The 2018-2019 Ski Season Thread

[HIPPYVALLEY]

21 minutes ago, mreaves said:

That makes sense. I never think Stowe is as far up 100 from Waterbury as it actually is. Woodbury gets a lot of snow. It’s 2 ridges over from Stowe. The camp I go to during deer season is on Buffalo Mountain. The view catches a small piece of Mansfield all the way up to Jay Peak. Woodbury also has more lakes and ponds than any other town in the state. 

Nice area, real rural living.  I worked at Buffalo Mt Co-op one summer when I was living in Greensboro.

[mreaves]

1 hour ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

Nice area, real rural living.  I worked at Buffalo Mt Co-op one summer when I was living in Greensboro.

High above beautiful downtown Hardwick!

[Angus]

Been waiting for someone to post this here. Snow making pipe failure with water hitting gondola on XMAS eve at Stratton...crazy.

https://youtu.be/Q6PwZB_AK9c

 

[mreaves]

7 minutes ago, Angus said:

Been waiting for someone to post this here. Snow making pipe failure with water hitting gondola on XMAS eve at Stratton...crazy.

https://youtu.be/Q6PwZB_AK9c

 

Wow.  Really knocking that one gondola car around.  I assume they were able to stop and unload the gondola before anyone got into that firehose.

[LongBeachSurfFreak]

32 minutes ago, Angus said:

Been waiting for someone to post this here. Snow making pipe failure with water hitting gondola on XMAS eve at Stratton...crazy.

https://youtu.be/Q6PwZB_AK9c

 

I’ll be there tomorrow, I’ll find out the details and let you guys know. I bet they weren’t running the gondola for passengers at the time anyway.

[#NoPoles]

2 hours ago, Angus said:

Been waiting for someone to post this here. Snow making pipe failure with water hitting gondola on XMAS eve at Stratton...crazy.

https://youtu.be/Q6PwZB_AK9c

 

That's an oops. Tenney mtn also had a snowmaking oops. One of their snow guns got launched like a rocket when they turned on their snow making system

[wxsniss]

Hey New Englanders,

TIA for any tips...

Planning a ski trip for my wife and I for MLK weekend and thought some of you might have good tips. My wife is a 1-time skiing beginner = she will get bored repeating a carpet lift run, but she is nervous about the quantum leap to a Green trail and is looking for a very wide, easy Green to build her confidence. 

We are debating Stowe vs. Stratton vs. anywhere else in NH/VT with at least 1-2 very wide easy Greens and a nice ski village feel. Other concern is crowds and lines on MLK weekend.

At Stowe, Spruce Peak seems to have several nice wide trails: Inspiration, Easy Street as a step above carpet lift trails. Concern is the 3.5-4 hr drive, and no reasonably priced lodging immediately at base. However, lodging 15 min drive away in the town of Stowe seems nice and reasonably priced. Any tips on driving from Boston and where to stay?

Stratton is reputed to be good for beginners, but it's not obvious which trails are truly wide and easy. Also, I have read the crowds are terrible on holiday weekends. And prices are exorbitant for lodging at base.

Any rec's to share from these or other mountains that might be good for beginners? Thanks!

[Angus]

I'd go Stowe. Better chance on finding good snow. Stay downtown or on access road. It's a nice town with lots of lodging and dining options. Best place for your skiing ability in NH would be Bretton Woods but beyond condos and the Mt. Washington Hotel I can't comment on lodging. I guess you could stay in N. Conway/Jackson area too. Ski at Cranmore which is a fun little mountain IMO.

 

 

[cny rider]

Stowe seems crazy expensive for that kind of experience.

I don't know the areas out toward Boston.

In upstate NY we have Royal Mountain and other local places that offer great beginner lessons and packages at very reasonable prices.

 

[HoarfrostHubb]

Okemo has some nice, wide green groomers

Interesting fact, Okemo autocorrected to oleomargarine on my iPad. 

[uncletim]

I'm not native to this forum, but I have spent a good amount of time scoping out the different resorts over the years and I'm not an advanced skier, so I might be able to contribute.

Stratton should have enough wide easy greens even from the top. As I recall, East and West Meadows are just as their names imply: wide and low angle. Also nice easy trails, not quite so wide open, from Tamarack on the lower 3rd of the mountain. In my experience, steeper trails tend to get scraped off quickly by crowds. Stratton also has the only real slopeside village in NE that I know of - a walking mall with shops, restaurants etc.

Okemo is a great fit for lower level skiers in general. Grooming is top notch and almost nothing is steep, so it's tough to get into trouble. Lots of wide greens and easy blues. While there are plenty of slopeside accommodations, there's no "village" as such. Ludlow has some pleasant lower priced overnight options.

