Family trip advice?

[mitchmac]

Hi all,

Quick, hopefully painless question:

4 day family ski weekend, daughter and wife beginner-ish, son and myself "game" but not necessarily what I'd call expert. Looking for a place within 6 or fewer hours of North Jersey, with ski-in/out type condo lodging and not massive crowds on weekend. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[RISkier]

Hi all,

Quick, hopefully painless question:

4 day family ski weekend, daughter and wife beginner-ish, son and myself "game" but not necessarily what I'd call expert. Looking for a place within 6 or fewer hours of North Jersey, with ski-in/out type condo lodging and not massive crowds on weekend. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Not sure if it's within your driving range. I'm also not sure that ski-in/ski-out lodging would be available. But Bretton Woods would seem to fit the bill nicely in terms of terrain. It's a pretty gentle mountain. There are green trails off almost every lift; most blues are green/blue, and most blacks are blue/black. They do a very nice job with snowmaking and grooming and I've never found the crowds too bad. Very nice views of Mt. Washington. My wife and I really liked BW our first couple of years skiing. Possible negatives: It may be further than 6 hours. Lodging options seem pretty limited up there. There is the Mt. Washington hotel (very expensive) and I know there are condos, but I don't know if they are available as rentals. You might also take a look at Okemo and Stratton. Okemo probably has the right kind of terrain and lodging but tends to get VERY CROWDED on weekends. We went to Okemo once and basically vowed never return on a weekend. I know knowthing about NY State options.

 

[Vortex]

Bretton woods or watervile valley. Probbly at the edge or your time ride restrictions. www.brettonwoods.com

1 hour less ride aprox is waterville valley. www.waterville.com Many night things and non skiing things to do shopping, ice skaing X-county horse drawn hay rides. all right at the base of the mountain with shuttle service.

 

[ChileMass]

Mitch -

They're all gonna be crowded on any weekend, especially Xmas or President's Week, (which is why my family goes to Quebec in February).

Bigger Hills:
Whiteface/Lake Placid
Stowe
Bretton Woods
Killington
Sunday River

LP is the best, in my opinion, followed by Stowe. There's something for everyone at Killington just due to its size, but man - the crowds! And if you want to be pampered, go to BW (just pay down all your Xmas debt before you go). Sunday River is cool for teens - a very hip mountain up in Maine, so it's just a little different.

Mid-Size/Hidden Gems:
Mont Orford, Quebec
Burke
North Conway/Attitash/Wildcat/Cranmore

OK - I feel like I'm giving up my private stash by telling people about Orford, but it's a great place. 1800' of vertical, killer views of Lac Memphremagog, fun times in the village of Magog, the benefit of the US/Canadian exchange rate, mid-day grooming, and it's not the US - it's a totally different vibe. Burke is a skiers hill - pretty spartan as far as accommodations go, but if you're really into skiing for skiing's sake, it's worth checking out. And North Conway is always a good family destination - just avoid driving on US302 as much as possible (use Westside Road and the arterial that parallels 302 north of town). Attitash, Wildcat and Cranmore are within 15 minutes of North Conway and Bretton Woods is only 30 min west.

Have fun - !

 

[mattchuck2]

Okemo sounds like just the spot for that kind of trip . . .

 

[Jellis]

see now I would have suggested Tenney Mountain... 30 minutes south of WV and def alot closer than BW... about a 7 hour drive from Jersey depending on where coming from. They have great beginner terrain, easy intermediate terrain to ease into and some good advanced intermediate and glades off the double line. They have slope side condo's availalbe to rent and also have some great ski/stay packages availalbe at nearby b&b's. Last few years they offered a Learn to ski/ride package for just 50 bucks including rentals for the entire day... ticket prices have also been very reasonable for families. Crowded on weekends? Probabally will never have to wait in line...

Tenney is my suggestion!!!

 

[awf170]

As much as I hate to say this. Sugarbush is probably the best option. What do you mean by "game", if you mean you can ski most black diamonds, and get off the groomers some I think Bretton Woods would be too easy. I have never been to Tenney, but from what I have seen I can't image skiing there for 4 days. Mixing it up in NH might be a good idea. Ski Tenney on the saterday, then pick and choose around loon, and waterville the rest of the trip. Also, North Conway would make a nice base camp. It is not slopeside though, and it is quite far from Jersey. Lake Placid is probably the best town, but has no slopeside(that I know of), and even if Whiteface has slopeside lodging you would way rather stay in Lake Placid.

My order:

1. Sugarbush
2. Whiteface
3. North Conway
4. Sugarloaf
5. Loon area

 

[Jellis]

I have never been to Tenney, but from what I have seen I can't image skiing there for 4 days. Mixing it up in NH might be a good idea.

