Basecamp podcast: What’s so special about Bolton Valley?

The DesLauriers family name is synonymous with Vermont skiing. (Bolton Valley Photo)

The hidden gem of Bolton Valley may not be so hidden anymore. 

As an original member of the popular Indy Pass, the Vermont ski area has seen its share of first-timers over the past couple years. Still, tucked in between Stowe and Sugarbush, a pair of destination resorts, Bolton sometimes gets overlooked, which is fine with local skiers who flock from nearby Burlington, Vermont’s most-populous city.

Adam DesLauriers, director of special projects for Bolton Valley, joined Basecamp hosts Mike Specian and Eric Wilbur, to discuss what makes Bolton Valley a special place. In addition, they discuss his father’s recent induction into the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, the success of Bolton’s original backcountry program, and the value that visitors can still find at the hill in a world of multi-passes and paid parking. 

Listen: 

Highlights from this edition of the Basecamp podcast

On the success of Bolton Valley’s after-school program: 

DesLauriers: One of [my dad’s] primary, proudest accomplishments that he did was he started our pretty vibrant after-school ski program for kids. I believe the number of kids that have gone through that after-school program, where they bus the kids up from school, I think they said 47,000 kids. .

On Bolton Valley’s backcountry program: 

DesLauriers: We were a little nervous going into it, but we sat down and we said, ‘Well, how can we use what we have? Like what do we have? Let’s take a tally here of our best stuff.’ And the backcountry was at the top of the list because the access to it and the terrain that you have access to, and the sheer amount of it was amazing. Plus, there was already an existing scene. The Catamount Trail Association had been running events out of Bolton years beforehand, and there was already a really dedicated, devoted following of the backcountry here. You know, people that were way into it. And so we just were like, ‘Well, let’s embrace it. Let’s build it up.’ And so we started doing some research and we couldn’t find any other comparable program in North America that would offer in-house backcountry access, guides, rentals, et cetera. But it was a huge success. 

The podcast can be streamed at skijournal.com/podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Spotify and Amazon.