Need suggestions on destination

[SKIQUATTRO]

Smuggs....has everything you are looking for...this is out 5th year and have never been disappointed...fantastic day care, beautiful facility, great terrain for both expert (upper lift line/robins run/all the glades and great beginner terrain that all meets at one spot...indoor pool/funzone for the kids...

 

[WWF-VT]

Need to remember these two criteria:

(3) good kid's program for my 4-year-old son
(4) reliable day care for my 8-month-old baby.

Any place you go you are likely to want to have one base area/lodge for drop off and pick up of your children. Years ago we used to do a family trip to Stowe and our kids are three years apart in age. Back then the day care and kids programs were all run at Spruce Peak which also offered plenty of mellow terrain to do a few runs with the kids after ski school pick up. The challenge for you is that it's likely to be pretty crowded during that week.

Sugarbush has day care / ski school all offered at the base of Lincoln Peak. Easy to check on your children in ski shool/day care. There are plenty of beginner/low intermediate terrain options and more than enough black diamond trails. As others have stated it will be busy on the holiday weekend but less during the week.

Where ever you decide to go be sure to book ski school / day care in advance.

 

[speden]

On the Stowe website, it looks like kids need to be at least 13 months old to use their daycare service. If you have an eight month old that could be a problem.

 

[tjf67]

Whiteface Mountain

Kids Campus. it is seperate from the main hill. Dedicated to beginners and day care.

They relocated the pipe this year, It opens up another area only servicing beginners and intermediates.

The off mountain act can not be matched in the East.

The hill itself



Elevation:
Base Elevation: 1,220'
Little Whiteface Elevation: 3,676'
Lookout Mountain Elevation: 4,000'
Highest Lift Terminus: 4,386'
Highest Skiable Terrain: The Slides at 4,650'
Peak Elevation: 4,867'

Vertical Drop:
3,430 feet — The greatest vertical drop in the east
3,166 feet — Lift serviced vertical drop

Number of Trails:
85

Longest Run:
Wilmington Trail at 2.1 miles (total skiing and riding over 22 miles)

Skiable Acres:
314 including 35 in-bounds, off-piste double-black diamond wilderness terrain skiing on "The Slides" (conditions permitting)
85.5 acres of tree skiing

Average Snowfall:
Winter 07–08 Whiteface recorded 225" of snow
Winter 06–07 Whiteface recorded 263" of snow
Winter 05–06 Whiteface recorded 202" at the base of the mountain
Three year average of 230"

Terrain:
37% Expert
43% Intermediate
20% Beginner

Snowmaking:
98% coverage using 235 guns and 38 miles of pipe (excluding The Glades and The Slides)

Lifts:
1 eight-passenger gondola
1 high-speed detachable quad
1 fixed quad
2 triples
5 doubles
1 conveyor lift

Winter Operating Schedule:
Tentative Opening Date: November 27, 2009
Tentative Closing Date: April 11, 2010
Whiteface may open earlier or extend season pending snow conditions.

I think the 85 trails is wrong...more like 79

 

[bigbog]

Sugarloaf is a 2 hour(max?) drive north from SundayRiver, the Loaf's Whiffletree area is great for absolute beginners. Loaf has some nice intermediate but with the pitch..jumps a little into the aggressive-intermediate level..imho, maybe I'm wayy off, but the River rules for intermediate terrain...the 6-mtns, numerous trails & lifts, can often be huge plusses.
Beginner lessons(@SR) have their own area next to SouthRidge lift. Intermediate lessons can be on trails like DreamWeaver or Lollopalooza(sp?)..y/n?, but those are two terrific trails to get the technical goods together on for both Beginners & Intermediates..imho...they're not boring....wide, mild meadows with continuous pitch...just right for getting the skills down at your own pace but with the feel of gravity pulling you. SundayRiver and Sugarloaf do a great job of grooming and leaving a few trails when possible.
Thanks Crank...yes and there's Saddleback..about the same distance/time as Sugarloaf...from Bethel(SR)..y/n?, for any day-thing...just get started early! ...will be interesting to see what the tree trails are like....most of the side of X-mtn(name?).
...*But as always in NewEngland...follow the snow.

