Stowe : what area /trails are best for novice/ low intermediates?

[Warp Daddy]

Just got some Stowe tix from SkiTown have some questions for those familiar with the mountain .

I am an advanced skier can do blues and blacks and luv to crank hi speed turns--

BUT my wife a low intermediate ( gentle blue /greens) has come off some ankle surgery from a BAD spill @ Attitash and has plate and screws in the ankle . She is an amazing fit person altho 64 , but looks and has the aerobic and fitness capacity better then most folks half her age

She's in very good shape tennis 2/3 times weekly year round 3 -5 mil walks daily , aerobics etc .

BUT she is dealing with some fear of getting back up on her skis __SO I need to take her to a pretty tame but longer than 2 minute gentl cruiser. But one that is pretty BENIGN till SHE gets her confidence back .I plan to ski with her , she'll probably ski 4 hrs then i 'llgo and get my turns on the fun stuff

Recommendations needed for Specific trails and area at Stowe for Her ?

Thanx

WD

 

[RISkier]

Well, toll road is a very gentle winding green from the summit. In general the further you stay to skiers right off the fourrunner quad the more gentle the terrain. Sunrise is reasonably gentle as I recall, Tyro, and almost every trail once you get down past crossover. All of the Toll House area is very gentle but and quiet but it's served by a VERY SLOW lift. Lord and North Slope have some sections that are pretty dark blue. Most of Perry Merril off the Gondola is nice easy cruising. The topf of Perry Merril has a steep bit and is often bumped. I think they let it bump to slow folks down so they don't go sailing into the trees at the bottom. Instead you might try going skiers left from the gondola, take the upper part of Gondolier and then cross over to Perry Merril, that's a more gentle route. Sterling off the Sensation quad on Spruce is a great easy blue cruiser but check to see if you can back to the base without doing Main Street -- it's marked blue but there is one head wall that's steep enough that they need to use winch cats to groom it. That head wall would definately be black at Southern VT or NH resorts. There are also some fairly easy routes off the Little Spruce Quad. You might check with ski patrol to have them point you to the best routes. In general, I'd say that Stowe is not great for lower intermediates. They have great beginner terrain and everything marked green is gentle, but some of the main blues are fairly challenging.

 

[JD]

Perry Merril off the gondi is a nice long blue. It's very wide and doesn't see as much action as the blues off the quad which are fun, but sometime VERY crowded and therefore variable. Sterling on spruce is great, and you can avoid the steep at the bottom by cruising sidehill, then meandering back over towards the sensi quad. Mainstreet is also nice and again you can cut right avoiding the steep at the bottom. Spruce is a ghost town as well, you will likely be alone on the trails AND you can bust off on Whirl away and link back up with sterling after a few hundred vert to keep it interesting for you while she cruises, a great little old school trail.

 

[billski]

You said something really important: "fear of getting back up on her skis" I have dealt with exactly the same situation as you. You need to look very seriously at what she is fearful of. If she is fearful of getting plowed into, I am going to offer a very different solution than the great suggestions made thus far. You should seriously consider the Toll House area.

The upside to tollhouse is that practically nobody except beginners goes down it. It's not a cut through to anywhere. You don't have to concentrate on anything but your skiing and confidence building. I cannot imagine a more tranquil place. You wouldn't have to go all the way down toll road from the top if she thinks it's too much.

The downside is that the lift is pretty slow (beginners find that to be a plus of course). The second downside is that the Toll House Inn isn't a base lodge. You can get dressed in their rec room and buy your ticket at the desk, and they have a restaurant open for lunch, but that is about it.

You could however, arrive at Mansfield base, start at the Triple which exits across to the intersection of toll road, and take toll road down to the toll house area. If you want a real lodge, take toll house double to the top and over to the Mansfield base. I think it works very well, if and when she's feeling ready for more challenge, and more people, move over to the triple. Triple is nice because hardly anyone takes it (it's also slow). However, you're right there by the four runner quad to, to use when she is comfortable.

Hope this helps.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Billski < JD and RISKIER --Thanx a bunch guys for the great suggestions . I 'm toasted here tonite as i type this had a SUPER day in the Pow at Titus and i'm getting a bit bleery eyed now BUT i want you guys to KNOW how much i appreciate your suggestions

billski --you nailed it > her balance and turn skills are fine ---its her confidence that needs work and teh fear of getting an unintended collision . So I am DOWN with your suggestions . That Toll house area looks like teh place to START the day and see where it goes from therr. I sure hope to get my turns off teh Gondi later BUT my main focus is to HELP her relearn how to enjoy this sport . Damn she was doing so well before -- but hey that 's all part of it too

thanks again guys

 

[billski]

Warp, Nice day at Titus. I, too am recovering, I had a hard-charging morning in the woods at Stowe and a long journey home, so I'm pretty wiped, too.

