Is Ski Sundown worth the $55 mid-week lift ticket?

[zinger3000]

Looking to take a day off from work mid-week and go skiing. Based on snow reports, it looks like Ski Sundown has the best percentage of coverage within a reasonable driving distance for me (15 of 15 trails open). But $55 for a mid-week lift ticket seems kinda pricey for an area with only 625 vertical feet. Is it worth it?

 

[Bacon]

Catamount is $29 midweek....The coverage is pretty good considering.....Have not been over to Sundown yet this year, but have heard they have good coverage as well...

 

[gmcunni]

i have a season pass @ sundown.

i'd go with "it depends" as an answer to your question. yes, they are 100% open but still, 15/15 just isn't a lot to ski.

i rarely spend a full 8 hours there. Sundown is a well run, well groomed friendly little mountain but if you are an advanced skier you could get bored depending on what type of terrain you like. if you are into the park scene you'd probably have a great time. if you like bumps and can wait a week then you might be good to go as well.

if you are just looking to cruise a mountain you will have hit every open trail worth skiing in the first hour, but (unless the weather gets crappy) you will have great conditions and no lines mid week.

if you've never been there and like trying new places then definitely give it a try.

 

[zinger3000]

Thanks, gmcunni. Think I might give it a shot. Each year I like to take about 5 vacation days off from work, spread out over the course of the winter, and visit a ski area I've never been to before. I'm a solid intermediate skier (greens and blues all day), though I can handle some of the black diamonds at smaller ski areas that aren't really black diamonds (Butternut and Mohawk, for example). Not into bumps, moguls, other terrain stuff, I just like to cruise all day. No crowds is a good thing, too. $55 seemed like a high mid-week rate for a smaller mountain. I might just do the 4-hour $49 lift ticket.

 

[Chris Sullivan]

Zinger I hope you make it out. I drove to 4 other nearby ski areas today to check them out and we have the best coverage by far, no one is even close. $55 dollars is not a cheap ticket but you will see when you get here that a great deal of money has been invested in the infrastructure and we are prepared for winters like this. The day we have to result to being the cheapest to compete is the day I would go do something else for a living. There are a lot of ski areas the around the same size as us that don’t have much open. Expect snow making to be in progress.

 

[zinger3000]

Thanks, Chris, I'll keep your feedback in mind.

 

[planb420]

As a passholder myself I also agree with gmcunni. Its an extremely friendly place and its run so well that I spent 80 out of my 85 days last season there and 13 out of my 14 so far. If you get the chance please do give em a shot!

 

[gmcunni]

I drove to 4 other nearby ski areas today to check them out and we have the best coverage by far, no one is even close.

1. butternut
2. catamount
3. mohawk
4. ????

 

[gmcunni]

As a passholder myself I also agree with gmcunni. Its an extremely friendly place and its run so well that I spent 80 out of my 85 days last season there and 13 out of my 14 so far. If you get the chance please do give em a shot!

thought of you yesterday as i bombed Gunny, i was wondering if i was beating your top speed

 

[o3jeff]

1. butternut
2. catamount
3. mohawk
4. ????

Southington

 

[powhunter]

Chris wouldnt waste his time driving to Southington

 

[planb420]

thought of you yesterday as i bombed Gunny, i was wondering if i was beating your top speed

You BETER NOT! LOL

 

[o3jeff]

Chris wouldnt waste his time driving to Southington

He bought me breakfast, too bad you weren't around!

 

[gmcunni]

Southington

i thought of that later when i looked at a map of the ski areas. it was either Southington or Otis Ridge...

Chris wouldnt waste his time driving to Southington

LOL

 

[SteveInCT]

I like Sundown a lot, but I agree, that is WAY too much for a midweek ticket where there are only a couple of trails for the intermediate/advanced skier. I have been to Catamount twice this year so far and it will definitely hold your attention longer than Sundown. On the flip side, I think Sundown is the best place to go for night skiing. There is just a good vibe there at night. Also, if you have kids, I think Sundown is a great place. As a side note, if it wasn't 45 minutes to an hour away, I would probably get a pass for Sundown because it would be a great place to hit for a few runs after work on a daily basis. Good snow making, friendly staff, nice lodge, and well run outfit.

 

[SteveInCT]

thought of you yesterday as i bombed Gunny, i was wondering if i was beating your top speed

You need to get MyTracks if you have an Android phone. It is very cool to look at the statistics of your day after all is said and done. I did 37.75 miles per hour as a top speed the other day and didn't feel like I was opening it up as fast as I would later in the season once the trails are smoother. I had no idea I was moving that fast! I figured I was going 30mph, tops.

 

[gmcunni]

if it wasn't 45 minutes to an hour away, I would probably get a pass for Sundown because it would be a great place to hit for a few runs after work on a daily basis. Good snow making, friendly staff, nice lodge, and well run outfit.

i hear ya. it is 1:05 door to door for me but i got a pass anyway because for me just having the pass makes deciding to go much simpler. i actually worked from the lodge a few times last year with their wifi so i could get some skiing in.

 

[SteveInCT]

i hear ya. it is 1:05 door to door for me but i got a pass anyway because for me just having the pass makes deciding to go much simpler. i actually worked from the lodge a few times last year with their wifi so i could get some skiing in.

Good call! Are you in FF County and just run up 8?

 

[gmcunni]

You need to get MyTracks if you have an Android phone. It is very cool to look at the statistics of your day after all is said and done. I did 37.75 miles per hour as a top speed the other day and didn't feel like I was opening it up as fast as I would later in the season once the trails are smoother. I had no idea I was moving that fast! I figured I was going 30mph, tops.

i have a stupid smartphone (blackberry) from work and the anal retentive security guy doesn't let people install apps on the company phones.

i do have a pocket gps, i just always forget to bring it.

 

[gmcunni]

Good call! Are you in FF County and just run up 8?

yes, in Monroe. Depending if i need gas or not i take 84 to 8 or just drive thru shelton (get gas) and take 8 all the way up. speed limits on 84 are higher so i gravitate there to reduce the risk of tickets