Concur with Angus that Bretton Woods may be the best for lower level skiers, with lots of different green options and the bonus of an amazing view when you can see it. No village, but if you stay at the Mt. Washington (expensive of course), just about everything will be at hand. If you stay in North Conway, which has tons of accommodations at all different price levels, you can take a day at Wildcat. The trip down Polecat is a great experience for beginners.

Stowe is one of the few places I have not been, so I can't compare.

MLK weekend is likely to be both crowded and pricey at all the big resorts, so maybe some others can comment on ways to avoid or deal with the worst of that. Good Luck!

[Dan76]

5 hours ago, uncletim said:

I'm not native to this forum, but I have spent a good amount of time scoping out the different resorts over the years and I'm not an advanced skier, so I might be able to contribute.

Stratton should have enough wide easy greens even from the top. As I recall, East and West Meadows are just as their names imply: wide and low angle. Also nice easy trails, not quite so wide open, from Tamarack on the lower 3rd of the mountain. In my experience, steeper trails tend to get scraped off quickly by crowds. Stratton also has the only real slopeside village in NE that I know of - a walking mall with shops, restaurants etc.

Okemo is a great fit for lower level skiers in general. Grooming is top notch and almost nothing is steep, so it's tough to get into trouble. Lots of wide greens and easy blues. While there are plenty of slopeside accommodations, there's no "village" as such. Ludlow has some pleasant lower priced overnight options.

Concur with Angus that Bretton Woods may be the best for lower level skiers, with lots of different green options and the bonus of an amazing view when you can see it. No village, but if you stay at the Mt. Washington (expensive of course), just about everything will be at hand. If you stay in North Conway, which has tons of accommodations at all different price levels, you can take a day at Wildcat. The trip down Polecat is a great experience for beginners.

Stowe is one of the few places I have not been, so I can't compare.

MLK weekend is likely to be both crowded and pricey at all the big resorts, so maybe some others can comment on ways to avoid or deal with the worst of that. Good Luck!

Head west my friend.

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

On 12/28/2018 at 6:04 PM, wxsniss said:

Hey New Englanders,

TIA for any tips...

Planning a ski trip for my wife and I for MLK weekend and thought some of you might have good tips. My wife is a 1-time skiing beginner = she will get bored repeating a carpet lift run, but she is nervous about the quantum leap to a Green trail and is looking for a very wide, easy Green to build her confidence. 

We are debating Stowe vs. Stratton vs. anywhere else in NH/VT with at least 1-2 very wide easy Greens and a nice ski village feel. Other concern is crowds and lines on MLK weekend.

At Stowe, Spruce Peak seems to have several nice wide trails: Inspiration, Easy Street as a step above carpet lift trails. Concern is the 3.5-4 hr drive, and no reasonably priced lodging immediately at base. However, lodging 15 min drive away in the town of Stowe seems nice and reasonably priced. Any tips on driving from Boston and where to stay?

Stratton is reputed to be good for beginners, but it's not obvious which trails are truly wide and easy. Also, I have read the crowds are terrible on holiday weekends. And prices are exorbitant for lodging at base.

Any rec's to share from these or other mountains that might be good for beginners? Thanks!

North Conway is a nice area to stay. All kinds of lodging and different food categories.

Ifs a good jump off for a bunch of mountains too.

I like cranmore, and it’s a great mountain for a beginner. Green trails all over and even some nice wide and winding greens coming down from the top.

My fiancé is a beginner and hesitant, i have taken her to king pine a few times. Pretty small place but a lot of easy terrain that isn’t too daunting. It’s about a half hour ride from North Conway area.

Its cheaper, and you just might avoid the huge crowds there

[LongBeachSurfFreak]

On 12/28/2018 at 6:04 PM, wxsniss said:

Hey New Englanders,

TIA for any tips...

Planning a ski trip for my wife and I for MLK weekend and thought some of you might have good tips. My wife is a 1-time skiing beginner = she will get bored repeating a carpet lift run, but she is nervous about the quantum leap to a Green trail and is looking for a very wide, easy Green to build her confidence. 

We are debating Stowe vs. Stratton vs. anywhere else in NH/VT with at least 1-2 very wide easy Greens and a nice ski village feel. Other concern is crowds and lines on MLK weekend.

At Stowe, Spruce Peak seems to have several nice wide trails: Inspiration, Easy Street as a step above carpet lift trails. Concern is the 3.5-4 hr drive, and no reasonably priced lodging immediately at base. However, lodging 15 min drive away in the town of Stowe seems nice and reasonably priced. Any tips on driving from Boston and where to stay?

