Stratton 27th

[canobie#1]

I hit up Stratton today.
It was busy on the main base lifts today along with the URSA express (surprise, surprise). Shooting Star, Snowbowl and sunbowl were dead. They opened Bear Down today and it had great snow. Kidderbrook, freefall and upper standard will be ready by tomorrow as they were fully lit up all of today once again. They began snowmaking on sunrise supertrail and kept the guns on churchill downs all day, giving us great runs on it.

Best trail of the day was Bear Down by a long shot. Other trails that were in good shape were Frank's Fall Line, Tamarack, Churchill Downs and polar bear.

Although stratton can get busy, it has some awesome, winding trails. A high speed quad in the snow bowl would surely relieve the god-awful line at URSA and the base. I was very annoyed to see that they roped off the 91 trail even though it was groomed and reported open. It would have been a nice escape route from URSA.

Overall an awesome day, mid 20's all day and flurries on and off.

 

[steamboat1]

Awesome.

 

[xlr8r]

On my visit 2 weeks ago, I also realized that while Stratton might not be that difficult, the trails do have a lot of character and wind there way down the mountain. It has a well thought out trail layout /network. The Gondi will be getting new cabins next year, and there are plans to upgrade Snowbowl to a HSQ after that. Once that happens, their lift system will be near perfect.

 

[canobie#1]

Nice to hear. And I totally agree with the lay out. Stratton does very well with that but yesterday they closed of 91 for some reason so the lines in sunbowl were dead while URSA and the base lifts were packed. A new snow bowl lift would really spread the rest of the people out nicely once they get all of the areas open.

 

[steamboat1]

I broke my ankle & blew out my ACL last year at Stratton. I highly doubt I'll be skiing there again anytime soon. The traverse over to Ursa sucks. Very poor placement of that chair as well as Shooting Star. There lift system & layout is nothing to write home about.

 

[GolfingOwl]

On my visit 2 weeks ago, I also realized that while Stratton might not be that difficult, the trails do have a lot of character and wind there way down the mountain. It has a well thought out trail layout /network. The Gondi will be getting new cabins next year, and there are plans to upgrade Snowbowl to a HSQ after that. Once that happens, their lift system will be near perfect.

I like Stratton too. Not the hardest mountain but has good variety, good glades and I like the layout. Sure it's not Sugarbush, MRG, Stowe or Jay but I much prefer it to Okemo or Mt. Snow in S. Vt. We ski there nearly every year.

 

[canobie#1]

The shooting star would be better if polar bear was open but it is a nice alternative if you want to ski upper middle brook or bear down. I usually take sunrise to shooting star and do the trails at URSA, then I take 91 so I don't waist my time in that line.

 

[Bene288]

I skied Stratton early this season and hit every "expert" trail they had open. Where is the steep stuff at this place? I found it to be pretty flat. Incredible snowmaking though.

 

[skiking4]

I skied Stratton early this season and hit every "expert" trail they had open. Where is the steep stuff at this place? I found it to be pretty flat. Incredible snowmaking though.

Kidderbrook Ravine is probably the only steep pitch labeled as a trail on the map, and probably the only one that would be labeled double diamond at even a mountain like Killington.

edit: and Why Not too.
edit#2: my pic is actually off the main cliff in the Why Not glade