the will be closed Monday-Friday of this week (Mar 19-23) with hopes that we can reopen it on next Saturday & Sunday March 24 & 25. The Mid Burke Lodge and trails on the Upper Mountain will remain open daily. Tickets and food services will be available from the Mid Burke Lodge & Bear Den Lounge for the week.

The Rental and Repair Shop will be open along with the Guest Relations Office in the Sherburne Base Lodge. The Ski School Desk will be also be open daily and lessons will be available for upper mountain skiers only. Pre-registration is required-call 802.626.7348 to book a lesson.

Late season ticket prices are effective Monday:

$45 Adult Full Day
$40 Senior/Youth/Child/College Full Day
$30 Half Day for all ages

The Bear Den Beach Party returns to the Bear Den Lounge March 24th, so dig out those Hawaiian shirts and join the party!
Pond Skimming is still scheduled for March 31st!

Enjoy the Spring sunshine!

Spring Skiing

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 06:06:38 -0500

What a difference a few weeks can make, my last blog was in mid February and at that point I was looking forward to the second half of the winter but lamenting the lack of snow up until that point. The good news is we did get a second life and some fantastic (by any winter's standard) conditions. I started to prepare a blog during the first week of March to publicize the epic conditions with over 38” of fresh powder in less than two weeks, but a week later that blog was no longer relevant. Unfortunately, the epic conditions were short lived, from late February until early March, when we were suddenly hit with unprecedented spring temperatures that seem to want to now turn to summer temps. There is no doubt that an early spring is now here and if the forecast is true there is little chance we will make it to our planned April 8th closing date.

That makes your opportunity over the next few weeks even more compelling to get to Burke and get some last turns in for the season. It’s been moderately cool (by this year’s standards…) over the past few days and our conditions are holding up. I skied Wednesday afternoon and the conditions were fun, spring skiing - the snow was still somewhat firm on the upper mountain and coverage on our main trails is decent. Our goal at this point is to stay open as long as conditions allow so that our pass holders and guests can get the most out of this disappointing winter. If we do get a late season storm, continue to check the website for updates and conditions. Although my last blog discussing the law of averages is turning out to be way off mark, it’s bound to mean that next winter will be epic, so don’t forget to get next year’s pass early-at the best prices available. At this rate my next blog is likely to be about lift served mountain biking, but I am not quite there yet so join us for some fun spring skiing while we still have it…

Hannah's Notebook

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:05:55 -0500

Spring Fever!

So it’s pretty clear that Spring has sprung. The days are longer, the sun is shining brighter and warmer than ever, and rather than wallowing in the fact that the snow is melting, We will celebrate here at Burke Mountain these last few weekends!

From now until the end of the season I am going to appreciate every minute of spring skiing that I can get in. It is pretty clear (looking at the extended forecast) that, unfortunately, there are no March dumps in sight. So instead, we plan our 22nd Annual Pond Skimming Celebration a week earlier (March 31st).

So all you brave souls who like to partake in the skimming part of the celebration, get splash in the cool waters of our man made pond a week earlier, you will get to enjoy a delicious burger and an cold pint of Magic Hat in the beer garden a week earlier. Here at Burke, we will not hang our heads; we will face the facts and celebrate!

It may not have been the most epic winter for the books, but we still got to do plenty of skiing and riding on the hill we love the best. So let’s take advantage of the nice weather ahead and PARTY! Starting this weekend, we will celebrate St. Patty’s Day in style with The Mountain Report and the Boston Ski & Sports Club. We will be filming the 10th anniversary of the Mountian Report right here at Burke, so if you see the cameras rolling this weekend, give them a big ol Burkie Welcome! St. Patty’s day just isn’t complete with out a Corned Beef and Cabbage lunch, so we’ll be serving it up at the Mid Burke Lodge on Saturday. Guinness is also back for their annual après ski party at the Bear Den Lounge and David Maguire will perform some of his apres ski tunes for us. You may need to take a nap on Saturday because The Dave Keller Band returns to the Tamarack Grill after putting a first class show at the Burke Mountain Music Festival this summer.

With a high near 65 degrees on Sunday, what better way to wrap up the weekend than with a good old fashioned BBQ at the Mid Burke Lodge.

The Party continues with the Starline Rhytnm Boys March 24th and the Kingdom Plaza Freestyle Event in the Dashney Mile Terrain Park. Check back often at www.skiburke.com for the latest news, and we’ll see you on the slopes, or at the Bear Den, Tamarack Grill, or Pond Skimming!

