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Most over and underrated ski resort in NE?
- Thread starter skiNEwhere
- Start date
Stratton does have some interesting trails but it's just not much of a challenge to the real ski enthusiast. Great for families though, especially with kids that want to ski but don't want to wait in line as the 6 pack chairs really move people very well. Great for intermediates as well. Some pitches are indeed a challenge in isolated spots but it isn't much. If you can conquer those spots well, you might want to look toward other mountains.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
It does?
I've never been there, but I didnt know this.
Whenever I hear a mountain boast about their "perfectly groomed corduroy", I make sure I don't go there.
VTKilarney
Well-known member
I agree about the front of Mt. Snow. Other than the fact that it is the closest big mountain to southern New England, I have never understood it's popularity.
benski
Active member
I think it is popular because it is convenient.
Stratton has some seriously kick ass trees and very fun groomers. There's a reason its so popular.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
Bingo.
REALLY? I honestly never knew that.
Stratton is just the resort I hear everyone make fun of for about 847 different reasons, most of them revolving around wealth.
I doubt it's more than 4 hours from where I live, perhaps I should give Stratton a whirl rather than listen to the gripes of others (assuming of course, I can find an affordable, SOTC, lift ticket deal).
steamboat1
New member
How people can say Stratton & Okemo are similar is beyond me.
skiNEwhere
Active member
I always thought Mt. Snow and Okemo were similar in the fact that there really wasn't any difference in pitch or "character" (ie bumps, rolling terrain, double fall line) between trails.
And how can there be? Just look at the front side of Mt. Snow, there are way too many trail carved out. Sugarloaf is the same way with the bottom half of the Mtn, but the top half more than makes up for this and has character as well.
And how can there be? Just look at the front side of Mt. Snow, there are way too many trail carved out. Sugarloaf is the same way with the bottom half of the Mtn, but the top half more than makes up for this and has character as well.
Savemeasammy
New member
Is this sarcasm, or is there a glaring difference in your opinion?
I skied Okemo once upon a time. It didn't stand out in any way. I have yet to ski Stratton, but it seems inevitable. It's only 1.5 hours from where I live, my 7 year old is dying to go (he is in love with the trail map), and my wife is an intermediate. It seems to make sense. Plus, what I'm reading about the trees, it sounds like it might be decent for a day.
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Not Sure
Well-known member
Underrated , Overated?
Leads to a question about skier experience level , Who's doing the rating ?
Subjective thread but still interesting ,
What is the population makeup , novice, int, exp
Any stats ?
St. Bear
New member
Not gonna happen unless you use a Ski VT pass.
It's not that Stratton is that bad, but the resort's strengths are not what I'm looking for. Kind of like Loon. I have nothing against it, just no reason to go there again.
xlr8r
Active member
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Out of the three, Okemo is the most overrated by the general skiing public. The trails at Okemo are all nearly the same width, there are no narrow trails, and no natural trails and most of the trails are straight. Therefore everything skis the same there as the pitch is also very consistent. The place is just too bland, there really is nothing unique about the place. The closest example to Mcskiing IMO.
Mount Snow at least has the North Face which is the only steep section of any of these three mountains. Mount Snow also has a couple of classic natural only trails which Okemo and Stratton do not have. But it also has some of the widest trails anywhere so at least there is some variation in trail width. But while the pitch of the North Face is good, the Main Face is too mellow. It also skis short due to having a smaller vertical drop. Mount Snow also at least in IMO has feels like the most crowded when skiing it, there are some trails that just get mobbed, while others are deserted.
Stratton is the most underrated of the three by ski enthusiasts and people on this website IMO. The trails have a lot of character, (Sel Hannah helped design the place), even if none of them have a real steep pitch. While the name Flatton is appropriate, Okemo is just as flat and the Mount Snow front face is even flatter. The glades are the best out of these three mountains, Test Pilot is unique and one of the longest glades in the east. It has the best lift system and the people seem to get distributed well across the whole mountain, making it not seem really crowded when it is. I used to not like the place mostly due to its clientele and attitude, but now I have a season pass there this year. Skiing there a couple days last year with fresh changed my mind on the place. $299 for an under 30 unlimited pass was too good to pass up.
Mount Snow at least has the North Face which is the only steep section of any of these three mountains. Mount Snow also has a couple of classic natural only trails which Okemo and Stratton do not have. But it also has some of the widest trails anywhere so at least there is some variation in trail width. But while the pitch of the North Face is good, the Main Face is too mellow. It also skis short due to having a smaller vertical drop. Mount Snow also at least in IMO has feels like the most crowded when skiing it, there are some trails that just get mobbed, while others are deserted.
