Best carving mountains in Vermont?

[craig]

Hi All,

I'm going to be in central VT for two days between Christmas and New Year's, and was wondering if I could get some suggestions on the best resorts for carving (provided that we actually get some snow by then). I've heard that Stratton has some nice runs...

thanks in advance.

[Bobby Buggs]

The only way you are going to find enough space to carve during that week is to get out EARLY, like 8am. By 10:30 it will be a mess. Stratton or Okemo could be your best choices if there is any terrain open.

[bobdea]

just do some of the smaller hills and go home by noon

burke, jay, smuggs and pico don't seem to get as crowded as the rest but are smaller too, that week is a real bitch though, busy

[Justin A.]

That week....hmmmm...trade your board for an Armored Personnel Carrier. I for one intend to hide inside during that week. However, if you do insist on going riding that week, I would say go to smuggs, burke, or if you ski then head to mad river. Stay away from the big destinations like Kill-you-a-ton, Stowe, Mt. Snow (stay away from them anyway), or Jay. I've found that Jay isn't ever crowded except holiday weeks and the occasional saturday, but Jay isn't a particularly good carving mountain anyway. Just head for the trees when you're there. Good luck, and wear armor!

Edit: I forgot, Haystack is right down the street from Mt. Snow and it never gets crowded, its fairly small though. Pico is a good place too, right up the street from Killington.

[patmoore]

I'm going to echo the comments of most of the folks here. Stratton has the advantage in that you'll be able to ride with other hardbooters. Pico is nice too. My preference is Okemo. I should be there all that week but I'll be working from 10-2 each day.

[jnshapiro]

Interesting timing on this thread.

We've just started thinking about moving to VT. My wife wants to be closer to her folks. They are in N. Bennington. It's an easy ride from there to Stratton, though I seem to remember really enjoying Bromley. But that was 10 years ago.

[Justin A.]

Interesting timing on this thread.

We've just started thinking about moving to VT. My wife wants to be closer to her folks. They are in N. Bennington. It's an easy ride from there to Stratton, though I seem to remember really enjoying Bromley. But that was 10 years ago.

Bennington is nice country. If you do move there check out a restaraunt in Londonderry-I think it's called "the all american grill" or something to that effect. They have AMAZING venison chili. It's a wee bit of a drive from there, but not even 1/8 as far as it is from here ;). The startingate ski/board shop is right down the road from stratton as well, and it's the best ski shop I've ever been to, hands down (minus the sales tax, but hey...)

[spaamport]

Yeah, ditto on Killington. No es bueno. Especially that week. You'll be tripping over snakes of skiwees and dudes in jeans with NY Giants puffy jackets trying to ski while simultaneously sliding over sheets of ice only to wish you had gone to Okemo.

Okemo has wide flat groomers and will be much less crowded than Killington, although it is also a pop. family mountain, so that week might be dicey in terms of people on the slope. Lift lines aren't too bad at Okemo.

I don't mind Jay. It doesn't have the big industrially groomed sloped football fields that Okemo has, but my experience is that it isn't very crowded compared to some of the (shall we say) more accessible Mtns (Jay is off in the Northeast Kingdom on its own), and I've found other hardbooters there. Although be warned, they're probably Quebecois as Jay is one of the more popular mtns for Frenchies from southeastern Quebec. I even saw a monoboarder there once... maybe it was a dream.

Anyway.

Vermont on Christmas break can be tough. Be prepared to do some human slalom. And get out there early. The snow is largely man made and gets skiied off early.

Sugarbush also isn't bad, but is a bit farther north in the same realm as Smugglers Notch, Stowe and Snob Skier Glen.

[Bobby Buggs]

Let me put it to you this way. I live 1:45 from Stratton, easily a day trip. During that week I consider ALL the mountains Closed, I just wont go

[wavechaser]

Sugarbush also isn't bad, but is a bit farther north in the same realm as Smugglers Notch, Stowe and <b>Snob Skier Glen</b>.

Hey, if your are bored and want to cause trouble ( :D ) Mad River Glen has a forum at http://forums.skimrv.com/forum-3.html - they LOVE comments from snowboarders...you'll probably get locked out eventually. ;)

[craig]

Thanks all for the advice. I know my timing is horrible for avoiding the crowds, but I'll have to take what I can get. Burke looks interesting, but I think it and Jay Peak may be a bit too far out of the way for convenience. I've never been to Haystack, but it looks as though is turning into a ski-country-club. Pico is a possibility, but it sounds like an Okemo/Stratton combo could be the ticket. I'll just have to get to the mountain at 5 a.m. ;-)

Funny, but I never knew that Mad River Glen was skier only (I thought the last hold-outs were Taos and Alta). I've haven't touched my skis for 16 years, I wonder where they are...