What are your thoughts on Stratton?

[SkiRay]

Curious to know what the group here thinks on Stratton..

Ton of ads all around NYC and I have not been in 20 years. Thinking of checking it out one weekend on our MaxPass..

It seems that people North of there don't even consider it....



Also, curious to know what you all think of our current edits.. Remember, we don't get paid, rarely if ever get a perk.. We are upping our game on editing too. Still suck as skiers.

 

[gnardawg]

Stratton is weird place - I don't like it - the crowds are CRAZY - It's pretty ritzy with all the on mountain monster housing and the village. It's very upscale. It's a pain to get to from Boston. I went on my max pass last year since I had never been and I won't be returning unless I run out of days at every other east coast mountain.

Wicked crowded
Lot of high speed lifts
Good to great trees if there is snow
Good groomers
Expensive Food
Not any real steeps

Curious to know what the group here thinks on Stratton..

Ton of ads all around NYC and I have not been in 20 years. Thinking of checking it out one weekend on our MaxPass..

It seems that people North of there don't even consider it....



Also, curious to know what you all think of our current edits.. Remember, we don't get paid, rarely if ever get a perk.. We are upping our game on editing too. Still suck as skiers.

 

[SkiRay]

Stratton is weird place - I don't like it - the crowds are CRAZY - It's pretty ritzy with all the on mountain monster housing and the village. It's very upscale. It's a pain to get to from Boston. I went on my max pass last year since I had never been and I won't be returning unless I run out of days at every other east coast mountain.

Wicked crowded
Lot of high speed lifts
Good to great trees if there is snow
Good groomers
Expensive Food
Not any real steeps

Ha.. We did a fun poll on the Ski & RideVT group - what is the favorite mountain/resort. Stratton got 0 VOTES.. Nothing - not one.

Crowds I bet.. I remember it being crowded back in the mid 90's too - or actually early 90's.. We had talked about maybe shooting there this weekend - though it might be way busy for our taste.

 

[Handlebars]

I’ve been a pass holder for the past two years. It’s a pretty typical southern vt mountain. It’s relatively easy pitch in most places (save for a few spots like World Cup), so not a ton of real challenge. Tree skiing is good if you know where to go, but being southern vt the good tree skiing is limited. I like the lift system, I am easily able to ski what I want to without having to go to the main base. Grooming is very good, and they resurface quickly after rain events. I can almost always find a place to carve fast turns, there’s enough trails and lifts to spread the crowds out. No question there is steeper terrain and more snow further north, which is why few go south to ski. Worth a trip if your group isn’t into extreme steeps, or is of varying ability levels. Learning and Lower mountain Terrain is very good for learners to intermediates.


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[SkiRay]

I’ve been a pass holder for the past two years. It’s a pretty typical southern vt mountain. It’s relatively easy pitch in most places (save for a few spots like World Cup), so not a ton of real challenge. Tree skiing is good if you know where to go, but being southern vt the good tree skiing is limited. I like the lift system, I am easily able to ski what I want to without having to go to the main base. Grooming is very good, and they resurface quickly after rain events. I can almost always find a place to carve fast turns, there’s enough trails and lifts to spread the crowds out. No question there is steeper terrain and more snow further north, which is why few go south to ski. Worth a trip if your group isn’t into extreme steeps, or is of varying ability levels. Learning and Lower mountain Terrain is very good for learners to intermediates.

Thanks.. We will for sure have to make a visit..

 

[Jully]

I like Stratton for trees in March and manmade groomed trails during lean snow months in December and January. Been like 4 times and had a lot of fun each time. I have never been on a weekend day though... not sure I would like it as much then. Was there the Friday before Christmas for a small powder day and even then there were small lines at most lifts.

I'd say it is worth visiting if there isn't any natural/ungroomed stuff in play elsewhere nearby or if you're looking for fast moderately steep groomers. Thought their groomed trails had more pitch and were a bit more interesting than the front face of Mt. Snow and Okemo. Favorite stuff was by the Snow bowl and Shooting Star lifts.

 

[WJenness]

I went once on my Max last year, and didn't love it.

It was the last weekend the Sunbowl was open, and it was raining. I think the conditions had a lot to do with why I didn't have a great time. The skiing was meh, the visibility sucked, and given that it was the end of the year and terrain was being shut down was depressing.

I ended up there this year on 12/12 (a Tuesday). I left the house intending to go to Mt. Snow, as I had a purchased a $12 ticket for their Founder's Day.

When I got to Mt. Snow, it was an absolute zoo, and I decided to audible and head up the road to Stratton and use a Max day.

I had a great day. Fresh snow all day, plenty of terrain, not crowded (everyone was probably at Mt. Snow)...

I'll be going back sometime this year, but I think I will avoid it on the weekends.

All the high speed six packs all over the mountain make me think that this place must be an absolute zoo on a busy weekend, so I'll hit it a couple more times for weekday trips this year, but go elsewhere on the weekends.

-w

 

[WJenness]

Also worth noting:

With their change in ownership, I would bet they're gone from the Max next year, so if you want to check it out, this is the year to do it.

 

[LookinForTreeS]

I like Stratton. This year I got their Strattitude pass ( for people between ages 28 and 32 i think?).
There are ways to avoid the big lift lines like going to the sunbowl. The glades in the sunbowl are real nice.
This year they have been running their sun makers round the clock. It looks like they want to have a thick base to last into the spring.

