Ski Areas that People either Love or Hate

[dmc]

Cute. The reality for me is that with two small children, job, wife, etc., getting up north more than a 2-4 times a month is not an option. Hitting the bumps at Sundown on a Sunday night or mid-weeknight is a great way to stay dialed in, hang with some ski buds, etc. It's my understanding that Sundown had better bumps from late November well into December than most places further north last year. Last March when everything in Vermont was bullet proof most of the month with no powder anywhere, we were ripping spring bumps on Gunbarrel under sunny skies. When we do score the random 1 foot dump in CT (we seem to be getting two each season lately) it's nice to not have to drive far to be able to ski during the storm. On the weekends, my kids love it. It's a small little hill, but it's home for now, and I always bump into several people I know there. There are many, like me, that love it. If you live nearby and like to ski moguls or hit the park, there's no reason not to. If you're looking for big, steep groomed vertical, it's obviously not right for you. It's hard to argue the fact that they do a better job with their 15 trails and 600 vertical feet than many of the resorts 4-5 times its size. They do a great job with what they have.

So - to me - Sundown is now one of those places people either love or hate... And i need to go....

Greg ..... rock on! :flag:

 

[frozencorn]

Killington gets the most hate, obviously.

I don't hate Okemo. I just think it sucks.

 

[Greg]

So - to me - Sundown is now one of those places people either love or hate... And i need to go....

Greg ..... rock on! :flag:

:beer:

Ask Alan or JimG. about Sundown. JimG. really seemed to enjoy himself the day of the S7 and Alan and his kids made several trips out to Sundown. Dave Adams too. So when some of Hunter's elite skiers give it a nod, it's gotta be pretty decent.

I could definitely picture you ripping the corn on the groomed side of Gunbarrel while the rest of us posers hit the bumps.

 

[dmc]

:beer:

Ask Alan or JimG. about Sundown. JimG. really seemed to enjoy himself the day of the S7 and Alan and his kids made several trips out to Sundown. Dave Adams too. So when some of Hunter's elite skiers give it a nod, it's gotta be pretty decent.

I could definitely picture you ripping the corn on the groomed side of Gunbarrel while the rest of us posers hit the bumps.

Cool.... I heard Al talking about it one day... Said it was a great hill...

Dave's a good guy... monster bumper...

 

[RENO]

Elk (so I'm told)

Screw HS's comment

Elk is nice and not nearly as crowded as the Pocono's, but it's not in the Pocono's...

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Some people don't really consider Elk in the Poconos.

Elk is in the Endless Mountains, I believe.

 

[mattchuck2]

for sure..I've never had much respect for people who live in PA but don't ski PA..

I don't know, man.

I live near Albany, but that doesn't mean that I ski exclusively at Maple Ski Ridge. If people want to drive a little longer (or even fly across the country) to get to a better mountain, that doesn't cause me to lose respect for them.

 

[deadheadskier]

Elk is in the Endless Mountains, I believe.

At what point in PA is the distinction made between the Poconos and the Endless 'mountains'??

I went the Endless Mountains Music Festival in 2003, good times, scenic place. I drove over to Elk to check it out. Looked like a decent little hill.

 

[mattchuck2]

So - to me - Sundown is now one of those places people either love or hate... And i need to go....

Greg ..... rock on! :flag:

I'd like to get down to Sundown too this year. . .

The problem is that I don't want to waste a weekend day on it . . .

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I'd like to get down to Sundown too this year. . .

The problem is that I don't want to waste a weekend day on it . . .

Me too...I want to go for there bump contest. If things go like they did last year it will be the day after Walt's bump contest at Gore. I could do Gore Sat. and drive down to Sundown Sun.

I need an old guys catagory like they have at Gore though or I can't wave my appearence fee. :lol:;-)

 

[dropKickMurphy]

I don't hate Sunday River but if the two hills were next to each other on a sunny wind-free day....

.....you'd have one hell of a place to ski. Especially if they were interconnected.

 

[catskills]

Nobody skis Hunter because its too crowded. :blink:

 

[deadheadskier]

I'd like to get down to Sundown too this year. . .

The problem is that I don't want to waste a weekend day on it . . .

I'd like too as well

I think the reverse logic applies though in that I believe I wasted some weekend days going to Vermont last spring instead of heading down to Sundown.

While they were skiing killer spring bumps, the skiing up north wasn't so hot. No powder to speak of in the month, temps not quite warm enough for corn bumps.

 

[dmc]

Nobody skis Hunter because its too crowded. :blink:

And Belleayre bores the crap out of people and is crowded... :blink: (I think thats the emoticon you used..)

I thought you stopped posting here after I slammed Belleayre?

 

[kcyanks1]

Nobody skis Hunter because its too crowded. :blink:

And Belleayre bores the crap out of people and is crowded... :blink: (I think thats the emoticon you used..)

I thought you stopped posting here after I slammed Belleayre?

I think that catkills was making a Yogi Berra reference? Speaking about a popular restaurant, he said something like "no body goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

 

[trtaylor]

At what point in PA is the distinction made between the Poconos and the Endless 'mountains'??

Not really sure. According to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poconos Elk is in the "Poconos". But, Elk is not a member of the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau, which is why I think most don't associate Elk with the Poconos.

And here is the Endless Mountains wikipedia link.

 

[dmc]

I think that catkills was making a Yogi Berra reference? Speaking about a popular restaurant, he said something like "no body goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

Bad choice of emoticons...

 

[kcyanks1]

I think that catkills was making a Yogi Berra reference? Speaking about a popular restaurant, he said something like "no body goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

Bad choice of emoticons...

Got it Just kidding

 

[PA Ridge Racer]

At what point in PA is the distinction made between the Poconos and the Endless 'mountains'??

I went the Endless Mountains Music Festival in 2003, good times, scenic place. I drove over to Elk to check it out. Looked like a decent little hill.

They break it out by County. The Poconos make up Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne. The Endless Mts are Susquehanna (where Elk is located), Bradford, Sullivan and Wyoming which are the 4 counties just northwest of the Pocono Counties. So technically Elk is not in the Poconos but is, IMO, one of the best ski areas in Northeastern PA..

 

[ERJ-145CA]

Most people hate Mountain Creek but I love that it's 10 minutes from my house.

I get the location for you, but for the rest of us:

Who wants to take your skis off for a 5 min ride up (Cabriolet) and a 35 second ride down?
Who decided that the entire GG south should be a terrain park?
Why would anybody put a hotel in the parking lot for a day area?
Will they ever replace the tents at VV? That fire happened 8-9 years ago.

The hate exists for good reason.

Don't get me wrong I only love that MC is close, I hate pretty much everything else about it. I'll only go there on non-holiday weekdays. I think my original post was worded poorly. That's why I have my pass at Hidden Valley even though it's a whopping 5 minutes farther for me.