Ascutney Mountain
Resort is a 4 season destination resort that has a lot going for it.
First it is the most convenient ski resort in Vermont as it is in
Southern Vermont, only 6 miles off of Interstate 91 near Brownsville.
All the lodging is slope side which having lived, walked, bused and
trained miles to a ski lift here in Europe is very refreshing for a
change. Good vertical with over 1,500 feet and excellent grooming and
the only downside is a relatively low elevation both at the base of 720
feet and the peak is 2,250 feet elevation. They also have a first class
snowmaking operation. In the addition the relatively lower accommodation
costs here makes Ascutney a great long vacation destination with day
trips possible to other nearby resorts such as Killington, Suicide Six,
Okemo, Magic Mountain, etc. All in all, this is one of the best deals
for your money in all of Vermont and well worth your research and
visit.
Bolton
Valley is in the right location, near Burlington and just off Interstate
89. It gets a ton of snow due to their base being the second highest in
the entire northeast in elevation. Good slopes, grooming and yet this
resort has had perpetual financial problems for years. My guess is, if
you are driving from the big cities in the northeast, it is just too far
when there are better resorts further south that you must pass by to get
to Bolton Valley. Second, its location means it competes with Smugglers
Notch, Jay and Stowe for business. They need to come up with something
really unique to bring in the skiers and revenue this resort needs to
upgrade and stay in business. Maybe something like all women or
Canadians ski free, free drinks and food etc. would certainly get the
traffic up and put the resort on the map. In any case, if you are in the
area, give Bolton Valley a try. It has been years since I skied the
resort but it wins out in terms of price, no crowds and friendly people
s to it’s other northern neighbors and this is something to consider.
But, then again, it is easy to give advice when you ski the Alps and
temporarily live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in Geneva,
Switzerland.
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Burke Mountain is
not really near anywhere so you have to plan on visiting this ski
resort. The location is magnificent in Vermont’s far northern “Northeast
Kingdom” as this is a ski mountain surrounded by hills relatively low in
comparison to the mountain. With 2,000 feet of vertical and over 250
inches of snow a year, it should be a major destination resort but the
location and past financial difficulties have held it back some in
recent years. Now, things are changing at Burke and the resort is owned
by the Burke Mountain Academy. Their claim is “we don’t have a
gymnasium, we have a mountain.” Note, Burke has been purchased by The
Ginn Company, a new update will follow.
- Bear Creek Mountain Club is a private ski resort not open to the general public but if
you want to read my opinion and endorsement of Bear Creek Mountain Club,
then read my recent article, "Dreaming of Your Own Private Ski Resort"
at
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Bromley Mountain is
very convenient right on highway 11 and the base is high at almost 2,000
feet elevation. It is the only ski resort in New England to face south
which means more sun but also increased snowmelt. Also, its average
snowfall is quite low at only 145 inches each year. Frankly I question
this statistic as nearby Stratton and Okemo both claim over 200 inches.
My daughter loves
their summer activities and the alpine slide as they have Vermont’s
largest family fun park. During the winter, if you don’t want too much
wild nightly entertainment and crowds, I would consider staying here at
the Bromley Village Condos take advantage of the very short distance to
Stratton, Okemo and Magic Mountain for more skiing variety.
- Jay
Peak gets more snow than any other ski resort on the east coast
averaging over 350 inches on an annual basis. In addition it is rapidly
turning into a four season resort with the addition of more on mountain
properties and a golf course. The downside is the resort is in the far
north of Vermont and they actually get more skiers from Quebec than from
the United States. This northern exposure also means a long season, cold
temperatures and quite a lot of wind as this mountain is exposed with
little protecting high terrain around it.
Still, in addition to the slopes, the aerial tram and the 100 plus acres
of off-piste terrain, I really enjoy the French influence from Quebec,
but then again this is probably no surprise to you since I currently
live in the French part of Switzerland. A great resort for a ski
destination and it is getting better each year. Also consider it for a
last minute ski destination if you find yourself up in Vermont, upstate
New York or New Hampshire for a ski week that gets washed out by rain.
Your best chance for snow may well be at Jay Peak Resort.
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What can I write about Killington Ski Resort that hasn't already been
written hundreds of times before. It is gigantic in terms of terrain,
trail length and skiing levels. To quote Killington, "7 mountains, 200
trails, 31 lifts and 87 miles of ski slopes...the hottest nightlife in
ski country."
