Overview of CT ski areas, please

[billski]

I've never skied in Connecticut, my eyes always fixed northwards. I'd like to learn a little bit. Would someone give the run-down of what's available in CT, relating it to some other areas in MA, NH, NY or VT that might compare similarly? How popular are these resorts? which are basic, which more upscale? How do they fair on a bad weather year? I always figured with so many days above freezing in CT, it could be a little rough for a CT resort to survive. Thanks!

 

[bvibert]

Not much to overview. Check out this thread:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/17943-az-rate-ct.html

Basically they need to blow a ton of snow to be able to stay open through the tougher weather. Night skiing is a big part of their business, as are after-school groups (they are at Sundown anyway).

Personally I think Sundown is the best at making a ton of snow and stockpiling it for when needed, but I'm biased and I don't get to the other mountains very much, if at all...

 

[drjeff]

I guess you could say for now atleast, and then there were 4.

Basically 2 categories of CT "resorts" the bigger ones (Sundown and Mohawk) and the smaller ones (Woodbury and Southington).

I know that on this board, and just about any ski related board, consensus will be that Sundown is the best in CT. Best terrain, snowmaking, views, lodge, etc, etc, etc. They have a great layout to the mountain and lots of fun terrain, especially for a sub 1000 foot vertical drop mountain. They make lots of quality snow and can move you up the hill efficiently too.

Mohawk. Great history to it. More wide open trail layout than Sundown. They also make a bunch of quality snow and have decent lift capacity too to get you up the hill. Not as "polished" overall as Sundown.

Southington. The bigger of the small CT areas. Basically skis as an upper pitch, middle flat and a lower pitch. They make a bunch of snow, and have a really big night race program.

Woodbury. Smallest. Snowmaking - hey the last couple of years they've been one of the first if not the first to open in all of New England (enough said). Personally I think of it as more of a novelty ski area. Nice to say that you've skied it once, but for many folks unless you're geographically close to it, thats it.

 

[Greg]

drjeff covered it well. I really like Sundown. The bumps are great and it's just a comfortable place for me to ski, whether it be with the "guys" or with my daughter. Yeah, it's a small hill compared to the rest of NE, but I feel very fortunate to have it so close by.

 

[2knees]

Grassi's backyard.

sphincter reducing steepness.


I havent skied any of the other areas in more than a few years. Sundown is worth it because they have a bump run. if not for that, i doubt i would ski there more then once or twice a year. Gunbarrel has a legitimate upper intermediate pitch to it. Stinger is a great trail but it has the park on it. Even though most of the features have been moved off the trail proper, its still has all the park rats hanging out on it waiting for the first hit to clear so it looks like it is always scraped and could be used as a human slalom course at times. I consider myself very lucky to have sundown and its bump run. It keeps me going when normally i wouldnt be able to ski and for that, i really have to thank them.

 

[billski]

how do these areas compare to something I'm familiar with, like Wachusett in Mass.?

 

[2knees]

how do these areas compare to something I'm familiar with, like Wachusett in Mass.?

I've never skied wawa but i can tell you this, i would rather ski sundown than butternut even though butternut is bigger. Sundown has more features and has more pitch on gunbarrel and stinger. so if you can compare butternut to wawa, assuming you've been there, maybe that would help.

 

[Grassi21]

Grassi's backyard.

sphincter reducing steepness.

The ski area is closed. Snow making is off line and we just aren't getting the natural needed to stay open. I will keep you up to date on any changes Pat.

 

[Marc]

They're all crap.


Next question.

 

[CosmicDownhill]

Southington gets old quick -- good learning place for kids, though.

Agree that Sundown is the best in CT, but I think I'd hit Butternut in a flash over Sundown because of more terrain and more interesting trails.

 

[Grassi21]

Southington gets old quick -- good learning place for kids, though.

Agree that Sundown is the best in CT, but I think I'd hit Butternut in a flash over Sundown because of more terrain and more interesting trails.

I've never been to Butternut. But I hear its groomed flatter than.... well, use your imagination. Sundown's bumps offer a nice challenge and the pitch on Gunny is a good option. I had a pass to Catamount last year. After 5 or 6 visits to the Cat I wished I had did a pass at Sundown.

 

[Greg]

I've never been to Butternut. But I hear its groomed flatter than.... well, use your imagination. Sundown's bumps offer a nice challenge and the pitch on Gunny is a good option. I had a pass to Catamount last year. After 5 or 6 visits to the Cat I wished I had did a pass at Sundown.