Congratulations to our Snow Sports Learning Center Team! Megan, Charles, Kyle, Kelsey, Marcos, and Rachel, all have received their PSIA level 1 certification! The Burke Mountain Freestlye team is also shredding it up at events across Vermont and New Hampshire.

Happy Spring!

Hannah

Burke Freestyle Team Off to a Super Start

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:49:55 -0600

The Burke Mountain Freestyle team was formed early this season to introduce young Burke skiers to the competitive side of freestyle skiing and instill a lifelong love of skiing by fostering a passion for freestyle ski progression. Throughout the winter, Burke athletes have been working closely with Burke freestyle coaches led by head coach Sasha Yakovleff training here at the mountain and competing in various freestyle events.

So far this season, the freestyle team has been hard at work here in the park and on the road, traveling to Sugarbush and Killington for numerous slopestyle and Superpipe events. The first trip of the season, Sunday, Feb. 12, the team headed over to Sugarbush for their first USASA slopestyle competition. Three Burke athletes placed in the top 10 at their first ever competition!

Then on Sunday, Feb. 19, it was back to Sugarbush for another USASA slopestyle event. This time, with four Burke athletes. Again, our three skier boys (ages 10-12) all threw down some huge 360s, switch 180s, twisters, and more on their way to top 10 finishes. Our youngest competitor (age 8) even earned a second place finish in his first competition! Congratulations Owen, Luke, Ryan, and Nick!

Then it was off to Killington, where the Burke freestyle team finished their first ever Superpipe competition with a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finish! Then, on Feb. 28 it was back to the Superpipe for back to back events with Burke competitors placing again in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places! The team threw down huge grabs, alley-oop airs, air-to-fakies, and 360s in the pipe. Luke, Ryan, and Nick worked hard, trained harder, and had a ton of fun enjoying all of Killington's parks and pipes before heading back to Burke.

These results have put them in contention for a spot in USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, CO. This will hopefully be the icing on the cake to an incredibly successful first season.

-Stay tuned for more updates!

----Sasha Yakovleff

Burke Freestyle Team Coach

Good Skiing Ahead

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 07:15:19 -0600

As we hit the mid-February mark it’s a nice time to take a quick look back on what we have had to date with our ski season, but more importantly to realize there is still the best skiing of the season in front of us.Thursday was a perfect reminder of that, February 16th and the skies were clear blue with temps in the 40’s–a perfect spring skiing day in the middle of February.

The word Friday was that conditions were even better–maybe the best of the year so far. And with over 90% of our terrain open, the weekend is looking like a great start to February vacation. We have a great line up of things to do for the whole family this week, from fun races to snow sculpting to live music and aprés ski parties–there’s something for everyone.

It’s too easy to complain about the lack of snow this year, we’ll take what we have. And considering the conditions throughout New England we have much more natural snow than most. Although the weather, so far, has been a dud, there is still time for it to turn.

Beyond the February vacation period we have an extra “leap day” in February and five full weekends in March, plenty of time to enjoy what is typically the best skiing of the season. This year we’ll again be selling next year’s pass starting March 1st, it’s good for the remainder of this season and all of next season at the lowest price available.

And if you believe in the law of averages we are still due for over 100” of snow this season, so March could be epic…

Hannah's Notebook 02.06.12

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:42:06 -0600

Hannah’s Notebook
To catch up in just a few sentences, there has been a lot going on. We have spent some time on the road visiting our Boston Friends in south station, spreading the word that there IS snow here in Vermont. We’ll be headed to South Station again in mid February with our partners Cabot Cheese. Again we’ll be promoting some good deals, so stay tuned. We also had our Grand Opening ceremony for the Mid Burke Express, during pass holder appreciation weekend, on January 28. If you haven’t yet seen our Ode to the Willoughby Quad, take a peek here, it’s a nice little tribute to say thanks to our old chairlift.

Now, looking ahead. Mark your calendars for the first weekend in March. One of my favorite events of the winter! Burke Mountain and Kingdom Trails are happy to bring you the 6th annual Burke Mountain Sled Dog Dash. The Sled Dog Dash on Kingdom Trails brings you a weekend full of world class dog sled racing, with teams from all over the United States, including Alaska! The whole event is also a huge fundraiser for the Wafer Family Foundation, which helps children and families in the Northeast Kingdom with an ultimate goal of building a recreational center for the Burke Area. Past proceeds have gone to sponsoring local children in sporting events, providing ski and bike equipment to local children, Coats for Kids, St. Johnsbury Rec Center, farming programs and more!

