It’s been one of those Decembers in north-central Vermont: virtually no snow. But there was a little bit over the weekend, packed down on the Smugglers Notch road in Stowe, now closed to traffic for the winter but open for skiers, ice climbers, dog walkers, strollers, sledders and anyone else who wants to venture past the gates that block each end. It’s almost the only cross-country ski option around, except for the Craftsbury Nordic Center, which successfully hosted hundreds of racers on a 1.5-kilometer loop Saturday and Sunday. Stay tuned. We’ll be shoveling soon enough.