Stratton Thread

[ghughes20]

Stratton doesn't get much love here, but seeing the interest in the HSQ Tamarack Lift thread, maybe it's time to start a dedicated Stratton Thread!!!

Some pics from today. Another BlueBird day, perfect temps, no wind, light crowds. Is this even Southern Vermont???!!!

Still blowing on Kidderbrook....


Ice on the trees....


Could see the White Mountains from the Summitt. Killington, Okemo, Magic & Bromley too...
View attachment IMG_2894.jpeg

 

[keyser soze]

Agreed Stratton needs some love even if it is not the gnarliest mountain in Vermont. We usually hit it on the way home to NJ on the weekend from our ski club lodge in between SB and Killington. It takes some time off the ride home from there and we always have fun. They do a good job of making snow and grooming out the crust (granted sometimes too much grooming) and their lift system is solid with all of the high speed 6 packs and we usually get a lot of vert before heading out ~ 2:30.

 

[slatham]

I tend to be an opportunistic Stratton skier (early season, late season, windy mid week storm day when Magic closed) and have always found it enjoyable and above expectations. Certainly an underestimated snowmaking system by many.

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

They do a good job of making snow and grooming out the crust (granted sometimes too much grooming) and their lift system is solid with all of the high speed 6 packs and we usually get a lot of vert before heading out ~ 2:30.

I’ve always been primarily a southern Vermont skier (Stratton, Mt Snow, Okemo, Haystack & Ascutney). Stratton was always a little more for a lift ticket, but for the above reasons (solid lifts, snowmaking, grooming), I always thought it was worth it.

And with the expanded sunbowl lot, skiing right to your car is pretty great.

 

[NYDB]

Stratton on a holiday or weekend sucks. I think its one of Dante's circles of hell. It boggles my mind that people actually enjoy a Saturday there. But different strokes I guess.

Stratton midweek is fine. Probably gets and holds the most snow anyplace south of K. Elevation and aspect help out there.

I'm like @slatham. Its my early season and snowmaking groomer day mountain. Or an occasional pow day if magic is closed or you know its going to be one of those 30 minute wait days on red and I don't want to make the drive to K/Pico.

Underrated tree skiing. Even some actual side country for those who want to poke around when conditions are in. (very rare now a days)

I'll hit a midweek pow day here and there, but if its more than a foot The mountain is just too flat. They groom too much but they have to.

My main gripe about Stratton and southern VT in general is that it no longer snows.

It used to.

They still claim an average 180'' of snowfall, But they have hit the average once maybe in the last decade. (how do averages work again?) Anyway, the average is now more like 100-120''. Thats a big difference.

Sunbowl is the Way.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I know this season has been shit based on me having more Stratton days than anywhere else. When there ain’t shit to do but ski groomers they are convenient. When there’s actually snow the woods are good. Unskiable on Saturdays. Sundays are fine.

 

[Newpylong]

I would take Stratton any day of the week over Okemo. They are a snowmaking powerhouse that you never hear much about because they kinda do their own thing. Do they still let Spruce and Freefall bump up? I had some amazing soft bumps days on those two runs in the 90s.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I would take Stratton any day of the week over Okemo. They are a snowmaking powerhouse that you never hear much about because they kinda do their own thing. Do they still let Spruce and Freefall bump up? I had some amazing soft bumps days on those two runs in the 90s.

lol hell no. They let stevek bump/seed for the bump racers at SMS and it hasn’t been open all season. Everything gets groomed every day

 

[crippity]

agree with all and would like to add, village doesnt get love here but find me place on mtn anywhere with deals as good as green door pub. midweek a killer special every day. today is free wings 5-7 bud pints 3 bucks. burger and bud 7.99. i remember back in 90's there when US open was still rocking some crazy late night parties.

 

[crippity]

and still has 6 dollar PBR at grizz and mid mtn etc..

