Top day tripper / "local hill" that would interest...

[JohnL]

When there is a good snow base , Plattekill is an absolute freaking rocking mountain. Off the charts; there is an absolute playground in the trees. Can't get there from anywhere ...

Timberline, Canaan Valley, Blue Knob and Laurel in the Mid Atlantic when there is good natty. Elk doesn't suck but the prices and tree skiing policy do.

Bolton Valley, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Berkshire East in NE. Toss in Catamount. Defunct Ascutney.

Cooooooper, Homewood, POW Mow, Beaver Mtn, Beaver Creek. The last one is skied not as much to qual as local in my mind.

 

[TonyC]

So mad river is most comparable with hunter terrain wise? Any others?

No, Mad River is comparable to Mt. Baldy. Hunter is probably comparable to Mt. High. In both comparisons I'm assuming full operation, which is far more common at Mad River/Hunter than at Baldy/Mt. High. To further illuminate the comparisons, Big Bear has Hunter-level snowmaking and thus is in full operation for a comparable length of time with probably better average snow conditions due to less frequent rain. Baldy has very limited ~15% snowmaking coverage. Mt. High has near full snowmaking coverage but an inadequate water supply that can only sustain half of West and none of East during SoCal's frequent dry spells.

From NYC, Hunter is an optimal tradeoff of convenience vs. terrain quality. From Connecticut, where southern Vermont is a daytrip alternative, Hunter is less compelling but certainly worth trying.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

No, Mad River is comparable to Mt. Baldy. Hunter is probably comparable to Mt. High. In both comparisons I'm assuming full operation, which is far more common at Mad River/Hunter than at Baldy/Mt. High. To further illuminate the comparisons, Big Bear has Hunter-level snowmaking and thus is in full operation for a comparable length of time with probably better average snow conditions due to less frequent rain. Baldy has very limited ~15% snowmaking coverage. Mt. High has near full snowmaking coverage but an inadequate water supply that can only sustain half of West and none of East during SoCal's frequent dry spells.

From NYC, Hunter is an optimal tradeoff of convenience vs. terrain quality. From Connecticut, where southern Vermont is a daytrip alternative, Hunter is less compelling but certainly worth trying.

Gotcha. Thanks. I never got to baldy. After a while I stopped going to mountain high unless the east was open. One idea for Hunter as I do want to check it out is to go up the night before. Any recs for cheap lodging?

 

[JohnL]

Skiing at Huntah scares the living crap out of me; sorta surprised at the love for it here. About as fun (and safe) as driving the DC beltway. High speed racers (some very good skiers) skiing around Joey's out for the weekend or to sober up (often as fast as the racers w/o the control) and surrounded by half the population of Flushing. On some narrow trails dynamited out of cliffs, with massive snow fences that partially keep the snow and skiers from falling off the cliff. Terrain is not bad, but it is best enjoyed on a weekday. Plenty of groomers.

I just don't feel the love for Huntah. Maybe 30 years ago.

 

[TonyC]

Skiing at Huntah scares the living crap out of me; sorta surprised at the love for it here.

I suspect Mt. High West in its usual limited operation with East closed is quite comparable. So in both cases take appropriate precautions.
1) Make sure the hill is close to full operation
2) Go midweek instead of weekend if you can

I have had some very good days at Mt. High. Liz speaks favorably of Hunter, but she usually went there on the Wednesday bus.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I suspect Mt. High West in its usual limited operation with East closed is quite comparable. So in both cases take appropriate precautions.
1) Make sure the hill is close to full operation
2) Go midweek instead of weekend if you can

I have had some very good days at Mt. High. Liz speaks favorably of Hunter, but she usually went there on the Wednesday bus.

Mountain high west was a ricochet fest of flying snowboarders bouncing off you like ping pong balls. I imagine midweek it was much better. I have had good days at the West resort. What was it about the east that kept crowds away. The steep end parts of both trails, lack of terain park features. I love, love, love the east resort. I only snowboarded there. Would love to go back and ski it

I've been told to never, ever go to Hunter on a weekend. I'm thinking some Wednesday would work, nice sick day from work

 

[Guy in Shorts]

Place that I considered my home mountain back in the mid 80's. Magic Mt
Sentimental family favorite. Bromley Mt
Quirky fun. Suicide Six

 

[Jnelly]

Man what a great list of places! So many great sounding joints to check out. Motivation to live to be 150yo to make it to even half of them. I love hearing that people are having just as good of a time (if not better) at some of these even when comparing them of the heavyweights. Its so good to know so many of these exist not to mention the way people speak of them. Ive been getting a little dismayed the past few years hearing and reading about all the merger/buyouts from the mega resorts and it seems that it mostly was not for the better in the eyes of people who frequented them so its refreshing to know the local places still have a cult following.

 

[Dave Marshak]

Hickory Hill in Warrensburg, NY was the best ski area without a bar anywhere in North America. They didn't operate last year but I've gotten some e-mails from them this year, so maybe...

dm

 

[Crank]

Magic is one of my go to places for powder days on short notice. It is at the upper limit of what I will drive for a day trip so the snow has to be great. Magic has the best, most challenging terrain in souther Vermont by a long shot. Berkshire East is another hill I will day trip to for a powder day. It is smaller and less challenging than Magic but about 45 minutes closer.

