The Stowe Derby (a girls weekend and all) was great!!! . We had perfect, but really perfect, weather!
As a reminder, here is how the event is 
described on their web site:
The challenge is to race from the top of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, to the historic village of Stowe… on ONE pair of skis! Over the course, participants ski through 20 km of challenging terrain, racing down Mt. Mansfield’s Toll Road and along the entire length of the Stowe Recreation Path before reaching the finish in the village. The course has a total vertical drop of over 2,600 feet.
It had snowed from Saturday afternoon till the wee hours of Sunday morning giving us about 8-10 cm of fresh, dry, light weight snow. The weather was -10 C when we got up on Sunday morning with no wind. By the time we started the Derby just after the noon hour, it was around -4 C.
It was an amazing experience! Fun and friendly people all around, from the downhill skiers to the x-country skiers, new and old participants, to the volunteers and the crowd cheering on the side.
The first 5 km of the Derby was on the Mount Mansfield ski center downhill Toll Rd. Fast enough to gain lots of speed if you let it all go. However, control is the key here to survive the corners! I took a few tumbles due to radical turns and speed, and sometimes to avoid some tumbles in front of me. All fun and soft landings in the snow. After the downhill portion we were tucked away into the wooded areas of the Von Trapp Lodge ski trails, which were very beautiful, and then onto the recreational trails of Stowe village. We all enjoyed it and had a blast. At the end we gathered for our free meal and goodie bag and then headed back to the hotel for some good gab, wine and chips before dinner.
I recommend the Stowe Derby to anyone who is confident on their skis and likes descents!