Southern VT vs. Northern VT - compare?

[brooklyn1]

Is the longer drive from southern points (CT, NY etc) worth it... or is it worth it to save the fuel $$ and stay south? And I mean all things considered - mountain, snow", weather, vibe, food, etc.

And, what's the deal with Vermonters always complaining that 'their' mountains are being invaded by NYers and Bostonians? Are southern points people so bad? I am pretty sure I am just as polite a skier as anyone from VT or NH. & Who can tell the difference anyway? Is someone doing license plate inventory in the lots?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Is the longer drive from southern points (CT, NY etc) worth it... or is it worth it to save the fuel $$ and stay south? And I mean all things considered - mountain, snow", weather, vibe, food, etc.

And, what's the deal with Vermonters always complaining that 'their' mountains are being invaded by NYers and Bostonites? Are southern points people so bad? I am pretty sure I am just as polite a skier as anyone from VT or NH. & Who can tell the difference anyway? Is someone doing license plate inventory in the lots?

The terrain and snow is typically better in Northern Vermont..especially Sugarbush northward. Vermonters aren't big fans of the flat-landers because they're seen as wealthy, pushy, and loud,,,Native Vermonters are a mellow bunch of peoppe from the big cities often come off as rude and brash but that's just the way things are in the rat race....

 

[KingM]

I don't see it and about half the population in the resort areas are not native Vermonters anyway.

 

[marcski]

Is the longer drive from southern points (CT, NY etc) worth it... or is it worth it to save the fuel $$ and stay south? And I mean all things considered - mountain, snow", weather, vibe, food, etc.

And, what's the deal with Vermonters always complaining that 'their' mountains are being invaded by NYers and Bostonites? Are southern points people so bad? I am pretty sure I am just as polite a skier as anyone from VT or NH. & Who can tell the difference anyway? Is someone doing license plate inventory in the lots?

For me, substantially better up north as far as snow and terrain. Period.

That said its always a personal preference. You're location, preference for long(er) drives, how much time you have to spend up north.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

I
And, what's the deal with Vermonters always complaining that 'their' mountains are being invaded by NYers and Bostonites? ?

Where exactly are ya hearing this? Haven't seen it much in the ski forums I hang out in. BTW it's Bostonians, :wink:

Don't tell anyone but it's snowing up here, couple of inches on the mountain already. Course, I guess this could change 5 minutes after I post this but ........

 

[brooklyn1]

Where exactly are ya hearing this? Haven't seen it much in the ski forums I hang out in. BTW it's Bostonians, :wink:

Bostonians!! Sorry, that was my Stowe cold virus* writing (*obviously the virulent B&B strain -- originating from Innkeepers who sneeze on credit card receipts).

When I read mountain reviews at ski sites like onthesnow or trip advisor, the anti-NYC/Boston issue seems to be mentioned a lot.

 

[riverc0il]

From my time in VT, I don't find the typical native VT skiing crowd to be hostile towards the so called "flatlanders" but rather the it is the natives not involved in the activity or related tourism industries. Call it a culture barrier just like I am dumb founded how the average Vermonter can talk for hours about the latest race while drinking a bud. Nothing wrong with that, just two different cultures that don't really understand the other.

Oh, SoVT versus NoVT... depends what you are looking for. Natural snow and terrain are way better in the Northern part of the state. Magic holds its own with respectable terrain in SoVT but can't touch much of NoVT's terrain and definitely way under on snow fall.

 

[ckofer]

 

[gladerider]

brooklyn

i've been to some mountains in Southern and Northen Vermont. based on my experience Vermonters are quite friendly in general. i think tourism being their main industry it makes sense. however, there are some people that i ran into that are not in the services industry that you might consider not so friendly, but you find unfriendly people anywhere you go. i mean anywhere in the world.

now out of all the places i've been to if i were to pick one mountain in Vermont that makes me feel like i am not welcomed is Stratton. i think there are two types of people who ski Stratton. people who have properties and season passes there and visitors. every single time i go there i always seem to run into a snobby rude person. i mean you find rude people everywhere, but i think my chance of running into one is highest at Stratton and Mt. Snow. I've had better experience at Okemo. sometime i forget all about it for years and then when i go back to Stratton i have one of those 'aha' moments and go 'yeah, this is why i didn't come here for a while.'

all i have to say is, experience at Stratton is unique. i came to learn that i shouldn't use my experience at Stratton to generalize other Vermont mountains over the years.
and i don't think it's NY/NJ/CT bias either. we don't wear our license plates wherever we go. although, long islanders have a distinguishable accents.

 

[ckofer]

Is the longer drive from southern points (CT, NY etc) worth it... or is it worth it to save the fuel $$ and stay south? And I mean all things considered - mountain, snow", weather, vibe, food, etc.

And, what's the deal with Vermonters always complaining that 'their' mountains are being invaded by NYers and Bostonians? Are southern points people so bad? I am pretty sure I am just as polite a skier as anyone from VT or NH. & Who can tell the difference anyway? Is someone doing license plate inventory in the lots?