Another piece of the Sled Dog Dash is the benefit dinner on Friday Night. If you haven’t been to the dinner before, not only is it for a great cause and a great time, you’ll also have the chance to walk away with a ton of great prizes! Feast on a delicious spaghetti dinner amongst friends, family and other community members, and enter into our HUGE raffle or bid on an big ticket item, like a season pass for next year in our live auction. We are also looking for gift baskets & prizes-no matter how big or small- for the raffle and volunteers for the event, so if you would like to contribute to this community event, please contact me at 802.626.7395!

It looks like there's a bit of snow in the forecast for tonight, Tuesday, and again on Friday and there's some great terrain open here-92%! So I'll see ya on the slopes!

-Hannah

Winter Didn't Forget Us

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:41:22 -0600

As a Massachusetts native, I often find myself clearing up winter weather misconceptions to my friends not lucky enough to have moved north (yet). Throughout most of the year they realize the weather is quite different up here, but in the winter that reality tends to get overlooked.

This mild January is a perfect example–warmer than normal temperatures in Boston means riding bikes and jogging in shorts. At Burke, these milder temperatures mean no need for the extra base layer or facemask and refreshingly “warm” skiing conditions in the 20’s. And while we haven’t had a significant single snowfall event yet, smaller storms have dropped over 45” of snow so far this year (not including snow falling through Saturday AM). Don’t get me wrong–there’s no need to break out the powder skis yet, but the conditions are definitely gaining momentum. The photo above was taken January 8th as we opened our first glade of the season. Yesterday morning, I took my first run on East Bowl, 100% natural coverage, and the majority of the trail had abundant snow. There is a section at the bottom that gets windswept and was tricky, but the remainder of the trail was in great shape. Yesterday afternoon I went cross-country skiing on trails that have no snowmaking, and the coverage is also good. Good enough that Kingdom Trails, our nordic partner, is opening this weekend for cross-country and snowshoeing if you’re looking for some flatter fun.

Back on the Mountain, the cold temperatures this month have allowed us to catch up on our snowmaking on the upper Mountain, and the main trails are all in great shape with edge-to-edge coverage on hard packed but very grippable terrain. At this point the staff at Burke is ready to forget the December that never was and jump right into mid-winter conditions. The chance of 6”-12” through Saturday will really set us up superbly for the MLK weekend, which should be by far the best conditions of the season. So for those of you who have green grass outside your windows, remember it’s still winter at Burke, and the skiing is good.

Hannah's Notebook 1.5.12

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:32:41 -0600

Happy New Year! So Mother Nature didn’t help us out that much in 2011, but we’re hopeful for a New Year that brings us new snow. I headed out this morning at 9am to get my first runs of the year on Big Dipper and Carriage Road, which opened up yesterday. Although we have one of those fancy GoPro helmet cams, I am no video editor, so to make you a nice little helmet cam video with cool music in the background would have taken me a month, and by that time, we will be waist deep in snow! (knock on wood) So I decided to make a small slide show for your visual enjoyment of my morning.

First, a warm up run on Upper Willoughby to Lower Warren’s where daily training was beginning at BMA. By this time, the “light snow” that the morning forecast was calling for had turned into a nice steady fluffy snow, where in some places, there was a nice 2” layer of fresh natural snow on the trail. Then, back up the Mid Burke Express for a visit with Carriage Road and the Dippers. The wind mill was spinning as several snow guns were blasting Upper Dipper, which we think should be able to get groomed out and open for tomorrow! A quick stop at the Pavilion and back to the Express for a few more runs.
Check out my slideshow>

Looking ahead to this weekend, we’ve got a lot planned on and off the slopes. Otter Creek will be hosting an après ski party at the Bear Den Lounge from 3-6pm. Then at 9pm, local band Classic Rewind brings you your old favorite classic rock & roll and country hits.

For the kids, the Sledding Hill is open on Saturday, and Burke the Bear will be out on the slopes this weekend, and if you stop by the top of the Sherburne Express just after noon, you’ll probably get a chance to take a picture with him.

And don’t forget plenty of skiing and riding too! Dashney Mile was just re-cut and re-shaped last night with new jumps, rails and other features, and according to the park staff report this morning, is a "powdery wonderland." Our snowmaking team is working double time to open more trails. Snow showers are in the forecast right through to Saturday night and Sunday looks like a great day to get some fresh air out on the trails with sunny skies and temps in the 20’s.

