Mount Snow 3/31 - 4/3?

[vinnyv11]

I'm trying to do a ski trip next week (3/31 - 4/3) and am considering Mount Snow. What are peoples thoughts on the mountain for a beginner/Novice and an advanced intermediate? Also thoughts on what conditions we should expect up there. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I need to book something soon if i'm going to be able to get up there.

[Kyle]

I'm trying to do a ski trip next week (3/31 - 4/3) and am considering Mount Snow. What are peoples thoughts on the mountain for a beginner/Novice and an advanced intermediate? Also thoughts on what conditions we should expect up there. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I need to book something soon if i'm going to be able to get up there.

Never been there but.i have.heard.mixed things about it.

[Ride Delaware ?]

I havent been to Mount Snow too often, and definitely haven't been this late in the season. That being said, they are known for blowing a good amount of snow and with these cold temperatures there should still be plenty of snow around... When I was there last year I found their terrain, advanced and intermediate included, not to be that challenging. Some of their trails have a good pitch and runout and they have some good cruisers. Be careful of mogul trails. They are notorious for not putting up mogul signage and on several occasions last year I found myself flying down a groomer, coming along a fork in the trail, choosing one direction, and quickly finding myself flying over bumps. It would definitely be a fun SoVt trip, but 4 days might be a little much. I was there 2 days and that was more than enough to satisfy my appetite. I would have probably gotten quite bored by the 4th day. Remember that from there you are only about an hour away from Killington. While I go to Killington much more than I like to, for a first timer (to K-Mart) it will definitely have all the terrain your looking for. They also have pretty affordable rates for ski and stay packages which is usually the reason I go there. Sugarbush also has similarly good deals this time of the season, but it is 2 hours north of Mt. Snow and is definitely geared more to the advanced skier.

[vinnyv11]

While I go to Killington much more than I like to, for a first timer (to K-Mart) it will definitely have all the terrain your looking for. They also have pretty affordable rates for ski and stay packages which is usually the reason I go there.

 

Any tips on where to find a decent rate for Killington? I've found there prices to be on the higher end.

[RootDKJ]

I went to MS for the 1st time in Feb. The mountain is great, and I think you'd really like the layout and terrain. However, I was let down by the surrounding area.

 

Station Tap Room for happy hour as they have the best beer selection

Last Chair also has a good beer selection.

Valley Saloon has a decent beer selection, but the best food of the 3.

Two Tannery if it's date nite.

South Bowl and Snowdance are the widest trails I've ever seen

 

Any tips on where to find a decent rate for Killington? I've found there prices to be on the higher end.

 

Mountain Sports Inn

Edited March 24, 2011 by RootDKJ

[Ride Delaware ?]

Any tips on where to find a decent rate for Killington? I've found there prices to be on the higher end.

 

I basically went on their website under the lodging section and picked a 3 or 4 days ski package which usually gives you the 3rd or 4th day free depending on how many nights your staying. You pick your lodging option separately from your lift ticket. Additionally, the website allows you to choose from all surrounding lodging, not just those managed by Killington. That basically gives you some pretty good options on rates for lodging. Lift is fixed by the mountain, but by packaging it with lodging, I think it came out just under $50 a day...

[vinnyv11]

I basically went on their website under the lodging section and picked a 3 or 4 days ski package which usually gives you the 3rd or 4th day free depending on how many nights your staying. You pick your lodging option separately from your lift ticket. Additionally, the website allows you to choose from all surrounding lodging, not just those managed by Killington. That basically gives you some pretty good options on rates for lodging. Lift is fixed by the mountain, but by packaging it with lodging, I think it came out just under $50 a day...

 

Well I got the pricing breakdown between the two and it

[Ride Delaware ?]

First off, conditions will be better at Killington. There is a reason they average 100" more natural snow a year. They are almost up in the central VT area, have a higher elevation, and almost always are 2-3 degrees colder. Second, Killington has a pretty good variety of beginner terrain. They have a beginner mountain, Ramshead, which mostly has Blues or Greens, but it closes this weekend. I have also heard they are closing Skyeship Gondola (could only be stage 1 though). However, Snowshed will still be open and the Great Northern and Great Eastern (both great long cruising greens) will be open to the cutoffs to other lifts. The terrain off Skye Peak, Killington Peak, and the North Ridge Triple (lift) has a good variety of intermediate terrain, especially on the backside. The front side is mostly blacks and double blacks. I went there my second year boarding and found much of the terrain to be very boardable even for a beginner. In fact, I mostly stayed on the blues off the Skye Peak Gondola Stage 2. The only thing I would make sure is that they are going to be running the Skyeship Express Quad out of the Bear Peak area so that you can access that terrain if they close all of the Skye Peak Gondola.

[DiMe]

Both places are great and have what your looking for. Killington is much bigger with a lot more choice though but Mount Snow is big enough to justify a Vermont trip. You'll have a great time at either mountain.

[Mess]

I went to Stratton this year and thought it was a cool mountain. Bromley is 10 miles away and Okemo is pretty close. You could hit three different Mountains. We went to Stratton Day 1 and planned on Bromley Day 2 but it rained so we drove an hour and a half south to Jimminy Peak which I thought was a pretty cool mountain.

[Ride Delaware ?]

So, where did you end up deciding to go?

[DiMe]

It's looking like 8-12" thursday night -friday in Vermont I heading to Killington tomorrow.

[Ride Delaware ?]

Lucky bastard... Hit some of the trees off of Killington Peak for me... With the heavy wet snow, they will be in good condition...

[mgguy]

Just got back from VT- skied Smuggs on Saturday, Mt Snow on Monday. Call ahead to Mt Snow- they are tearing down a lift and as a result parts of the main face were inaccessable. Due to high winds we couldn't get to the top, only had 2 lifts open. The park on Carinthia was really in great shape, trees were still skiable but scratchy, sides of trails were really good. Snow on mountain was mostly granular, but all very skiable. Coverage was real good every where we were.

 

Smuggs was simply great. We were in light snow all day, powder conditions, all glades open, mid winter conditions everywhere! Definately the further north you go the better the conditions should be.