Ski Areas that People Love and Hate

[riverc0il]

A different take on the other thread detailing areas that some people love and some people hate. This thread is for areas that the same people love and hate at the same time.

Sugarbush and Stowe are my two love/hate mountains. Sugarbush has great terrain but I really don't like the "vibe" at Sugarbush. I never feel comfortable there. And the run outs are the pits as well. Stowe of course I hate for the expensive tickets. While Stowe doesn't quite vibe me out the way Sugarbush does (perhaps it is the extensive BC scene and college kids from Burlington mixing elbows with the posh), its recent developments have definitely taken it from expensive ski area to fancy resort territory. But the terrain is sensational to say the least and 2k of legit terrain on every run is pretty rare, especially with the vast amount of nearly top to bottom tree skiing.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Blue mountain...

Love: It's 17 miles way...night skiing on 100% of the terrain daily..most vert in PA..late afternoon grooming..interesting trails with twists and turns..seeded bumps..two high speed lifts..no base village crap..you park a short walk from the snow..lots of people to ski with..

Hate...Ski Patrollers are the suck...well some of them..gaper/joeys/spores always stepping on my skis in the liftline..crowds(some days skiing past 11AM is a joke..12,000+ people the day after New Years...earlier closing than other resorts..new policy of closing during inclement weather to save money..garbage everywhere./.

Snowmaking and grooming are worse than other Pocono resorts..

 

[thetrailboss]

A different take on the other thread detailing areas that some people love and some people hate. This thread is for areas that the same people love and hate at the same time.

Sugarbush and Stowe are my two love/hate mountains. Sugarbush has great terrain but I really don't like the "vibe" at Sugarbush. I never feel comfortable there. And the run outs are the pits as well. Stowe of course I hate for the expensive tickets. While Stowe doesn't quite vibe me out the way Sugarbush does (perhaps it is the extensive BC scene and college kids from Burlington mixing elbows with the posh), its recent developments have definitely taken it from expensive ski area to fancy resort territory. But the terrain is sensational to say the least and 2k of legit terrain on every run is pretty rare, especially with the vast amount of nearly top to bottom tree skiing.

Funny you say that about SB. I've always felt a good vibe. Granted the LP side is becoming more snobbier, but there is still a lot of young BC folks.

Have you skied Ellen? Laid back.

 

[4aprice]

Interesting that Riv mentions the vibe of different places. Experiences shape perception big time. For instance I've always enjoyed the vibe of the White Mountains more then the Green, even though I know Vermont gets more snow, has generally better verticals, conditions and overall resorts. I like the feel of and would rather be in New Hampshire. Places that other people scream about I enjoy like Loon and Bretton Woods.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[bobbutts]

Jay Peak, Sugarloaf, Saddleback
Love: The terrain
Hate: Getting there

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Stowe...Love..Terrain, lifts, spring pricing, vibe...I never got that snobby vibe I've feel very at home in the bars chatting with employees, tourists locals alike....and I see alot nicer cars in the lot at Okemo and Stratton..one of the few places I'll pick up hitch-hikers..the history the beauty..

Dislike..frequent windholds for the Gondola and the Quad causing cluster#cks on the other lifts..midseason prices..


Sugarbush...

Likes: Very spread out..great for exploring...Castlerock..Slidebrook express(a nice break)..snowfall..generally very good lots of Champlain powder..

Dislikes: Layout at the base of Lincoln Peak..alot of steps..flats..creaky slow summit lifts..windholds..

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Jiminy Peak

Likes: they are close for night skiing, they have a six pack high speed lift so you can get alot of runs in off their 1050 vert mountain, they blow alot of snow.

Dislikes:they roll everything flat, all their trails seem to ski about the same, it's a pretty easy mountain, even after they make and/or get snow you always seem to be skiing hardpack.

 

[riverc0il]

Funny you say that about SB. I've always felt a good vibe. Granted the LP side is becoming more snobbier, but there is still a lot of young BC folks.

Have you skied Ellen? Laid back.

I have skied Ellen three times. Two were late season and the other didn't really count because the conditions were so terrible at Ellen I went to LP after only one run where conditions were noticeably better. Ellen certainly has the better base area, I can't freaking stand LP's base area. Ellen has a parking lot and a modest lodge and that is nice on the eyes. I admit, I haven't skied much of Ellen's terrain aside from the stuff off the summit quad and need to further explorer the mountain. Walking through the base area of LP just turns my stomach.

