In the lowlands of Vermont, on a good snow year, one may find double lines, pat downs, and powder turns aplenty–just watch out for the frozen dirt underneath. Jesse Huffman, Shem Roose and company explore the gravel pits of Vermont and dodge ornery old men in harm’s way.

A rusted red Pontiac passed slowly, driven by a 40-ish woman with frizzy blonde hair. She gave a sneer, then turned around and drove back. The passenger window opened and a grizzled old man leaned out. He fixed me with a beady stare.

“You weren’t hiking back there were you?”

I looked an obvious mark, standing with my car’s hatch open and a snowboard in hand. Still, I played dumb, saying I had been poking around across the street. He wasn’t buying it. “That’s my land, and I don’t see a sign saying you’re welcome. I’m an ornery old man, and you’d best not come back here. Ever.”

This is how it went on the hunt for new backcountry spots in Vermont…Subscribe to see the entire piece.