Ski Magazine Top 20 Eastern Ski Areas

Didn't see the whole list. Only been to WF a few times. I found it a little dull (or maybe that was my edges). I never was there on a powder day, it's probably a lot better but from what I saw I think there are probably just a few trails that would not get wind blown in a hurry. I would rather have great snow on a low angle run than a steep hard packed trail. Never made it to Stowe, but Smuggs is special and so is the notch. Wild cat is another special place.

This thread is starting to remind me of the "conditions v terrain" debate. I always thought I was with the majority conditions bloc but I realized last year that I'll take cool terrain with marginal snow over good snow on a boring slope.

Just realized this thread started in 2014.  Here's info based on surveys in 2016.

2016-2017 Eastern Top 20
Tremblant
Stowe
Whiteface
Killington
Smuggler's Notch
Sugarbush
Sunday River
Sugarloaf
Jay Peak
Okemo
Mt. Snow
Bretton Woods
Stratton
Loon Mountain
Gore
Cannon
Mad River Glen
Mt. Sunapee
Snowshoe
Wildcat

Most Challenging in the East
Mad River Glen
Jay Peak
Sugarloaf
Smugglers' Notch
Whiteface
Cannon
Stowe
Killington
Sugarbush
Wildcat
 
Most Character
Mad River Glen
Cannon
Tremblant
Sugarloaf
Stowe
Sugarbush
Whiteface
Smugglers' Notch
Wildcat
Bretton Woods

Thanks for the complete list. Somebody posted the top 5 overall earlier. This fleshes it out better for me. I feel like MRG is getting the respect it deserves now. I think Platty belongs on the most character list though. That part I don't understand.

Brownski wrote

This thread is starting to remind me of the "conditions v terrain" debate. I always thought I was with the majority conditions bloc but I realized last year that I'll take cool terrain with marginal snow over good snow on a boring slope.

I can understand that. I think it was about age 60 that I finally realized that soft snow on relatively low angle terrain was a lot more fun than a very steep luge run. However if I can have a good pitch and 12 to 24" of dry pow, that's the best. Unfortunately that doesnt happen much in the east. So here, I prefer places that hold good snow which tend to be not as steep and look west for the best of both worlds

Actual powder snow might change my outlook  I guess. It's so rare in NYS and VT I've forgotten what it looks like.

snoloco wrote

Camp, I thought you hated $towe.  

Nope, not me grasshopper. You got the wrong guy -- I live up there for 4 years  

raisingarizona wrote

 

Combine Stowe and Smuggs as one (they are basically connected) and you have arguably the biggest and most bad ass skiing in the East.

The only way one could even argue that is if they've never experienced it.

Brownski wrote

Thanks for the complete list. Somebody posted the top 5 overall earlier. This fleshes it out better for me. I feel like MRG is getting the respect it deserves now. I think Platty belongs on the most character list though. That part I don't understand.

Given that the results are based on online surveys, perhaps the MRG fans are encouraged more to fill out the SKI survey.  At least in comparison to the fans of Plattekill.  I'd heard of MRG before starting to read NYSkiBlog.  Plattekill was a complete surprise.  Hope to get back there some time.

campgottagopee wrote

raisingarizona wrote

 

Combine Stowe and Smuggs as one (they are basically connected) and you have arguably the biggest and most bad ass skiing in the East.

The only way one could even argue that is if they've never experienced it.

Problem is they're not connected.  It was planned at one time to connect them, and there is a trail between them, but it was never really an official connection.  Upper Spruce Peak at Stowe and Sterling Mountain at Smuggler's Notch are the on the same peak with Stowe on the south side of Smuggler's Notch on the north side.  The trail is about an 8% grade toward Smuggler's Notch.  There is no lift to return back and it's a half mile hike in ski boots (which sucks).

