Your favorite ski areas in the northeast

[soposkier]

1.) Sugarloaf
2.) Saddleback
3.) Jay
4.) Wildcat
5.) Magic

Looking at places that are coming up on other peoples list, I have not been to Sugarbush, MRG or Stowe.

 

[WWF-VT]

Sugarbush (home mountain)
Stowe
Smugglers Notch
Mad River Glen
Middlebury Snow Bowl

 

[xwhaler]

I think I will group favorite mtns by size to keep my basis for comparing them somewhat equal. The rankings within each group are not in any particular order.
2k+ vert
Saddleback
Sugarloaf
Smuggs
Sugarbush
Burke
Pico
Cannon

1100+
Black (NH)
Magic

Sub 1100
Whaleback

Haven't yet been to but will likely fall into these categories once I visit: MRG, Stowe, Dartmouth, Middlebury

 

[MadMadWorld]

1. Smuggs
2. Mad River Glen
3. Magic
4. Saddleback
5. Wildcat

 

[bvibert]

Definitely a blast from the past! Looks like I never answered even though I posted to the thread a few times...

1. MRG
2. Sugarbush
3. Sugarloaf
4. Sundown

I want to add Magic to the list, but I'm a little disenchanted with them after the continuance of lift problems this year...

 

[steamboat1]

Stowe
Sugarloaf
Mont St. Anne
Le Massif
Killington
Sugarbush

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

I've never skied in NH but:

Jay
Stowe
Smuggs
Sugarbush
Killington

 

[andyzee]

1. Killington
2. Stowe
3. Sugarbush
4. Plattekill - after a good snow dump
5. Windham

1. Killington
2. Smuggs
3. Whiteface
4. Hunter
5. Plattekill

 

[Nick]

As I'm experiencing more and more ski areas I'm having a harder and harder time answering this since each really does have it's own unique appeal.

So, I can pick 5 of my favorite so far, but I can't really rank em because I like them for different reasons

Magic
MRG
Both because of the general vibe, low key skiing, lots of hidden unique areas to explore

The Loaf
Amazing woods at Brackett when they are open. Woods are my favorite type of skiing and they have dense, broad, low-angle, cliff hucks, etc etc.

Killington
It's my home stomping grounds, where I learned to ski, and I still love it. I enjoyed traveling from peak to peak exploring the unique parts of each mountain

I expect Jay Peak / Smuggler's Notch / Sugarbush to hit this list pretty hard to but they are all on my bucket list right now. I really enjoyed Cannon last year but was unable to hit up Mittersill which may have placed it for me.

So many more places to explore......

 

[4aprice]

I've been lucky enough to ski just about everything from the Pocono's up to Sunday River (Burke is the exception, SL and Saddleback too far). I actually usually think of my favorites by ski region but if pinned down my top 5 favorites in the entire northeast would all lie along the Northern Green Mountain chain. Jay, Smugglers, Stowe, Sugarbush and Killington. Best and largest amount of snow probably being the determining factor. There are plenty of honorable mentions, each region has their own unique characteristics and plusses and I've had fun times in each of them. Heck, give me a hill, cover it with snow and a lift and its fun.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[kcyanks1]

Surprised I never answered this back in 2005. Here's my current list. Still haven't been to Smuggs (might go there for a day this weekend) or Sugarloaf (or anywhere else in NH or Maine). I'd expect at least one of those might crack my top 5. More days at Jay (had 4 so far) might move that up. Stowe could probably move up to the top if I had more experience with the Chin/backcountry.

1. MRG
2. Stowe
3. Sugarbush
4. Jay
5a. Whiteface
5b. Killington

 

[EPB]

1) Sugarloaf
2) Jay Peak
3) Mont Sainte Anne
4) Le Massif
5) Wildcat

On the to do list:
Sugarbush, Stowe, Smugglers Notch, MRG, Magic and Saddleback.

Honorable mention to:
Cannon
Burke
Mont Orford
Black Mountain
Temblant (I think this place is underrated)

 

[timm]

1. Wildcat
2. Sugarloaf
3. Jay Peak
4. Cannon
5. Sugarbush


Wildcat's top spot might be some slight grade inflation due to proximity.

 

[timm]

MRG, Magic and Whiteface are on my to do list. Would also love to hit up some of the Eastern Canadian spots.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Has anyone else soured on Jay a bit? I still think its one of the best places to go on a powder day and the trees are fun. But the way the place has been built up has completely changed the vibe there. Maybe it's just me but those are the reasons MRG, Smuggs, Magic and Wildcat are at the top of my list. The terrain just isn't all that challenging and even the trees can feel a bit repetitive if you are staying in bounds.