Having never skiied Tenney before, that is a very unfair statement. Obviously people CAN imagine skiing there for 4 days since they sell season passes by the hundreds?? I am sure they are looking for something reasonably priced and well that isnt going to be day tickets at WV or BW now is it?

 

[awf170]

Having never skiied Tenney before, that is a very unfair statement. Obviously people CAN imagine skiing there for 4 days since they sell season passes by the hundreds?? I am sure they are looking for something reasonably priced and well that isnt going to be day tickets at WV or BW now is it?

I mean 4 days in a row. If what they mean by "game" is what I think then Tenney wouldn't offer enough challenge either. Heck, I can't image my self skiing Wildcat 4 days and a row, and you guys know what I think about Wildcat.

 

[riverc0il]

bromley. under rated, great for beginners, sunny exposure helps keep the newbs warm, and they have decent advanced skiing in the west bowl. top to bottom skiing is easily accessable for newbs and beginners. i don't know if they have ski in / ski out. if not, check out okemo but slope traffic could be heavy. smuggs if you can make the drive that far north, probably more than six hours though from jersey. bretton might be a good option but has gotta be way beyond your six hour limit. ascutney might be worth looking into as well. i have not skied there. might be a bit small for a four day stay?

Jellis, despite austin's lack of first hand knowledge of tenney, i will back up his statement with my first hand knowledge of tenney. if these folks are going to drive that far, they might as well play at the big boy's mountains. tenney is great for what it is. it is not worth driving 7 hours and staying 4 days. i was bored of the mountain in a single day (not saying it is a bad mountain, but it is what it is).

 

[tirolerpeter]

Family trip?

I can't say that you would make it in six hours exactly, but either Smuggler's Notch, or Tremblant would be great for you and the "mix" of skiing abilities in your family. I only know Smugs by reputation (very good) but I have done 5 days at Tremblant with the wife and it is really nice. Decent mountain, and very nice resort. Great food both in the resort, and in the restaurants of the nearby village.

 

[Geoff]

You certainly can't get from North Jersey to Sugarloaf in 6 hours. It's more like 8 with one fuel stop.

I don't think you can get to Bretton Woods in 6 hours, either. Don't forget, they're crossing through Connecticut and through Worcester & the outskirts of Boston so they'll hit somebody's rush hour no matter when they leave. That pretty much rules out anything worth while in New Hampshire that doesn't get jammed with Boston day trippers.

Kmart is 4+ to 5+ depending on traffic and your willingness to go 80+ mph wherever possible which explains why it and points south are jammed with New Yorkers on weekends. Sugarbush is 5-6 hours and is probably as far north as you can go in Vermont in 6 hours. Stowe can't be done in 6 in Friday traffic though it probably doable in 6 off-hours. Smuggs or Jay are out of the question.

Pico would work. Slopeside condos. The lower mountain high speed quad is a nice beginner area. The upper mountain will challenge an intermediate and entertain an advanced skier for a couple of days. It never gets stupid-busy like its next door neighbor. I like wandering over when they have enough natural snow to run the Outpost double (weekends & holidays only). The liftline under that chair and Sidewinder on the ski area boundary are great fun.

Bromley was another good suggestion. Same deal as Pico. It's smaller than Stratton or Okemo so it doesn't get as jammed on weekends. I haven't skied it since I was a kid but I've driven by recently and it looks like they've built some slopeside condos just like everyplace else. I'd take Pico over Bromley unless it was a cold day where the southern exposure at Bromley would be much appreciated.

 

[riverc0il]

ah, pico is also a great option. though i don't believe there is any top to bottom run for beginner skiers. i think that is a very important aspect to have when skiing with beginner skiers... the summit is something everyone looks forward to.

 

[Geoff]

ah, pico is also a great option. though i don't believe there is any top to bottom run for beginner skiers. i think that is a very important aspect to have when skiing with beginner skiers... the summit is something everyone looks forward to.

If it's a 4 day weekend, they can go ski Killington their 2 midweek days and get the Great Eastern & Great Northern top to bottom beginner runs using the two gondolas. Rams Head is also a superb advanced-beginner area. You can take a free shuttle between the two resorts so you can boot up in the condo and not have to deal with a car if you don't want to.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Family trip?

Take a look on pages 172 and 173 of the October 06 issue of "SKI" magazine. Tremblant and Smugg's are written up side to side.