For a period of time, they did offer tickets that were good at both and one could hike that connector trail to go between the mountains.  However, when Stowe replaced the Big Spruce Double with the Sensation HSQ, they regraded the top to cut off some wind exposed terrain and let the lift run more often.  That essentially cut off the connection so you have to hike in both directions to go between.  You also need both a Stowe and Smuggler's Notch ticket to ride lifts on either side, and if you get stuck after the lifts close, you are stuck for the night.  There is no shuttle bus to get you back and it's like an hour long circuitous route to drive between them.  If you look on Google Earth, you can see exactly what happened to the connection when the lift was replaced.

If a connector lift was built back from Smuggler's Notch and more grading work done to allow one to reach the connector trail from the current lift, it could be done.  However, both ski areas serve completely different markets and I doubt they want to be connected.  When the connection was first planned, the two mountains were much more similar to each other.  Smuggler's Notch doesn't want the snotty rich crowd from Stowe and Stowe doesn't want the powderhounds from Smuggler's Notch.

Hey Sno ---- don't tell anybody but you can still get back and forth between the 2 hills. Shhhhhhhh, it's top secret info.

Yes, you can, but you have to hike, and buy 200 dollars worth of lift tickets if you actually want to ski on both sides.

I don't think that is a problem.

Walking a half mile in ski boots is totally fine with me. I get your pov though, it's of an out of shape 16 year old weekend warrior from New Jersey. For locals with duel citizenship and are fit enough that half mile in ski boots is just a nice scenic stroll that only takes about 15 minutes, so the combo is what I claimed it is. Regardless, I'm sure the locals are just fine with the opinions of Ski Magazine readers like yourself.

For a lot of us the skiing doesn't stop at the imaginary boarders around ski resorts. Again, the more people that think like yourself is better for the rest of us, you know, the elitist snobs. Enjoy your cheese burger and heated bubble chair kid.

Why waste time walking half a mile in ski boots, likely post holing into the deep snow making it even harder when you could be skiing off the lifts on one side?  Both resorts are plenty big enough for my liking, so why not just enjoy one and then do a separate trip to the other.

As for locals having dual citizenship, a pass at Stowe is like 1500 dollars and one at Smuggler's Notch is about 500, so you're out 2000 dollars on season passes.  Then again, that's chump change for the average $towe customer.

And no, I'm not from New Jersey for the 10 millionth time.  I'm from Orange County, NY and go to school in Potsdam, NY.

I put in 50 days last year, and am hoping to get about the same this year.  I don't think that makes me a weekend warrior.  Considering that I'm a full time student and want to get the most out of my education (which means not skipping class or blowing off homework to go skiing), I don't think you should be insulting me for getting out whenever I can given the circumstances.  I actually want to get a good job when I'm done here so that I can afford to ski a lot for a lifetime instead of living in my parent's basement or in a trailer park and not be able to ski at all.

raisingarizona wrote

boarders around ski resorts.

So you're saying you have a problem with snowboarders?  Elitist snob.

I bet that short walk is packed out pretty fast, and if you are a local or just a regular it's not a bother it's just another option that makes the playground that much sweeter. Also, breaking trail skinning for .5 mile on mostly flat terrain is another little stroll in the park for the well exercised in touring. I don't think you have any idea how hard some people work for one run and actually enjoy that! I used to pay 1800 for a JXN pass back in 2000, 2k for dual citizenship doesn't sound that terrible to me, if I lived there I would do that.

snoloco wrote

And no, I'm not from New Jersey for the 10 millionth time.  I'm from Orange County, NY and go to school in Potsdam, NY.

Whatever. Same thing.

campgottagopee wrote

Hey Sno ---- don't tell anybody but you can still get back and forth between the 2 hills. Shhhhhhhh, it's top secret info.

He probably can't read a map

Brownski wrote

This thread is starting to remind me of the "conditions v terrain" debate. I always thought I was with the majority conditions bloc but I realized last year that I'll take cool terrain with marginal snow over good snow on a boring slope.

Is the marginal snow soft and natural? I'd rather ski a sweet bump line with grass in every trough than a 1k vert ice luge steep groomer.

Not that I can't ski ice, I just don't find that terrain interesting or fun. But I can see how the conversations intersect too.

Really good fluffy snow on a boring open 28 degree slope can be pretty entertaining in a lazy and euphoric sort of way.