Happy New Year! Cheers to 2012!

-Hannah

Hannah's Notebook 12.28.2011

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:18:16 -0600

Looking back...and ahead.

Boy do we have a lot to be thankful for as we take a look back in 2011. We've accomplished so much and have a lot to be proud of. To all our staff, I would like to shout out a big THANK YOU! From chairlifts to wind turbines to music festivals and new real estate plans, there were many big projects and events this year that wouldn't have turned out half as great if it weren't for our very dedicated staff that we are lucky to have here. A thanks also goes out to our friends at Kingdom Trails, for a successful partnership in summer mountain biking and winter Nordic operations. Snow is on the way and we’ll be cross country skiing and snowshoeing on the Kingdom Trails in no time!

Compared to the past couple of seasons, it’s safe to say that we didn't get off to the best start this winter. Mother Nature just didn't cooperate with us, but our snow guns are on every minute possible and we still have the faith, that, as it always does, the snow will come. On the bright side, the Mid Burke Express is finito, done and ready to give you a faster than ever before lift to the summit of Burke. I'm hooked. I have been on a morning run every day so far, and sometimes again in the afternoon, and it only takes a half hour to make the round trip from my office at the Base Lodge for a refreshing morning run. It is such a different feeling riding over trees and over a trail that was never there before. Next time you’re up there, just before you unload, look to the right and you’ll see a view that you never really had a chance to see before. I’d post a picture, but I want you to see it for yourself.

There are still lots of activities here at the mountain to finish out the year. I just heard that there was quite a group at arts and crafts last night, so if your looking for something to keep the little ones busy and some time for yourself, we have some fun supervised night time activities for the kids. For the second year, students at Burke Mountain Academy will take the reins and hold a New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade from the summit on Saturday. If you’re in viewing sight of mountain, make sure to keep an eye out around 8:30pm. If you are here on the mountain, the best viewing area is at the Sherburne Base Lodge.

If you still haven’t made plans for New Year’s Eve, there are still tickets available for the Wicked Smart Horn Band here at the Tamarack Grill. Tickets include a delicious gourmet buffet. Believe me, I have been to it. What other restaurant can you go and get seconds on Prime Rib? Or the Roast Pork? Or Crab legs? Then the Wicked Smart Horn band hits the stage for dancing into the New Year. If you want tickets, order them at 802.626.7300. Or, take a listen to our local radio station Magic 97.7-Val will be giving away a couple of pairs of tickets to some lucky listeners!

If you’re looking to take the whole family out for a night in the Kingdom, look no further than St. Johnsbury First Night. A ton of performances, live music, and festivities are happening all in St. Johnsbury and at the Catamount Arts Center. Buttons to this great event are available at the Snow Sports Center Desk here at the mountain.

Finally, be sure to make your New Year’s resolution to ski & ride more! I think that will be mine for this year!

Happy New Year! Cheers to 2012!

-Hannah

Snow Guns & Test Runs

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:47:15 -0600

It’s been a rough start to December, but we are finally getting some consistently cold temperatures so the snowmakers can do their thing. We have had the first multi-day stretch of cold weather, and it is very satisfying to see guns blasting everywhere I look. We were able to pull off the East Coast Snocross snowmobile event with the hard work of our dedicated staff–one of the benefits of the event from a skier perspective is the amount of snow we are able to make with fan guns provided by East Coast Snocross, on the lower mountain. Our snowcats are spreading all the snow we made for that event, allowing us to open a good percentage of our lower area over the next couple of days.

And while we are on the topic of progress, the “load test” of the new Mid Burke Express is complete. A load test is just what the name implies, the testing of the lift fully loaded (with water barrels acting as skiers and riders) to make sure all systems and safety circuits are operating as designed. As soon as a lift passes its load test, it is ready to be open to the public. I was up in the terminals this week, and they look great–the natural wood floors are a great touch, and the view from the top terminal is fantastic. After hiking on a portion of the new trails, I think they will become instant favorites. Assuming we have no last-minute issues, the new lift and upper mountain should both be open this weekend. Check the website and our snow report for updates.|

Many of you may have also received an email from me over the past few days introducing Camber Heights, our new slopeside community that will be located just below the Mid Burke Express. We are very excited about this project and have spent countless hours designing what we feel a ski home should be, on what I feel is one of, if not the best, ski home sites in New England. Please visit the Real Estate section of our website and read the latest blog for more information and pictures of what is planned. You can also sign up at camberheights.com to get additional updates as the season progresses. When you’re at Burke, stop in at the new sales center at Mid Burke, which is scheduled to open the week of the Christmas holiday. We’re excited to announce the hiring of Cheryl Kerr as our real estate Sales Associate who will be able to assist you with any questions you may have about this new community on Burke Mountain.

