bigbog
Active member
WOW, really the Olympic grooming is starting earlier by the decade, isn't Simon Dumont(middle name) Bob R's 3yo son....y/n?
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New Terrain at the Rivah: There go the secret stashes!
- Thread starter snowmonster
- Start date
Your dad shares his opinion with many, many people. Not the opinion that Killington is the best per se, but rather that they are adamant about disregarding all other opinions. It's really an amusing phenomenon. You go to Kzone and many members are hell bent on Killington doing whatever is necessary "to be the best." They want it to be the most popular ski area in the East with the greatest number of skier visits etc. Go to Sunday River's message board and while people are very much fans of the area, they don't make it their job to prove to the world that their mountain is the best in the east. Nothing wrong with it, but I just don't see any other area in the East have a sort of sports team fan base like Killington does.
It is great that they're on the same pass, but I struggle to count them together. I don't think Wildcat and Attitash skiers consider their mountains the same place. Both share the same pass like K and Pico and though they're not so geographically close, it's really only about a ten minute further drive in the car between those two areas compared to the drive between K and Pico. An even more apt comparison would be Sugarbush & MRG being considered the same place. Those areas are even closer geographically than K and Pico and you'd be hard pressed to find people consider them the same place.
I guess my opinion is why I'm completely against the Killington / Pico Interconnect. I like them both for different reasons/experiences and hope it always stays that way.
Savemeasammy
New member
I've never been to SR. The 3 hour drive is further than almost everything in VT for me. The biggest thing is that it just doesn't look particularly challenging. Am I wrong?
Smellytele
Well-known member
From Southern NH it is about the same to the Mad river valley (Sugarbush, MRG) also Stowe.
MadMadWorld
Active member
I shudder at the thought. Wildcat and Attitash are most definitely NOT the same mountain. I would say that Sugarbush and MRG have a much similiar client base than them. I couldn't think of a more different client base. Besides proximity they have nothing in common.
Huck_It_Baby
Active member
I went there once and found this to be true despite the fact they do have some steep runs like White Heat. I didn't have a chance to explore much sidecountry so I don't know what is out there but the resort as a whole felt a bit tamer than many northern VT mountains. Seeing these new double black tree runs could prove my assessment very wrong though.
I would ski there often if it were closer to me. I really enjoyed the size of the resort. Lots to explore!
If you like steep lines and deep base Sunday River isn't on the same playing field as northern Vt. To compare Sunday River and an area like Stowe would be silly. One of the big appeals of the place is the fact that its primarily Boston north, with lots of nh and Maine skiing there. coolest clientele ever IMO. That terrain on either side of White heat is pretty steep and gets lots of snowmaking blow in when the blast the shit out of White Heat.
Smellytele
Well-known member
What are you saying no one from NY/NJ so that makes it the "coolest clientele ever"?
Okay that was a troll...
Rambo
Member
I drove by Sunday River once and the hills looked spread out wide but not very tall:
The Beast = 3,050 feet is lift served
Sunday River = 2,340 feet (less than 2,000 of continuous vertical)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...ZBEEgOCV8wolMc7iQ&sig2=9sewagfYWCFGuZPbBQgEhw
The Beast = 3,050 feet is lift served
Sunday River = 2,340 feet (less than 2,000 of continuous vertical)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...ZBEEgOCV8wolMc7iQ&sig2=9sewagfYWCFGuZPbBQgEhw
Watatic Skier
Member
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- Jan 1, 2011
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- 105
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- 16
Eh, I don't think much is being lost here. The only one that concerns me is "Poppy Fields" because there are a few different locations where it could be. Super Nova and North woods are in plain view of the lift and lower Chutzpah/Hardball weren't really secret (and were already cut last season and skied pretty well).
My only concern is that Sunday River has a tendency to cut a lot of stuff when it comes too there glades, which kind of eliminates some of the challenge.
My only concern is that Sunday River has a tendency to cut a lot of stuff when it comes too there glades, which kind of eliminates some of the challenge.