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

[QUOTE="crippity, post: 1128866, member: 31899”] i remember back in 90's there when US open was still rocking some crazy late night parties.
[/QUOTE]

Yep, that was my winter week vacation for a long time. Rented a big place with friends in west Wardsboro and took Stratton Arlington road to the sunbowl.

 

[NYDB]

agree with all and would like to add, village doesnt get love here but find me place on mtn anywhere with deals as good as green door pub. midweek a killer special every day. today is free wings 5-7 bud pints 3 bucks. burger and bud 7.99. i remember back in 90's there when US open was still rocking some crazy late night parties.

Stratton seemed cooler when I was college age and directly after that was like 30 years ago and things change for sure. and maybe i was just an idiot and didn't know better. it was a party though. that's how I member it. us opens, etc. now it seems like mostly investment banker / dentist types from Westchester or Connecticut. kinda has no community feel.

Also, the people that only ski / ride Stratton are usually poor skiers and riders. I'm not talking about SMS, etc. all that grooming and inflated trail ratings give most people I know who ski there exclusively a false sense of prowess.

if that's all you want to do, then that's fine. I'm not trying to be an asshole but like if you've ever been there for a weekend powder day, you'll never see more flailing terrible skiing and riding and people complaining about powder bumps and ungroomed terrain. I've also never been to any mountain that has as many patrol that can't ski powder /crud/bumps etc.

at least the last couple of years they have been quicker to open terrain including natural. in years past sunbeam, gentle Ben would not be open yet. in the past - water bars, sticks etc. = not open. now they are a bit more liberal with it which is nice

 

[ghughes20]

They pushed out the whales on Kidderbrook today...



But not on Beardown....

 

[ghughes20]

Stratton seemed cooler when I was college age and directly after that was like 30 years ago and things change for sure. and maybe i was just an idiot and didn't know better. it was a party though. that's how I member it. us opens, etc. now it seems like mostly investment banker / dentist types from Westchester or Connecticut. kinda has no community feel.

Also, the people that only ski / ride Stratton are usually poor skiers and riders. I'm not talking about SMS, etc. all that grooming and inflated trail ratings give most people I know who ski there exclusively a false sense of prowess.

if that's all you want to do, then that's fine. I'm not trying to be an asshole but like if you've ever been there for a weekend powder day, you'll never see more flailing terrible skiing and riding and people complaining about powder bumps and ungroomed terrain. I've also never been to any mountain that has as many patrol that can't ski powder /crud/bumps etc.

at least the last couple of years they have been quicker to open terrain including natural. in years past sunbeam, gentle Ben would not be open yet. in the past - water bars, sticks etc. = not open. now they are a bit more liberal with it which is nice

Lifeline has become their main natural terrain / bump run. I believe this is mainly because they lost a water pipe that serviced that trail a few years ago. Though, given this season's limited snow, they haven't let it bump up yet. Rick's Catch 22 and Rising Bear are also all natural, as is Gentle Ben. The first two never get groomed, GB rarely get's groomed.

Agreed, they've been very liberal this season, which I think is more about the (lack of) snowfall and less about a changing attitude about natural terrain.

 

[crank]

So back in the 70's Stratton had this thing where you could spend an hour or so helping clean up the lodge in the early evening and they gave you a lift ticket. Did this a few times. I think it was '73. Pre village for sure.

 

[thetrailboss]

So back in the 70's Stratton had this thing where you could spend an hour or so helping clean up the lodge in the early evening and they gave you a lift ticket. Did this a few times. I think it was '73. Pre village for sure.

I’m pretty sure that’s how Vail and Alterra still pay their staff.

 

[WoodCore]

They pushed out the whales on Kidderbrook today...

View attachment 61037

But not on Beardown....
View attachment 61038

Underrated Snow-making Power!

 

[Mailman]

The “Stratton is unskiable on Saturdays because of the crowds” accepted wisdom is interesting to me.

