Pick me up on your way through lol. I’m in Conneaut on the Ohio pa border.I'm not too far north of Toledo and would much rather drive to Gore than Killington, so given the choice you presented I'd say Stowe. Never been there, but plan to fix that this February.
I'd do Stowe.. Better terrain and glades if it snows. More Iconic as the real life family from The Sound of Music founded Stowe. But, make it a point to hit both at some point in your lifetime. Killington is great very early or very late season.. and has great spring bump skiing.. World Cup races too..
I learned last year that Sam, who runs it and is the third generation was married to a Purcell, who’s family owns and runs Portillo. Good genes.
Is Waterbury kind of between sugarbush and Stowe then? Any recommendations on where to stay?
FIFY
BTW: where was the Burt house you lived in? Sounds cool. I hope some A-hole COVID refugee hasn't bought it and torn it down!
When I split my time between both, I stay at the Best Western in Waterbury......I consider it a halfway point between Stowe and Sugarbush/MRG......Is Waterbury kind of between sugarbush and Stowe then? Any recommendations on where to stay?
Mad River GlenWhat is Mrg. I’m totally unfamiliar so trying to get a little knowledge
What is Mrg. I’m totally unfamiliar so trying to get a little knowledge
SHUT UP, You're ruining it! My wife won't want to go if she finds out that the Von Trapp's great grandkids won't be yodeling and singing carols to greet us as we walk up to the base lodge there...The comment about the Von Trapp’s founding Stowe is “not so accurate.”
I grew up there. The Von Trapp’s moved to town in 1942. As I recall they moved to Stowe because they hated the humid summers of the Mid-Altantic and when the saw Stowe and VT, it reminded them of Austria.
They turned a small lodge into a pretty big business. Now 2500+ acres, big Nordic trail network, lots of summer MTB, and something like a 100 roon lodge. I learned last year that Sam, who runs it and is the third generation is married to a Purcell, who’s family owns and runs Portillo. Good genes.
But no, they had nothing to do with the Mount Mansfield Co, and the “Mount Mansfield LIFT Co” which with a big assist to the CCC developed the ski area. Both sides of route 108.
The guy generally acknowledged locally as being the founder/driving force at the start was a lumber baron, and local, Craig Burt. Our first ski house was his son’s first home in town. The wood used to build it pretty much could only be obtained by a lumber guy.
My dad also did a lot of business with an NYC investment broker, Roland Palmedo, who invested a lot of money in MRG and the MMC.
Sorry for the history correction. BTW, the Von Trapp’s were not too well known, though they toured all over the country as singers….until the well fictionalized story came out as the Sound of Music and their fame and notoriety exploded.
One of our family homes was on Moscow Road, very close to their land. As a kid Maria scared me…let’s say that she did not resemble Julie Andrews. We were weekenders and not locals. My dad would occasionally remind her that he had been there longer than they had!!!
Stowe is THE iconic New England Ski town, though much, much more different that it was even 30 years ago. Killington, where I coached for three years and have “skied” hundreds of days to me has not so much soul.
Stowe in March, in a normal winter is pretty hard to beat, IMO.
Actually lots of good choices, here.
If you road trip solo, I’d consider staying in Waterbury, and skiing Stowe, Sugarbush and MRG {just to experience the place}. Stowe’s ski reputation can be blown way out of proportion. I could go a week and almost never leave the woods. My 86 year old mom was very happy cruising all over the place on groomers. She could rip, even late in her ski career. My kids were “pretty solid” skiers, and were skiing all over the place at 4-5. Lots to ski other than the Front Four.
Crowds can be an issue. Midweek is great. Pretty much the same in all of N.E.
We moved our ski base/home 30 years ago to Maine, but ski 10-15 days a season at Stowe. Have friends who are at Sugarbush who we always catch up with.
Really beautiful part of the country! Have fun!
MRG is Mad River Glen. It is a "throwback" ski area; they have the last surviving "single" chair anywhere in the US. It is an exact replica of their original lift from 1948. Very very little snowmaking. Their "base lodge" looks like somebody's back yard shed.
It is the closest you will get to a skiing time machine. They have some legendary hairball terrain, but they also have some honestly super nice groomers. There is terrain for everybody there.
If conditions are good, it is 100% worth a visit. Their snow report page will give you the unvarnished truth of what you will find. For instance, they have said "our conditions are simply atrocious; we are 100% open". So if you come up to Northern Vermont -- Bush, Stowe, Bolton, MRG -- build a little leeway into your schedule and keep an MRG day as a solid possibility.
SHUT UP, You're ruining it! My wife won't want to go if she finds out that the Von Trapp's great grandkids won't be yodeling and singing carols to greet us as we walk up to the base lodge there...
Yeah if I talk the wife into going it’ll be mostly beginner runs. If I go alone it’ll be pretty much all blue runs. She has only skied a handful of times so I’m hoping to get her out a handful more before making a trip. I went out to Colorado in February of 2020 before covid hit hard and did mostly blues out there. I’m definitely not a capable mogul skier. Every time I try a mogul run I spend more time on my ass then I do on my feet. I’d like to go west again but I’m thinking this option sounds cheaper as I am also a cheap sobI live in Toledo and have been heading east for quite a few years. I typically go late March/early April after our season is done in SE Michigan.
The drive is a piece of cake and takes roughly 11 hours to get to Stowe and just under 10 hours to get to the Killington area (Rutland). I do have a bit of a lead foot but traffic just seems to flow on the New York Thruway! The extra hour or so is negligible after that many miles.
I am fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you view things) to have a volunteer/employee Epic NE pass. Plus I am a cheap SOB , so take my advice with a grain of salt. I typically arrive on Sunday and ski M-F if my schedule permits. Crowds so far are never an issue unless it’s a weekend.
Killington is big and like others have pointed out, can be a bit of a nut zone at times. Nothing wrong with that! It’s hard to beat spring skiing there. All levels of skiing here. The layout can be overwhelming and confusing. Although it’s been a few years, the wife and I always had fun here. I’ve had my ass handed to me by the mountain on more than one occasion here.
Stowe is a charming town and offers all types of skiing . The terrain won’t disappoint. Food, beverage and lodging can be somewhat more expensive depending on where you choose to stay and eat. It depends on what you’re looking for. Stowe base area is kind of confusing. Think lots of stairs! During the week parking is convenient. The last time I went to Stowe 5- nights lodging was just over $400.00 and that included a big breakfast. This was late season but we had a couple of 6” plus powder days.
Okemo as others have mentioned is not far from K-ton. Its groomers are long and there are several decent bump runs. Last year I skied Wednesday thru Saturday . Saturday had like 30 minute lift lines, but I met a lot of great folks in the line. I actually had a blast there.. Parking is not too bad and the layout is pretty straight forward. It can be a bit of a hike from the parking lot. Staying on property here will cost you a few bucks! It’s an easy drive from Rutland.
Here is something to consider…. The last couple of years ( well, not in 2020) , I’ve been staying in Rutland and using it as my base. It’s roughly within 90 minutes of Stowe, 20 minutes of Killington, 30 minutes of Okemo, and 90 minutes of Mt. Sunapee and Mt. Snow. Actually it is about 90 minutes to just about any mid to southern VT resort. It’s way cheaper than staying at on or near the resort. Lots of food and beverage options too. I will likely do the same again this year.
Honestly, since you are from the flatlands too, you can’t go wrong with any of them, Vermont is a beautiful state!
When is your wife's spring break? Would you rather go solo?Depending if my wife can go since she is a school teacher, I might be making the trip solo. Kinda sketchy since if I got hurt and could drive home.