New England Vermont Travel Restrictions

[jmsjms]

+1 to @Rudi Riet 's comments, but lodging in Stowe isn't really that out of line compared to Burlington. There are stupid expensive places, but there are budget options as well.

Smuggler's Notch is a short hop away from Stowe -- in the summer. The road between them is closed in the winter. If you're in Stowe, Smugg's is about an hour away. If you're in Burlington, both Stowe and Smuggs are about an hour away.

KevinF, on google map I am seeing that Stowe and Smuggler's Notch are 5-10000 feet away from each other (on road 108). Am I seeing wrong: How can they be an hour away distance from each other? If there is a daily bus from Burlington then that would be great.... Or even if there is no daily bus from Burlington, and if I stay there at some cheap place, I would still be interested in a local bus so that I don't have to deal with a rental car from the Burlington airport.

 

[jmsjms]

Either way, with the quarantining regulation I am about ready to give up on this Vermont idea and look elsewhere. It looks like flying to Salt Lake City has no quarantining regulations.

 

[Ogg]

KevinF, on google map I am seeing that Stowe and Smuggler's Notch are 5-10000 feet away from each other (on road 108). Am I seeing wrong: How can they be an hour away distance from each other?

That road is closed in the winter.

 

[EricG]

EricG, you were joking.

not really. I know of 1 family planning to quarantine in Burlington in January then ski for a for 2-3 weeks before going back to PA. Another family freind works from home in NJ, he uses NetJets to fly to Stowe-Morrisville airport when he brings the family up, I used to keep his SUV at my house when he wasn’t going to be up for a month or more.

 

[Doug Briggs]

@Ogg beat me to it.

It has been a while since I traveled in VT to ski but maybe this:?

Note: The historic Smugglers' Notch Pass, on Route 108 between Stowe and Jeffersonville, is CLOSED FOR WINTER TRAVEL from mid-October through mid-May and is closed to motorcoaches, motorhomes and commercial vehicles year round.

 

[Doug Briggs]

The same problem occurs with the closing of Indy Pass in CO. "What do you mean I can't drive from Copper to Aspen through Leadville?"

 

[mdf]

The same problem occurs with the closing of Indy Pass in CO. "What do you mean I can't drive from Copper to Aspen through Leadville?"

One of the lodging search engines was offering hotels in Crested Butte as an alternate for Aspen. Which of course is something like a 4 hour drive in winter. I was talking to a local who said he can ski tour from Aspen to Crested Butte in about the same time it takes to drive there.

 

[sparty]

One of the lodging search engines was offering hotels in Crested Butte as an alternate for Aspen. Which of course is something like a 4 hour drive in winter. I was talking to a local who said he can ski tour from Aspen to Crested Butte in about the same time it takes to drive there.

"Quicker on skis" may also apply on Smuggs to Stowe; I haven't done it, but I think I know people who have. If you had lift access on both sides and didn't need to be on the other side before first chair, I think it would be pretty easy.

 

[Wilhelmson]

"Quicker on skis" may also apply on Smuggs to Stowe; I haven't done it, but I think I know people who have. If you had lift access on both sides and didn't need to be on the other side before first chair, I think it would be pretty easy.

It might be a thin cover right now.

 

[Itinerant skier]

"Quicker on skis" may also apply on Smuggs to Stowe; I haven't done it, but I think I know people who have. If you had lift access on both sides and didn't need to be on the other side before first chair, I think it would be pretty easy.

Stowe to Smuggs is 20 minutes down the Long Trail from top of Spruce. Easy.

 

[KevinF]

Yeah, Stowe to Smuggs on skis is pretty straightforward. Many moons ago each side would give you one free ride back up so that you could get back, but that practice has long been discontinued. That’s how I got my one-and-only Smuggs ski experience. Heck, they used to run a snow cat between them until apparently the cat sunk into the lake.

Not much point in doing it now unless you have a lift pass to both locations.

 

[KevinF]

One of the lodging search engines was offering hotels in Crested Butte as an alternate for Aspen. Which of course is something like a 4 hour drive in winter. I was talking to a local who said he can ski tour from Aspen to Crested Butte in about the same time it takes to drive there.

Ha! I had to look this up on Google Maps. I thought Crested Butte and Aspen were nowhere near each other but they’re apparently pretty close— as the crow flies. Who knew?

 

[Wilhelmson]

KevinF, on google map I am seeing that Stowe and Smuggler's Notch are 5-10000 feet away from each other (on road 108). Am I seeing wrong: How can they be an hour away distance from each other? If there is a daily bus from Burlington then that would be great.... Or even if there is no daily bus from Burlington, and if I stay there at some cheap place, I would still be interested in a local bus so that I don't have to deal with a rental car from the Burlington airport.

Its would be easier to rent a car unless you pay to be in the village but who knows what deals are around. We found the best western in waterbury to be comfortable.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Ha! I had to look this up on Google Maps. I thought Crested Butte and Aspen were nowhere near each other but they’re apparently pretty close— as the crow flies. Who knew?

They have a mt bicycle race from CB to Aspen: http://cbklunkers.com/ It has been around practically longer than mountain bikes.

 

[KevinF]

Its would be easier to rent a car unless you pay to be in the village but who knows what deals are around. We found the best western in waterbury to be comfortable.

The Best Western in Waterbury is nice although it is pricy; there are definitely cheaper alternatives in Stowe village. Commodore Inn and the Snowdrift come to mind. Waterbury is nice though if you’re splitting time between Stowe, Bolton and the Mad River Valley.

Also, God help you with getting up the Best Western’s hill during inclement weather, especially in a rental car with suspect tires.

 

[James]

In Stowe that Alpen Haus? (Vaguely Austrian, been there forever, and hasn’t been renovated since keeping it reasonable) On the access road pretty far up, was decent if you don’t need posh.
It has an outdoor balcony that I think you can at least exit the room from if not also enter. Assuming you’re on the 2nd floor. I believe some first floor have direct to outside entry.
The breakfast was pretty good, but the dining room is so small I wouldn’t do it now. Maybe they’d do pickup or room service.