Skiers have long known the joys of Vermont Winter in the "Southern Vermont" region, home to the bustling town of Brattleboro, also known as the "Southeast Gateway" due to its location on the Connecticut River and I-91, with easy access to both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The Southern Vermont region is also home to the Stratton Mountain, Magic Mountain, and Mount Snow ski areas. Another ski area near this region is Bromley Mountain, located in Peru, Vermont - only about 1 hour from Brattleboro. Each ski area has its own flavor, charm, and degrees of difficulty. Most are family-oriented, and some carry the partying into the wee hours of the night.

Follow SnoCountry's current Vermont ski reports right here on Vermont.com, then click on a resort for more details. It's Vermont Winter.

Ski it.

Snowboarding, as we know it today, began when a young man named Jake Burton Carpenter started manufacturing fiberglass snowboards out of his garage near Stratton Mountain in 1979. He was perfecting a wooden snow toy called the Snurfer invented by a guy named Sherman Popper in the 1950s.

Stratton was the first mountain resort in the country to embrace the newest snow sport that developed a culture of its own, not unlike skateboarding. Of course, Jake is the namesake of the market-leading Burton Snowboards Company, with its headquarters in Burlington.

Today, participants who ski or snowboard co-exist together on Stratton Mountain, Magic Mountain, and Mount Snow, all observing a national Skiers and Snowboarders Responsibility Code. Snowboarding lessons are offered at Vermont's ski schools with professional snowboard instructors, and many of the country's best snowboarders come from Vermont. Near the "Southern Vermont" region, Ross Powers is an American world champion halfpipe snowboarder from Peru, VT, and Lindsey Jacobellis is from Stratton, VT.

Stratton and Burton team up each March to host what has become what many consider the most exciting snowboard event in the world - the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championship. The event regularly draws as many as 25,000 spectators, with the Saturday halfpipe competition always the highlight.

Snowboarding in Vermont. Ride it.

Is snowmobiling your passion? The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) maintains a "vast" network of scenic snowmobile trails throughout the "Southern Vermont" region. Eighty percent of the VAST trails are on private land, so staying on those trails is very important. Snowmobiling on these private lands is indeed a privilege to be respected.

It's easy to access VAST's trails. You will need a valid trail pass, state registration, and insurance. You can also take a guided tour from one of Vermont's many snowmobile tour operators. You do not need to re-register in Vermont if you are already registered in your home state or province, but you must join a local club and purchase a trail pass.

Snowmobile Clubs of the "Southern Vermont" region include the Andover Mountaineers in Londonderry; the Brookline Snowmobile Club; the Dover Sno Drifters; the Black Mountain Snowmobile Club in Dummerston; the Grafton Outing Club; the Guilford Pittstoppers; the Wardsboro Pathfinders in Jamaica; the Putney Snow Cruisers; the Abenaqui Snowmobilers in Rockingham; the West River Sno-Goers in Townshend; the Vernon Trail Breakers; the E-Z Riders of Jacksonville in West Halifax; the Roy-L Family Sno-Travelers in Westminster; the Deerfield Valley Stump Jumpers in Wilmington; and the Derry Sled Dogs in Weston & Londonderry.

Snowmobiling in Southern Vermont. Ride it.

The "Southern Vermont" region is a great place to enjoy cross country skiing. Gliding across pastures, fields, and through the woods on cross country skis is as serene or exciting as you want it to be.

Some wonderful old New England inns have great access to cross country skiing, such as the Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center and The Grafton Inn. Others are standalone recreation sites, and some located at alpine ski resorts. Some touring centers offer miles and miles of groomed and un-groomed trails (measured in kilometers), and others with a few comfortable loops across a meadow or easy jaunts into the woods.

Cross country skiing in Southwestern Vermont. Glide it.

You can choose to unwind or windup after your day in one of the most relaxing and romantic places in the world. Two of our favorite inns are located in the Southern Vermont Region: The Grafton Inn and the Inn at Weston.

Most winter days are pleasantly cold. Enjoy the sun when it pokes through beautifully once March rolls around, offering a truly delightful spring skiing experience.

And when you see the sun or moon sparkling on the Southern Vermont fields of snow, or glistening on the ice of the Connecticuit River, the photograph in your mind never will go away. It's easy to say, "I love you" in Southern Vermont Winter.

Love it.