 

[Johnskiismore]

I have to copy bobutts,

Sugarloaf, love the terrain, hat the drive time to get there

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

times two..the whole Claybrook thing is an eyesore..

 

[deadheadskier]

Compared to numerous other developments, I think Claybrook isn't so bad. The Faux Vt farm design is somewhat cheesy, but it isn't some giant cheap, heinous looking monstrosity like say Jackson Gore at Okemo.

Only thing I don't care for about Lincoln base is the positioning of the Valley House lift and lodge. They should bomb the lodge and reposition the lift down to Gate House base. The lift does need upgrading as well. It serves some of the better cruising terrain on South. The traverse over there from Gate House is the pits.

 

[Geoff]

Compared to numerous other developments, I think Claybrook isn't so bad. The Faux Vt farm design is somewhat cheesy, but it isn't some giant cheap, heinous looking monstrosity like say Jackson Gore at Okemo.

Nobody likes change but Claybrook is at least solid construction. The crap ASC threw up at Killington and Mount Snow is going to be a big problem in another 20 years as it starts falling apart. The town at least prevented that from happening at the bottom of Sugarbush.

 

[deadheadskier]

Poor construction is fairly common in ski area development. Jackson Gore was apparently built WAY on the cheap. New Spruce Peak development in Stowe looks pretty solid though.

 

[drjeff]

Nobody likes change but Claybrook is at least solid construction. The crap ASC threw up at Killington and Mount Snow is going to be a big problem in another 20 years as it starts falling apart. The town at least prevented that from happening at the bottom of Sugarbush.

Peak Resorts has appparently already gotten very aggressive with the upkeep and both deffered and preventative maintenance to the Grand Summits at BOTH Mount Snow and Attitash since they took ownership.

 

[deadheadskier]

On of the things I find mind blowing about ski hotel design is how narrow they build the hallways just to save a few bucks. Even if you're supposed to 'check' your skis, many people often don't and many ski bags are often large and cumbersome. The hallways end up getting trashed because of this. If anything they should be build wider than a normal hotel.

 

[Geoff]

Peak Resorts has appparently already gotten very aggressive with the upkeep and both deffered and preventative maintenance to the Grand Summits at BOTH Mount Snow and Attitash since they took ownership.

POWDR sucked a lot of money out of the quartershare owners to do the same at Killington. It's not like lift ticket money is being used. I believe the arrangement is the same at all the resorts. The resort owns the common areas. The unit owners lease them from the resort. ASC just collected the money and did nothing to maintain the properties. I watched the structure go up at Killington. It's the worst construction I've ever seen with Motel 6-level finish work. I'm always amazed that there is any resale market at all for those units. I figured I'd be able to buy a studio for next to nothing as a resale to get access to the facilities and have it for house guest overflow once in a while. That never happened. The cheapest studio quartershare is still $17,000 and most are $10K more than that.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

New Spruce Peak development in Stowe looks pretty solid though.

I friend of mine stayed there last season for $249 a night..if it comes down another $150..I'll stay there.. but I think the lodge at Spruce looks really nice..not the silo BS..loluke:

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

The cheapest studio quartershare is still $17,000 and most are $10K more than that.

Wow that's alot of nights in hotel rooms..plus the maintenence fees.

 

[thetrailboss]

times two..the whole Claybrook thing is an eyesore..

Gotta agree with the consensus here and say that it isn't too bad. It's better than what was there. Much better. At the very least it is a necessary evil. The folks who put down $1 mill for a unit are subsidizing the longer ski seasons I enjoy and the reasonable season pass rates. Might as well keep it real. Does it look a bit corny? Maybe. But compared to what they were thinking it is better. I like the courtyard area...very nice.

 

[riverc0il]

I despise the courtyard itself. Ugh. Don't even get me going. It is too bad because I think the skier services building and cafeteria is a great building. Claybrook, that roundish bar, and that paved courtyard area where the heated pool is... that whole package makes me think I showed up at the wrong area every time. It just doesn't feel right to me, though that is obviously a VERY subjective statement. But I did want to say that if they hadn't built claybrook and just built the skier service building it would have been perfect from my eyes.