Skiing Magazine's Top 10 Eastern Resorts

[kcyanks1]

Just got the magazine in the mail today. Always fun to look at these things even though they are often horrible Skiing's list seems far better than the Ski Magazine list that everyone was complaining about a couple weeks ago. MRG actually made the top 10 (7th), as did Jay (2nd). IIRC, neither made the top 10 list in Ski -- I know MRG didn't, at least.

The list: (1) Stowe, (2) Jay, (3) Killington, (4) Sugarbush, (5) Sugarloaf, (6) Smugglers, (7) MRG, (8) Wildcat, (9) Tremblant, (10) Whiteface.

Haven't skied all of those, and although I'd arrange my own list somewhat differently considering only the one's I've skied (probably MRG, Sugarbush, Jay, Stowe, Killington, Whiteface, Tremblant, in that order), it seems like a reasonable list.

 

[awf170]

The list: (1) Stowe, (2) Jay, (3) Killington, (4) Sugarbush, (5) Sugarloaf, (6) Smugglers, (7) MRG, (8) Wildcat, (9) Tremblant, (10) Whiteface.

Hah, in your face riverc0il, your crappy pathetic excuse for a ski area cannon didnt make it and wildcat did. Its final, if some crappy ski mag says wildcat is better than cannon than it obviously is :lol: :wink:

 

[andyzee]

Just got the magazine in the mail today. Always fun to look at these things even though they are often horrible Skiing's list seems far better than the Ski Magazine list that everyone was complaining about a couple weeks ago. MRG actually made the top 10 (7th), as did Jay (2nd). IIRC, neither made the top 10 list in Ski -- I know MRG didn't, at least.

The list: (1) Stowe, (2) Jay, (3) Killington, (4) Sugarbush, (5) Sugarloaf, (6) Smugglers, (7) MRG, (8) Wildcat, (9) Tremblant, (10) Whiteface.

Haven't skied all of those, and although I'd arrange my own list somewhat differently considering only the one's I've skied (probably MRG, Sugarbush, Jay, Stowe, Killington, Whiteface, Tremblant, in that order), it seems like a reasonable list.

Glad to see Tremblant in 9th, never been there but tired of seeing them in first all the time.

 

[eatskisleep]

In my book it actually is

 

[kcyanks1]

Glad to see Tremblant in 9th, never been there but tired of seeing them in first all the time.

I was happy about that too. I've been there for two different trips, and was pretty unimpressed both times with the skiing -- the village is great, but probably like most people here, IMO that's clearly secondary. I went in early January, so perhaps it's too early in the season, but they lacked the natural snow of other places, it's extremely crowded, the trails aren't as fun/unique, trails aren't as steep (Dynamite was not open, so I can't comment on that), and they seemed to overgroom. I can see why the whole experience (nightlife, lodging, etc.) can put it near the top in the east for those who value the non-skiing aspects of mountains, though.

(Also, I intentionally disabled smilies in my original post because my "8" for Wildcat turned into a smilie .. but it seems like when people quote my post my no-smilies preference is undone. Oh, well.)

 

[riverc0il]

The list: (1) Stowe, (2) Jay, (3) Killington, (4) Sugarbush, (5) Sugarloaf, (6) Smugglers, (7) MRG, (8) Wildcat, (9) Tremblant, (10) Whiteface.

Hah, in your face riverc0il, your crappy pathetic excuse for a ski area cannon didnt make it and wildcat did. Its final, if some crappy ski mag says wildcat is better than cannon than it obviously is :lol: :wink:

fine by me. you are right, cannon is pathetic. lame area, not even worthy of skiing's top 10 list. likely, people will stop going and the good stuff won't get tracked up so damn quickly.
:beer:

 

[awf170]

The list: (1) Stowe, (2) Jay, (3) Killington, (4) Sugarbush, (5) Sugarloaf, (6) Smugglers, (7) MRG, (8) Wildcat, (9) Tremblant, (10) Whiteface.

Hah, in your face riverc0il, your crappy pathetic excuse for a ski area cannon didnt make it and wildcat did. Its final, if some crappy ski mag says wildcat is better than cannon than it obviously is :lol: :wink:

fine by me. you are right, cannon is pathetic. lame area, not even worthy of skiing's top 10 list. likely, people will stop going and the good stuff won't get tracked up so damn quickly.
:beer:

then they will stop making money so the state will let okemo manage them like they did with sunapee, and theyll groom everything and put 3 high speed quads on mittersil :wink:

 

[riverc0il]

and then no one will go to cannon any more cuz they ruined their best terrain and the whole thing will go broke and i'll be hiking for freshies ever run. this sounds better and better every time!

 

[eatskisleep]

and then no one will go to cannon any more cuz they ruined their best terrain and the whole thing will go broke and i'll be hiking for freshies ever run. this sounds better and better every time!

With the exception of the fact that when they buy it they will need to make the cruisers wider which will result in clear cutting the mountain... then all the good woods stashes will be revealed to the public eye and it will get crowded again. :lol:

 

[awf170]

and then no one will go to cannon any more cuz they ruined their best terrain and the whole thing will go broke and i'll be hiking for freshies ever run. this sounds better and better every time!

okay I lost...