Anyhow, the snow tends to deeper and dryer further north. I think the rest of the answer depends on your approach to planning ski trips. If you schedule a specific location (especially with lodging) more than 5 days ahead, you are gambling on the weather. If you go further north, you have a better chance of skiing nice snow (but not guaranteed). If, however, you operate on a short notice, I recommend you browse the trip reports and watch the weather. You can have great days on the mountains in the southern part of ski country.

Regarding perceived hostilities: Maybe its just a Red Sox/Yankees thing. ;-) Become aloof to it and go have fun.

 

[ckofer]

brooklyn

i've been to some mountains in Southern and Northen Vermont. based on my experience Vermonters are quite friendly in general. i think tourism being their main industry it makes sense. however, there are some people that i ran into that are not in the services industry that you might consider not so friendly, but you find unfriendly people anywhere you go. i mean anywhere in the world.

now out of all the places i've been to if i were to pick one mountain in Vermont that makes me feel like i am not welcomed is Stratton. i think there are two types of people who ski Stratton. people who have properties and season passes there and visitors. every single time i go there i always seem to run into a snobby rude person. i mean you find rude people everywhere, but i think my chance of running into one is highest at Stratton and Mt. Snow. I've had better experience at Okemo. sometime i forget all about it for years and then when i go back to Stratton i have one of those 'aha' moments and go 'yeah, this is why i didn't come here for a while.'

all i have to say is, experience at Stratton is unique. i came to learn that i shouldn't use my experience at Stratton to generalize other Vermont mountains over the years.
and i don't think it's NY/NJ/CT bias either. we don't wear our license plates wherever we go. although, long islanders have a distinguishable accents.

Well, if I do end up skiing a Stratton some day, I'm putting fresh duct tape on my gloves. I don't want to be snubbed.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

bump

 

[frozencorn]

Stowe, MRG, Sugarbush, Smuggs, Jay

vs.

Stratton, Killington, Magic.

North is better. Tough to deny. But south is easy on the one-day trip.

If I had to choose between any of the Northen hills and any of the southern hills without gas, lodging, ticket price etc. being a factor, it's north, without question. But you can certainly find a lot more freebies, etc. in the south, which tips that scale a bit.

But overall. North. No doubt.

 

[hardline]

personally i think stratton is the bomb digity. it doesn't get any better in the east:smile:

 

[Geoff]

Stowe, MRG, Sugarbush, Smuggs, Jay

vs.

Stratton, Killington, Magic.

North is better. Tough to deny. But south is easy on the one-day trip.

If I had to choose between any of the Northen hills and any of the southern hills without gas, lodging, ticket price etc. being a factor, it's north, without question. But you can certainly find a lot more freebies, etc. in the south, which tips that scale a bit.

But overall. North. No doubt.

I'd question your grouping. Killington is in the list of ski resorts that receive 250" of snow. It has plenty of tree skiing and natural snow terrain. When the natural snow terrain isn't available, there is plenty of snowmaking terrain to keep anyone interested. The new owners chased away half the customer base so it's no longer crowded. Can you do better? Sure. Midweek, it's tough to tell the difference.

Magic is not typical of southern Vermont ski areas. It's natural snow. It has some fairly challenging terrain. It's classic New England layout and not homogeneous-feeling like Snow, Stratton, and Okemo.

For the mass market, Southern Vermont is actually a far better product. The mass market is looking for groomed intermediate terrain. That's what you find at SoVer ski areas. You're not going to see those people on Castlerock or on the MRG single. They are completely different products and experiences targeted at very different skill levels.

 

[WWF-VT]

is The Longer Drive From Southern Points (ct, Ny Etc) Worth It... Or Is It Worth It To Save The Fuel $$ And Stay South? And I Mean All Things Considered - Mountain, Snow", Weather, Vibe, Food, Etc.

Yes it is worth the drive...

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

personally i think stratton is the bomb digity. it doesn't get any better in the east:smile:

tru-dat plus they have a ton of black diamonds..

 

[hardline]

tru-dat plus they have a ton of black diamonds..

funny enough i was talking to a girl at my clients bar and she said she wouldn't go to that dump. i laughed. then she said she want to try stowe this year because she heard they have this new spa/hotel that was like vail. i was sorta horrified and happy at the same time. hot girls+ more goobers-

 

[Geoff]

personally i think stratton is the bomb digity. it doesn't get any better in the east:smile:

I grew up skiing Stratton every weekend back when it was natural snow on the upper mountain and double chairs. The place wasn't steep but it had a ton of narrow classic New England trails and they had cut things to take advantage of whatever terrain features they had. With limited uphill capacity and minimal grooming, it was fairly entertaining skiing with a lot of character. "Slalom Glade" used to be called "The Glades" and skied like Low Rider at Killington.

I have no interest in skiing it now. They chainsawed most of the character out of the place. High speed lifts, snowmaking, and grooming create a very monotonous experience.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

funny enough i was talking to a girl at my clients bar and she said she wouldn't go to that dump. i laughed. then she said she want to try stowe this year because she heard they have this new spa/hotel that was like vail. i was sorta horrified and happy at the same time. hot girls+ more goobers-

There are lots of hot chicks that can rip at Stowe...most of the girls that work in the bars and restaurants in town are beautiful..