Bon appetit

WARREN, Vt. — If you’ve ever skied at Sugarbush, chances are you’ve eaten at Chez Henri. The cozy French bistro at the foot of Lincoln Peak here in central Vermont is tucked away but no secret. Since Henri Borel and his wife, Rosie, opened it in 1964, their restaurant has won a loyal following for its Parisian ambience and authentic bistro fare: onion soup, escargots, bouillabaisse, and more.

Chilled and weary skiers looking for an alternative to burgers at the lodge have only to ski down a few hundred yards from the ‘‘Out to Lunch’’ bunny slope before they can plant their skis in the snow just outside Chez Henri’s door. Greeted by the soulful voice of Edith Piaf and a friendly ‘‘Bon soir!’’ from Henri himself, they are instantly transported from backcountry Vermont to the and part-time guides and naturalists, including Bridget Butler of Moretown, Vt., only the second Audubon-certified teacher-naturalist in the country. Programs include snowshoe tours, tree-skiing lessons, overnight ski trips with instruction on backcountry survival, and out-of-bounds ski and snowboard adventures.

‘‘In all of my clinics, I do a ‘detestosteroning’ session first, because there’s often an ‘I’m better than I think I am and I’m going to prove it’ mentality,’’ says Egan. ‘‘We always check out people’s abilities at the start of a program, and at every level there’s a fail-safe exit.’’

Guides are trained in wilderness first aid and carry a backcountry first aid kit and radio, so they’re in contact with the resort at all times. A rescue sled is also available in case of an emergency.

On the popular ‘‘Outback Tour,’’ skiers, riders, and snowshoers explore Slide Brook Basin, a 2,000- acre wilderness area — accessible only with a guide — between the mountains of Sugarbush, Lincoln Peak, and Mount Ellen.

The basin, home to bears, deer, moose, coyotes, and other critters of the wild, is shaped like a bowl. Skiers and riders traverse along the top of a ridge, then drop into the bowl at various spots, depending on their skill and interest. Snowshoers stick to lower elevations, cutting through the basin on moderately sloped terrain.

Regardless of what’s strapped to your feet, you’ ll spend 2½ hours swooshing or stomping through a pristine wilderness of maple, beech, and pine trees, small meandering brooks, and granite and quartz boulders.

‘‘We talk to people about the local landscape — what type of forest we’re in, what type of animals live there, how and why glades are cut — and we’ll stop to see bear markings and other interesting things on the way down,’’ says John Atkinson, a guide and coach for Egan’s Adventure Blazers, a weekend program for children.

Here, in this sprawling wilderness, it’s common to see on beech trees claw marks made by bears as they scaled the trees in search of beech nuts, a big part of a bear’s diet. You may also see pine trees with bare patches near their bases, where porcupines have gnawed off all the bark, and trees with fistsized holes made by pileated woodpeckers. Moose also leave their marks, scraping bark off trees with their lower teeth and rubbing their antlers against trees to remove the antler velvet.

‘‘The neat thing is that when people get out into the woods, they realize it’s not all about buzzing down the mountain at top speed,’’ Egan says. ‘‘They generally slow down and enjoy it.’’

Adventurers who want an overnight experience or to learn about backcountry survival can sign up for ‘‘Explore Sugarbush at Night,’’ a full-moon snowshoe/ski trip to Allyn’s Lodge on Lincoln Peak. Egan and his guides offer information and instruction on avalanche awareness, celestial navigation, backcountry rescues, and wilderness route-finding, plus building a snow shelter and operating an avalanche beacon. Participants can sleep in their snow shelters or in the lodge, where there’s a fireplace, electricity, and good food.

Each morning, the ALC also runs the ‘‘Secrets of Sugarbush,’’ a three-hour guided tour of the day’s best skiing, on off-trail glades and in-bound trails.

The ALC also holds special programs for expert skiers and snowboarders, including a three-day ‘‘Ski to Live’’ clinic led by world-renowned adventure skier Kristin Ulmer, and the Xteam Advanced Ski Clinic (for expert-level alpine, freestyle, and telemark skiers and snowboarders) run by Xteam coaches the Egans, Eric Deslaurier, and Dean Decas.

‘‘I’ve done a lot of things on skis I didn’t think I could do,’’ says Mike Whinston, 46, of Warren, Vt., and Evanston, Ill., who’s done the Outback Tour, Xteam clinic, and the Explore Sugarbush at Night adventure. ‘‘One of the things that keeps me coming back is that I’ve been able to raise my skiing to a higher and more dynamic level.’’

Sugarbush plans to run the ALC year-round, eventually offering mountain biking, hiking, fishing, and other seasonal programs. ‘‘We want to take advantage of the wilderness we have here,’’ says Smith. ‘‘There’s a lot here for everybody, and you can find things for all levels of ability. Like all adventure, you have to begin.’’

Kari J. Bodnarchuk is a freelance writer in Somerville.