Vermont

[paolo]

Im thinking about taking a trip to vermont. Ive never been there before, only pa and a bit out west. From what Ive heard on newschoolers.com it is shitty but idk a bunch of those kids are spoiled and rich. Is it worth it to go up?

[toast21602]

personally, i'm not a huge fan of vermont or other places up north. i dont think it is much better or bigger than here, other than receiving more snow. i would much rather save my money and ski out west because spending extra money to go to vermont doesnt seem worth it to me anymore.

[poconoceancity]

personally, i'm not a huge fan of vermont or other places up north. i dont think it is much better or bigger than here, other than receiving more snow. i would much rather save my money and ski out west because spending extra money to go to vermont doesnt seem worth it to me anymore.

From a non-park view VT is way better than PA.

[toast21602]

From a non-park view VT is way better than PA.

 

i'm not talking about park either. i would just rather ski 6000' of above treeline stuff and nice steeps and cliffs and whatnot than some groomers and glades up there.

Edited February 6, 2008 by toast21602

[poconoceancity]

i'm not talking about park either. i would just rather ski 6000' of above treeline stuff and nice steems and cliffs and whatnot than some groomers and glades up there.

Agreed, but if the choice is between PA and VT for a long weekend I think most people would pick VT.

[Glenn]

i'm not talking about park either. i would just rather ski 6000' of above treeline stuff and nice steems and cliffs and whatnot than some groomers and glades up there.

 

Who has 6000' above treeline in North America?

[toast21602]

Who has 6000' above treeline in North America?

 

typo. 5000'. thanks for calling me out. haha.

[Glenn]

Yeah, still wondering who has 5000' above treeline in north america.

[poconoceancity]

Yeah, still wondering who has 5000' above treeline in north america.

Maybe Alaska...

[Glenn]

Maybe Alaska...

 

 

Yeah Alaska for sure, but not lift served. Although I suppose backcountry could be considered a draw to come westward.

Edited February 6, 2008 by Glenn

[NJSkiFamily]

Agreed, but if the choice is between PA and VT for a long weekend I think most people would pick VT.

 

 

And to answer the original question......I would give VT a try. Carefully research the different mountains and pick one that suits your needs.

[n0xidee]

It really depends on what you are looking for. If you enjoy some tree skiing, and a lot more vert than BC, then yes. If you just like to cruise down groomers, go to Blue. If your into park, stick to Boulder.

[phillycore]

Vermont isn't like going out west... but it sure beats the hell out of Pa.

[poconoceancity]

 

And to answer the original question......I would give VT a try. Carefully research the different mountains and pick one that suits your needs.

I love Pico, it's like the Sno of VT. No lift lines even on the holiday weekends, plenty of ski in/out places and just a 5 minute drive to K. Plus all the bars and restaurants that the access road offers.

[toast21602]

Yeah, still wondering who has 5000' above treeline in north america.

 

nothing is. you are reading into it too much. let me rephrase: i would rather ski 6000' of a mountain that has above treeline stuff, steeps, and cliffs rather than what vermont has.

[phillycore]

FWIW I knew what you meant by it Toast....

[Glenn]

nothing is. you are reading into it too much. let me rephrase: i would rather ski 6000' of a mountain that has above treeline stuff, steeps, and cliffs rather than what vermont has.

 

Me too, but... getting here is a pain, and that MRG thread made the place seem kind of cool, minus the fuddy duddys who won't let snowboarders in. I've also seen some pretty killer TR's on TGR for Stowe and a few other VT areas. If you sleep in your car (clearly not for everyone) and packed food there is no way a trip out west and one in VT compare. Also, I know people in VT who likely have a place I can crash rather than sleep in a car. I get you can do out west for cheap, but I don't think you have really explored how cheap VT can be.

 

Then again, I've never really used airplanes for transportation and I'm probably hesitant to do so when I find the car so practical.

[Justin]

VT still blows PA well out of the water. The runs may not be that much bigger lengthwise (even still they're about double the vert, up to 5x the length, and some of the bigger resorts have avg. 100 trails open with good weather) but the snowfall, snow quality, and terrain kicks the shit out of PA. Get there on a dump and you can ski some sick, sick trees. If you know where to find them you can come across dropoffs, cliffs, and other sick stuff. Even after a dump you can still find powder stashes. Also there is some VT backcountry if you don't mind hiking. Just hook up with a local and they'll show you where - the backside of Stowe is super sick after a fresh dump. I noticed that the snow doesn't get mad shitty in VT like it does in PA. Even after the cord on groomers is skied down and tracked, it still stays nice and doesn't turn to sugar or ice, mostly because skier traffic is real spread out compared to PA.

 

They're are bad things though. Some of the VT mountains have downgraded lifts compared to here. If they have a high speed or gondola its usually the only one and crowds up real quick. Lifts can be $75+ for a single day for some resorts like Killy and Stowe. A lot of places don't have snowmaking, so if you get up there after a warm spell or rain you can expect to lose a bunch of trails and glades, but even still their natural snowfall is enough to keep them afloat way better than PA will ever do with snowmaking. The parks usually aren't too great either. If you want park though I'd stick to NH or Maine (Sunday River, Loon all great) or check out Stratton (park passes!). But then again there are way better things to ski in VT than the park.

