Old School Ski Magic In The Mountains

By Heather Burke, Boston.com Correspondent

I grew up skiing around Vermont, but never made it to Magic until last weekend. I’d heard it was hard-core and humbling. Turns out Magic embraces much of what I love about skiing — interesting trails, few skiers, a warm and welcoming bunch of locals, even a lively après ski bar at the homey base lodge.

There’s no fancy quads or high speed laps here, but you do get the ski trails all to yourself. Magic’s moniker is “Steeped in Tradition,” and a dozen of the 43 trails are steep indeed, like Magician’s top pitch at 45 degrees. With 1,700’ vertical, there’s earthy glades like Disappearing Act, and gritty drops like Slide of Hans. But I also scored gorgeous groomed cord on Talisman and Sorcerer (don’t you love the magic theme?).

Magic opened in 1960, and its rustic base lodge and 1970 vintage “Red” double chair to the 2,850’ summit are a testament to classic old-fashion New England skiing.

Your kids won’t disappear at Magic because everyone knows each other here. You can watch them tube in the Alacazaam Park while you après ski with live music at the upper floor Black Line Tavern – BLT to the Magic regulars.

Magic is independent and so is their lift operation schedule Thursday through Sunday, with the exception of opening midweek for “Powder Days” if they get 6 inches or more by 8am. I love that adaptation. Throwback Thursdays at Magic are just $20, unless it snows 6 inches – as previously stated – then Powder Day $63 rates apply.

The Magic spell over the past 55 years has been up and down for this ski area, founded in 1960 by Swiss ski instructor Hans Thoren, who dubbed this a “Little Corner of Switzerland.” In 1996 a group of investors bought the ski area that had been closed for five years following Bromley’s ownership. In 2012, Magic sold 333 shares to loyal skiers to invest in the mountain. That model is working, although the black triple chair lift is currently not, making the red chair lift the one double chair in operation. This can be a wicked curse when it breaks down for an hour like it did last Saturday.

From the slopes of Magic, the sweeping Vermont views are magical. You can see Bromley’s south face and Stratton in the distance. Located in the pretty town of Londonderry, you are in true Vermont ski country – plenty of inns. However, the only slope-side lodge is the Upper Pass Lodge, a comfortable place with standard rooms and a casual local-vore restaurant and fireside bar downstairs. My parents ran a ski lodge in the 80s at Smugglers Notch and this was a friendly flashback for me. Upper Pass Lodge encourages families to pile in with their kids and pets, relax by the fire with drinks, play games, and let the kids be kids.

Magic cast its spell on me, I appreciated the old-school terrain and un-adorned alpine tradition of this independent Vermont ski area. Magic Mountain.

By Heather Burke, Photos by Greg Burke