 

[HowieT2]

Need to remember these two criteria:

(3) good kid's program for my 4-year-old son
(4) reliable day care for my 8-month-old baby.

Any place you go you are likely to want to have one base area/lodge for drop off and pick up of your children. Years ago we used to do a family trip to Stowe and our kids are three years apart in age. Back then the day care and kids programs were all run at Spruce Peak which also offered plenty of mellow terrain to do a few runs with the kids after ski school pick up. The challenge for you is that it's likely to be pretty crowded during that week.

Sugarbush has day care / ski school all offered at the base of Lincoln Peak. Easy to check on your children in ski shool/day care. There are plenty of beginner/low intermediate terrain options and more than enough black diamond trails. As others have stated it will be busy on the holiday weekend but less during the week.

Where ever you decide to go be sure to book ski school / day care in advance.

I believe the day care at Sugarbush is not right at the base with the ski school, but over at Sugarbush Village. It's not that far, certainly walkable but check, as that may be an issue.

otherwise, we have been at sugarbush for the last 6 presidents weeks and have always had a great time. Last season we started the week on a skating rink but ended with something like 6' of powder the last 4 days.
Ski school programs are great. There will be crowding on the weekend but not so much during the week. As long as all the lifts are running (no windhold, mechanical issues) the lines are bearable on the quads and no problem on the upper mountain lifts.

 

[x10003q]

Gore Mountain, North Creek, NY

The mountain is never crowded. I have been there when they were turning away cars and there was no crowding on the mountain. They have less parking than skiing capacity.

Both my kids have been thru day care and all day ski programs. The programs are in the newly refurbished Gondola building about 100 feet from the main base lodge.

There is a huge variety of terrain.

It is about 1:20 north of Albany and is only about 18 miles from the I-87(The Northway).

The ticket is also good at Whiteface which is about 1:20 north of Gore. Gore is also warmer and less exposed than WF.

The Town of North Creek has a handfull of decent restaurants and a full size supermarket.

The North Creek Ski Bowl which is in the process of connecting to Gore has night skiing and a tubing park.

Gore is 30 minutes north of Lake George Village/Queensbury which has outlet shopping, an indoor waterpark, and a ton of restaurants.

 

[New Daddy]

I'd go with Burke.

I think Burke scores big time on the crowd factor, but according to its website, they no longer have day careat the base! http://www.skiburke.com/childrenscenter.html
They are citing "low volume of business" as the reason.
So lack of crowds sometimes has a downside for family with little ones.

 

[New Daddy]

On the Stowe website, it looks like kids need to be at least 13 months old to use their daycare service. If you have an eight month old that could be a problem.

Darn.. Then Stowe is out.
I was just admiring the fact that the ski base/day care/ski school are all located within walking distance at Stowe.

 

[tarponhead]

Cannon

"Cannon Mountain offers a great Nursery (child care) for ages 6 weeks & up."

 

[mattchuck2]

I'm surprised there's not more of a push for Sugarloaf. It's not that bad of a drive from Boston (better than the drive to Whiteface), it's got a Great beginner area (combined with great kids programs), there won't be as many people as a lot of the mountains mentioned (especially SR and Smuggs), and it has a good mix of terrain, a lot of lower intermediate stuff, and good expert trails (Snowfields probably won't be open, but Bubblecuffer, Whip, etc. will probably all be available). It also has a lot of on mountain lodging options, enough restaurants to last the presidents week and a great deli.

Sugarloaf is the correct answer.

 

[deadheadskier]

The only reason I didn't suggest SL (and I agree with everything you're saying) is the high probability of nasty weather (bad for kids) and wind holds (bad for accessing the upper mountain)

 

[mikestaple]

The only reason I didn't suggest SL (and I agree with everything you're saying) is the high probability of nasty weather (bad for kids) and wind holds (bad for accessing the upper mountain)

Just bundle up. My little kids learned in below zero (and below zero for 3 straight days) at the Loaf. They LOVED it.

I know Sunday River is getting a lot of love here, but my impression was that it is MOBBED during President's Day vacation week.

The Loaf - not so much, cus most of the crowd dumps off in Bethel.

And as a little kid (or really anyone) how cool is it that they get to ride a snowmobile back to the top of the bunny slope??!!?