Life in Peaklessburg where apartment living, bus stops and humidity is the norm; snowshoeing -- rare the exception.

Ordinarily, most of us returning from a day of snowshoeing simply put the rackets in the garage or mud room to dry.  However, for those of us living in a condo or an apartment, we have to be more creative with tending to all of our gear.  In addition, we must grin and bear the consequences.  For instance, our significant others may give us a look of “What’s this?” when they come across a tent set-up randomly in the living room.  What are we supposed to do?  It has to air out somewhere! 

In humid Peaklessburg, we do not usually run into issues with ice and snow.  But this past winter we did.  It was the snowiest season for the region on record.  It snowed more here than in Buffalo!  That meant snowshoeing routes were accessible right outside my door for several weeks. 

Which brings us to a unique conundrum: Where do we lay out gear to dry and clean filthy equipment?  Back to my original example, where do you set the ice-and-snow-flecked Tubbs?  We do not have a garage.  We do not have a mud room.  Some of us in condos and apartments may have a porch that we could use but during this snowy season (others call a snow storm) we could not even open the door (because of the snow).  In the end, the bath tub worked.  The snow pants were hung like a towel over the shower curtain rod. 

For paddlers, the problem may have been the greatest of all, until recently.  Where do we store your canoes and kayaks?  Unless we were willing to have our boats serve double duty by laying Plexiglas over them and serving chips, there were next-to-no solutions for storage within the unit.  However, one company solved the problem by finding a way of putting a quality, recreational kayak in a corner of our closets; Advanced Elements has developed a hybrid foldable kayak that is also inflatable that has received tremendous reviews.  After paddling, simply dry with a towel, deflate and fold it back into its bag about the size of medium piece of luggage. 

Living in a condo or apartment full-time, unlike those of us that have condos at the ski resorts for a week here and there, highlights limitations of the living space juxtaposed on our preferred lifestyle.  Our boats, ice axes, frame packs and tents deserve a garage or shed and occasionally a plot of grass that is ours to spread out and allow the open air and sun to do its work.  But since we are making the compromise of living in the city or suburbia to advance our careers, our hobby of the outdoors sports has to be flexible… like the kayak.

Back on May 26th, I asked for your help to send my wife I to our favorite hamlet in Vermont — Stowe.  Your votes posted to Trazzler.com for her article on snowshoeing to Trapp Family Lodge’s remote cabin on Luce Hill, put her in second place!  While we did not receive the grand prize, second place awarded a Stowe gift certificate for food and souvenirs that will make travelling all the way from Peaklessburg even more worth it.  Not that we need an excuse. 

Thanks for helping us get away.  We would not have won without you.  We will go and I will share photos and mountain lifestyle stories as promised.  Thanks again for your votes, everyone!

Trapp Family Lodge

First, turn off the cell phone and don’t bother with the free Wi-Fi. The real pleasure in staying at the Trapp Family Lodge is the escape from the connections of the grind.  For folks like you and I that carry a blackberry daily but would prefer to carry a compass, the combination of the trails on the grounds (including access to Vermont’s Long Trail along Mount Mansfield) and the luxuries of the Lodge can satisfy your outdoor cravings and your family’s creature comforts. 

My wife and I and her family visit the Von Trapp’s resort about twice a year, usually in the summer and again in the winter.  The destination is known for cross country skiing in the winter, and for good reason.  It is well groomed, provides a well-stocked and serviced cabin with hot soup up Roundtop on the far side of the grounds, and it has a very knowledgeable and approachable staff in their Outdoors Center.  Having grown up cross country skiing in the backcountry, and now preferring to snowshoe, there are trails for both that I thoroughly enjoy. For the New Year’s holiday, my wife and I snowshoed up the cabin, enjoyed some hot beef barley and returned in time for tea at the lodge (I actually had coffee and a chocolate chip cookie).  We even enjoyed watching some winter birds foraging along the way.

Last year, in the summer we did a little biking on Trapp’s mountain biking trails, hiked on nearby Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, and we also took a tour on the Trapp grounds with naturalist Jan Axtell of Fin and Feather.  Jan is a knowledgeable and gifted teacher.  I plan to hire him for some winter tracking in the hills in the future. 

A nice added benefit – and something I am truly excited about – is that Trapp Family Lodge is about to open its own brewery right on the grounds.  I am looking forward to my next visit and sampling a few pints of Trapp Lager and the rest of the wide selection of craft brews.  The lodge is having a special weekend celebration from April 16-18.  Check it all out at http://www.trappfamily.com/.  Prost! 

One more thing: For a little more appreciation of the place and the family, I suggest reading Maria Augusta Trapp’s book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.  It is also better than the movie it inspired.