Stratton is reputed to be good for beginners, but it's not obvious which trails are truly wide and easy. Also, I have read the crowds are terrible on holiday weekends. And prices are exorbitant for lodging at base.

Any rec's to share from these or other mountains that might be good for beginners? Thanks!

I’m on my way to Stratton as we speak and spend a ton of time there. Normally I would say pass on MLK but there is a brand new top to bottom 6 person lift opening before then. It’s going to revolutionize the mountain by spreading crowds. This new snow bowl lift will service some of the longest and easiest beginner trails in the east. I’m talking easy enough for a first time beginner. And then of course there is the Tamarrak area which is very large for a pure beginner area with tons of cool trails with bridges and tunnels. Yes lodging at the base is expensive but try black bear lodge. Awesome apres ski hot tub and reasonable prices. It’s also walking distance to the base and town area. (They have shuttles too). Grooming and snow making are as good as it gets too!!! Impeccable clean with a nice family vibe and the only gondola, highest peak and most vertical in southern Vermont 

looking forward to a couple fun days myself. Hopefully New Year’s Day isn’t another disaster 

[cny rider]

41 minutes ago, LongBeachSurfFreak said:

I’m on my way to Stratton as we speak and spend a ton of time there. Normally I would say pass on MLK but there is a brand new top to bottom 6 person lift opening before then. It’s going to revolutionize the mountain by spreading crowds. This new snow bowl lift will service some of the longest and easiest beginner trails in the east. I’m talking easy enough for a first time beginner. And then of course there is the Tamarrak area which is very large for a pure beginner area with tons of cool trails with bridges and tunnels. Yes lodging at the base is expensive but try black bear lodge. Awesome apres ski hot tub and reasonable prices. It’s also walking distance to the base and town area. (They have shuttles too). Grooming and snow making are as good as it gets too!!! Impeccable clean with a nice family vibe and the only gondola, highest peak and most vertical in southern Vermont 

looking forward to a couple fun days myself. Hopefully New Year’s Day isn’t another disaster 

Great info.

Never been there but sounds like we should give it a try.

 

[MarkO]

On 12/28/2018 at 6:04 PM, wxsniss said:

Hey New Englanders,

TIA for any tips...

Planning a ski trip for my wife and I for MLK weekend and thought some of you might have good tips. My wife is a 1-time skiing beginner = she will get bored repeating a carpet lift run, but she is nervous about the quantum leap to a Green trail and is looking for a very wide, easy Green to build her confidence. 

We are debating Stowe vs. Stratton vs. anywhere else in NH/VT with at least 1-2 very wide easy Greens and a nice ski village feel. Other concern is crowds and lines on MLK weekend.

At Stowe, Spruce Peak seems to have several nice wide trails: Inspiration, Easy Street as a step above carpet lift trails. Concern is the 3.5-4 hr drive, and no reasonably priced lodging immediately at base. However, lodging 15 min drive away in the town of Stowe seems nice and reasonably priced. Any tips on driving from Boston and where to stay?

Stratton is reputed to be good for beginners, but it's not obvious which trails are truly wide and easy. Also, I have read the crowds are terrible on holiday weekends. And prices are exorbitant for lodging at base.

Any rec's to share from these or other mountains that might be good for beginners? Thanks!

If you can deal with the longer drive, I'd go to Tremblant. it's an hour and a half north of Montreal, but it's really got everything. We usually break up the drive by staying Friday night in Montreal. No holiday weekend up there that weekend (I usually go there Feb vacation for the same reasons). There are some really easy trails on the southwest side. My wife and daughter love it. There's a reason it's rated #1 in the east, plus strong US dollar. 

[LongBeachSurfFreak]

1 hour ago, MarkO said:

If you can deal with the longer drive, I'd go to Tremblant. it's an hour and a half north of Montreal, but it's really got everything. We usually break up the drive by staying Friday night in Montreal. No holiday weekend up there that weekend (I usually go there Feb vacation for the same reasons). There are some really easy trails on the southwest side. My wife and daughter love it. There's a reason it's rated #1 in the east, plus strong US dollar. 

I have always heard good things. I find it funny when naive people going there think they are going to the Canadian Rockies or something. Top elevation is 2875. That’s pretty low even being a little further north. It’s still an east coast mountain with east coast weather issues.