Stratton is the most underrated of the three by ski enthusiasts and people on this website IMO. The trails have a lot of character, (Sel Hannah helped design the place), even if none of them have a real steep pitch. While the name Flatton is appropriate, Okemo is just as flat and the Mount Snow front face is even flatter. The glades are the best out of these three mountains, Test Pilot is unique and one of the longest glades in the east. It has the best lift system and the people seem to get distributed well across the whole mountain, making it not seem really crowded when it is. I used to not like the place mostly due to its clientele and attitude, but now I have a season pass there this year. Skiing there a couple days last year with fresh changed my mind on the place. $299 for an under 30 unlimited pass was too good to pass up.
Cannonball
New member
Bretton Woods. Seriously.
All of the knocks on BW are true: flat, easy, far (compared to comparable mtns), etc. But these things lend to a snow preservation that is pretty much unparalleled. It draws a beginner-intermediate demographic who don't ski long and don't ski trees/edges/etc. As a result those aspects can hold powder for literally days and days. On top of that it has low-angle, wide-spaced glades. So 2-5 days after a storm you can be casually cruising through knee-deep untracked all by yourself lap after lap. It's one of my favorite places to go solo. Skiing in the woods solo demands dialing back a bit. And BW automatically dials it back for you. Some of my favorite powder days have started at Cannon fighting for a spot in line before the lifts open....and ended getting faceshots at 4pm at BW.
All of the knocks on BW are true: flat, easy, far (compared to comparable mtns), etc. But these things lend to a snow preservation that is pretty much unparalleled. It draws a beginner-intermediate demographic who don't ski long and don't ski trees/edges/etc. As a result those aspects can hold powder for literally days and days. On top of that it has low-angle, wide-spaced glades. So 2-5 days after a storm you can be casually cruising through knee-deep untracked all by yourself lap after lap. It's one of my favorite places to go solo. Skiing in the woods solo demands dialing back a bit. And BW automatically dials it back for you. Some of my favorite powder days have started at Cannon fighting for a spot in line before the lifts open....and ended getting faceshots at 4pm at BW.
levy1
New member
Thats why I am going!
steamboat1
New member
Stratton's trails have a lot more character & variety than the trails at Okemo which as many have said all ski the same. You don't feel like you're skiing the same trail all day at Stratton. I also feel that Stratton may not be the most challenging mountain but on average has much better pitch than Okemo. Unlike Okemo which in my opinion has zero fairly steep pitches on the mountain Stratton has several sections on the mountain that offer a decent challenge. Most of them are fairly short though but at least they're there. Okemo has zero tree skiing as far as I'm concerned even though they reference a couple of trails as being gladed. Stratton on the other hand has quite a few true glade runs & they are spread out all around the mountain. So to answer your question no I wasn't being sarcastic. To me there is a big difference between the two ski areas. On the one hand it would be a good thing if I never ski Okemo again while on the other hand I look forward to getting back to Stratton one day. I've been to both areas many times so my opinion doesn't come from only skiing them once or a few times at most. Only thing is I'm a little pissed off at Stratton because I got seriously hurt there two years ago. It was mostly my fault but I still fault Stratton to an extent. Besides the VT. Passes I think you can find some decent deals online for Stratton tickets. I really don't know but I know quite a few people from my club that ski there regularly & I know these people are not the type to drop a wad on lift tickets.
Harvey
Well-known member
This is about people convincing themselves they have made the right decision to invest their time and money correctly. If I can convince you, then maybe I didn't f up.
Season pass is one thing, real estate a big step above, real estate in a down market... watch out.
BeefyBoy50
New member
I've never skied Okemo but its trail map seems to show at least a couple interesting runs, some near the summit and some on Jackson Gore. I figured I'd spend a day there sometime to see for myself. But if what you say is true I guess I'm better off avoiding the place.
steamboat1
New member
The two glades off the summit aren't really glades in my opinion. The trees are spaced out pretty far apart from eachother making it not feel like a glade, just trails with a few trees left on them. The glade off South Peak I never skied. Like the two near the summit they're rarely open because they're dependeant on natural snow. Okemo is not known for their abundant snowfall. I've had days that it snows all day at K but when I talk to people that skied Okemo or Stratton the same day say it didn't snow at all. I guess Blackhole over at Jackson could be considered a glade but it's fairly short. Take what I say with a grain of salt though because I really don't like Okemo so my opinion is likely skewed a little. I know a few people that rave about the place, I just shake my head.
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