2015-2016 Ski Areas to visit...

[steamboat1]

I guess by "closer", I was mostly referring to vt. It's hard to rationalize passing past such good snow in vt to ski in NY... It's probably akin to you drving through vt to ski in NH! That said, I'd still like to ski gore and WF. Especially when I have the fox 44 card.

For me it's not always about who has the best snow. It's about the adventure of experiencing new ski areas. I've passed up a lot of good skiing on my forages to ME, NH & Quebec. Spent 5 days in the Eastern Townships once & didn't ski Jay at all even though it's only a short drive away. I'd been to Jay before but never skied the Eastern Township areas at the time. As they say variety is the spice of life.

 

[Bostonian]

Tenney!

 

[SIKSKIER]

Yes, but the vert is a little overdone. As an advanced skier, I rarely go all the way down to the base during my day.

Agreed.A little like the Loaf which you only ski 2400 out of 2800 and Burke 1500 of 2000.It looks like it takes 4 lifts to get to the top?Never been but would like to.

 

[St. Bear]

Agreed.A little like the Loaf which you only ski 2400 out of 2800 and Burke 1500 of 2000.It looks like it takes 4 lifts to get to the top?Never been but would like to.

2 lifts to the top. Gondola, then summit quad.

Whiteface is a great mountain, and I feel like everyone in the East should make the trek out there at least once, especially if you can do it in March when there's ample coverage.

 

[steamboat1]

2 lifts to the top. Gondola, then summit quad.

Whiteface is a great mountain, and I feel like everyone in the East should make the trek out there at least once, especially if you can do it in March when there's ample coverage.

From where I locate in VT. it's about the same drive time to get to Whiteface as it is to get to Stowe (2hrs.). It's a beautiful drive also first going through the farm lands of VT. in the Champlain Valley. Then riding up along the Lake Champlain coastline on the NY. side & finally heading west & seeing the Adirondacks rise up before me.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Yes, but the vert is a little overdone. As an advanced skier, I rarely go all the way down to the base during my day.

I understand what you're saying, as an advanced skier you'll probably hit/lap your favorite pod(s) and so not make it all the way down each run. But the vert is not overdone, because that's a choice you're making while skiing - their vertical is a legitimate number, and Gore even has some decent tree skiing fairly close to the base.

 

[WWF-VT]

You've had a ski condo right next to one of the best ski areas in the east, and you havent been there.

That's surprising/strange.

It's not really that unusual. There are plenty of Sugarbush passholders that never leave Lincoln Peak and ski at Mt Ellen ! In all my time in the MRV I have skied less than a dozen times at MRG and know plenty of people that rarely ski there. Mad River Glen doesn't have the same mystique and attraction when you have Castlerock, Slidebrook and a lots of other natural snow trails and woods options at Sugarbush.

 

[ironhippy]

Whiteface is a great mountain, and I feel like everyone in the East should make the trek out there at least once, especially if you can do it in March when there's ample coverage.

I've got a sister and her family living in Plattsburgh, so I have a place to stay. I want to time it with a storm when I make it there.

 

[cdskier]

It's not really that unusual. There are plenty of Sugarbush passholders that never leave Lincoln Peak and ski at Mt Ellen ! In all my time in the MRV I have skied less than a dozen times at MRG and know plenty of people that rarely ski there. Mad River Glen doesn't have the same mystique and attraction when you have Castlerock, Slidebrook and a lots of other natural snow trails and woods options at Sugarbush.

BG was making me feel bad. Now I don't feel so bad!

I do really want to get to MRG at some point though.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Mad River Glen doesn't have the same mystique and attraction when you have Castlerock, Slidebrook and a lots of other natural snow trails and woods options at Sugarbush.

Ehh........ I dont know about all that. I've never skied slidebrook, I'd love to, so I'll give you that it may well be awesome when it's open, but the woods skiing proper at Sugarbush otherwise just isnt that great, and I think they could do far better by way of natural snow trails. At the very least, I dont see any of this (even if true) as being a reason to not ski MRG.

 

[cdskier]

At the very least, I dont see any of this (even if true) as being a reason to not ski MRG.

For me it is mostly about timing/convenience.

I really want to ski MRG midweek so I can fully enjoy it without many lines. The big problem there is that I'm not in the valley that much midweek during the main part of the season. I need to change that and take more days off in mid-season mid-week this year.

 

[Tin]

Mad River Glen doesn't have the same mystique and attraction when you have Castlerock, Slidebrook and a lots of other natural snow trails and woods options at Sugarbush.

If you think this then you should get over to MRG more. Zero comparison

 

[BenedictGomez]

If you think this then you should get over to MRG more. Zero comparison

Yeah, I mean I didnt want to put it quite as boldly as you did above, as I really DO like Sugarbush.

My comments weren't meant to be "anti-Sugarbush" in any way, I just dont think Sugarbush is so great that it exceeds what MRG offers by way of tree skiing and natural snow trails, because it just doesn't. And it only took 1 day of skiing MRG for me to figure that out.

 

[deadheadskier]

If you think this then you should get over to MRG more. Zero comparison

Disagree.

IMO MRG advantages in terrain are slight over SB and those advantages are mostly wiped out when you have to wait in 30 minute lines for the chair when I can be at MT Ellen barely waiting in lines.

I like MRG A LOT, its old school vibe has its charm, but I think it's "hardcoreness" is over fluffed. You can find similar terrain at SB, Stowe, Smuggs and Jay.

 

[Tin]

Disagree.

IMO MRG advantages in terrain are slight over SB and those advantages are mostly wiped out when you have to wait in 30 minute lines for the chair when I can be at MT Ellen barely waiting in lines.

I like MRG A LOT, its old school vibe has its charm, but I think it's "hardcoreness" is over fluffed. You can find similar terrain at SB, Stowe, Smuggs and Jay.

Absolutely agree it is overfluffed and i have never had to wait more than 10 minutes so that plays a role in my view. Hell, maybe I need more time at SB. What Smuggs and Stowe offer is not matched, especially by SB imo.

 

[St. Bear]

I can definitely see how someone with a SB pass would never/rarely ski MRG. Between cost and convenience, it's not shocking to me.

 

[BenedictGomez]

What Smuggs and Stowe offer is not matched, especially by SB imo.

Agree again. Stowe and Smuggs >>>>>>>>> Sugarbush.

 

[WWF-VT]

If you think this then you should get over to MRG more. Zero comparison

I have skied MRG with long term Co-op members and can make a very valid comparison having been all over the mountain in a variety of conditions. I've got nothing against MRG but just saying it's not this amazing skiing nirvana when you have Sugarbush next door.

 

[RustyGroomer]

Magic. It's been a long time and tickets are cheap. Only reason I haven't gone in years is I hate driving east to west across Southern NH. The roads are a pain in the ass

Give me a heads up. You'll love the tunes @ the Red Chair.

 

[cdskier]

Agree again. Stowe and Smuggs >>>>>>>>> Sugarbush.

I really never cared for Stowe. Granted last time I was there was before I was into going into the trees at all, but I didn't see anything overly amazing with their trails. Perhaps I was a bit turned off by the need to always ski the run-outs at the bottom. I probably would have enjoyed it more with an upper mountain-only lift.