Kingdom Trails Long Winter Season Effects Felt More Than Just On the Trails

Details: Created on Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:38; Written by Nick Anastasi

EAST BURKE- It's been a long winter here in the Northeast Kingdom, and for some local businesses, that has not been a bad thing.

While that may not come as a surprise to some, as Burke Mountain Resort and The Kingdom Trails both call the Kingdom their home. Both of which are tourist destinations bringing people from all over to explore the vast wilderness of Vermonts Northeast corner. A number of the small businesses which have began to pop around the area, trive off of the sesonal tourist population that both Burke Mountain and the Kingdom Trails bring in.

With winters like this one, the winter sports season has lasted longer than usual. The Kingdom Trails usually shuts down at the beginning of April, according to Erin Donnelly, Operations Manager for the Kingdom Trails. "In my four years of working here its the longest i've seen" she says, "It's March, we're still doing amazing. We still have about fifteen inch depths in our Nordic Skiing for a base which is pretty amazing this tine of year, but everyone knows, you knever know in Vermont, we could get snow in April.

With the extended seasons, tourists are spending more money here in our local businesses. The Village Sports Shop Trailside in Lyndonville, sits just off the side of the Kingdom Trails. They sell, rent and repair bikes and equipment for riders, and have thrived off of fat biking, which exists during the normal biking off season. Locally it has grown in popularity over the past few years.

Christsonthy Drellos, a representative from the Village Sports Shop Trailside, said that the busy winter and extended season has ultimately led to customer rentals post season. "We've had a few customers today and we have some bike rentals for later in the week."