New England 8hrs to killington or 9.5hrs to stowe

[PinnacleJim]

Since I retired 15 years ago, I've logged over 1000 ski days, with over 200 of those in Colorado. My take on eastern versus western skiing is somewhat different from common wisdom. Yes conditions are consistently better out west, but I've hit some pretty bad surfaces in the Rockies and some pretty amazing conditions in VT. To me the biggest difference is the terrain, especially for advanced to expert skiers. Nothing like the stunning high alpine terrain at Breck or most of ABasin in the east. For intermediates sticking to the groomed traila, the differences are not that dramatic. I continue to be amazed at how groomers in the east can produce pretty darn good surfaces a couple of days after a freeze-thaw cycle, but everything is skiing firm and fast in CO if there hasn't been a decent snowfall in the previous week. I am looking forward to my trip to CO this February, but also to spending lots of time in the VT mountains.

 

[James]

So… no one’s mentioned the rain?

 

[LiquidFeet]

I thought the Starr / Goat / Nosedive / etc. reconfiguration occurred in the late '60s sometime. They certainly haven't changed in the 25, 30 years I've been going to Stowe.

Regarding the suitability of the Front Four to intermediates... Liftline is routinely skied by intermediate-level skiers; whether or not they enjoy the descent is another matter. The other three... Maybe if you're a glutton for punishment or happen to luck into a sweet conditions day.

^^ This.

 

[Muleski]

So… no one’s mentioned the rain?

Yep, and at times big temp swings, overnight. Biggest one I have experienced was 85 degrees in 36 hours. Sun and very unusually warm 65 degrees at our house in Stowe at sunset. Two mornings later, -20F. Let’s say that things “firmed up.” Luckily no precip.

A number of years ago our coach-son brought a big group of young athletes from CO to Sugarloaf for a week in late March.
They arrived at our house, got settled in, set up the ski room….and over dinner our son explained the plan for the next day.

Free ski all day, get used to the terrain, amd get acclimated. And “The weather report sounds like we’ll all get to experience good old New England mixed precipitation.”

That’s what these are for……and he points to a couple of boxes of contractors’ plastic bags.

What’s mixed precip? He explains “It’s pretty much whatever crap can fall out of the sky. Rain, snow, sleet, frozen rain, ice……”

They got it all. And all skied in garbage backs over their training gear. They also got to ski in the pretty tight NE woods, right back to our house. Not doing that at home.

Most of their parents flew East to watch the racing. Big event. Led to some of them being named to the USST.

BUT ALL they wanted to talk about was the mixed precip and skiing in it….right back to the house.

A few years earlier, our son was doing a PG year, and had to decide on whether to head to Europe for some tech starts, or come home to the East for a NorAm speed week. He went to Europe. We hosted 6 of his good friends at the speed week.

I can’t remember if it was Jan or Feb. But it started raining the night they arrived and I have NEVER seen it rain so much, for so long up there. Like 4 days of almost constant rain and wind. Needless to say, no skiing, no training, no racing.

The six guys were texting our son, and the common theme was “This place SUCKS. I can’t believe you grew up here! It’s also in the middle of nowhere!” Yep, HaHa. When they later came back for NorAm Finals and US Nationals, it seemed to get better.

Rain can happen. It would not scare me away, and skiing in light rain with good snow can be fun….though I would not rush out these days!

Lots of good advice and opinions, here. You can have fun at any of these spots!

 

[Smitty244]

So… no one’s mentioned the rain?

Vt get a lot of hit and miss rain that messes plans up?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I doubt that we get more rain than Ohio.

 

[cantunamunch]

I doubt that we get more rain than Ohio.

But then we also don't know how messy Ohio plans get?

 

[Laurel Hill Crazie]

Rain is just a little less problematic in New England then it is in the midwest and mid-Atlantic but rain happens in VT. I remember arriving in March after a near record winter. It was almost tunnel like from the driveway to my friends house in West Woodstock. In the course of 3 days Killington went from 100% open to next to nothing. From deep winter to mud season. Then there was that time at Jay that went from 2 feet of snow to rain and a deep freeze. Then there was that time at Stowe where the upper mountain was so socked in you couldn't see your skis and vertigo set in. Then there was this other time at Killington...you get the picture. Last year I spent a classic New England week at Saddleback, as in you should have been here last week. All in all I've had many more good and great days in NE than bad days.

 

[Marker]

Vt get a lot of hit and miss rain that messes plans up?

We were driving up to Killington for a MLK weekend. The forecast was potentially for a lot of snow, but instead we got a lot of rain. My 7 hr drive turned into 11 and we got there at 2 am in the morning. The next day was the worst conditions I ever skied, but you got to take the days you can when working full-time. By MLK Monday, the groomers had worked their magic and it was a tolerable day.

But last season I skied mid-week straight from MLK Monday to the end of March. January and February saw no freeze-thaw cycles and it seemed like it snowed every other day. Just an awesome way to start retirement! March came and the snowfall disappeared and it got warmer. We were in full spring skiing mode by March 20, but that was still a lot of fun until the mud season started in early April.

