Comparison between Mad River Glen and Sugarbush. Snow conditions?

[BickMaster]

Hi there,

I was wondering if anybody could compare Sugarbush with Mad River Glen...
Which one is steeper ?
More difficult ?
More crowded ?

How are actual conditions ?

I will go to one of them tomorrow so any advice would be greatly appreciated...



Thanks!

*< :O)

 

[riverc0il]

i was just at mrg today (thanks to the posts about the discount on this forum, thank you!) and it was fantastic. best terrain i've skiied all winter and conditions weren't as horrible as i would have expected. all marked trails were open with (considering the lack of natural snow this year) decent cover. when i type decent cover, read that as "natural hazards, ice, scrapped snow, rocks, grass, and cliffs not filled in everywhere" - but it was edge to edge coverage. you just had to ski really in control and be looking out for unpleasantness. i doubt you'll find any open terrain more challenging than MRG in new england as of today. . castlerock at the bush if it's open, but MRG has the quantity as well as the quality. no line all day, even the single was walk on and no trouble catching a chair at the mid-station. with the incoming snow and the discount ticket, i would think MRG hands down if i was heading up there again. but i'm pointing my car closer to the center of the storm, roads permitting

 

[jimme]

These are not answers to your questions, merely a Mantra. . .

Mad River Glen
You must
Mad River Glen
ski
Mad River Glen

Jimme :wink:

 

[KingM]

They are totally different experiences. The really challenging stuff at MRG is some of the toughest terrain you'll find on the east coast. Sugarbush has some challenging stuff, too, such as off Castlerock, but it's more the big resort experience with a lot of fat trails, high-speed quads, well-marked trails, etc.

I would say if it's been cold but not snowy than you should definitely ski the Bush, due to the snowmaking. If the valley has just received a dumping, MRG is great.

People ask me this question all the time at the inn, and the answer I give depends on the skier. Some people prefer the big resort feel and I will direct them toward Sugarbush. Others ski all over the place all the time, in which case they should give MRG a try for something a little different.

 

[thetrailboss]

I pretty much second what KingM has said. It is straight and to the point.

I was a college passholder for two seasons at Sugarbush and I like it...it is a big mountain resort that has retained much of its character. Mt Ellen is a big mountain and on holidays and weekends is DEAD. Lincoln Peak has good variety but ski it early. Sugarbush has good terrain and good snow. Their snowmaking as of late has not been as good as in ASC seasons.

I've only skied Mad River once and it was during the abysmal 2001-2002 season. I liked the terrain and the 'throw back feel,' though from skiing Burke and the Lyndon Outing Club for most of my life it was not too much different from what I had already experienced. I did not buy a season pass there because their season tends to be shorter than SB and they don't really blow any snow.

A nice valley...one of my favorite spots in my homestate. Dramatic scenery and quite accessible from Montreal for you...just down I-89 to Route 100 S.

Enjoy it :wink:



A good deal would be to stay in the Valley (say at KingM's place) and get the "Ski the Valley" deal, which includes tix to both resorts and some of the X-C ski areas. Any other details on this, KingM?

 

[riverc0il]

I liked the terrain and the 'throw back feel,' though from skiing Burke and the Lyndon Outing Club for most of my life it was not too much different from what I had already experienced.

are you referring to the 'throw back feel' or the mountain itself? mrg is definitely an experience unlike any other with much more challenging terrain than burke. i love them both but for completely different reasons. mrg is busier than burke too boot, which i find amazing considering how much more burke has to offer to a more diverse crowd and is just barely closer to boston.

 

[thetrailboss]

I liked the terrain and the 'throw back feel,' though from skiing Burke and the Lyndon Outing Club for most of my life it was not too much different from what I had already experienced.

are you referring to the 'throw back feel' or the mountain itself? mrg is definitely an experience unlike any other with much more challenging terrain than burke. i love them both but for completely different reasons. mrg is busier than burke too boot, which i find amazing considering how much more burke has to offer to a more diverse crowd and is just barely closer to boston.

Well, I liked both the mtn and the atmosphere.

MRG has a cult following thanks to its reputation. It also draws much more of the Burlington (VT) market.

 

[KingM]

Technically, we have to package the lift tickets with the rooms, which means I'm not supposed to break down the prices out from the room rates, but we can package (and by we I mean other Valley lodging as well) for a discount off the mountain pass. It's a modest discount on the weekend, but a really nice discount during the week.

Some other good information about coming to the Valley is that you can get a Mt. Ellen only pass on Wednesday for only $25, and as other people have pointed out, you can easily spend an entire day exploring Mt. Ellen's great terrain.

MRG also has good three day midweek deals. One is two days with a third for a buck, and the other is you can drive up and ski the first afternoon for free with the purchase of two more days at regular price. I would probably only do this if you've skied MRG before. Otherwise, if I were here three days I'd go one day at Lincoln Peak, another at Mt. Ellen, and the third at MRG. It's essentially three resorts within five minutes drive of each other.

 

[KingM]

Oh, one other thing. Remember that MRG does not allow snowboarders. I won't argue the merits of this policy, but it does eliminate some would-be visitors, even a lot of skiers. Several times this year I've had people tell me they really like MRG, but can't go this time because their buddy/son/husband is a boarder.