SKI Magazine 2014 Best Ski areas in the East

[dlague]

If 80% of respondents consider themselves experts, you already have to question the validity of their responses.

Good point!

 

[slipshod]

I agree with the posts about eastern Canada. Lots of great skiing up there. Quebec City has lots of shopping. There's even a huge mall up there with an indoor ice skating rink & amusement park. That should keep the shoppers happy to.

Not just shopping. The place is one of the most beautiful, historic and downright interesting cities on the continent.

 

[Smellytele]

Not just shopping. The place is one of the most beautiful, historic and downright interesting cities on the continent.

And one of the coldest places in the winter as well

 

[dlague]

Not just shopping. The place is one of the most beautiful, historic and downright interesting cities on the continent.

+1 and.... in the winter they have the Ice Hotel!

 

[steamboat1]

The Bassillica of Sainte-Anne-de Beaupre is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been inside.

Never been to the Ice Hotel but the ice sculpturing during winter carnival in QC is amazing.

Yes it can be cold but often they get dumped on with snow while New England gets rain.

 

[MadPadraic]

Why Sugarloaf? Sunday River has better snowmaking (arguably the best in the East), better grooming, a better lift system, better intermediate terrain, etc. These are all things that are important to the masses. Does Sugarloaf have better terrain and get more natural snow? Definitely. And to most people on here that would catapult them past Sunday River, but that isn't necessarily the case with the average recreational skier.

Sugarloaf, Jay, Stowe, Killington, and Sugarbush were all ranked above Bretton Woods, Okemo, Stratton, Loon and Mt Snow.

At least based on AZ resort reputations, the "average recreational skier" didn't seem to have much of a vote.

 

[AredMosinel]

Jay has good snow, but I would not rank it that high

 

[bdfreetuna]

I'd expect Wildcat to be higher, and wonder how Bretton Woods is ranked higher than Stratton, Okemo, and Loon (within their collective table).

Seems fair to me. Having been to all these places, I would prefer a return trip to Bretton Woods. They are all easy terrain, but at least BW has a view of the Amanoosuc Ravine and as far as courdoroy cruisers go I think they take the cake in the NE.

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[bdfreetuna]

Jay has good snow, but I would not rank it that high

I would. If it wasn't so damn far away I would ski there more than any other mountain.

That said I've never been to sugar loaf.

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[thetrailboss]

I would. If it wasn't so damn far away I would ski there more than any other mountain.

That said I've never been to sugar loaf.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AlpineZone mobile app

Sugarloaf, IMHO, has much better terrain variety than Jay and a lot better trail skiing. Jay has a lot of cross the fall line trails and steep trails, but nothing really in between. Sugarloaf has excellent, consistent pitch. If Sugarloaf could get Jay's snow, then that would be killer.

 

[steamboat1]

Sugarloaf, IMHO, has much better terrain variety than Jay and a lot better trail skiing. Jay has a lot of cross the fall line trails and steep trails, but nothing really in between. Sugarloaf has excellent, consistent pitch. If Sugarloaf could get Jay's snow, then that would be killer.

Sugarloaf does pretty good in the snow department. The top of that mountain isn't treeless because of it's elevation. I wonder why that is?

 

[deadheadskier]

Pretty certain the main reason for the Snowfields is there was a fire at some point in the last 100 years or so. Sugarloaf has got to be one of if not the windiest ski area summits in the East. Very difficult for trees to regrow in that environment.

 

[snowmonster]

^ You're correct: a fire on the summit is responsible for denuding Sugarloaf's peak.

I also share the opinion that, if Sugarloaf got Jay's snowfall, that would be an awesome mountain. IMHO, the closest combo of Jay-like snowfall and Sugarloaf trail variety is...Stowe. Think about it.

 

[Edd]

^
I also share the opinion that, if Sugarloaf got Jay's snowfall, that would be an awesome mountain. IMHO, the closest combo of Jay-like snowfall and Sugarloaf trail variety is...Stowe. Think about it.

Yeah, pretty much this.