 

[James]

It rained last night and today. Currently the snow is trying a valiant assault but they’re too few in number. The tide may turn in a few hours.

 

[mdf]

On the flip side, you have events like one I remember from the years I had a ski house share. I woke up, saw rain on the deck, and went back to sleep.
Later one of the other guys in the house told me I blew it: "The rain-snow line was at the Snowshed parking lot!"

 

[Dave Marshak]

I thought the Starr / Goat / Nosedive / etc. reconfiguration occurred in the late '60s sometime. They certainly haven't changed in the 25, 30 years I've been going to Stowe.

IIRC Goat was recut in the 66 or 67. I was there in 69 but my skills were more perfect for the Spruce side then.
I don't know of Starr was ever recut.

Regarding the suitability of the Front Four to intermediates... Liftline is routinely skied by intermediate-level skiers; whether or not they enjoy the descent is another matter. The other three... Maybe if you're a glutton for punishment or happen to luck into a sweet conditions day.

I was once standing at the top of National when someone knocked my pole out from under me. I slid the entire length of National, all the way across Liftline, at a surprisingly high rate of speed. I finally stopped in the soft snow at the side of the trail, but it was one of the most frightening things that ever happened to me on skis.

dm

 

[Dave Marshak]

Later one of the other guys in the house told me I blew it: "The rain-snow line was at the Snowshed parking lot!"

One year it was foggy and raining on Rt 4, but we had comp tickets so we drove up to the mountain. We emerged from the fog just as soon as we reached the Bear Mountain parking lot, and we had a perfect full sun spring day. You don't know unless you go.

dm

 

[cantunamunch]

It rained last night and today. Currently the snow is trying a valiant assault but they’re too few in number. The tide may turn in a few hours.

Got an onion?

 

[x10003q]

Another vote for Gore. Closer and less crowded than Stowe and Killington. Lodging is usually cheaper at Gore.

 

[Wendy]

Thinking about a road trip from Ohio this winter. Killington is about 8 hrs and Stowe is about 9.5 hrs. Wondering people’s opinions on the shorter drive or the longer drive.

You’ve gotten a ton of good advice here from locals. I live about 6 hrs from Killington, 7 from Stowe.

If you’re making a drive of about 9-10 hours, and your wife comes along, I’d also consider what other activities you might want to do when you’re not skiing. The advantage of Stowe is the quaint town, so if walking around a pretty VT town is something up your alley, Stowe is the place to go. The last time I was here was on a President’s Day weekend, back when I was still teaching high school. It wasn’t crazy crowded as I’ve experienced at Okemo or Killing ton. When the temperatures plummeted one day into a zone where I wasn’t comfortable skiing, we went snowshoeing at a nice trail network, (not the von Trapp lodge, which is also great), and there was a cool warming yurt there. Bottom line: There were other things to do if the weather wasn’t conducive to being on the mountain.

If you stay in Waterbury, there’s always the classic Ben & Jerry’s visit.

I’ve skied various places in the West. I’ve spent tons of time in the West for many reasons. Went to grad school there too. The thing about VT is it has a unique charm that isn’t found in the West.

 

[Smitty244]

I’m leaning towards Stowe but I have plenty of time to decide. I’d love to go back out west but I think just a drive to Vermont sounds good right now and I’m all about seeing different parts of the country. I normally ski at peek n peak and holiday valley because peak is only an hour away but it probably only has about 350’ of vertical. Holiday valley is 2 hours from me and has about 750’. Anything is better than what I am used to, not to knock my normal slopes but everyone wants to experience what’s really out there. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[cantunamunch]

You’ve gotten a ton of good advice here from locals. I live about 6 hrs from Killington, 7 from Stowe.

If you’re making a drive of about 9-10 hours, and your wife comes along, I’d also consider what other activities you might want to do when you’re not skiing. The advantage of Stowe is the quaint town, so if walking around a pretty VT town is something up your alley, Stowe is the place to go. The last time I was here was on a President’s Day weekend, back when I was still teaching high school. It wasn’t crazy crowded as I’ve experienced at Okemo or Killing ton. When the temperatures plummeted one day into a zone where I wasn’t comfortable skiing, we went snowshoeing at a nice trail network, (not the von Trapp lodge, which is also great), and there was a cool warming yurt there. Bottom line: There were other things to do if the weather wasn’t conducive to being on the mountain.

If you stay in Waterbury, there’s always the classic Ben & Jerry’s visit.

I’ve skied various places in the West. I’ve spent tons of time in the West for many reasons. Went to grad school there too. The thing about VT is it has a unique charm that isn’t found in the West.

Is the Cabot cheese tasting room open? What about Vermont Artisan Coffee / Lake Champlain Chocolates / and whatever the distillery is called?

 

[Wendy]

Is the Cabot cheese tasting room open? What about Vermont Artisan Coffee / Lake Champlain Chocolates / and whatever the distillery is called?

I don’t know. It’s been awhile but I will get up there this winter. Point is, @Smitty244 will have a lot of things to do if he chooses to visit that area.

 

[James]

Lake Champlain Chocolates

Those are…not great.
VT is now famous for beer.