Ugh. This problem persists? Over Christmas they did have a table at the Hotel Lodge area on the second floor with someone to help, but most folks will not start their ski days there (unless they are staying in the Hotel).
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Burke's New Owners and New Start (2025)
- Thread starter thetrailboss
- Start date
Yeah, as said, you can redeem/handle ticketing at the Hotel Front Desk (even if you are not staying at the Hotel). They did have someone in the upstairs lodge area that is open to the general public. They need to let folks know of these alternative places to redeem so that the poor ticket office at the base is not inundated.
I guess this whole Indy Pass thing is drawing more people!
YES- this weekend the hotel was an option for redeeming Indy passes. Indy pass holders cannot re-load your RFID card online. As of now, you have to go to a service desk each day.
Have skied at Burke since the early 90's. The lift line at the MBE mid morning Sunday had more people standing in it than any day I recall. The line started above the elevation of the entrance to High Meadows. It went relatively quickly (15 minutes +/-). I suspect there were times we waited longer in line on the old black chair since it was so slow, but I am not sure. As someone posted earlier, the lack of blackout days for the Indy pass was a major draw. Fortunately the skiing was great and the crowd was the normal Burke: chill.
Yeah, Burke needs to get this figured out. I understand that they need to CYA as to the liability waiver, but having every single person who buys, or receives, a single day ticket entered into their "system" with DOB and other details makes for a very slow process. I saw a single parent from a family coming in to do an Indy Redemption and having to provide the DOB and other info for EVERY single person in the family and the staff having to essentially treat each ticket as a separate transaction and manually enter the info for each person. Very, very slow.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
I need to check out Burke... Its just so far. Maybe I need to do a Maine Trip and hit it on the way. Again so far...
Zand
Well-known member
It's a good 2 hours from Burke to Sunday River and then another hour plus to Loaf/Saddleback. I would lump Burke in with Jay and Cannon if you're doing an Indy trip. Or even Stowe is under 1.5 hours away, a lot closer than Maine.
jimmywilson69
Well-known member
noted and thank you!
Edd
Well-known member
I confirmed this today on the phone with the front desk as I plan to stay there this week. They said you can redeem a day there and warned of long lines, which is hard to imagine at Burke on a non-holiday Thursday
but I understand if their system for redemption is clunky.
Smellytele
Well-known member
I did not need to give them my DOB Saturday.
I overheard them asking for birth year/age IIRC when I was there. Yeah, with the big increase in Indy Traffic they need to streamline this whole redemption thing. I would hate for them to bring in a bunch of new people and drop the ball (leaving to complaints online).
kbroderick
Active member
Burke is about two hours from Sunday River, which puts it about the same distance as Sugarloaf, and way closer than anything else in Vermont. Saddleback is under two hours from Sunday River per Google and relatively close (but not really close) to Sugarloaf.
I would do any combination of Burke, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf/Saddleback as a single trip, but I probably wouldn't do all three (counting Sugarloaf and Saddleback together because if you pick the right lodging, you could very reasonably get to both as morning drives from the same base), unless it was a six-day trip or longer. It's worth noting that if you are going to try to make a day trip across a two-hour-ish drive, Sunday River starts lifts at 8am on weekends/holidays and 9am weekdays; Sugarloaf is 8:30am daily; and Saddleback and Burke are 9am (unless Google is lying to me, so you should double check directly when planning). Trying to be on a 9am chair after a two-hour-ish drive seems much more civilized to me than trying for an 8am chair, but YMMV.
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
I just did this trip. I stayed in white river junction Friday, drive 70 min to Burke Saturday morning, drove 2 hours to bethel Saturday afternoon, day tripped saddleback from bethel Sunday, skied Sunday river Monday, and drove home
Burke starts at 9. Saddleback 830. Sunday river 8. On weekends/holidays.
Burke starts at 9. Saddleback 830. Sunday river 8. On weekends/holidays.
Hillwalker95
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That's a lot of driving. We did first part the same - WRJ to Burke on Sat morn but then Waterville Valley on Sun/Mon. Which btw starts at 8am. Conditions were good in WV especially Mon. Crowds not that bad for holiday weekend. And all cleared out at 2pm on both days
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
cannon reported a ton of snow last week, im sure wv was great. its just hard for me to get to maine on a regular weekend so if the conditions are good, i go that far on MLK. prob won't be back til easter. will be in banff/rev for presidents'. i am really glad i went to saddleback. sunday river was just so so. saddleback was amazing. burke was better than fair but not exceptional.
Hillwalker95
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WV was very good. The Tecumseh Bubble express is dodgy though. Stops too much. Also folks trying to put the bubble down when it is a perfectly decent day. I want to be able to see the mountain as I go up not a snow encrusted cage cover
Snow was not great at Burke I thought. But it's an interesting add to Indy. I have to get to Saddleback - you always say it is the tops. Did you drive home from Saddleback to Brooklyn yesterday?
KustyTheKlown
Well-known member
i day tripped saddleback from bethel (sunday river). 2 hours each way day of skiing. i skied sunday river on monday, then drove home which is now kingston ny in the hudson valley, so not as far as i used to go.