newbie needs help

[tekweezle]

checkout the conditions reports for the resorts you want to go to.

if you want challenging terrain AND nightlife, KIllington has probably the best all around mix. Killington is the biggest resort in new england and usually has the most open terrain. it sort of the "touristy" destination but that;s not exactly bad if it your first time in the north east. it;s more than you can ski in a day. you won;t get bored, which can;t be said for some of the smaller resorts. sounds like drive times is a factor but don;t let that dissuade you. road conditions are good right now so you might get there faster than the GPS thinks. Better to spend a little more time driving and be satisfied. I mean you could always go to Mt Snow which is the closest, southern most resort.

now if you want to experience new england charm or chase the midwinter conditions. you might want to look furthur north or east. Sugarbush, Stowe, Jay Peak in northern VT. Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine. Can;t comment on the areas in NH but typically they are decent in vertical but smaller in overall acreage.

I was just at Stratton last weekend and Okemo 3 weekends ago and coverage and base depth was good. we had a bit of a warm up this past week but overall, i think conditions will be fine...if a little spring like.

goodluck.

 

[polski]

I don't think you'll find midwinter conditions anywhere Sunday (temps into the 40s at least) but if you want New England charm within the stated driving range, consider Magic. Even closer than Killington. No idea if there's any nightlife nearby though.

 

[frozencorn]

Killington will suit your needs and wants just fine, I imagine. Go for it.

 

[tekweezle]

spring corn is still "new england charm"!

I;ve been to Magic once and I liked it. however, do you really think it;s going to have as much open terrain and running lifts as one of the big resorts? they don;t have the "bad weather recoverability" of the big resorts. if he was going to be around for a while, i'd say go explore around and try the other areas. however, in a game of hit or miss, he;s more likely to hit on a resort like Killington or a Stowe and miss on the smaller area.....

I;d recommend Stratton or Okemo if you want a "plain vanilla" ski experience but since this guy flew in all they way from Germany, i'd think he;d want the potential to experience more than their faux Austrian village and flattish easy terrain. They do have excellent grooming though and will give you as "homogenous" a ski experience as you can get.

 

[polski]

spring corn is still "new england charm"!

I;ve been to Magic once and I liked it. however, do you really think it;s going to have as much open terrain and running lifts as one of the big resorts? they don;t have the "bad weather recoverability" of the big resorts. if he was going to be around for a while, i'd say go explore around and try the other areas. however, in a game of hit or miss, he;s more likely to hit on a resort like Killington or a Stowe and miss on the smaller area.....

I;d recommend Stratton or Okemo if you want a "plain vanilla" ski experience but since this guy flew in all they way from Germany, i'd think he;d want the potential to experience more than their faux Austrian village and flattish easy terrain. They do have excellent grooming though and will give you as "homogenous" a ski experience as you can get.

I don't have a strong feeling about it either way, just thought I'd throw another option out there within 4 hrs of CT, one with genuine charm and character (not corporate or "plain vanilla") and friendly staff. Magic had a decent base when I was there Sunday but a couple thin spots near the bottom. Everywhere lost at least a foot of base this week and as of yesterday Magic reported Base: 5-30" Summit: 10-35" with plans to open around 30 of their 48 trails this weekend.

The Killington trails report indicates plenty of their steeper terrain is now closed but marc indicated he's looking mainly for blue cruisers anyway. I haven't skied Killington in many years but obviously they will have many more trails to choose from. Whether they will have lift lines, I don't know. A lift ticket will cost $60 vs $39 at Magic if that is a consideration. Magic likely will have only one lift running but if it gets you access to all open terrain and has no lines (as was the case Sunday and seems pretty par for the course there from what I've read) I don't see that being a drawback at all.

Marc, whatever you guys do, viel Spaß! Shaping up to be a perfect spring corn day.

p.s. Ich habe bei Garmisch-Partenkirchen Ski gefahren einmal, vor langer Zeit. Auch Hinterzarten im Schwarzwald. (blame rusty memory and Babelfish for any bad translation)

 

[Phlogiston]

Did I mention that I've been reading a book about Einstein's younger brother, Zweistein?

 

[ski_resort_observer]

marcwhouse I have looked at stowe but mapquest says it will be about a 5hr drive. looks like I should have taken an extra day or two more.

FWIW Mapquest and northern rural NE do not play well together. Do not rely totally on it to plan your trip, I find regular maps work great. Googlr Earth is an awesome resource as well.

 

[bvibert]

FWIW Mapquest and northern rural NE do not play well together. Do not rely totally on it to plan your trip, I find regular maps work great. Googlr Earth is an awesome resource as well.

Google Maps gives me perfect directions to the MRV, isn't that all that matters. 5 hours from Norwalk to Stowe sounds about right...