Finally I will put on my sales hat. If you’re like me, some shopping gets pushed to the last minute. We have some great new merchandise in the retail shop. Or Burke Mountain Gift Cards–available at Guest Services–are always a great gift and can be used mountain-wide.

Sales hat off, helmet on. As we continue to gain momentum going into the season, we are looking forward to our first big snowfall–there is a chance we could have a Christmas Eve surprise. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and we’ll see you on the slopes.

Hannah's Notebook 12.21.2011

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:07:19 -0600

Happy Holidays! First off, I’m really looking forward to seeing all of our Burke families and friends over the holiday season. One of my favorite times of the ski season, it’s really nice to catch up with everyone again after the summer break.

Although things have gotten off to a slow start (wake up Mother Nature, it's the first day of winter!) Our mountain ops team is working very hard to get snow on the hill and the snow guns are running every minute they can. Right now, I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the snow I see falling this morning (at 10:21am) will stay snow throughout the day today, if not on the whole mountain, at least at the summit. I am itching, like I’m sure you all are, to take my first run from the Mid Burke Express.

So the load testing for the Mid Burke Express is still in progress today. If all goes well, we should be open by Friday, so get those skis tuned up and ready to go. Friday we should be able to groom out some trails from the summit and also have the Base Area open with the Sherburne Express along with the Kingdom Cafeteria, retail shops, and rental and repair shops.

Looking into the week ahead, the plan is to move snowmaking to the Dippers and Dashney Mile early next week and hopefully a bit of the natural stuff will fall from the sky too!

There’s lots going on at the mountain through the holiday break, check out our events calendar for a list of activities & events for all ages. We are totally psyched to have the Wicked Smart Horn Band here to ring in 2012 with us, so if you plan to feast and boogie into the New Year, the Tamarack Grill is the place for you. Make your reservations soon at 802.626.7300 and warm up your dancing shoes.

Pizza Night has moved back home to the Bear Den Lounge and tonight we will listen to the musical sounds of local performer Ricky Golden. Enjoy the après ski/work atmosphere over a nice cold pint and a delicious hot pizza.

Happy Holidays to everyone! See you on the slopes very soon!

-Hannah

Modern Meets Classic

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:13:28 -0600

Modern Living. Classic Setting.This winter, Burke Mountain will introduce Camber Heights, a new residential community. In today’s world, people appreciate easy access to the activities they are most passionate about, rely on technological conveniences, and are aware that the choices they make have an impact on our planet. At Burke Mountain, there is a place where life untouched plays the perfect backdrop for modern living.

Where exactly do classic and modern meet?

For those who know Burke, there is a place many refer to as the Meadow, located just below Mid Burke Lodge (and where the new Mid Burke Express quad begins its ascent to the peak.) Once home to a T-bar, the Meadow is actually part of the mountain, ideally situated above the family friendly lower mountain and at the outrun of Burke’s expert pitches, coveted glades, and Burke Mountain Academy’s alpine training slope. Camber Heights will consist of single family homes thoughtfully constructed along the trailside – providing unrivaled ski access. Expansive views of Willoughby Gap, the mountain’s peak and the cambered slope of the Meadow will be maximized through a signature design feature – a corner window that literally frames all three views from a single vantage point within the living space.

These homes will blend classic Vermont-vernacular-inspired design with truly modern features including Wi-Fi-controlled thermostats and automated lighting in closets and corridors. Owners will be able to use their phones to turn the heat on in time for a Friday arrival. Double insulated walls, low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paints, and double-paned windows help super insulate homes, minimizing energy use. These homes have been designed to surpass Energy Star and LEED certification but it’s not about the certification, it’s about the reduced footprint, lower operating costs and overall sensibility of the features incorporated into the project.

Look around at other New England resorts. We can’t find one that has such a premier, slopeside location. If you are among those fortunate enough to discover Burke Mountain, we know you will appreciate all Camber Heights will offer. And to find all this at a place that celebrates their roots in old-school New England skiing, is (almost) unheard of.