IMO, Catamount's terrain blows away both Butternut and Sundown. Some legit pitch there, but the terrain is limited. The key with a pass though is proximity. I would also ski Sundown over Butternut partly due to the terrain (i.e. the bumps) plus the fact it's closer.

One trail with bumps at 25 minutes > A bunch of flat trails at 60 minutes,

 

[drjeff]

how do these areas compare to something I'm familiar with, like Wachusett in Mass.?

The trail "character" at Wawa has some similarity to that at Sundown, in that the trails DO have some character. Also, in a sense Wawa and Sundown are similar in that their respective learning areas are seperated from the "main terrain" Wawa has a few hundred more verts, and it skis like it has a few hundred more verts. All the CT areas have a similar commitment to making snow like Wawa does. Just like any other Southern New England ski area within an hour or so of a metropolitan base, the CT areas just like Wawa do a solid mid week night business with a bunch of school buses filling the parking lots.

 

[Grassi21]

IMO, Catamount's terrain blows away both Butternut and Sundown. Some legit pitch there, but the terrain is limited. The key with a pass though is proximity. I would also ski Sundown over Butternut partly due to the terrain (i.e. the bumps) plus the fact it's closer.

One trail with bumps at 25 minutes > A bunch of flat trails at 60 minutes,

You actually hit on the main reason I came to feel that way. The Cat was an extra 25 minutes each way. Some days I would get off of 8 and head for Cat and wish I was skiing bumps at Sundown.

 

[2knees]

You actually hit on the main reason I came to feel that way. The Cat was an extra 25 minutes each way. Some days I would get off of 8 and head for Cat and wish I was skiing bumps at Sundown.

The beauty of sundown is that they dont knock noreaster down. If they get some rain, they leave it until they can resurface it. Alot of bigger areas mow their bumps as soon as they get a thaw freeze. Its a small thing, but its nice to know that noreaster is always there when you need a bump fix, regardless of weather.

 

[severine]

They're all crap.


Next question.

Yeah, they're not the mountains of VT, NH, ME... but they're not crap either. I'm grateful to be located in the middle of 2 of them (Sundown and Mohawk) and enjoy my nights at Sundown (both working and skiing). Granted, if I didn't live close by, I wouldn't be looking to make a daytrip to one of them if better skiing were closer. But they serve their purposes, and I like the family-feeling you get from the smaller hills. Atmosphere.

 

[Greg]

The beauty of sundown is that they dont knock noreaster down. If they get some rain, they leave it until they can resurface it. Alot of bigger areas mow their bumps as soon as they get a thaw freeze. Its a small thing, but its nice to know that noreaster is always there when you need a bump fix, regardless of weather.

Yep. I'm always concerned after a rain/thaw-freeze thinking the bumps will be mowed. Instead, they just resurface and they ski great again. What a novel idea! :idea:

 

[Greg]

Granted, if I didn't live close by, I wouldn't be looking to make a daytrip to one of them if better skiing were closer.

Interestingly enough there are folks here that are traveling south to ski at Sundown; namely the Evils and madskier6. Considering the BEast is only another 15 or 20 minutes for them, that speaks pretty highly for Sundown.

 

[severine]

Interestingly enough there are folks here that are traveling south to ski at Sundown; namely the Evils and madskier6. Considering the BEast is only another 15 or 20 minutes for them, that speaks pretty highly for Sundown.

Agreed. Like I said, atmosphere is a big part of it. I have never skied at the BEast (for example) and have limited experience elsewhere, so it's also hard for me to hypothesize what exactly I would do, I guess, if so-called "better" skiing were nearby. I'm so used to Sundown (and Mohawk) being so close by that I don't really think much about anything else within 1-2 hrs drive (Sundown being 25 minutes away/Mohawk is 20 minutes).

 

[Marc]

Yeah, they're not the mountains of VT, NH, ME... but they're not crap either. I'm grateful to be located in the middle of 2 of them (Sundown and Mohawk) and enjoy my nights at Sundown (both working and skiing). Granted, if I didn't live close by, I wouldn't be looking to make a daytrip to one of them if better skiing were closer. But they serve their purposes, and I like the family-feeling you get from the smaller hills. Atmosphere.

You're just reaching for excuses now.