I can't reinforce getting her back out as soon as you can, before any pessimism takes permanent hold. However, don't be surprised if she remains very tentative and conservative for a loooong time. At this age, we begin to recognize that our bodies are not what they once were and take much longer to heal. My wife's number one priority, for a long time now, has been "not to fall." You have to appreciate that. (For me, falling is just part of skiing.) The problem is that if it becomes the overriding priority, she won't want to take "risks" and step up. Good luck!

 

[Warp Daddy]

Thanks bill !!! Again you have it analyzed correctly. You and i are sympatico as far as" hey falling just part of it". But i'm sure in Joanie's case she took this sport up for ME even tho she is an excellant athlete in her own rite . So i'll follow your advice and try to Encourage and make it fun for her but NOT push --

Glad to hear you had a GONZO day Playin in pow and sticks @Stowe pardner and that the drive home was FINE


WE stopped along the way had a "gourmet " dinner at our local NORTH COUNTRY Greasey spoon -The comfort food was awesome -- but that and YO YO skiing has got me a little "blinky" as i type this

 

[billski]

A couple more things to consider.
Upside to Toll House -
- You can park in front of the lift and Inn. Literally.
- On your run, you might see four, five, maybe six people the whole way down Toll House area. Regularly nobody.
- Most of the people skiing are usually VERY green skiers. They people you see are more often stopped than moving.
- You won't see any yahoos doing tricks, there are no jumps, the trails are perfectly flat. And well-groomed.
- TH has a 900-foot vertical, and is over a mile long (6375 feet)

Be careful if you go over to Mansfield lodge. There is a steep hill to climb/descend from the lifts to the lodge. I offer this in the spirit of keeping things laid back, low key, low hassle.

Other considerations ( This is for others reading this.)
- No equipment rentals at Toll House Inn. If you need rentals, stop at Pinnacle Ski Shop on Mt. Road on the way in and save $ too. Drive around back at Pinnacle, "curbside service" I wouldn't consider renting at Spruce Peak, the logistics would make it difficult.
- Fireside Tavern (at Toll House Inn) - serves breakfast 8-10, lunch 1130 to 3, apres ski 3-6 and dinner only during Holiday Weeks (too late..) But you can still get inside to change afterwards or take a break. Go upstairs one flight to the rec room to change, and leave your gear.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Billski You are a wealth of info !!

Absolutely luv the idea of parking in front of the lift and not schlepping all our gear for any distance ! We're SPOILED and that sounds JUST like Titus ,where we park directly at lift boot ,up in the Upper Mtn Lodge liftside and crank turns within 5 minutes

-----I'm sure that T H area is JUST what she needs for a couple of hours and then we'll see where it goes from there---------------Thanks again for everything

PS Hope your FEELIN GREAT 2 day after a MONDO day @ Stowe , me i'm grinning and can't wait 4 this damn "wintry mix/rain " to get the hell outta here so i can hit the slopes by thursday ! Best to ya pardner !

Warp

 

[billski]

One more thing. Toll House double doesn't start spinning until 9AM. All lifts will stop promptly at 4pm, so make sure you are positioned to get back to your toll house-parked car, if you decide to wander further later in the day.

 

[RISkier]

I agree with everything billski is saying about the Toll House area. It gets very little traffic. Most of the beginning skiers and all of the beginning lessons take place at Spruce. Most folks skiing the TH area are either staying at the Inn or one of the condos, or skiing down to have lunch at the Inn. We've never used the TH area as a base, but I think it makes sense. Sometimes much of the TH area is not groomed. It's very low angle but you might want to check. I also agree with the confidence comments. Coming off an injury gaining confidence is crucial. FWIW, Inspiration over at Spruce is very gentle. If she gains some confidence, you could take a right from the TH lift, that'll put you on a little bit of Lullaby Lane and from that you can take lower Tyro. And if she's gains some confidence, I'd suggest riding either the triple or quad and taking Toll Road from the top. It's narrow and twisting, so you need to be able to turn and stop, but the grade is very gentle and the scenery is great. We've sometimes finished our day just meandering down Toll Road when we're tired. Lullaby Lane is also really nice. If it's windy, the top of the quad can be pretty brutal. I also agree with the comments about Mansfield base lodge. The climb up "heart attack" hill to the lifts is not appealing. We never go in the Mansfield base lodge. Given the circumstances, I'd probably avoid the blues at Stowe until your wife gains confidence. Have a great trip.