 

[riverc0il]

Definitely a blast from the past! Looks like I never answered even though I posted to the thread a few times...

1. MRG
2. Sugarbush
3. Sugarloaf
4. Sundown

I want to add Magic to the list, but I'm a little disenchanted with them after the continuance of lift problems this year...

Disenchanted with Magic? No pun intended I take it... :lol:

 

[ScottySkis]

Has anyone else soured on Jay a bit? I still think its one of the best places to go on a powder day and the trees are fun. But the way the place has been built up has completely changed the vibe there. Maybe it's just me but those are the reasons MRG, Smuggs, Magic and Wildcat are at the top of my list. The terrain just isn't all that challenging and even the trees can feel a bit repetitive if you are staying in bounds.

I love natural snow, which is Jays things and trees ,I want to get better at. I haven't been their since I was a kid. I sure once I check it out it would be on my list, but I only put the ones I have been to and kind of know.

 

[riverc0il]

Has anyone else soured on Jay a bit? I still think its one of the best places to go on a powder day and the trees are fun. But the way the place has been built up has completely changed the vibe there. Maybe it's just me but those are the reasons MRG, Smuggs, Magic and Wildcat are at the top of my list. The terrain just isn't all that challenging and even the trees can feel a bit repetitive if you are staying in bounds.

I can't say that I have soured on Jay. Though they haven't completed development at Stateside yet... so the jury is still out. I definitely don't "feel" Jay as strongly as I used to. But I don't feel "sour" about Jay either.

Jay does have some challenging terrain if you seek it out. Jay's problem is that challenge is limited in total vertical. Jay is more about expansive tree skiing that is reliable good and filled in sooner than other places than it is about base challenge. But that was true before the development so you can't justify that as having anything to do with each other.

Repetitive trees? Jay has more shots than just about any where, you can ski in between almost every on map run save for a very limited few. Jay trees are 100% absolutely better than Wildcat or Magic (albeit Jay doesn't have anything like TB but does have BJ so that is a wash, IMO).

I think MRG and Smuggs out class Jay in terms of quality of the trees, trails, AND old school feel and vibe. But that was true even before the development, so again, I think you are attributing things to the development that aren't related. I have come to looks past the development and to see the mountain for what it is... but it does take some mental reinforcement to look past the development... which is why I say I don't "feel" it like I used to, but I definitely haven't soured.

 

[MadMadWorld]

I can't say that I have soured on Jay. Though they haven't completed development at Stateside yet... so the jury is still out. I definitely don't "feel" Jay as strongly as I used to. But I don't feel "sour" about Jay either.

Jay does have some challenging terrain if you seek it out. Jay's problem is that challenge is limited in total vertical. Jay is more about expansive tree skiing that is reliable good and filled in sooner than other places than it is about base challenge. But that was true before the development so you can't justify that as having anything to do with each other.

Repetitive trees? Jay has more shots than just about any where, you can ski in between almost every on map run save for a very limited few. Jay trees are 100% absolutely better than Wildcat or Magic (albeit Jay doesn't have anything like TB but does have BJ so that is a wash, IMO).

I think MRG and Smuggs out class Jay in terms of quality of the trees, trails, AND old school feel and vibe. But that was true even before the development, so again, I think you are attributing things to the development that aren't related. I have come to looks past the development and to see the mountain for what it is... but it does take some mental reinforcement to look past the development... which is why I say I don't "feel" it like I used to, but I definitely haven't soured.

Repetitive in the sense that most of the tree shots in bounds ski very similar. Because of that it really invites everyone to ski off the goods. They have attracted more skiers without expanding their terrain so areas of the mountain are getting skied out much faster than before IMO.

I know Jay has challenging terrain outside the boundary but sometimes I want convenience....like not having to hitch hike. At Wildcat I can do laps on TB if my body was up for it. BJ not so much. That's not to say the tree skiing isn't great at Jay. I think it's just that it doesn't challenge me like it used to and like you said, that has nothing to do with the development

 

[skiking4]

No challenge at Jay? Even if you're skiing only marked trails, Face & Tuckerman Chutes, Staircase, Deliverance, Kitzbuhel Woods, Valhalla, or Green Beret are some of the most challenging marked runs in the East IMO. And some of the other off-the-map stuff is some of the most accessible somewhat-EXtreme skiing in the East.