Happy July 4th Weekend It is hard to believe that the 4th of July is already here in Stowe. It seems like only a few weeks ago you could still find patches of snow on Mount Mansfield. There will be lots of activity all around the mountain, as the resort’s summer attractions continue to be a very popular part of the overall experience for visitors to Stowe in the summer. The Spruce Peak Sports Shop will be holding its annual sale and there’s a family BBQ with fireworks on the 4th at the Stowe Country Club. Stowe Mountain Lodge is hosting more and more guests since opening in mid June. There will be weekend entertainment on the Summer Green at Spruce Peak. This is also one of the really great times to check out the hiking around the Mansfield and Smuggler’s Notch areas, which boast some of the finest hiking routes and best views in the entire region.

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50 Peaks in 50 Days

Mike Haugen and Zach Price have a simple goal - climb the highest peak in each of the nation’s fifty states in fifty days. Okay, maybe it is not so simple! In any case they bagged Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, on June 24. The duo began their quest when they reached the summit of Mount McKinley, Alaska, and the nation’s highest peak, on June 9. Sponsored by the Coleman Outdoor company, the quest is aimed at school kids everywhere to emphasize the importance of healthy activity. The trip to the top of Mansfield began with a gondola ride to the Cliff House and was followed by a hike to the 4395-foot summit which lies 800 vertical feet above the top terminal of the gondola via the Cliff Trail.

Spruce Base Camp Progress

Every loyal Stowe skier or rider who has visited the resort this summer is excited about the continuing progress to be seen at the new Spruce base lodge. Officially dubbed Spruce Base Camp, this is going to give the resort a new center of operations for the 2008-2009 season. With the window-glazing now better than two-thirds completed and siding and stone façade work well underway, it is becoming easier to visualize the building as a finished project. Located adjacent to the Over Easy gondola, the resort’s transfer lift linking Spruce Peak and Mansfield, expect the day lodge to become the hub of the resort. The building is on schedule to be weather-tight by the end of July and certain finish tasks like floor tiling in the kitchen, are already underway. The octagonal dining space, set in a beautifully hewn post-and-beam timber frame with glass all around will add an element to life at Spruce that will be unforgettable. Stowe Mountain Lodge and Spruce Base Camp will set the stage for quite an epoch season this winter.

Spruce Peak at Stowe

Activity outside Stowe Mountain Lodge continues as crews work on diverse tasks like landscaping the entranceways and doing the last few pieces of work on the virtually completed exterior, gives way to a totally relaxing environment inside the lodge. The Hourglass bar is quite a nice spot and Solstice restaurant has been receiving rave reviews for its very creative Vermont fresh cuisine. The pool adjacent to the new spa should open any day now and the tile work inside the spa is truly spectacular. Visitors to the Lodge should arrive at the front where they will be greeted by hospitality staff. The curious should feel free to visit the Spruce Peak Preview Center where they can quickly learn more about all the positive things that have been achieved here at the resort.

Stowe Mountain Lodge Update

Landscaping work continues at the Route 108 entrance. The granite paving blocks which will be the final addition to the entrance drive should be in place by the end of next week. The sign is done, trees, bushes and gardens are mostly installed. Work also continues to complete the retail face of the Lodge which faces toward the new Spruce Peak Plaza area.

Stowe Mountain Club Update

The course will be hosting the annual Stowe Education Foundation fund-raising golf tournament for the first time. It will be a real treat for local golfers to play the Stowe Mountain Club course. This weekend should bring increased activity to the club as the number of guests at the hotel increases and many are expected to take advantage of the opportunity to play the new award winning course.

New Buildings Report

The new Golf Cottage, situated alongside the first tee and the practice putting green draws nearer to its opening day. The focus is on landscape completion on the outside and on completing the main floor in time for the Stowe Education Fund tournament July 11th. While the building will still have areas that are not quite completed on the lower level, the goal is to have the main area done for that date. The back-filling around the three foundations completed between the hotel and the Spruce Peak Preview Center should be completed shortly. Then finish work on the Plaza area can get underway. The framing of the first of these three buildings, which will house the Stowe Mountain Club lounge this winter is expected to start before the end of July. Excavation work continues at the site where the foundation work for Phase II of the Stowe Mountain Lodge will begin shortly. It is expected that an announcement will be made shortly for the starting date for the new Performing Arts Center that will be built at Spruce Peak.

Roadway & Parking Report

Work continues at the new Upper Barnes Camp Lot which will be completed in time for the 2008-2009 ski and snowboard season. Fill continues to arrive from the site where excavation has begun for Phase II of the Stowe Mountain Lodge complex.

Snowmaking, Trail and Lift Maintenance Report

Work has begun on the first of the three valve house rebuilding projects. Maintenance work is also underway on specific pipe replacement projects which are on going every summer. The trail-cutting team reports that the brush-back work alongside Side Street, a very pleasant trail off the Sunny Spruce lift, looks great. They will continue at Spruce and lower elevations of the Mansfield trail system until the Bicknell Thrush mating season ends in August. The latter is a protected species of bird which thrives in the upper Mansfield and upper Spruce environs.

The Green Zone

Energy efficiency comes in many forms these days. One of the easily overlooked contributions to the consumer’s carbon footprint is the mundane but necessary task of lawn mowing. Andre Blais, the head gardener at Stowe Mountain Lodge, recently decided to go “green” in this area and has acquired a Neuton Mower. This machine is powered by a 36-volt battery and is far quieter than its gas-driven counterparts. Best of all it is a product from a Vermont-based company. Battery-based equipment is very much the wave of the future and as battery technology continues its steep improvement curve you can expect to see more and more equipment that will run on batteries. At the Stowe Country Club the plan is to replace all golf carts for next season with electric models. You can also expect to see electric-style cars used for transporting guests around the resort area.

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