If you’ve landed here, chances are you are thinking about moving to a ski town or a mountain town for the winter season and I am so excited for you. I pulled the trigger on a season rental in Stowe, Vermont for the 2023/2024 snowboarding season and it was the best decision I could have possibly made. As my time, this year, in Stowe Vermont comes to an end, I figured I share 5 quick takeaways that I wish I knew before packing up and heading here for the season.
I can say enough great things about actually making this happen. If you are on the fence about committing to a seasonal rental in a mountain town, this is your sing to make it happen. You will not regret it!!
Ski Towns are Small Towns
If you are looking to move to a ski or mountain town, you probably know that they are typically very small towns. Not in geographic size, but in terms of the amount of people that live there who consider themselves locals. The locals know each other and they also know who isn’t a local. You may get some looks and people may start talking about you to try and figure out who you are, but that just goes along with being in a small town. Make sure you are not going around stirring the pot or making waves. At the end of the day you decided to come to an adorable little mountain town to explore mountain living in the winter, you’ll have to bump shoulders with the locals eventually!
Get Used to Braving the Bad Weather
It will snow. You will experience strong winds. It will snow some more and be frigidly cold. But guess what? You’re going to have to get outside and deal with it. Gone are the days of waiting inside until the storm passes or waiting for property management to shovel your steps, those are now things you have to do yourself. It’s part of the charm that comes along with living in a mountain town – you have to take care of yourself in this winter wonderland. Before you head to your seasonal ski town, make sure you have appropriate boots, jackets, and plenty of gloves and hats. I linked some go-to’s that you can find on Amazon.
You’re Going to Need Winter Tires
I’ll say it again for the people in the back, you are going to need winter tires. Take this from the girl that slid off the road in her one-month old BMW X3 with the M-Sport Package (RIP I loved that car)… Speaking specifically to Vermont, and probably other mountain town areas, there are a lot of dirt roads that get funky in the storms. Once it snows those wonky roads get slick and essentially iced over at points, be prepared for what this weather throws at you and make sure you are prepared with winter tires that have plenty of tread life left on them. Also going along with this – you are going to have to drive places in severe winter storms, if you are uncomfortable driving in the snow or near whiteout conditions do not get on the road during a storm. Do what you feel is safe, but make sure you are prepared with the proper equipment!
Try to Make Friends as Soon as You Can
One of the best things to come out of getting my seasonal rental in Vermont is the friends that I will have with me forever. It may seem nerve-wracking when you first get into town, but try to be as social as possible and meet new people. Whether it’s chatting with your barista at the local coffee shop or befriending a server or bartender at the local restaurant, you never know who can become a lifelong friend. Having friends in a mountain town makes the stay exponentially more enjoyable because you can go out in town and explore with others, not to mention having friends to rip around the mountain with on pow days is unmatched.
Don’t Wear White Sneakers
This one may be obvious, but it gets muddy and snowy and gross pretty much the entire winter in mountain towns. One thaw and the whole town turns into a mud pit – wearing white sneakers, or white anything, is a death sentence. Let me be the first to tell you any white sneakers you own and wear in a mountain town will never go back to how they were. They’ll be caked in mud and stained, not even bleach or a magic eraser will do the trick. Just avoid wearing white at all costs. Another fun fact, white sneakers are a dead giveaway that you are a tourist and not a local. If you want to get in with the locals, pro tip don’t wear white sneakers!
Leave a Reply