Hannah's Notebook 12.07.2011

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:00:00 -0600

Well, we haven’t had the best of luck with the weather lately. BUT, on the bright side, the Poma crew is right on schedule with the MidBurke Express and it looks like they will be doing a cable splice this weekend-another construction milestone.

On the dark side, we aren’t able to get the slopes open for skiing and riding this weekend, so we have had to postpone skiing & riding at Burke Mountain and our first big event of the season, the East Coast Snocross Event until next weekend, December 17 & 18.

Currently, the temps are getting cooler, even as I type this, and looking at all the current forecasts out there it looks like we can expect 2-5 inches of the white stuff to fall tonight and into Thursday! Pile a bunch of snowmaking snow on top of that and we should be in good shape for the Snocross races and enjoying a little skiing and riding from the Mid Burke Lodge next weekend.

We are still going to hold our season kick off event with the Northwoods Stewardship Center this Saturday, December 10 at the Bear Den Lounge at the Mid Burke Lodge. So come join us for music, raffle prizes, fun and dancing!

I also want to thank all our Burke loyalists for following our progress this summer/fall. It is so nice to see that our fans are watching our videos, liking our pictures and interacting with other Burke lovers out there. We have gone through some great changes this summer and we’re glad you were watching, and also for your patience with us as we implemented some new technologies. With a bit of cold weather, we’ll be seeing you REAL soon!

See you at Fritz Night tonight!

-Hannah

Hannah's Notebook 12.1.2011

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:36:50 -0600

Finally feeling like winter……FINALLY!!!! The temperature this morning upon awakening in the dark are back to normal! A nice solid 20° this morning at the base with a frosty hat atop the summit. These temperatures will allow our team to fire up the snow guns tonight in preparation for opening weekend & the Eastcoast Snocross Event next weekend. (December 10-11) Be sure to check our website often for opening weekend & weather updates, we will try our very best to get a few trails open, but as always, the weather plays a big part in our planning.

As I scowled at the weather earlier this week I realized that there was one silver lining-that the Poma crew is able to get A LOT of big projects done and that the nice weather was actually helping the project along in a big way. The top terminal is VERY close do a done deal, and work on the bottom terminal will start on Monday-and I’ll be up there to bring you the latest updates!

If you haven’t been up to the mountain in a while, there is also another addition to the upper mountain. Burke Mountain Academy has also built a much needed new warming hut. We wish all the students the best of luck and may you stay warm and safe this year while training and racing here at your home mountain! Also, a huge congrats goes out to BMA student Mikaela Shiffrin, for her 8th place finish in the World Cup SL in Aspen. Only 16 years old, Mikaela will be one to watch this year! We wish you the best of luck!

A few other notes to share:

The Guest Relations Office is now open 7 days a week from 9am-4pm , so come on in if you haven’t picked up your season pass! It’s a drag waiting in line on opening day when you could be outside on the slopes!

The Tamarack Grill is now open after a short break, with a Fritz Night scheduled for next Wednesday, December 7. Make your reservations soon, Fritz nights are very popular (and DELICIOUS!)

Get ready everyone! And think cold snowy thoughts!

-Hannah

Much to do

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:46:31 -0600

The late October snow confirms the ski season is around the corner. For the first time I can remember I was glad to see other parts of New England get more snow than Burke–it’s still too early, and we have too much to get done before the start of the ski season. The new lift is really starting to take shape. Many of the upper and lower towers are in and you can just imagine yourself zooming up and over (literally) the Mid Burke lodge. A new lift, trails, and wind turbine are the start of a very exciting period for Burke.

The rebranding of Burke as “True North” and the new website reflect Burke’s core values. This is a ski area for people who enjoy the sport for what it is: a powder day, a steep, tight, winding glade that you have to yourself, running the same gates on the training hill for the 20th time that day, or time with family or friends overlooking some of the most beautiful scenery in New England. This year you will see Burke market ourselves more aggressively than we have in quite some time. For those of you familiar with Burke we hope you will help us with that effort. For those of you who have yet to try Burke, I can promise you, you will not be disappointed when you arrive. We will also be talking about our first real estate project in quite a while. This project has been designed to become part of Burke and not something disconnected from the rest of the resort. Many details will be coming out in the next few months, so stay tuned, as we believe this project will continue to differentiate Burke from other resorts.

-Tim