Poll: Best & Worst base lodge?

[blizzboy283]

Those Snowbasin lodges are top notch.

A distant second is the Moonbeam lodge at Solitude.

Worst? Gore & Whiteface. Welcome to 1979. Okemo & Jay pretty bad as well.

Although Moonbeam is nice to the eye, I give it an F to the fact that it has two men's toilets and two total urinals in the entire damn lodge. It is as if they forgot to make bathrooms and then had to build them after the fact. How you can have a lodge with 2 toilets is just plan ridiculous especially when there is only one on each floor.

 

[riverc0il]

Last lodge I was in was Wildcat. I think that lodge nails it in terms of fitting in with the overall character of the mountain.

Wildcat came to mind instantly as a base lodge that really fulfills all the purposes of a base lodge without being excessive or anything more than needed. Extremely functional and decent looking and generally roomy enough to handle all guests. Bar upstairs and good decks for the spring.

Mad River Glen wins for best old school lodge. Stairs are kinda steep and level two is tight. Nice redesign on the lunch line this year, noticeable improvement. I try to eat upstairs to avoid the crowded main floor. Good bar, good atmosphere.

Burke's new Sherburne Base Lodge is pretty swank. Free bag check keeps the clutter down and excellent food and bar options. Comfy seats. I usually go to mid-Burke though.

Jay's Stateside gets a nod for one of the worst. Just too tight, too many people, not enough seating, not enough bag hanging locations, cramped brown bag area, etc. I almost always base my days out of the Stateside lodge though I harbor no positive feelings for that shack.

Cannon's Tram lodge underwent some changes I noticed recently. The shop was emptied out and moved into the dining area. Looks like they may not serve food there any more or perhaps only basics? That will surely decrease the amount of people basing out of Tram Side and increased traffic at the Peabody Lodge (or Notch View or whatever). Tight quarters for sure in the pub area, I always based out of the brown bag area by customer service desk. Still not as roomy as could be.

I remember really disliking Haystack's lodge.

Saddleback has a really nice lodge. Ragged was good from what I remember. Magic's lodge was in disrepair still last time I was there but the bar was a great addition. Hope they got some things like the bathrooms fixed up finally.

Saddleback is the only lodge that really stands out. For the most part, ski lodge's are pretty darn right forgetable since they are usually function first, form second, and aesthetics dead last. And many do not even get the function part very well because they treat all guests equally bad rather than trying to figure out how to satisfy differing needs from different guests.

 

[twinplanx]

Nothing like Snowbasin in Utah:

Just the Mens room is classier then most resort lodges:

?No one seemed to mind the strange dude takin pictures in the bathroom?

 

[riverc0il]

?No one seemed to mind the strange dude takin pictures in the bathroom?

The people that ski the fancy resorts are used to that sort of thing. I hear they even encourage it at places like Dear Valley.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Lodge Comforts

Nothing like Snowbasin in Utah:

Just the Mens room is classier then most resort lodges:

Aren't you glad I convinced you to go there Andy? People don't believe what you say about it until they actually visit.

 

[andyzee]

Aren't you glad I convinced you to go there Andy? People don't believe what you say about it until they actually visit.

Yep, so glad, we got a condo 10 minutes away from Snowbasin this year

 

[tirolerpeter]

See You In Feb!

Yep, so glad, we got a condo 10 minutes away from Snowbasin this year

I'm looking forward to making some turns with you in Feb. I will certainly come over to Snowbasin or Powder Mountain. But, I hope you plan on some time at Alta and/or Snowbird which have become my "home mountains."

 

[deadheadskier]

Yep, so glad, we got a condo 10 minutes away from Snowbasin this year

How is your wife's ankle healing?

 

[andyzee]

How is your wife's ankle healing?

She's much better, but don't look too promising for our Utah trip, so that may force me to cut back on my skiing. Thanks for asking.

 

[deadheadskier]

She's much better, but don't look too promising for our Utah trip, so that may force me to cut back on my skiing. Thanks for asking.

on the bright side, if skiing's a no go for her, Utah resorts from what I hear certainly offer plenty of diversions to still have a great vacation due to their proximity to SLC.

I'm sure it will be a blast either way

 

[millerm277]

Hunter- B The main floor is nice, big windows, and an interesting ceiling. Bathrooms are pretty far away and down a set of stairs, rest of the lodge is average.

Killington-B- KBL is nice when uncrowded, but is horrible on weekends. Skyeship Base looks nice and is comfortable, but not much in food service. Bear has a nice view of the mountain, but is outdated. (Haven't been in Snowshed or Rams Head in a while).

 

[snoseek]

As previously mentioned the lodge at saddleback is real nice, big improvement especially at the bar. Anyone recall the old painted pony lounge? God forbid there was ever a fire.

The best part about bretton woods is the lodge, its big enough you and some friends could find a quiet corner upstairs and openly mix coctails, plus a nice changing area.

Snowbasin's lodge is probably the best, best ski area shitters on earth.

 

[deadheadskier]

You know, I haven't been to K in over a decade. Some of my fondest skiing memories as a teen though are of skiing Outer Limits on sunny spring days and hanging out on the Bear Mountain Lodge Deck. I'd imagine I'd enjoy it even more now that I can have beers.

I'm sure it's far more rundown now than what it was then, but to me, the Bear Mountain Lodge is the PERFECT ski lodge 'location'. Maybe not actual lodge itself, but it is the perfect location.

I have yet to see another lodge anywhere so close to and with such great views of a bump / expert run like at Bear Mountain.

Actually, that's not true. The coolest ski lodge I've ever been in and unfortunately I was 9 at the time, is the rotating lodge on top of Mt Schilthorn in Switzerland. Pretty amazing

 

[drjeff]

I was hoping someone would say that. Without a doubt the nicest lodge out there.

Heck, even the Mountain Ops building at Snowbasin has Copper gutters and roof flashings! Amazing buildings there(and all of the major building there have the same degree of finish)!

Deer Valley's a great too not quite Snowbasin's, but beats anything in the East by a mile! Since I've been a parent, I've even noticed that the chnaging tables in the restrooms at Deer Valley are gold plated!

As much as it's not the snazziest in the world, I really do like the layout of the base lodge at Wachusett.

 

[St. Jerry]

Although Moonbeam is nice to the eye, I give it an F to the fact that it has two men's toilets and two total urinals in the entire damn lodge. It is as if they forgot to make bathrooms and then had to build them after the fact. How you can have a lodge with 2 toilets is just plan ridiculous especially when there is only one on each floor.

True. I was there in December and there were all of 5 other people there, so it wasn't an issue.

 

[tcharron]

We were at Shawnee Peak about a week ago and I think their lodge represents both the best and the worst. Downstairs is smelly and cramped. Up in the bar, however, you have a nice view of the ski hill while tipping one. The decor is nothing special but the integrated view of the mountain action is the way it should be.

I was about to post the EXACT same thing. Shawnee has an awesome bar upstairs, but the lodge downstairs is WORSE then a 2nd grade cafeteria, INCLUDING the food service. And the bathrooms.. I've seen better in out-in-the-woods gas stations.

 

[loafer89]

As previously mentioned the lodge at saddleback is real nice, big improvement especially at the bar. Anyone recall the old painted pony lounge? God forbid there was ever a fire.

Saddleback is the nicest lodge that I have been in in Maine hands down, and one of the best in New England. Even when it was crowded two weeks ago, the lodge was still kept sparkling clean and the staff meeting and greeting customers as they walk through the door is very cool.

I do remember the old shack, er, lodge as well as duct tape holding some of the Well's Fargo T-bar's together.:-o