With more than 400 kilometers of interconnected ski trails, the area around Stowe is the premier cross-country skiing destination in the northeast. Four of the top ski touring centers in New England are linked together, including Trapp Family Lodge, made famous by Maria von Trapp, whose family inspired “The Sound of Music.” The others are the Mount Mansfield Ski Touring Center, Edson Hill Nordic Center and Topnotch Touring Center. The centers connect via some of the most challenging backcountry ski runs available, grueling uphill and exhilarating downhill runs for skilled skiers only. They include the Bruce and Teardrop trails, two of the earliest downhill trails in the country cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 30s.