 

[nelsapbm]

I'm going to suggest Burke - I grew up in St. Johnsbury and took trips to the City often. We could make it from St.J to the Bronx (via 91 & 95) in about 5 hours. Tack on howver long from the Bronx to your place and another 20 from St. J to Burke. This is assuming no traffic.
Burke is a great place for beginners and intermediates. Some nice trees.
You can also day trip to Jay and/or Cannon.
It's relatively inexpensive compared to the big resorts, and you'll have less (if any) crowds.
www.skiburke.com

 

[mitchmac]

Wow! Thanks a lot for all the suggestions...looks like I have some homework to do! Especially checking out SKI mag - which something is telling me now my wife hid on me!

A couple comments/notes: Whoever suggested Lake Placid was right on the money for what we're looking for. It's just that we've gone there the last 2 years and are looking for something a little different - meaning closer accomodations. The drive back to the hotel isn't bad, but it does kinda stink having to do it at the end of the day (shuttle didn't stop near where we were staying). Also, it's getting tougher and tougher over the years to wake up early enough to get a good parking spot!

Sugarloaf also would fit the bill but the drive's a bit much. Last time I went - years ago by the way - it took close to 10 hours.

We did Bromley a few years ago but only for a weekend. I'm not sure if it's enough for 4 days and I know you can buzz over to Stratton, but there's that "car" thing again. NH also sounds like the same thing - driving.

So, with all your input, it sounds like there's a few left to check into. Thanks all for your input. You guys are OK in my book! Oh, and whoever guessed at my definition of "game" got it right.

 

[riverc0il]

if bromley is not enough for four days, then bush should be a good option. lots of options. midweek they will not have the slide brook open so plan accordingly. not sure what they have for slopeside options??? might i suggest doing two different ski areas two days each? i don't think any ski area in new england is going to not get "old" in four days. with bush, you could also sneak in a day at MRG for your game and let the beginners have a day off and tour the MRV. probably your best bet.

 

[mitchmac]

That's a good point. I think I'd be more likely to jump in the car and get over to MRG than jump in to drive over to Stratton. And as long as there's shopping in MRV I think the ladies would be OK with that!
Thanks!

 

[GolfingOwl]

Wow! Thanks a lot for all the suggestions...looks like I have some homework to do! Especially checking out SKI mag - which something is telling me now my wife hid on me!

A couple comments/notes: Whoever suggested Lake Placid was right on the money for what we're looking for. It's just that we've gone there the last 2 years and are looking for something a little different - meaning closer accomodations. The drive back to the hotel isn't bad, but it does kinda stink having to do it at the end of the day (shuttle didn't stop near where we were staying). Also, it's getting tougher and tougher over the years to wake up early enough to get a good parking spot!

Sugarloaf also would fit the bill but the drive's a bit much. Last time I went - years ago by the way - it took close to 10 hours.

We did Bromley a few years ago but only for a weekend. I'm not sure if it's enough for 4 days and I know you can buzz over to Stratton, but there's that "car" thing again. NH also sounds like the same thing - driving.

So, with all your input, it sounds like there's a few left to check into. Thanks all for your input. You guys are OK in my book! Oh, and whoever guessed at my definition of "game" got it right.

I do NE family trips each year from Philly. My skiing profile sounds similar to yours while my wife is a low intermediate and I have two young kids (8 and 5) who do both ski school and ski with us. Both kids can ski greens and easier blues.

I have been to Stratton, Bretton Woods and Lake Placid the past couple years. Both Stratton and Bretton Woods would be much more enjoyable for your wife and daughter than Whiteface. You and your son won't like them as much as WF but I don't know that you would get bored at Stratton or BW. There is a lot of terrain at those mountains but they are clearly not as difficult as Whiteface. However, I think with the number of trails and variety you could still have a lot of fun - you may play in the bumps a little more, for example. You also can probably do some long runs with your wife and daughter or ride the lifts together and meet at the bottom as those mountains are more condusive to that type of thing.

One thing I want to dispell is that Stratton and Bretton Woods are super expensive compared to other places. It depends where you stay at those resorts. I am price sensitive and I have done Lift and Lodging packages with both places and they were substantially less than what I priced at Killington, Okemo and Smuggs for their resort properties when you factor everything in. I don't stay at the top properties on those resorts because to me a room is just a place for us to sleep. As long as it's clean, easily accessible to the mountain and has the amenities I want (like a pool for the kids and hotub for my wife and me), I'm fine staying in an older two floor "lodge" rather than the resorts newest upscale property.

One thing I dislike about Bretton Woods is that you are essentially captive to eateries run by the Mount Washington Hotel as there is nothing in that area other than the resort. You basically have a choice of about 5 places to eat unless you want a 1/2 hour drive. They vary in cost from cheap to expensive but you have limited options. Stratton you can eat in the restaurants in their village or take the short drive to Manchester where you have much more variety.

BTW, as to drive times - It took me 5.5 hours from Northern Philly Suburbs to Stratton and about 8 to Bretton Woods.