[Angus]

Wanting to get a day in of skiing before returning to Dallas and meh conditions, my son called an audible and suggested Jiminy Peak. Neither of us had ever skied there and I was intrigued. Driving out the masspike from 128, it took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes driving probably 5-10 mph above speed limit. Arriving we found no natural snow but a nice base village. They had a good amount of terrain open - tilled frozen granular over groomed ice showing  in some high trafficked areas but I was impressed by how they had pulled things together. The terrain was surprisingly impressive - there is a lot of good pitch to slopes. Both my son and I said, it would be fun to ski during a storm. We got our 30K of turns and went home satisfied. As someone, who always looks north to VT, NH, or ME for there destination, this was a nice alternative. My son's next planned day on the slopes will be Alyeska...a big change!

[snowgeek]

You can tell the skiing must generally suck given 3 days w/o a post lol. I assume there’s a lot of ice. Anyone been lately?


.

[alex]

26 minutes ago, snowgeek said:

You can tell the skiing must generally suck given 3 days w/o a post lol. I assume there’s a lot of ice. Anyone been lately?


.

Skied Cannon today, it wasnt bad at all and a couple of trails still had decent powder 

[#NoPoles]

Ski Country, It's Coming! 

[#NoPoles]

Burlington Free Press reportung Jay Peak will be up for sale in a few weeks

[Tom12309]

14 minutes ago, #NoPoles said:

Burlington Free Press reportung Jay Peak will be up for sale in a few weeks

Starting GoFundMe page now.

[redbanknjandbigbasslakepa]

I’d pass on Stratton as it is very expensive, can be crowded and an overall poor experience. It’s more of a gondola and pumpkin latte crowd than a quality skiing experience. For a beginner looking for cruising terrain I’d give Okemo, Bretton Woods and Bromley a shot. 

For an experienced skier looking for terrain, when there is quality natural snow there is nothing better on the east coast than Magic Mtn. 

[HoarfrostHubb]

5 hours ago, snowgeek said:

You can tell the skiing must generally suck given 3 days w/o a post lol. I assume there’s a lot of ice. Anyone been lately?


.

I had my ski club at Wachusett last night. Kids were having fun. A bit of ice but skiable.  

[alex]

Speaking of Cannon, picture from today

[snowgeek]

Speaking of Cannon, picture from today

I’ve never skied the White’s. Gotta make the drive done day. Cannon is 4 hours for me so would have to be an overnight. I can be in S VT in 1.5 hours.


.

[alex]

53 minutes ago, snowgeek said:

I’ve never skied the White’s. Gotta make the drive done day. Cannon is 4 hours for me so would have to be an overnight. I can be in S VT in 1.5 hours.


.

Definitely do an overnight sometime. There's plenty to see! Beautiful mountains, very ragged

[Jason215]

8 hours ago, snowgeek said:

You can tell the skiing must generally suck given 3 days w/o a post lol. I assume there’s a lot of ice. Anyone been lately?


.

Skied Killington on Sunday. I knew it would be bad due to Friday’s rainstorm and subsequent hard freeze- but was already committed with lodging and a group of friends. I convinced my group to skip skiing on Saturday to give the resort a good 24 hrs to make snow for Sunday.

I mapped out all the trails which had snowmaking the night before (or blowing snow during the day) and skied only those trails. You could still feel the boilerplate beneath the madmade snow. By 2PM, the snow was all skied  off and I thought I’d become the latest act of the Icecapades. It was pretty bad, but tried to make lemonade out of a lemon.

Jason

[Jason215]

3 hours ago, redbanknjandbigbasslakepa said:

I’d pass on Stratton as it is very expensive, can be crowded and an overall poor experience. It’s more of a gondola and pumpkin latte crowd than a quality skiing experience. For a beginner looking for cruising terrain I’d give Okemo, Bretton Woods and Bromley a shot. 

For an experienced skier looking for terrain, when there is quality natural snow there is nothing better on the east coast than Magic Mtn. 

I can’t diss on Stratton. That was my first big resort I ever skied. I also skied there on the March 1993 superstorm. I couldn’t believe they ran the Gondi all day until about 4pm without any wind holds. It was nuts, could barely see the trials. Drove to the Red Sled Motel in whiteout conditions- it was scary. 

Have to agree with you on Okemo, great mountain and I prefer that over Stratton.  

Speaking of Magic- hit that last March after the 4 NorEaster’s. They got about 80” within roughly 2 weeks. It was awesome. Lift lines were 20-25 minutes per run since the black chair was having issues and not operating- but there were zero complaints- the snow was that good.

Plattekill Mountain in the Catskills is similar to Magic, though smaller. On the plus side, the longest line I’ve ever seen there was 5 minutes. Usually it’s between 0 and 2 minutes, LOL.

Jason