The nightlife is
legendary as is the snow making and grooming. The transportation routes
by car are relatively easy and there is some reasonable priced lodging
all around Killington and Rutland. On the downside, it is crowded and
full of New Yorkers and others escaping the northeast corridor and this
can make for some tough traffic on peak weekends. The resort is
impersonal and at times almost too large and spread out for an eastern
resort. Also it needs a real village atmosphere and a dream match up
would be intrawest money and village expertise combined with the awesome
Killington terrain.
Still I give it the Ron
Holland Rating of # 1 in the east. When in college at the University of
South Carolina in Columbia I am embarrassed to say how often I skipped
Thursday and Friday classes to drive the 18 plus hours to ski at
Killington. Would I do it today at age 53, maybe if I had a long weekend
(grin) but not while I'm living over here in Geneva, Switzerland. I have
counted over 200 ski areas within 130 miles of Geneva so I have plenty
to check out here for now!
- Mad River Glen has no snowboarding, the nation's last
operating single chairlift, little snowmaking basically skiing as it was
25 years ago. Quoting Mad River Glen, "...
to forever protect the classic Mad River Glen skiing experience by
preserving low skier density, natural terrain and forests, varied trail
character, and friendly community atmosphere for the benefit of
shareholders, area personnel and patrons." Not my cup of tea but the
2,000 vertical might be yours so if you are into this kind of step back
into history at least try out what they have to offer on your next trip
to Vermont.
- Magic Mountian has !,700
vertical feet and based in Londonderry, VT right in the middle between
Killington, Stratton, Okemo and Bromley. I have never skied Magic
Mountain and this is probably my loss. Sorry to be so skimpy on what
appears to be an under rated but top notch ski area that deserves more
attention and information. I will check Magic Mountain out on my next
trip to Vermont later this year.
- Middlebury Snow Bowl is a university owned ski area similar to Burke
Mountain Academy owning Burke Mountain resort except Middlebury College
has owned the Snow Bowl area for decades. While I haven't skied
Middlebury yet, I have visited the small resort during ski season and I
really liked the character of the place especially the old lodge. There
is a lot of history here as this has been a ski resort since the 1930's.
. It has the oldest original base ski lodge still being used in the
entire United States. Middlebury also was the first customer of the Poma
Lift Corporation. 110 acres of ski terrain, 1000 vertical feet, three
lifts and 250 inches of snow annually make this a day area worth
visiting both for the skiing and history.
- Mount Snow is one of the
few Vermont ski resorts that I haven't had the opportunity to ski. I
guess I've had the opportunity but kept heading to resorts further north
as after driving non-stop all the way from North or South Carolina,
what's another 60 miles more or less. This is a big resort with over 140
trails and 20 lifts combined with 1,700 vertical feet of ski terrain.
Yes, being this far south in Vermont, the average snowfall is only 160
inches but they make up for the difference with a first-class snow
making operation.
- I
visited Okemo last fall and I was simply blown away by the changes at
the resort. It has always had the highest vertical in Southern Vermont
2,150 feet, great snowmaking, good service and impeccable grooming but
the changes going on over at their new Jackson Gore area made me think
of the Rockies and Whistler Village. It was nothing like I've seen in
Vermont with the attention to detail and other improvements and property
targeted toward affluent investors. If you can afford the prices, this
is the place you want to consider for a second home or ski property in
Vermont and this is the bottom line. Can't afford the property then make
your plans to ski here anyway because with 113 trails, the vertical and
the 200 inches of snow annually, this is worth your visit.
Also
in my research much of the credit for the new Okemo has to go to the Tim
& Diane Mueller and their commitment to excellence. They have purchased
Crested Butte, Colorado and lets see if they can recreate their success
here at Okemo Mountain Resort.
Crested Butte is my favorite Colorado resort but it has fallen on
hard times and they really do have their work cut out for them in
Colorado. There an interesting old town clashes with the modern sprawl
of a 1970's look ski resort and all of this in one of the most beautiful
panorama of mountains anywhere out west, except for Telluride Colorado.
Good luck Muellers on this project.
- Smugglers Notch is in a beautiful location with 2,600 vertical feet,
72 trails and over 1,000 acres of ski terrain this really is a big
resort. Add the 280 inches of natural snow, second in New England behind
Jay Peak Resort and its location on the other side of the mountain from
where historic Stowe Resort is located, make this for a winning
combination.
