Mt. Snow/Stratton, March 3/4

Did the double shot. Won't bore you with details. You are all aware the skiing is phenominal all over New England. I just want to assure you that if you are heading to Snow or Stratton you can't miss. The Snow is just incerdible at both places and isn't going anywhere soon. I know many knock Stratton, but it can be a great hill. Stay off the gondola (never took it Sunday). There were no liftlines Sunday either, they all head for home at 11:00............They do groom a lot - but leave plenty ungroomed and bumped, and have some great woods. Kidderbrook was actually "reserved" yesterday, so we spent a good couple hours lapping over there! Deep, deep! Pics are from Stratton.

Great picts.. Trees look nice!

Newpylong said:

Great picts.. Trees look nice!

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Thanks, not bad for an amatuer. Trees at Stratton were nice. A lot like Mt. Snow but a little more pitch to them. I'm bad with the names, but there was a single black that was much tougher than a couple double blacks (one was "shredwood forest" - our favorite) we were doing. They also have a couple easier Glades, a lot like Claim Jumper in Carinthia. All real easy to find with a trail map or just skiing around. Plenty of snow!

The bumps on Kidderhook? look great as well.... I haven't been to Stratton in years but I still have my free ticket to use there. I look forward to it....

Newpylong said:

The bumps on Kidderhook? look great as well.... I haven't been to Stratton in years but I still have my free ticket to use there. I look forward to it....

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those bumps aren't Kiderbrook, the first two picks are over there (free fall) with the pow. The bumps are either Bear Down, or upper or lower Spruce - I think. Definitely not the Kidderbrook area, that was just "reserved" pow.

I should probably ask this elsehwhere, but here goes: how to Stratton and Mount Snow compare to each other? I'm familiar with Stratton, but not MS

Personal opinion is that Stratton is the better hill. They are very similar in a lot of ways. The North Face at Mount Snow compares to the double blacks at Stratton, woods are similar, both groom too much, overall terrain very similar........It could be that I ski Mount Snow too much - (10) times a year, compared to my once or twice a year at Stratton, but I always leave Stratton with a great fulfillment that I had a top notch ski day! I think the lifts at Stratton are better also overall - not even counting the god-awful gondola which I never ride.......
In closing -go to Mt. Snow. Something different is a good thing. It has nice long cruisers on the main face, and some tough blacks on the Noth Face. Good intermediate cruising at Carinthia and Sunbrook also.

Yes both very similar skiing wise. Lifts are better at Stratton....

That said, even on busy weekend's I don't notice the crowds on the trails themselves at Mount Snow, as bad as I do at Stratton... they seem to filter out more.

Also, the North face has some runs at Mount Snow that Stratton has nothing to compare to (Jaws of Death - a very narrow and steep natural run), Ripcord (arguably the steepest marked trail in the east), plus a few other trails that can be gems..

I would say overall Stratton has more terrain to offer though.