Most Enjoyable/preferable Lift

[skibum1321]

I like Stowe, but I still would have to rank it 3rd for me. Sugarbush and MRG beat it in my books and Smuggs is close behind. I don't think the terrain off of the Forerunner is really anything all that special when comparing it to other nearby mountains. For instance, the terrain off of Madonna at Smuggs beats any trail at Stowe hands down. During school I did Stowe for a year, but went for the Sugarbush or Smuggs passes most times because I liked the mountains better.

FWIW, I hate most Southern NE ski resorts and tend to ski 99% of my days in Northern VT.

 

[Greg]

FWIW, I hate most Southern NE ski resorts and tend to ski 99% of my days in Northern VT.

"Hate" is a pretty strong word. Berkshire East and Magic are the two SNE ski areas that are most NNE-like. Give them a try when the conditions are right.

 

[skibum1321]

Hate is a strong word but I stand by my assertion that I hate the SNE areas that I've tried. That list includes: Wachusett, Yawgoo, Loon, Waterville, Stratton, Okemo and Mount Snow. I wouldn't go back to any of these mountains even if someone gave me a free pass. Sorry, but I don't subscribe to the any skiing is good skiing notion.

I haven't been to BEast or Magic, but they are the same drive for me as Sugarbush or slightly shorter. That's a no-brainer - I'm going to the Bush every time.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Hate is a strong word but I stand by my assertion that I hate the SNE areas that I've tried. That list includes: Wachusett, Yawgoo, Loon, Waterville, Stratton, Okemo and Mount Snow. I wouldn't go back to any of these mountains even if someone gave me a free pass. Sorry, but I don't subscribe to the any skiing is good skiing notion.

I haven't been to BEast or Magic, but they are the same drive for me as Sugarbush or slightly shorter. That's a no-brainer - I'm going to the Bush every time.

What about early season when Okemo has three times as much terrain open as Sugarbush due to their awesome snowmaking..

 

[Greg]

Hate is a strong word but I stand by my assertion that I hate the SNE areas that I've tried. That list includes: Wachusett, Yawgoo, Loon, Waterville, Stratton, Okemo and Mount Snow. I wouldn't go back to any of these mountains even if someone gave me a free pass. Sorry, but I don't subscribe to the any skiing is good skiing notion.

I haven't been to BEast or Magic, but they are the same drive for me as Sugarbush or slightly shorter. That's a no-brainer - I'm going to the Bush every time.

No offense, but did you fail geography? :lol:

 

[skibum1321]

No offense, but did you fail geography? :lol:

It's 2.5 hours to BEast for me. It's about 3 to Sugarbush. And I realize that the Southern NH/VT areas I named aren't technically SNE, but I lump them together. I pretty much consider anything south of Kmart to be South.

I'll put it this way, I'd much rather spend my time driving north instead of due west to ski the Berkshires.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

It's 2.5 hours to BEast for me. It's about 3 to Sugarbush. And I realize that the Southern NH/VT areas I named aren't technically SNE, but I lump them together. I pretty much consider anything south of Kmart to be South.

I'll put it this way, I'd much rather spend my time driving north instead of due west to ski the Berkshires.

I think of anything south of Sugarbush as Massachusettes,,,that was called the Doogie Line by me on the Ski Vermont list..

 

[Greg]

I think of anything south of Sugarbush as Massachusettes,,,that was called the Doogie Line by me on the Ski Vermont list..

Guess you've never skied Magic, huh?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Guess you've never skied Magic, huh?

No..I wish it was open more..

 

[skibum1321]

I think of anything south of Sugarbush as Massachusettes,,,that was called the Doogie Line by me on the Ski Vermont list..

Anything west of 495 in Mass and South of 89 in VT is in an area that I just don't associate with any state. Any Masshole knows that the state really ends at 495. And well I just don't care about anything in VT south of 89.

 

[Greg]

Anything west of 495 in Mass and South of 89 in VT is in an area that I just don't associate with any state. Any Masshole knows that the state really ends at 495. And well I just don't care about anything in VT south of 89.

Wow. I hope I never develop this level of smugness, especially when talking about skiing... :roll: ...but to each his own, I guess.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Wow. I hope I never develop this level of smugness, especially when talking about skiing... :roll: ...but to each his own, I guess.

I agree I thought I was a northern Vermont snob but I still hit up Killington, Okemo, and Stratton from time to time..

 

[skiNEwhere]

Anything west of 495 in Mass and South of 89 in VT is in an area that I just don't associate with any state. Any Masshole knows that the state really ends at 495. And well I just don't care about anything in VT south of 89.

So no killington or Mt.Sneaux huh, you got some pretty stringent picks...

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

So no killington or Mt.Sneaux huh, you got some pretty stringent picks...

I'd give my left nut to ski a foot of fresh at Bromley right now...

 

[Greg]

So no killington or Mt.Sneaux huh, you got some pretty stringent picks...

Let's not forget the entire MRV and Magic is south of 89.

 

[skibum1321]

Let's not forget the entire MRV and Magic is south of 89.

The MRV is not south of 89 - it's west of 89. Magic is south of 89 and I have little desire to ski there. I also have little desire to go back to Killington (which is also west of 89 for the record), Snow, Stratton, Okemo... Yeah the list goes on. Call me a ski snob if you want, but I know what I like and that's where I go. I hate the crowds, the groomers, the lack of snow, the obnoxiously wide trails, the lack of glades.... The list goes on...

 

[millerm277]

@skibum...Magic has a lot of glades and narrow trails, and no crowds...

Also, Killington has many good marked glades, and lots of great unmarked areas as well, and while it doesn't have a ton of narrow trails (Roundabout, The Jug are especially narrow), it's got lots of natural trails of a nice width.

 

[skibum1321]

I've skied Kmart enough to form an opinion on it and that probably isn't going to change in the foreseeable future.

As for Magic, I have heard good things but I just can't justify driving 3 hrs to ski there, pay for lodging and lift tix when I have a pass to the Bush. Especially since the snow tends to be significantly better in the MRV than in Southern VT.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I came across this from chairlift.org Anyone ride this "contraption" before, or have any other pics of it? Its from Mt.Sneaux

 

[Greg]

The MRV is not south of 89 - it's west of 89.

I guess technically, you're correct, but so am I. 89 takes a turn more westerly at Montpelier. Often times I take 100B to 100 from 89 so I think of the MRV as south of 89. But whatever...