I’ve skied Stratton 32 days this season including every Saturday they’ve been open but 2. I think I’ve waited on a lift line longer than 10 minutes 3 times, and all 3 times involved a lift issue (gondola and Snowbowl on hold twice and a mechanical issue at Ursa once).

If you show up at the base area at 10am on a Saturday and want to ride Amex or the gondolla, you’re probably going to run into a long line. If you’re prepared to play it a little smarter and not put yourself where the crowds are between 10 and 12, use the singles lines when there’s a big difference in the time between singles and regular lines, and time your breaks right, you won’t spend a lot of time waiting in line.

I think the blackout dates on the Ikon Base pass help too. MLK weekend for example wasn’t bad at all, and Monday in particular was quiet and ski-on for a good part of the day.

 

[xlr8r]

Stratton trails have more character than Okemo or Mount Snow. Most trails off the summit twist and turn down the mountain. Also both the Meadows and Sunriser are unique in being super wide trails that have tree islands, kinda like some western resorts. One negative though is that I find Stratton gets skied off faster than its neighbors. Black Bear, Polar Bear, Janeway Junction, Grizzly, all become a sheet of ice almost immediately every day I have been there. Overall I view Stratton a lot like I view Loon. They both are viewed as being overcrowded intermediate mountains, but both manage crowds pretty well. Both groom almost everything, so are good options when natural snow trails are not great. Would I ever think Stratton is on the level of Killington or Sugarbush, no. But it is a place I enjoy going to once or twice a season on my Ikon pass.

Interestingly I have now seen some Stratton Advertising on the MBTA in Boston. It seems like Alterra is finally realizing they can try to get Boston skiers to Stratton, where in the past Stratton only seemed to target the NY, NJ, CT market.

I am tired of hearing people call it Flatton, though I agree it does not have any steeps.

 

[NYDB]

The “Stratton is unskiable on Saturdays because of the crowds” accepted wisdom is interesting to me.

I’ve skied Stratton 32 days this season including every Saturday they’ve been open but 2. I think I’ve waited on a lift line longer than 10 minutes 3 times, and all 3 times involved a lift issue (gondola and Snowbowl on hold twice and a mechanical issue at Ursa once).

Its not really just the lines, although sometimes it can be. Its the sheer number of people that they put on the hill. Its just flat out dangerous, especially if they are rolling 50-70% open (which is more often than not these recent years) and then they run every lift they have. Its too much lift capacity for the open terrain. 2 HS6, 1 HSQ and an a 10 person gondola (really 8) all terminating at the same place more or less.

So you end up with people saying the crowding isn't that bad because the lift lines are only 10 minutes. But you (I) can't really enjoy the trails because there are 500 other people around you coming down the same trail. scraping off the same ice in the same place. I guess if you are used to it you don't see the problem.

I don't mean to single out Stratton here. Its a problem at most of the bigger eastern snowmaking resorts.

the really only acceptable Saturday strategy there is show up for early ups get your 20 runs in and leave at 11 and go snowshoeing, xc skiing or something lame that your wife wants you to do, like shopping in manchester or going to the weston playhouse.

And I find Flattons trails more boring than MT Snow but less than Okemo. They all are just copies of each other. Some wiggle here and there, but they are all groomed to death and have the same blue pitch with a few steeper sections that could be considered black (grizzly, spruce). From middlebrook across to standard they are all the same. Groomed blues that they call black,

The only interesting stuff there outside of the trees is the kidderbrook area, the sunbowl area, and 1/2 the pod off of snowbowl. An it looks like the way the groomed up the world cup bump area it will be closed off to the general public. So no Stevek, world cup or Lower slalom glade. Which is the only steep area on that side. Usually they have those bumps closer to the woods skiers left and they leave the skiers right open. But now its right in the middle leaving little room on either side. I bet that remains closed even if they got a big dump. I guess I hope I am wrong.