2022 Update – Magic for the Win
[Editor’s Notes: As we go to press, Magic, like most of the northeast, is just exiting a bad stretch of warm weather. However, hope is on the horizon; a nor’easter is on the way, plus lake effect in some areas. Magic may well be in sterling shape by the weekend. Keep a sharp eye and ear on the weather and stay stoked. In the meantime, enjoy our update from Valentine’s Day weekend, which will also be included in the long form Magic story in our Border War series here. And gimme a loud COWABUNGA!]
—by Jay Flemma
It started as an enthusiastic comment on an Internet board, but the sentiment caught on like wildfire.
“Magic for the win!”
Now it’s a catchphrase, one an entirely new generation of skiers have learned.
Welcome to Gnarnia. There’s terrain at Magic that’s every bit the equal and then some of Killington, Sugarbush, Whiteface, and Smuggs. Locals and eastern skiers in the know have long revered Magic for its ferocity: the little dog that barks like a big dog. But now skiers and boarders from around the world were touring on their Indy Passes. And that palpable, indelible Magic energy was winning over a whole new generation of skiers and boarders – devoted skiers and riders themselves who had driven countless hours through blinding weather – and who were now helplessly enthralled with Magic, enchanted at once and forever.
“Magic is the quintessential Indy Pass resort in the east, because it is a quintessential and historically important independent American resort,” praised Indy Pass founder and owner Doug Fish. “Their lack of wall-to -wall grooming translates into phenomenal glades skiing (that many think is the best in southern Vermont and beyond), and their laid back vibe is as relaxed and authentic as anywhere you’ll find in the country. Indy Pass or not Magic should on everyone’s bucket list.”
“Indy Pass has been fantastic,” added Magic Mountain owner and operator Geoff Hatheway. “It’s a great answer to Epic and ikon – much less expensive – and it gives people a chance to visit a number of resorts at a very low price. It got more people out exploring. And it’s been terrific for people who bought passes here at Magic.”
Things had evolved from our last visit in 2018. They added a new east side chair, the Green Line, servicing terrain for everyone from advanced beginner to expert, (some terrific expert glades are peppered throughout the east side, particularly along the Green Line). There is a new terrain park constructed under the lights for night skiing every Friday and Saturday night. And snowmaking has now been extended to some of the most quintessential black and double black diamond terrain, including Vertigo, Sorcerer, Witch, and the Black Line.
“We have also partially installed a new upper mountain lift, the Black Line Quad,” added Hatheway. “It’s expected to be finished for next season. And we cut a new trail up there called Pitch Black.”
After last weekend’s spring conditions lightly softened the base, turns carved silky smooth, whether riding the bumps and steeps of Twilight Zone, zooming down Broomstick like a guided missile, or cliff jumping on the Black Line. Every major trail of note was open – YEE HAW! Back and sidecountry adventures were abundant as well.
But what makes Magic so much more than just a mountain; what elevates it to the Pantheon of Quintessential American Winter Sports destinations is the exhilarating synergy of character, charm, ande challenge. There’s a purity at Magic, a heart’s ease and camaraderie rarely found in sport, something unsullied and unspoiled.
The magic of Magic is the vibe…and everyone who visits can’t help but feel it.
