Stratton

[Sparky]

Stratton in claiming to have two new "glade like trails". Has anybody heard anything about these and what is a "glade like trail"?

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Stratton in claiming to have two new "glade like trails". Has anybody heard anything about these and what is a "glade like trail"?

Maybe it has a tree in the middle.

 

[Sparky]

Stratton in claiming to have two new "glade like trails". Has anybody heard anything about these and what is a "glade like trail"?

Maybe it has a tree in the middle.

I could probably handle that.

 

[Brettski]

Stratton in claiming to have two new "glade like trails". Has anybody heard anything about these and what is a "glade like trail"?

Maybe it has a tree in the middle.

I could probably handle that.

Perhaps...but can you afford the second mortgage to buy the lift tickets?

I liked the Mountain back in say 92...I'm not so fond of it anymore...

 

[thetrailboss]

Probably like the Murphy's Glade at Sugarbush...stand of trees here...stand of trees there...

 

[Sparky]

Stratton in claiming to have two new "glade like trails". Has anybody heard anything about these and what is a "glade like trail"?

Maybe it has a tree in the middle.

I could probably handle that.

Perhaps...but can you afford the second mortgage to buy the lift tickets?

I liked the Mountain back in say 92...I'm not so fond of it anymore...

As I understand it they have the highest priced tickets in the East just because cater the to the upscale New York City crowd. Not because of the mountain.

We only go there on the lodging deals. You can stay in the Lift Line Lodge(old and worn, but comfortable) for two nights and ski for three days for $144.00/pp midweek. Not a bad deal.

 

[freeheelwilly]

Stratton in claiming to have two new "glade like trails". Has anybody heard anything about these and what is a "glade like trail"?

Maybe it has a tree in the middle.

I could probably handle that.

Perhaps...but can you afford the second mortgage to buy the lift tickets?

I liked the Mountain back in say 92...I'm not so fond of it anymore...

As I understand it they have the highest priced tickets in the East just because cater the to the upscale New York City crowd. Not because of the mountain.

We only go there on the lodging deals. You can stay in the Lift Line Lodge(old and worn, but comfortable) for two nights and ski for three days for $144.00/pp midweek. Not a bad deal.

yeah but it's still Flatton. That place sucks eggs.

 

[Brettski]

Flatton?

 

[thetrailboss]

That is why I am glad I got the free tickets here through the website...very expensive place to ski.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

Stratton is what it is. Expensive, full of expensive people. The terrain is short on challenge. All those nice things being said, they have first rate lifts, outstanding grooming and snowmaking, and employees that treat customers well.

I almost hate to admitt that I ski there about half a dozen times a year and always enjoy it.

Trailboss and I have something in commom:

Favorite flavor: Free

 

[Big Game]

Ok, to actually answer the question instead of telling you what I think of Stratton:

The entrance is at the top of Kidderbrook on your right as you are going down. I beleive they have it marked this year. Last year it was opened but was unmarked.

You can take it all the way down to the bottom of Kidderbrook or duck out earlier if you wish.

The trail is a actually kind of cool. Best way to describe it...pretty flat single track like you'd expect to mountain bike on, then it opens up to many lines and steeper, chokes back down to flatter singletrack, opens back up, repeats and repeats. Goes on for a very long time.

I did find that last year, even with it unmarked, more people went into there than the glades in Kidderbrook Ravine (which is legitimately double D).

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Last year, Stratton made a big stink in the press about a new glade to skier's left of Kidderbrook trail called Test Pilot. It was "hand cut" by Olympian Bill Koch. why a nordic skier would be a good choice to design a downhill "backcountry" run is beyond me, but I'm sure he did a fine job. I haven't spoken to anyone who has skied it,b ut it's gotten good reviews in the press FWIW. What I can't figure out is if the two "new" trails this year include Test Pilot as one, both (i.e. upper and lower) or none. Have they cut new gladed runs into that drainage as a result of the favorable reception the original received last winter? Regardless, I wouldn't exactly call the glades on the other wide of the ridge into Kidderbrook Ravine true double diamond terrain. They went in an cleared out everything with a diameter less than 4" or so. It's very open and lacks any semblance of character, not unlike most of their trails.

Edit: From the Stratton website:

http://www.stratton.com/mediaroom/great-snow-and-lifts-for-2006/What-is-New.htm

 

[Geoff]

I grew up skiing Stratton as a kid. Back then, the bulk of the terrain was serviced by three double chairs and the only snowmaking was on the lower mountain. They groomed the novice and intermediate terrain but rarely touched the rest of the mountain. It has always catered to the affluent from lower Fairfield County and metro-NYC but the skiing used to be pretty interesting. I haven't been back since they chainsawed the narrow trails, installed snowmaking, high speed lifts, and started grooming the place to death.