 

All in all, VT is a great weekend trip destination when you want to get away from PA and have limited cash. You can wheel and deal for a room, and if you can get enough people to split up costs you can have a weekend for pretty cheap. I wouldn't spend anymore than a weekend though. I'd rather just stay out west for a week or so. When you look at the big picture you're still skiing the east which can be molehills compared to out west.

[phillycore]

VT still blows PA well out of the water. The runs may not be that much bigger lengthwise (even still they're about double the vert, up to 5x the length, and some of the bigger resorts have avg. 100 trails open with good weather) but the snowfall, snow quality, and terrain kicks the shit out of PA. Get there on a dump and you can ski some sick, sick trees. If you know where to find them you can come across dropoffs, cliffs, and other sick stuff. Even after a dump you can still find powder stashes. Also there is some VT backcountry if you don't mind hiking. Just hook up with a local and they'll show you where - the backside of Stowe is super sick after a fresh dump. I noticed that the snow doesn't get mad shitty in VT like it does in PA. Even after the cord on groomers is skied down and tracked, it still stays nice and doesn't turn to sugar or ice, mostly because skier traffic is real spread out compared to PA.

 

They're are bad things though. Some of the VT mountains have downgraded lifts compared to here. If they have a high speed or gondola its usually the only one and crowds up real quick. Lifts can be $75+ for a single day for some resorts like Killy and Stowe. A lot of places don't have snowmaking, so if you get up there after a warm spell or rain you can expect to lose a bunch of trails and glades, but even still their natural snowfall is enough to keep them afloat way better than PA will ever do with snowmaking. The parks usually aren't too great either. If you want park though I'd stick to NH or Maine (Sunday River, Loon all great) or check out Stratton (park passes!). But then again there are way better things to ski in VT than the park.

 

All in all, VT is a great weekend trip destination when you want to get away from PA and have limited cash. You can wheel and deal for a room, and if you can get enough people to split up costs you can have a weekend for pretty cheap. I wouldn't spend anymore than a weekend though. I'd rather just stay out west for a week or so. When you look at the big picture you're still skiing the east which can be molehills compared to out west.

 

 

Well said...

[JaySkisBig]

personally, i'm not a huge fan of vermont or other places up north. i dont think it is much better or bigger than here, other than receiving more snow. i would much rather save my money and ski out west because spending extra money to go to vermont doesnt seem worth it to me anymore.

 

 

DUUUUUUDE,,, Is that what METH does to people's minds? LOL JK, but seriously, not much bigger or better than anything in PA... Cmon now. I'm not about hating, but let's be real. There is a lot to say about skiing up north.

 

First of all, White Face (Ice Face to those that know the mountain well) in NY has more vert than: The Canyons and Park City in Utah and Mammoth in California. (Yes, lift serviced vert and continuous). If ya wanna hike White Face then you get even more. Lift serviced, it's 3216' and if The Slides are open, then you can get 3400' with a hike. They held the 1980 Winter Olympics at White Face. This means they had to have a Downhill run. Do you know any place in PA that has the terrain to sponsor an Olympic Downhill run?

 

Both White Face and K-Town has more vert than: Marmot, Snowbasin, Deer Valley, Crusty But, Crystal, Taos, Squaw, Copper, A-Basin and even Alta. (There are more well known western areas that these two Northeast places tower over, but I think the point is made).

 

Now I am not an expert on PA ski areas, but I have skied most of them (even holes like and from what I know, Blue has the most vert in PA at 1082' and Blue is close behind at 1072'. Maybe this has something to do with the new 'Fuzzy Math' that is being taught in schools today, but I don't get how 3216' is not bigger than 1082'. To me that is a gargantuan difference; bordering on colossal. Let me try my old-school math... isn't that about 297% bigger? Please, somebody correct me if I am wrong. I am not trying to cut on PA ski hills. I think it is awesome to have places to ski close to home, but don't misrepresent what they are and try to compare them to places that are so much bigger. There are places in Virginia, West Virginia and even North Carolina that have more skiable vertical than 1082'. Surprised? If you want their stats/locations/names, ask and I will add to this blog.

 

Now to really play with people's minds. Are you ready for this? Jay Peak gets more average annual snowfall than Vail or Steamboat. This is not a typo. Yes, close to 30 FEET of snow. Look it up for yourself. The info is all out there.

 

Would ya like me to get into the total skiable acreage? Maybe another time

[midster3]

killed it^^

[toast21602]

Is skiing the east close to what it is out west? The short answer is no. It is not even close.

 

Maybe I did a wrong thing to talk about Mad River. Ski mags call it lift serviced Tuckermans and it truly is a place to experience, but with all these haters... maybe they all should stay away, the mountain doesn't want your type and the groomer grannies that think Blue is the best in Eastern skiing... ummm yeahhhhhhh. Nuff said.

 

KEEP IT REAL!