What
is the downside? Well it is in the middle of nowhere, often cold as
Hades and you can't go over the notch, we say "gap" down south or
valley out west, to Stowe during the winter, "unless you are skiing"
there. Another downside if you are a wild, out of control teenager or
college student is Smugglers Notch really is the ultimate in a family
resort for kids.
The
bottom line is if you have children who ski, this is my number one ski
resort recommendation in all of New England for families. If you are
single and looking for members of the opposite sex, (guess I should say
in today's PC society, or members of the same sex) don't go here for a
singles vacation. On the other hand, you might consider staying in
Burlington and driving up for the day to ski and you'll be OK. Also,
consider Smugglers Notch as a great vacation destination for kids in the
summer as last summer we were there and it looked like great fun.
- Stowe Mountain Resort has 48 trails, almost 2,400
vertical, 260 inches of annual snowfall and after all this is Stowe,
Vermont. Our family has skied here several times but I must admit I fell
more in love with the village and non-skiing activities than the slopes
of Snow Mountain Resort. Stowe has some of the best variety of lodging
at the ski area and around the town, than anywhere in the east. If you
want slope side convenience stay at the resort, for nighttime
entertainment stay on the access road but if you want a truly unique
European/Austrian experience, then stay at
The Trapp Family Lodge. Our family has truly enjoyed our stay at
this resort and this is my number one family vacation resort if you
don't want to be convenient to the skiing. Still you must first watch
the Sound of Music movie if somehow you have missed this classic before
staying at the lodge.
- Stratton is another great Intrawest resort with a convenient
village atmosphere in a perfect centralized location less than an hour
south of Killington and close to Bromley and Mount Snow. They have been
snowboarding since 1983 and the area includes 90 trails, 16 lifts and
almost 600 acres of terrain. Be sure to also check out the nearby
village of Manchester and the rest of southern Vermont.
- Suicide Six
is a small ski area
near the elegantly classic New England village of Woodstock. It has been
a ski area since 1937 and Woodstock is my favorite village in all of New
England. Three lifts, 23 trails, a little over 600 vertical and an
average snowfall of around 200 inches make this a great day area. On the
other hand, if only part of your family or group skis, there is much to
do around Woodstock and this would be an excellent compromise for the
skiing members of your family.
I
like this compromise because it might look like you are giving in to the
timid, boring non-skiers when in fact, you have the best of both worlds
with a Woodstock and Suicide Six combination. Yes, it is a beautiful
area with shopping, great accommodations, (consider the
Woodstock Inn & Resort), restaurants and entertainment, but don't
tell the others that the behemoth Killington Resort is just up the road
so you can show them Suicide Six, let them know all the vertical and
long runs you are giving up and then when you get tired of Suicide, head
up to Killington and no one will know the difference.
- Sugarbush Resort, what can I write about Mad River Valley
where Sugarbush Resort is located except to say it really is one of the
prettiest places on God's green and in the winter, white earth. I have
traveled all over the west and Canada and visited more valley's and
quaint villages here in Switzerland and Austria than I can count, but my
thoughts seriously always compare them to the Mad River Valley area.
Maybe it was the great day I spent with my older girls when they were
younger up there after a terrific day of skiing. All I wanted to do was
to get to the hot tub but they had seen the nearby little store selling
teddy bears. They drug me there and I will always cherish the hours we
spent choosing just the right one for each girl. I am in love with this
part of Vermont and coming from a North Carolina mountain boy, that is
saying a lot.
So
much for nostalgia, what can the Sugarbush area offer skiers today? The
resort is huge when compared to everywhere else in Vermont except for
Killington. 54 miles of ski slopes, 115 trails and almost 2,700 feet of
vertical, 17 lifts and an average snowfall of 250 inches. An
exceptional choice of lodging, restaurants and entertainment.
Vermont Ski Clubs
Barton-Glover Bill Koch League Club
Brattleboro Outing Club
Breadloaf Bill Koch Ski Club
Catamount Trail Association
Colchester Bill Koch Ski League
Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club
East Montpelier Ski Club
Killington Ski Club
Mad River Valley Bill Koch Ski League
Mansfield Nordic Ski Club
Memphremagog Bill Koch League Club
Mountain Meadows Ski Club
Mountain Top Nordic
Northeast Nordic Ski Club
Prospect Mountain Ski Club
Putney Ski Club
Stowe Nordic Outing Club
Stratton Mountain School
Vermont Nordic Ski Foundation
West River Nordic Ski Club
Westford Nordic Ski Club
Williston Bill Koch League Club
Woodstock Nordic Club