 

[Crank]

Hickory Hill in Warrensburg, NY was the best ski area without a bar anywhere in North America. They didn't operate last year but I've gotten some e-mails from them this year, so maybe...

dm

I have long wanted to ski Hickory. I have family in Saratoga Springs and sometimes I will stay there and drive to Gore which takes me right through Warrensburg. If we have a good winter maybe this will be the year I finally get there. Only surface lifts I believe.

 

[Itinerant skier]

Hickory Hill in Warrensburg, NY was the best ski area without a bar anywhere in North America.......

Kelly Canyon, Idaho might give it a run for the teetotaling money. Darn shame really, as the setting lends itself to some spiked hot cocoa. Decent terrain, much of it lit for night skiing.

 

[Core2]

Monarch is my favorite "local hill." It is a throwback ski area with slow chairs, old lodges and a vibe that no longer exists at a lot of places. No where near a metro area so not sure about "day trip" status but it is definitely not a destination though it could be if it were developed (hope it never is). I think it is often overlooked due to the other CO options which I think the locals are fine with. The one thing I really love about Monarch is the terrain. Some resorts are massive acreage but most of what you see is not really ski-able. Monarch is the opposite, small acreage but everything you see is accessible and lots of fun. The scale of the place makes it seem friendlier than other mountains. It is hard to explain, you just have to check the place out for yourself to understand it. If you love small ski areas like I do, Monarch is a must for a day trip.

 

[cantunamunch]

Is timberline wv still worth the trip from D.C. Area?

Certainly. But Laurel Mountain is also open now.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I visited Missoula with my at-the-time girlfriend. Her sister was going to school and we crashed at her place. We skied the Montana Snowbowl which was pleasant, but the surprise was Discovery Ski Area: http://www.skidiscovery.com/trail-maps/ We day tripped it and while not a quick drive, it was easily done. The back side terrain was terrific. I think they may have added some more since I was there in the late '90s; I don't think the Silver Chief chair was there when I was.

Another nod for Cooper, it is now simply Cooper, they dropped the Ski a year or two ago. In addition to the moderate terrain and classic old school feeling, they have a cat ski operation that I have not partaken of yet that is reported to be a great value with good, not over the top, skiing.

Monarch's cat ski operation accesses a wide range of terrain. I was there for their final day of cat operations about 7 or 8 years ago. We had everything from knee deep to edge deep. Powder to crust. I suspect that after a good storm it is all pretty plush. I missed going a couple years ago because they couldn't open the terrain after a 3 foot snow cycle. Boo hoo!

 

[SkiBam]

Quebec's Eastern Townships. Mont Sutton, Owl's Head, Mont Orford and Bromont. All within 2 hours or less of Montreal. Same goes for north of Montreal - the St Saveur Valley again 2 or less hours from Montreal.

Out of all of those - either Owl's Head or Mont St Saveur. There is skiing there for every level of skier. But in all cases, a weekend is enough.

Used to ski - and love - Owl's Head and Sutton a lot. Seldom now as I live in the Laurentians. I live within sight of a small hill (Morin-Heights) and within 10-15 minutes of several others - St. Sauveur (as Jilly mentioned) among others. Near to SS but in my view more interesting is Mont Olympia. Also good, though farther, is Mont Blanc - a decent place. All that said, I'm a diehard Tremblant skier (an hour drive away) but it's kind of reassuring to know that when I tire of the Tremblant crowds and (sometimes) craziness, I have lots of choice very close by.

 

[Itinerant skier]

Mt. Hood Skibowl is the third ski area on the mountain and is thus the closest to Portland. It's low, so only go if the snow is good. Super cheap tix, Lots of runs lit for night skiing, old, slow double chairs and some truly awesome terrain of the upper bowl. Simple, throwback bar and grill type lodge.

 

[x10003q]

Hunter is a must ski if you have the opportunity. If you can get there mid week, it is a dream. It can be crowded on weekends, but it has been less crowded recently on weekends, as long as Hunter West is open.

http://forum.nyskiblog.com/Hunter-Mtn-NY-1-28-2015-tp4053644.html
http://forum.nyskiblog.com/Hunter-Mtn-3-7-2012-tp3810412.html
http://forum.nyskiblog.com/Hunter-Mtn-Mar-17-2013-St-Patty-s-Day-tp4026497.html

A few others that are worthy :
Plattekill
Belleayre
Hickory - 2 pomas and a tbar but no snowmaking
West Mtn
Snow Ridge in Turin, NY - 500 vertical feet in a lake Ontario snow belt
Berkshire East
Catamount
Magic
Bromley
Pico

 

[wyowindrunner]

Kelly Canyon, Idaho might give it a run for the teetotaling money. Darn shame really, as the setting lends itself to some spiked hot cocoa. Decent terrain, much of it lit for night skiing.

Kelly Canyon is a very family and kid oriented place a lot of the local schools have ski day/ lesson deals for several afternoons spread over the winter weeks. The big yellow kid carriers are prominent in the parking lots in the afternoons. The area is still a family owned business. Closed on Sundays- The rental shop is full of Kastles! Snow can get kinda iced up and rough due to low altitude- but good powder shots if you know where to look-Four lifts all doubles- That's another thread!

 

[Bad Bob]

49* North Chewelah, WA 30 miles +/- out of Spokane. Not on anyone's radar but if you catch it on a powder day you'll appreciate it and remember it. It is about 2,300 acres a hand full of double chairs, and some of the best moderate angle glade and burn skiing I have ever seen. It is kind of a Red Mountain Lite.