“‘I want to preserve the mountain,’ she says. ‘It’s the mountain that brings us together, not the sport. Fifty or 100 years from now there will be new ways to enjoy the mountain, ways we haven’t yet dreamed of. I want the mountain to be there for those generations.’” – Vermont Life Vol. 45 Iss. 2, “An Old-Fashioned Mountain”

The 1990’s was a great time to be in Vermont according to Vermont Life. Although the ski industry was quickly advancing, it still held on to many of its traditional roots throughout the state. Vermont Life Magazine showcases this in several articles throughout the 90’s.

One of these, “An Old Fashioned Mountain,” was about one particular ski mountain in Vermont, something that it would claim is not at all a resort and has no desire to be one. This mountain is Mad River Glen, nestled in the heart of Mad River Valley in the center of the state. Mad River Glen is a unique mountain because it makes a point to maintain the traditional way of skiing in Vermont while also maintaining a loyal fan base and being very popular among both residents and skiers from out of state. Mad River Glen is a ski-only mountain (no snowboarding is allowed) with minimally cut trails, almost no snowmaking and grooming, and a single chair lift right up the center of the mountain. One thing that draws its crowd in is the fact that it’s not a resort, and the people who ski there don’t want it to become one.

The magazine describes a scene at Mad River where a “young warrior” that’s skiing through the woods and takes a digger after catching his tip on a hidden branch who “gets up smiling, and as soon as he’s cleared his mouth of snow, exclaims ‘Awesome!’” This is a great example of the type of skier you’d see at Mad River, and something Vermont Life would love to illustrate about the state of Vermont.