Favorite small to midsize mountains

[Riverskier]

Camden Snow Bowl and Shawnee Peak in Maine.

I agree with these, and would add Mt. Abram in Maine.

 

[deadheadskier]

I consider small to be sub-1000K. Sundown wins that one, hands-down. Medium I consider 1,000-2,000K and at that size I like Magic, BEast and Mount Snow best, in that order. I consider 2K+ as "large".

I think acreage needs to be a qualifier as well.

250+ equals large
150-250 = Medium
<150 = Small

So for me, I like

Medium favorites - Burke, Magic, Pico, Shawnee Peak ME, Ragged, Sunapee

Small - Black Mtn NH, Mt. Abram, ME Black is 1100vert, but it's definitely 'small' in comparison to the medium areas I listed.

If Tenney had a high speed lift. I'd add it to my medium list

 

[Mapnut]

Can't go strictly by vertical. No way Mt Snow and Stratton qualify as mid-sized (Stratton actually has only 1900 vertical). And though Saddleback ekes out 2000 vf with flat trails below the base lodge, the two main lifts have only 1150 and 950, so the mountain feels mid-sized.

As a New York area resident I have to ski mid-sized areas if I want to do any day trips. The closest 2000-footer is 3-1/2 hours. I like Berkshire East, Jiminy and Catamount, and recently discovered Camelback which skis pretty big for its vertical.

 

[thetrailboss]

Elk Mountain in PA is quite good. A solid 1,000 ft. vertical. No high speed lifts yet. Rates for 08/09 were $53/weekend, $45/weekday.

That's a funky lift!

To answer the question, Burke.

 

[ozzy]

1) Mt Baker
2) Loveland
3) Mt Rose

 

[jerryg]

Can't go strictly by vertical. No way Mt Snow and Stratton qualify as mid-sized (Stratton actually has only 1900 vertical). And though Saddleback ekes out 2000 vf with flat trails below the base lodge, the two main lifts have only 1150 and 950, so the mountain feels mid-sized.

Saddleback may have a mid-sized feel, but the mountain iself is massive.

 

[WWF-VT]

Middlebury Snow Bowl - legit steeps, good trail variety and challenge for its size

Shawnee Peak , ME - skis much bigger than it looks, nice terrain

 

[skiadikt]

i'm thinking plattekill probably one of the best in this category. really 2 lifts. probably the best steeps. think mad river south.

 

[Rambo]

can't go strictly by vertical. No way mt snow and stratton qualify as mid-sized (stratton actually has only 1900 vertical). And though saddleback ekes out 2000 vf with flat trails below the base lodge, the two main lifts have only 1150 and 950, so the mountain feels mid-sized.

As a new york area resident i have to ski mid-sized areas if i want to do any day trips. The closest 2000-footer is 3-1/2 hours. I like berkshire east, jiminy and catamount, and recently discovered camelback which skis pretty big for its vertical[/b].

I was impressed with Camelback. I skied there twice at the end of March, because they had free lift tickets for season passholders from any other ski area. The one thing I was not used to was the High Speed Quads on 800 ft. vertical. The HSQ's shoot you up to the top in only 3 minutes. I like to do a lot of runs in a day, but I overdid it there. I did a total of 6 hours of skiing each day - but with the high speed lifts 4 ot 5 hours would have been plenty of runs.

 

[skiadikt]

1) Mt Baker
2) Loveland
3) Mt Rose

we love the chutes at mt rose.

 

[WoodCore]

Berkshire East or Bobcat when it was open.

 

[drjeff]

Can't go strictly by vertical. No way Mt Snow and Stratton qualify as mid-sized (Stratton actually has only 1900 vertical). And though Saddleback ekes out 2000 vf with flat trails below the base lodge, the two main lifts have only 1150 and 950, so the mountain feels mid-sized.

As a New York area resident I have to ski mid-sized areas if I want to do any day trips. The closest 2000-footer is 3-1/2 hours. I like Berkshire East, Jiminy and Catamount, and recently discovered Camelback which skis pretty big for its vertical.

+1 - that's what I was trying to get at, you have to factor in BOTH vertical and Acreage IMHO.

Take the PA folks and Camelback. It has a vertical of 800 feet, BUT the way it's sprawled out along the ridgeline, there's NO WAY you'd call it a small area. Or in VT, take Mad River or Smuggs, both over 2,000K in verts but I don't think that there's too many folks that would classify them as "large" areas.

Definate gray areas in this one, and I'd also bet that within that gray area, you'll see a bit of debate about small/medium and medium/large just based on what the "normal" area that a person frequents is and hence what they're used to.

 

[campgottagopee]

Greek Peak
Oak Mnt

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Bromley, Blue, Hidden Valley and Belleayre.

 

[hammer]

small .. Pats Peak and Crotched
midsize .. Gunstock and Ragged

+1

 

[ski_resort_observer]

In almost 50 years of skiing I can't remember not having a great time at any of the small/medium ski hills I have been lucky enough to ski. So many more I want to try, so few days off in the winter. Three I would love to get back to are Snow King, Bridger Bowl and Magic.

 

[Buckeye Skier 1330]

I didn't define "small or medium" partly because I was kind of interested to see what resorts people would fit in to that category. I guess for me its mostly the vertical. Over 1500 would be big to me. Although I can see where Magic would be considered midsize. Bretton is only 1500 but is spreadout . Stratton and Smuggs I would list as big.

 

[deadheadskier]

One of my goals next season is to become a Ragged Woods Rat ..

+1

 

[Warp Daddy]

Never skied Ragged But from all positive vibes form you guys about it this season i need to do it in 2010. , Should be fairly easy to do since it's on the route from here to visit my grandkids in Littleton MA. Not very far off 89 so got to schedule that in next yr

 

[Terry]

Small- black mt NH
Mid sized- Shawnee Peak Me. Awesome Mt, Have a lot of fun there always.