Hello Everyone,
The President’s Holiday Weekend is finally here, and we’re excited to spend the long weekend skiing with you and your family! As a reminder, programs will run on the following days during the holiday week:
- Saturday, February 15
- AM & PM (Cross Cub, Synergy, and AAMP)
- Full Day (Cub Club)
- Sunday, February 16
- AM & PM (Cross Cub, Synergy, and AAMP)
- Full Day (Cub Club)
- Monday, February 17
- AM Only (Cross Cub, Synergy, and AAMP)
- Full Day (Cub Club)
- Saturday, February 22
- AM & PM (Cross Cub, Synergy, and AAMP)
- Full Day (Cub Club)
- Sunday, February 23
- AM Only (Cross Cub, Synergy, and AAMP)
- Full Day (Cub Club)
At this point, there is extremely limited availability for lessons during the week when programs are not running, February 18-21. If you’re still looking to book a lesson, please call 1-800-Stratton for the most up-to-date lesson availability.
Events and Activities
As we settle in to the second half of our seasonal program season we have a lot of great events, parties, and theme days scheduled throughout the rest of February and March. In case you missed it, below is a link to our events calendar.
In addition to all of our great seasonal program events, Stratton has a lot of fun events and activities planned for the holiday week that you don’t want to miss! I’ve highlighted a few great events below, but you can find a complete list of the events and activities happening throughout the holiday week by clicking this link: President’s Week at Stratton. Harley also posted a great blog that covers all of the Activities at the Resort.
Nordic Green Mountain Women is a weekly snowshoe group just for women. Meet up with ladies to snowshoe and socialize, bring your friends or come alone and make new friends. The Nordic Green Mountain Women days will be guided by a Nordic guide, and they’ll lead the way at a group-friendly pace.
Join us for an immersive experience celebrating the Trapp family legacy and 60 years of The Sound of Music, which will be playing on a screen throughout the event. A family-friendly event at Stratton’s Sun Bowl Lodge featuring an authentic Austrian cuisine buffet, s’mores roasting, live music and more hosted by the one and only Kristina Von Trapp.
Rivian: The Snow Mode Driving Experience
Get ready to experience winter to its fullest. Rivian is bringing their all-electric R1T truck and R1S SUV to select Alterra resorts so you can learn all about Snow Mode
Educational Rides from 11am-3pm, occurring every half hour
Stratton Seasonal Program Sweatshirts
Want to show off that you’re a part of our Seasonal Program Community? Now you can with these great new sweatshirts available exclusively through our Stratton web store.
You can find additional information about sizing by clicking the links below:
Below you’ll find additional information for each program. Please take a moment to read the posts from our program supervisors and reach out if you have any questions.
Best,
Tony Bailey
Stratton Seasonal Program Manager
tbailey@stratton.com
802-297-4074
Cub Club
Hello Cub Clubbers!
As I write this newsletter it’s brisk, with the sun out and more snow in the forecast, setting us up for a fantastic President’s Weekend! We can’t wait to ski or ride with the kids!
Now that we are about halfway through the season, the cubs are advancing through the levels, and many were promoted over the last few weekends. As a reminder, promotions happen on Sunday after the students are identified as meeting the criteria for their current level. They’ll join their new group on their next visit.
I just want to remind you that it’s not a race to the top. Putting so much focus on what’s next can diminish what they’ve accomplished. Parents who started with Mice this season, please make a moment to reflect on how far they’ve come. The work that our Cub Club coaches have done to help these children gain skills and confidence is not something that should be overlooked. Parents with high level Cubs, please note that the skills required to attain higher levels take time to develop ownership. If your child is a Wolf or higher, please understand that it may take weeks, even months to move up to the next level. This doesn’t mean they’re not learning or growing, but often they need more mileage to have actual ownership of these movements. The higher you go, the more difficult it becomes. In the early levels through Deer, the staff is looking for certain movements generally in the lower body. At the higher levels, it is more task-related like “skiing parallel in the fall line on black terrain”.
Also, now is a good time to take a look at your cub’s skis or snowboard:
- Get their equipment sharpened and waxed.
- We do a lot of sliding and the wax wears down over time which will slow our cubs down.
- Check the length of the skis and boards.
- As cubs grow and progress, longer skis or boards may be needed. If their equipment is too short they may have difficulty sliding fast enough to stay with the group.
- If you have any questions, please ask.
Here are a couple of additional things to keep in mind as we move through the rest of the season:
- We have been getting some wonderful feedback on the cubs, “Loving to slide” and the “cookies at lunch”! We do try hard to make the experience enjoyable, if you have any kudos or concerns please let me know.
- On a safety note, if you are picking up your child during the lunch break, make sure you check out with me at the desk, so that we can cross them off on the board.
- Looking ahead to March we have a fun-filled month planned that includes the:
- “Big Ski”
- “The Spring Eggstravaganza”
- “End of the Season Ice Cream Social”
- Lastly, some students are aging out this year, if you would like some suggestions on the next program that would best suit your Cub please see me.
See you all this weekend!
Matt Erickson
Cub Club Supervisor
merickson@stratton.com
Cross Cub
Hi Cross Cub Parents and Skiers,
Can you believe we’re already half way through February and are nearing the end of the season?! As we gear up for our last holiday weekend of the season, it may be a good time to check the bottom of your skis to make sure the edges/ base are not too worn down. Please consider getting your kids skis sharpened and waxed (First Run is my go to place).