Vertically, Killington and Sunday River ski virtually the same. Both areas are a series of mountain ridges with terrain pods in the 1000-1700 vertical range and I don't think it can be argued that one area is particularly better than the other in regards to vertical drop. Neither area is all that great for long vertical descents compared to numerous other mountains in New England.
Cornhead
Well-known member
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- Dec 4, 2010
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I've only skied SR once, didn't even know I'd be driving past it, I was en-route to Sugarloaf from Wildcat. It was in the Spring, and there wasn't much open, but it did remind me of Killington, it is sprawling. Glad I stopped, I got two days of skiing for $20. Someone sold me a pass on my first day, the second was Easter Sunday, their last day, everyone skied for free.
Riverskier
Active member
I agree, but I am predicting an onslaught of posts by Kilington skiers defending the mighty K's huge vert!
Savemeasammy
New member
From where I live - west of Concord - Stowe, sugarbush and MRG are about 2.5 hours. Jay and Smuggs are 3ish. My phone puts SR at 3.25 hours. I may try it at some point, but the challenge factor looks to be on par with the southern VT mountains...
MadMadWorld
Active member
Can't say I'm really a fan of either but that's just because of my personal bias towards the little guys. But I think both Killington and Sunday River a lot to offer for people. I don't understand why it's always a contest about who has more trails/acres of skiing. Does anyone ski 820 acres and think to themself, "Damn I wish they had more!"
Sent from my SCH-I545 using AlpineZone mobile app
Sent from my SCH-I545 using AlpineZone mobile app
Did they name one of these glades "Snowmonster"?
Definitely more challenging than Southern VT Mountains save for Magic.
The connection between Killington and SR is pretty strong. Pres Smith bought Sunday River and ran it for a while from like 1973-1980. He sent this "manager in training" from Killington to Bethel to run it for him. The guy was named Les Otten.
Killington decided to dump (then tiny) Sunday River and sold it to that Otten guy. That Otten guy used a lot of his Killington training and know-how to build up the place until he...gasp...bought Killington.
In the 1980's and 1990's, whatever Killington did, Sunday River did as well, and vice versa. White Heat? Meant to compete directly with Outer Limits. Both would fight to open first. At one point Otten marketed Sunday River as "New England's Favorite Mountain Chain." Both had lots of Yan lifts because they were inexpensive. Both did lots of R&D with snowmaking technology. Both dealt with hyperbole.
I think when both were head-to-head things were good for skiers.
But I think that terrain-wise both are quite different....IMHO. Killington is honestly one big mountain massif with ski trails falling off on different aspects. It is much higher and is more of what I would call a big mountain experience. Sunday River is one long ridgeline with multiple trail pods that interconnect so that more than anything you ski from one side to the other. It does not get as much snow. It is not one big mountain. Sunday River perfected what others would go on to imitate--wide, manicured, cruisers that the beginner and lower intermediate loves. Ego terrain. Killington, on the other hand, had all sorts of terrain that all got widened out to handle traffic. Some sweeping generalizations I'm sure for some, but I enjoy a good discussion.
I've skied both quite a bit. Both are definitely must-do's for any New England skier. I prefer the more laid back vibe of SR to that of Killington, but I had quite a few good days at Killington and you must admit that it is a behemoth.
Smellytele
Well-known member
I consider that more central than southern but it is all just semantics. I live west of Concord as well. I never ski SR anymore because I used to ski there a lot in the 90's and just got sick of it (and no longer rent seasonally in Jackson NH).
Vortex
Member
A Killington v Sunday River thread. Something we have never had. Both are great. I chose the River. Both mountains push the envelope and many benefit from that. Sr I believe is more laid back. Many at the River like K too. Pretty strong local community made out of locals and weekenders at the River. Kind of cool Just got to poke around. Back to the thread. Many private stashes will remain that way. I am glad to see some underbrush taken out and some new areas open.
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