Much more interesting to hear everyones reasoning, I'll add mine. (and yes, I meant Jiminy Peak is too far from Boston or Eastern Mass)
· Killington or Okemo ----------- Kton has its faults (overcrowded, traverses, pricey) but they make a lot of snow, honestly I have have never skied Okemo, but its on my list of places to try
· Mt Snow or Stratton -----------Mt Snow because they make a lot of snow early, mellow terrain but can get good ticket price deals
· Stowe or Smugglers Notch ------------Stowe has some of the best advanced terrain around, pricey and elite, but great skiing. I can see why a lot of posters ski there regularly, but I bet all have season passes. Haven't been to Smugg's for a long time, more family oriented.
· Sugarbush or Mad River ---------------Sugarbush since they make snow, honestly I had a great day at MR the one or two times I skied it, and I have not hit Sugarbush on a really good day yet, maybe it will happen this season, I have half a quad pack to use up. MR is unique and a "must experience" when conditions are good.
· Catamount or Jiminy Peak -------------------no opinion, too long a drive from the Boston area for the size hill, I maybe wrong about that.
· Hunter or Windham ---------------------no opinion, too far from Boston
· Bromley or Magic ----------------------haven't skied either
· Bretton Woods or Wildcat --------------------Cat for nostalgia and the view of Tuck's. Bretton Woods is a pretty nice mtn, different terrain though.
· Loon or Waterville ----------------------Loon because thy have more diverse trails and better expert runs. I usually ski Loon for a quick day trip, but went to Waterville once this year. Was bored by the end of the day with the similar trails. They do have a good race program. There were three different races going on at the same time the day I was there, impressive.
Others that were not on the list:
Sugarloaf ---------- Probably my favorite East mtn. The Bracket Basin terrain puts this place over the top in any east coast comparison. Long drive and could use a new lift or two, but nice complex at base of mtn and expert terrain that easily compares to Stowe's.
Jay Peak ----------- My son is a freshman at UVM and has a season pass there. I have been skiing there a lot more than in the past for obvious reasons. It is an interesting place, trying to compete with Sugarloaf for their base complex, they have a waterpark on the mtn, so the kids love it. Very long drive from Boston, equal to Sugarloaf. Old style New England slopes and lifts. Serious expert terrain when open. I have "evolved" to skiing their glades pretty much exclusively and avoiding the groomers, which can be icy and over crowded. Prices are reasonable and they do get more snow than any other mtn, even Stowe which is probably second.
Cannon Mtn --------- One of my personal favorites and always a decision to get off 93 early and hit Loon or continue on to Cannon. When the tram is running well you can get a lot of top to bottom runs in. Very old school mtn and reasonably priced. Very icy and cold mtn too. Its a Mad River with questionable snow making.
Saddleback ------------ Hopefully this mtn will open again with a new lift out of the base area. I only skied it once, about 3-4 years ago, but what a great day. There was 5" of new powder and about 50 people on the slopes during this Friday late season morning. I picked one trail and made the first three set of tracks on it. I can't think of any other area that would have such a low skier to terrain ratio for that to happen. Maybe it explains why the place is shut down. The base lodge is beautiful, reminds me of Timberline Lodge at Mt Hood in Oregon. The Casablanca glades are fabulous and hold great snow. If it opens again I will go there as often as I can. I think TonyS knows the place really well and probably misses it more than I do.
Sunday River --------- I forgot this place, I go there a lot too. Its like a Killington, but more managable and with a laid back vibe. I like it a lot, but you have to know how to get around to avoid crowds. They have some nice, somewhat hidden glades, and their Oz peak has great terrain, but not a lot of snow making, so its not always open. Nice base and off mtn amenities as well. Its closer to Boston than Sugarloaf or Jay by 90 minutes and they have excellent snow making, so there is always something skiable there.