The free ski day internet coupon will likely get me back there on a midweek powder day but there's no way I'd consider going there to ski groomers.

 

[thetrailboss]

I wonder if the changes came as a result of Intrawest modernizing it to be a sustainable resort for its real estate operations, or for the clientele who were more upscale but wanted easier terrain? Both? :-?

 

[RISkier]

Haven't been but my wife found an early season weekend deal (2 days of lift tickets plus 2 nights lodging, I think we breakfeast) for about $140 each. We decided what the heck. The$70+ lift tickets are pretty offputting. So I guess we'll give it try. Hope conditions are at least decent.

 

[Big Game]

Last year, Stratton made a big stink in the press about a new glade to skier's left of Kidderbrook trail called Test Pilot. It was "hand cut" by Olympian Bill Koch. why a nordic skier would be a good choice to design a downhill "backcountry" run is beyond me, but I'm sure he did a fine job. I haven't spoken to anyone who has skied it,b ut it's gotten good reviews in the press FWIW. What I can't figure out is if the two "new" trails this year include Test Pilot as one, both (i.e. upper and lower) or none. Have they cut new gladed runs into that drainage as a result of the favorable reception the original received last winter?

Reading the press release and seeing it last year, I think they new glades they cut were actually already cut last year. I didn't venture to explore everything in "Test Pilot." As you head further out is get less steep. I did go in way at the top before official cutting took place. Kind of real tight. But tell you what, the powder was fresh. Unfortunately I got deadended with really sucked. Now I know how to avoid.

Regardless, I wouldn't exactly call the glades on the other wide of the ridge into Kidderbrook Ravine true double diamond terrain. They went in an cleared out everything with a diameter less than 4" or so. It's very open and lacks any semblance of character, not unlike most of their trails.

You're thinking about Vertigo, the deciduous glade towards the bottom? Yeah, it would be a stretch to call that a double diamond. Kidderbrook Ravine is higher up the hill. It is far from open, real piney, and gets real steep, especially as the ravine closes in. If that isn't double diamond, well, then, I guess I must not know anything.

But dude, don't be talking trash about the terrain. Sure, Stratton is corporate extreme, but the woods are alright. They don't like being associated with the mission statement of Intrawest either. Keep your critism at the right target. Like the varying degrees of obnoxia one has to endure on the gondola in order to get to the rippin trees.

 

[marcski]

I have a buddy who's Dad has been skiing Stratton for years on end, the guy is 75 and still loves it. It's great for him, since they do such a good job grooming and they blow nicely too.

Yes, there is no real sustained pitch on the mountain (other than perhaps lower spruce, world cup). Be that as it may, I hadn't skied there in years (when my favorite trail was the old poma line by world cup)and I went last winter. I have to admit, like sled, I had a ton of fun. They cut some really fun glades right off the top, (shredwood and some others off grizzly)and I caught it on 2 really good weekends. As someone else said, It is what it is. (oh and we got to use my buddies' old man's parking pass and parked right up close). (again, it is what it is)

 

[Buckeye Skier 1330]

Stratton was our first New England experience. I had been out west one time but my wife had never been anywhere bigger than Snowshoe WV(1500 vert. but only on 2 trails). We actually picked Stratton because it was the cheapest place we could find in Vermont. :-? This was in 2000 when the Liftline Lodge deal was $50/pp/pd for lift and lodging. Little did we know that we had picked one of the ritziest places in NE. We hit the weather right with a nor'easter dumping 34" in the first 2 days. We struggled in the deep snow but they groomed a lot after the storm and the last 2 days we really had a great time. We are the type of skiers who are most comfortable on corduroy so the place was a good fit for our first 2 trips to NE. And I do like those high speed lifts. The second year we went there had been a warm up and the conditions were deteriorating, but it got cold enough and they really cranked out the man made. I liked that commitment to making the conditions be the best they could. We've since found Sugarbush, Sugarloaf and others so we probably won't go back to Stratton, but we really did enjoy the place.

 

[woostahDave]

FWIW you can ski really fast at stratton especially midweek when it is empty. liftline probably has the best top to bottom falline pitch of any cruiser in the east that i've skied. definitely short on challenge, they cut so many trails there was hardly any space to create glades when that became the trend, but its a great place to let your skis run when the snow has turned to icy "hardpack"

 

[bvibert]

Welcome woostahDave. Thanks for joining up!