Groups have been discovering new terrain all over the mountain from the trees, to terrain parks. In the parks, they started with jumping progressions and have moved on to hitting boxes, and rainbows. Our main focus for both the trees and the parks is safety and respect, while also having fun.
I know February tends to be the end of ski season for some families (and coaches) due to the start of spring sports, but if you can stick around for March, we have several events planned!
- The 1st is a fan favorite- our Parent vs Child race. Time and Location will be sent out once we secure hill space.
- The 2nd is our last Snowboard Sunday (please be sure to email me the week prior to ensure we have enough coaches to cover this!).
- The 8th is the Big Ski! If you have had children in Cub Club or you were with us last year, you know all about this event. This year all seasonal programs are teaming up to make this the Biggest Ski yet!.
- March 9th is Onsie Day.
- March 15th is Hot Dogs on the Hill! We will be taking our lunch break at the top of Emerald Frost where our coaches will serve hot dogs, snack and drinks to all Cross Cubbers.
- March 16th is our annual scavenger Hunt coupled with St. Patrick’s Day! Be sure to wear something green for extra points in the scavenger hunt.
- Our last event of the season is our Ice Cream Social. Please join us on the Jr School Patio on March 29rd at 2:00 pm. Cross Cubbers will not go back out skiing after the ice cream party.
As always, if you have any questions or comments on how the season is going, feel free to reach out.
We can’t wait to ski with you during the holiday weekend!
Frances Hoeffner
Cross Cub Supervisor
fhoeffner@stratton.com
Synergy
Hi Synergy Families,
Can you believe that we are already halfway through the 24/25 ski season? To recap the first half of the season, all of our groups have been working on using various turn-shapes (small, medium, and large radius) to control their speed and adapt to different terrain. Similarly to pirates, our favorite letter of the alphabet is “C” because we have increased control of our speed with a more rounded turn.
While we have not had many opportunities to explore in the woods or play around in the bumps, many of our groups have challenged themselves with fine-tuning their technique to make as many turns that are the same size and speed on steeper pitches on Polar Bear, Upper Spruce, and Upper Downeaster. We have also been reviewing safety and etiquette in the terrain parks, including staying in one lane, calling your drop, and 4-point landings during the take-off and landing phases of jumps.
As the weather gets colder, please remember to have our skiers dressed appropriately with several layers! This includes a thin base layer(s), a second heavier layer such as a vest or thin jacket, and a puffy jacket or insulation layer under or with the jacket shell. Don’t forget a neckie/neckwarmer, skull cap, hand warmers/toe warmers, and one pair of socks (thick socks or multiple pairs of socks prevents proper circulation which equates to cold and uncomfortable feet) to add some extra warmth and style to your ski wear!
Important Dates:
- SAT. March 1st – Annual Parent vs. Child Race
- SUN. March 2nd – Snowboard Sunday
- SAT. March 8th – The Big Ski (All Programs) & Synergy’s End of the Season Party
- Pizza, chips, and drinks will be served, at 4:30 @Jr. School
- SUN. March 9th – ONESIE DAY
- SUN. March 16th – Scavenger Hunt
Best,
Sarah Kneip
Synergy Supervisor
Skneip@stratton.com
AAMP
Hello AAMPers,
Wow the season is flying by! Reflecting back over the last month we have capitalized on the great conditions skiing all around the mountain. We progressed through edging the inside ski for improved carving performance, up/down ski pressure for bumps and crud, and a repeat of ski-ski pressure for improved ski performance and balance. On top of all of that fun, we managed to fit in two fantastic mornings of skiing NASTAR race courses! The NASTAR events allowed us to learn about “course tactics”. The interest was impressive with lots of questions being asked.
NASTAR Morning Huddle
The first couple of weeks of February has delivered some much appreciated snow and AAMPers wasted no time putting it to good use. Great opportunities were found in ungroomed terrain including Rick’s Catch 22, Sunbeam and Sunriser Supertrail. Plenty of tree skiing from West Pilot to Test Pilot. We can only hope February continues to deliver!
A reminder that we have a social planned for Saturday, Feb 22nd. Our plan is to repeat the Grizzly’s venue starting at 3:30pm
NOTICE – New Group Descriptions! Level 1, 2 and 3 are history. Please make note of which group you best fit into. Each weekly email will include the group coach assignments same as always.
- New Skier
- Comfortable on Green terrain, wanting to be more comfortable on Blue terrain. Learning zone is in Green terrain.
- Comfortable on Blue terrain, wanting to be more comfortable on Black terrain. Learning zones are Green and Blue terrain.
- Comfortable on Blue terrain, wanting to be more comfortable on Black terrain and venture into Blue bumps, trees and ungroomed terrain. Learning zones are Green and Blue terrain.
- Comfortable on Black terrain, looking for more challenges in Black bumps, trees, steeps, and ungroomed terrain. Learning zones are in Blue terrain.
The coaches will encourage you to occasionally ski down a group to allow for more skill focus and up a group to expand your “comfort zone”.
We look forward to skiing with you over the holiday weekend and if you have any questions, please reach out!
Best,
Greg Morin
AAMP Supervisor
greg.morin@stratton.com