Dirty Thrills and Adrenaline-Dosed Activities Abound in Vermont’s Summer Season

It’s not the picture that comes to mind. Often, Vermont conjures up charming vistas, sugarhouses and of course, epic skiing. But there’s another side of the gorgeous Green Mountains, a wild side beckoning adventure-lovers to leap into the unknown, and even the uncomfortable, all in the name of a good time.

Vermont ski resorts have harnessed their prime terrain and engineered events and activities with the intent to excite. Some upcoming events include the Tough Mudder, May 7-8 at Mount Snow Resort; some 12,000 mudder-lovers will endure a 10 mile course with grueling obstacles including barbed wire and electrocution and in August, the Spartan Race comes to Killington Resort, boasting an eight mile course complete with a fire jump and gladiator pit.

So what does a Spartan or a Tough Mudder look like? Queue bronze busts and six pack abs, right?  Not necessarily. Yes, these competitions have their share of extreme athletes but they are also finished by regular people craving outdoor excitement, and against what their mother’s might say, are of sound mind; they just love a challenge. Take Beth Theirl for example, a 29 year old Risk Assurance Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston. She is neither a former marine nor a sadomasochist. She resembles more Gwyneth Paltrow than “Gladiator.” She is an avid skier and spends the majority of her winters in Vermont. “I heard about the Tough Mudder through my boot camp class trainer at Boston Sports Club,” she said. “He encouraged anyone crazy and fit enough to sign up,” and so she did, along with more than 30 friends dubbed the “Tuff Rydahs.”

Not only are these events day-long endorphin-raisers, they’re fund-raisers for the Wounded Warrior Project and Home for Our Troops. Teams like Theirl’s have been recruiting, fund-raising and preparing for months. “We’ve been training together for the Tough Mudder since January,” she said. “Come cheer us on!”

With Vermont towns filled to the brim with eager competitors and spectators, it’s assured that these events will offer enough muddy memories and Spartan spectacles to last a life time… or at least until the next race.

Want a taste of adventure without the major event commitment?  More casual adventures can be found at Vermont ski and summer resorts as well. Zip lines, zip riders and canopy tours whisk folks away at Sugarbush Resort, Bromley Mountain Resort and Smugglers’ Notch Resort respectively. Okemo Mountain Resort has a new Timber Ripper alpine coaster. Enjoy alpine slides at Pico, Bromley and Stowe Mountain Resorts while Mount Snow, Burke Mountain, Sugarbush Resort, Killington Resort and the Trapp Family Lodge serve up some serious mountain biking.

Don’t forget the junior adventure seekers. Through out the state, various youth camps are situated at mountain resorts. For more details, visit www.skivermont.com.

Pack some sunscreen and happy adventures.