The definitive list of ski areas for old people

[wa-loaf]

I'm 43 and spent too much time in my teens and 20's chasing friends down double-blacks, bumps, and into the woods when I really had no business being there.

About ten years ago I wised up and began to embrace what I really like--long, fast cruisers.

Give me Bretton Woods or Sunapee--where I can often take non-stop top-to-bottom runs on weekdays without encountering any other skiing traffic--any day!

I'm 43 and still like chasing my friends through the bumps and woods. I hope I'm not relegated to the cruisers until I'm well into my 70s.

Too each his own though.

 

[Smellytele]

I'm 43 and spent too much time in my teens and 20's chasing friends down double-blacks, bumps, and into the woods when I really had no business being there.

About ten years ago I wised up and began to embrace what I really like--long, fast cruisers.

Give me Bretton Woods or Sunapee--where I can often take non-stop top-to-bottom runs on weekdays without encountering any other skiing traffic--any day!

I am 43 as well and I am still heading into the woods and love bumps and double blacks. When I was younger I spent most of my time on 205's skiing fast now I am slowing down w/ the woods/bumps and double b's.

 

[steamboat1]

I'm 43 and spent too much time in my teens and 20's chasing friends down double-blacks, bumps, and into the woods when I really had no business being there.

About ten years ago I wised up and began to embrace what I really like--long, fast cruisers.

Give me Bretton Woods or Sunapee--where I can often take non-stop top-to-bottom runs on weekdays without encountering any other skiing traffic--any day!




Your right, after all that time & you still didn't learn how to ski that terrain you're doing the right thing.

I'm 56 & still enjoy being a mountain goat.

To each his own.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Bretton Woods ftw flattest and most boring mountain ever

When I'm old if you see me skiing there please kill me


Other contenders = Loon, Sunday River, Cranmore, Okemo, Stratton, Waterville Valley, Sunapee, Jiminy Peak, Mount Snow

 

[Mapnut]

Wow, you've skied that many flat boring mountains?

 

[St. Bear]

Bretton Woods ftw flattest and most boring mountain ever

When I'm old if you see me skiing there please kill me


Other contenders = Loon, Sunday River, Cranmore, Okemo, Stratton, Waterville Valley, Sunapee, Jiminy Peak, Mount Snow

Wow, broad brush, much?

 

[bdfreetuna]

I don't know what a broad brush is but yes I've skiied a lot of flat and boring mountains... been skiing since I was 2 years old there's only a couple places in the Northeast I haven't hit at one point or another.

For the record don't kill me if you see me at Jiminy Peak.. it's close and convenient

 

[catskills]

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[St. Bear]

I don't know what a broad brush is but yes I've skiied a lot of flat and boring mountains... been skiing since I was 2 years old there's only a couple places in the Northeast I haven't hit at one point or another.

For the record don't kill me if you see me at Jiminy Peak.. it's close and convenient

The broad brush is suggesting that those mountains don't have anything fun to offer.

Also, I think you may be the first person to ever group Cranmore and Jiminy with places like Sunday River and Mt Snow. Completely different market segments.

 

[Riverskier]

Bretton Woods ftw flattest and most boring mountain ever

When I'm old if you see me skiing there please kill me


Other contenders = Loon, Sunday River, Cranmore, Okemo, Stratton, Waterville Valley, Sunapee, Jiminy Peak, Mount Snow

Ever skied Sunday River? Not saying it is the most "core" mountain out there, but they have a lot of great expert terrain.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Nooo I didn't say those mountains have nothing fun to offer! I'm sure they all have bars at the base lodge, amirite?

But anyway this thread was about what mountains are best for old folks which suggests mountains that are primarily cruiser mountains with tons of blue squares. I think the mountains I listed fit that bill fairly well.

I'm sure they are plenty of fun if you like cruisers.... actually they are probably the most fun mountains you can hit up if that's the case!

 

[bdfreetuna]

Ever skied Sunday River? Not saying it is the most "core" mountain out there, but they have a lot of great expert terrain.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one point... I only went there one time and could not find any terrain that I found challenging ...

I am talking Castlerock @ Sugarbush... Fall Line / Paradise @ MRG... Ridge / Face / Tuck Chutes @ Jay Peak...

Also Sunday River is so spread out across like six "peaks" that its hard to get a solid run in. Struck me as a sort of generic skiing experience with good grooming and cruisers so that's why I put it on the old folks list

 

[St. Bear]

Nooo I didn't say those mountains have nothing fun to offer! I'm sure they all have bars at the base lodge, amirite?

But anyway this thread was about what mountains are best for old folks which suggests mountains that are primarily cruiser mountains with tons of blue squares. I think the mountains I listed fit that bill fairly well.

I'm sure they are plenty of fun if you like cruisers.... actually they are probably the most fun mountains you can hit up if that's the case!

A mountain can have a ton of blue squares and still lots of expert terrain. Burke is a good example.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Yup that's why I didn't put Burke on my list.

Also because one of the 2 times I've been there it was so incredibly iced over I would have considered any of the trails to be expert terrain!

Good discussion on this forum. I just signed up today but I'm glad to see it's a lively place =)

I know it is kind of brash to come out and call like a dozen+ mountains as having no hard trails.. but that's just how I felt after skiing them all. Maybe I missed some hidden stashes? who knows

 

[St. Bear]

Yup that's why I didn't put Burke on my list.

Also because one of the 2 times I've been there it was so incredibly iced over I would have considered any of the trails to be expert terrain!

Good discussion on this forum. I just signed up today but I'm glad to see it's a lively place =)

I know it is kind of brash to come out and call like a dozen+ mountains as having no hard trails.. but that's just how I felt after skiing them all. Maybe I missed some hidden stashes? who knows

Conditions play a big part in how you view a mountain. I was at Loon a couple years ago in the middle of a big snow drought, and we left a little after 1pm because we were bored with every trail being groomed to death. If I didn't know better, I would never go back, but the whole time I was scouting lines in the woods, and looking to see which trails would be the place to be during a powder day. I could see the potential, you just had to look for it.

 

[Riverskier]

We will have to agree to disagree on this one point... I only went there one time and could not find any terrain that I found challenging ...

I am talking Castlerock @ Sugarbush... Fall Line / Paradise @ MRG... Ridge / Face / Tuck Chutes @ Jay Peak...

Also Sunday River is so spread out across like six "peaks" that its hard to get a solid run in. Struck me as a sort of generic skiing experience with good grooming and cruisers so that's why I put it on the old folks list

I haven't skied in Vermont, but based on what I have read/heard/seen pics of, I would agree that Sunday River probably doesn't have anything as challenging as the examples you listed. That said, they do have really nice glades, and some legit expert trails. I wouldn't write the place off after one visit. They are known for their grooming though, and have a lot of crusiers, so you are on point there for sure.