 

[takeahike46er]

Stowe is great but does it always deserve a top spot despite the fact that it lacks any new (official) terrain? despite the fact that it has become unaffordable? It is far from its humble beginnings. Stowe is more of a myth at this point. Other resorts on this list (and not) have made lots of changes in recent years and should be recognized for their successes. Just because something is "classic" doesn't mean it is always "the best", especially on a yearly basis.

 

[riverc0il]

sounds like you are suggesting resorts need to change to stay good? need look no further than MRG to see that classic indeed does mean the best is some cases. actually, stowe has changed a lot this year. a HSQ in place of a machine formerly known as the powder pig? huge amount of development going up. stowe has for some time trending towards the expensive side of the market, but mansfield retains enough to keep everyone happy. you don't need to buy a ticket to ski there fortunately!

 

[thetrailboss]

I personally liked the Whaleback article myself...got some more meat to what is supposed to be happening.

 

[takeahike46er]

sounds like you are suggesting resorts need to change to stay good?

I am suggesting something more nuanced than that. It HAS changed, but not entirely in a positive way in my opinion.

MRG has not changed much, but it continues to be a unique experience in the northeast (heck North America) and thus noteworthy of a top ten spot.

 

[ga2ski]

i was happy to see my favorite resort didn't make the list.

 

[riverc0il]

aptly put takeahike46er and i am in agreement with ya. i am surprised more correlation is not drawn between stowe (the resort proper) and stratton. both are expensive elite resorts that cator to the well to do, have a gondi, couple high speeders, and lots of wide open trails. stowe has some rolling crusiers and isn't all wide open boulevard and has some decent steeps with the widened and declawed front four. but i think when most people romanticize the terrain there, they are actually taking about mansfield and not stowe. i for one have no interest in skiing the resort proper, mostly due to lift ticket prices, but can't wait to earn a few off the summit, which from what i have seen, has some of the best descents on the east coast.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

aptly put takeahike46er and i am in agreement with ya. i am surprised more correlation is not drawn between stowe (the resort proper) and stratton. both are expensive elite resorts that cator to the well to do, have a gondi, couple high speeders, and lots of wide open trails. stowe has some rolling crusiers and isn't all wide open boulevard and has some decent steeps with the widened and declawed front four.ost people romanticize the terrain there, they are actually taking about mansfield and not stowe.

I feel Stowe(resort proper)and Stratton have pretty little in common. I don't know what you mean by "resort proper" in that Stowe is still basically a ski area with no,(for the moment)base lodging. To be honest, since Spruce is across the road from Mansfield I don't really consider the new developement to be a base village like Stratton, Okemo, the Loaf ect. Stowe is Mt Mansfield.

Stratton is comsidered an "elite resort" while Stowe is the classic New England ski area.

Stowe has legendary gnarly terrain, Stratton has legendary gnarly lattes. Stratton skiers are mostly upper income folks from the New York area. Stowe'e skiers are about as diverse as it gets.

Lots of ski bums have made their mark at the Stowe. Skiers go to Statton for the ammeneties, skiers go Stowe for the terrain.

You can buy a pass to cut in line every run at Stratton, do you think that would go over at Stowe?

Sorry to disagree but I consider these two mountains almost opposite from each other in almost every
measure one might use.

Yes, people "romanticize about the terrain" at Stowe, for good reason, there is something there to romanticize about! Unlike Stratton, for the last time I was there I romaticized about the incredible waffles at the base.

 

[awf170]

Yes, people "romanticize about the terrain" at Stowe, for good reason, there is something there to romanticize about! Unlike Stratton, for the last time I was there I romaticized about the incredible waffles at the base.

Thats what I never understood about stowe, why do people love the terrian? I only went there once and I skiied almost every double black on the mountain and didnt really think they were that great. The only one I really liked was hackets highway, runs like starr and goat would be nice but just see way to much traffic. All the locals at stowe like the mountain only because they can use the chairs to access, most of them never even touch an in bounds trail.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Yes, people "romanticize about the terrain" at Stowe, for good reason, there is something there to romanticize about! Unlike Stratton, for the last time I was there I romaticized about the incredible waffles at the base.

All the locals at stowe like the mountain only because they can use the chairs to access, most of them never even touch an in bounds trail.

I don't think so...because of it's longtime status as the "ski capital of the east" there are hundreds of locals who have lived there for many years and ski the "inbounds" terrain everyday.

I first skied Stowe in 1970, many "locals" are over 40 who do not fit your defination of a local. That's a unique feature of the skiers at Stowe. I dare say maybe 10% of the locals go off-piste, not excactly "all", not even most.

You should check out the Ski Bum Race series bewtween Sugarbush and Stowe locals, every Tuesday, anyone can join, any age. There you will meet the "real" Stowe local who defines what Stowe is really all about. Opps, sorry to romaticize.

 

[Rushski]

Definitely think Skiing's list is more to my liking than Ski's.

Believe Cannon didn't make top ten is because of the extra stuff many skiers could care less about. Cannon has some of the toughest terrain here in the East and if you can take an occasional bout of frostbite, you will have no complaints.

Plus, on the way home you can get food, lodging and brews on that first little stretch of the Kangamangus, as long as you stay away from overrated Loon! Blecchh...