Ski areas with the most "soul"

[Greg]

CT:
Sundown - really cool vibe. A lot of park rats, but still some great terrain for CT. It's been my night haunt lately and the place to go when CT scores a dump

NY:
Hunter - Kind of like the place you're not supposed to like. Legit terrain.

MA:
Berkshire East - Always felt like it has sort of refined Magic feel to it. Some great natural snow terrain and really the only glades left in SNE.

VT:
Magic - In your face terrain; was dead the day I was there.
MRG - Ski It If You Can. The haters love to hate on it. Everyone else seems to love it.
Sugarbush - A great "balanced" resort. A true skier's mountain - terrain for everybody.

ME:
Sugarloaf - one big mountain in the middle of nowhere. The vibe is undeniable. Great local skiers there.

I refrained from voting for a ski area in NH. While I like Loon, I'm sure Cannon and Wildcat have more "soul" and I have not yet had the pleasure of skiing either.

 

[AdironRider]

Doning the flak jacket, but how does Hunter have more soul that Whiteface, home of the Olympics and Lake Placid?

I vote Cannon for NH, that place is bar none the best place Ive ever riden.

 

[JimG.]

Doning the flak jacket, but how does Hunter have more soul that Whiteface, home of the Olympics and Lake Placid?

I vote Cannon for NH, that place is bar none the best place Ive ever riden.

I'd vote for neither Hunter nor Whiteface.

The most soul award for NY goes to Plattekill.

 

[andyzee]

Doning the flak jacket, but how does Hunter have more soul that Whiteface, home of the Olympics and Lake Placid?

For good ole sole, let's not forget lil Plattekill.

edit: Hehe, JimG bet me to it

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

CT: Never skied their

NY: Whiteface hands down nothing else comes close. No frills, challenging terrain, Olympic heritage adds to the vibe, Lake Placid and it is not and never will be surrounded by condo ghettos.

MA: I’ve only skied Jimmy Peak and it is soulless in an Epcot sort of way.

VT: Smuggs – lots of character terrain.

Stowe: I just remember the way it was. I haven’t been there since the new development, which I’ve heard from locals, is changing the character for the worse. I so that’s a real shame.

ME: Sugarloaf - never been but heard good things.

Colorado – Abasin – the legend, locals mountain, great terrain, tailgating, way cool.

Utah – Alta/Snowbird

Europe – Verbier, Switzerland

Canada – I’ve only been to Tremblant, talk about Epcotish.

 

[JimG.]

NY: Whiteface hands down nothing else comes close. No frills, challenging terrain, Olympic heritage adds to the vibe, Lake Placid and it is not and never will be surrounded by condo ghettos.

A shocking choice coming from you.

I'd put a winkie in if I could figure out how to use the damned thing.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

A shocking choice coming from you.

I'd put a winkie in if I could figure out how to use the damned thing.

Well I’ve never skied Plattekill, but I thought I’d go out on a limb.;-)

 

[Greg]

For good ole sole, let's not forget lil Plattekill.

I'd vote for neither Hunter nor Whiteface.

The most soul award for NY goes to Plattekill.

Doning the flak jacket, but how does Hunter have more soul that Whiteface, home of the Olympics and Lake Placid?

I only mentioned places I've skied. It would be disingenuous to do otherwise. Whiteface and to a lesser extent, Plattekill, are on the to-do list.

 

[2knees]

i'm only gonna answer based on places i've personally been so hold the flaming.

ct not sure about any soul there. sundown is my favorite, but in a way thats like saying back zits are your favorite kind of zit.

mass Brodie, even though its now gone

Vt Magic. cant beat the feeling there.

I havent skied anything other then hunter in new york and in nh, it would be foolish to vote on the few places i have been, when like greg, i havent skied wildcat or cannon.

Pa. Gotta go with Roundtop. oh yeah

West. Limited knowledge but kirkwood was really cool, and not just for the terrain.

 

[jack97]

I’ll second the Beast in MA, good terrain and great vibes inside the lodge, feels like the local coffee shop/diner where everybody knows one another.

Ragged for southern NH, my favorites; the natural trails and the glades between the two mountains. Even on a weekend, it seems like I'm the only one on the trail.

Northern NH, tough choice between Cannon and Wildcat, I’ll go with Cannon just because of the vibes.

 

[loafer89]

Blandford M.A - Small place, but VERY friendly staff and a place that makes the most of 465' vetical feet.

Bobcat N.Y - Only skied it once in about 18' of powder in 1996, but it is definatly a throwback to another time period (1960's) with only T-bars.

Big Squaw M.E - Only been there once, thankfully with skiing to the summit. Incredible views of Mount Katahdin and some nice narrow New England style trails from the summit.

 

[skicone]

Another vote for Whiteface , and all that comes with Lake Placid....

 

[Powdr]

Sundance, UT
Grang Targhee, WY
Powder Mountain, UT

 

[SkiDog]

Sundance, UT
Grang Targhee, WY
Powder Mountain, UT

targhee is a PERFECT fit for most SOUL......

Nice pick...

M

 

[JimG.]

targhee is a PERFECT fit for most SOUL......

Nice pick...

M

Powder Mountain too.

 

[MarkC]

I'd vote for neither Hunter nor Whiteface.

The most soul award for NY goes to Plattekill.

I am glad somebody said it before i had to.

 

[AdironRider]

I really cant decide whether I want to drop the big bucks on Jhole next year or save a little cash and live in the white room at Targhee. Good to hear its got soul though, might actually sway my decision.

 

[riverc0il]

of soul music, tower of power's front man once said (paraphrased) "soul music is just like a bank... if you don't put nothing in, you can't get nothing out." the way i see it, soulful ski areas are very similar, they require you to invest something of your own soul into them to fully appreciate the soulful experience of the area. anyone can show up to any of these areas, ski them for a day, and never touch the soulful aspects of the ski areas mentioned. in some cases, i think soulful could be counterintuitive from that perspective. magic could actually lack soul from that perspective because it hasn't had much put into it, it is run down. great terrain and old school, but is that soul? mad river glen has soul not just because of the terrain and character... but the people.... the people! cannon is the same. look at the front five from I-93... that isn't soul. soul are the people bellying up to the bar three times a week in the peabody lodge sharing stories and planning sorties and explorations for the off season... the same folks that bring their family their because they want their family in on the special atmosphere cannon offers. that is part of the soul of cannon many might not think about. up and coming revitalized ski areas like ragged and especially saddleback have a lot of soul in my book proving not only that areas can make huge infrastructure improvements and still have soul... but actually have soul because of them. something about an awesome base lodge that fits the surroundings perfectly that contributes to the soul of a ski area. it is more than the trails, though wide groomed boulevards that lack any character what so ever would quickly discredit many ski areas, imo. what invest part of yourself into a ski area that is no different than any other? there needs to be something special and history counts here. trails and terrain are important, but if you are talking soul, lets talk about history.. lets talk about people... lets talk about areas that people have invested their souls into, that is what creates a soulful experience.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Burke definitely has soul. The regulars there have bounced back from adversity so many times it is rediculous. The local population almost had to will the mountain to be open the year after Northern Star left. We will see if that sould is still there in 5 years (times they are a-changin).

 

[thetrailboss]

Burke definitely has soul. The regulars there have bounced back from adversity so many times it is rediculous. The local population almost had to will the mountain to be open the year after Northern Star left. We will see if that sould is still there in 5 years (times they are a-changin).

I second that. Of course. :wink: