CRAFTSBURY – The Outdoor Center reported March 25 that the Touring Center had closed and the season had come to an end. “We were open for 121 days, had two months of especially wonderful cold, dry snow and then it disappeared way too quickly.
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An additional note said, “If things turn around and we think there is decent skiing to be had, we will do a bit of grooming and let you know about it.”
Sunday evening, March 30, after snowfall early Saturday, followed by rain into Sunday, all trails were showing as closed to skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking.
The Outdoor Center season came to an early end when the Eastern Spring Series cross-country and biathlon skiing events scheduled for the March 22 and 23 weekend were canceled. “We were looking forward to welcoming New England XC and biathlon communities to Craftsbury this weekend – however, mother nature had other plans. After several weeks of unseasonably warm weather, the snowy winter of 2025 has come shuddering to a halt,” said the center’s, Wednesday, March 19 social media announcement.
The Outdoor Center had initially planned to cancel only the cross-country ski races held on longer courses, crossing through fields that had developed bare spots over the previous weekend.
By Wednesday, “the stadiums/fields fell victim to the 60+ degree temperatures and that spelled the end of the biathlon race,” said the center. That day, they reported, “Some skiing for diehards remains, just not enough to safely support a race with mass starts. And we plan on racing theMud n’Ice April 5th – though the ski leg is looking less plausible by the day.”
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Trails are now closed to all uses, including mountain biking, running and hiking. “There’s still a lot of frost in the ground and drying to be done,” said the Sunday trail report.
The Center reminded trail users that ski trails off campus are seasonal and only available when they are snow covered and groomed. Learn more at craftsbury.com
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
