Where to go?

[method9455]

Due to some unfortunate complications, I had to cancel my Park City trip. Sucks hardcore, but I'll survive, I'm saving the money for next season and I'm taking at least 1 trip out west next year for sure so, it works out. To make up for it, I'm taking a trip spring break on the east coast. I'm a little hesitant based on the weatehr so far, but a lot of people seem to think winter will be late. I can go anywhere on the east coast. I'm just trying to figure out where to go.

 

The dates would be march 25th to 31st. Possibly hitting 2 mountains 3 days each if they aren't too far, but would prefer to stay at one place.

 

I've done Mount Snow, Stratton, Killington, and Tremblant - I want somewhere new.

Its a hotel room for two, nightlife and a town doesn't matter at all. As long as there is somewhere for us to get a pizza or a burger, we'll make do.

We don't do moguls.

Terrain park is a minor consideration, she doesn't do it, I do, so when we ride together, very few runs through it.

Distance/money don't really matter.

 

I'm looking for somewhere with a lot of snow, low crowds, intermediate/advanced groomed runs, steepness is good.

 

I'm thinking Jay Peak, Stowe, somewhere in Maine? what do you guys think?

[method9455]

This is the way I'm seeing it

 

Jay Peak - Reportedly has great snow, good terrain, the glades policy is nice. The drive is farther than most, but its cheaper, should be laid back on spring break week.

 

Stowe - Nothing special stands out, but a lot of people say it is really nice, with excellent terrain.

 

Sugarbush - Don't know anything about it, other than it has a lot of peaks.

 

Sugarloaf - Big vertical, above tree line skiing, has a bowl. The only person I know who went was my dad, said it was crazy cold, but thats a good thing this winter.

 

Looking for feedback on those four and why you would pick them.

 

Right now I'm thinking

 

1. Stowe

2. Sugarloaf

3. Jay Peak

4. Sugarbush

 

But barely any differance between them.

[IrishSnow686]

Last year I did Sugarbush, Stowe and Smugglers Notch. Sugarbush and Stowe were fun mountains. I went mid-week so there were no crowds. Stowe's nightlife was the best of the three, Sugarbush got a good snow while I was there so conditions were great. By the time I got to Stowe, all the powder was gone. I do not reccommend going to Smuggs. I was very dissapointed with the place... super slow double chair lifts (no high speed). In a little over 3 hours of riding, I might have got in 3-4 runs. Tree skiing was good, zero nightlife and no town w/in distance. I go to Whiteface every few years and have a good time there. Might want to add that one in.

[n0xidee]

Sunday River

 

Really far north, good terrain, should have good conditions at that time.

[method9455]

Naw it is too hard to get flights from Honolulu and Newark into Salt Lake anytime near each other without paying a billion dollars. We had it set before but the flight sold out while we waited for a few things to fall into place. The only way it would work was for me to sit around in the airport for 20 hours. I would have done that, but there have been about 5 turns along the way that have given me incredibly bad vibes about the trip. Everything has been seemingly easy and then turned into a major hassle for dumb reasons. Call me superstition but I just was really not feeling the whole thing. It was the same feeling I get when I know its time to stop pushing myself for a day because I'm about to get hurt, except I was planning a vacation. That is somewhat disheartening when I'm spending a huge amount of money compared to what I make. Plus - Utah is having an ok winter but nothing exceptional, and its not going anywhere. I'm going to try again next year and maybe their snow will be better, and we won't have to deal with the Newark/Honolulu thing which makes it almost a thousand dollars cheaper.

 

She likes the look of Stowe. I like everything I've heard about Stowe except some people are saying slow lifts. Also seems like their snowmaking is smaller than other mountains, while they have a higher snowfall total. That scares me when this year is so unreliable. I'd still say Stowe is #1, but I'd like to hear what you guys think about their lifts. Good to hear nightlife is good. I'm about 75% sure it is Stowe right now.

 

I'm cutting Jay Peak off because it sounds like their #1 attribute is their glades, which I have done very little of on a snowboard, and she has done none, so we might try a few out but basing a vacation around something we don't do is a bad idea.

 

Sugarbush just doesn't do it for me when I'm looking at the trail map. I dunno, it doesn't seem up to Stowe or Sugarloaf.

 

I like the vertical at Sugarloaf, and the trail map looks good. The drive doesn't seem great but I'll do it. Their snowmaking seems better, which is a bonus. Doesn't sound like there is much to do though.

 

Thanks for the info so far, I should decide in the next day or two.

[method9455]

Stowe it is, looking for a place to stay now, but that shoudn't be hard.

 

Yea, she can almost keep up to speed with me, which is saying something since there are only 2 of my guy friends and my brother that keep up with me. Actually I find if she goes first she goes a lot faster than if she follows. If I back it off a little she can keep up. She can do any trail I do which is good enough for me, if she is 30 seconds behind me at the bottom after bombing a run at Mount Snow, its not a big deal. She just doesn't do park really yet, small jumps and small boxes a little bit, but thats not really her thing.

 

I'm disappointed I'm not going to Utah, but honestly they're not having a great year and next year I can rent a car, so I can stay in a MUCH cheaper place. I can do this trip to Stowe for 5 days of riding, plus a trip to Utah next year for 5 days, for the price it was going to cost this year to Utah because I needed a place in walking distance to restaurants and the mountain. Next year we can just get a room and not care where it is, plus our flights will be the same so its less hassle.

 

All I care is that I'll get 5 days of riding in the last week of March, who can complain about that.

[phillycore]

Hey FWIW Jackson Hole is in the

Teton's not the Rockies......

 

 

hee hee

[phillycore]

ellifino lmao

[method9455]

Yea i'm not too worried about how close I am to Stowe, we were 15 minutes from Mount Snow and had a blast, doesn't matter much, my car is reliable as hell. Too bad I can't just put my Mazda in the check baggage on the flight out. Lift tickets are expensive there, but they are worse at some other places so whatever. I'm just trying to avoid the spring break crowd and I feel like Stowe is off the Stratton/Okemo/Mount Snow/Killington/Tremblant style spring break radar.

[anthony]

If you like going to Canada, and you've already been to Tremblant, try looking over Whistler/Blackcomb. That is where I'm going for my next trip to Can-din-adia! It's right near Vancouver. Their website is pretty sick too, lots of photos. Vids from the parks too. Two giant mountians. Might be a little costly, but worth it. Nintendo sponsers one of the parks, pretty sweet. As for trails, wow. Amazing

[method9455]

If you like going to Canada, and you've already been to Tremblant, try looking over Whistler/Blackcomb. That is where I'm going for my next trip to Can-din-adia! It's right near Vancouver. Their website is pretty sick too, lots of photos. Vids from the parks too. Two giant mountians. Might be a little costly, but worth it. Nintendo sponsers one of the parks, pretty sweet. As for trails, wow. Amazing

 

Oh yea Whistler is on the list believe me. Two guys from the shop just got back, said 10" everynight except one. That night they got 22". The pictures show it too. Just can't do anywhere we have to meet up at the airport from 2 differant places, its such a hassle.

 

Anyway - Doug do you have any recommendations for a cheap motel? We just need one bed, a TV, and a shower really. A fridge would be a bonus, and we're trying to do it cheap. As long as the room is clean, its not big deal. Right now its look a hell of a lot more expensive than Killington, which sucks. I really don't want to go to killington during that time it will be so crowded (although they have good snowmaking and good parks so, not that bad, just crowded). Although if i'm in a hotel of college kids (at k-mart) there will probably be some good beer pong, and that is our idea of nightlife so ......