 

[xlr8r]

I have been to Stratton about 20 days over the past 7 or so seasons including one season as a passholder of their Strattitude Pass in the pre Max days, since then I have had the Max pass and have been back a couple times. The worst thing about the place is that it is full of snobby people from Connecticut, New York, and Jersey. Very few Massachusetts plates in the parking lot, people from Boston just do not go there. I would not recommend going there on Holiday periods and prime weekends as it does get very crowded, and the layout makes trails get skied off very quick. But it is a great option early season pre Xmas, and late season, also Superbowl weekend is manageable. I have gone several times there for a weekend in mid December and have gotten great deals on lodging. Mid week also has fantastic lodging deals.

It is easy to compare it to Okemo and Mount Snow. I think it has the best terrain out of those three and has the biggest continuous vert. The glades are also underrated compared to other mtns in Vermont. Test Pilot and West Pilot are some of the longest glades in the northeast. For the most part the trails are narrow by eastern resort standards, and have plenty of twists and turns. The upper mountain while not super steep has a nice upper intermediate to low advanced pitch. So there are plenty of proper blacks at Stratton just nowhere on the mtn is there pitch warranting a double black rating.

The facilities are over the top but for the most part are very nice. The village provides plenty of eating options for lunch if you do not want cafeteria food. The main lodge has recently been renovated, and sunbowl lodge and parking lot is a perfect setup for day trippers. If you are not staying in the village do not park at the main base unless you can get free parking in the garage, go straight to sunbowl

 

[kingslug]

Been there twice. Only place i will never hit again. Flatton.

 

[NYDB]

Good place to go with beginner skiers. I always park at sunbowl on the weekends. Its like a small base area and It's usually less crowded for a bit on the weekends.

If they get snow, the kidderbrook sunbowl area gets the least amount grooming

The high speed 6 packs put too many people on the trails on the weekend IMO.

Don't hit the Ursa lift after 10am on the weekends.

There is actually some decent terrain if you know where to look, and if they leave anything not groomed it usually holds up ok since the typical skier/rider there is looking for corduroy and they steer clear. Last year, or the year before, they had like sidecountry gates at all the ungroomed terrain trails, it was pretty funny.

They are super slow to open terrain. Maddeningly so.

Lot of bogner types and hard carving dentists.

20% interesting

30% meh

50% not even worth going on trail unless of course you are cruising around with beginners.

 

[Pez]

Fun mountain mid week. Def go over to the sun bowl side. way more low key.

the gondola seems to be a waste. they should have put a 6 pack bub in there instead.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I am fairly committed to not returning there any time soon. I like to ski not stand in lines and walk through entire lodges unable to find a seating space.

If I had a free Stratton ticket I'd use it on a week day but more likely I'd trade it for something else.

Since we're comparing... Much rather ski Okemo for all reasons. Saying Stratton has better terrain than Mt Snow is also debatable, but they do have more woods. Even though the first 2/3 of the famous Test Pilot is green circle flat.

 

[Dick Gazinya]

Sounds like a good place to look for a sugar momma

 

[Jcb890]

The crowds and usual clientele are the worst at Stratton.

I'd much rather go to Mt. Snow personally.

 

[skimagic]

I'd much rather go to Mt. Snow personally.

I decided to buy a pass this year, first time ever. Was between Stratton and Mt snow for cost, convience. I skied lSnow a. Zillion times so rolled with the Strat.
I'm not too impressed, a bit flatter than I thought.
To make it harder, I'm going to dust off the tele gear.
No moguls anywhere, cept in the trees. I haven't been on weekends yet but figure to hide in the Snowbowl. Or make the drive to magic. Too bad they are closed early midweek, otherwise I'd be there.

Next season is mt snow pass most likely, more trail variety

 

[Glenn]

We've been passholders there for the last 3-4 years IIRC. We switched from Mt. Snow because the runs are a bit longer and there's a little more variety. Our opinions; not trying to start a debate here.

Like most SoVT areas, it can get busy on the weekends depending on conditions. Utilizing the fixed grip (Putt-putt lifts) can work to your advantage. Lodges are nice and the village is a nice place to walk around.

 

[ghughes20]

A lot of the feedback here reminds me of something Yogi Berra once said when referring to a trendy night club year ago,...."Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded!"

I own a condo at Stratton, but have skied most of the VT resorts as well as several out west. The best things about Stratton are the village for shopping/restaurants, the snowmaking and grooming. If you can only get off on steeps, go somewhere else. Stratton isn't terribly challenging, which is more apparent with their grooming. The trees are fun, when there's natural snow. But the reason people like it enough to pack the parking lots every weekend is that it's fairly close to NYC and you can truly park your car and not touch it for a long weekend. Everything you need is right at the mountain and within walking distance. Yes, things can be pricy and there is definitely a "Bogner" crowd, but they're in the minority and most people are just there to ski and have fun.

I've only skied Okemo once, but have been to Snow many times. I think the crowds are similar at the other southern VT mountains. You probably need to head to Sugarbush / Stowe to avoid some of the crowds, but they're 2hrs farther north.

Everything in life is a compromise.

Speaking of grooming / snow making. Stratton did a great job recovering from Friday's weather fiasco. There's still more work to be done, but the conditions today were remarkably better than yesterday. I was impressed they were able to turn things around so quickly.

 

[Glenn]

Good to hear about the recovery. Hoping to head out this weekend.