(Sorry for my rant... stupidity should be painful)

 

thats all i'm trying to say. no need for a rant with name-calling and asumptions that you have made up. the east is nothing compared to the west. all the man asked for was an opinion on heading up to vermont and i gave it.

 

the mountain doesnt want my type? so what is my type? oh. the type that would rather ski out west than on the east coast? let me tell ya, there are a lot of "my type" around. and also, not ONCE did i say anything about Blue being the best in easter skiing. Blue sucks. you are oviously making things up right now. i would much rather ski okemo or killington than Blue. but is the cost of a trip worth it to go up there when you could go out west? to me, no. but thats just my opinion.

 

stupididy should be painful? yes i suppose it is stupid to say that skiing out west is better than skiing on the east coast. shit. my bad.

[Johnny Law]

Hahah little shit heads on NS know nothing about VT, NH or Maine. Snow, terrain, vibe all of it is far far better than PA its not the west in some terms but it can challenge you just as much. You want Pow, cliffs, steeps, pillows, BC, booters, rails, pipe it is all there and at a level that is some what comprable to the West. Is it as easy to find and in the same abundance ? No but f*ckers who skip the NE so they can go west once or twice a year are missing alot and that fine because then there is more for me.

 

BTW Go tell sam or soul the last time you rode shit like this in PA - it amazes me that skiers from PA can be so closed minded

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2008 by Johnny Law

[JaySkisBig]

First off, before you get your little pink panties in a bunch.... oops too late, I was calling myself stupid for ranting. At this point, take it how you want. I personally don't care. Just like you I too have an opinion and as you, am entitled to it. Second, I did say that east coast skiing doesn't compare to west coast, but I also said to appreciate each and every mountain for what it has to offer.

 

Let's get into the thick of the BS. You flat out said... " i dont think it is much better or bigger than here, other than receiving more snow. i would much rather save my money and ski out west because spending extra money to go to vermont doesnt seem worth it to me anymore." (Just because you experienced the west for the first time?) LOL

How is almost 300% more vert not bigger? (Any time you want to answer....)

What makes a mountain better? Is it snowfall, total acreage, steeps, cliffs? Up north has them all and it's a lot closer and cheaper then going out west for somebody that may not have it in their budget to do so.

 

Ohhhh this is actually fun.... You are telling me, "no need for a rant with name-calling and asumptions that you have made up." If I can't even make fun of myself or call myself names, then who can I make fun of? Me making things up? Let's just stop trying to create facts out of fiction, there are no ski areas (we are still talking about ski areas or are you going to change it up now and say heli-skiing.. haha) that have 6,000 feet of skiable in North America. You did say that, "i would rather ski 6000' of a mountain that has above treeline stuff, steeps, and cliffs rather than what vermont has." Whistler Blackcomb has the most vert in North America and that is about 5200'. Fact!

 

It's great that you went out to Jackson, I hope you had the best time of your life, but don't cut on everything else just because it is not Jackson. If you drive a Ferrari one time, does that mean you should give up driving because the car in your garage is only a modded R32?

 

If you have been up north many times, I don't know why you weren't able to hook up with some locals to have them show you where the best stuff is. As far as your type, that's easy... somebody that would pass judgement and make comparisons between areas in PA vs. an area like Mad River without even going there. Have you skied Mad River or Jay Peak or the backwoods of Sugarbush?

 

Just as you I too am very opinionated, but I tend not to water it down. I call it how I see it. If I could rewrite my previous post, I wouldn't change a thing. IT IS JUST STUPID TO SAY THAT PLACES LIKE WHITE FACE OR JAY PEAK ARE NOT MUCH BIGGER OR BETTER THAN PLACES HERE (in PA). As far as Blue Mountin sucking... How can you say that? A detachable 6-pack, a killer park, over 1000' of vert., pond skimming, a cardboard box derby, a great racing program... all close to home. They do more for PA skiing than anyone around.

 

Can I toss in the olive branch at this time? (This means to make peace). If you are open to suggestions, then let me suggest something. The next time you go up to VT or NH, take a few early runs then stop by the ski school. If you really want to see the best a ski area has to offer, then strike up a conversation with a local instructor. Donate an hour of your time helping him/her out teaching a class in exchange for having them show you some of the mountain. Many times they'll just say come back at a certain hour and take a few runs, but if they take you up on helping out with teaching a class, I'd hope you'd have fun with that. Part of the ski experience is giving back. We were all beginners at one point.

 

Up to you bro, but I'm lookin to make peace. I've skied tons of places both east and west. I've even surfed and skied in the same day. We can go back and forth, but what's the point? I can offer you some good input as I am sure you can offer me some great input as well. I can even tell you how to ski free at places like The Canyons, Park City, and more. So what's it going to be; peace or should I really turn into a douche?

Edited February 6, 2008 by JaySkisBig

[JaySkisBig]

Johnny, that bottom pic looks very familiar. Is that Magic Mtn by any chance? I've done some sick skiing at Magic. A buddy of mine had access to the mountain via snowmobile and we'd take turns running each other and friends up when we weren't able to get back to the lifts. I hope they get hit with big snow late in the season like they did last year. Good Times!

Edited February 6, 2008 by JaySkisBig